Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Essays (1004 words) -

Experiences Of Huckleberry Finn Experiences of Huckleberry Finn All kids have an extraordinary spot, regardless of whether picked by a cognizant choice or not this is where one can go to sort their considerations. Nature can regularly give comfort by giving a sustaining encompassing where a kid is compelled to search inside and decisions can be made untainted by society. Imprint Twain once said Don't let school hinder your training. Twain expresses that this training which is given by society, can really upset human development and development. Albeit conventional training shouldn't be totally avoided, maybe evident beneficial experience, in the public eye and nature, are a key piece of improvement. In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain tosses the inquisitive yet blameless psyche of Huck Finn out into a deceptive, critical, and antagonistic world, yet Huck has one getaway - the Mississippi River continually streaming close by. Here nature is introduced as an interesting situation when experienced alone. The stream is tranquil an d serene spot where Huck can return to inspect any pickle he may end up in: They went off, and I got on board the pontoon, feeling awful and low?Then I thought a moment, and says to myself, hang on,- s'pose you'd a done right and surrender Jim; OK felt better than you do now? No, says I, I'd feel awful? (p.127). Just half a month with Jim and as yet feeling extraordinary irresoluteness, Huck comes back to the stream to think. Twain attempts here to tell the peruser how solid the crowd truly is, and just when absolutely alone is Huck ready to settle on the ethically right choice. The common streaming and quiet of the waterway cause this profound idea, appear! ing how unnatural the aggregate idea of a general public can be. The biggest and most evident trial of Huck's character is his relationship with Jim. The companionship and help which he provides for Jim go totally against all that sivilization has shown him; from the start this idea inconveniences Huck and causes him a lot of to rment, however after some time, through his background and imparted times to Jim, Huck goes too far maintained by the bigot South and comes to know Jim as an individual. Huck is at a point in his life where assessments are framed, and by developing on the stream, Huck can remain once more from society and structure his own. In the long run he ventures to chance his life for Jim:And got to thinking about our outing down the stream; and I see Jim before me, constantly, in the day, and in the evening time, in some cases moonlight, in some cases tempests, and we a coasting along, talking, and singing, and giggling. Be that as it may, some way or another I was unable to see no spots to solidify me against him, yet just the other kind?I examined brief kind of holding my breath, and afterward I s! ays to myself: 'Good, at that point, I'll get lost'? (pp.270-271). After a long and intriguing experience, Huck comes back to the pontoon one last an ideal opportunity to choose the destiny of hi s companion. Emblematically, Huck settles on the ethically right choice away from all others, thinking on the waterway. In spite of the fact that it probably won't be apparent to himself, Huck makes the peruser see that sivilization, in their treatment of blacks particularly, isn't edified in any way. Each individual Huck and Jim go over appears to simply be tailing another person indiscriminately, as the entire nation were a type of crowd. In the last not many parts, Tom Sawyer is re-presented and the peruser is left to look at how changed conditions: sivilization and nature (the stream), have influenced the kids' development. It is unmistakably apparent that Huck has ended up being the one with a reasonable and shrewd brain, and Tom, in spite of the fact that he can spew useless realities about Louis XVI and Henry VIII, gives no genuine indication of development. The first occasion when I catched up to Tom, private, I asked him what was his thought, time of the avoidance?- what it was he intended to do if the avoidance turned out to be OK and he figured out how to set a nigger free that was at that point free previously? What's more, he stated, what he had arranged in his

Capstone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Capstone - Essay Example In like manner, the organization’s statement of purpose additionally tends to the foundation of prosperous and helpful associations with both inward and outer gatherings that are related with the exercises of the business, for example, its workers, providers and different accomplices (FedEx Corporation 2013a). Not exclusively does the statement of purpose of the organization portray the organization’s responsibility towards its essential partners however it additionally gives a guide to the administration and the representatives with regards to how FedEx Corporation means to lead its business exercises. As showed by the definition of the organization’s statement of purpose, the vision proclamation and statement of purpose of an organization frequently speak to messages or implications that are very much the same while in different situations; the vision articulation depicts a company’s goals or what it plans to accomplish later on (Secord 2003). As per Fed Ex Corporation (2013a) the association means to serve its clients in the most ideal way by recognizing the restrictive prerequisites of each market section. The nearness of this provision in the organization’s statement of purpose has been the driver of FedEx Corporation’s effective support of its worldwide customer base which showcases shifting needs. For instance, the commencement of takeovers in nations, for example, Brazil, Mexico and India in the ongoing years has been incited by the organization’s commitment to â€Å"accommodate advancing client needs† (FedEx Corporation 2012). 2. Dissect the five (5) powers of rivalry to decide how they sway the organization. Porter’s Five Forces model works as a successful and far reaching system for distinguishing, examining and assessing the potential chances and dangers to an organization which are presented by different serious powers inside the business (Hill and Jones 2007). Based on this comprehensio n, the system diagrams five key zones of rivalry that assume a key job in the plan and execution of procedures to viably address the sketched out dangers and effectively exploit openings. Haggling Power of Suppliers The idea of FedEx Corporation’s exercises and the size of its activities requests standard connection with a few providers that are situated over the globe. The company’s providers are recognized as fuel providers, makers of delivery materials and plane makers (Berger 2011). Berger (2011) states that predominant fuel providers order solid dealing control over the association due to the inaccessibility of substitutes which significantly restrains the organization’s capacity to participate in fruitful exchanges so as to bring down working costs. So also, the airplane fabricating industry shows an oligopolistic circumstance with Boeing and Airbus being the essential providers of airplanes which loans noteworthy dealing capacity to the makers (Berger 201 1). As opposed to this perception, Berger (2011) recognizes that makers of delivery materials show just constrained bartering power in light of the fact that FedEx Corporation has the alternative of picking its assigned providers among a few organizations in a market that is profoundly serious. Bartering Power of Buyers Hill and Jones (2007) remark that haggling intensity of purchasers is liable to change according to the adjustments in the outside condition. On account of FedEx Corpora

Florida, complete

Florida, complete Im back in Boston now, my meetings in Florida being done. It was quite a trip! We left off in Miami, where I had a great meeting before a packed house. I also got some recommendations for yummy Cuban food on Calle Ocho, in Miamis Little Havana. The Cuban sampler at Versailles Restaurant Bakery in Miami. After Miami, it was off to Floridas Gulf Coast, where I was due to do a meeting in Tampa. Like in Orlando and Miami, I had the opportunity to meet and dine with the Tampa Bay-area Educational Counselors (ECs) before the Central Meeting. The Tampa ECs and I dining at Charleys Steakhouse. At right, Regional Chair Lauralee Grizzaffi 91. Folks came to the meeting from far and wide, such as Tallahassee (thanks Melissa!), Gainesville, and Naples (including Mike others from Gulf Coast HS). The 300+ person crowd in Tampa. Overall, I saw more than 1200 people at 4 meetings across the state of Florida. I met many great students and had some great conversations with our ECs. It was my first time in South Florida and Floridas Gulf Coast. I really enjoyed my time there, and hope to visit again soon. Even though Im home now, I head right back to Tampa on Thursday to attend and present at the national conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Not too long after that, Im off to Southern California for more Central Meetings its a busy time! While I am back in Boston, look for my next few entries to talk about stuff happenning on campus. On that note, today is the opening day for Overnight Program registration. On your MyMIT portal, in the orange box on the left there is an Overnight Program link. Clicking on this will allow you to register to come to campus and stay overnight with an MIT student, go to classes, eat in the dining halls, etc. If you are interested, check it out!

Meet Janus, Father of Zeus and Roman Original

Janus is an ancient Roman, a composite god who is associated with doorways, beginnings, and transitions. A usually two-faced god, he looks to both the future and the past at the same time, embodying a binary. The concept of the month of January (the beginning of one year and the ending of the end) is both based on aspects of Janus. Plutarch writes in his Life of Numa: For this Janus, in remote antiquity, whether he was a demi-god or a king, was a patron of civil and social order, and is said to have lifted human life out of its bestial and savage state. For this reason he is represented with two faces, implying that he brought mens lives out of one sort and condition into another. In his Fasti, Ovid dubs this god two-headed Janus, an opener of the softly gliding year.  Hes a god of many different names and many different jobs, a unique individual the Romans regarded as fascinating even in their own time, as Ovid notes: But what god am I to say thou art, Janus of double-shape? for Greece hath no divinity like thee. The reason, too, unfold why alone of all the heavenly one thou doest see both back and front. He was also considered the guardian of peace, a time at which when the door to his shrine was closed. Honors The most famous temple to Janus in Rome is called the Ianus Geminus, or Twin Janus. When its doors were open, neighboring cities knew that Rome was at war. Plutarch quips: The latter was a difficult matter, and it rarely happened, since the realm was always engaged in some war, as its increasing size brought it into collision with the barbarous nations which encompassed it round about. When the two doors were closed, Rome was at peace. In his account of his accomplishments, Emperor Augustus says the gateway doors were closed only twice before him: by Numa (235 BCE) and Manlius (30 BCE), but Plutarch says, During the reign of Numa, however, it was not seen open for a single day, but remained shut for the space of forty-three years together, so complete and universal was the cessation of war. Augustus closed them three times: in 29 BCE after the Battle of Actium, in 25 BCE, and debated the third time. There were other temples for Janus, one on his hill, the Janiculum, and another built, in 260 at the Forum Holitorium, constructed by C. Duilius for a Punic War naval victory. Janus in Art Janus is usually shown with two faces, one looking forward and the other backward, as through a gateway. Sometimes one face is clean-shaven and the other bearded. Sometimes Janus is depicted with four faces overlooking four forums. He might hold a staff. The Family of Janus Camese, Jana, and Juturna were wives of Janus. Janus was the father of Tiberinus and Fontus. History of Janus Janus, the mythical ruler of Latium, was responsible for the Golden Age and brought money and agriculture to the area. He is associated with trade, streams, and springs. He could have been an early sky god.

Sociology - Child Centredness in Contemporary Families

Evaluate the view that contemporary families have become more child centred Firstly , child centred society is where children have become more valued and therefore focused on and protected. In this essay I will be evaluating the view that modern families have become more child centred. I will do this by including childhood in the past compared to childhood now , and how childhood has improved through rights and economic improvements and so on. Firstly , childhood is a phase of life between infancy and adulthood and can be said as a modern development as it didn’t develop in western society until the 16th and 17th centuries. For example , a historian Phillip Aries explained that in medieval times childhood did not exist as a separate†¦show more content†¦The same for any financial situation and money needs to be given to improve or sustain a child’s welfare. You could argue that the welfare state, has become a breadwinner for some families today and this has increased the child centeredness in modern families today. As there are provisions focused to care for children. In addition, the growing parental fears in society have caused parents to be more worried and cautious and even more protected over their children. As the increase in awareness that children are at risk of crime, assault and kidnapping by unknown people. Also due to increased road and train travel and traffic dangers, children are more likely to travel with their parents or carers. Rather than on their own. Secondly , to support that families have become more child centred is the children’s consumer market as children are now target audiences for many business such as , mother care , toys R Us , Nike , adidas and the music industry (especially) focus on the childhood market. Encouraging children to consume all of their products and parents to satisfy their children’s wants, this is â€Å"pester power†. Where the children pester their parents into buying them games, toys, music and so on. As the aim is to please the children, this would effectively say thatShow Mo reRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesin this respect you will find this book timely, interesting and valuable. Peter Holdt Christensen, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark McAuley et al.’s book is thought-provoking, witty and highly relevant for understanding contemporary organizational dilemmas. The book engages in an imaginative way with a wealth of organizational concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from the practical world of organizations. The authors’ sound scholarship and transparent

Fight Against World Poverty Free Essays

Fight Against World Poverty: How Markets and Governments Can Deal with Poverty (Author deleted) December 20, 2010 Introduction This paper presents the current thoughts on the fight against poverty, specifically the views of different economists on the role of markets and government on this issue. The discussion begins with Hazlitt’s ideas, based on the U. S. We will write a custom essay sample on Fight Against World Poverty or any similar topic only for you Order Now experience. It is then followed by the works of other key economists focusing mainly on the underdeveloped world. Lastly, some concluding opinions are offered. Reducing Poverty in the Developed WorldHazlitt (1973), in his book The Conquest of Poverty makes the case for free enterprise system (Capitalism) as the solution to poverty. [1] Through a thorough analysis, Hazlitt outlines various remedies that have already been tried and those that have been suggested for the future poverty relief in the United States. All these fixes translate into government interventions. The most common interventions discussed by the author are establishing minimum wage rates, creating labor unions, developing welfare programs and job programs, and redistributing income.In the book, and as discussed below, the author analyzes why each of these actions not only fails to reduce poverty, but actually worsen it. Minimum wage actually increases unemployment, and specially the unemployment of those that need the most, the unskilled workers. Why is that? Simply because by forcing the employer to pay a worker more than he/she is worth, it makes it unprofitable for empl oyers to hire those workers, and therefore forces them into unemployment. The minimum wage logic also applies to labor unions.Labor unions, without realizing it, are an anti-labor force. Wages, like any other price, are determined in the free market by supply and demand, and the demand for labor is determined by the labor productivity. Thus, if union wages exceed what employers consider to be the employees’ worth in productivity, the employers are forced to reduce the work force; otherwise, they would be employing them at a loss. So, as union wages are increased, there is a point where employers cannot afford them, and get rid of them.In situations where employers cannot reduce the work force because of labor agreements, eventually they will shut down the operation. In addition, it is only expected that the next marginal capital will either not be invested or will be invested where labor is cheaper. Thus, the bottom-line is that arbitrary labor wages, which typically are excessive, can only result in work reductions. Now, if instead the wages would be set by the market, the employers have an incentive to hire them, increasing employment.Welfare programs have continued to balloon exponentially since their inception, not only in number but also in cost. To appease the voters, government consistently enlarges these programs without regard to the consequences. Thus, they have led to higher taxes and chronic deficits because taxes have not been able to keep up with the cost of these programs, thus the government has had to resort to printing paper money, creating chronic inflation. These programs are like a chronic disease.Once on welfare, people typically stay on it. Moreover, those on unemployment compensation have little incentive to go back to work. Lastly, there is uncontrollable fraud and cheating among those on relief. Many feel that it is the government’s obligation to assure full employment. However, some degree of unemployment is always present in a dynamic economy, mainly as a result of shifts in product demands. Some industries are contracting while others are expanding, thus, some workers are laid off while others are hired.There are times, however, when significant unemployment happens, and typically, it is due to some type of the government action discussed above. Now, if the reason for unemployment is the normal downturn in the business cycle, government intervention by providing jobs to those displaced by the downturn will in essence prevent the natural adjustment of wage rates. This will in turn create an unbearable burden to the taxpayers, and the only way out would be further budget deficits and inflation.Thus, to assure that all these bad things do not happen, the author suggests that the situation be allowed to take its course in a natural manner. Demand and prices decrease will force the natural reduction in wages, which in turn will eventually result in an increase in employment. The idea of income redistribution has been proposed by some, especially those with socialistic tendencies. Any forced redistribution will create an environment where those receiving the guaranteed minimum income, whatever level it is, would have no incentive to work if it exceed what they could earn in the open market by working.And, there are a substantial number of people that even if they could earn a bit more would prefer to live in extreme poverty than to work. This problem gets worse the higher the income guarantee, as more people would see no reason to work. The above are the main actions that conflict with the function of a free competitive market in the U. S. ; and, according to the author, these actions must be removed since history has shown that it is the free competitive market that has been the driving force to reduce poverty in the Western world in the last two centuries.The government’s duties should be limited mainly to activities that protect private property, and the citizens’ safety (law enforcement); and to some degree, the preservation of the country infrastructure. However, Hazlitt recognizes the government’s need to provide adequate help to the poor to assure that they are not deprived from the minimum for their subsistence; but the government must be careful not to provide more than the absolutely necessary to prevent the needy from not working. Lastly, Hazlitt warns that it is only possible to conquer poverty, but not to eliminate it.This is because poverty is an individual issue; thus, it cannot b e stopped more than death can not be prevented. Hazlitt’s model is the capitalistic, laissez faire approach. Although the U. S. has not followed a pure capitalistic approach, as he claims, it represents one of the best models of a political system that has tried to comply with his philosophy. Given that, it is surprising that roughly 13 to 17% of Americans still live below the federal poverty line at any given point in time, and roughly 40% fall below the poverty line at some point within a 10-year time span. 2] Although these statistics are not encouraging, the author makes a convincing case against the other extreme, socialism, or total government control, and was undoubtedly proven right with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. A recent political movement, the Third Way, which attempts to take the positive things from both capitalism and socialism, led by world leaders such as Tony Blair and Bill Clinton is currently being discussed in the political arena as an alternative to mitigate some of the weaknesses of both sys tems, see Whyman (2010). So far the poverty discussion still goes on. Reducing Poverty in Underdeveloped World Hazlitt bases his government model on historical data in the US; thus, one should not automatically assume that it could also apply to the underdeveloped world. In fact, there are many different opinions on remedies for poor countries, which not only involve internal prescriptions, but also suggestions on the interaction between the underdeveloped and developed world, and the shape that foreign aid should take. A summary of some of the most significant views are described below.Easterly (2008) takes Hazlitt’s views and using Hayek’s thoughts of the market process describes his approach to poor nations as follows: To conquer poverty, the creativity and spontaneity of market participants create the most effective system. This is an unpredictable bottoms up process that happens without any central organization intervening and it cannot be dictated from the top, as organizations like IMF a nd World Bank attempt to impose without much knowledge of the country’s local culture, issues, etc.The author explains that where the government political system allows it, the free market is able to produce the big hits in the export markets that have historically helped create wealth in poor countries. Examples are the great success in Kenya exporting cut flowers, or cotton suits in Fiji, both very much unpredicted before the businesses started. Studies have shown that capital income is highly correlated with economic and political liberty; it is liberty that causes prosperity. Therefore, the solution to poverty is to let the market act freely, without government interference.Why, then, it is so hard to convince the world of this fact and the developed world’s approach continues to impose failed tops down solutions? Because growth rates are so volatile in these countries, even for periods lasting a decade, that anyone with a specific agenda can as easily use data to prove that either liberty or the lack of it is the key success factor. O’Rourke (1998) agrees with Easterly. After visiting countries like Albania, Sweden, Russia, Tanzania, and Cuba, he concluded that it is the suppression of individual liberties that creates poverty.His view is that wealth can only be cr eated when there is enough production of goods and services, and this can only occur when there are incentives, which can only exist in an environment of liberty. Similar thoughts are offered by Ravier (2009). Referring to Hayek’s work, he states that globalization, an important element of free and voluntary trade, creates wealth and peace among the nations. De Soto (nd), another free market economist, in his book, The Other Path,[3] focuses on private property, and more specifically, the lack of government protection of property belonging to the poor as a key issue that keeps them in poverty.As a case in point, property, owned by the poor of Peru for generations, is very rarely legally registered, preventing this extremely important them from gaining a meaningful presence in the market, and without it, any possibility of acquiring wealth. [4] The point is that as long as the poor are not part of the legal market economy, the nation cannot extract itself from poverty, and in most underdeveloped countries, the poor remains outside the system all together.The elite minority enjoys all the benefits of the legal system and prospers, while t he poor cannot, and stay in poverty. In Peru, where De Soto’s work is conducted, in order to survive, to protect their assets, and to do as much business as possible, the poor create their own rules, but operate outside the formal system, with all its inefficiencies, shortcomings, etc. Since this group constitutes a large percent of the country’s population, this problem severely impacts the society at large. The issue, according to De Soto, is worldwide among underdeveloped countries.He estimates that about US$ 10 trillion of dead capital could be put to use should the properties be properly legalized. Reinert (2007) and Chang (2008) consent with the above authors’ positions on liberty and private property; however, they add limited protectionism to the box of solutions, at least until these underdeveloped countries can face global competition. They explain their case as follows: To reduce poverty, sustained growth is necessary and it can only be delivered through industrialization. Why?Reinert explains that activities like agriculture, so predominant in poor countries, are subject to diminishing returns, while manufacturing is subject to increasing return. As an example, should country X decide to be in the carrot business, after all the ideal land for carrot production is used, any additional, and not as good land will become more expensive to use, increasing the production cost without any compensation for it in the market. This is not the case for manufacturing, where any addition unit being sold reduced the marginal cost and increases the return.Thus to grow, each country must choose an industrial path, then carefully nature it until it can compete in the world markets. This requires upgrading the relevant technological and managerial capabilities of the country, and while these efforts are pursued, the chosen industry/industries must be protected. Chang compares economic protectionism to the protection that parents must provide to their young children until they are old enough to face life by themselves. He claims that without this protection, these industries would have little chance to survive.He gives South Korea as a good example. Presenting South Korea as a model, Chang relates his own story: born in 1963 in one of the poorest countries in the world, while now it is one of the richest. He explains that during the years between the 1960s and the 1980s, when the major industrialization took place in South Korea, traditional economists would have the world believe that neo-liberal strategies were the reason. [5] However, according to Chang, Korea nurtured the new industries through tariff protection, subsidies, and other forms of government support.The banks were owned by the government, thus the flow of credit was all under its control, and further, some of the model industries were even owned by the government. [6] Its economy was based on export; however, Chang explains that this did not necessarily require free trade. Japan and China prove that. Both authors warn that free trade is only suitable for countries at the same level of development, meaning that poor countries should hold some sort of protectionism until they can fully compete.Chang reminds the reader that South Korea is not a unique case, he claims that practically all of today’s developed countr ies, including Britain and the U. S. , at one time or another, were forced to follow policies that go against neo-liberal economics. Conclusions Although, there is enough disagreement on how to conquer poverty, there is no question that the economists agree on at least two basic points are of paramount importance, the need for a free market and government protection of private property.Beyond that, one thing is clear, the struggle to reduce poverty is still very much an unresolved issue, and the solutions are highly debatable, may be because each country presents a different challenge, a unique culture with different internal considerations, needing different medicine. References Chang, Ho-Joon (2008). Bad Samaritans. Bloomsbury Press, New York. De Soto, H (no date). Commanding Heights, PBS interview. Retrieved Oct 10, 2010 from http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/pdf/int_hernandodesoto. pdf Easterly, W. (2008). Hayek vs.The Development Experts. Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Retrieved Oct 10, 2010 from http://www. manhattan-institute. org/html/hayek2008. htm Hazlitt, Henry (1973). The Conquest of Poverty. Arlington House, New Rochelle, N. Y. O’Rourke, P. J. (1998). Eat the Rich, Atlantic Monthly Press, N. Y. Ravier, Adrian (2009). Globalization and Peace: A Hayekian Perspective. Libertarian Papers, Vol. 1, Art. No. 10. Reinert, E. (2007). How Rich Countries Got Rich and Why Poor Countries Stay Poor. Constable, UK. Whyman, P. (2010). Third Way Economics. Palgrave McMillan.Retrieved October 10, 2010 from http://www. palgrave. com/pdfs/1403920656. pdf ———————– [1] Hazlitt discussing poverty solutions states: Man throughout history has been searching for the cure for poverty, and all that time the cure has been before his eyes. Fortunately, as far at least as it applied to their actions as individuals, the majority of men instinctively recognized it—which was why they survived. That individual cure was Work and Saving. In terms of social organization, there evolved spontaneously from this, as a result of no one’s conscious planning, a ystem of division of labor, freedom of exchange, and economic cooperation, the outlines of which hardly became apparent to our forebears until two centuries ago. That system is now known either as Free Enterprise or as Capitalism, according as men wish to honor or disparage it. [2] Wikipedia. See http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States#cite_note-0 [3] See http://www. amazon. com/Other-Path-Economic-Answer-Terrorism/dp/0465016103 [4] Referring to the poor’s unregistered property, De Soto states: For it is in the legal system where property documents are created and standardized according to law.That documentation builds a public memory that permits society to engage in such crucial economic activities as identifying and gaining access to information about individuals, their assets, their titles, rights, charges and obligations; establishing the limits of liability for businesses; knowing an asset’s previous economic situation; assuring protection of third parties; and quantifying and valuing assets and rights.These public memory mechanisms in turn facilitate such opportunities as access to credit, the establishment of systems of identification, the creation of systems for credit and insurance information, the provision for housing and infrastructure, the issue of s hares, the mortgage of property, and a host of other economic activities that drive a modern market economy 5] Neo-liberalism  is a market-driven  approach based on neoclassical theories of economics  (aka  capitalism) that maximize the role of the private business sector in determining the political and economic priorities of the state. [6] Chang states: â€Å"The Korean economic miracle was the result of a clever and pragmatic mixture of market incentives and state direction† How to cite Fight Against World Poverty, Papers

Fight Against World Poverty Free Essays

Fight Against World Poverty: How Markets and Governments Can Deal with Poverty (Author deleted) December 20, 2010 Introduction This paper presents the current thoughts on the fight against poverty, specifically the views of different economists on the role of markets and government on this issue. The discussion begins with Hazlitt’s ideas, based on the U. S. We will write a custom essay sample on Fight Against World Poverty or any similar topic only for you Order Now experience. It is then followed by the works of other key economists focusing mainly on the underdeveloped world. Lastly, some concluding opinions are offered. Reducing Poverty in the Developed WorldHazlitt (1973), in his book The Conquest of Poverty makes the case for free enterprise system (Capitalism) as the solution to poverty. [1] Through a thorough analysis, Hazlitt outlines various remedies that have already been tried and those that have been suggested for the future poverty relief in the United States. All these fixes translate into government interventions. The most common interventions discussed by the author are establishing minimum wage rates, creating labor unions, developing welfare programs and job programs, and redistributing income.In the book, and as discussed below, the author analyzes why each of these actions not only fails to reduce poverty, but actually worsen it. Minimum wage actually increases unemployment, and specially the unemployment of those that need the most, the unskilled workers. Why is that? Simply because by forcing the employer to pay a worker more than he/she is worth, it makes it unprofitable for empl oyers to hire those workers, and therefore forces them into unemployment. The minimum wage logic also applies to labor unions.Labor unions, without realizing it, are an anti-labor force. Wages, like any other price, are determined in the free market by supply and demand, and the demand for labor is determined by the labor productivity. Thus, if union wages exceed what employers consider to be the employees’ worth in productivity, the employers are forced to reduce the work force; otherwise, they would be employing them at a loss. So, as union wages are increased, there is a point where employers cannot afford them, and get rid of them.In situations where employers cannot reduce the work force because of labor agreements, eventually they will shut down the operation. In addition, it is only expected that the next marginal capital will either not be invested or will be invested where labor is cheaper. Thus, the bottom-line is that arbitrary labor wages, which typically are excessive, can only result in work reductions. Now, if instead the wages would be set by the market, the employers have an incentive to hire them, increasing employment.Welfare programs have continued to balloon exponentially since their inception, not only in number but also in cost. To appease the voters, government consistently enlarges these programs without regard to the consequences. Thus, they have led to higher taxes and chronic deficits because taxes have not been able to keep up with the cost of these programs, thus the government has had to resort to printing paper money, creating chronic inflation. These programs are like a chronic disease.Once on welfare, people typically stay on it. Moreover, those on unemployment compensation have little incentive to go back to work. Lastly, there is uncontrollable fraud and cheating among those on relief. Many feel that it is the government’s obligation to assure full employment. However, some degree of unemployment is always present in a dynamic economy, mainly as a result of shifts in product demands. Some industries are contracting while others are expanding, thus, some workers are laid off while others are hired.There are times, however, when significant unemployment happens, and typically, it is due to some type of the government action discussed above. Now, if the reason for unemployment is the normal downturn in the business cycle, government intervention by providing jobs to those displaced by the downturn will in essence prevent the natural adjustment of wage rates. This will in turn create an unbearable burden to the taxpayers, and the only way out would be further budget deficits and inflation.Thus, to assure that all these bad things do not happen, the author suggests that the situation be allowed to take its course in a natural manner. Demand and prices decrease will force the natural reduction in wages, which in turn will eventually result in an increase in employment. The idea of income redistribution has been proposed by some, especially those with socialistic tendencies. Any forced redistribution will create an environment where those receiving the guaranteed minimum income, whatever level it is, would have no incentive to work if it exceed what they could earn in the open market by working.And, there are a substantial number of people that even if they could earn a bit more would prefer to live in extreme poverty than to work. This problem gets worse the higher the income guarantee, as more people would see no reason to work. The above are the main actions that conflict with the function of a free competitive market in the U. S. ; and, according to the author, these actions must be removed since history has shown that it is the free competitive market that has been the driving force to reduce poverty in the Western world in the last two centuries.The government’s duties should be limited mainly to activities that protect private property, and the citizens’ safety (law enforcement); and to some degree, the preservation of the country infrastructure. However, Hazlitt recognizes the government’s need to provide adequate help to the poor to assure that they are not deprived from the minimum for their subsistence; but the government must be careful not to provide more than the absolutely necessary to prevent the needy from not working. Lastly, Hazlitt warns that it is only possible to conquer poverty, but not to eliminate it.This is because poverty is an individual issue; thus, it cannot b e stopped more than death can not be prevented. Hazlitt’s model is the capitalistic, laissez faire approach. Although the U. S. has not followed a pure capitalistic approach, as he claims, it represents one of the best models of a political system that has tried to comply with his philosophy. Given that, it is surprising that roughly 13 to 17% of Americans still live below the federal poverty line at any given point in time, and roughly 40% fall below the poverty line at some point within a 10-year time span. 2] Although these statistics are not encouraging, the author makes a convincing case against the other extreme, socialism, or total government control, and was undoubtedly proven right with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. A recent political movement, the Third Way, which attempts to take the positive things from both capitalism and socialism, led by world leaders such as Tony Blair and Bill Clinton is currently being discussed in the political arena as an alternative to mitigate some of the weaknesses of both sys tems, see Whyman (2010). So far the poverty discussion still goes on. Reducing Poverty in Underdeveloped World Hazlitt bases his government model on historical data in the US; thus, one should not automatically assume that it could also apply to the underdeveloped world. In fact, there are many different opinions on remedies for poor countries, which not only involve internal prescriptions, but also suggestions on the interaction between the underdeveloped and developed world, and the shape that foreign aid should take. A summary of some of the most significant views are described below.Easterly (2008) takes Hazlitt’s views and using Hayek’s thoughts of the market process describes his approach to poor nations as follows: To conquer poverty, the creativity and spontaneity of market participants create the most effective system. This is an unpredictable bottoms up process that happens without any central organization intervening and it cannot be dictated from the top, as organizations like IMF a nd World Bank attempt to impose without much knowledge of the country’s local culture, issues, etc.The author explains that where the government political system allows it, the free market is able to produce the big hits in the export markets that have historically helped create wealth in poor countries. Examples are the great success in Kenya exporting cut flowers, or cotton suits in Fiji, both very much unpredicted before the businesses started. Studies have shown that capital income is highly correlated with economic and political liberty; it is liberty that causes prosperity. Therefore, the solution to poverty is to let the market act freely, without government interference.Why, then, it is so hard to convince the world of this fact and the developed world’s approach continues to impose failed tops down solutions? Because growth rates are so volatile in these countries, even for periods lasting a decade, that anyone with a specific agenda can as easily use data to prove that either liberty or the lack of it is the key success factor. O’Rourke (1998) agrees with Easterly. After visiting countries like Albania, Sweden, Russia, Tanzania, and Cuba, he concluded that it is the suppression of individual liberties that creates poverty.His view is that wealth can only be cr eated when there is enough production of goods and services, and this can only occur when there are incentives, which can only exist in an environment of liberty. Similar thoughts are offered by Ravier (2009). Referring to Hayek’s work, he states that globalization, an important element of free and voluntary trade, creates wealth and peace among the nations. De Soto (nd), another free market economist, in his book, The Other Path,[3] focuses on private property, and more specifically, the lack of government protection of property belonging to the poor as a key issue that keeps them in poverty.As a case in point, property, owned by the poor of Peru for generations, is very rarely legally registered, preventing this extremely important them from gaining a meaningful presence in the market, and without it, any possibility of acquiring wealth. [4] The point is that as long as the poor are not part of the legal market economy, the nation cannot extract itself from poverty, and in most underdeveloped countries, the poor remains outside the system all together.The elite minority enjoys all the benefits of the legal system and prospers, while t he poor cannot, and stay in poverty. In Peru, where De Soto’s work is conducted, in order to survive, to protect their assets, and to do as much business as possible, the poor create their own rules, but operate outside the formal system, with all its inefficiencies, shortcomings, etc. Since this group constitutes a large percent of the country’s population, this problem severely impacts the society at large. The issue, according to De Soto, is worldwide among underdeveloped countries.He estimates that about US$ 10 trillion of dead capital could be put to use should the properties be properly legalized. Reinert (2007) and Chang (2008) consent with the above authors’ positions on liberty and private property; however, they add limited protectionism to the box of solutions, at least until these underdeveloped countries can face global competition. They explain their case as follows: To reduce poverty, sustained growth is necessary and it can only be delivered through industrialization. Why?Reinert explains that activities like agriculture, so predominant in poor countries, are subject to diminishing returns, while manufacturing is subject to increasing return. As an example, should country X decide to be in the carrot business, after all the ideal land for carrot production is used, any additional, and not as good land will become more expensive to use, increasing the production cost without any compensation for it in the market. This is not the case for manufacturing, where any addition unit being sold reduced the marginal cost and increases the return.Thus to grow, each country must choose an industrial path, then carefully nature it until it can compete in the world markets. This requires upgrading the relevant technological and managerial capabilities of the country, and while these efforts are pursued, the chosen industry/industries must be protected. Chang compares economic protectionism to the protection that parents must provide to their young children until they are old enough to face life by themselves. He claims that without this protection, these industries would have little chance to survive.He gives South Korea as a good example. Presenting South Korea as a model, Chang relates his own story: born in 1963 in one of the poorest countries in the world, while now it is one of the richest. He explains that during the years between the 1960s and the 1980s, when the major industrialization took place in South Korea, traditional economists would have the world believe that neo-liberal strategies were the reason. [5] However, according to Chang, Korea nurtured the new industries through tariff protection, subsidies, and other forms of government support.The banks were owned by the government, thus the flow of credit was all under its control, and further, some of the model industries were even owned by the government. [6] Its economy was based on export; however, Chang explains that this did not necessarily require free trade. Japan and China prove that. Both authors warn that free trade is only suitable for countries at the same level of development, meaning that poor countries should hold some sort of protectionism until they can fully compete.Chang reminds the reader that South Korea is not a unique case, he claims that practically all of today’s developed countr ies, including Britain and the U. S. , at one time or another, were forced to follow policies that go against neo-liberal economics. Conclusions Although, there is enough disagreement on how to conquer poverty, there is no question that the economists agree on at least two basic points are of paramount importance, the need for a free market and government protection of private property.Beyond that, one thing is clear, the struggle to reduce poverty is still very much an unresolved issue, and the solutions are highly debatable, may be because each country presents a different challenge, a unique culture with different internal considerations, needing different medicine. References Chang, Ho-Joon (2008). Bad Samaritans. Bloomsbury Press, New York. De Soto, H (no date). Commanding Heights, PBS interview. Retrieved Oct 10, 2010 from http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/pdf/int_hernandodesoto. pdf Easterly, W. (2008). Hayek vs.The Development Experts. Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Retrieved Oct 10, 2010 from http://www. manhattan-institute. org/html/hayek2008. htm Hazlitt, Henry (1973). The Conquest of Poverty. Arlington House, New Rochelle, N. Y. O’Rourke, P. J. (1998). Eat the Rich, Atlantic Monthly Press, N. Y. Ravier, Adrian (2009). Globalization and Peace: A Hayekian Perspective. Libertarian Papers, Vol. 1, Art. No. 10. Reinert, E. (2007). How Rich Countries Got Rich and Why Poor Countries Stay Poor. Constable, UK. Whyman, P. (2010). Third Way Economics. Palgrave McMillan.Retrieved October 10, 2010 from http://www. palgrave. com/pdfs/1403920656. pdf ———————– [1] Hazlitt discussing poverty solutions states: Man throughout history has been searching for the cure for poverty, and all that time the cure has been before his eyes. Fortunately, as far at least as it applied to their actions as individuals, the majority of men instinctively recognized it—which was why they survived. That individual cure was Work and Saving. In terms of social organization, there evolved spontaneously from this, as a result of no one’s conscious planning, a ystem of division of labor, freedom of exchange, and economic cooperation, the outlines of which hardly became apparent to our forebears until two centuries ago. That system is now known either as Free Enterprise or as Capitalism, according as men wish to honor or disparage it. [2] Wikipedia. See http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States#cite_note-0 [3] See http://www. amazon. com/Other-Path-Economic-Answer-Terrorism/dp/0465016103 [4] Referring to the poor’s unregistered property, De Soto states: For it is in the legal system where property documents are created and standardized according to law.That documentation builds a public memory that permits society to engage in such crucial economic activities as identifying and gaining access to information about individuals, their assets, their titles, rights, charges and obligations; establishing the limits of liability for businesses; knowing an asset’s previous economic situation; assuring protection of third parties; and quantifying and valuing assets and rights.These public memory mechanisms in turn facilitate such opportunities as access to credit, the establishment of systems of identification, the creation of systems for credit and insurance information, the provision for housing and infrastructure, the issue of s hares, the mortgage of property, and a host of other economic activities that drive a modern market economy 5] Neo-liberalism  is a market-driven  approach based on neoclassical theories of economics  (aka  capitalism) that maximize the role of the private business sector in determining the political and economic priorities of the state. [6] Chang states: â€Å"The Korean economic miracle was the result of a clever and pragmatic mixture of market incentives and state direction† How to cite Fight Against World Poverty, Papers