Monday, November 4, 2019

Brief about Investment Management

Finance Brief about Investment Management Introduction Every individual saves some part of his or her income for any unforeseen situation. In addition to this, saving is also important for every person as adequate amount of money in the account after retirement will ensure a better and tension free life. But putting money just in locker is considered as dead investment as the saved amount will not grew. Further, it is also a well known fact that human being is a greedy animal (Pihlman, et. al., 2011). He wants to see his money growing in leaps and bounds and for this purpose only, instead of putting money just in the lockers, now day people are more interested in investing their capital in certain areas which gives good returns (Pihlman, et. al., 2011). In order to make quick bucks, people are investing their savings in different schemes which delivers good returns. In this regards, stock market has come up as one of the most popular areas in which people are readily investing their money on different-different stocks for getting higher returns. Putting money in savings accounts does not reap higher returns, so now day people are more interested in share market as it has generated better returns in recent past (Focardi and Fabozzi, 2004). But before investing money in the stocks of different companies, it is essential for every investor to have adequate knowledge regarding the investment management. Investment management can be defined as purchase and sale of investments within a portfolio. The area of investment management is quite wide which includes banking, budgeting activities and taxes; but in general perspective investment management refers to trading of securities and portfolio management to attain some desired goals (Pihlman, et. al., 2011). Major activities involved in investment management are: Analyzing financial statements of the companies Selection of stocks Selection of assets Implementing desired plan, and Continuous monitoring of investment activities (Fabozzi, 2008). Investment Objectives and Philosophy Objectives Below mentioned are main objectives of all the investors depending on their risk taking capabilities and stage of life: Income: The main motive behind making investment of all the investors is generating income. They consider share market as alternative source of income and invest in securities which deliver higher returns (Focardi and Fabozzi, 2004). Growth and income: Another investment object of an investor is both; capital gain and income. Most of the people dont only want extra income; rather they also want appreciation of their capital. Capital appreciation is associated with the risk taking capability of an investor. Safety: Investments are never considered to be safe as some kinds of risks are always associated with them. Still there are some investment products such as government bonds, fixed deposits which deliver low but continuous returns. People who invest in such instrument have main objective of security of their invested capital (Fabozzi, 2008). Growth: Unlike growth and income, an objective of some of the investors is only growth, that is, they do not want any income from their investment, rather just want to see their capital growing. Such investors invest in commodities, property market, gold, mutual funds, etc. Active trading / speculation: Another objective of investors is active trading or speculation of the market activities (Focardi and Fabozzi, 2004). Apart from above stated objectives, some of the other objectives of investment are tax exemption and liquidity. Philosophy Different people have different motive behind making investment in any form of instrument. Thus, investment philosophy defines certain principles on the basis of which an individual makes decision of investment (Swensen, 2009). These philosophies may vary from people to people such as: Fundamental Investing: With this philosophy, an individual or group evaluate the earnings prospects of the firm and on the basis of that makes their investment decision. Value Investing: In such kind of philosophy, investor analyzes all the stocks and identifies the companies whose stocks are undervalued. Further, such individuals believe that there are higher chances of these stocks to deliver better returns (Brentani, 2003). Growth Investing: Investors with such philosophy believe that it is beneficial to invest in those stocks which are form the emerging sectors. Products and services which are from emerging sectors have higher growth prospects and are expected to deliver returns at higher rates (Smithson, 2003). Technical Investing: These are the individuals who invest on the basis of past performance of the stock and neglect its current standing. Such investors evaluate the past data of the companies and on the basis if analysis of the data makes sell or buy decision (Kendall and Rollins, 2003). Socially Responsible Investing: Investors with such kind of philosophy looks for those stocks which actively participate in corporate social activities. They feel those companies which follows ethical business standards and stick to moral standards will produce better results in comparison to other companies (Focardi and Fabozzi, 2004). Contrarian Investing: Investors with this kind of philosophy are handful in the market. They perform just opposite kind of activity in relation to the rest of the market. There trading decisions are contradict to the majority of the market. For example, if the other investors will go for buying of certain stocks, they will go for its selling and vice versa (Pihlman, et. al., 2011). Portfolio Strategy and Asset Allocation Portfolio Strategy Investors invest in more than one stock on the basis of performance of particular stocks. Thus, combination of all the stocks is known as portfolio of stock. Portfolio strategies are not but general guidelines that help investors in strategically investing in stocks of different companies so as to meet their financial goals. It deals with designing of optimal portfolio and asset pricing. In this regards, risk return trade off is the best tool which is widely used by the investors in selection of optimal portfolio (Kendall and Rollins, 2003). Further, the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) shows that measure of sensitivity () is in proportion to the assets risk premium. Asset Allocation While putting money in any investment instrument, it is essential to properly allocate the funds in different assets. Thus asset allocation can be termed as investment strategy that helps in adequately investing money into different stocks or instruments so that the portfolio can achieve a balance between risk and reward. In other words it can be said that this strategy deals in adjusting the percentage of different assets in the portfolio as per the investment time frame, goals and risk tolerance capacity of an investor (Kendall and Rollins, 2003). Basically this strategy is adopted by the investor for diversifying its investment portfolio so that overall risk from the investment can be reduced. Return of an investment is majorly dependent on the allocation of the assets in the portfolio. Characteristics of different assets are different from each other and they perform differently in different economic scenario and market conditions. Further, different investment instruments delive r different returns and these different returns are not perfectly correlated (Kendall and Rollins, 2003). Thus, an optimal portfolio is one which is quite diversified, that is which consists of different-different investment instrument with varied characteristics so that overall risk from the investment can be reduced and still the investment reaps higher returns. Here are some of the strategies that can be used for achieving optimum assets allocation: Strategic Asset Allocation: this is the most common method of asset allocation and focuses on the concept of basic policy mix. That it, it includes stocks form each asset class based on their expected rate of returns. For example, the portfolio may consist of fifty per cent bonds with annual return of five per cent and fifty per cent stock with annual return of ten per cent so as to achieve a return of about seven and half per cent (Focardi and Fabozzi, 2004). Constant Weighting Asset Allocation: The above focus on buy and hold concept. Thus, even if the scenario changes, the portfolio remains the same. To overcome from this, one may adopt a constant weighting asset allocation approach. In this approach, the investor keeps on rebalancing the portfolio as per the changes in the economic and market conditions. For example, if some stock is not performing well and its prices are going down, investor can invest on it and other the other hand, if price of any particular stock is going up, the investor can sell that stock (Focardi and Fabozzi, 2004). As such there is not thumb rule for time of rebalancing the portfolio in strategic and constant weighting assets allocation, but generally it is advice to rebalance the portfolio when the actual value of the portfolio changes five per cent from its original value. Tactical Asset Allocation: If an investor invests for longer time duration, in such cases the above stated allocation strategies proves to be rigid (Pihlman, et. al., 2011). Therefore, sometimes it is beneficial to invest in some securities for shorter time period to practice tactical deviation and to benefit from exceptional investment opportunities. Further, this strategy brings flexibility. This is regarded as moderately active strategy but in this the investor must have knowledge of short term investment opportunity, so that later on he can again rebalance the portfolio (Pihlman, et. al., 2011). Dynamic Asset Allocation: Next strategy adopted by some of the investors is dynamic asset allocation strategy. It is also an active asset allocation strategy in which investor keeps on adjusting the proportion of different investment instruments with the rise and fall of market. Further changes in the economic conditions also force an investor to change this asset mix (Pihlman, et. al., 2011). Dynamic asset allocation strategy is just opposite of constant weighing strategy as in this strategy investors buys or hold those assets which are rising and sell those assets which are declining. For example, due to certain reasons if stock market starts declining, an investor starts selling his assets assuming that the market will fall further and similarly if stock market starts performing well, investor buys stocks with a hope that the market will continue to perform well (Focardi and Fabozzi, 2004). Insured Asset Allocation: Another asset allocation strategy which is practiced by many investors is insured asset allocation strategy. Under this strategy an investor set the base value of the stock and tries that the portfolio value does not go below the base level. As long as the value of portfolio is above the base value or is increasing, investor practices active management and tries to keep on increasing the value of the portfolio (Focardi and Fabozzi, 2004). On the other hand, if the value of the portfolio, due to some reason starts declining, investor starts investing in risk free assets such as government bonds, fixed deposit, etc. so as to limit the base level. This type of strategy is practiced by investors who want secured returns and are involved in limited active portfolio management (Pihlman, et. al., 2011). Integrated Asset Allocation: Last in this series is the integrated asset allocation strategy. Under this strategy, while deciding the elements of the portfolio, investor considers both the parameter; his economic expectation and his risk taking capabilities (Kendall and Rollins, 2003). All the above stated asset allocation strategy only considers future economic expectations of an investor and does not focus on his risk taking capacity or his investment risk tolerance. But in case of integrated asset allocation strategy, it considers various aspects of all the above stated strategies. In addition to economic expectation, it also accounts for rise and fall in stock market and risk tolerance capabilities (Focardi and Fabozzi, 2004). Among all the strategies, integrated asset allocation strategy is the broadest asset allocation strategy, but it allows investor to practice only one asset allocation strategy at a time, either dynamic asset allocation strategy or constant weighting asset a llocation strategy (Kendall and Rollins, 2003). References Fabozzi, J. F. 2008. Handbook of Finance, Financial Markets and Instruments. John Wiley Sons. Focardi, M. S. and Fabozzi, J. F. 2004. The Mathematics of Financial Modeling and Investment Management. John Wiley Sons. Pihlman, J. et. al. 2011. Investment Objectives of Sovereign Wealth Funds - a Shifting Paradigm. International Monetary Fund. Swensen, F. D. 2009. Pioneering Portfolio Management: An Unconventional Approach to Institutional Investment. Simon and Schuster. Brentani, C. 2003. Portfolio Management in Practice. Butterworth-Heinemann. Smithson, C. 2003. Credit Portfolio Management. John Wiley Sons. Kendall, I. G. and Rollins, C. S. 2003. Advanced Project Portfolio Management and the PMO. J. Ross Publishing.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Lab 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lab 2 - Essay Example Bases cause the litmus to turn blue. Strength of a base is dependent on concentration of OH- ions produced. On the pH scale, basicity of a substance increases from 7 to 14: 7 being neutral and 14 being strongest base (one that generates maximum OH- ions when dissolved). Name two acid and bases that you often use. Acids: Milk, Orange Juice Bases: Soap, Tooth paste Cube Dimensions Surface Area (cm2) Volume (cm3) Surface Area : Volume Time Required for Complete Color Change Distance of Diffusion 1 cm X 1 cm X 1 cm 6 1 6:1 3 min 0.50 cm 1 cm X 2 cm X 2 cm 16 4 4:1 2 min 50 sec 0.30 cm 1 cm X 1 cm X 6 cm 36 6 6:1 2 min 42 sec 0.48 cm How did the surface area effect the diffusion of the cube? What about the volume? What about the surface area to volume ratio? Which of these had the greatest effect on the diffusion of the cube? Time required for complete color change is found to be approximately same for all three cubes (average time: 2 minutes 50 seconds) which concludes that rate of diffu sion of vinegar into the agar is same irrespective of shape and size. Further, volume had no impact on the time required for color change. No regular trend has been observed for distance of diffusion of vinegar inside the agar with respect to surface area or volume, when each is considered alone. Ideally, greater distance of diffusion should have been found in Cube B ( 1 cm X 2 cm X 2 cm) as compared to Cube A ( 1 cm X 1 cm X 1 cm) as it has the greater surface area (larger surface area enhances amount of diffusion); however, the irregular pattern reveals that there is a third factor that has a direct bearing on the distance of diffusion. Studying the results of the experiment, it becomes evident that surface area to volume ratio is the single parameter that majorly affects the amount of diffusion of vinegar into the agar. Cube A ( 1 cm X 1 cm X 1 cm) and Cube C (1 cm X 1 cm X 6 cm) having same surface area to volume ratio yield the same distance of diffusion. On the other hand, cub e B ( 1 cm x 2 cm x 2cm) tails at 0.3 cm. Even though greater amount of vinegar diffuses in to cube B than in cube A due to greater surface area, a larger time period is required for it to reach the center. In conclusion, the experiment demonstrates that depth of diffusion is lesser for materials having smaller surface areas to volume ratio than that with higher surface area to volume ratio. How does this experiment demonstrate the need for larger cells to divide? A cell meets its requirements for growth, repair and removal of waste materials through its cell membrane, the amount of transfer directly relating to its surface area. More so, the extent of movement of substances into a cell-towards its center- depends upon its size and volume. An increase in cell size is accompanied with an increase in requirements of the cell. More nutrients need to be diffused in and a greater amount of waste materials require to be diffused out. Consequently, a mechanism needs to be established that would allow a rapid transfer of substances through the cell membrane. As the cell is grows uncontrollably without division, the surface area to volume ratio decreases. This limits the distance to which substances diffuse into the cell, posing a restriction to the functionality of various components of the cell-especially those located towards the center. To counter this, it

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Same sex marriage shoul not be allowed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Same sex marriage shoul not be allowed - Essay Example ive demographic change, it is quite twisted and bizarre to claim that it is the role of married couples to procreate just to keep the stability of the western civilization. Plus, its much exaggerated. The main area in the article that is quite vague is that which speaks about the role of married heterosexual couples in driving and maintaining the western stability by procreating and having more children. The author refers to it as a role for them to carry out and fulfill, and this perception seems quite distorted and untrue. Moreover, it is stated that an acceptance of homosexuality will bring about the decline of western civilization, as the denouncement of it enabled the creation and continuance of this civilization. Although having a wrong perception of the situation, the source does seem credible. It does not only present facts meant to convince and persuade readers to agree with it, but also presents some opposite opinions and fact, such as the one about the MCCs acceptance of gay marriages. The main fallacy presented by the author once again has to do with the role of the heterosexual and married couples in maintaining the stability of the western civilization by their procreating and delivering more children. The author claims that that is what has kept the western civilization throughout the centuries, and this is clearly false and exaggerated. One argument the author makes is that men and women are uniquely biologically compatible, and explains his claim by saying that the human body can identify the intrusion of any unknown or alien matter into it and destroys it. However, the mans semen contains something that enables it not to be destroyed by the womans body, hence bringing forth the possibility of creating a baby. The conclusion of the author in the article is that marriage is a tool which leads to having children, and since the bond of "two become one" exists biologically and historically only between men and women, marriage of homosexual couples

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

I can read letters on topics within my areas of academic or Essay

I can read letters on topics within my areas of academic or professional speciality or interest and grasp the most important points - Essay Example Their heirs to obstruction continue in the attempt today. Their burden is greater because of progress that was achieved by Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Obama. Obama, especially, is responsible for heaping coals of fire on the heads of his political opponents who will not accept the fact that he was, twice, elected president and was able to provide health care to millions, both against great odds. I continue to be amazed by President Obama’s ability to continue his work with grace and dignity in the face of an onslaught of lies, contempt, obstruction, and insults. It is a lesson to any who will observe him with an open mind that we must not repay his offenders in kind, even when we are witness to abusive and retaliatory actions by them when they gain power. The letter on political tolerance focuses on the opposition faced by presidents in the United States. The writer sends the letter in a bid to advocate for tolerance, patience and dignity in political dealings. One section focuses on the hatred geared towards Mr. Hoover during his tenure. The writer recalls the mother’s advice that political intolerance causes hate and serves little in problem solving. The letter mentions that President Roosevelt encountered several challenges form his opposition. His view of progress was often received as controversial and wrong for the American people. In the same manner, presidents like Kennedy, Johnson and Barrack Obama often faced similar opposition. The letter then focuses on Obama and praises the president for his response towards his opposition. Specifically, the writer acknowledges the president’s re-election to office and his resilience despite bitter politics. The letter concludes that a great leader responds to opposition wi th kindness and tolerance. The letter sparks interest as it addresses an issue of key concern in America politics. Political divide along ideology is expected in every

Sunday, October 27, 2019

League Of Nations

League Of Nations The League of Nations was an international association established by the victors of the First World War 1914-1918 as a result of the last point in the Treaty of Versailles of 1919. It was set up to prevent future disputes, protect world peace and ensure security, thus the member states pledged to follow procedures when dealing with international crises. However it was not an easy job to set up an assembly that would have control over all nations, so in the end the League of Nations was not very long-lived, already by 1946 it was dissolved and replaced by the United Nations. An investigation will be carried out, taking into consideration the facts and the aftermath of international affairs, from the early 1920s to the 1940s. The essay will deal with two key questions. Firstly, for what reasons did the League of Nations fail and was it doomed from the start? Secondly, to what extent could this collapse be blamed on the lack of cooperation between Britain and France? The setting up of the World Parliament After the end of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, by Germany and the Allies of the Entente. As the result of this treaty an organization for international cooperation was founded. The American President, Woodrow Wilson was the one who actually drafted its creation and came up with the idea that international arguments should be sorted out and solved by the League which would be like the World Parliament  [1]  . His views and ideas clearly differed from those of Lloyd George and Georges Clemenceau. The League of Nations had a council, which was made up of 4 permanent members Britain, France, Italy and Japan along side the other 38 founder nations. Nevertheless throughout its existence the League did not manage to work up to its expectations of performing wonders as President Wilson has put it. Wilson hoped that the League of Nations would stop disputes and wars, improve peoples lives and working conditions and bring fairness and stability to Europe. However once the League was set up and he returned back home to the United States, he only found that the American Congress refused to join it. The Americans felt that by joining the LON they would be dragged into other countries conflicts and problems, which was not something they needed, thus they pulled out. This was just the very first weakness of the so called World Parliament.  [2]  The absence of the United States was not only a bitter blow which created a sense of incompleteness, but it also led to the major glitch in the Global Representation of the League. The United States was the driving force behind the LON and now there also would be no financing from their side. The League was all about embodying every nation and seeing that USA turned the LON down, any other minor member could feel like they had the right to leave any time. In 1922, it felt like the League was made up of sub nations since the worlds most powerful countries were not involved. The USA, the USSR and Germany were not members which left the League not as strong as it should have been and having an incomplete membership. Among other things the League did not have an army which was a big thing since their aim was to stop disputes and wars, the question arising, was whether they could do that if they had no fear -authority. Thus they relied on the members for military assistance who in turn refused to send their people to fight and for foreign lands, when they had no interest in that. The Treaty of Versailles left unhappiness, grief which stimulated jealousy, resentment and rivalry.  [3]  The inter-war economic situation exaggerated political reactions, condemned democracy and constitutionalism needed for lasting settlement. It slowly failed because there were no adequate guarantees. The Treaty of Versailles along with other treaties passed through the LON, were slowly going bankrupt and losing support. The International Labour Organization (ILO) failed too, in its attempt to convince the nations to adopt a different working policy. The League was already in danger of losing its popularity and authority. The Leagues aim was to maintain collective security and replace international anarchy. From the start it was supposed to be an organization that would use economic and military sanctions to stop aggressors. However the sanctions did not work since some nations managed to find ways to get around them, thinking that they would solely lose out on them. In 1931, at the time of the Manchurian crisis the League could not even agree upon the economic sanctions and later on in 1935, it failed again when attempting a ban on the sale of arms, rubber and metals to Italy, when the French and the British opposed these sanctions. They believed that this move would lead to Mussolini allying with Hitler. Also the League of Nations had been obliged to introduce a reduction of the armaments to the lowest, allowable for safety, level. A lot of time was put into this along with the effort from the Allies who have been bound to disarm together with the losers of the WWI. This was thought to be a step towards future peace development.  [4]   The problem with this however was, that the policy failed later on in 1923 because Germany refused to have lower armaments than everybody else. This led to other countries going against and bypassing the disarmament. This showed that there was not enough commitment and effort involved in the International decisions and actions. Another major difficulty for the League was handling disputes and solving problems. The specialized parts of the LON needed to cooperate but at the time of crisis they could not come to common understanding and decide on what was best for society. Also the decisions made within the League were unanimous which made it even harder for the organization to act out, it took them a long time to do anything and they were too slow to react. There were quite a noticeable number of international arguments in the years of 1919 to 1935 not dealt with properly, by the League of Nations for various immoral and to some extent, self-centered reasons. Too much pressure on the League of Nations The first instance of the Leagues passiveness is seen in early 1919, when the Italians took over the Fiume Port, which was previously granted to Yugoslavia by the Treaty of Versailles. The League of Nations did nothing despite the fact that it was their duty to prevent aggression and keep peace. In the end, an Italian by the name of Gabriele DAnnunzio governed the newly taken over port for over a year. Later on that same year, Poland and Czechoslovakia fought over Teschen Silesia, which was a bordering region between the two countries. The area was rich in iron, coal, railway lines, and a notable part of the Silesian coal fields and since both nations were just recently created, they both felt the need to strengthen their economies by acquiring Teschen. When the League was summoned to help solve the territorial dispute, what it did was just divide the region, among the two countries. Poland was unhappy with what they got and ignored the Leagues decision. The two countries argued over this issue for years to come. After 1919, town Vilna was considered to be the Capital city of Lithuania. However about 30% of the citys population was made up of Poles. In 1920, the Polish took over Vilna and when Lithuanians asked the League for help, it failed at making the Poles withdraw. They stayed in town until the start of the World War II. The League of Nations was once again powerless. We can see how many times within the same year the League failed at doing what it was created for. The second time the Polish broke the rules of the League, was in 1920. Poland invaded Russia and its army conquered Russian land. By 1921 the Russians finally signed the Treaty of Riga, agreeing to hand over financial compensation, railway materials and nearly 80 000 km2. The League of Nations did encourage them to make peace, however it did nothing to stop the Poles. Since Russia was communist, they would only gain advantage from such an operation, because they feared it and wanted to prevent it from spreading. To countries that were not members of the League, it might have seemed like the LON was selectively picking who is good enough and who is not to get help. This was another failure since it only angered the Russians and made them more hostile towards the Allies. Since the end of the First World War, one of the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles was that Germany had to pay reparations for the losses and damages that it had caused.  [5]  However when the Germans failed to do so in 1922, the anti-German feeling in both France and Belgium grew. Ignoring the laws of the League of Nations, both being members, France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr an important industrial area in Germany. But the arising question was whether the League would stop them. France was one of the main members and yet one of the aggressors. Britain could not afford to stand up against its powerful associates. The League failed this time, twice. Firstly and fore mostly because it broke its own rules and secondly, because of the example that was set for the other countries. This was not the first time that something like this happened, this was the second alarming authority-defying example the members of the League have set. Another dispute occurred in 1923, when an Italian commander Enrico Tellini, together with his assistants, was murdered on the border of the Greek territory. The Italians were sure and blamed the Greek nationalists for attacking their general. On the other hand the Greeks blamed criminals from Albania. Italy then demanded reparations and to be allowed to deal with the murderers, but the Greeks could not identify and find the killers. This sparked off an Italian attack on the Greek island of Corfu. The assassination of their General was not even the real reason, they have concealed the true motive all along. When Greece appealed to the League for help, the LON did not do anything but directed the matter to the Conference of Ambassadors who forced Greece to comply with Mussolinis conditions.  [6]  This was another failure since everybody knew that the Italians were just looking for an unjust excuse to invade Corfu and gain its coastline entrance position to the Adriatic Sea. Later on, in 1928 nearly all nations decided to sign, the Kellogg-Briand Pact. The pact prohibited any aggression and use of war unless required in need of self-defense. However the Pact of Paris did not live up to ideal expectations and did not succeed at preventing war.  [7]  It proved to be ineffective and did not manage to prevent the two future conflicts which together in turn sparked off WWII. These two were the real tests for the League. After the years of Depression, Japan still remained under its effects. She tried to overcome this by strengthening her empire although she lost many of her markets. This resulted in the Japanese searching for raw materials and trade markets. The province of Manchuria seemed perfect since right before; the Japanese had a strong economic presence there. Once the Japanese invaded Manchuria, the Chinese turned to the League of Nations for help. So what the League did was sent in, officials to Manchuria to analyze and study the root of the problem. They were very slow, it took them one year to do that and finally in 1933 Japan was ordered to step back and leave Manchuria. At the time the League did not seem as much of an authority any more which resulted in the Japanese ignoring the Leagues command. The League could do nothing about it. Japan was considered to be the greatest power in Eastern Asia and many countries supported trading with her. The Allies did not want a war and the LON cou ld not even impose sanctions. The League of Nations has yet terribly failed at encouraging peace. The other major problem of the League was that it seemed to be scared to anger the aggressors, instead of having a higher position of authority to suppress the assailants it just stayed neutral not to make them resentful. Benito Mussolinis idea of glory and popularity led him to believe that he could do anything he wanted. In 1934 he laid his eyes on the only African territory which was left without any control by the European Colonial Authority Abyssinia.  [8]  Italians had a previous encounter with the Ethiopians. In the year of 1895, Italians lost a humiliating battle and now were keen to get revenge. When Haile Selassie appealed to the League for help, the LON talked to Mussolini but with no success. He would not compromise and just ignored them and used the moment to his advantage to send an army into Africa and invade Abyssinia. The League tried putting sanctions but those did not work, there was nothing else it could do, because Mussolini was considered a potential ally against Hitler and the LON did not want to risk making him resentful towards the Allies. This was the last straw, after the Manchuria and Abyssinia crises the people just saw the League as a useless fraud, and once Hitler actually started to break the Treaty of Versailles there was no other way but to start off the World War Two since it would be the only way to stop him. All these unresolved disputes led to one another and in the end there was nothing left to do but to go to war. Also among the Leagues many failed crises there were the failed treaties and the Locarno Pact of 1925. The Washington treaty was a naval-limiting agreement signed in 1921 by Britain, United States, Japan, France and Italy; but it failed when the naval restrictions merely became unrealistic in the 1930s. The Dawes plan of 1924, that made Germany dependant on American loans failed when USA demanded the money back after going through a Depression and still did not get much back.  [9]  And finally the Geneva Protocol of 1925, proved to be ineffective when the disputes broke out. The lack of cooperation between the two main members of the League One of the big problems that the League of Nations faced was the fact that it had no army and thus it depended fully on Britain and France once USA did not join. And as a matter of fact, these two members were unwilling to share and help the League. Britain and France were very passive and as long as their own interests were not involved they preferred to stay in the dark.  [10]  They did not feel the need to or even want to use sanctions which as the members of the League they should have supported. Many historians fully blame France and Britain for the Leagues failure. They believed that since the USA was not a member, all the responsibility of taking control of the League lay on Britain and France who felt like they had their more important responsibilities towards their nations, outside of the organization. They ignored what had to be done to keep international peace and instead put their own priorities first. France feared Germany and did anything to ensure self-security because of suffering great devastation during the war, whilst Britain plainly concentrated on strengthening her empire.  [11]  These two members were the heads and yet they were not fully willing to commit. And what organization can survive without somebody managing it properly and willing to put in enough work and effort to run it especially when the heads of that organization fail to work together and fight towards the same goal. If we closely look at the crises that the League of Nations faced, we can see a pattern. In many of the cases the leaders of Britain and France were the ones to stir trouble. Taking the Vilna Crisis as an example, where France actually wanted to keep on the right side of Poland since she saw it as a potential ally against Germany and Russia in case a war would arise and as a buffer zone against communism. Britain was never prepared to act alone which resulted in the League not taking action against the aggressors. The two countries acted without thinking about the League and what was best for it. The main problem however was that the two members were unable to work together and thus bring any efficiency to the League of Nations. Each one had their own priorities and a lot of times they failed to reach agreements and come to compromises regarding the problems of Europe after the war. They clearly had different ideas of what the role of the LON was. As mentioned before France feared that Germanys bigger number of population would be a threat to her own, whilst Britain saw it as a commercial opportunity towards a quick and efficient economic recovery. Despite this being the time when the French needed the British support in case of a future encounter with Germanys aggression, Britain was not so keen on disarming Germany, which once again posed a threat to the entire stability of Europe. Both countries were obliged to show support for the LON in public, but really when in private they felt deep cynicism and pessimism for the organization but more importantly they had no faith in it. In order to properly understand the relations between Britain and France we have to consider looking at their past. During the years of the First World War, the British and French were allies and worked against the Central Powers. They strongly co-operated towards a common goal and in the end when the war was over they both were the victors. Immediately after the war, the British and French had been co-operating together, as their interests were very similar. They both needed countries like Germany and Russia weakened since they posed a bug threat to their nations and to the spread of Communism. Another similarity between them was that they both needed each other if they were to expand and strengthen their empires. At some point, there even was a very strong popular feeling in Britain towards France and when the leaders visited each other at latter countries they got warm receptions.  [12]   When the League of Nations was created, they both were the heads, and they had to accept the defense of countries between themselves. However after a while France started to see itself as a very powerful independent stand-alone power whilst Britain did not want to risk losing close relationships with Australia, Canada and New Zealand. This caused tension between the two and at one point the British were even thinking about free trade which would put France at stake by placing tariffs on its goods. Analysis There are various reasons as to why the League of Nations failed. The main ones being that it did not have enough support and a driving force willing to push it on. As a historian by the name of A.J.P. Taylor once said The League died in 1935. One day it was a powerful body imposing sanctions, the next day it was a useless fraud, everybody running away from it as quickly as possible. Hitler watched.  [13]  The actual idea of the League ensuring peace was great but since most of the member nations put their interests and priorities first, the League of Nations Failed. From the very beginning it was Wilsons idea to set up the League but then America was the one strongest nation whose presence was noticeably yearned. The league could not act alone and it was based and dependant on the two main members, Britain and France. This is where the bigger question comes in. Should these two be completely blamed for the collapse of the League? The answer is to a certain extent.  [14]  They only dealt with the smaller, weaker countries and did not dare to stand up to aggressors because they felt threatened. However that was not the main reason behind them being blamed. It is one thing when they do not feel secure and try to protect themselves and it is a completely different thing when they are not willing to work together even though the World Parliament relies on them. Japan and Italy betrayed the League thus Britain and France were its last hope. Nevertheless although Britain and France did not really betray the League, neither did they try to strengthen it and help it.  [15]  By invading the Ruhr, France let the Leagues authority down. Another example would be the Abyssinian crisis where Britain and France were the ones who actually confidentially gave up Abyssinia to Italy. The longer they kept this up, the less everybody believed and put their hopes in the League. At the end everybody just started to ignore it. Another factor was the Great Depression which made every country fight for itself and try to gain more and more power. The problem was that Britain and France were allies and had the same level of authority within the League but at the same time they lacked cooperation. Many times the two nearly went against each other to support their own self-interest only to be stopped by their own self-conscience that they needed each other.  [16]   One historian said It is not altogether impossible to bring the French and the British to see eye to eye- only their eyes are so different. It could be reasoned that Britain and France were at fault for the Leagues failure because had they cooperated more and worked their way up towards a common goal, together they might have been strong enough to stand up to the aggressors and prevent the crumpling of the world peace and the League of Nations. It was also said that the League was merely a field that Britain and France chose to fight on. On the other hand one can argue that other countries played a big part in the LONs collapse too and no matter how strong the bond between the two main members would have been nothing could have prevented the Leagues collapse and thereby the start of the WWII. All the crises that the League had to go through were not just the result of the lack of cooperation between Britain and France, but also the never-ending desire for more power within other strong countries like Germany and Italy, whose leaders knew just how to use the moment to manipulate others to get what they wanted. Conclusion In conclusion we can see that all of the events and crises that occurred in the inter-war years contributed to the fall of the League of Nations. However the most notable reason was the inability of Britain and France to effectively work together without competing against each other for full domination. Their mistrust, constant divisions and preoccupation with only their own affairs had cost the League some serious lack of development and effective performance which in the end resulted in a stalemate leading to new disputes and in 1939, the start of World War Two.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Comparing Reactions to Industrialism in Frankenstein and The Communist

Reactions to Industrialism in Frankenstein and The Communist Manifesto      Ã‚   The radical changes of the nineteenth century were unlike any the world had seen before. A sense of these changes were felt by all in many aspects; not just politically, but in social and cultural means as well. When Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was published in 1831, it was clear that many general elements of the romantic era were well reflected. Similarly, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels' The Communist Manifesto appeared in 1848, a time of great national political revolutions throughout Europe. While textually these historic nineteenth century texts have little in common, it is clear however that they both are strong reactions to previous movements of European society. Underlying Shelley's Frankenstein are strong uses of romanticism, whereas The Communist Manifesto is undoubtedly opposing the consequences of the industrial revolution in Europe; both reactions of the past, yet effective in starkly different ways.    Frankenstein, like other English Romantics, placed great emphasis on the power of nature. The Arve Ravine, and the Valley of Chamounix exemplify the harmony and beautiful serenity of nature, and add to the romantic quality of the novel while sharply contrasting with the chaos of Victor's troubled mind. The Romantic movement can be seen as a protest against the rapid industrialization that was occurring in England at the time of Frankenstein's publication. While many interpretations are plausible, the novel depicts the fear that technology (and the human obsession with technology) would ultimately prove disastrous. The characters of Walton and Frankenstein are shaped by Romantic idealism, as manifested in their ... ...r a classless, productive, industrial society that was beneficial to all, the mere recognition of strength in numbers and class solidarity were fundamentally effective and paved the way not only for future governments but for future laborers.       Works Cited    Lowe-Evans, Mary.   Frankenstein: Mary Shelly's Wedding Guest. New York:   Twayne Publishers, 1993.    Marx, Karl. Communist Manifesto. Birth of the Communist Manifesto. Ed. Dirk J.   Ã‚   Struik. New York: International, 1971. 85-125.    Oates, Joyce Carol.   "Frankenstein: Creation as Catastrophe." Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.   Ed. Harold Bloom.   New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.    Shelly, Mary.   Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus.   New York: Penguin Books, 1978.    Tropp, Martin.   Mary Shelly's Monster.   Boston:   Houghton Mifflin, 1976.   

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Wholley Innocent Analysis Essay

Bruce Dawe one time said that. â€Å"we write out of a demand to come to footings with some concern. or something â€Å"bugging† us. † From this statement. it is blazing that he expresses his emotions and ethical motives through his poesy in effort to portion his positions and concerns on modern-day issues of the universe with the universe. act uponing readers to reconsider their values. The cosmopolitan entreaty of Bruce Dawes poems prevarication in the poet’s passion in talking for those who have no agencies of talking. In â€Å"The Wholley Innocent† . which is written in the 1980’s. Dawe. challenges his readers through a willful finding to end the gestation of a healthy fetus. Through the usage of poetic techniques such as character. graphic imagination. calculated repeat. and onomatopoeia Dawe reaches the moral scruples of his readers to the inappropriateness of ending life prematurely. â€Å"The Wholley Innocent† . through its usage of p oetic signifiers. efficaciously paperss the catholicity sing an highly controversial issue that is abortion. The rubric â€Å"The Wholly Innocent† . accurately reflects the capable affair. as the verse form involves an aborted fetus who has done no incorrect in this universe. and is hence â€Å"wholly innocent† . Consecutive. this places the reader in believing that the unborn fetus. which has done no unfairness to the universe. should be given the opportunity to populate. The foetus’s artlessness is once more reinstated in the line â€Å"Defenceless as a lamb. † . as lambs symbolise pureness. This induces the reader to sympathize with the guiltless fetus and therefore. places the reader to comprehend abortion as immoral. This besides suggests that the guiltless mustn’t suffer because person else someplace. the grownup. is guilty. On the whole troubled inquiry of when life starts and what we should make about when it has started. Dawe recognises that there is one thing which most people will profess. the point that those who are waiting to be born are holy inexperienced persons. in the dual sense of the word ; of being entirely guiltless because they don’t have any say in what happens to them. Dawe uses this to bring forth cosmopolitan entreaty as no 1 sympathises with the guilty but will nevertheless sympathize with the inexperienced person and defenceless. Through the usage of the poetic technique of repeat. Dawe establishes that the unborn fetus has the right to see these basic constituents of nature that we normally take for granted. The repeat of â€Å"never† and â€Å"Nor† in the first two stanzas describes the fact that the fetus has missed out on legion facets of life due to being aborted. In these stanzas the usage of repeat expresses the eternal list of things that the fetus has lost as a consequence of ne'er holding encountered life. This manipulates the reader into believing that abortion is unethical as you are non supplying person with the chance to see life. Further underpinning the poem’s cosmopolitan entreaty is word pick where Dawe foregrounds the subject of holding the right to life. The lines â€Å"Oh you within whose god-like power† â€Å"It lies to so make up one's mind. † establishes the fact that the female parent of this fetus has no right to take away his/her life as she possesses small power in comparing to that of god’s. The word pick in the last stanza of the verse form is besides effectual as it leaves the reader with a sense of guilt. The lines â€Å"Remember me the following clip you† . â€Å"Rejoice at Sun or star –â€Å"and â€Å"I would hold loved to see them. excessively. † reveal that the fetus is merely human and would hold besides enjoyed the things that other people take pleasance in. The concluding line of the verse form besides leaves anyone who has even undergone abortion experiencing guilty. â€Å"I ne'er got that far. † reinstates the act of corruptio n that has been committed further backing the construct of mindless life loss. a cosmopolitan subject. Dawe uses graphic imagination to underscore the fact that abortion is extravagant and unfair. The perforating imagination of a uterus that could go a grave if abortion is carried out in â€Å"The Wholly Innocent† will faze any reader contemplating ending a gestation. The lines in stanza five â€Å"For I was portion of that doomed race† and â€Å"Whose death–cell was the uterus. † uncover the fact that the unborn fetus is ashamed to experience a portion of its race which evokes untold commiseration for his/her defenceless life that is trapped. The fetus besides highlights that all he/she wants is to see the simple things in life like to â€Å"rejoice at Sun or star. † Most readers would hold that this is a cosmopolitan right for all persons to see these basic constituents of nature. In the line. â€Å"I ne'er cognize the autonomous touch of attention. † this suggests that he/she ne'er experiences parental love which in bend evokes untold feeli ngs of commiseration and understanding in the reader. A simile is besides used in stanza three that he/she will decease â€Å"anonymous as mud† if nobody protects him. The fetus besides compares itself to a defenceless lamb with surely evokes feeling of understanding in the reader. . Overall. Bruce Dawes â€Å"The Wholly Innocent† . which is an highly powerful verse form. successfully establishes the fact that the female parent of this fetus has no right to take away his/her life. This verse form besides establishes that there is perfectly no justness in killing a life and that the female parent has no entitlement in making so. as she possesses small power. With the assistance of the poetic techniques of repeat. word pick. and imagination he arouses understanding. carefully pull stringsing the audience to reflect upon his ain positions towards abortion. In this manner. Dawe has created a verse form that is non merely unambiguously Australian but presents issues of planetary concern which generates cosmopolitan entreaty.