Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Pros And Cons Of Raising The Minimum Wage - 1908 Words

Tai K. Lamar Jennifer Chicosky ENG-111-IN1 07/21/17 Raising the Minimum Wage from $7.25 Can you live off $7.25 an hour? Would you be able to pay all your bills, and have plenty of money left over for food, as well as personal pleasures? Imagine your salary was cut down to a forty-hour work week at the minimum wage salary in your state. Can you save money while on a minimum wage hourly salary? These same questions are on the minds of many Americans that are currently facing these struggles every time they receive a paycheck. For several reasons, the minimum wage should rise to $10.10 nationwide. This would be an adequate amount for most employees to support themselves and have some money to save or spend in the open market which would in†¦show more content†¦This was a minute amount of $4.19/hour compared to what the owners of businesses were still racking in, while their employees sat in the dark. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s tight restrictions on businesses worked wonders for our economy and is one of the reasons he is considered one of the great presidents by some. Now, we are in a similar situation. Post-2008 stock market crash, and our economy is recovering quite slowly. It is time for Congress to take action and kick-start our economy even faster by raising the minimum wage. Congress has not risen the minimum wage often since the Great Depression ended. History has shown that Congress has only risen the minimum wage in times of economic stability and low unemployment due to the risks of enacting at the wrong time. â€Å"On July 24, 2009, the wage floor was hiked from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour, thanks to the last in a series of increases passed by a Democratic-controlled Congress in 2007† (Jamieson 1). Since the Obama Presidency took on its second term unemployment has been on the downfall, even as low as 5% (Brooks 2). This trend has continued six months into the Trump presidency, this leads me to believe that the time is now. â€Å"The Livable Wage Act of 1995 proposed a $5.50 an hour minimum wage starting in 1996 and indexing the minimum wage to the cost of living in 1997 and thereafter† (William, 2). The national cost ofShow MoreRelatedThe Pros And Cons Of Raising The Minimum Wage993 Words   |  4 PagesAlthough it is not a new topic in America, the decision to raise the minimum wage continues to be controversial, especially in the political realm. The political parties still move to block the opposing party from successfully implanting their ideals, causing either nothing to be accomplished or the situation to worsen. Research shows that raising the minimum wage a reasonable amount would lessen the gap between the rich and the poor, continue to fulfill its original purpose of protecting workersRead MorePros and Cons of Raising a Minimum Wage Essay1126 Words   |  5 PagesMinimum Wage A minimum wage is the lowest hourly wage that employers have to compensate the workers for their service. Currently the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. However, many states also have their own minimum wage laws. In those instances, the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages. In this paper we will discuss the brief history of the minimum wage law and its current legislation. We will also analyze the pros and cons of raising the minimum wage, and theRead MoreEssay on Pros and Cons of Raising the Minimum Wage1156 Words   |  5 PagesPros and Cons of Raising the Minimum Wage When you picture a minimum wage worker, who do you picture? Do you see a sixteen year old, a middle-aged mother, a college graduate, or even a senior citizen worker? In September of 2013, California governor Jerry Brown signed a new bill into act that would cause the California minimum wage to rise from the current $8.00 and hour to $10.00 and hour in increments over the next three years. The minimum wage rate will go up in two separate $1.00 boosts.Read MorePros And Cons Of Raising The Minimum Wage1122 Words   |  5 PagesSince 2009, the federal minimum wage rate for employees has been $7.25 per hour. In retrospect, this is hardly enough pay to take care of one’s self-- let alone a family with children. If a person were to add up the average cost of living for one week and then compare it to the average amount of money earned in minimum wage for that week, it would be apparent that there is little to no extra money for emergency situations. Increasing the minimum wage has been a major controversial issue; DemocratsRead MoreU.s. Federal Minimum Wage Essay1162 Words   |  5 PagesFederal Minimum Wage is $7.25 per hour. In just two years from 2013, the demanded from advocates for raising minimum wage rose from $9 to $15. However, raising the minimum wage is more complex than simply raising the number of federal standard of pay for employees. Relative control groups and other market activities play a part in the outcome of the minimum wage. For example, one instance of market activity was observers said that raising the minimum wage did not hurt individuals; however, wages wereRead MoreEffects of Increasing Minimum Wage794 Words   |  3 Pagesa federal minimum wage is a good one. The idea is to protect low and unskilled workers and allow workers to earn a living wage. The recent debate on the floor, though, is whether or not to raise the minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour up to $10.10. President Barack Obama made this proposal during his an nual State of the Union Address, and after this there were many hot debates about it. The debates focused not only on the pro side and the con side of increasing the minimum wage, but alsoRead MoreMinimum Wage And The Wage1573 Words   |  7 Pages What is minimum wage? It is the lowest amount that employers must pay their workers per hour of their labor, legally prescribed by federal government. According to Bureau of Labor Statics, United States Department of Labor, minimum wage was first introduced in United States by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1938 called Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA). The initial minimum wage was set to $0.25 per hour in 1938 (Grossman). The minimum wage was increased twenty-two times from 1938 to 2009. AtRead MorePersuasive Essay Outline :Minimum Wage964 Words   |  4 Pages Persuasive Essay Outline :Minimum Wage 1 Intro - I want you to think about your very first job .Were you a Bellhop ,cashier ,bartender ,cooks(fast food ),lifeguard, .Now how about your second job were you a airport worker or child care worker.About how much were youRead MoreBenefits Of Working For Minimum Wage907 Words   |  4 Pagestheir employe’s hourly wages based on a minimum wage. Today in America we have many hard workers who are working for minimum wage which consists of $7.25 per hour. There is some businesses that believe all employees should be paid at minimum wage while other businesses pay well over minimum wage. Skills, attitude, responsibility and work ethic all affect how employers base employees hourly wage. When looking at the economy the government should not increase mnimum wages, there are many factorsRead MoreRaising The Minimum Wage? Essay1217 Words   |  5 PagesThe minimum wage is one of the most discussed issues around the country. Everyone has a different opinion if raising the minimum wage would help families across the country to have a better lifestyle or if would cause an unbalance in the economy. Democrats and Republicans have a different view on this issue, while Democrats supports raising the minimum wage by $15 an hour, Republicans have stated that they refuse increasing the wage because it would leave different factions of Americans outside of

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Fabric And Jewelery In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay Example For Students

Fabric And Jewelery In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay Word Count: 783 Erin Kilkenny English Comp Lit Cathy Seigel March 7, 2000 Sir Gawain Essay In literature, insights into characters, places, and events are often communicated to the reader by symbolic references within the text. This is the case in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In this Medieval romance, the colors and textures of fabrics and jewelry are used heavily by the poet not only as a descriptive tool, but also to give the reader information about the characters personalities and roles within the story. The narrative opens with a holiday feast in King Arthurs court. The richness of this setting is represented by the decorations surrounding Queen Guenevere described in lines 76-80. With costly silk curtains, a canopy over,/ Of Toulouse and Turkestan tapestries rich/ All broidered and bordered with the best gems/ Ever brought into Britain, with bright pennies/ to pay. These lines also symbolize the queens role in the poem of a stately symbol of chivalric Camelot and as a female ideal. In this setting women are all around, but Guenevere is positioned above them and is surrounded by expensive, beautiful things. She is clearly made superior. The Green Knight then arrives at Arthurs court to pose a challenge for someone to cut off his head and to have the favor returned a year later. He and his horse are both entirely green and are clad in rich attire. The horses saddle is described as follows, in lines 164-167: About himself and his saddle, set upon silk,/ That to tell of the trifles would tax my wits,/ The butterflies and birds embroidered thereon/ In green of gayest, with many gold thread. The Green Knights appearance makes his supernatural qualities apparent from the start, even before he is able to survive decapitation. Though his ornate clothing establishes him as a respectable knight, the fact that he is entirely green is not normal. Green is often associated with creepy, monstrous things, so therefore the knight is given a supernatural quality by that color. Gawain, Arthurs knight who takes the Green Knights challenge, is portrayed in different lights as the story progresses. Descriptions of fabric and clothing are integral to this portrayal. When he is departing Camelot to find the Green Knight, Gawain is depicted as a virtuous, chivalrous knight bravely facing his fate. His clothing, therefore, is red, symbolizing courage, and bears a gold pentangle, a symbol of virtue. This is described in lines 636-639, On shield and coat in view/ He bore that emblem bright/ As to his word most true/ And in speech most courteous knight. Later, when Gawain is taken in by the castle he happens upon, the fabric descriptions reflect how he is being taken care of. For example, lines 856, A canopy over the couch, clad all with fur and 877 With quilts quaintly stitched, and cushions bedside give the reader a sense of Gawains being sheltered. Then, when he is preparing to go meet the Green Knight, contrast is shown between his former bravery and his cowardice since accepting the protective green girdle from the Green Knights wife by lines 2035-2036, That girdle of green so goodly to see/ That against the gay red showed gorgeous bright. Gawain wears the girdle to meet the green knight, and the red of his robes, which is symbolic of bravery, foils the girdles cowardly green. Though the girdle saves Gawains life, it ruins his reputation. The Green Knights wife attempts to seduce Gawain each of the three days he is a guest at the castle and the court goes out to hunt. Each day, he politely refuses her advances, and she comes back more aggressive and with less clothing on. Lines 1738-1741 describe the third and most aggressive bedroom hunt scene through fabric and jewelry. No hood on her head, but heavy with gems/ Where her fillet and the fret that confined her tresses;/ Her face and her fair throat freely displayed;/ Her bosom all but bare, and her back as well. .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b , .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b .postImageUrl , .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b , .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b:hover , .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b:visited , .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b:active { border:0!important; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b:active , .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8421610c2fdce9bd1deaccf80c08c76b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Gender Inequality Essay Obviously she is trying to look good for Gawain with jewelry and lack of clothing. Her temptations eventually succeed in a way because he takes the green girdle from her so he will be protected. A deeper sense of insight .

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Information Technology Education free essay sample

Information technology has changed the way that the world does business. Correspondence that once took weeks to get from one organization to another is now delivered instantly with the push of a button. Advances in telecommunication allow associates from all point of the globe to confer in a virtual environment, minimizing the need for business travel. Although the benefits of integrating information technology in business are many, there are also disadvantages to its use. Implementation Expenses Every business must consider startup costs when implementing any type of information technology system. In addition to the cost of hardware and software, some technology vendors require businesses to purchase user licenses for each employee that will be operating the system. Businesses must examine the cost of training employees in unfamiliar technology. Although basic information technology systems may be user friendly, advanced programs still require formal instruction by an expert consultant. In addition to the startup expenses, information technology systems are expensive to maintain. We will write a custom essay sample on Information Technology Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Systems malfunction, and when they do, businesses must engage skilled technicians to troubleshoot and make the necessary repairs. These expenses present a major disadvantage of information technology in business, particularly to businesses that are entering the technology era for the first time. Job Elimination Implementing information technology into business operations can save a great deal of time during the completion of daily tasks. Paperwork is processed immediately, and financial transactions are automatically calculated. Although businesses may view this expediency as a boon, there are untoward effects to such levels of automation. As technology improves, tasks that were formerly performed by human employees are now carried out by computer systems. For example, automated telephone answering systems have replaced live receptionists in many organizations. This leads to the elimination of jobs and, in some cases, alienation of clients. Unemployed specialists and once-loyal employees may have difficulty securing future employment. Security Breaches The ability to store information in an electronic database facilitates quicker, more efficient communication. In the past, an individual would sift through stacks of paper records to retrieve data. With properly implemented technology, information can be recovered at the touch of a button. Although information technology systems allow business to be conducted at a faster pace, they are not without their flaws. Information technology systems are vulnerable to security breaches, particularly when they are accessible via the Internet. If appropriate measures are not in place, unauthorized individuals may access confidential data. Information may be altered, permanently destroyed or used for unsavory purposes. Some disadvantages of information technology include: Unemployment   While information technology may have streamlined the business process it has also crated job redundancies, downsizing and outsourcing. This means that a lot of lower and middle level jobs have been done away with causing more people to become unemployed. Privacy   Though information technology may have made communication quicker, easier and more convenient, it has also bought along privacy issues. From cell phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge. Lack of job security   Industry experts believe that the internet has made job security a big issue as since technology keeps on changing with each day. This means that one has to be in a constant learning mode, if he or she wishes for their job to be secure. Dominant culture   While information technology may have made the world a global village, it has also contributed to one culture dominating another weaker one. For example it is now argued that US influences how most young teenagers all over the world now act, dress and behave. Languages too have become overshadowed, with English becoming the primary mode of communication for business and everything else. As you evaluate your  outsourcing  choices, keep in mind that there are  advantages to outsourcing  and disadvantages of outsourcing. Look at each one of the outsourcing disadvantages listed below and decide what impact that item would have on your business. If the outsourcing disadvantages outweigh the advantages of outsourcing, then you should avoid outsourcing those operations. 1. Loss Of Managerial Control (c) Getty Images Whether you sign a contract to have another company perform the function of an entire department or single task, you are turning the management and control of that function over to another company. True, you will have a contract, but the managerial control will belong to another company. Your outsourcing company will not be driven by the same standards and mission that drives your company. They will be driven to make a profit from the services that they are providing to you and other businesses like yours. - Ads Data. comBoost Your Win Rate with Data. com Business Leads for $125/Mo. www. salesforce. com/data Stop Outsourcing US JobsStand with President Obama: end tax breaks for outsourcing. barackobama. com/jobs-at-home Free White Paper DownloadImplementing a Winning Supplier Mgmt System. Proven Tips Toolswww. ntelex. com 2. Hidden Costs You will sign a contract with the outsourcing company that will cover the details of the service that they will be providing. Any thing not covered in the contract will be the basis for you to pay additional charges. Additionally, you will experience legal fees to retain a lawyer to review the contacts you will sign. Remember, this is the outsourcing companys business. They have done this before and they are the ones that write the contract. Therefore, you will be at a disadvantage when negotiations start. 3. Threat to Security and Confidentiality The life-blood of any business is the information that keeps it running. If you have payroll, medical records or any other confidential information that will be transmitted to the outsourcing company, there is a risk that the confidentiality may be compromised. If the outsourced function involves sharing proprietary company data or knowledge (e. g. product drawings, formulas, etc. ), this must be taken into account. Evaluate the outsourcing company carefully to make sure your data is protected and the contract has a penalty clause if an incident occurs. 4. Quality Problems The outsourcing company will be motivated by profit. Since the contract will fix the price, the only way for them to increase profit will be to decrease expenses. As long as they meet the conditions of the contract, you will pay. In addition, you will lose the ability to rapidly respond to changes in the business environment. The contract will be very specific and you will pay extra for changes. 5. Tied to the Financial Well-Being of Another Company Since you will be turning over part of the operations of your business to another company, you will now be tied to the financial well-being of that company. It wouldnt be the first time that an outsourcing company could go bankrupt and leave you holding-the-bag. 6. Bad Publicity and Ill-Will The word outsourcing brings to mind different things to different people. If you live in a community that has an outsourcing company and they employ your friends and neighbors, outsourcing is good. If your friends and neighbors lost their jobs because they were shipped across the state, across the country or across the world, outsourcing will bring bad publicity. If you outsource part of your operations, morale may suffer in the remaining work force.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Who Invented Memorial Day and How Do People Celebrate It

Who Invented Memorial Day and How Do People Celebrate It Memorial Day On May 1, 1865, slaves who were freed gathered in Charleston having an aim of commemoration the Union soldiers who died during the Civil War. In 1868, an order was issued, which proclaimed May 30 as Decoration Day. On this day, people decorated the graves of those ones who had died protecting their country. In those years, there was the political reunion of the nation, but it was still divided culturally, and the Memorial Day observations also differed in many states. In the northern part of the USA, national cemeteries were created for people who died during the war, and this day became an official observation in the 1870s. In the southern part of the country, in April-June, women wore white dresses and honored the fallen Confederate leaders. By the beginning of the 20th century, Memorial Day turned into a national holiday. As the USA pays obeisance to the 150th anniversary of the end of Civil War, people should revisit the origins of this observance among freed slaves in Charlesto n. Those freed people honored the ones who struggled for their liberation; it was not just a day of triumph and celebration for freed slaves, but a difficult process, which led to the death of big amount of former slaves. While freedpeople honored the overwhelming amount of Union soldiers who lost their lives during the war, only some of them have noticed the ways in which war and liberation led to the extremely impressive mortality of huge amount of former slaves. They emancipated themselves from slavery and entered into the socium plagued by horrible diseases, such as dysentery and cholera, which could not be treated at those times, and from which thousands of people suffered and died. People often forget that the major amount of soldiers died from illnesses, not from combat wounds or battle. During their fight for freedom, slaves often lacked food, clothing, and shelter. In such conditions, they were unprotected and a smallpox epidemic exploded between 1863 and 1865. Eventually, this epidemic took the lives of more than 60,000 ex-slaves, and other diseases raised their deaths to well over a million. There was no chance to back to life for ex-slaves who died during the war and after it. South is a place where an incredible amount of black people died not from battle, but from illnesses and sicknesses. To recognize the 150th anniversary of the end of Civil War, we must keep in our minds that there were freed black people who created Memorial Day. We must know and realize that their prayers were not only for soldiers on the first Memorial Day but for their families as well, who died during the horrible war that was meant to make them free.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Sustainable management futures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sustainable management futures - Essay Example iv) The employee involved in whistle blowing should have stumbled with credible documentary evidence that convinces observers of the correctness of the circumstance where the product brings grave harm to the public. iv) The whistle blower should have a valid reason in believing that by informing the public, the necessary corrective measures will effected. v) The situation involving death or serious body injuries should be treat as severe than non physical harm and that the whistle blower is ready to take responsibility. Loyalty and integrity: The role they play in whistle blowing Personal loyalty is steadfastness of an individual in asserting allegiance, perseverance and upholding faithfulness to others. Integrity on the other hand refers to consistency of truthfulness to ones value system and moral principles by showing this consistency in ones day to day life. Loyalty informs the power of mutual respect, being confidential and keeping promises. In some cases, loyalty can be misplac ed or blind so that it diminishes from being a virtue as harm and not good emanates. Loyalty puts the profit motive of a firm in collision with loyalty to values, beliefs and ethos. Whistle blowing is not a capricious issue as it can cause an end to organizations or a person’s existence. ... It comprises employee protection for disclosing some information including evidence of activities that are illegal or adverse to the environment.They also protects employees from employer retribution like dismissal and promotional blackmail. The victimised individuals can obtain a remedy in the courts for compensation. The prescribed persons are the registrar for data protection, executives for health and safety, environmental agency, certification officer, and trade and industry secretary of state. Is â€Å"Whistle blowing a negative or positive force within society?† Whistle blowing has been a useful force to the society since many employers have started to constitute internal processes of reporting emerging issues. There is a new desire by companies to solve problems internally before they become public. Employers would find it apprehensive when employees choose to use the Act and not the internal processes created. Though it does not force employers to come up with policie s regarding disclosures, many do not know the existence of such policies. Examining the extent the ethics of lying in business transactions Lying in most situations is indispensable. It is the only way to keep the business moving when the stocks and profits are crippling. Investors would hear none of the failures that is shouted truthfully. Robert Diamond the CEO of Barclays Group did not acknowledge the deception that the bank gave to the London Interbank Offered Rate which affected the transactions of a huge amount. They had misreported interest rates. Even the bonuses to be paid to employees were clawed back. Mr. Diamond was forced to resign. Lying is unethical and results in poor business practices as seen the case

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

The Effect of interest rate Liberalization on the risk of commercial Dissertation

The Effect of interest rate Liberalization on the risk of commercial banks in China - Dissertation Example The paper has discussed illustrates a mixed picture after interest rate liberalization and its associated risk on the commercial banks in China. Historically China is a strong believer in the planned economy where strict government intervention under a single party rule always has the last word regarding the policies to be prioritized and implemented. Though after the iron rule of Mao-era China has learned under Deng Xiaoping that FDI and capitalist exploitation is not the same thing but the people as well as the government are still skeptical about their nature of the operation. Over the past couple of decades, China has realized huge GDP growth through export-oriented international trade. This on one hand, strengthened the export based industries on the other weekend the indigenous industries especially those indulged in import substitution. Again amidst this prosperity, China has slipped down considering the GINI coefficient and that illustrates a rising inequality i.e. an increas ing gap between the rich and poor people. Eminent academicians hold the view that with China’s present model rich are becoming richer and poor are becoming poorer. The development is mainly urban centric and rural China is subject to stagnation and a much higher unemployment than the urban areas.... es cemented their feet under the strict rule of Mao Ze Dong who opted for self sufficiency and betterment of the common rather than external dependency and flourish of the few (Chi, 1992, pp.75-84; Buchanan, 2012, p.24). Mao believed in a closed door policy that meant isolation from the rest of the world regarding economic transaction. Though diplomatic relation with Soviet Russia along with many east European nations was encouraged but that never translated into economic exchange. During Mao’s rule the growth rate of China was stable but slow and often subject to stagnation. Though, such view has many opposing facts and evidences illustrated through literature. However after Mao’s death Deng Xiaoping became the most prominent figure in Chinese politics and soon realized the need to embrace the globalization in order to boost the Chinese economic growth. The current topic of discussion that refers to interest rate liberalization and risk to commercial banks is an import ant aspect to discuss. However, financial liberalization along with interest rate liberalization often considered by the economists as the last stage of liberalization process that have went through and met several other steps directed towards the liberalization of the economy (Chow, 2005). Welcoming FDI into an economy might be considered as the first step towards liberalization. In initial days China lacked both the legal frame work as well as their policy towards globalization was skeptic and the legal frame work governing the same was week. But the scenario started changing from mid 80’s and historically Hong Kong remained the prime source of foreign direct investment provider to China. Such investments were mainly towards labor intensive sectors and high end technological and capital intensive

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

History of Rape in armed conflict

History of Rape in armed conflict Rape and violent sexual abuse of women in armed conflict has a long history which corroborates that sexual violence is not only common; in effect it is encouraged. In war, every man could be king  [1]  . Rape has existed as an invidious expression of the domination and subjugation of women throughout the course of human existence and is compelling evidence of the subordination of women by men  [2]  .Women are raped by men of all ethnic origins, creed and ideologies. During Biblical times soldiers regarded women as spoils of war; Biblical law conveyed that soldiers could take these as plunder. [a]nd you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies  [3]  . Hebrews raped  [4]  and were permitted to keep the captives as slaves or concubines. Greeks raped; Homers Iliad offers an insight into the fate of women in war, the book opens with an argument between the Greek warriors Agamemnon and Achilles over the possession of women seized during the Trojan W ar. Chryseism a Trojan woman of lesser status was captured by the Spartans and given to Agamemnon as his battle camp entertainment  [5]  . In the History of Art H W Janson has offered an explanation of the sculpture by the 16th century Italian artist Giovanni Bologna entitled Rape of The Sabine women, which is a reminder of the fate of the Sabine women at the hands of Roman warriors  [6]  . In the middle age during the first crusade knights throughout their march to Constantinople set aside time to assault women  [7]  . In the fifteenth century French soldiers raped English women during the hundred year war  [8]  and Catholic French raped French women during the war of religion  [9]  . In 1746 King Georges army suppressed a Scottish rebellion by raping any Scottish woman ill-fated enough to be home  [10]  . George Washingtons documents recorded an occurrence of rape in the revolutionary war  [11]  .General Andrew Jackson was credited with coining the phrase Booty and Beauty during the 1812 war  [12]  ,substantiating the opinion that women during war become mere object and are no more legal su bjects. In 1914 during World War I, rape was extensively used against French and Belgian women by German soldiers, who began to abandon this practice  [13]  , when the troops switched to trench warfare making access to local women difficult  [14]  . Rape was used as a war tactic by German and Japanese armies in World War II and later by the Russian forces as a weapon of retribution .Kristallnacht or the night of broken glass was a night of rapes, arson, plunder and murder in November 1938 as Germans killed Jews, burned their properties and arrested the survivors, so that they could be moved to concentration camps  [15]  . However, it must be noted that Hitlers government expelled rapists from the Nazi party and turned them over to the civil courts as Nazis regarded rapes more reprehensible than murder since rape violated Nuremburg racial laws forbidding sexual intercourse between Gentiles and Jews. When the war changed course and the Russian army advanced into German territory, G erman women were treated exactly as the Russian women had been treated by the Germans. Hordes of Russian troops demanded the rights due the conquerors: the women of the conquered  [16]  . Moroccan armed force in 1948 fought free French forces in Italy under contract terms that included free license to rape and plunder in the enemy territory  [17]  . In 1937 during World War II the Chinese Nationalist army used Nanking as its capital but General Chiang Kai-shek decided not to defend Nanking and withdrew the army when Japanese forces arrived leaving the city full of defenceless women and children resulting in a number of them being abnormally and sadistically killed and raped  [18]  . Many old women and young girls were raped and their bodies were mutilated after the act. In the Tokyo tribunal it was noted that the Japanese government had knowledge of the rapes but did nothing to prevent them from happening  [19]  . The atrocities did not stop with Nanking, the Japane se soldiers forced almost 80,000 to 200,000 Asian women, mostly Korean who were known as comfort women, to serve as sex slaves. These comfort women were held mostly at frontline brothels and evidence shows that officials of the Japanese Imperial army  [20]  maintained meticulous records about the price per woman (one yen to use a Chinese woman, one and a half yen to use a Korean woman and two yen to use a Japanese woman) , revenue generated and venereal disease  [21]  . While giving evidence at the Tokyo tribunal, one soldier admitted that he partook in daybreak raids on Korean villages dragging women and loading them into trucks to be taken to frontline brothels  [22]  . Historians hold the view that most women held in Japanese brothels died during or soon after the World war II  [23]  . The experience of Vietnamese women in the 1960s was no different than the experience of women involved in armed conflict in the past.The sight of a womans body spread eagled with an 11th brigade badge between her legs, witnessed by an American G.I flying over a rice paddy near the village of My Lai in Vietnam, a few days after an American unit had massacred nearly the entire population, bears some evidence to this continuing abuse.  [24]  . Time and war tactics advanced but the plight of women during armed conflict saw no change. More than 20,000 Bengali women were raped and impregnated by Pakistani soldiers in the 1971 war between Pakistan and what is today Bangladesh  [25]  . Almost 5000 women were raped by Iraqi soldiers during the August 1990 invasion of Kuwait and after liberation a number of foreign domestic workers were raped by returning Kuwaitis  [26]  . Women in Rwanda  [27]  and Kashmir  [28]  suffered rape and death during internal armed conflict. During Perus 12 year internal war women were raped, murdered and threatened both by the government security forces and the communist party of Peru shining path  [29]  . Similarly women in East Timor were raped and killed since the Indonesian occupation of 1975  [30]  . During the ethnic violence of Liberias civil war, Liberian women faced rape and death  [31]  . Media reports are available of sexual violence committed against women by UN TAC in Cambodia; UN forces in Somalia and rebel forces in Dr. Congo  [32]  . Most recently, there have been reports of mass rapes which have occurred in the war torn lands of the former Yugoslavia. M. Cherif Bassiouni (head of an U N commission investigating war crimes) cited almost 13,000 to 50,000 rape victims in the Bosnian war, majority being Muslim women victimized by the Serbs  [33]  , who used rape as a weapon in order to express the totality of victory, a means for troop mollification and as a form of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The details listed above are but a few to give an insight into the historical past ; however, for ages rape has been used and continues to be used globally as a weapon during internal or external armed conflict.