The Securities and Exchange Commission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Securities and Exchange Commission - Essay Example The International Monetary Fund approximated â€Å"more than $1 trillion on toxic assets and from bad loans† were lost by big western banks â€Å"from January 2007 to September 2009† (Reuters 1). The individual losses and exposures were undisclosed by these institutions in order â€Å"to prevent ‘runs’ on their banks or trading against their positions by their competitors in the markets† which can further escalate their losses (Dobbs & Minyard 1). Hence, what the banks and other companies/institutions did was to refrain from lending money â€Å"among themselves or to other businesses† since they were uncertain as to their trading partners’ financial health and considered that â€Å"the risk of loss was too high,† opting to preserve their cash to compensate for any probable future losses (Dobbs & Minyard 1). The â€Å"sources of liquidity† was said to have desiccated for a number of companies with capital markets failing to perform properly (Dobbs & Minyard 1). This resulted to breakdown and bankruptcies of influential companies or â€Å"land-rich/cash-poor situation† for energy companies (Dobbs & Minyard 1). The global economy then was said to be in recession as â€Å"the financial markets seized† (Dobbs & Minyard 1). ... SEC 1). The federal statutes and rules require companies to have â€Å"full disclosure and transparency† whenever it â€Å"sells stocks or bonds to the public† (Johnson 993), or to supply â€Å"a detailed public disclosure document† to both â€Å"investors and regulators† (Securities Act of 1933  §Ã‚ § 5, 10, 15 U.S.C.  §Ã‚ § 77e, 77j (2006); 17 C.F.R. pt. 230 (2011), whenever private businesses make public offerings (Johnson 993). The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reviews â€Å"these disclosure documents,† which in the case of Groupon, the SEC they required the latter to revise its disclosures in order to improve their accuracy (U.S. SEC, Letter from Larry Spirgel 1-14). This requirement however is not applicable to private placements wherein â€Å"a company sells an investment outside of the normal public securities markets† (Securities Act of 1933  § 4(2), 15 U.S.C.  § 77d(2); 17 C.F.R.  § 230.506 (2011)), which often times evade examination by federal and state regulatory bodies (Johnson 151). Because these placements are private, they are concealed (Johnson 993) and the issuers tend to divulge â€Å"far less information to investors† than that required for public offerings (SEC v. Ralston Purina Co., 346 U.S. 119, 125-26 (1953) and SEC rule 506 under 17 C.F.R.  § 230.506). Issuers also divulge this information â€Å"only to qualified investors† (17 C.F.R.  § 230.506 and 17 C.F.R.  § 230.501(a) (2011)). â€Å"Regulators and even academics have little or no access to the private placement disclosures† (Johnson 993). Private placements are also said not to be liquid, â€Å"difficult to price,† and bear significant risks (Johnson

What I Have Learned Essay Example for Free

What I Have Learned Essay The past three weeks I can say that I have learned quite a lot, I never really thought I could understand what entailed through organized crime. There are many different attributes that were involved to form organized crime. Without knowing exactly what those attributes are you would never be able to figure out what it takes to organize crime or even get why they call it organized crime. I would say to myself why do these mafia and big groups put so much time and effort into making sure that there plans to through and who heads up their plans because of the path that has been set from organized crime. I will be explaining the major areas concerning the foundations of organized crime. What two definitions best fits organized crime, how organized crime gained a foothold in the United States, How organized crime groups sought to influence government and the organization of organized crime groups in the post-Prohibition era. Conventional criminals are different from the persons that are involved with organized crime through variety and a larger scale. Organized crime has no political agenda. In every group or family there is a main boss, underboss and follows down the ladder. There are qualifications to be accepted into any crime family or group. In these groups they feel as if they are untouchable that they do not need to follow any laws, people must follow their laws. In any group they must keep their group strong so they have to constantly find new members, they only look for individuals who they think will be beneficial to their group. When a member is finally accepted into a family there are still rules and regulations that must be followed, if these rules are not followed your consequences could be death. Every person and/ or organization will have their own definition when it comes to organized crime it is like terrorism; every organization has its own definition to what consists of a terrorist. According to Donald Creesy organized crime is any crime that is committed by a person occupying in an establishment of labor, a position that is designed for a person from the commission to be that of a corrupter, a position for the corruptee, and one position for the enforcer. Donald Creepy’s definition I think is actually a good definition that truly can identify was the commission’s main task was for. I mean if you think about it the commission will find someone that is behind the lines of a company that they need ties with to get them the information and goods they need for the mob. Michael Maltz has a different perspective on the definition for organized crime. He says that organized crime is a crime that is made from more than one person, and the persons that are involved stay to be associated with each other for the purpose to succeed in committing the crimes. Michael Maltz also has a great definition because he wants every person that is involved with organized crime to be found at fault. For myself I would have to agree with Maltz because I do believe that every person that is involved with organized crime should be found guilty. How do you think you are going to stop a problem from happening if you do not try to find every person who is involved guilty; everything would stay the same and the matter would not be fixed. The attributes of organized crime are as follows has no political goals, is hierarchical, has limited or exclusive membership, constitutes a unique subculture, perpetuates itself, exhibits a willingness to use illegal violence, is monopolistic, and is governed by explicit rules and regulations. These eight attributes pretty much can show you how if they are not implemented then a group’s plan will not go as planned. As a part of the set of attributes it is only natural for a group to make sure that when they set up a plan every step that was made should be followed.

Relationship Between Inflation and Wage Rates

Relationship Between Inflation and Wage Rates The R square is also known as the goodness of fit. The R- square is found between zero and one. If the R-square is close to one, it is a good fit and if it is near to zero, it is not a good fit. Now, if the R-square is equal to one, it is a perfect fit (R-square=1). The formula for R-square is explained sum of square divided by the total sum square. R -Square = ESS/TSS In this model, there are 59 observations where the R-square is 0.512 and in terms of percentage it is 51.2 which is a bit low. The value 53 is obtained by (58-5) and 58 is obtained by (59-1). When R square comes out to be a positive figure, it is recognised as the â€Å"coefficient of multiple correlation†. The R square is 51.2 which is low and is not a good fit because data was not available in the wage rate index in Mauritius before 1992. Therefore, the inflation rate can be resolved with government intervention. The adjusted R square is 0.466 and the root MSE is 0.42203. Blue means Best linear Unbiased Estimator. BLUE comes from the model of Gauss Markov Theorem. Firstly, Best is about the variance which comes out to be the smallest in value. Secondly, Linear means that the function should be a linear one. Thirdly, Unbiased means that the expected beta hat should be equal to the value of the real beta. Finally, it is an efficient one as it has the least variance in the model. Multicollinearity came out from the research work of Ranger Frisch. The VIF is a good way to detect multicollinearity. If the VIF is more than 10, then there is the problem of multicollinearity. In our model the VIF is less than 10. If in multicollinearity, the R-square is greater the model will be good. Table 4.5 is on Multicollinearity Test used VIF Factor Variable VIF 1/VIF In IMP 9.5 0.18603 In PPI 8.69 0.17937 In EXP 8.54 0.11704 In GDP 4.36 0.229406 In INF 1.1 0.908899 Autocorrelation is â€Å"correlation between members of observations ordered in time [as in time-series data] or space [as in cross sectional data]†. Autocorrelation is concerned with time series analysis. Autocorrelation can be positive as well as negative in figures. In a simpler way, it can be understood that the disturbance term is not affected by other mode of observation. Ho: no serial correlation H1: serial correlation Table 4.6 on Heteroskedasticity and serial correlation TEST CHI2 PROB >CHI2 DF Heteroskedasticity 0.19 0.6614 Serial correlation 1.043 0.3071 1.00 When the P-value is greater than 0.1, we should accept the null hypothesis (Ho) .In other words, there will be no serial correlation. Ho : Homoscedasticity H1: Heteroscedasticity A second test is for the problem of heteroscedasticity. The above table is showing a probability value which is lower than 0.1, meaning that heteroscedasticity is present in the model; the estimators are not BLUE and thus need to be corrected by taking robust standard errors. 4.4  Regress and Analysis Table 4.7  Regression and Analysis Table 4.7 Dependent wage Dependent: Wage Variables Coefficients P-value Std Err t-ratio In INF 1.152907 0.096 0.709871 1.62 In EXPORT 2.4042 0.017 0.971344 2.48 In IMPORT -3.44879 0.000 0.541179 -6.37 In GDP 0.500892 0.115 0.312145 1.6 In PPI 3.3688 0.000 0.667596 5.05 CONSTANT 2.904849 0.492 4.200478 0.69 Number of observations 59 F( 5,53) 11.12 Prob> F 0 R-Squared 0.512 It has been stated that when there is an increase in inflation rate, the wage rate should be increased by 1.152907. It is a positive sign. This is so because both in sugar sector and manufacturing sector where most of the people are employed, the wage rate is rising. Nowadays even the tourism and financial sector are moving in a positive trend and are employing more workers. The wage rate is increasing because they are making profits and the trade union is bargaining for higher wages. The inflation rate is significant and the p value is 0.096. As the p value is below 0.1 we will reject the null hypothesis. In Oswald (1982) where the prices were increasing more than the wage but in the end wages have been increased with the bargaining power of the trade union. Apart from inflation, there are many factors that affect the wage rate such as social and politics. The government of Mauritius has set up the Pay Research Bureau (PRB) and the National Remuneration Board (NRB) to determine the wage rate of the civil servants and those people working in the private sectors. In Mauritius, every five years, the PRB gives a rise in the wage rate so that the employees can be compensated for the increase in the inflation rate. When the PRB does not make any effect on the wage rate, the government might or should move towards the national minimum wage scheme. It is argued in Mauritius the wage-price spiral holds, as there is higher inflation rate in the country where the workers get an increase in their wage rate. The government of Mauritius compensates the employees by giving them wage compensation which is calculated by the PRB (Pay Research Bureau) on a five years basis. As, the nominal wage increase, it can be seen that people tend to demand more, whereby price will increase again and in the end, once again, they will be compensated for their loss in their purchasing power. This is similar to the theory of Blanchard (1986) where he reports that as soon as there is a rise in the aggregate demand, the price level goes up and the employees wage rate have been increased. It has been shown in his theory that wage price spiral dynamics is found in all economy around the world when the decisions of the price and wage rate are not taken at the same time. In Mauritius, the PRB (Pay Research Bureau) reports to increase and compensate the wage r ate come after five years. Therefore, the price and wage rate decision are not taken at the same time in Mauritius. Therefore, Mauritius is influenced by wage-price spiral where wage rate of an employee should be increased when it is affected by the inflation rate. Moreover, there has been an increase in the export prices, so it is absolute automatic that the wage rate should rise by 2.4042. It is a positive figure and it is also significant. The alternative hypothesis should be accepted. The products that Mauritius exports are fisheries, sugar, flowers, clothes, jewellery and others. Mauritius exports most of its products to the European countries in the world. In the Manufacturing sector, in the 1970 Mauritius had an export processing scheme to export clothes abroad which were quite helpful. Apart from the EPZ scheme, Mauritius was also focusing on the MEDIA (Mauritius Export Development and Investment Authority) 1984 where it helps Mauritius to export its products abroad more easily as well as help investors to invest in Mauritius. In 1997, the export of the products of EPZ has helped to bring a rise in the GDP. In Subramanian and Roy (2001) reports that as Mauritius was exporting its products, it helps the Mauritian people to have a better standard of living and leads towards economic growth. In the past, the government was also giving subsidy on export to decrease the effect of implicit tax on the goods that were exported. As Mauritius is exporting more products to abroad, money is coming into the country and the companies are making huge amounts of profits. The export companies are making huge amount of profits by sending their products abroad. As, the companies are maximising their profits, thus the company is more open to pay the labour a higher wage rate. The Export leads to economic growth so the wage rate of all employees should be increased. Furthermore, it has been stated in the theory that when there is an increase in the GDP, the wage rate should be increased so that people can have a better standard of living. According to Marinakis (1980), when there is an increase in the GDP, the wage rate has moved up in the Latin America. Unfortunately, it is not possible in the case of Mauritius. It is quite surprising to note that the GDP will not increase wage rate in Mauritius. The wage rate will not be increased by 0.500892 which has a positive sign and the p value is 0.115 which is non-significant as the p-value is greater than 0.1. Therefore, the p value is moderately important as it is closer to 0.1. The wage rate will not increase in Mauritius because it is the Pay Research Bureau (PRB) and the National Remuneration Board (NRB) do not depend on the GDP rate to bring an increase in the wage rate by giving wage compensation to the employees. The wage compensation is decided through the tripartite meeting in Mauritius. In t he Journal of Sobhee (2009) shows that GDP has increased by 3 % in 2005. An increase in GDP rate in Mauritius will not bring an increase in the wage rate. GDP has some shortcomings which cannot be ignored. Firstly, GDP may not be recorded such as the underground economy and poor data collection. In Mauritius, the wage rate index data is available since 1992. Before 1992, there was no data on the wage rate index which shows a poor data collection was in practice in Mauritius before 1992. Nevertheless, it has to be highlighted that the import turns out to be negative -3.44879 as it was expected. The p value is 0 and it is significant .It has become negative because revenue are going abroad from Mauritius. Most of the products that Mauritius imported come from Europe and from different parts of the world such as China, India and among others. In Sargan (1980), the government has put into practice the floating exchange rate where he varied the exchange rate system and keep hold of the import prices. This is different from the analysis as there has been the use of indirect taxes and ad-valorem tax rate in the other economy. The imports prices turn out to be negative because we are importing more products and less goods are being produced locally. Also, wages are rising more than the level of productivity level in the country, such as in the EPZ sector. Therefore, the wage rate will not be increased as the import figure is -3.44879. Factor price equalisation has to be taken into account in this study. Samuelson (1986) uses the theory of Heckscher –Ohlin (1919) to introduce the factor price equalisation model o show the one to one relationship between relative commodity price and relative factor price. There are three assumptions which are as follows: Firstly, there should be country A and country B that are producing both goods, the same level of technologies and there is equalisation of the prices of the product in both countries. Let’s assume that Mauritius is export capital-intensive products such as clothing and import labour intensive products, for instance, food. The price of the import will be higher in Mauritius compared to the other nation as Mauritius would have produced and export the product if the price was lower, that is, comparative advantage. Mauritius is trading more; this will cause a fall in the wage rate of the country. Finally, when there is an increase in the producer price, the wage rate should be moved up by 3.3688. This is so because the trade union especially in the public sector and the sugar sector are very strong to bargain for a higher wage rate so that people have a better standard of living on this blue planet. Therefore, the producer can charge for a higher price for their products. Even in the private sector the wage rate is increased by the trade union and the forces of demand and supply. The trade union has bargained to bring a rise in the wage rate and it has increased as they were having more money into their hands as the wage rate has goes up. In Mauritius, the producer price is useful for the sellers as well as the buyers to take precaution in advance against the coming inflation rate. The producer price will also be increased when the country is moving towards economic growth. In Borum (1981), the analysis is the same and there has been the use of anti-inflation programme to dea l with inflation rate. The difference is that the wage rate is calculated in hourly earnings and in Mauritius it is based on normal hours of work. Even, the producer price turns out to be significant and the alternative hypothesis will be accepted. The producer price index shows the producer price meaning the producer inflation. As the producer price increases, they get more profits and thus the trade unions can bargain so as some of these profits are given to labour in terms of higher wage rate. 4.5  The Error Correction Model (ECM) As a next step, an Error correction model, made famous by Nobel Prize Winners Engle and Granger, is presented to capture the short-run effects of the variables in the model. The table below illustrates that most of the variables in the model do have a short-run effect on the wage rate of the country; in fact, inflation, GDP and PPI are returning a positive sign on the coefficient while import on its turn is showing a negative sign. ERROR CORRECTION MODEL VARIABLES Coefficient P-value Std Err t-ratio dIninf 1.945232 0.103 1.171716 1.66 dInexp -0.36393 0.942 4.969895 -0.07 dInimp -0.02609 0 0.002846 -9.17 dIngdp 12.01238 0.007 4.30228 2.79 dInppi 0.003162 0.018 0.001292 2.45 Ut-1 -0.17705 0 0.022963 -7.71 Constant -4.08079 0.715 11.09744 -0.37 Observations 58 R-squared 32.65 Adj R-squared 0.7691 Prob>F 0 Standard errors in parentheses *** p Moreover, the ECM variable (Ut-1) has the expected negative and significant sign, meaning that any errors happening in the model in the short-turn are indeed converging towards the long-run co-integrated relationship at a speed of 17.7%. It has to be taken into consideration that the inflation, import, exports, producer prices which seem to have a short term effect. CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.0  Conclusion As a conclusion, it has to be noted that when there is an increase in the inflation rate, the wage rate should be increased. The government should give wage compensation to the employees so that they can have a better standard of living and satisfy their basic needs and wants. In Mauritius, the government has created institutions such as the PRB to bring an increase in the wage rate on an every five years basis and when the institution does not work properly and effectively, the government should shift to the minimum wage scheme. The results that have been obtained from the variables are positive except for the GDP rate. The econometric model that has been used is a log-log model to show the relationship between wage and other economic variables such as import, export, producer prices and others. The variables which are statistically significant are inflation, import, export, producer prices and the GDP is an exception which is statistically insignificant. In Mauritius, it is confirmed that wages are affected by the prevailing inflation rate and holds a wage-price spiral model. The government needs to get involved to control the inflation rate in order to establish a balance in the society as well as the country can make progress in the future and moves towards economic growth. The government intervention is needed as the R-squared is 51.2% which is low. The government should design some policies to combat the inflation rate. 5.1  Recommendations 5.1.1  Import inflation Mauritius is small country which depends on high level of import products. There will be imported inflation in the country. The government should find a way to import fewer products from abroad. The government should give some incentives and facilities to the people so that the products can be made locally instead of importing them. Thus, the inflation rate will be in control. The government can apply the import restrictions policies so as to prevent import and this can lead to higher wages. The can control import by using quota, tariff and other restrictions to reduce the inflation rate in a country. A quota is a barrier that is imposed on the goods that is brought in the country and sells in other markets. A quota will be helpful for the domestic industries and infant industries as they will be protected and they can increase the wage rate of their workers as well as the country will moves towards a good balance of payments. Export subsidy can also be utilised. In an export subsidy the payment is not delayed by doing an indirect payment and the government helps the foreigners by giving them subsidy, loans and other packages to be attracted to the country’s exports. 5.1.2  Fiscal policy and Monetary policy Fiscal policy can also be used to deal with the inflation rate. Fiscal policy will bring an alteration in the aggregate demand. The fiscal policy is concerned with the tax system. For example, if the government can bring an increase in the tax rates, this can bring a reduction in the demand of the economy. Monetary policy can also be used. The monetary policy deals with the rate of interest. The monetary policy will lead to a fall in the money supply and the interest rates will be increased. When the interest rates will go up, people will prefer to save their money. The purchasing power in the market will decline which in the end can bring a decrease in the inflation rate. By controlling the inflation rate in the country, the people can satisfy their basic needs and wants as there wage rate has been increased and will not be affected by a larger amount as the government is monitoring the inflation rate by the use of fiscal and monetary policy. 5.1.3 Income policy Furthermore, the income policy is another way to deal with the inflation rate. A proper income policy has to be determined to halt the wage price-spiral from increasing. If the inflation rate is based on cost push nature, the government will use the income policy. The government and the trade union should set a meeting to negotiate and cooperate together to bring an increase in the wage rate. A rise in the wage rate should be given when the level of productivity is rising. In the case of the EPZ sector, the wage rate was increasing more than the level of productivity which was not effective at all. When the productivity is rising and the wage rate is increasing at the same pace, this will have little effect on the inflation rate. A good work is being done by the labour party in Mauritius. As it has clearly stated in the budget of 2013 presented by the Honourable Xavier Luc Duval, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development where he said that with the help of PRB and Errors Omiss ion and Anomalies Commission, the wage rate will be increased at around 25 %. The government is spending Rs 6 billion to help consumers to have a good purchasing power. Another policy is concerned with the price policy. The price policy is where the government can controlled the price level and what price is going to be fixed in the market. 5.1.4 Maximum price The producer price can be control if the government uses the maximum price. The government put a maximum price where the producer cannot exceed the price level. This will bring price stability in an economy and the consumer will be protected from their purchasing power not be eroded. 5.2  Problems and Limitations The problem that has been arisen is that there was difficulty in finding data on the wage rate index in Mauritius. The data on the wage rate index was available in Mauritius since 1992. Thus, it has to be converted in terms of quarter to get a smooth graph and to do its regression. Due to the unavailability of data, the R squared is low which shows a poor fit. Therefore, the result should be decided in the light of the problem that has occurred. The limitation is that it is not always that inflation rate affects wage rate. There are other factors such as exchange rates, public utility rates, marks-ups and others which also affect the wage rate which has been showed in the journal of Marinakis (1980). It has also to be noted that even the political and social factors are used to decide the wage rate.

Whitey’s: The Bar amidst the Prairies :: Free Descriptive Essay About A Place

Whitey’s: the Bar amidst the Prairies Before going to the legendary Whitey’s in East Grand Forks, MN, I had thought it was bar patroned by middle-aged people. There didn’t seem to be as many college students going there. When writing about this place, I positioned myself in a neutral ground. I am from Grand Forks, and lived there for ten years, but attend college at NDSU, not UND (NDSU’s rival). I came to see or know Whitey’s through my older sister and friends who frequented there and I actually went there for my sophomore year of homecoming with friends when it was a restaurant as well. It is strange to write about the bar now that both the bar and I have changed. What I found by visiting Whitey’s was some the joy of watching others. Listening to their conversations, hearing their whispers, feeling like a part of something in that bar was fulfilling. I came to find Whitey’s as being a place of fulfillment and satisfaction not only for the alumni of UND or the regulars, but for myself as an outsider as well. I felt comfortable at this local nostalgic bar. When coming into this place, I felt a sense of comradry and affection. It was UND’s homecoming weekend, and this was the place to be for the alumni. The first thing you see when you walk into Whitey’s is the bar to your left, the bar down the aisle, and the pool tables to your right and left, different from most bars I have been to with the dance floor being the first thing you see. There are neon signs hanging behind the bar to your left giving specials on $1.50 pints of beer. As I glided in I could feel the reunion amongst the alumni and it almost became cozy to an outsider such as myself. It happened to be very cold outside, and very warm inside, furthering the sense of coziness. I sat at the bar farthest back with friends and began to try to understand and learn about the people around me, without interfering. The first person who caught my eye was a young man, probably late 20’s. He reeked of alcohol and walked in surrounded by friends coming down that long aisle that lead to the bar.

The Destruction of Female Possession in The English Patient Essay

In Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient we see a world completely ravaged by war. The land itself is damaged, sometimes beyond recognition as it is torn apart by bombs. Just as these human-made structures have faced the damage of imperialism, so have female bodies in the novel. Ondaatje creates several parallels between man’s attempt to â€Å"own† the land around him and his â€Å"ownership† of the female body. As we see in the novel, this attempt at ownership almost always ends in destruction, â€Å"war,† and often, death. What I believe Ondaatje is trying to present to us is the impossibility of â€Å"owning† something that should ultimately be free, such as the female body (or any body, for that matter.) Though some feminist theorists such as Lilijana Burcar have claimed Ondaatje’s novel perpetuates the idea of male ownership of female bodies, I believe we see several examples of female empowerment hidden throughout th e novel; examples of females outwardly rejecting such â€Å"ownership,† as Hanna refuses to be seen as a sexual object by Carravagio, and even changes her appearance to â€Å"defeminize† herself. We even see gender-roles reverse. The â€Å"male gaze† seems to apply not only to males, but to females as well as Hanna views the sapper, Kip, in a â€Å"feminized† and often â€Å"sexual† way. Most striking of all, however, is Ondaatje’s representation of the character Katharine as an almost voiceless physical body which is undoubtedly â€Å"owned† and consumed by Almasy’s desire. As we see, this â€Å"ownership† leads to what is arguably the biggest destruction in the novel: the destruction of both Katharine and Almasy altogether. Before focusing on the most extreme example of male ownership that is Almasy’s ownership of Katharine, I want to first exa... ...vere gender-divide that is only normally present in same-sex relationships. This along with Hana’s appreciation for her own body and sexuality show readers a new type of relationship. In this way, I feel Ondaatje’s novel is progressive and reflects several feminist values and ideals, though they are often hidden just below the surface. Works Cited Burcar, Lilijana. â€Å"Mapping the Woman’s Body in Ondaatje’s The English Patient† Postcolonialweb.org Bordo, S. 1993. "Feminism, Foucault, and the Politics of the Body." In C. Ramazanoglu, (Ed.): Up Against Foucault. Explorations of some Tensions between Foucault and Feminism. London and New York: Routledge.181 -202. Butler, J. 1990. Gender Trouble. Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. London and New York: Routledge. Suleri, Sara. The Rhetoric of English India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.

Fighting for Equality and Freedom Essay -- American History Civil Righ

Across all nations and cultures, the enduring pursuit of equality in life seems global and timeless. Some would believe that their own country has achieved a true democracy with no residual inequalities of which to speak, while others know they are at the other end of the spectrum, enduring unjust laws that should not be bestowed on any human. Through the course of history many countries have fought for that democracy and all the equality that it implies. While some believe they have reached that goal, others continue to fight for the most basic human rights, even in this time of enlightenment. The journey each country takes on its road to that place may vary by origination, length, severity and outcome, but the goal seems to be the same. Looking at two such journeys through the writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. in his â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail† and from an excerpt of Aung San Suu Kyi’s In Quest of Democracy, the underlying theme of equality is thoug htfully penned with examples universally recognizable from each of their own perspectives, respectfully acknowledging their own histories, religions, and obstacles to illuminate the path toward that common goal of a just society despite unjust laws. In â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail,† King’s detailed writings demonstrate his understanding of the need to painstakingly explain his position to those controlling the unequal democracy under which he was being detained at that time. Even while writing of the history of his people as slaves, King skillfully avoids coming across as just another complainer, laying out the blunt truth as it was. He calls upon history to show that this never should have been in the first place, referencing the New Testament of the Bible ... ...rom suffering under unjust laws imposed by unfair rulers. Two people at different ages in their lives, different stages in their quests, of different histories and religions, one black, one Asian, one male, one female, with one goal for all. While Suu Kyi may one day be in a position to continue her fight, sadly the world lost King too soon. Their examples, as documented in their writings, of persistence, perseverance, and grounding in what is good and just for all mankind should be followed by all, to be benefited from by all. Works Cited King, Martin Luther, Jr. â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail.† Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. Ed. Michael Austin. New York: Norton, 2007. 173-187. Print. Suu Kyi, Aung San. â€Å"From ‘In Quest of Democracy.’† Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. Ed. Michael Austin New York: Norton, 2007. 191-196. Print.

History Of Rock And Roll: The Beatles Essay

If there were would be one band that achieved fame more than any other else, this band is on the top of the list. This band reached the pinnacle and forever left their mark not just in the Rock and Roll scene but in the whole music industry. Not only did they made a lasting impact on music, but they also served as one of the most unforgettable people or group in the history of the world. Their music served influential and created a social impact as well. Composed of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, this group is arguably the most popular band of all time, the Beatles. THE BEATLES A group that originated in the small bars of Liverpool, the Beatles started off as one and only band who led the â€Å"British Invasion† into the United States. Their musical style can be easily attributed to the 1950s early rock and roll but eventually they grew into different genres that ranged from pop to psychedelic rock. They became trend-setters and their clothes, statements and styles became widely popular during that era. They even became a major influence in the 1960s’ social and cultural revolutions. â€Å"Their arrival in the United States marked such a wide recognition and frenzy. Like an approaching thunderstorm, the Beatles’ arrival in America was preceded by a few low rumbles and flashes of light, none of them giving more than the slightest hint of the potency to follow. Noting the saturation coverage in England of the Beatles’ Royal Command Performance two weeks earlier, Newsweek magazine offered one of the first American impressions of the band and its music. The tone of condescension and contempt in an article in the issue of November 18, 1963, would set a standard that virtually all American media would follow for months† (Goldsmith, 2004, p. 115) They have been one of the most successful bands commercially and has been noted as a critically acclaimed band that ruled the entire music scene. The Beatles has become the band that tops the charts among the best selling musical groups of all time. They had made almost more than 40 different songs that reached the top of the charts. And not were they only famous in the United States and the United Kingdom, but they were famous in almost every continent of the world. It has been estimated that they have already sold a billion records. The music of The Beatles displayed an array of songs depicting various messages and lyrics that ranged from different emotions. They were just made up of 2 guitars, 1 bass guitar and 1 drum set, though sometimes they use other musical instruments to create variations with their music. They also incorporated the Piano in some of their songs. The Beatles were influenced by R&B music and they kept on continuing to take different influences even if they have received initial success. Most of the time, they find new lyrical and musical ideas by listening to contemporary music. Some of these influences include Bob Dylan, who made an influence on songs as â€Å"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)†, and â€Å"You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away†. There are many other influential contemporary bands that made an impact on the Beatles, some of them are the Beach boys and the Byrds. The album of the Beach Boys’ named â€Å"Pet Sounds† was strongly liked by Paul McCartney and the band’s producer claimed that without that album, the album of the Beatles’ â€Å"Sgt. Pepper† won’t even exist as good as it did. While McCartney loved the Beach Boys, John Lennon gave high praise to the King of Rock, Elvis Presley. Lennon claimed that Elvis inspired him to buy records. He thought that the early music of Elvis was just phenomenal. John Lennon got hooked on Elvis’ beat music and when he hear the song â€Å"Heartbreak Hotel†, he wanted to fall in love with music and wanted to have something to do with it. The Beatles created variations with their music. They used sound effects but â€Å"Along with studio tricks such as sound effects, unconventional microphone placements, tape loops, double tracking and vari-speed recording, The Beatles began to augment their recordings with instruments that were unconventional for rock music at the time. These included string and brass ensembles as well as Indian instruments such as the sitar as in â€Å"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)† and the swarmandel as in â€Å"Strawberry Fields Forever†. They also used early electronic instruments such as the Mellotron, with which McCartney supplied the flute voices on the intro to â€Å"Strawberry Fields Forever†, and the ondioline, an electronic keyboard that created the unusual oboe-like sound on â€Å"Baby You’re a Rich Man†. Starting off with the utilization of a string quartet organized by George Martin with ideas form Paul McCartney on â€Å"Yesterday† during the year 1965, the Beatles spearheaded a modern kind of art song, represented by the arrangement of a double-quartet string on the song â€Å"Eleanor Rugby†, â€Å"She’s Leaving Home†, and â€Å"Here There and Everywhere† during the year 1966. McCartney was also inspired by the television performance of Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 by Bach which in turn influenced him to utilize a piccolo trumpet on â€Å"Penny Lane’s† arrangement. Moving towards psychedelia with the songs â€Å"Tomorrow Never Knows† and â€Å"Rain† in the year 1966, while â€Å"Strawberry Fields Forever†, â€Å"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds†, and â€Å"I Am the Walrus† during 1967, the Beatles turned on a new leaf. Each member of the band provided almost an equal contribution. Due to the numerous songs, each member of the Beatles have created their own impact on songs whether be it heard with the rifts, the vocals, the beat or just simply by the over-all presence of the song. John Lennon and Paul McCartney provided the added lift with regards to ingenuity with their songs. Their capability to adapt with the times and even produce music that seems ahead of their time has made the Beatles as one of the best bands of all time in the world. Their performance style during the 60s’ somehow are just simple but very catchy. The crowds roar and women drool over the band member while listening to them rocking the stage. There are times where the Beatles are just performing at TV stations and most of the time they are also performing in huge stadiums, which is a first in the Rock and Roll scene. They spearheaded the stadium-performances which hosted magnanimous number of people, which by the way were all sold-out right from the get go. During the 70s, the Beatles somehow showed a correlation with art and even intertwined pop culture with mass media. Also, during one time in the 70s, they performed on one of the rooftops of a building. The crowd below listened and stopped and even caused mayhem. Police had to get up and fetch the Beatles while they were still singing â€Å"Get Back†. This is one of the most awesome performances that they have done. As the Beatles have mentioned themselves, the Beatles have been influenced by American music. One of the notable inspirations that they always mention is Elvis Presley. There’s no better influence other than the king of rock. Their music somehow professed a mixture of style and tempo of Gospel music and also a little bit of jazz. But all in all, they created a different and seemingly diverse music, a result of different influences. The Beatles reinvented social values in their music. Their style of Rock and Roll and Pop changed the social landscape. It is widely regarded that the Beatles were influenced by jack Kerouac. This American poet, writer and artist somehow made an impact on the band. â€Å"One of the key myths surrounding the Beatles’ is that their music was so artistically strong it could not fail to get to number one. This belief fails to take into account their huge ambition for fame and its rewards. In today’s usual reckoning of the Beatles as pop `artists’, we tend not to examine any of their baser motives, preferring to see them as purely motivated by a love of music and a need to communicate with the world. The Beatles themselves, it should be noted, have attempted to point out that not all their motives were pure. John in particular wielded the biggest attack against the Beatles myth – as he himself referred to it – in his 1970 Rolling Stone interview. To make it to the top he said you had to be a `bastard’ and the Beatles were in such a context the `biggest bastards on earth’. Albert Goldman’s The Lives Of John Lennon seems to have taken this remark to heart and pursued it relentlessly, missing the point of what John was trying to achieve with this comment. By making such knowingly sensational remarks, he sought to counter what he saw as widely held misconceptions of the Beatles. His remarks also served to emphasise that the Beatles were not gods, but ordinary human beings. It is from the last perspective that I have written this book – the Beatles not as four gods, but as four highly motivated, but otherwise normal, Liverpool lads. † (Rowley, 2002, p. 11). CONCLUSION If there would be one band that have made such a magnanimous impact all over the world, it has got to be the Beatles. Their musical style that ranged from variations of different genres displayed their flexibility. Their ability to adapt with the times and influence contemporary bands and the bands of today has been unmatched. Not only were they successful in the field of music but they also gained a huge following with regards to the trends that they have utilized. No other band sold more concerts or at least satisfied more people other than the Beatles. Their music has been a wonder of the world and still has that impact until today. The Beatles, unparalleled, unbeatable, unforgettable. They are just simply phenomenal. REFERENCES Goldsmith, M. (2004). The Beatles Come to America. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Rowley, D. (2002). Beatles for Sale: The Musical Secrets of the Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band