Monday, September 30, 2019

Analysis †Mein Kampf Essay

Hitler’s contemporaries – Baldwin, Chamberlain, Herbert Hoover – seem pathetically fusty figures, with their frock coats and wing collars, closer to the world of Edison, Carnegie and the hansom cab than to the first fully evolved modern societies over which they presided, areas of national consciousness formed by mass-produced newspapers and consumer goods, advertising and tele-communications. By comparison Hitler is completely up-to-date, and would be equally at home in the sixties (and probably even more so in the seventies) as in the twenties. The whole apparatus of the Nazi super-state, its nightmare uniforms and propaganda, seems weirdly turned-on, providing just that element of manifest insanity to which we all respond in the H-Bomb or Viet Nam – perhaps one reason why the American and Russian space programmes have failed to catch our imaginations is that this quality of explicit psychopathology is missing. Certainly, Nazi society seems strangely prophetic of our own – the same maximising of violence and sensation, the same alphabets of unreason and the fictionalising of experience. Goebbels in his diaries remarks that he and the Nazi leaders had merely done in the realm of reality what Dostoevski had done in fiction. Interestingly, both Goebbels and Mussolini had written novels, in the days before they were able to get to grips with their real subject matter – one wonders if they would have bothered now, with the fiction waiting to be manipulated all around them. Hitler’s ‘novel’, Mein Kampf (Hutchinson, 1939) was written in 1924, nearly a decade before he came to power, but is a remarkably accurate prospectus of his intentions, not so much in terms of finite political and social aims as of the precise psychology he intended to impose on the German people and its European vassals. For this reason alone it is one of the most important books of the 20th century, and well worth reprinting, despite the grisly pleasures its anti-semitic ravings will give to the present generation of racists. How far does Hitler the man come through the pages of this book? In the newsreels Hitler tends to appear in two roles – one, the demagogic orator, ranting away in a state apparently close to neurotic hysteria, and two, a benevolent and slightly eccentric kapellmeister sentimentally reviewing his SS bodyguard, or beaming down at a picked chorus of blond-haired German infants. Both these strands are present in Mein Kampf – the hectoring, rhetorical style, shaking with hate and violence, interspersed with passages of deep sentimentality as the author rhapsodises to himself about the mystical beauty of the German landscape and its noble, simple-hearted peoples. Apart from its autobiographical sections, the discovery by a small Austrian boy of his ‘Germanism’, Mein Kampf contains three principal elements, the foundation stones, walls and pediment of a remarkably strong paranoid structure. First, there are Hitler’s views on history and race, a quasi-biological system which under-pins the whole basis of his political thought and explains almost every action he ever committed. Second, there are his views on the strict practicalities of politics and the seizure of power, methods of political organisation and propaganda. Third, there are his views on the political future of the united Germanies, its expansionist foreign policy and general attitude to the world around it. The overall tone of Mein Kampf can be seen from Hitler’s original title for the testament: A Four and a Half Years Struggle Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice: A Reckoning with the Destroyers of the Nazi Party Movement. It was the publisher, Max Amann, who suggested the shorter and far less revealing Mein Kampf, and what a sigh he must have breathed when Hitler agreed. Hitler’s own title would have been far too much of a giveaway, reminding the readers of the real sources of Hitler’s anti-semitic and racialist notions. Reading Hitler’s paranoid rantings against the Jews, one is constantly struck by the biological rather than political basis of his entire thought and personality. His revulsion against the Jews was physical, like his reaction against any peoples, such as the Slavs and Negroes, whose physique, posture, morphology and pigmentation alerted some screaming switchboard of insecurity within his own mind. What is interesting is the language in which he chose to describe these obsessions – primarily faecal, one assumes, from his endless preoccupa-tion with ‘cleanliness’. Rather than use economic, social or political arguments against the Jews, Hitler concentrated almost solely on this inflated biological rhetoric. By dispensing with any need to rationalise his prejudices, he was able to tap an area of far deeper unease and uncertainty, and one more-over which his followers would never care to expose too fully to the light of day. In the unanswerable logic of psychopathology, the Jews became the scapegoats for all the terrors of toilet-training and weaning. The constant repetition of the words ‘filth’, ‘vileness’, ‘abscess’, ‘hostile’, ‘shudder’, endlessly reinforce these long- repressed feelings of guilt and desire. In passing, it is curious to notice that Hitler’s biological interpretations of history have a number of striking resemblances to those of Desmond Morris. In both writers one finds the same reliance on the analogy of the lower mammals, on a few basic formulas of behaviour such as ‘struggle’, ‘competition’, ‘defence of territory’. There is the same simple schematic view of social relationships, the same highly generalised assertions about human behaviour that are presented as proven facts. Hitler talks without definition of ‘lower races’ in the same way that Morris refers to ‘primitive societies’ and ‘simple communities’. Both are writing for half-educated people whose ideas about biology and history come from popular newspaper and encyclopaedia articles, and whose interest in these subjects is a barely transparent cover for uneasy fantasies about their own bodies and emotions. In this preface, the translator of Mein Kampf describes it as written in the style of a self-educated modern South German with a talent for oratory. In this respect Hitler was one of the rightful inheritors of the 20th century – the epitome of the half-educated man. Wandering about the streets of Vienna shortly before the first World War, his head full of vague artistic yearnings and clap-trap picked up from popular magazines, whom does he most closely resemble? Above all, Leopold Bloom, his ostensible arch-enemy, wandering around Joyce’s Dublin at about the same time, his head filled with the same clap-trap and the same yearnings. Both are the children of the reference library and the self-improvement manual, of mass newspapers creating a new vocabulary of violence and sensation. Hitler was the half-educated psychopath inheriting the lavish communications systems of the 20th century. Forty years after his first abortive seizure of power he was followed by another unhappy misfit, Lee Harvey Oswald, in whose Historic Diary we see the same attempt by the half-educated to grapple with the information overflow that threatened to drown him.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Black People and Tone

Tone is the attitude a writer has about a topic. For example, a tone might be serious, sarcastic, respectful, or unsympathetic. A writer establishes tone through choice of words and details. Directions: Zora Neale Hurston creates a strong tone when she writes about race in this essay. In the second column of the chart, list key word choices and details from the essay that reflect her attitude for each topic. Describe her tone in the third column. Then answer the question that follows. Topic| Word Choices and Details| Tone| Growing up in a town with only African-Americans| She knew no other and just thought it was normal. Laid back,normal| White people visiting Eatonville| NorthernersWhites would just pass thru| Exciting, actors| The difference between Eatonville and Jacksonville| Eatonville was only blacks and Jacksonville was predominantly white with colors being a minority. | Solemn and lonely| The lasting effects of slavery in the United States| People reminding her that she is a granddaughter of slaves| Depressed | How African-Americans and white people respond differently to music| African-Americans feel more depth and soul. It is real they have lived it and white people look for more classical to relax and just enjoy. respectful| What is the overall tone of Hurston’s essay? What point does Hurston make by choosing this tone to discuss the subject of race? Is Hurston’s tone appropriate and effective for her topic? Explain. I believe her tone was excited about her younger years and the fun of just being a kid and knowing nothing about race or discrimination. Towards the end it became more solemn. But she was wrong by no means. Her talk and expression was regulated by her story telling. She only told about her situation and what she experienced. I really enjoyed it.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Analysis Of The Cuban Missile Crisis History Essay

Analysis Of The Cuban Missile Crisis History Essay Introduction The Cuban Missile Crisis was an event occurred in October 1962 when the USA detected that the USSR had deployed medium range missiles in Cuba, which was ninety miles away from Florida. It was the period that the cold war reached its peak because of the possible confrontation between the two superpowers, the US and the USSR, at the time. The Cuban Missiles Crisis was a very important part of the world history because of the risk of nuclear war that could lead to the destruction of the world. Therefore, it is very fascinating to identify what happen before the crisis, the causes, the actual events in the crisis, and the impacts of the crisis (Rich 2003, 416-428). Prior to the Crisis The Cuban Revolution, began in 1956, was the outcome of extensive economic oppression of Cuba by the USA. During Batista’s, the ruthless ruler of Cuba, regime, Cuba per capita income was twice greater than other countries in general. The Cuban economy was controlled by the USA, which ow ned 90% of Cuba’s telephone and electronic services, 50% of Cuba’s railway, and 40% of Cuba’s sugar production (Johnson 1965,p 443). Furthermore, the USA put a very strict controlled on Cuban sugar production. The USA also controlled Cuban import quota, divided lands in to estates, and forced the Cuban farmers to grow monoculture crop, which was sugar (Dye thus, Cuba’s per capital income was the highest in Latin America (Johnson 1965, p. 445). However, the distribution of wealth was not equally distributed. The majority of people were illiterate, and the mortality rate was very high because the health care system was not extended to the poor in the rural areas, who remained in poverty (Mabry 2003). Furthermore, Batista was a corrupted dictator, and a pro western ruler. These political and economic oppressions from Batiste and the USA inspired Fidel Castro, the charismatic revolution leader, to revolt for reforms (Rich 2003, p. 417). Between 1956 to 1959, Fidel Castro, Ernesto Che Guevera, and his younger brother Rual used the tactic Guerilla warfare to fight against Batista’s army at Mount Sierra Maestra in Cuba where he gained support from the local framers. The guerrilla warfare proved to be successful. On January 1959, Castro and his troops were able to overthrown Batista and his government. After the overthrown of Batista government, Fidel Castro set up a shadow government consisted of major Cuban political figures. Still, the majority of power was in the hand of Castro. When the shadow government failed to put forward his reforms, he dismissed them, and took control of the government as he appointed himself Cuba’s prime minister (Rich 2003, p 418). Two months after the victory of the Guerrilla force, Castro paid his first visit to the USA where his story was romanticized by the media. He was supposed to have a meeting with Eisenhower; however, the President refused to have a meeting with him, and went to the golf court. He was accommodated by Nixon, who was the vice president at that time. During the meeting, he refused to accept USA financial support because he believed that it would continue the USA influence in Cuba. After Castro visited the USA, the relation between the USA and Cuba began to decline (Rich 2003, 419). One month after the visit, Fidel Castro began his reforms. He nationalized Cuban lands, cattle ranch, bank, railroads, oil, and other utilities, which were once owned by the USA (Perez 2011, p. 230-231).

Friday, September 27, 2019

Natural disasters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Natural disasters - Essay Example In the light of this, we shall assess the discrepancies in heads like frequency of these various disasters in two regions of the US, Los Angeles and Oklahoma City and deaths caused by these disasters. Moreover we shall look upon the measures taken by the respective governments for the natural disasters and how it differs. Comparison of rehabilitation process and Insurance coverage aftermath of these disasters in these regions shall also be discussed. The Northridge earthquake occurred on January 17, 1994 at 4:31 AM Pacific Standard Time in the city of Los Angeles, California. The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.7, but the ground acceleration was the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America.(1) Seventy-two people died as a result of the earthquake and over 11,000 were injured. In addition, the earthquake caused an estimated $12.5 billion in damage, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. An earthquake emerged in Sylmar, a surrounding region of Los Angeles and hit the Greater Los Angeles and California caused the fatalities of 67 and overall damage of $ 5, 000, 00,000.(2) About a dozen earthquakes have been felt in Oklahoma City. ... The most notable and largest of these occurred on 1952 April 09. This earthquake was centered between El Reno and Minco in Canadian Co.Its magnitude was 5.50. Moreover an earthquake of a ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Northridge Earthquake Southern California Earthquake Data Center, October 6, 2006 2. abc7. com Anniversary of Deadly Northridge Quake.. 2007-07-08. 2 magnitude 2.2 was felt in scattered locations in Oklahoma City and Edmond and surrounding area. Oklahoma City has faced another earthquake (Oklahoma Earthquake) on 16 December 2001 whose origin time was 08:21:42 UTC/GMT and Latitude and Longitude were 35.643degrees N, 95.571degrees W respectively had its depth 5.0 km. and its magnitude was 2.2 m3HZ (3) Tornado Okalahoma city It's generally defined as the area of the United States in which tornadoes are most frequent. When high frequency of strong and violent tornadoes (F2 or stronger on the Fujita scale) and relative consistency of the season from year to year are used as criteria, tornado alley would include northern Texas, most of Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, as well as eastern portions of Colorado and South Dakota.The tornadoes that hit Oklahoma City and the surrounding area on May 3, 1999, had the fastest winds ever recorded on the planet: 318 miles per hour. The number of people who died from this disaster, were 44.The overall damage was $1, 500, 000,000.(4) Los Angeles With 42 tornadoes, Los Angeles County ranks as the tornado capital of the state, five of which was ranked as

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Business Environment and Investment Climate Coursework

Business Environment and Investment Climate - Coursework Example There are other alternatives to a market system that human societies have tried in the past and which turned out worse in the long run in several respects, such as allocating scarce resources or fully satisfying the needs of the people. One alternative that failed is the market in a command-and-control economy which existed in communist countries until the early 1990s, where the government bureaucracy determined the types, prices, and quantities to be sold. The government commanded companies to produce what it thought the market would buy. This worked for a time, but in the long run the goods turned out to be of poor quality, and the people tired of consuming the same items (food, cars, television sets, or clothes). Producers were not motivated to improve the quality of their goods, because they did not enjoy marginal benefits from doing so since the government dictated the price, and therefore the profits that could be earned. Without such incentives, productivity collapsed. When these economies were closed, government allocated scarce resources depending on what they thought the market wanted. ... Without such incentives, productivity collapsed. When these economies were closed, government allocated scarce resources depending on what they thought the market wanted. It turned out that instead of putting resources to best use, these were being wasted as resources were used to produce goods the market did not want to buy. In a market system that is "relatively" free, where buyers and sellers dictate the price and quantity of each good bought or sold, each party has an incentive to get the best value. Buyers want to pay as low as possible, whilst sellers want to get the highest profit for their good. Each tries to beat the market. Millions of goods bought and sold means there are millions of pricing and quantity decisions made by buyers and sellers. This is the so-called market mechanism, an "invisible hand" that guides decision-making freely so that scarce resources are eventually utilised efficiently. In the market system, the prices and quantities of goods bought and sold reach a point of equilibrium where just enough goods are bought and sold at a certain price, and when prices or quantities change, the supply and demand of goods change with it. What is the relation of a market system to the investment climate If the market system operates relatively freely, then investors can make their own decisions as to how many to produce and what price to charge. Investors want to make profits, and they do not want anyone other than the buyers of the goods to dictate at what price they can sell and how many to sell. In general, they prefer that they enter markets where they can compete on the basis of price and quality,

Commercial Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Commercial Law - Essay Example If the organization decides that they want a refund of their money or the leather, then they are a few steps to be followed. First and fore most, since the organization has already been notified that the company is being liquidated, they automatically become a trustee1. This is in relation to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. In the United Kingdom, the law that is responsible for dealing with both individuals and firms that face bankruptcy or insolvency is the Insolvency Law of the United Kingdom. There are key statutes that are involved in the bankruptcy and insolvency act. These include the Insolvency act 1986 which was amended by the Enterprise Act 2002, the Companies Act 2006 and the Company Director Disqualification Act 19862. The pari passu is the essential procedure that dictates how the goods will be distributed among the creditors in the UK insolvency law. Unless the statute displays preferred creditors, then a contract might be used that was signed between the organization and the creditor3. Since the Leather Craft knows where their goods lie, and they have been automatically declared as creditors, the contract they signed will assist them in the process. This means that the security interests to the assets of the company are entitled to the creditor. In this case, the approach that the law of UK takes is to give out either specific or fixed asset that the creditor has applied for. Situated at the Companies House, the law requires the interested assets of the company are filed on the companies charges of register. Leather craft must provide a debenture. Debenture simply means that the document which contains either the secured or unsecured debt owed by the company to their creditors4. Although the companies Act of 2006 requires the organization to have its own list of debentures, the Companies House requires all the debentures, which are secured by charge, be registered with them5. The main aim of the registration is to find out which company should be given first priority in the list of creditors. First, the Leather Craft companies must decide whether they can make an agreement with the company, which is voluntary on how to receive their dues. If they want a refund, they can agree with the board of directors for the Cattlerear Ltd if they can receive less in order to assist the company from insolvency6. Consequently, since the required goods are in the warehouse and they have already paid for them, they can agree to possess up the goods that are in the warehouse. In addition to that, if the company goes under new administration, this is according to the Enterprise Act of 2002 in which a trained insolvency practitioner will take up as new administration7. If this happens, since the specific goods that the Leather Craft industry wants are in the warehouse, they can agree with the new Cattlerear ltd administrator to have their goods, which are located in the warehouse. However, if none of these procedures are taken up, then all t he assets of the companies can be sold and the Leather Craft industry can have their refund back if they do not want the leather that the Cattlerear has which is located in their warehouse. This is after the Leather Craft Industry has completed either forms that display that they owe the company the goods and that they want a refund of their money back or their goods in which they are aware they are located in the warehouse. It should be noted that if a qualified insolvency prac

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Touman Model Argument about the Environment Term Paper - 1

Touman Model Argument about the Environment - Term Paper Example The environment is becoming worse with each passing day; there are several factors that are responsible towards the degradation of our environment. Some of the most factors that need to be worked upon are pollution, disposal of waste material in an unorganized way and in addition to this there are many more factors that need our immediate attention. This paper will throw light upon the Toulmin model argument and in addition to this what specific actions should Christians take regarding the environment will also be will also be provided in this paper. The ozone layer is depleting with each passing day and this is a very disturbing environmental issue, this means that human race will shortly come to an end should it not be dealt with properly. The ozone layer is pivotal when it comes to the survival of human beings, it protects us from harmful radiations emitted by the sun and its deterioration is a very big cause of worry for the human race. An Insight on Toulmin Model of Argument Stephen Toulmin was a British Philosopher and in addition to this, he was also a realist who developed a model of argument which will be incorporated in this paper. He divided any argument into six most important sections.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Discussion questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Discussion questions - Essay Example Merchandise inventory is the asset of the business and records movement in the cost of inventory and reports opening and ending inventory value held by the business. Entry into this journal is a debit entry whereas exist from this is a credit entry. This records the cost of purchase include suppliers price plus freight costs and insurance. Whereas, cost of merchandise sold is the cost of the business charged against revenues. Cost of merchandise is calculated as beginning inventory plus purchases less closing inventory. Journal entries to record the transaction would be as follows: a. Gross profit is calculated by deducting the cost of sales (merchandise) from the revenues generated by the business. Revenues are typically cost of sales plus the profit margin decided by the business. a. The role of accounting is not limited to recording of transactions but it is an integral part of planning and strategy development carried out by businesses. Assembling data generated by different business functions in order to summarize and report information pertaining to the business condition is primary task of the accounting function. Accounting is therefore considered as a series of processes which generate different information for various use including financial information, managerial information, cost information, and information for tax purposes (Warren, Reeve, & Duchac, 2012). Weygandt, J. J., Kimmel, P. D., & Kieso, D. E. (2010). Financial Accounting, Study Guide. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from McGraw Hill:

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Spirituality in Organizational Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Spirituality in Organizational Strategy - Essay Example Senior leaders of the organization should be able to embrace it strategically and use it as a determinant of organizational performance. A leader should have emotional intelligence which will help support the spirituality of an organization. Casey claims that if a leader does not have emotional intelligence, it will be hard for him of her to embrace spirituality in his organization (34-46). Recently, there has been a major debate on business and spirituality, where many leaders have advocated for a link between issues of the soul and corporate success. However, there is some irony in this spirituality and business juxtaposition if a leader decides to reflect upon the signs of corporate scandals that have been brought by multiple legal and ethical lapses that occur in any organization. However, one would be cynical to think that spirituality phenomenon is a reason of many contradictions in organizations. This paper aims to explain why spirituality in an organization is strategically i mportant and how leaders can use it as a determinant of organizational performance. Leaders often doubt spirituality that is used outside any religious meetings, and therefore, this paper will discuss useful objectives that can be internalized into an organization strategy and how organizational leadership can affect their success. A leader is someone who is capable of influencing his followers to behave or think the same way. Spirit on the other hand, can be defined as a vital force within living beings. If we combine the two terms, it suggests that a leader is someone who can understand and seek out his inner self as well as fosters the same meaning to his employees. Srivastra asserts that spirituality in leadership is an approach in leadership where a leader will strive to influence a sense of interconnectedness and significance among his employees (45-67). Spirituality in leadership therefore, involves principles and spiritual values in the workplace. If a leader is spiritual he will understand the significance of employees finding meaning in the work, which demonstrate a genuine concern for the particular person and not just workers. Spirituality in leadership will help assist employees find meaning in their duties by addressing important questions like the great purpose of their work as well as the worth of their work. Additionally, it will help them in defining their ethical values and principles, legacy and who they are in the organization. Therefore, a spiritual leader will try hard to make his workplace a community, consisting of employees with shared beliefs, values and traditions. Such leadership will also focus more diversity and transformation, rather than on people and power as well as controlling. It will also focus on inspiration and collaboration (Nandam 23-46). However, this does not mean that being a spiritual leader, a leader should adhere to a particular religion or attempt to convince his employees to pursue specific religious set of pri nciples. It is concerned more with the growth of the workers as an individual person, people who show off their compassion to their customers, superiors, employees and subordinates (Bubna 34-88). Spirituality in an organization is important because the employers in the workplace will be able to find the meaning of their lives. In the world today, most of the employees look up to their workplace as one of the ways of defining their lives as well as give meaning to their lives that is torn apart by modern way of living. For example, back then people lived as close knit family, including their extended family, but the world today has changed because nuclear family is not enough to give an employee emotional support and

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Hamburger and Wendy Essay Example for Free

Hamburger and Wendy Essay Executive Summary Wendys offers a variety of fast food. The food selection ranges from hamburgers, French fries, salads, chicken, potatoes, and chili. Wendys income is based on the sale of fast food. The demand of Wendys service is highly elastic. A change in price will affect demand for products. Wendys market structure is an oligopoly and has two main competitors; McDonalds and Burger King. In an oligopoly, the market is dominated by a few large producers of a homogeneous or differentiated product. Because of their fewness, oligopolies have considerable control over their prices, but each must consider the possible reaction of rivals to its own pricing, output, and advertising decisions (McConnell Brue, 2005). Since there are many substitutes, Wendys has to be willing to keep their prices and quality of food relative to competitors. McDonalds and Burger King offer substitutes to Wendys food. Advertising and promotional offers can help Wendys stay competitive. Wendys also has to be observant of economic trends. Raises in inflation and food costs will affect the demand for fast food. However, inflation and food costs should also affect McDonalds and Burger King. Therefore, Wendys market share should not be affected if they raise prices collectively with McDonalds and Burger King. In the future, there is a chance for a healthy fast food restaurant to enter the market. Society is leaning towards a more health conscience population and the fast food industry will have to adjust. Wendys and its competitors currently offer salads. Wendys should consider offering healthier menu items and increase advertising to gain market share. Investing in advanced technology will also keep Wendys competitive. More technology will result in higher productivity and lower average total cost. Description of Utility of the Good or Service Wendys is a fast food restaurant that provides an alternative to home cooked meals. The convenience of their products is not a necessity but can be considered as a luxury. In the past, women were not in the work force and stayed home to tend to household chores. Chores included tending to the children, cooking and cleaning. In the twentieth century, women had begun working outside of the home. In addition, there has been an increase with single-parent homes. The work day has also increased in hours. These factors have increased the demand for an alternative to home cooked meals. Wendys offers fast food at an affordable rate. Time that would have been spent in the kitchen can now be spent with family or running errands. Fast food also serves as an alternative to traditional restaurants that seat customers and offer full course meals. The meals offered at traditional establishments are priced higher than fast food restaurants. In addition, the time spent at a traditional restaurant is significantly more than time spent getting food at a fast food restaurant. For added convenience, most fast food restaurants offer seating for customers who wish to dine-in. Description of Substitutes and/or Complementary Products Wendys competes in local, regional, national, and international markets. Wendys mainly competes with Burger King and McDonalds on all market levels. Burger King and McDonalds offer the same types of foods as Wendys. Each fast food chain, however, offers something that the others do not. For instance, Burger King and McDonalds sell fish sandwiches all year, while Wendys only sells fish during Lent. On the other hand, Wendys offers chili while Burger King and McDonalds only sell chili in certain markets, or not at all. Wendys doesnt offer many complimentary items. Items sold at Wendys can be eaten alone or with other products. French fries usually complement sandwiches but can be eaten alone. Wendys offer a combination meal that includes a sandwich, fries and a drink since the items are usually purchased together. With the change in culture to a more health conscience environment, Wendys allows side salads as a substitute for French fries. In the immediate future, there may be a chance for a healthy fast food restaurant to enter the market. In general, the oligopolies in the food industry have large marketing budgets that hinder others from entering into the market. In addition, the members of the oligopoly can begin a price war to deter other entrants into the industry. However, it is conceivable that a healthy fast food restaurant may emerge in the near future. The fast food industry may have difficulties advertising against a healthy fast food restaurant, since the current culture is health conscience. Price Elasticity of Demand The price elasticity of demand is relatively elastic. If McDonalds and Burger King have promotional sales and Wendys does not follow suit, the demand curve for Wendys food will shift to the left, reflecting a decrease in demand. Due to the decrease in demand, Wendys will have more supply than usual. The supply curve will shift to the right. On the other hand, if Wendys raised the price on their food and other competitor prices remain the same, demand for Wendys food will decrease. Another factor of demand for Wendys food comes from a healthier culture. The shift in society has been to a more health conscience population. Demand for fast food had decreased as a result of high fat content in many of the foods. Wendys can adjust to a decrease in demand by increasing promotions and advertising. Having a promotional low-fat sandwich and extensive advertising will result in the demand curve shifting to the right. Another method to counteract a decrease in demand is to offer reduced prices for popular selling items. For example, Wendys could offer fifty cent junior cheeseburgers for a two week period. This type of promotion will get consumers back into Wendys and should boost the sell of French fries, since the two are usually sold together. To counteract the demand for a healthy fast food restaurant, Wendys will have to promote healthy items. Wendys has taken steps to include nutritional facts on their website and offer healthy menu items. They have increased their selection of salads and have collaborated with the American Diabetes Association to help familys select menu items for a healthier lifestyle (www. wendys. com). Advertising healthier menu items is an important part of countering restaurants that offer health food. Issues that Affect Consumer Demand and Price. Oligopolies are affected by the price competitors charge for similar products. The market share should remain constant if oligopolies collectively increase or decrease prices for similar products. Issues that affect consumer demand for fast food include changes in national, regional, and local economic conditions, consumer preferences and spending patterns, demographic trends, consumer perceptions of food safety, weather, traffic patterns, the type, number and location of competing restaurants (www. wendys-invest. com). For instance, fast food on highways and toll roads are priced higher than residential areas. The higher price can be charged on the roads and will not affect demand because travelers have few substitutes and will pay the higher price. Residents, on the other hand, can cook at home and have more substitutes than a traveler. The same is true for demographics. A restaurant in a metro area with a higher cost of living will have prices higher than a restaurant that is not located in a metro area. Demand for the higher priced items will not decrease because the cost of living is higher. The location of competitors will greatly affect price and demand. If there are many substitutes available, consumers will not buy an expensive product. In an oligopoly, a company has to be aware of competitors prices and predict what impact their own prices will have on competitors. The previously mentioned issues will continue to affect Wendys in the future. Wendys should remain competitive if their prices remain relative to their competitors. Wendys has to remain aware of the location of immediate competitors and competitors prices. Cost Component Factors such as inflation, food costs, legal claims, labor costs and benefit costs, affect administrative expenses (www. wendys-invest. com). Labor and Benefit costs are minimal expenses for Wendys compared to other industries. Wendys usually pays minimum wage and the majority of its employees are part-time. Therefore, benefits costs are low. Wendys is affected by inflation and food costs. However, the benefit that an oligopoly affords Wendys is they can expect competitors to react to increase inflation and food costs, as well. Increased prices should be realized by all competitors. Technology and productivity are indirectly proportional to average total cost. By increasing technology, productivity will increase. For example, a large grill will allow multiple hamburger orders to be processed at one time. Productivity increases for hamburgers. As a result, the average total cost to process on sandwich decreases. Wendys also has incorporated an automatic coin changer. This allows the coin portion of a customers change to be automatically dispensed by the register. Cashiers no longer have to count out someones change. This reduces processing time and allows for more customers to be served. In the future, inflation, food costs, legal claims, labor costs and benefit costs will continue to be a cost for the fast food industry. Advanced technology can aide in faster processing of customers and free up monies allocated for labor. For example, robotic arms can process all orders for fries. The culture has evolved into a ? get rich quick society. Frivolous law suits can pose as an added expense in the future, as well. The time and effort to investigate and disprove claims can be expensive. Wendys was recently involved in a severed finger scandal. Wendys official state that Wendys quarterly earnings fell nearly $2 million dollars after the scam (www. money. cnn. com). Market Structure Component. Wendys is an oligopoly. An oligopoly is a market structure that contains few large sellers. Most likely, there are barriers to enter the industry. The sellers have interdependence in pricing and output decisions. Oligopolies consider responses of rivals in pricing decisions. Strategies for pricing and output decisions include retaliatory pricing and advertising (McConnell Brue, 2005). Retaliatory pricing is one strategy that may govern how Wendys reacts to anothers price and output decision. Wendys can sale their sandwiches for a lower price than McDonalds and Burger King. However, Wendys could lose money by slashing prices and may have to raise prices or layoff employees to compensate for lost monies. Price slashing may work as an immediate competition tool, but should not be a long term solution for competing. Advertising is another strategy that governs how Wendys can compete with anothers price and output decision. Advertising can be more effective than price matching. By providing information about competing goods, advertising diminishes monopoly power and results in greater economic efficiency. Successful advertising can boost demand, lower long run average total cost due to increased output, and enable firms to enjoy economies of scale, (Muryn, n. d. ). Successful advertising campaigns may also raise the cost of entry to potential competitors. In the future, Wendys has to be more health conscience. McDonalds and Burger King are making advances towards healthier menu items. To stay competitive, Wendys should make more strides to display healthy menu items. Some of the advertising budget has to be directed toward health conscience consumers. Promotional campaigns should introduce the public to healthier items offered by Wendys. The market share for Wendys should remain competitive with the introduction of healthy menu items. Conclusion Wendys is an oligopoly that competes with McDonalds and Burger King. Demand is relatively elastic. To stay competitive, Wendys must stay aware of the competitions prices, location and menu items. Wendys should also know what current economic trends, costs, and societal shifts affect demand for their product. Wendys should use increased advertising as a long term tool to stay competitive. References CNN (2005). Wendys Frosty, Retrieved May 15, 2005 from http://www. money. cnn. com/2005/05/10/news/midcaps/wendys_frosty McConnell R. C. , Brue S. L. (2005). Economics principles, problems, and policies, 16th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Muryn, Jack (n. d. ). ch25. ECO 204, Retrieved May 26, 2005, from http://www. washington. uwc. edu Wendys (2005). Eating Better Together, Retrieved May 30, 2005 from http://www. wendys. com/food/US_nutrition_topics. jsp Wendys-invest (2005). Safe Harbor Statement, Retrieved May 30, 2005 from http://www. wendys-invest. com/safeharbor.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Literature Review Of Greenhouse Farming Technology Environmental Sciences Essay

Literature Review Of Greenhouse Farming Technology Environmental Sciences Essay This chapter presents a review of the literature on the topic of challenges faced when introducing greenhouse farming technology for agriculture. The chapter is structured on the basis of the research questions: Awareness of the product and its advantages to the farmers, challenges faced by farmers, legal issues surrounding this new technology and challenges faced by the firm introducing this new technology. Information is the key to making sound decisions. Some farmers are unaware of the availability of a suitable machine, tool, or implement that could aid in their usually tedious work. They might be secluded from the technology by natural barriers and sociopolitical boundaries, Paras et al. (2005). He goes on further to say sadly enough, some farmers are even lackadaisical and seemingly uninterested in mechanization. According to Weiderhold (2007), Industry is rarely ready to accept an innovation when it first presented. There are many reasons for lack of acceptance: the two major ones he cites are: The innovation is not understood by industry because, as a byproduct of the innovation new terms have been defined. The innovation is understood or at least understandable, but there are no resources at that time to try to develop and market the innovation According to Hammond et al (2005) the major barriers to improving food and nutrition security include issues dealing with farming practices, farmers ignorance of sustainable actions to take, and variations in the weather. Over-cropping takes place, which leaves the land choked, degraded, and often infertile. Farmers often grow the wrong crops in the wrong places causing low rates of crop growth and problems with soil degradation. Droughts cause problems because virtually none of the small subsistence farms have other ways of irrigating crops other than the rain. Also, in some areas, nonstop rain drowns fields and farms. Erosion has carried away much of Kenyas fertile topsoil. Searles (2007) states that a subsistence farmer in Kenya, which is the main target market for the greenhouses, cannot produce crops on a large scale if he does not know how to do so. It is hard to prevent problems such as soil erosion and degradation without knowing what to do to stop it. One also cannot eat enough if they do not know how much enough is or other things such as what foods provide how much energy. Also, one cannot eat enough nutritious foods if one does not know what foods are high in certain needed nutrients. There is also the problem of sheer lack of enough food. If a family farm was educated on how to grow enough food to eat as well as sell they would have enough income in order to meet their needs by purchasing food and other things. She also stresses that there has been little effort towards education of the family farmers. In the cities there are resources available in order to educate a farmer but it is not accessible to many rural citizens. There has been no centralized effort to educate the majority of farmers on sustainable development issues. 2.2.2 Limited-Resource Farmers According to the UNDAF (2008) Poverty, especially income poverty, remains one of the most formidable challenges for Kenyans today. Over 45% of Kenyas population still lives in poverty, with some 12.6 million of the estimated 33 million population living below the poverty line of less than one dollar a day. Rural communities, especially those in ASAL (Arid and Semi Arid Lands) areas and those in informal urban settlements, are the most affected. Most of the rural poor in Kenya (75% of poor households) depend on agriculture for their livelihoods (United Nations Development Assistance Framework [UNDAF], 2008) Each farm is fairly small, producing enough food to feed the family and some to sell. There are main crops grown in larger fields while smaller fields exist to grow smaller amounts but larger varieties of foods for the family to eat. Only 17% of Kenyas consumed food is imported to the country and that is mostly for the upper class citizens. With 64% of the people living in rural areas, and 80% of these practicing subsistence farming or cattle herding, the situation of food insecurity is severe. The people living in the urban areas are those that raise the general standards per capita with wage income and calorie consumption. Those in the rural areas, in general, receive less than the average of the per capita measurements. This means that nearly 52% of the population does not earn enough money, eat a well-balanced diet, or receive enough calories. Each person in the country is falling about 115 calories short of the average requirement human beings each day. The average income of each person is very low on the global scale and does not provide for many needed or very helpful supplies in the home or food wise. The poor in Kenya also receive less protein and other nutrients needed for good health. 2.2.3 Reluctance, Resistance to Change and Risk Aversion Experience indicates that Kenyan farmers are generally reluctant to changes in their farming activities for this is their way of life. They have the wait-and-see attitude. Although many farmers are very much open to new ideas and technology, there are more farmers who would first want to see a working model or system before they follow the lead states the Kenya-Advisor (2009). Like any new technology, greenhouse technology faces some of the same market problems as other innovations where few people would be willing to try out a new product. We can use the Rogers adoption model to better understand this concept. According to Popelka, Terryn, et al. (2004) the technology adoption lifecycle model describes the adoption or acceptance of a new product or innovation, according to the demographic and psychological characteristics of defined adopter groups. The process of adoption over time is typically illustrated as a classical normal distribution or bell curve. The model indicates that the first group of people to use a new product is called innovators, followed by early adopters. Next come the early and late majority, and the last group to eventually adopt a product are called laggards. According to Knowler, B. Bradshaw (2007) we can see from the model that most people (68%), fall under early majority or late majority, meaning that most people would be unwilling to try out new innovative products such as greenhouse farming because they are uncertain of its success. Diagram according to Knowler, B. Bradshaw (2007). 2.2.4 Lack of Training from Extension Personnel Extension is the battlefront of technology transfer. The people involved in extension must not only be technically updated but must also possess good management and interpersonal skills. With so much on their shoulders, most of them might be lacking the capability to integrate the greenhouse technology into the total farming system. According to Wilson, T.A., (2005) Efforts have been made in Kenya to improve on the policy framework for extension services. In this regard a National Agricultural Sector Extension Policy (NASEP) has been formulated and aims at giving extension a sector-wide dimension and representation to take over from the current National Agriculture Extension Policy (NAEP). It is also to guide and regulate the provision of agricultural extension service in the country. Currently, the NASEP implementation framework is being prepared. 2.2.5 Lack of Education According to the nation encyclopedia (2009) Seventy-four percent of children in Kenya attend primary school, but only 24% move on to secondary school. Kenya has an 82% literacy rate. Children of impoverished subsistence farms often do not attend school due to the necessity of their help on the farms. The more money a family has the higher likelihood the children will attend school. There are public schools in both urban and rural areas for the children to attend. There are fewer schools in rural areas than in urban and many in the rural areas are not the highest quality. 64% of the population is located in rural areas. Rural poor are at a great disadvantage to receiving education. They have little money to find needed resources for knowledge and live far from cities where that knowledge would be available. Urban poor are at a disadvantage, but much less than rural, because they are near the information. The poor also cannot afford to spread the knowledge to other farmers and cannot afford to attend college which would give adequate information on sustainable development. Even some in urban areas may have no access to information about sustainable practices because there are no libraries or institutions of higher learning in the cities. There is more education for subsistence farmers occurring in Kenya, but not on a large scale. According to John Makeni (2009) Kenyans have been offered education on expansion of horticulture and access to credit and business services by USAID, which has led to a small increase in rural incomes. USAID has also trained 6,350 teachers in the Northeastern and Coast Provinces in order to educate children in public schools in those areas, which will give the young a base of information to draw from. This may help with sustainable development in the future. USAID is helping communities manage their resources in more sustainable ways. The program set up by USAID focuses on community-based wildlife management, forestry and environmental management, and coastal zone management. 770,000 hectares of land are being put under improved management, $652,000 U.S. dollars in revenues from nature-based businesses has been earned, and 1,200 new jobs have been created to deal with the many issues. Parliament has enacted an environmental bill and is working on a land policy review process and fore stry and wildlife bill. 2.3 Government The greenhouse farming technology for agriculture is relatively new in Kenya and there is very little if any legislation available. This section of the paper will therefore review legislation from countries that have laws on greenhouses and their impact on the adoption of the greenhouse technology in those countries. 2.3.1 Role of Government in Agricultural Technology transfer Agricultural technologies and knowledge have, until recently, largely been created and disseminated by public institutions. But over the past two decades, biotechnology for agricultural production has developed rapidly, and the world economy has become more globalised and liberalised. This has boosted private investment in agricultural research and technology, exposing agriculture in developing countries to international markets and the influence of multinational corporations. But the public sector still has a role to play, particularly in managing the new knowledge, supporting research to fill any remaining gaps, promoting and regulating private companies, and ensuring their effects on the environment are adequately assessed. According to P. Marenya, C. Barret (2007) Since the end of World War II, the public sector of developed countries has helped transfer agricultural technologies to developing countries. During this period, most developing countries in Latin America and Africa, as well as some countries in Asia (like India and Thailand), have depended heavily on agricultural production to support their economies. So general development activities were often aimed at modernising the agricultural sector. Still P. Marenya (2007) continues that, since the late 1970s, all this has changed. Technologies have become embodied in physical products, like farm machinery or agrochemicals. Exponential growth in such industries has led to a rapid expansion of private firms that create, manufacture and sell technology. Private firms have also seen opportunities to profit by using complex seed improvement research to create and then distribute new crop hybrids. And so, the role of the public sector has also had to change. 2.3.2 Early technology transfer in agriculture: a public sector activity According to C. Doss (2006) After World War II, the United States began a number of initiatives to build up agricultural science in developing countries and help transfer technology. US universities offered training programmes, for example through scholarships for international students, managed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA, the US Agency for International Development and some of the major US foundations, like Ford and Rockefeller, also supported university libraries in developing countries to help scientists access new research. Many of these activities had enormous effects in the developing world. For example, a Ford Foundation programme in Argentina supported close to 40 PhD students, creating a cadre of professionals in the country and consolidating agricultural economic analysis in local institutions like the National Institute for Agricultural Technology. According to J. Oehmke, E. Crawford (1993) In the early 1960s, the International Rice Research Institute and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) were formed in the Philippines and Mexico respectively. These two centres evolved into a network of independent research institutions in Columbia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Syria and the United States. In 1971, the association of donors that supported the research centres became the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and the 15 institutions that exist today are known as the Future Harvest Agricultural Research Centres. Piniero (2005) states that, developing countries created National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) to do applied research. In Latin America, all countries, with the exception of El Salvador and Paraguay, have such an organisation. There are also similar organisations in Kenya and Uganda in Africa, and India and Pakistan in Asia. Evenson and Gollin (2003) International research centres developed technologies for major global food crops such as rice, wheat, corn, cassava, potatoes, millets and beans. National research institutes used applied research to adjust these technologies to fit relevant ecological and production conditions. The national and international centres worked closely together, sharing training and frequently involving scientists from both sides in visits and seminars. National centres then provided advice and counselling to local farmers, diffusing the new knowledge into the countrys production system. This system worked especially well for disseminating improved crops and new production techniques. For example, plant breeding work at CIMMYT developed a new family of wheat varieties in the early 1970s that were being used by more than 80 per cent of all wheat areas by the late 1990s, Evenson and Gollin (2003). And the research institutes set up during the 1960s and 1970s in the developing world were largely responsible for substantially increasing yields. For example, global cereal yields doubled between 1960 and 1985, Conway (1997). Technology is still transferred to developing countries this way, but recently, public funding for agricultural research has diminished, and science has grown more complex. 2.3.3 A changing role for the public sector According to I. Tzouramani, K Mattas (2004) Over the last two decades, advances in sciences like molecular genetics have enabled rapid development of biotechnology for agricultural production. Meanwhile, economic globalisation and trade liberalisation has increasingly exposed agriculture in developing countries to international markets and multinational corporations. Technologies that exist as marketable products, like seeds, agrochemicals and agricultural machinery, have grown quickly. James (2004) noted that this in turn, fuelled private investment in agricultural research and technology, particularly by international corporations that benefit from economies of scale, and have access to world markets. But research activities in the private sector have limited scope. For example, private research into seed improvement concentrates on just a few crops, like corn and soybeans, that are grown in temperate regions. Such specialisation is even greater in biotechnology, where over 70 per cent of the land planted with transgenic breeds grows just four crops soybeans, corn, canola and cotton, James (2004). Because of this narrow focus, the private sector usually disseminates its advances to developing countries that practise commercial agriculture in temperate climates and have relatively large markets. Small-scale farmers in developing countries still largely rely on the public sector for technology transfer, especially if they cultivate crops that dont interest private f irms. According to H. Zavale (2006) Public institutions are slowly adapting to these new circumstances by redefining their positions and priorities. CGIAR has emphasised its role in developing and transferring technologies that are adapted to small and poorer farms. The organisation is also beginning to consider work on non-food crops. Similarly, national research institutions, like the National Institute for Agricultural Technology in Argentina and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, are concentrating on crops and ecological conditions relevant to small farms. They also research techniques that complement private sector developments, for example by developing production systems and conservation methods that make using new technological products (such as agrochemicals, farm machinery and improved crops) more efficient. 2.3.4 A new way to approach technology transfer According to Thirtle. Et al (2003), The new economic and scientific context requires a new, more complex, model for transferring technology. The evolving model has four main components: knowledge management, gap filling research, promotion and regulation of the private sector, and environmental impact analysis (see Figure 1). Figure 1. A multidimensional model of agricultural technology transfer for the public sector 2.3.4.1 Knowledge management According to D. Scharfstein, C.F. Manski, J. Anthony (2004), The public sector continues to be largely responsible for knowledge management that is, articulating national needs, matching them to scientific opportunities, mobilising available technology, and adjusting them to farmers needs. NARIs and universities undertake this role in many developing countries. They help develop both new and orphan crops, promote successful agriculture in poor ecological conditions and tackle small-scale technological problems, none of which greatly interest the private sector. Such work accounts for much of the research done by local institutions, and needs to be strengthened. Local institutions should provide incentives for their staff to collaborate with international researchers and seek synergies with research done elsewhere. In many ways the CGIAR centres are important in helping integrate local efforts with the knowledge available worldwide. 2.3.4.2 Gap-filling research According to R. Deheija, S. Wahba (2002), National public research institutions also have a major responsibility for research in areas ignored by the private sector. This gap filling research is particularly relevant to technologies that are not embodied in physical products for example, forage management, animal health, soil management and conservation and irrigation practices. Elbehri, A. and S. Macdonald (2004) further support this point stating that Public research into agriculture in developing countries represents about a quarter of worldwide expenditure in agricultural research. But it needs to be managed effectively if it is to produce high quality research to complement internationally available technologies and help developing countries acquire and use them. Some countries, like Brazil, China, India and Vietnam, have already taken action, using careful planning and working with research institutions in developed countries research institutions to help focus research. 2.3.4.3 Promoting and regulating the private sector According to Sankula (2006), The public sector should also both promote private investment and regulate private companies. Several policies can help encourage the private sector to invest in technologies that are relevant to farmers in developing countries. First, adequate intellectual property rights legislation can be put in place. This allows private companies to protect profits from their research, helping attract investors and promoting research. Second, tax and credit facilities can provide indirect economic incentives to investment. Third, setting up frameworks for turning new technologies, like seeds or agrochemicals, into commercial realities for example consistent biosafety regulations, royalty agreements, profit sharing and reinvestment can be used to encourage interactions between private firms and public institutions, supporting joint activities and, thereby, encouraging technology transfer. 2.3.4.4 Environmental impact analyses According to Young, B. G (2006), policymakers must consider the environmental consequences of agricultural research. New agricultural technologies often use natural resources intensively, potentially damaging the environment, for example through land degradation or water contamination. This is especially true if the new technology is imported without being tested in local conditions. According to Wilson, T.A., M.E.. Rice, et al. (2005) Genetically modified crops are a good example. Developing countries like Argentina largely rely on industrialised nations to provide genetically modified breeds. Close to 90 per cent of Argentinas soybean crop is transgenic, and this has proved highly profitable in the past ten years. But the full environmental effects of expanding to marginal areas, displacing other crops and livestock, and using crop rotations are still unknown. Policymakers can help by developing regulatory measures, like mandatory environmental impact assessments, to minimise potential environmental damage and to protect consumers. 2.3.5 Protection of Patents and other Rights The issue of Farmers rights has brought concerns within the seed industry, farmer communities and policy makers especially in Africa. Organisations such as The African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) recognize the contribution of farmer communities to the conservation and the improvement of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. They balance the important role of the African seed industry in maintaining and improving crop yields through continuous crop breeding to create superior varieties, which benefit farmers and to which they have access stated Bouis, H.E., B.M. Chassy et al. (2003). They support access to genetic resources for breeding purposes by all breeders i.e. farmers themselves, public research institutes and seed companies and is not in favor of any regulations that prevent them from sustainably exploiting available plant genetic resources to add value to their crops. According to UPOV articles (1991), In addition, breeders need to get a reasonable return on their investment in plant breeding so that they can continue developing novel products. Free use of farm-saved seed undermines this principle and would lead to less breeding efforts and eventually prevent the release of new varieties to the detriment of farmers and agricultural development as a whole.In Africa, lack of public and private investment in plant breeding has led to a shortage of improved varieties limiting the choice of farmers. To give incentives to breeders, there is need to protect new varieties using intellectual property rights as provided for under the UPOV 1991 Convention. This Convention gives adequate protection against inappropriate use of protected varieties while having provisions for free access and use for further breeding purposes i.e. breeders exemption and the compulsory exception of acts done privately for non-commercial purposes (Article 15 (1) of UPOV 1991 Convention) allowing African subsistence farmers to save and use seed from their own harvests, specifically for their own use. As stipulated in article 9 (3) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (IT PGRFA), this right is subject to the national law in force in a given country where such acts may be prohibited or subject to specific requirements and/or limitations i.e. the right is not unconditional for farmers and the Article 9 does not intend to limit any rights granted to them at national level. Under the UPOV 1991 Convention, national laws may allow farmers to replant on their own farm the seed produced on that same farm without the consent of the breeder of the protected variety. This exception however must remain within reasonable limits and is subject to the safeguarding of the legitimate interests of the breeder (Article 15(2) of UPOV 1991 Convention). This optional exception to Plant Breeders Rights should be limited to food and feed crops where farm-saved seed has been used traditionally and subject to the obligation that farmers provide information concerning the use to the breeder and to the payment of an equitable remuneration. However, this UPOV Convention has a provision that allows the free use of farm-saved seed of a protected variety for non commercial purposes by African subsistence farmers. It is very important that governments and all seed stakeholders make efforts in Africa to promote the development of more improved varieties with a view to addressing the needs of the diversified agro-ecological zones of the continent, which is widely ignored by the rest of the world, through effective protection of new plant varieties with clear mechanism of royalty collection for the breeders. 2.4 Firm Introducing the Technology 2.4.1 Training for Farmers Provision of training to small scale farmers is especially difficult due to their low levels of education. 2.4.2 Appropriate distribution channels Kenya has a wide geographical area where farming is done and so it is therefore difficult for one firm to serve the needs of these customers all over Kenya. Appropriate distributors and distributor channels therefore need to be identified to ensure that the technology is available to farmers all over the country. According to Kotler (2000) Distribution (also known as the place variable in the marketing mix, or the 4 Ps) involves getting the product from the manufacturer to the ultimate consumer. Distribution is often a much underestimated factor in marketing. The problem is that retailers may not be willing to devote shelf-space to new products. Retailers would often rather use that shelf-space for existing products have that proven records of selling. This would therefore be a disadvantage to the firm introducing the greenhouse technology since it is new and untested in the Kenyan market. 2.4.2.1 Manufacturer Distribution Preferences According to Savadogo, Reardon and Pietol (1998), Most manufacturers would prefer to have their products distributed widelythat is, for the products to be available in as many stores as possible. This is especially the case for convenience products where the customer has little motivation to go to a less convenient retail outlet to get his or her preferred brand. Soft drinks would be an extreme example here. The vast majority of people would settle for their less preferred brand in a vending machine rather than going elsewhere to get their top choice. This is one reason why being a small share brand in certain 2.4.3 Sample Farms The firm may need to create sample farms since farmers have a way of convincing other farmers to adopt a technology that they have successfully and profitably utilized. This is the basis for the model farmer, model farm strategy. However, this is double-edged; a bad experience by a farmer regarding a certain technology could spread like wildfire and could create reluctance rather than acceptance. However, a sustainable working system being used by a farmer cooperator would enhance receptivity to the greenhouse technology. 2.4.4 Revitalizing Government Policies According to Paras et al, (2005), Reviewing the policies on tax regarding the importation of agricultural machinery and parts (engines, pumps, sprayers, etc.), and all other materials and equipment for the manufacture of agricultural machinery would have a large effect on mechanization. At the same time, the government should try to make arrangements for companies to manufacture the greenhouse materials and parts locally. This in effect would also bring down the cost of greenhouses in the market. 2.4.5 Inability of Farmers to pay for Products As stated earlier, many of the small scale farmers in Kenya are unable to adopt this new method of farming due to the high initial cost of installation. This means that companies that sell these products do not have enough clients to sell their products to. However, some companies such as Amiran in Kenya are now entering into partnerships with financial institutions such as Equity bank to bridge this gap. A copy of the agreement is attached in the appendix. 2.5 Chapter Summary This chapter aims to review the relevant literature in relation to the research questions presented in this study. It identifies the barriers that exist in introducing the greenhouse farming technology from the farmers point of view, the governments role and from the view of the firm introducing this product. Subsequent chapters will try to provide the challenges from a Kenyan perspective from actual farmers and business people.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Use of Disguise in Twelfth Night Essay -- Twelfth Night Essays

Twelfth Night, "there's something in it that is deceivable". Disguise is very important as a theme in the Twelfth Night.   In fact, disguise is a crucial plot to the play.   It is the thread which runs through the play from start to end and holds it all together.   Yet, paradoxically along the way there are many problems, deceptions and illusions, providing a comment on human behavior and creating comedy. Women's parts were played by boy actors in Shakespeare's day, so the audience would have found special sophistication in Viola's part:   a boy dressing up as a woman who, in the play disguises herself as a man. The first example of disguise in the Twelve Night is viola's disguise as Cesario.   It is in fact central to the plot.   I think it is clearly evident that the fluctuation in attitude to the dual role and the situations and tribulations imposed upon the character Viola/Cesario, ends up creating a better understanding of both sexes and thus, allows Viola to have a better understanding of Orsino.   Viola learns that in role of Cesario, she had to be quick on her feet and defend the probing questi... ...sguise feature in the play.   Emotions and intentions are disguised behind an outer appearance, a pretence or an attitude.   Disguise connects the story, the characters and the different scenes in the play.   Without it the Twelfth Night would not be what it is and I doubt whether it would delight audiences around the world time and time again as it does now. "Nothing that is so, is so" Work Cited Shakespeare, William. The Arden Edition of the Works of William Shakespeare: Twelfth Night. Ed. J. M. Lothian and T.W. Craik. UK: Methuen & Co., 1975.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

a post-modern analysis of women in the new east Essay -- essays rese

A Post-Modern Analysis of Women in the New East Good intentions do not beget positive results. Indeed what may seem to be good from one perspective may be seen as the complete opposite from another. Case in point: Western Feminism. To prove my point I will analyze the work of Ruth Frances Woodsmall, Women and the New East, written in 1960 as a feminist work, from a post-modern feminist perspective, and using works from Coco Fusco (English Broken Here) and Trinh Minh-ha (Women Native Other). One of the first problems encountered in Woodsmall’s work is in the delineation of her methodology. She writes that she began her study for each country with, â€Å"†¦the selection of a number of women leaders as advisers on the study as a whole and on specific phases†¦ The individual advisers were very helpful in making contacts, in giving advice about special interviews, suggesting institutions and projects and interpreting the general situation.† (viii) These women that she chose as her starting point from were most likely how many of the other informants and sources of information were found and therefore must have had a serious affect on the results of her research. These women are leaders, and therefore not accurate representations of the average women of Turkey. Indeed in the biographical appendix Woodsmall lists some of these leaders and not only do they all have â€Å"careers†, but they are all centered in military or scientific areas – not exactly a cross section of any society. This means much of this work was funneled through one class, and Fusco in her work exemplifies how class can make a difference in cultural views. â€Å"The reactions of Latin Americans differed according to class. Many upper class Latin American tourists †¦ voiced disgust that their part of the world should be represented in such a debased manner. Many other Latin Americans and Native Americans immediately recognized the symbolic significance of the piece, expressing solidarity with us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (56) This means that what Woodsmall really wrote about was Westernized women in the new East. This was not a view of all the women in the Muslim world and India as Woodsmall attains, but just those that had been educated and influenced by the West. In the section entitled â€Å"Political Status†, Woodsmall delineates the â€Å"progress† of Turkish women in attainment of equal political rights when she writes, â€Å"The number of wome... ...rely present in its absence. Subject of discussion, â€Å"them† is only admitted among â€Å"us,† the discussing subjects, when accompanied or introduced by an â€Å"us,† member†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (67) Minh-ha is arguing that third-world non-Westernized feminists have been left out of the analysis of their own lives and societies. It is from this non-acceptance of the voice of the third world feminist, that Western feminism has served to colonize and dehumanize women of the third world rather than help them. It is precisely this point, which proves the argument of this paper. The well intentioned attempt of Western feminist to write a feminist book in order to help, both women in the East in an exchange of ideas and stimulation of still more ideas and women in the West in providing knowledge with which to further aid the women of the East. On both counts it fails. In the West it gives further ground to the false generalizations and assumptions of women in the Muslim and more generally the developing world who are seen as oppressed and in need of â€Å"liberation† while in the East it serves to colonize and dehumanize the women. These good intentions did not create what can be construed as a positive contribution.

Dead Man Walking :: essays research papers

During the first few weeks of our FYS-X class, the students are required to view the movie â€Å"Dead Man Walking. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it to the showing at school, but I rented the DVD from Block Buster Video. I missed an opportunity to gain some bonding time with my classmates, but I could not get off work in the short notice that the class was told about the film viewing. When I viewed film, I had the pleasure of being in my home atmosphere, and I had the opportunity to better concentrate on the movie and the ability to rewind at certain points in the film. Before viewing the film, I was not too excited about having to watch it. I was under the impression that this movie would be boring and more of an educational video. After I watched the movie, I knew that my prediction about it was very inaccurate. â€Å"Dead Man Walking† is one of the finest films I have ever seen, and it has raised my bar of standards for a drama.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The thing that stands out the most about â€Å"Dead Man Walking† is the story. The film is about the death penalty, and the tragic events that lead to it. The story follows Poncelot, a convicted killer, and Helen, a nun, who meet during Poncelot’s death row period, and they both change each other. Poncelot is accused of killing a young couple, and is placed on death row. He writes to Sister Helen, who agrees to come to the prison and visit him. Poncelot immediately says he did not commit the crime, and Helen believes the prisoner. Helen gets Poncelot an attorney, but the attorney fails and Poncelot is sure to be executed by the government. The film does not state a clear bias for the death penalty, but it gives the viewer the chance to decide if capital punishment is right or wrong. At the beginning of the film, the viewer is lead to believe that maybe Poncelot did not actually commit the crime, so someone might believe that his execution would be un fair. During the course of the film, the viewer sees the affects of the victim’s family and the community reactions, and whoever is watching probably feels that whoever actually committed the crime should definitely be punished as harshly as possible. When Poncelot tells Helen that he did indeed commit the crime, the viewer’s feelings about him receiving the death penalty probably change again, but there is so much emotion going on in the scene that one can not help but feel sorry. Dead Man Walking :: essays research papers During the first few weeks of our FYS-X class, the students are required to view the movie â€Å"Dead Man Walking. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it to the showing at school, but I rented the DVD from Block Buster Video. I missed an opportunity to gain some bonding time with my classmates, but I could not get off work in the short notice that the class was told about the film viewing. When I viewed film, I had the pleasure of being in my home atmosphere, and I had the opportunity to better concentrate on the movie and the ability to rewind at certain points in the film. Before viewing the film, I was not too excited about having to watch it. I was under the impression that this movie would be boring and more of an educational video. After I watched the movie, I knew that my prediction about it was very inaccurate. â€Å"Dead Man Walking† is one of the finest films I have ever seen, and it has raised my bar of standards for a drama.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The thing that stands out the most about â€Å"Dead Man Walking† is the story. The film is about the death penalty, and the tragic events that lead to it. The story follows Poncelot, a convicted killer, and Helen, a nun, who meet during Poncelot’s death row period, and they both change each other. Poncelot is accused of killing a young couple, and is placed on death row. He writes to Sister Helen, who agrees to come to the prison and visit him. Poncelot immediately says he did not commit the crime, and Helen believes the prisoner. Helen gets Poncelot an attorney, but the attorney fails and Poncelot is sure to be executed by the government. The film does not state a clear bias for the death penalty, but it gives the viewer the chance to decide if capital punishment is right or wrong. At the beginning of the film, the viewer is lead to believe that maybe Poncelot did not actually commit the crime, so someone might believe that his execution would be un fair. During the course of the film, the viewer sees the affects of the victim’s family and the community reactions, and whoever is watching probably feels that whoever actually committed the crime should definitely be punished as harshly as possible. When Poncelot tells Helen that he did indeed commit the crime, the viewer’s feelings about him receiving the death penalty probably change again, but there is so much emotion going on in the scene that one can not help but feel sorry.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Hannibal and the Battle of Cannae

HANNIBAL AND THE BATTLE OF CANNAE The battle of Cannae was a major battle of the Second Punic War near the town of Cannae, an ancient village in southern part of Italy. The battle took place between the outnumbered Carthaginian army under Hannibal against the Romans under the command of Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro. For the most part, the Romans were overpowered by the undermanned Carthaginian forces. Many historians agree that the battle of Cannae is one of the greatest strategic victories in military history.Numerous historians have examined the possible route Hannibal took from New Carthage to the Pyrenees and then over the Alps to Rome. Along with using scientific data, these historians and scientists allege that there are three possible routes Hannibal may have taken from New Carthage in Iberia across Europe to get to Italy. Scientists and historians do disagree on which route is most accurate do to the fact that the only historical accounts of Hannibal†™s journey are that of Livy and Polybius. Neither historian leaves a very detailed account of the surroundings for Hannibal and his troops.Through paleobotanical reconstruction, attempts have been made to more clearly identify if the places noted by Livy and Polybius resemble any of these places today1. Hannibal came from the very well-known Carthaginian Barca family. His father, Hamilcar Barca was the military leader of Carthage during the first Punic War. At the conclusion of the First Punic War, Carthage's mercenaries revolted and Rome took advantage of her rival's distraction and, in spite of the recent peace agreement, took control of Sardinia and Corsica and forced Carthage to pay a large indemnity2.Carthage finally won the mercenary war, but the loss of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica left her economic empire crippled and reduced the area from which she could hire troops. After regaining control, the Carthaginians were forced to major war concessions. Of those concessions, Car thage was to pay a war indemnity to Rome and could no longer recruit Italian sailors. Carthage also sent Hamilcar Barca to Iberia to eliminate the Spaniards and build an empire in Spain. Unfortunately, Barca was killed in an ambush at Helice in 229 B. C. E. but not until after he had been able to take over control of the Iberian southern coast.In 226 BC, Hasdrubal reached an agreement with Rome that recognized the Ebro River in northeastern Spain as the northern limit of Carthaginian interest in the area. Five years later, Hasdrubal was assassinated, and Hamilcar's son Hannibal became the leader. At about that time, Rome began involving itself in the affairs of Saguntum, a city on the Mediterranean coast of Spain well south of the Ebro and therefore presumably in Carthaginian territory3. Hannibal viewed the Roman moves as an intervention similar to the ones that had touched off the first war.Hannibal laid siege to the town, which fell after eight months. Hannibal's strategic insight now became evident4. When Hannibal came to the head of the Carthaginian army he took it upon himself to rebuild Carthaginian fortunes by occupying Spain. The Romans had aligned themselves with Saguntum in an attempt to show strength and power against Carthage. Since Carthage's fleet was no longer a match for Rome's, the invasion of Italy would need to occur by land. To that end, Hannibal did his best to speak with tribes in his line of march well in advance of the arrival of conflicts.He also established alliances with various north Italian Celtic tribes that were traditional enemies of Rome. Hannibal's forces were the first civilized army to cross the Alps5. Exposure, desertion, accidents and fierce resistance by mountain tribes reduced his army from 40,000 to 26,000 during the trip, and most of the elephants accompanying the remarkable host also perished. Fortunately, once Italy was reached, the Celtic alliances provided replacements that brought the army back to its original str ength. The Carthaginian troops endured great hardship and suffered serious casualties.Shortly thereafter, Hannibal fought two battles that demonstrated his resolve as a field commander and his determination to destroy rather than merely defeat his enemy. At the Trebia River, only 10,000 Romans escaped an ambush out of 40,000 involved, and at Lake Trasimene, nearly an entire Roman force of 25,000 was killed or captured. From then on, the Romans were hesitant to fight a large-scale engagement. Hannibal was careful to treat prisoners from Rome's allied cities courteously, often freeing them without ransom to encourage dissatisfaction with Rome's cause6.Captured Roman citizens, on the other hand, were held for ransom used to pay Hannibal's men or were often sold into slavery. The Carthaginian army lived off the land causing as much damage to the economy as possible. After victory at Lake Trasimene, Hannibal moved his army to southern Italy in order to recruit additional troops7. This mo ving of troops by Hannibal and their subsequent looting forced the Romans to become more aggressive. Two now consuls, Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paulus, were given command of the combined legions of Rome with orders to make an end to the feared Carthaginian.Normally, the two consuls would have independent commands but, when their forces were combined, command of the whole alternated daily. Hannibal's effective intelligence organization soon informed him that Varro was the more rash and impulsive of his opponents, and so Hannibal decided to force an action on a day that Varro was in command of the Roman forces8. Hannibal seized a grain depot to lure the Romans to the site he had chosen for battle. The depot was located at the small village of Cannae, south of Rome.Dawn of that August morning in 216 BC found Hannibal, commander of Carthage's army in Italy, looking down at the plain separating his vantage point from the waters of the Adriatic Sea about three miles away9. The Roman enemy was already advancing with an army of more than 85,000 men, aligned in the standard offensive formation of the dreaded legions. Hannibal's force, some 56,000 in number, faced long odds. The Roman force available for battle was large by the standards of the day. Eight full legions of infantry, some 40,000 men, were improved by 40,000 allied infantrymen.About 2,000 Roman cavalry and 4,000 allied horses completed the army, for a total strength of 86,00010. In battle, the Roman infantry usually advanced on a wide front, with cavalry on the flank. The heavy infantry was led by skirmishers, who opened the fighting with the throwing of javelins. They would then fall to the rear of the formation and were able to pass through the Roman formation because deliberate gaps were left in each line. The basic fighting unit of the heavy infantry was the maniple of about 160 men divided into two centuries.Rather than forming a constant line, the two centuries were deployed one behind the other, leaving the gaps used by the skirmishers. At the point of attack or when in a defensive position, the rear centuries could be moved up to fill the gaps11. The Hastati made up the first line of heavy infantry of the Roman army. They were equipped with a heavy shield, a helmet, light and heavy javelins and a short, straight sword. The Princeps were the second line of heavy infantry. Although armed like the Hastati, the Princeps were omewhat older and more experienced and formed behind those of the Hastati, but were offset to block the gaps in the Hastati line. The third line, made up of the old veteran troops known as the Tritarii, had its centuries form behind the gaps in the second line, giving an overall checkerboard result to the formation. The Tritarii had a thrusting spear in place of the javelin of the first two lines12. In the hands of an experienced commander, the flexibility possible with this formation was useful, particularly against older military formation su ch as the phalanx.Unfortunately, the Roman method of appointing new consuls each year and rotating command daily made it unlikely that the top military talent would be allowed to pursue a logical plan. Roman courage, discipline and patriotism were rarely lacking, but the coming battle of Cannae would highlight the need for changes in the selection and responsibilities of army commander13. Aside from the top leaders, very few Carthaginians were present in Hannibal's army. His army at Cannae consisted of North African, Spanish and Celtic personnel. Perhaps the soundest foot soldiers available to Hannibal were the Libyan-Phoenician heavy infantry.The Phoenicians living in Libya were subject to Carthaginian military service and cleared themselves well. Originally armed like Greek hoplites, they now began equipping with Roman arms captured at the Trebia and Lake Trasimene. In addition to the infantry, 2,000 Spanish cavalry were at Hannibal’s disposal. They were heavily armed and u sed as heavy cavalry, but the outstanding quality of their horses allowed them to rival the speed of the Numidian cavalry14. About 25,000 Celtic infantry and 5,000 Celtic cavalry made up the remainder of Hannibal's force.These people lived for war, but without the guidance of a commander like Hannibal, their absence of discipline made them unpredictable. At the time of Cannae, Hannibal was arming these men with captured Roman weapons. He liked to use the Celts as troops that would cause disruption in enemy ranks prior to sending in his African infantry. At Cannae, the Romans were determined to crush Hannibal's center. They formed deep battle lines in order to bring pressure to stand against the middle of the Carthaginian line. On the Roman right, the legion cavalry, some 2,400 strong, faced Hannibal's Spaniards and Celts, totaling 7,000.The mismatch would prove a decisive element in the battle's surprising outcome. On the Roman left, the 4,000 allied cavalry faced an equal number of Numidians. Hannibal aligned his infantry in an unusual manner. The center of his position was curved, facing outward toward the advancing Romans. The flanks bent backward from the center. Alternating units of Spanish and Celtic swordsmen held this line, and they were greatly outnumbered by the approaching Romans. Hannibal positioned himself at the left end of the line, and his youngest brother Mago, held the right.Each end of the line was anchored by a dense square of African infantry, the location of which guaranteed that they would not be engaged until long after those at the center15. As the Romans advanced, a hot west wind blew dust in their faces and obscured their vision. At a range of about 35 yards, the Romans hurled their light javelins, causing casualties among the Spaniard and Celts. These javelins often caused problems even if they only pierced a man's shield, because the shaft was difficult to remove and weighed the shield down, making the man vulnerable to an onrushin g legionary.At closer range, the heavy javelin was thrown, and then the infantry lines collided, the swift Celts and athletic Spaniards against the disciplined Roman masses. In time, the weight of the Roman assault began to take effect on Hannibal's troops, and the center of the Carthaginian line retreated. As Hannibal's men were forced back, they found themselves slowly backing up a slope Due to the nature of the terrain, the Romans fought uphill as they advanced and at the same time were restricted into a narrowing front as their mass of men entered the ‘V. Although the Roman infantrymen did not know it, their fate was all but sealed by this time. Hannibal had planned for his cavalry to strike the decisive blows while his infantry fought a large-scale delay. As the battle opened, Hannibal launched the Spanish and Celtic cavalry on his left against the outnumbered Roman cavalry16. The consul Aemilius accompanied these cavalrymen but they could not endure the Carthaginian assa ult. Aemilius was wounded and the bulk of the Roman cavalry was driven from the field, exposing that flank of the Roman army.While this occurred on the Carthaginian left, the Numidians on the right had been engaged with the horsemen of Rome's allies17. The Carthaginian cavalry commander on the left, reorganized his units and proceeded to ride behind the Roman infantry to the far side of the battlefield, where the stalemated cavalry fight continued between the Numidians and Rome's allies. The allied horsemen now were taken by surprise and caught between the two Carthaginian forces. The allied cavalry fled the field, taking the consul Varro with them.At this point, Aemilius was dead or dying, and Varro, the other commander, no longer was with the Roman army. The Roman and allied cavalrymen had been killed, captured or driven from the field18. By that time, the Roman infantry had fought its way up the slope and into the enclosed end of the ‘V,' the point. As the men became more t ightly packed into a confined space, fewer of them could use their weapons effectively. Romans in the rear ranks continued to push forward, but found they had little room to maneuver.Hasdrubal, Hannibal’s younger brother, assaulted the Roman rear with his heavy cavalry, assisted by the Carthaginian light infantry. The encirclement was complete. Many Romans first discovered the danger when they realized they were being cut down and hamstrung by the Carthaginian troops. Historians have estimated that the fighting continued until evening and that approximately 600 Romans died per minute of the battle. Cannae represented the apex of Hannibal's career, although he has been criticized for not attempting to end the war by sacking Rome itself at that point.Hannibal remained in Italy for 13 more years, but the determination of the Romans to fight on, regardless of losses, eventually gave them the opportunity to defeat the great Carthaginian. The failure of Carthage to rebuild its flee t in order to challenge that of the Romans made Hannibal's task extremely tough. He attempted to reduce Rome's naval advantage by occupying the Italian coastal cities. If Hannibal had been able to hold them, the odds against the Carthaginian fleet would have improved, but his limited number of troops made it difficult for him to isolate enough garrisons to prevent Roman recapture of the port cities.For 15 years in all, from 218 to 203 BC, Hannibal occupied large areas of Italy. He fought and defeated the Romans on numerous occasions but could not break their spirit19. After Cannae, the Romans again became cautious about entering into full-scale battle against Hannibal, but their command of the sea and the decision to invade Spain, made reinforcement of Hannibal's army difficult. Slowly, the troops who had crossed the Alps with Hannibal decreased in number an in age. But Carthage's absence of naval power prevented Hannibal's alliances with Syracuse and Macedonia from becoming fruitfu l.The Roman navy captured a treaty between Hannibal and Philip V of Macedonia, and by the time the second received a copy and acted on it, the Roman fleet barred his troops from crossing to Italy. In spite of all the complications, Hannibal proved to be a gifted leader able to get the very best from his men. His army was made up of of mercenaries with no real obligation to the Carthaginian cause however no record shows any mutiny during the 5 years in Italy. The army did not more than just survive it maintained a high level of morale and fighting spirit.Spain was taken from Carthage and the Barcid family after Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal repeated a crossing of the Alps with a reinforcement that gave the Romans in Spain a free hand. Hasdrubal was incapable of uniting with Hannibal before being opposed by a strong Roman army in 207 BC. In the ensuing battle, Hasdrubal was defeated and killed20. In October of 203 BC, Publius Cornelius Scipio, the conqueror of Spain, invaded North Afri ca and forced Hannibal to defend Carthage. Hannibal's defeat at Zama at the hands of Scipio in the following spring, caused mostly because of a shortage of cavalry strength, ended the Second Punic War.Hannibal rose to the position of prominence in Carthage after the war and took steps that helped Carthage recover economically from the conflict. Rome viewed Carthage's revival with suspicion, and Hannibal was forced to flee to the east, where he committed suicide in 183 BC rather than fall into Roman hands. Hannibal Barca was one of history’s greatest generals and Rome’s greatest enemy. Although later Roman tradition belittled him, it respected his prowess as a great military commander. Had Hannibal not underestimated the strength of the Romans, he might have rewritten European history.NOTES Mahaney, M. C. ,â€Å"Hannibal’s Invasion Route: An Age-Old Question Revisited within a Geoarchaeological and Palaeobotanical Context. † (Archaeometry vol. 52 (6/2010), 1097 Marcel Le Glay, et al. ,A History of Rome. (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), 74 Ibid, 75 John Peddie, Hannibal’s War. (Gloucechesershire: Sutton, 1997), 9 Ibid, 21-26 G. P. Baker, Hannibal. (New York: Barnes & Nobles, Inc. , 1967), 101-104 Ibid, 100 Le Glay, A History of Rome Adrian Goldsworthy, Cannae, (London: Cassel & Co, 2001), 77-81 Ibid, 95Dexter Hoyos, Hannibal Rome’s Greatest Enemy, (Exeter, Bristol Phoenix Press, 2008), 57-59 Goldsworthy, Cannae, 96-99 Hoyos, Hannibal Rome’s Greatest Enemy, 60 Goldsworthy, Cannae, 108-109 Ibid, 111 Peddie, Hannibal’s War, 92-93 Ibid, 94 Theodore Ayrault Dodge, Hannibal, (Boston, Da Capo Press, 1891), 372 Le Glay, A History of Rome, 77 Dodge, Hannibal, 556 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ancient Greece & Rome: An Encyclopedia for Students, vol. 2. Hannibal Baker, G. P. Hannibal. New York: Barnes & Nobles, Inc. , 1967 Dodge, Theodore Ayrault. Hannibal.Boston: DaCapo Press, 1891 Goldsworthy, Adrian. Cannae. London: Cassel & C o, 2001 Hoyos, Dexter. Hannibal Rome’s Greatest Enemy. Exeter: Bristol Phoenix Press, 2008 Le Glay, et al. A History of Rome. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009 Mahaney, M. C. â€Å"Hannibal’s Invasion Route: An Age-Old Question Revisited within a Geoarchaeological and Palaeobotanical Context. † Archaeometry vol. 52 (6/2010): 1096-1109. Peddie, John. Hannibal’s War. Gloucechesershire: Sutton, 1997 Radice, Betty. Livy The War with Hannibal. Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt. Baltimore: Penguin, 1965