Employee relations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Employee relations - Coursework Example The relationship at workplace can be between any person in the organization, between coworkers, between workers and their superiors, between members who are in the same management among others. In any working environment, it is mandatory for employees to share a relationship that is healthy with one another so that they can ultimate product of their input is done to their best. In any workplace, the relationship that exists between the top management and the employees are of great value. Human relations starts from the starting point of employee training, addressing the needs of the employees, fostering an employee working place culture and resolving the conflicts that arises at the working environment between employees or employees and the top management. Every individual at working place shares a particular relationship with his or her fellow workers. Human beings at places of work are not machines who begin working at the press of a mere button. The employees need fellow workers whom they can talk to and share ideas, happiness and sorrow with each other. A healthy relation of employees reduces problems of absenteeism at the places of work when there is a good relation, individuals tend to be serious and put more effort towards their work. They do not take frequent leaves and do enjoy their work and the working environment. Employees’ incidents of complaints will reduce and start giving inputs to their best. Unitarist perspective This perspective assumes that an organization is an integrated and harmonious whole that deals with ideal of "one huge happy family". Its assumption is that the top management in the organization and other staff members all share a common purpose, emphasizes cooperation and have similar set of values, objectives and interests.

Rise In Russian Military Power Politics Essay

Rise In Russian Military Power Politics Essay Military power was central to the USSRs position as global power. The Soviet Unions military strength was its prime achievement and it had learned that military power generates international respect and deference. The Soviet Union was a superpower largely because of its ability to generate enormous military power [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Russias power is no longer the centre of international concerns, the threat of its military might no longer grips us obsessively, and the global order is no longer defined by alignment with or against Moscow.  [2]   2. Nevertheless, Russias military policy and power remain a major consideration in Eurasia and its nuclear component retains global significance. The disintegration of USSR in 1991, also led to decline of Russias military power along with a crippled economy and political leadership. The successive governments were more concerned in resolving Russias domestic problems rather than on retaining a global position. Thus over a period of time major down fall was seen in overall military capability of Russia. It was in 2000 when Vladimir Putin became president; a fundamental shift was seen in Russian politics, economy and in its military capability. Putin always regarded the collapse of the Soviet Union as the greatest geopolitical disaster in 21st century. Once he came to power, he was able to inject a new belief that it was Russias right to be a great power and the military power being the ultimate symbol of that status. 3. Over a period of time, Russia has changed its military doctrines, policies and also downsized its military forces. The military power was used effectively to handle the Georgia conflict in 2008. After this war, Russia made major plans to reform and modernize its armed forces by 2020. In April 2009, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Denis Blair said in unclassified written answers to the Senate Intelligence Committee that the ongoing reshaping of Russias ground forces will enable it to militarily dominate most of its neighbours. RUSSIAN DEFENCE POLICY Structure of Decision Making 4. President of the Russian Federation is Supreme Commander in Chief (CIC) of the Russian Armed Forces. He is the executive authority for the formulation of defence policies and military doctrine. Minister of Defence comes next in hierarchy and is appointed directly by the President. Minister is responsible for readiness, overall deployment of the military and also the formalisation of the State Armament Plan. For the first time in recent Russian history In March 2001 then President Putin appointed a civilian defence minister with a mind set that that military reform can only be achieved with civilian oversight. Subsequently Putin also introduced a new State Law on Defence with an aim to give more powers to Ministry of Defence.  [3]   5. In 2000, under National Security and Foreign Policy Concept the threat assessment for Russia in the 21 century was carried out and based on this, Military Doctrine was formulated. The main threats to Russias national interests were identified as economic disintegration of Russia, ethnic separatism, increase in crime rate, reduction in powers of OSCE and the UN, weakening of Russias influence in political, economic and military matters, the rise of various military-political blocs and unions, eastward enlargement of NATO and militarisation of areas in close vicinity of Russias borders. 6. Based upon these threat assessments, the foreign policy priorities of Russia were to strengthen Russias sovereignty and territorial integrity; to regain its lost status of great power; ensure regional stability in adjacent areas and to counter the perceived dominance of the United States. As per military policy the main aim was as the deterrence of aggression of any scale against it [Russia] and its allies, including with the use of nuclear weapons. A RE-ASSERTIVE RUSSIA 7. Over a period of time Russia has become more confident and assertive in its foreign and military policies. This could be observed during Russian military response to Georgian conflict in South Ossetia in August 2008; Russias stand over NATO expansion and US missile defence proposals in eastern Europe. Thus Russia has been using military as a diplomatic tool in the war of words between east and west. Russia is aware that their opinions have been ignored over Iraq, Iran, Kosovo and NATO expansion at the world stage. But in spite of these, at certain aspects Russia has shown its firmness and has stool tall even to take mighty US head on. Some of these aspects have been covered in the following paragraphs. 8. Missile Defence. When US came up with the plan of deploying its ballistic missile defence in Poland and the Czech Republic, it was vehemently opposed by Russia. The Russian government continued to believe BMD plans as a threat to national security. The radars station in the Czech Republic would have seen practically entire western front of Russia. Russian Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff, General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, even suggested that this missile agreement could force Russia to carry out nuclear strike against Poland if need arise.  [4]  Even President Medvedev in his address to nation on 5 November 2008 announced that the Russia might go ahead with the deployment of the Iskander short-range surface-to-surface missile system in Kaliningrad to neutralise the BMD system and would also electronically jam the components of US BMD. The deployment of Russian naval assets in the Baltic Sea was also considered for the same purpose. However US have been confirming that these missil es have limited capabilities and would have no impact on the Russian strategic offensive forces. 9. The assertive stance of Russia has forced USA administration to reviewing its missile defence plan, thus Russian Government has also suspended the deployment plans of its Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad. This move of Russia and response from US highlights that the fact that Russias powers are on rise and it can still avert the US decision when its own integrity or safety is concerned. 10. Strategic Bomber Patrols. The rise of Russian armed forces was most symbolically demonstrated when military forces paraded in Moscows Red Square. In the summer of 2007, strategic bombers of Russia carried out patrols in international airspace over Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans for the first time, since the end of the Cold War. In March 2009 Russian military aircraft reportedly did fly past just 500 feet over two US navy warships while these were participating in a joint military exercise with South Korea in international waters in the Sea of Japan.  [5]  This used to be a common occurrence during the Cold War era. These bomber patrols were conducted to demonstrate military might and also to test the air defence reaction times of NATO countries periodically. Such patrols were stopped in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Similar incidents were also observed over UK and Norwegian air spaces in 2007 and 2008. Russian government officially acknowledged in August 2 007 that these missions were intended for pilot training, in particular air-to-air refueling. Japan has also reported an increase in the number of exercises and patrols by warships of the Russian Fleet, along with strategic bomber patrols. The timing of these incidents has been regarded as a sign of renewed Russian confidence on the international stage. 11. The Arctic. Russia has also increased its military activity in the Arctic region in the same period and this has been linked to Russias increasingly vocal claims to large territory in the region and also to vast areas of untapped natural resources. In 2004 Russia announced the creation of a new Arctic Directorate for this region and in aug 2007, about 20 Russian strategic bombers carried out five days of exercises over the North Pole.  [6]  Time and again these facts have been acknowledged by the Russian Defence Ministry. In September 2008 President Medvedev Janes Defence Weekly: A greater stake in the Arctic is intimately related to Russias increasingly assertive regional behaviour. Moscows recent incursion into Georgia was a bellwether of sorts for the concept of a Greater Russia and the outward expansion of the countrys territorial borders [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]  [7]   Expanding Russias Military Footprint 12. Russia has expanded its military co-operation with Latin and South American countries, in particular Venezuela. Since 2003 Russia has reportedly supplied $4-5bn worth of arms including combat helicopters, Su-30 fighter aircraft and the Tor-M1 air defence missile system to the Venezuelan government. In 2008 Russia had temporarily deployed two TU-160 Blackjack strategic bombers in Venezuela. 13. In December 2008 Russian naval flagship, the missile cruiser Peter the Great and the anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Chabanenk, visited Cuba and then Venezuela to take part in a joint naval exercise in the Caribbean Sea. This was the first deployment conducted in the region by the Russian navy since the break up of the Soviet Union and was seen as the emerging trend in the increased activity by the Russians. In July 2008 Russia also hinted that if US plan to station its BMD systems in Eastern Europe, than Russian aircraft and submarine fleet may also once again be stationed in Cuba. An article in Janes Intelligence Review commented that the Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises served as a neat counterpoint to Washingtons decision to base its missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic, in Russias near abroad.  [8]   Russias Military Capabilities 14. Russian military is currently the fifth largest in the world considering total active personnel, exceeded only by China (2.18m), the United States (1.54m), India (1.28m), and North Korea (1.1m). However, if Russias reserve contingent (approximately 20 million Personnel) is taken into account, Russias military becomes the largest. Over all Russias military power is third behind US and china.  [9]  In spite of such a large military which is being able to address all potential threats across the combat spectrum, the Russian Military Doctrine still have reliance on nuclear weapons. Some experts believe that Russian nuclear capability is one which makes Russia as a military superpower. The military capabilities of Russia can be seen as follows. (a) Conventional Capabilities. As per the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, there are limits on the numbers of combat aircraft, tanks, attack helicopters, combat vehicles and artillery pieces that one country could held within Europe by NATO and the states of the former Warsaw Treaty Organisation (Warsaw Pact). However these limitations apply to Russian military equipments which are deployed to the West of the Ural Mountains. The treaty did not impose limitations on the overall conventional capabilities of any nation. The Russian military strength as on 2008 is as indicated.  [10]   PERSONNEL Total Population:  140,702,096  [2008] Population Available:  73,239,761  [2008] Fit for Military Service:  50,249,854  [2008] Reaching Military Age Annually:  1,602,673 Active Military Personnel:  1,245,000  [2008] Active Military Reserve:  2,400,000  [2008] Active Paramilitary Units:  359,100  [2008] ARMY Total Land-Based Weapons:  79,985 Tanks:  22,800  [2005] Armored Personnel Carriers:  9,900   Towed Artillery:  13,585  [2005] Self-Propelled Guns:  6,010  [2005] Multiple Rocket Launch Systems:  4,350   Mortars:  6,100  [2005] NAVY Total Navy Ships:  526 Merchant Marine Strength:  1,074  [2008] Major Ports and Harbors:  8 Aircraft Carriers:  1  [2005] Destroyers:  15  [2005] Submarines:  61  [2005] Faes:  19  [2005] Patrol Coastal Craft:  72  [2005] Mine Warfare Craft:  41  [2005] Amphibious Craft:  22  [2005] AIR FORCE Total Aircraft:  3,888  [2005] Helicopters:  2,625  [2003] Serviceable Airports:  1,260  [2007] (b) Nuclear Capabilities. Since 1949, when Soviet Union tested its first atomic weapon it is recognised as a nuclear state. USA and USSR (Russia) went through number of treaties such as INF treaty (Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces), START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) and SORT (Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty) so as to reduce nuclear weapons of both the countries. Still Russia is estimated to have an active 5,200 operational warheads and approximately 8,800 intact warheads awaiting dismantlement thus a total of 14000 warheads(highest in the world).  [11]   Assessment of Current Military Capability 15. The actual assessment of Russian military capability is very difficult since these have not been deployed in conflict beyond their borders. Therefore the assessment of the ability of the military has been theoretical and based on various assumptions. There have been doubts about ability of the Soviet-era military-industrial complex to keep technological pace with its military peers, particularly the production of sophisticated weaponry. 16. Many analysts believe that the majority of Russian equipments are ageing, as due to financial crisis after cold war Russia had stopped buying new military equipments. In March 2009 the Russian Defence Minister, acknowledged that most of Russias weaponry was obsolete and old and modern equipment were just 10% of the armys existing capabilities. While US and other western countries have learnt during Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan war over the last decade, the Russians have had no such experience. 17. However, it is also acknowledged that Russian military does possess small amounts of state-of-the-art advanced weaponry. Air force has bought Su-34 combat aircraft, the Iskander theatre ballistic missile system and the S-400 air defence system. The SU-35 aircraft is also expected to be inducted in 2010-2011. Although western media claims otherwise, Russias armed forces still remain the most powerful and effective land force across Eurasia. They still possess state-of-the-art main battle tanks, multiple-launch rocket mortar system, heavy artillery and close ground tactical air support. Prospects 18. The increased military power, overt posturing on the international stage in recent years along with massive structural reform are the signs of the Russian resurgence. What has to be seen is that does it have longevity and what will be its implications? Russia in it self is having a strong sense of national pride and full belief that it can get back to its lost great power status. But to achieve this other than military power it needs political and economic stability. 19. In its present state the Russian Armed Forces would be able to defend its territories and national interest as in Georgia but at global level certainly they will not be able to formulate a power projection like United States. The prospects of the Russian military therefore lie primarily in the success of its modernisation plan and structural reforms. These can be achieved by strong economy but that is affected by ups and downs of global energy prices. 20. On the other hand Russias military-industrial complex has also not been able to revive completely, to cope with the technological demands of the modernisation programme. As per the reports a $50m contract has been done with Israel for UAV. Along with this there is need to upgrade their blue water navy fleet with aircraft carrier as well. However it is certain that the modernisation of Russias conventional armed forces will not come at the expense of its nuclear capabilities. Certainly Nuclear weapons will be given the priority over conventional weapons as former gives them a clear cut edge over other nations. As Jonathan Eyal succinctly noted in his October 2008 piece on Europe and Russia: A Return to the Past: The Russian military can cause difficulties. Many of Russias neighbours are far poorer and weaker, so the Russian armed forces are still a potent threat to them, as the example of Georgia showed [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] 21. However, the reality still is that Russias challenge to the US is hardly military. The Russians have no chance of emulating the Soviet Union, which tried to match Western technology weapon-for-weapon. Nor is there any ideological glue to underpin such a confrontation: most of Russias current allies are fair weather friends. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] it cannot divert the huge resources required to build a modern military away from civilian consumption. So, the main purpose behind Russias military muscle-flexing remains political and no new Cold War is in the offing.  [12]  

Symbolism in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman Essay -- Death Salesm

Symbolism in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman In his play, Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller employs many symbols to illustrate the themes of success and failure.   They include the rubber hose, the tape recorder, and the seeds for the garden.   These symbols represent Willy's final, desperate attempts to be successful and the failure he cannot escape.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rubber hose represents both success and failure.   It is attached to the gas main in Willy's house and provides him with the opportunity to commit suicide.   Willy sees this as a way to finally do something for his family to make up for years of disappointment.   He will no longer be a burden to them when he is gone, and they will remember him in a positive light.   Yet Willy cannot even commit suicide successfully.   His attempt is a failure, so he lies to his family and denies that he was going to kill himself.   His wife Linda, who finds the hose, knows what he was going to do with it, as does Biff.   When confronted by Biff, Willy not only denies that he was going to use the hose, but also denies ever seeing it before.   Instead of being remembered as a successful businessman who died, Willy is seen by his family as a failure who cannot even commit suicide or tell the truth.  Ã‚   Another important symbol is Howard's tape recorder.   It represents the many material objects wealthy businessmen could provide for their families and for themselves.   Willy wanted this lifestyle; he wanted "something he could lay his hands on" (Miller pg.  Ã‚   ).   It would not be enough to just be successful; Willy wanted to be able to show people material representations of his success.   The tape recorder shows that Howard has reached this level of success.   Yet while the recorder symbolizes ... ...o could acquire such technical wonders.   Even if he could afford them for himself and for his family as other businessmen could, he couldn't figure out how to work them because he did not change with the times.   Finally, Willy hoped to show his family that he could do something right and give them a little pleasure by planting seeds in the backyard.   He hoped that these seeds would grow into a wonderful garden for all of them to enjoy.   Then his family would appreciate him.   But the garden fails, as does Willy.   Willy Loman wants to be a successful businessman that his family can be proud of.   The hose, tape recorder and seeds represent just a few of his attempts to do this.   Yet as with everything in Willy's life, what initially stands for hope ends up symbolizing failure. Work Cited: Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: The Viking Press 1988

Sparate Peace

In the novel Separate Peace, John Knowles uses both positive and negative scenes throughout the novel. John Knowles does this to show how the setting can affect the characters and the events that are being taken throughout the novel. Knowles introduces right away that there are two big scenes, the summer session and the winter session, both playing big roles in the story’s plot and theme.The summer session would represent peace and the winter session would represent the distress brought on by World War II, the shift between them clearly confirms that Knowles intended to show how completely and abruptly the war overtook the peace at the summer session. Knowles uses the summer session setting to symbolize peace.Knowles uses the positive setting described in this quote to reveal the importance of the setting: â€Å"They (elms) too seemed permanent and never changing, an untouched, unreachable world high in space, like the ornamental towers and spires of a great church, too high to be enjoyed, too high for anything, great and remote and never useful†. Knowles describes the setting like this to create a peaceful image representing the summer session as a time of peace.This also brings a vividly peaceful image to mind further connecting the concepts of summer and peace together which is later conquered by the war elements of winter. Knowles uses the winter session setting to symbolize the distress of the war. Knowles uses this as the negative setting in the novel. In this quote, he describes the importance of the setting: â€Å"Not long afterward, early even for New Hampshire, snow came†¦They gathered there, thicker by the minute, like noiseless invaders conquering because they took possession so gently.I watched them whirl by my window-don’t take this seriously, the playful way they fell seemed to imply, this little show, this harmless trick†. Knowles uses words such as invaders and conquering to connect this image to the war zone. T his shows Knowles’ elements of the war and how it overtook the peace present and the Devon School. Knowles also writes that these elements of winter conquered the life of nature which had previously been a symbol of summer.This strengthens his intent of highlighting how the war element of winter took over the peace of summer. The change between the previous positive setting of summer and the negative setting of winter represents the effect the war had on the peace at the Devon School. The time that Finny and Gene spend at the beach represents the peak of the summer. However, overnight it is followed by this description of the ocean: â€Å"The Ocean looked dead too, dead waves hissing mordantly along the beach, which was gray and dead looking itself†.Here Knowles uses words such as â€Å"dead†, â€Å"hissing†, and â€Å"grey†, which have a negative meaning, to create a powerful negative setting scene in the novel. This causes an unexpected contrast between negative and positive settings. This piercing contrast between the beach and a â€Å"dead† ocean, which meets the beach at the shore with the hissing of dead waves, foreshadows the sharp contrast between the peace of summer and the distress of winter that meets the summer of Finny’s fall.This event is the symbolic fall of peace to the distress of war. Knowles cements this fact with stating the setting of the situation just before his fall, claiming that â€Å"From behind us the last long rays of light played across the campus, accenting every slight undulation of the land, emphasizing the separateness of each bush†. The last long rays of light show the end of summer because the end of the long days marks the beginning of autumn season due to daylight savings time.Since the summer session represents peace and the winter session represents distress, this shows that Finny’s fall from the tree marks the fall of peace to distress. John Knowles use of s etting scenes strengthens his idea in the novel of the peace at Devon school being overtaken by the elements of World War II. This is done by the addition of positive settings of summer which represent the peace at the school; and winter, which represents the invasion of the war and the piercing contrast between these two types of settings at certain scenes throughout the novel.

Google and Education Essay

Google is today’s era is contextual to the education. The Google application is spreading tremendously in the field of education whether it is through the Google search engine for searching different information or through the books and scholarly articles search. Children of all ages and of numerous courses from different parts of world are using the Google as an educational package. The students are finding the Google as a much promising website for searching the valuable information. Many students have participated in the Google project. Using Google Docs & Spreadsheets the student aware of different educational virtues like Google Earth has provided the student about the different perspectives related to the earth. The Google has empowered the education with many descent tools like mail, calendar, Google Earth, Books, Scholarly articles and others. The Google has offered the students with its application and provide them the power of fast communication like email, instant messaging, calendar and other. The Google has made the information and knowledge to be shared all over the world speedily and effectively without any error. The Google has outspread the knowledge transfer by providing huge data storage either through books or through mails. The embedded Google presentation like power point has conceptualized the idea of knowledge transfer interactively as the presentation on slides is much better and effective than reading books. The Google images have provided the stuff related to each and every field. The Google images have provided the teachers and professors to make their presentations more effective as compared to earlier. The Google images have covered all the fields like geography, buildings and other stuffs. Earlier in making slides, the teachers and professors had to spend a lot of time. Today by the Google images, the photographs can be converted into slides very easily. This is experienced by the many of the students and scholars. The Google has provided huge area illustrations from every period and from every field whether it is related to the nature or related to the history. The Google has provided the material at the fingertips of the people. Now the people can make their slides and transparencies on their own. The Google News has given a platform for viewing the news and information of whole world. The students can get through the numerous perspectives of the knowledge. The different area of information in the world is covered by the Google through the Google news. The Google Notebook has the feature for the student as a tool of research. The student can paraphrase and refine the educational material through it. By the Google Notebook the student can share their knowledge also to their colleague and with their mentors. Even they can public their knowledge to the others also. Thus the knowledge sharing is made easy by the Google. The Google has announced to launch the Google Apps Platform in the Arizona State University and the schools which are using the Google APIs including the e-mail gateways also. This contains the tools from the Google like Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Calendar. The virtues from this pack includes the back-end infrastructure like directories, single logon platforms etc. The Google uses the effective values such as the security Assertion Markup Language to support single logon and an XML interface based on Representational State Transfer to link to directory services. These services are being used by the users frequently. These services for the educational purpose are an effective step taken by the Google to incorporate the whole knowledge sharing easy. The Google is incorporating its educational packs and services all over the world for making the education interactive and easy. The Google search engine is the most efficient tool provided by the Google up to now. One can search the whole websites according to his requirements. The different articles, bolgs and other information, needed by the students and others can be obtained easily. The people can search the whole stuff he need on the internet in every area of the world. The new updates from the different websites are included and updated by the Google frequently and regularly. This feature of updating the data resources has included by the Google which is appreciated by the scholars all over the world. The Google Earth has incorporated the users for educational purposes. The users can search the roads, geographical features, maps through the Google Earth. The student can search different locations through the Google Earth. The student can see different historical features also and take them into their studies. The Google Earth has incorporated the three-dimensional view also to locate the buildings, and other historical buildings also. The maps on the Google Earth can also be viewed and studied through the Google Earth. The Google Reader has been termed as the inbox of the web by the users. The Google Reader was termed as a must tool for the academic students. The users can find current information on the Google Reader. The student related to every discipline can find the information related to its field. The versatility of the Google Reader has incorporated different fields. It contains the information related to the medicines, history, as well as related to the geography and other fields also. This feature has made the Google Reader, a powerful tool for the education purpose. The Google Book Search has empowered the users for exploring the books written by the author in different parts of the world. The books are updated regularly by the Google. The Google Book Search option has enabled the student to read the books free of cost. The Google Book Search has incorporated numerous features like updating the list of editions, references to the Scholarly Work about the books, related articles, selected pages from the books and others. Even one can search the books according to its key words search. The Google has shown the way for exploration in education according to every perspective. The users can explore the Google as a knowledge database for their requirements. The Google has helped the education a lot. The educational knowledge provided by the Google has helped the students as well as the scholars, teachers and professors also. The different features and tools from the Google have helped the education for the growth of the students. References: 1) Max W. Fischer, Gaga Over Google: Photo Images Bring Lessons to Life, Education World. 2) Google More†¦an Introduction to Google in Education, CUE Conference-Palm Springs, California, Monday, March 05, 2007. 3) Fontana, John, Google education app hints at plan for service, Network World, Monday, October 16 2006. 4) Jeff VanDrimmelen, Google and Education, February 2nd, 2007. 5) Jeff VanDrimmelen, Google Reader and the Academic Community, October 31st, 2006. 6) Mehran Sahami, About the Google Education Summit, 10/26/2007.

The best idea of regulating guns in the United States is restricting the purchase of bullets

The best idea of regulating guns in the United States is restricting the purchase of bullets Reason # 1: Tracking the buyers of bullets makes it easier to regulate guns in the United StatesAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on The best idea of regulating guns in the United States is restricting the purchase of bullets specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Guns are nothing but empty vessels without ammunition and so it would help a great deal if the authorities regulate the acquisition of bullets. Anyone who should not own a gun should also not own a bullet, but because guns last longer, outlawed criminals can possess them without suspicion. On the other hand, the lifespan of a bullet is just one shot which makes it easier to link the shooter and the purchaser. Currently, New York has a limit of seven rounds of ammunition per magazine. In addition to this, ammo dealers who register with the state, have purchasers’ records and this enables the police to get alerts in case an individual is stocking on bullets (Hen derson and Trotta 1). Tracing the link between the shooter and the buyer requires the cooperation of the dealer. This is the path trodden by Sacramento officials who require ammunition sellers to take the fingerprints and names of their customers. They transfer this information to the police who double check it with the criminal database of the FBI. Greg Halstead, a police detective in Sacramento, says that this practice is helping them to retrieve illegal guns from homes that he would not normally bother searching through. We can also deduce that it prevents shooting crimes from occurring because the police are able to point out illegal buyers and trace them from the fingerprints. Captain Bill Hart of the Los Angeles Police Department seconds Greg Halstead’s argument. He says that Los Angeles has become a safer place because of the records sent by ammunition dealers, which they look through to chaff out the illegal owners. Other states therefore need to follow suit and requi re sellers to log their sales so that illegal buyers find no place to shop for bullets (Henderson and Trotta 1). Reason # 2: Engraving serial numbers on ammunition boxes can help regulate gunsAdvertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A study by Glenn Pierce of Northeastern University states that a significant number of ammunition purchases are by illegal possessors. He goes on to add that engraving serial numbers on ammunition boxes would be a significant step towards the realization of gun control in the United States. This is because serial numbers allow the police to easily trace the link between a bullet and a buyer. Moreover, he considers it as a move that would sharply reduce the bullet supply of the illegal market (Pierce 309). A 2005 California bill seeking to put this idea into law was shot down because the ammunition industry argues that it would lead them into bankruptcy. Other than that, they also think that the serial numbers are not always legible. These arguments do not hold water because people’s lives are still at risk and there is a need for the Ammunition Coding System and the ammunition industry to come to an agreement that favors both sides and protects the general population (Koper, Woods and Roth 18). Reason # 3: Restricting the purchase of bullets reinforces the ban on bulk buying to effectively regulate guns in the United States Some authorities in the United States are already making steps towards regulating guns by prohibiting the purchase of bullets in bulk. This is a good idea but not as effective as it should be. New Jersey, for example, places a ban on bulk buying of ammunition in the hopes that it can help curb the menace of gun violence and generally regulate guns in the United States. However, a 2004 study in Jersey City concludes that the ban on large capacity magazines has a very small impact in regulating guns becaus e criminal shootings tend to use less than five rounds. Therefore, this ban only serves to irk the members of the National Shooting Sports Foundation who argue that they need more that 1,000 rounds of ammunition during a typical weekend trip of range shooting (Murphy 1). We need to realize that placing restrictions on bulk buying only does not prevent criminals from laying their hands on bullets.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The best idea of regulating guns in the United States is restricting the purchase of bullets specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a matter of fact, the state should concentrate on restricting all forms of ammunition ownership if they want to zero in on the criminals and achieve gun control in the United States. By restricting the purchase of bullets, the authorities reinforce the ban on bulk buying and manage to get effective results in achieving gun control (Pierce 310). Reason # 4: Banning s ales of ammunition via mail-order can help regulate guns in the United States In 1968, The Gun Control Act placed a ban on the sale of bullets through mail-order and even had dealers log their sales. This was however shot down in 1986 by the implementation of The Firearm Owners’ Protection Act which generally led to the loosening of gun control (Spitzer 27). Eliminating controls on transfers of ammunition is definitely a bad move because today we have high capacity magazines that are easily accessible over the internet. This platform allows the buyer to remain anonymous even to the seller because he does not conduct a background check of any sort (Reedy 1). Once a criminal shooting occurs, it would be hard for the police to link the bullet to the buyer because the seller is not able to provide any substantive information about his client. It is therefore necessary to reinstate the ban on the sales of bullets via mail order to put an end to the ghost clientele and regulate gun s in the United States (Lioncourt 1). Henderson, Peter and Trotta, Daniel. Whats missing in U.S. gun control scramble? Bullets. 2013. Web. Koper, Christopher, Woods, Daniel and Roth, Jeffrey. An Updated Assessment of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban: Impacts on Gun Markets and. Philadelphia: Jerry Lee Center of Criminology, 2004. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lioncourt, Nicholas De. 11 Facts About Guns. 2012. Web. Murphy, Tim. Gun Enthusiasts Hot New Idea: You Cant Regulate Guns We Make In-State. 2013. Web. Pierce, Glenn. The Criminal Purchase of Firearm Ammunition. Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment (2006): 308-310. Print. Reedy, Daniel. Impact of handgun types on gun assault outcomes: a comparison of gun assaults involving semiautomatic pistols and revolvers. 2003. Web. Spitzer, Robert. The Politics of Gun Control. New York: Chatham House Publishers, 1995. Print.

Best Summary and Analysis The Great Gatsby, Chapter 5

Best Summary and Analysis The Great Gatsby, Chapter 5 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Because The Great Gatsbyis nine chapters long, getting to Chapter 5 means that we’ve arrived in the exact middle of the story. Thus, it makes sense that this chapter takes a single event - Daisy and Gatsby’s perfectly romantic reunion - and uses it to both tie together everything that has been set up so far, and also to create such a delicate balance of safety and happiness that it’s clear that everything will soon crumble. But before the bubble of love pops, enjoy the world’s most magical, most carefully planned â€Å"accidental† date. Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 5Summary Nick comes home to find all the lights on in Gatsby’s mansion. Gatsby wants to hang out, but clearly only because he wants to know what Nick has decided about asking Daisy for tea.Nick is happy to do it, and they plan for a day after Gatsby has had a chance to get Nick’s lawn cut. Gatsby then makes a totally out of place proposal to do some bond business with Nick (whose job is selling bonds, and who doesn’t seem particularly good at it or invested in it). Nick is uncomfortable about the quid pro quo (that’s Latin for â€Å"something for something† - in other words, a transaction) feeling of the deal and declines. The next day, Nick invites Daisy to tea, and cautions her not to bring Tom. Gatsby sends someone to mow the lawn, orders a huge number of flowers, isn’t thrilled with Nick’s sad tea and cakes selection, and worries that the day will be ruined because it’s raining. He then freaks out at the last second that Daisy isn’t coming, but just then she pulls up in her car. Gatsby and Daisy meet in Nick’s living room in the most awkward, strained, and tense scene imaginable. It’s unclear whether either one is happy to see the other. They are unable to speak two words. When Nick tries to leave them alone, Gatsby panics and tries to leave also. Nick calms him down, and then stands outside in the rain for an hour to give Gatsby and Daisy some privacy.When he returns, the two are totally different – no longer embarrassed, much calmer, and Gatsby is actually glowing. Gatsby suddenly brags that it only took him three years to earn the money to buy his mansion. Nick calls him out on this since earlier Gatsby had said he had inherited his wealth. Gatsby quickly says that the inheritance was lost in the financial panic of 1914 and that he’s been in several businesses since then. Daisy then exclaims that she loves Gatsby’s giant mansion (she can see it out of Nick’s window). They go over to Gatsby’s, and he shows them around the now empty house, never taking his eyes off Daisy and her reaction to his things. Gatsby is completely overwhelmed by Daisy’s presence. He is overcome with feelings that he can’t even put into words. Gatsby opens a cabinet and starts pulling out piles of shirts and throwing them onto a table. Every kind of shirt color and pattern imaginable stack higher and higher on this table until Daisy puts her head into the shirts and starts to cry about their beauty. It starts raining again, and Gatsby shows Daisy that her house is directly across the bay from his. Nick sees a photograph of Dan Cody, who Gatsby says used to be his best friend until he died. Gatsby shows Daisy a bunch of newspaper clippings about her that he’s been collecting (she would have been featured in the gossip pages that described fancy parties and rich people’s society). Hegets a phone call about Detroit but hangs up quickly. This is the first time that he hasn’t excused himself to take acall in the novel. Nick tries to leave again, but is again roped into staying.Gatsby asks Ewing Klipspringer, a guest who apparently is just always at the house, to play the piano for them. He plays a comical love song. Nick finally says goodbye and leaves.As he does, he sees Daisy whisper in Gatsby’s ear, and imagines that her siren-like voice holds him in thrall. Daisy’s constant shirt-inspired weeping has now gotten her banned from Brooks Brothers. Key Chapter 5 Quotes "You're selling bonds, aren't you, old sport?"..."Well, this would interest you. It wouldn't take up much of your time and you might pick up a nice bit of money. It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing." I realize now that under different circumstances that conversation might have been one of the crises of my life. But, because the offer was obviously and tactlessly for a service to be rendered, I had no choice except to cut him off there. (5.22-25) Nick recognizes that what he quickly dismissed in the moment could easily have been the moral quandary that altered his whole future. It seems that Nick thinks this was his chance to enter the world of crime – if we assume that what Gatsby was proposing is some kind of insider trading or similarly illegal speculative activity – and be thus trapped on the East Coast rather than retreating to the Midwest. It’s striking that Nick recognizes that his ultimate weakness – the thing that can actually tempt him – is money. In this way, he is different from Gatsby, whose temptation is love, and Tom, whose temptation is sex – and of course, he is also different because he resists the temptation rather than going all-in. Although Nick’s refusal could be spun as a sign of his honesty, it instead underscores how much he adheres to rules of politeness. After all, he only rejects the idea because he feels he â€Å"had no choice† about the proposal because it was â€Å"tactless.† Who knows what shenanigans Nick would have been on board with if only Gatsby were a little smoother in his approach? He had passed visibly through two states and was entering upon a third. After his embarrassment and his unreasoning joy he was consumed with wonder at her presence. He had been full of the idea so long, dreamed it right through to the end, waited with his teeth set, so to speak, at an inconceivable pitch of intensity. Now, in the reaction, he was running down like an overwound clock. (5.4) On the one hand, the depth of Gatsby’s feelings for Daisy is romantic. He’s living the hyperbole of every love sonnet and torch song ever written. After all, this is the first time we see Gatsby lose control of himself and his extremely careful self-presentation. But on the other hand, does he actually know anything about Daisy as a human being? Notice that it’s â€Å"the idea† that he’s consumed with, not so much the reality. The word â€Å"wonder† makes it sound like he’s having a religious experience in Daisy’s presence. The pedestal that he has put her on is so incredibly high there’s nothing for her to do but prove disappointing. Daisy put her arm through his abruptly but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one. (5.121) Almost immediately when he’s finally got her, Daisy starts to fade from an ideal object of desire into a real life human being. It doesn’t even matter how potentially wonderful a person she may be – she could never live up to the idea of an â€Å"enchanted object† since she is neither magical nor a thing. There is also a question here of â€Å"what’s next?† for Gatsby. If you have only one goal in life, and you end up reaching that goal, what is your life’s purpose now? Is Gatsby more in love with the idea of love than with the actual human being he obsesses over? The Great GatsbyChapter 5 Analysis Now let's consider how this chapter plays into the book as a whole. Overarching Themes Love, Desire, and Relationships. After an earlier chapter of Tom and Myrtle together, we get a chapter of Daisy and Gatsby together. At first glance, the pairs are diametric opposites. Tom and Myrtle are crass and vulgar, constantly chattering about nothing, driven by materialism and physical desire, without a drop of love or romance between them. On the other hand, Gatsby and Daisy are modest and embarrassed, almost speechless, overwhelmed by feelings, and have a physical comfort with each other that Tom doesn’t inspire either in Daisy or in Myrtle (both of whom he physically hurts in varying degrees). Gatsby’s love for Daisy has an otherworldly quality that is several times described in either mythic or religious terms. But already the chapter anticipates that elevating the relationship to such heights makes a fall almost inevitable. Morality and Ethics. Nick is tempted by what he later comes to realize is the moral quandary of his life. Twice, Gatsby offers to do some kind of business with him. There are two ethical challenges in this offer. First, Gatsby is suggesting that Nick needs to be paid for services rendered – that asking Daisy to tea and letting Gatsby see her at Nick’s house is a transaction that needs to be reimbursed somehow. This casts an oddly pimp-and-prostitute vibe on what Nick is being asked to do, which would dispel some of the fairytale romance that Gatsby is ostensibly going for. Second, since it comes on the heels of their encounter with Mr. Wolfshiem, Gatsby’s business proposition is most likely illegal (Insider trading? Speculation? Printing fake bonds? There are several possibilities.). It connects Nick to the lawless criminality that in this novel is associated with the new â€Å"Wild East.† Symbolism: Gatsby's Shirts.Gatsby showers Daisy with his array of exquisite shirts in a display that is at the same time self-congratulation and also a submissive plea. On the one hand, this odd moment is like a male bird’s complicated mating dance – the shirts are the peacock’s plumage. These shirts are a visual representation of how far Gatsby has come – he can literally cover Daisy with his riches. But on the hand, the desperate way he shows them off ties into Nick’s observation that â€Å"think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes† (5.1). He wants her approval and is putting all of himself out there for her to pronounce judgment on. Motifs: Weather. For the first time, the novel dwells at length on an extremeweather event. The intermittent downpour sometimes limits and sometimes facilitates Daisy and Gatsby’s afternoon together. The rain allows for moments of physical comedy. For example, Gatsby’s plan to â€Å"accidentally† drop by Nick’s house during tea with Daisy falls apart when he makes his appearance soaking wet (meaning that he obviously wasn’t simply trying to visit Nick – who would do that in that kind of weather?). The rain also creates physical and emotional boundaries, allowing Daisy and Gatsby to stay in their private world. Literally, this happens when they can’t tour the mansion’s grounds and have to stay in his house. But more importantly, this happens when the rain creates a mist that hides Daisy’s house across the bay from view. She doesn’t have to think about her marriage or her daughter – she can exist with Gatsby surrounded by magical-sounding â€Å"pink and golden billow of foamy clouds† (5.134). As soon as one magical light experience (the green dock light) goes stale, Gatsby replaces it with another (sunlit rain clouds). Maybe he just needs a lamp. Crucial Character Beats Nick agrees to invite Daisy over for tea and an â€Å"accidental† meeting with Gatsby. He is able to resist the offer to do business with Gatsby. Daisy and Gatsby finally meet! It’s awkward and horrible at first, but after an hour alone together both of them seem very happy. Then, the trio goes to tour Gatsby’s mansion. Gatsby is overwhelmed by Daisy’s presence and is almost manic. He throws piles and piles of his shirts in front of her until she cries at how beautiful they are. Nick keeps trying to leave Gatsby and Daisy alone, but keeps being roped back into their company. Compare this to the way he was trying to get away from Tom and Myrtle in Chapter 2and also forced to stick around. Daisy and Gatsby are left alone together, clearly full of feelings for each other, and in their own little world. What’s Next? Laugh at a drenched, umbrella-less Gatsby in the most recent movie adaptation- it’s one of the few physical comedy bits in the novel, and that movie gets it just right. Explore the chapter’s other key symbol: the green light on Daisy’s dock. Review the chapter’s main motifs: the rainy weather, and the conspicuous lack of alcohol. Move on to the summary of Chapter 6, or revisit the summary of Chapter 4. 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