Anabolic Steroids A Misunderstood Substance free essay sample

When the term â€Å"steroids† is used, it is typically used in reference to anabolic steroids intended for the purposes of improving physical performance. However, steroids are actually a class of organic molecules with similar physical structure. The male sex hormone, testosterone, is perhaps the most widely known steroid in existence. But what is less known is that the female sex hormone, estrogen, is a steroid as well. Steroids are not limited solely to androgenic effects, but are also used for structural support in cells. However, for the purposes of this article, and for ease of writing, the term steroids will be used only to refer to anabolic/androgenic steroids commonly referred to by the abbreviation â€Å"AAS† . The term anabolic refers to metabolic processes that result in increased muscular hypertrophy while â€Å"androgenic† means supporting the development of male characteristics i.e. male pattern baldness, voice deepening, facial hair, muscular deve lopment, etc (Solomon 1056). AAS have been notorious in history for rampant usage in professional sports and bodybuilding. Critics argue that steroid use is life-threatening, which certainly holds its merits, but AAS are too complex to simply be labeled as â€Å"bad.† Due to controversy surrounding this substance, the United States labeled anabolic steroids as a controlled schedule III drug in 1990. In addition to the illegality of it, most professional sports organizations have banned the use of performance enhancing drugs in their respective sport. While these organizations hold the belief that AAS are cheating, they seem to ignore the other side of the argument. In reality, modern research does not support the media’s notion that anabolic steroids are awful, unhealthy, and immoral drugs with the potential to cause murderous rampages. It seems as though when steroids are brought up in conversation, the risk of atherosclerosis, more commonly known as heart disease, tends to be a concern-able issue. William Llewelynn, Director of Research and Development of Molecular Nutrition, wrote about steroid risks and benefits in his book William Llewellyn’s Anabolics.The side-effects section of this book explains that short-term steroid cycling has been shown to negatively impact cholesterol levels, which can lead to increased plaque levels in the arteries and therefore a greater risk of heart disease (Llewellyn 149). While on a cycle, the user’s HDL levels tend to decrease while LDL levels increase. HDL levels are correlated to positive cholesterol values while LDL molecules may risk increased plaque levels in arteries (Solomon 1056 ). Even though this is true,steroids are taken in cycles, usually periods of 6-12 weeks. Afterward, a short period of post-cycle therapy begins in order to alleviate temporary side -effects that may have occurred while the individual was taking supratherapeutic doses of AAS. Post-cycle therapy helps to restore the cycler’s hormones back to pre-cycling conditions and thus the change in cholesterol levels is not a permanent side effect (Llewellyn 289-290). Another common complaint about steroid abuse is the negative effect the drugs may have on the liver. Some oral steroids certainly can cause permanent damage to theliver as it is suspected that they interact with androgen receptors in the hepatic system. Injectable steroids on the other hand, do not pass through the liver while metabolizing and therefore are not liver toxic (Llewellyn 171-173). Therefore liver toxicity while cycling steroids is a null-issue as long as the type of steroids taken by the user are non-toxic to the liver. The use of AAS is correlated to negative aesthetic side effects including male pattern baldness, decreased size of the testes, and gynecomastia. These are all proven potential side-effects of AAS, although they are not guaranteed simply by taking steroids. Furthermore, steroids do not cause the androgenic side effect of baldness, they only increase the rate at which somebody genetically pre-disposed to male-pattern baldnesswould achieve hair loss (Llewellyn 182). So this side-effect only applies to those who are genetically pre-disposed to baldness. Christopher Bell, director and writer of the documentary Bigger Stronger Faster*, explores the controversy of steroid use and his own personal use as well. Part of this movie discusses testicular shrinkage. The male testicles may shrink while cycling as a result of artifical testosterone injections resulting in the body to produce less of its own testosterone. This side effect is not permanent, and the testicles tend to return to their n ormal size after successful PCT (Bell). Gynecomastia, or male breast enlargement, can be caused as a result of increased estrogen levels while cycling AAS. Estrogen levels will rise while on a cycle in an attempt to counter-balance the increase in testosterone levels. The rise in estrogen levels is not necessarily bad, but can potentially result in gynecomastia. This unaesthetic side-effect can be easily avoided with the use of aromatase inhibitors such as Nolvadex (Llewellyn 337-338). Additionally this side-effect will only occur in specific individuals, not everyone. Modern medical research agrees with the idea that steroids are generally safe drugs when taken properly by healthy adult men. Take for example a study published in the Journal of American Physiology and Endocrinology. 61 men were placed into different groups and given differing dosages of testosterone enanthate. The results showed that those taking the higher doses had gained the most muscle mass, and those with the l owest doses had the lowest increase in mass. The only notable side-effect found in the men with the highest steroids dosages was a decrease in HDL cholesterol values. No statistically significant changes were found in liver enzymes, sexual ability, or mental health (Bhasin). What this study shows is that the only negative health effect of testosterone enanthate was a negative impact in cholesterol valueswhile it had the positive health effects of increasing athletic ability and muscle mass. So steroids really cannot be labeled as beneficial or harmful toward health since they benefit some areas of health while damaging others. Overall however, it seems as though AAS are not truly detrimental to a person’s well-being and therefore when considering the ethics of steroid use, negative health impacts is not a major consideration. There are drugs on the market that are arguably far worse than steroids such as amphetamines like Adderall, prescribed for treatment of Attention Defici t Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Adderall has even been correlated to death by myocardial infarction, otherwise known as heart disease (Cohle, 2013). Not only does this drug have a less negative connotation than anabolic steroids, but tit is also prescribed to children as young as three years old. It is important to note that thus far the discussion of health impacts of AAS only applies to healthy adult men and not children or women. The effects of AAS in those less than 18 years of age are not completely understood as very little research has been done in that area. Women on the other hand, since their bodies do not typically create large amounts of testosterone like in men, may experience adverse and permanent side-effects. Some of these side-effects include excessive facial hair, enlarged clitoris, and infertility (Llewellyn 195-200). For these reasons, if steroids are to be taken by a female, they should be forewarned of the dangers in advance. Children should not take AAS as their is not enough research on them to know if any serious damage could be caused. Furthermore some commonly believed side-effects of steroids are not even proven. Take for example, the story of Chris Benoit. Benoit was a professional wrestler for WWE back in the mid 2000‘s, but it seems he is more famous for being the poster child for â€Å"roid rage†. Roid rage is supposedly â€Å"violent and uncontrolled anger as a side effect of anabolic steroid use† according to Merriam-Webster online dictionary. Benoit murdered his wife, child, and then committed suicide. It was discovered that he had been taking heavy doses of anabolic steroids when his murder was under investigation. When the media found out about it, his murder-suicide was immediately blamed as a side effect of steroids. Of course, their is no actual evidence linking the murder to have been caused as a result of taking steroids. This is a type of fallacious argument known as an undistributed middle. In reality it is much more likely that steroids were not the cause of the murder, but rather that he was taking illicit drugs as a result of some sort of imbalance in mental cognition. As seen in the study by Bhasin injection of AAS did not alter cognitive functioning significantly. Anecdotally, Mark Be ll, brother of Christopher Bell of the documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster* had taken steroids for years before the release of the film. Mark Bell’s wife stated in the movie â€Å"Ive never seen Roid Rage. Ive never seen any difference in his personality or how he is with me, how he is with Jake. It hasnt done anything that all those after-school specials tell you that its gonna do.† (Bell). Furthermore, this film explains that the illegality of steroids is mainly a result of political reasons rather than actual scientific research. In fact, it was brought to attention in the film that medical research at the time did not support adverse side-effects of AAS. During the congressional hearing that resulted in the illegalization of AAS in the United States, a child’s suicide was brought to attention. The father of this child blamed his suicide on anabolic steroids, although the child was also taking anti-depressant medication which is correlated to mental instability. Once again, anabolic steroids were not proven to have been the cause of this child’s suicide yet the father’s speech during the hearing seemed to have more impact on the congressional decision than all of the scientific research available at the time (Bell). The current stigma surrounding steroids is the notion that they are â€Å"cheating† and â€Å"unnatural,† however this view once again fails to represent the entire picture. The common argument when considering sports and steroids is that steroids are cheating because they are not naturally found in the body, and that by taking them the person’s athletic abilities are unfairly enhanced above those who do not use them. Now, it is true that a person with higher testosterone levels than another tends to gain muscle mass faster, but that is not always true. In fact, steroids are only one of various factors contributing to athletic performance. Genetics play a significant role as well. Profesional Strength Coach Mark Rippetoe writes in his book PracticalProgramming: for Strength Training There are at least 73 genes associated with fitness and performance. While humans allswim in the same genetic pool, their is a huge amount of variation in both the genespossessed and the genes actively expressed. And so, like it or not, here is the rule: DNAmakes RNA makes protein makes function. The reality is that genetic potential ultimatelyaffects the performance of every individual. These variations lead to differences in performance potential. (2006, p. 105) Is it unfair if one athlete has an athletic advantage over another simply because his genome is more tailored toward that sport? If that is the case then is it unfair if one athlete’s muscle mass is higher than another’s simply because he is genetically inclined to naturally higher testosterone levels and not because he works harder? If so, then steroids are not the cause of unfairness, genetics is. If steroids were to be regulated around national sports associations, then it would actually be possible to minimize testosterone level differences as a variable in sports performance. If all athletes were put on to similar steroid cycles then no one would have a significant advantage over the other in regards to testosterone. Now, some critics may argue that steroids would make sports less fair because some athletes would simply take higher doses than others. Once again, this does not encompass the full scale of steroid use. As with the majority of things in life, steroids follow the concept of diminishing returns. In this case it means that each dosage increase will result in less performance increase than the previous increase.Take for example the study previously mentioned that was published in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism. Three groups were given high dosages of testosterone enanthate: 125mg (milligram), 300mg, and 600mg. The groups found an average increase in lean body mass (lbm) of 7.48lbs, 11.44lbs, and 17.38lbs respectively (Bhasin). Dividing lbm by amount of testosterone enanthate injected shows the amount of muscle gained per mg of testosterone. The three groups had pounds of lbm increase per miligram of testosterone values of .0598, .0381, and .0290 respectively. This clearly demonstrates that dosing of AAS does not follow a linear increase, but rather AAS have a threshold point in which increasing dosage fails to increase performance any more. While the exact value to which increasing dosage fails to provide any significant benefit is unknown and may differ between individuals, this shows that AAS do in fact hold a performance increase threshold. Another common argument as to why steroids are cheating is that they are a shortcut. Steroids are far from a shortcut in any respect. Muscular hypertrophy requires two factors: a stressor and recovery period (Rippetoe 23-24). A stress is any sort of extreme tension placed on the muscle and central nervous system , while a recovery period is the time where no stress is applied to the body and the body adapts to the previous stress allowing the muscles to gain protein and increase in efficiency. While AAS do support muscular hypertrophy and motor neuron recruitment in the central nervous system, the body still requires a stressor to create an adaptation to facilitate muscle growth. This means that the athlete still needs to work out and lift weights in order to gain the performance advantage. Steroids effectively increase recovery efficiency, which means that the individual who is taking steroids will recover quicker. This also means that people who are cycling can workout harder than before since their bodies are now capable of recovering from heavier stress. And in respect to sports, this means that steroids allow athletes to put in more effort than before.By this logic, steroids can make sports more competitive by allowing athletes to work harder for improved performance. The people who would benefit most are those who are truly dedicated, since they would be capable of working out more than if they were not cycling steroids. Overall AAS are an extremely misunderstood drug with over-exaggerated health implications and under-rated health benefits. Changes in cognitive functioning in humans has never been supported by research. Steroids have not been shown to be detrimental to health and are in fact safer than many prescription medications. In professional sports, steroids can allow athletes to achieve previously unheard of athletic ability while also allowing them to train harder than ever before. The subject of roid rage has been debunked as a myth built on the faulty premise of fallacious argumentation. AAS have no reason to be illegal in the United States because their original decision to become illegal was not based on scientific evidence. Legalization of steroids would benefit society as those taking them would no longer have to hide their faces in shame, but can instead be admired for their hard-earned achievements. These people would no longer have to live lives of disgrace and stereotyping, but i nstead be encouraged to break records and become the strongest and most athletic human beings they can possibly be. References: Bigger, stronger, faster* [Motion picture]. (2008). Magnolia Home Entertainment. Bhasin, S. (2001). Testosterone dose-response relationships in healthy young men. AmericanJournal of Physiology Endrocinology and Metabolism. Cohle, S. (2013). Fatal coronary artery intimal hyperplasia due to amphetamine use.Cardiovascular Pathology, 22(3), E1-E4. Llewellyn, W. (2010.). William Llewellyns Anabolics (E-Book ed., p. 1496). Solomon, E., Berg, L., Martin, D. (2011). Endocrine Regulation. In Biology (9th ed.) PacificGrove, CA: Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning. Rippetoe, M., Kilgore, L. (2006). Practical programming for strength training. Wichita FallsTex.: Aasgaard.

Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Case of Coca-Cola

Question: Write about theEthics and Corporate Social Responsibilityfor Case of Coca-Cola. Answer: Introduction The aim of this report is to understand the concepts of corporate social responsibility, sustainable development, ethical values and ethical business operations. The report will highlight the case of Coca-Cola and its unethical business practices which made the company highly criticized for its business operations. The report will also provide that which ethical theory is violated because of the unethical practices of Coca-Cola. There has been provided some significant initiatives of the company for rebuilding its image. Corporate Social Responsibility and Coca-Cola Criticism CSR and Sustainability Development Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the approach which intended at encouraging the organisations to be effectively aware of the influences of their respective businesses on the environment, stakeholders and the society. It explains that it is the moral responsibility of the business organisations to serve the society and participate in such activities which help in the development of the masses and the society (Lindgreen and Swaen, 2010). The sustainable development is another approach of the organisations by which they try to meet the needs of the present generation without having any sort of negative implication upon the future generations. By this practice, it is ensured that the there will be no scarcity of the resources for the upcoming generations (Dobson, 2007). There is a difference between both the aspects as CSR evaluates the past practices of the organisations, mostly of the last one year but sustainable development focuses upon the future that what all strategies wil l be use and planning will be done to have desired results such as reduced waste, building brand, safe environmental practices etc. But there is a connection both of them, if the organisation will adopt sustainable practices then it will surely help the society and environment and this will result in effective CSR practices (Moon, 2007). Unethical Business Practice of Coca-Cola Coca-Cola is one of the most recognized and well-known organisations across the globe. But other than being recognised as a global MNC, the company usually remain in spotlight for its controversies. There are some of the business practices of the company because of which it has attained huge criticism as the business practices has negatively impacted the society, the individuals as well as the environment which was against the moral and ethical business practices. One of such unethical business practice of Coca-Cola was it business operations which results in intense water shortage in the villages and districts of India (Srikant, n.d.). In the year 1999, a plant of Coca-Cola was established in Plachimada, Palakkad district of Kerala (Righttowater, n.d.). Just after two years, there were complaints by the local communities related to water shortage and water pollution. In the year 2003, there were protest against Coca-Cola for extreme water shortage and drying up of wells because of o ver exploitation of the grout water by the company (Righttowater, n.d.). This was one of the most unethical practices of the company which deteriorate the lives and occupation of number of villagers who were completely dependent upon agriculture for their livelihood (Indiaresource, n.d.). Violation of Ethical Theory of Utilitarianism The company violates the ethical theory of utilitarianism. As per this theory, an individual undertakes tat activity which benefits the maximum number of the people rather than performing such actions which are self-directed which benefits only the individual or the organisation (Hursthouse, 2013). Opposing to this, the cheesiness practices of Coca-Cola were self-absorbed which only established for revenue generation irrespective of the fact that hundreds of people are getting negatively impacted from the same and are losing their livelihood and occupation as well as the basic right of access to safe and un-polluted water (Waronwant, 2007). Reasons why the Companies are Increasingly Addressing their Social and Environmental Impacts As per the various Government laws and regulations, it is essential that the companies pay high attention over the various environmental and social impacts led down because of the business operations. The Government and other organisations are imposing high charges and are restricting them to continue their operations (Kazmin, 2015). As well as by indulging in activities that led down negative impact on environment and the society are highly abolished by the societies and the brand image also gets ruined which directly impact the sales of the companies. The Ways in Which Coca Cola and other MNCs address their Social and Environmental Impacts There has been used numerous initiatives by the companies for addressing the social and environmental impacts of the business operations. To overcome the unethical image, Coca-Cola has initiated several major steps in the way of sustainable business practices such as the company piloted innovative water recovery system which highly works on the reuse and recovery approach (Csrwire, 2012). Other initiatives of Coca-Cola are establishing rain water harvesting systems in various areas of India to reduce the issues of water shortage. Conclusion From this report, it can be concluded that it is the high time when organisations emphasize and have a strict eye upon their business practices. It can b e analysed that big MNCs such as Coca-Cola also have indulged in several unethical business practices such as water shortage, exploitation of environmental resources, etc. and because of this it has violated the ethical theories too. But from the overall analysis, it can be concluded that the common ahs realized the consequences of unethical business practices and now it has taken several initiatives to recover they losses which can further help the organisation in rebuilding its brand image and customer base. References Csrwire, 2012. Coca-Cola Pilots Innovative Water Recovery System and Wins IWA Award. Accessed on: 4th May, 2017. Accessed from: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/34349-Coca-Cola-Pilots-Innovative-Water-Recovery-System-and-Wins-IWA-Award Dobson, A., 2007. Environmental citizenship: towards sustainable development.Sustainable development,15(5), pp.276-285. Hursthouse, R., 2013. Normative virtue ethics.ETHICA,645. Indiaresource, n.d. Campaign to Hold Coca-Cola Accountable. Accessed on: 4th May, 2017. Accessed from: https://www.indiaresource.org/campaigns/coke/ Kazmin, A., 2015. Coca-Cola forced to abandon India bottling plant plans. Accessed on: 4th May, 2017. Accessed from: https://www.ft.com/content/9e7d36da-e8e5-11e4-87fe-00144feab7de Lindgreen, A. and Swaen, V., 2010. Corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), pp.1-7. Moon, J., 2007. The contribution of corporate social responsibility to sustainable development.Sustainable development,15(5), pp.296-306. Righttowater, n.d. Case against Coca-Cola Kerala State: India. Accessed on: 4th May, 2017. Accessed from: https://www.righttowater.info/rights-in-practice/legal-approach-case-studies/case-against-coca-cola-kerala-state-india/ Srikant, P., Struggle for blue goldin Plachimada, Kerala.SHARING BLUE GOLD, p.71. Waronwant, 2007. COCA-COLA: DRINKING THE WORLD DRY. Accessed on: 4th May, 2017. Accessed from: https://www.waronwant.org/media/coca-cola-drinking-world-dry

Why Athletes are Role Models Essay Example

Why Athletes are Role Models Essay A role model is a person who is admired and emulated by many. The term role model was for the first time used by Robert Merton after he noted that people compared themselves with others. In sports, those athletes who perform to the expectations of the fans are taken as role models and are emulated by their fans. Role models are often under heavy scrutiny of the media and so the chances that their negative aspects of life are brought to the light are very high but despite this, they still shine as role models. Because of their outstanding skills and uniqueness when it comes to sports, they are admired by people of all ages, the young and the old. This research paper will try to bring an understanding to the question, why athletes are role models despite the fact that they are highly scrutinized by the media.Most athletes shine in areas where they are even not expected to shine. For example, when a certain popular athlete is involved in scandal he/she tends to become more popular becau se of the publicity he/she receives. People focus on what they have achieved in the past but not on that one single bad event. It is not by choice that athletes become role models but it is their status, wealth and determination that makes them admirable by the public and a case in hand is of Marion Jones who despite the fact that she tested positive to performance drugs and sentenced for six months, she still is a role model to many. People cannot forget the achievements and good things that have been by the said athlete in the past but this is only different when it comes to sports where achievements are based on ones extra ordinary character traits but in other fields it is different. (Lensky, 2008, 78-80)Most of the things that are done by athletes outside the field are not publicized as much as those done in the field but the fact is that, although they are not reported people cannot fail to recognize them. It is their virtues and character in general that make them who they ar e for example their diligence, sportsmanship, perseverance and the value of training that make them to be taken as role models by many people but according to Julian Morrow, some of the character traits that make them shine such as high temperedness and dare daring behaviors make up somebody who you cannot like to stay the next door. (Schaller, T. 2004)According to Putnam, (87) athletes occupy a unique position in the pantheon of celebrities and it is for this reason that they become famous. Unlike comedians, television presenters and actors who spend much of their time on stage and televisions to be popular, the case is different when it becomes to sports because here it is their sheer ability and hard work that counts. When people realize their uniqueness, they become attracted to them and even begin to emulate what they do or what they say.The mass media plays a very vital role in informing the public on what is happening in the sports’ field. According to various surveys that have been done in the past, (Lensky, 2008, 78) the number of people who rely on the media (television and internet) to know what is going on in sports are more than those that attend the live shows. Even some people who seem to know much about sports as if they attend these shows get that information from the media. For this reason the role that media plays cannot be down played for if it does not keep us posted, then we would know very little about sports.Many athletes who are successful have admirable and extra ordinary lifestyles because they have a lot of money and this makes them to be highly envied by their fans. Due to the scrutiny that they are given by the media they are forced to act in a more responsible manner rather than how they would have behaved behind the scenes. Some people even expect athletes to become role models in matters that do not pertain what they do in the field and this gives them a hard time to meet such expectations. Some people think that this is expecting too much. â€Å"†¦It is unfair to ask athletes to serve as role models because they live their lives in a kind of moral vacuum, created by years of pampered treatment from parents, friends, fans, coaches, team officials and agents. They are ill prepared for the task.†(Putnam, 80)The irony with the media’s close scrutiny of the athletes is that it can give a person who might not have gotten a chance to become role model to become one. Not all that the media airs is taken by the public no matter how positive or negative it is, in fact the final judgment as to who should become a role model or not lies with them. According to Putnam (80), Charles Berkley became a role model not because of his outstanding skills in sports but because of the simple reason that he initiated the public debate that was featured in the media many times. He was opposed to the role that athletes are given by the public as role models.In short, though athletes are heavily scrutiniz ed by the media, they are still seen as role models. It is true that almost everything that we come to know comes from the media but it is the people who know who their role model is. Media may try to paint dark the name of an athlete but still remain a role model again; this negative publicity might work to their advantage. Another thing that favors athletes despite the fact that they are always under the eyes of the media is that they too realize that they are being watched and thus they behave more responsibly than they would do in normal circumstances.

How to be weird essays

How to be weird essays The film: To Kill a Mockingbird was based on the book by Harper Lee. The director of the film is Robert Mulligan. The movie takes place during the 1930s in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Just like in the book, it is about a widowed father of two who is a lawyer. He is supposed to defend an African American man accused of raping and beating a young white woman. Atticus is faced with ha hard decision. He knows Tom (the accused) is innocent. However, Maycomb is stuck in its ways and he does not want to harm his family by trying to change it. In the end, Atticus does the right thing by defending Tom. However, the whole town is affected. Gregory Peck plays Atticus Finch, a slightly old, but wise man. In the film, Atticus (Gregory) is lawyer during the great depression. He has two children. He is a widowed single father. Atticus is portrayed in the book as a man who is the same way at home as in public. Gregory does a good job of acting out his role as Atticus. Mulligan does a swell job at portraying Atticus. After all Atticus is supposed to be a fare and strong yet humble person. This felt in the film exactly as it was in the novel. Atticus has two children, Jem and Scout. Jem is a ten-year-old boy. The actor who lays him is Philip Alford. Jem is at the age where he is starting to mature. He is interested in his fathers business. Some may call him noisy. In the book, he would ask his father a lot of questions about Boo Radley (the neighbor) and Tom Robinsons case. Jem is a curious boy. He likes to investigate and try to protect his younger sister, Scout. In the novel, he gets upset because Atticus is older that the other fathers. He (as well a Scout) does not believe their father has any cool qualities. Later, he realizes that his father does have cool qualities, just not the ones he would have thought was cool. Jem grows a lot during the period of the book. He goes from a silly young boy who just cares about ...

Evaluate Key Developments of the Cold War Essay

Evaluate Key Developments of the Cold War - Essay Example The race for nuclear arms capability dominated the 1950s and 1960s and it led to tension between these two countries, tension which translated to what is now known as the Cold War. This paper shall evaluate key developments of the Cold War from the Truman Administration through the Kennedy Administration. It will discuss whether or not the Cold War was actually inevitable. In addition, this paper will consider the domestic concerns in the United States during the 1950s, including McCarthyism, domesticity, and civil rights. The first part of this paper will present an overview of the Cold War. Secondly, major developments from Truman’s to Kennedy’s administration shall be presented. Thirdly, the inevitability of the Cold War will also be discussed. Lastly, an overall analysis and conclusion shall be established. Body Overview The post war era brought about a time where the US was starting to emerge as a superpower. It also presented a time where democratic principles wer e tested with various civil rights violations. At this point, the need to uphold these civil rights became an important part of American lives (Chafe, et.al., 2011). When the Second World War ended in 1945, journalist George Orwell used the term cold war in his essay â€Å"You and the Atomic bomb.† In his article, he believed that the world was now amidst a threat of a nuclear war, one which had the capability of obliterating human life on the planet (Orwell, 1945). He discussed how world politics seems to be founded on a view or belief prevailing in a state which was powerful and in a constant state of cold war with other countries (Orwell, 1945). Such ‘cold war’ was soon observed with Russia’s attitude towards Britain, including its empire. American economist Bernard Baruch was one of the first to refer to such cold war in relation to the US and the USSR (Gaddis, 2005). Soon enough, the term had a wider usage, especially with the release of Walter Lippma n’s book â€Å"The Cold War.† The USSR has not always been on ideal relations with its neighbors and with the US, mostly because of its socialist political platform (Gaddis, 2005). Although they were allies during the Second World War, it was only a temporary alliance, mostly borne out of the need for self-preservation. As soon as WWII ended however, the Soviet Union returned to its tense political relationship with Europe and the US (Gaddis, 2005). The possibility of gaining military might over other countries also became an added source of tension during the Cold War. Truman to Kennedy In 1947, President Harry Truman was advised to consider major policy changes in response to Russia’s efforts to gain political and military dominance (Chafe, 2003). America’s response was to adopt a containment policy with the primary goal of preventing the spread of communism (Friedman, 2007). Truman’s policy and decisions were all embodied under the Truman doctri ne, a doctrine which also condemned socialist and totalitarian power. Most of Europe was very supportive of Truman’s doctrine, however, some European and American communists being supported by the KGB adhered to the principles which the Soviet Union laid out (Friedman, 2007). In 1947, the US, Britain and France sought to establish an accord with the USSR on how best to handle a post-war Germany. The Marshall Plan was able to establish a working agreement among the countries, eventually dividing Germany and Berlin into four territories to be controlled by each ally (Gaddis, 2005).

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 15

Marketing - Essay Example By analyzing the current business situation of M&S, it will be possible for one to determine if the company should revise its way of serving customers, the way of market segmentation, or split its products into various target markets Macro factors that affect M&S These are the external factors that have an indirect impact on any company.   They include the political, social, technological, economical, and legal entities. For instance, in the legal entity, the government of UK has brought in energy saving organizations like â€Å"Green Tax† and â€Å"Change Levy† on the use of energy to lessen carbon dioxide by 30% and distributed subsidies to make improvements on subsidies. This has affected M&S positively in such a way that the company has been forced to launch an incentive policy in which stores can maintain the value of 15% of all savings it makes and above its moves. The move helps the company to save about 10% of its energy (Moiz, 2010). Micro Factors Marketing m anagement is obliged to attract customers and set up good relationships with them by initiating the satisfaction and worth of their preferences. Nevertheless, market practices are required to focus on the needs of the targeted consumers and also the need to recognize the impact of micro factors that include: Products M&S deals in clothing, house appliances, food, footwear, and gifts. When providing these goods and services, they have to focus on the quality, trust, innovate, and values given to its potential customers. Customers The company lives to the policy that customers are the most vital element to be considered and understood because they determine its future and success. M&S appreciates that customer satisfaction comes first before the product sales and thus gives high quality products and good services in order to raise the loyalty of its consumes. Markets M&S possessed stores in Hong Kong and Ireland, including 131 franchises food in 28 nations operating via a network of t hriving partnerships. It has recently opened a new market in Kirkgate, Leeds. Another coffee and heritage shop has been established right alongside the popular M&S clock in Kirkmarket. The retail environment however remains to be a challenge in the UK and other international regions. M&S has to take a step with regard to this factor by staying true to its values, listening to its potential clients, and constantly executing its strategy so ha the business can be stronger. Competitors While M&S focuses its operations on h quality of goods and services, its chief competitors, Tesco and Sainsbury focus theirs on the breadth of range, quality, and convenience. This company has a number of competitive advantages that have been in existence for a long time now. They include a recognizable brand name, and a stable supply connection. Specifically, M&S has its own exercise tight and market testing quality control. The great part of its operations is that it has kept customer loyalty as compar ed to its competitors. However, the worry is that Tesco and Sainsbury have established their stores globally as opposed to M&S, and thus the company has to check on this drawback (Moiz, 2010). The PEST framework analysis Definition This is a tool widely used o help in analyzing the social-cultural, economical, technological, and political changes in a given organizational environment. With the PEST analysis, one can get a

Iraq War Essay Example for Free

Iraq War Essay The Iraq War has attracted news coverage from around the world. Various television stations in countries like the US and the UK have news correspondents and news bureaus in the area to cover war-related updates and happenings. However, there were concerns on how media frames and delivers their news. Most of these news reports are accused of being biased, choosing to show only the negative aspects of the war. Two authors have written about this occurrence. One of them points out that most of the stories that reaches the audience is negative, while the other one points out the flaws reporting only the good aspects of war. By critically analyzing these two articles, it is possible to gain useful information as to why the news coverage in Iraq are framed as such. The first article is The Real Iraq Story by Karl Zinsmeister. This talks about the bias towards negative news by the foreign news coverage (Zinsmeister, 2004). It cites certain examples of bad news coverage in Iraq. From the plight of detainees in an Iraqi prison to the power shortages in Iraqi towns and cities, foreign news teams like CNN and BBC clearly chose to report on the negative aspects of certain topics. According to Zinmeister, this type of media coverage clearly affects how people around the world see the Iraq war. By showing mostly the negative aspects of the war, people tend to overlook its purpose. By showing the prison conditions of the detainees, the people are more drawn to the cruelties of war, instead of thinking who these detainees were. On the other hand, Phillip Carter’s The dark side of Iraq’s good news talks about the bias on the good news by recent Iraqi reports (Carter, 2007). These are more recent than the bias on negative news by foreign news correspondents, and these were reported by the Iraqi media. These reports are mostly about the declining Iraqi civilian death toll, increasing number of Iraqis joining US military to secure neighborhoods, and the capture of top insurgent leaders. Despite the majority of the good news, the author argues that focusing on these topics may mislead the people. They could develop a false sense of security, which would just worsen their situation. Going back to Zinsmeister article, we can assume that there is a motive behind the mostly negative news coverage. As the war continues, more and more people are starting to oppose it, doubting the intentions of those who are pursuing it. Political leaders like US President George W. Bush attracted the opposition of the international community because of the US occupation of Iraq in relation to his war on terror. If we relate this to the negative news coverage in Iraq, then it is possible that this is one way of opposing those who pursue this war. News coverage like this clearly draws out the sympathy of the people, especially if they continue to see its negative side. On the other hand, the mostly positive Iraqi news coverage could mean the opposite. By reporting only the good news, the media are trying to build up a positive image for Iraq. By reporting every improving statistic and leaving out the negative ones, people can be lulled to believing that indeed, Iraq has improved greatly. However, with mostly the positive news being covered, it seems that the Iraqi media are overdoing it and would appear that they’re just covering up the real scenario (Kelly, 2007). Moreover, this faulty news coverage had the international community thinking: can the Iraqi people really do it? Will they be able to stand on their own after the war? References: Carter, P. (2007). The dark side of Iraqs good news. Retrieved July 18, 2009, from http://www. slate. com/id/2177250/ Kelly, M. L. (2007). Good, Bad News in Iraq Intelligence Estimate. Retrieved July 18, 2009, from http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=13920438 Zinsmeister, K. (2004). The Real Iraq Story. Retrieved July 18, 2009, from http://www. nationalreview. com/comment/zinsmeister200408040849. asp