If you invest $20 million in China Research Paper

If you invest $20 million in China - Research Paper Example The economy’s growth potential therefore identifies room for more investments and capitalizing $ 20 million dollars is not likely to stretch the economy’s resources (Oecd 33). Another significant macroeconomic indicator for determining investment decision in a country is the trend in inflation rate. Inflation defines a steady and significant rise in commodity prices. It can similarly be defined as a continuous decrease in the value of money in an economy. Inflation would therefore induce a loss in invested money because the investment’s value will be lower than the original one and even derived profits might not be able to compensate for the loss from inflation. Inflation trends in China however offer a good indicator because it has conveyed a decreasing trend. The inflation rate was for example reported at 6.9 in the year 2004 and the value had steadily decreased to 2.5 by the year 2008. The steady trend further projects high probability of lower inflation rates in future and this means that an invested amount in the economy is not likely to lose its value. The trend that can be forecasted to persist further shows that an investment in China has high chances of gaining value as the country’s inflation rate continue to decrease (Oecd 33). A review of the past trend of China’s consumer price index also offers a basis for determining prospects of investing the $ 20 million in the economy. The macroeconomic indicator defines percentage change in a group of commodities’ weighted prices and is related to inflation. A fall in consumer price index, as represented by the Chinese economy therefore implies economic stability and improving money’s value with time. The index was for example reported at about four in the year 2004 and... Business organizations are established with the prime objective of making profit through entrepreneurial ventures that may identify diversified economic risk. It is therefore necessary to analyze economic environment around a business in order to understand its possible risks and benefits before deciding on establishing a business. Making decisions over which economy to invest in may require analysis of microeconomic and macroeconomic factors of economies of interest for evaluation and comparison of involved risks and benefits. Similarly, an investor who has focused on one economy needs to evaluate the economy’s factors before establishing a venture. In this paper, the potential and risks of investing $ 20 million in China are investigated, based on the country’s macro and microeconomic indicators. The country’s major challenges are however its banking system that is strictly regulated by the government and its currency that does not reflect real value against other currencies. The government’s regulation may hinder delivery of quality and unbiased banking services and may allow for government control on investments. Trends in China’s macroeconomic indicators identify investment potential in the economy that indicates high probability of further expansion and favorable economic factors. The increasing real gross domestic product, decreasing inflation rate, and falling consumer price index indicates the economy’s trend of increasing stability that is safe for investments. Even though government control over banks and the country’s currency are threats to investment in China, the identifiable potentials are more significant.

Hobbes Concept of the State of Nature Analysis

Hobbes Concept of the State of Nature Analysis Explain and assess Hobbes claim that the state of nature would be a war in which every man is enemy to every man. Hobbes concept of the state of nature that he proposed in the Leviathan was defined merely as a condition of war, without the creation of a civil society he suggested that there would be a war where ‘every man is enemy to every man’. Hobbes assumption of human nature is based around the absence of a political society such as government; where no laws or rules are present. This condition creates a society filled with individuals living in constant fear and leads to perpetual war. In the first section of this essay I will explain the foundations that characterized Hobbes idea of the state of nature around and whether there is any escape from it. I will then go onto to evaluate whether this state of nature is only defined by savage behaviour and war and how other philosophers such as Locke and Rousseau researched the state of nature to come up with conclusions that contradict Hobbes original theory. Hobbes stated that an individual’s natural condition is seen ultimately as egoist, with no concerns of morality each are driven by a powerful desire to amass great power. This instinctual drive cannot be restrained due to the lack of an overarching authority in society. Thus each human is continuously seeking to destroy the other in pursuit of reputation and self-preservation. This ultimately leads to life being ‘nasty, brutish and short’ (Hobbes, 1982). Hobbes believed that morality could not exist in such a state and that judgments centred around good and evil cannot exist until they are dictated by a higher authority present in society. Individual’s naturally attempt to increase their power sources as a means of future protection, this combined with their need to acquire what they like leads to this continual competition between each other. However we need to question whether this competition in the state of nature would eventually lead to war? Another assumption Hobbes puts forward is that all men are equal by nature, meaning that each of them possess equal abilities to accumulate powers and to gain what their appetites desire. However he recognises that there are limited resources available which encourages competition leading to each becoming enemies and supporting his quote of every man is enemy to every man. You would think that by regarding equality Hobbes would consider that we should respect each other and act with compassion but Hobbes definition of equality relates to the idea that we all retain the same level of skill and strength therefore we all hold the same capacity to kill one and another. It is a condition in which ‘every man has right to everything; even to another’s body’ (Hobbes, 1982) This concept was supported by Doyle who identified that men were equal as they had similar passions and potentialities, they were mostly dominated by lusts and inner passions which were out of their con trol (Doyle 1927, pg. 353) He went further to state that the condition of life was one of never ending war as ‘justice and injustice have no place’. Hobbes main idea of self-preservation in the state of nature can be exemplified by Plato’s story of the Ring of Gyges. Those in possession of this ring acquire the power of invisibility. With this ring, the individual either decides to act morally or immorally (Plato, 2007) Individuals in the state of nature would use this ring to satisfy their own personal desire. Whilst in possession of this ring they would be able to obtain everything they want, it would be very beneficial in terms of survival. Hobbes suggestion is that if individuals were presented with the ring they would not hesitate using it as it would provide protection and self-preservation which is their main focus due their egoistic makeup, this supports his idea of the condition of mankind. There are therefore 3 key main elements which characterise the state of nature; glory competition, and diffidence. These are known as the causes of quarrel. We are primarily concerned with our own safety and Hill (2006 pg. 134) reinforced Hobbes idea that uncertainty about the character and behaviour of others in society leads to mistrust due to the lack of confidence in the motive of others which turns them against each other. This consequently leads to the establishment of a sovereign to enforce authority over society. Hobbes definition of the state of war is not characterized by violence but as an individual’s constant readiness to fight. This state becomes too harsh that human beings naturally seek peace due to reason, and the best way to this goal is to create the Leviathan through what is called the ‘social contract’ which is entails having an ultimate sovereign as a legitimate source of power. The state will function due an element of fear being present whi ch will ultimately protect and ensure that the contract is followed, people would have given up their rights and overall power to the government. As Alexandra (2001) stated that to escape from a state of nature it is necessary that the fundamental laws of nature are accepted as â€Å"public standards of behaviour† (pg.3), and according to Hobbes this can only be achieved if all people agree to limit their rights and to act to in accordance. Even though Hobbes viewed this nature as a battle and struggle between men for the ultimate goal of survival, there are arguments against this idea that the state of nature is characterized by a chaotic world of continual fear between individuals. Locke interpretation of the state of nature was one of perfect freedom were men inherently have a sense of morality which discourages them from engaging in acts of evil. We can thus resolve any conflicts. He depicted the idea of men not having any incentives to â€Å"destroy himself, or any creature in his possession†. It is reason that leads the way in preserving a peaceful life, and teaches us that harming one another is not a moral action (Locke, 2005) From Locke’s analysis on the state, we can see that it contradicts Hobbes views on human nature. One on hand the individual is represented as good with an innate moral instinct while the other is a self-driven creature, we need to regard whether it is possible to live an acce ptable life in the absence of government or sovereign rule? Thomas.J (2009) researched to conclude that men have always been under the influence of some degree of authority, and even when there has been no control exercised by the state it has been god that has inspired them to act in a kindly manner with generosity. Men have the natural habitual ability of living with other members of their society without becoming a â€Å"social animal†. He developed his ideas further and stated that even before the state emerged, fathers were seen as the dominant figure in households and ruled over their wife and children; families were seen as ‘a unit of social organisation’. Doyle backed up the idea presented by Thomas by stating that human beings were predestined to perform acts of evil through god, so we needed to question whether they could really be held responsible for their actions.(1927, Pg. 340). He however went onto support Hobbes claim that men were dominated by their natural instinct and were free to act as they wished, which meant they only had the power to evil. Nevertheless we also needed to consider that the action of good deeds by man is seen as automatic (1927 pg. 342) The main concept Hobbes failed to examine and take into consideration when coming up with his theory of the state of nature is that humans have a social inclinations which include affection, building relationships and friendship which leads us to being rational human beings. This social nature embed into humans is one that drives them to cooperate. Merriam (1906) examined Hobbes literature and notice how he failed to recognize the existence of social qualities in human nature. The fundamental laws of nature commands all men to be peaceable but to also be compliant with each other, even if they entered a state of war nature would command them to be socially minded and love one another which would minimalize any effects of war between man. This statement was contradicted by Haji (1991) who argued that individuals fail to realise the benefits that cooperation with others would bring in the long term and would rather just opt for the short term benefits of them choosing to not cooperate and act solely, this leads to a course of action where everyone in society decides to not cooperate than achieve any effects through cooperation which ultimately leads to a continual fight for self-preservation. It is clear that both researchers have examined the notion that cooperation is an important aspect of human beings day to day life, however there will always be different circumstances where individuals choose whether to cooperate or not. We can focus on the prisoner’s dilemma to look into this further, the prisoner’s dilemma is a game theory which gives the individual an overall outcome and a path of choice, and we can relate this to everyday life where certain choices give us greater benefits. We may desire to choose one that gives us greatest satisfaction or an equal option which benefits both parties. There are different people in society, some are more aggressive and self-motivated while others are inclined towards social relations. Nevertheless it is important to realise that social behaviour that involves cooperation can be adopted and learned in such a way that restrictions enforced by society are not necessary to control the behaviour of certain individuals. Human behaviour thus can be controlled by education (Kavka,1983). Kavka also goes onto say that Hobbes theory on the state of nature is narrow minded due to his interpretation of what establishes a civil society and of what constitutes the state of nature. Hobbes predominant view is that only an absolute sovereign can be an authoritative common power. Otherwise, he stated that in the absence of a common power, people are in a state of war which is not necessarily true. We can therefore conclude that Hobbes claim that the state of nature is one of war is not entirely true, and at no time has this state of nature existed, it was a hypothetical scenario formed by Hobbes based around the presumption of a state in anarchy. The state of nature was represented as a state of war upon the assumption that society is suffering due to a shortage of resources and competition over food supplies, however this is not the case in real life and there is ‘room for all man’. Thomas (2009) states that a state of war will only arise when individuals are severely hindered in preserving their lives. If we look at current political situation however there is anarchy present among the states. There is no overall world government which regulates power over all states. If we consider states separately we can justify what Hobbes stated about the state of nature. It is evident that there is current inter-state and intra state war still present today, and certain crimes which are committed which go unpunished. The fear of war is always existent and states go to extreme lengths to dominate others, as well as this there is still a certain degree of mistrust between people even when there is a common power, thus Hobbes idea of a state of nature being one of war is supported to some extent as there will always be some form of competition amongst people but it does not necessarily have to be as brutish and vulgar as Hobbes described. Bibliography Alexandra, A.(1992). ‘Should Hobbes state of nature be represented as a prisoner’s dilemma?’ .The Southern Journal of Philosophy. Vol 2. Melbourne: The University of Melbourne. Alexander, J. (2001). ‘Group Dynamics in the State of Nature’ Erkenntnis. 55(2): pp.169-182 Doyle, P. (1927). â€Å"The contemporary background of Hobbes ‘state of nature’†. Economica. Vol 21. pp 336-355. Haji, I. (1991). ‘Hampton on Hobbes on state of nature cooperation’. Philosophy and phenomenal research. 51(3): pp 589-601. Hobbes, T (1982). Leviathan (Penguin Classics) Hill, G. (2006). Rousseaus Theory of Human Association: Transparent and Opaque Communities. Kavka, G. (1983) ‘Hobbes War of All Against All’. Ethics. 93 (2):pp. 291-310 Locke, J. (2005). Two Treatises of Government. London. Merriam, C. (1906). ‘Hobbes Doctrine of the State of Nature’. Proceedings of the American Political Science Association. Vol 3. pp. 151-157 Plato. (2007). The Republic (Penguin Classic) Oxford University Press. Schochet, G. (1967). ‘Thomas Hobbes on the family and the state of nature’. Political science quarterly. 82(3): pp 427-445. Thomas, J. (1929) ‘Some Contemporary Critics of Thomas Hobbes’. Economica. Vol 26. pp.185-191

Cadburys - Marketing Strategies :: Business Management Studies

Cadburys - Marketing Strategies In order to increase sales Cadburys needs to undertake a range of marketing activities before deciding upon the best way to encourage the purchase of its product. When identifying the basic principals which Cadburys must apply to its marketing will be its basic objectives because all business must have objectives it allows them to increase sales and make profit. Corporate aims are the long term intentions of a business, whereas corporate objectives are the specific targets required to achieve the aims. The common aim and objectives of the corporation such as Cadbury includes the following: 1 Survival 2 Profit maximisation- which is often taken to be the reason why firms exists and to be the primary objectives in practices most firms have a hierarchy of objectives when a firms survival is threaten it may profit maximise in order to restore its financial health. 3 Growth- which includes Cadbury selling new products or expanding overseas. 4 Diversification- which is the spreading of business risks by reducing dependence on one product. 5 Sales maximisation- which is the increasing of sales 6 Improving the product image-which includes creating a new logo or launching a new brand of product and creating more attractive packaging. For example, Cadbury set out two objectives for the development of their chocolate, Fuse. These were: 1. To grow the market for chocolate confectionery 2. To increase Cadbury's share of the snacking sector When launching a product the company Cadbury’s had to make sure that any new product in the snaking sector must establish points of difference, creating a unique selling proposition (USP) i.e. a product with unique appeal which is not shared by any of its competitors. Referring back to the example of Fuse, Cadbury lost a lot of money

Prelude to Programming

As you took your first step you had to figure out how to execute the following process: Put one foot in front of the other At some point you did just that, and it was a major accomplishment. But this didn't get you very far. If you wanted to walk across the room, you needed to extend this process to the following: put the left foot in front of the right foot Put the right foot in front of the left foot Put the left foot in front of the right foot Put the right foot in front of the left foot and so forth This is not a very efficient way to describe what you did.A detailed list of your actions as you ambled all over the house would be very long. Because you did the same thing over and over, the following is a much better way to describe your actions: Repeat Put the right foot in front of the left foot until you get across the room This way is short, convenient, and just as descriptive. Even if you want to take hundreds or thousands of steps, the process can still be described in four l ines. This is the basic idea off loop. Walking is just one of many examples of loops in your daily life.For example, if you have a large family and need to prepare lunches in the morning for everyone, you can do the following: Make a sandwich Wrap the sandwich Place the sandwich in a lunch bag place an apple in the lunch bag Place a drink in the lunch bag Continue until lunches have been made for everyone in the family Where else do you encounter a looping process? How about eating a sandwich (one bite at a time) or brushing your teeth? If you have a programming class on Tuesdays at 1 1100 a. M. , you go to class every Tuesday at 1 1 a. M. Until the end of the semester.You do the â€Å"go to programming class† loop until a certain day. After you read this chapter (one word at a time), you'll be ready to place loops in your programs as well. 4. 1 An Introduction to Repetition Structures: Computers Never Get Bored! 165 4. 1 An Introduction to Repetition Structures: Computers Ne ver Get Bored! You have already learned that all computer programs are created from three basic constructs: sequence, decision, and repetition. This chapter discusses repetition, which in many ways is the most important construct of all. We are lucky that computers don't find repetitious tasks boring.Regardless of what task we ask a computer to perform, the computer is virtually useless if it can perform that task only once. The ability to repeat the same actions over and over is the most basic requirement in programming. When you use any software application, you expect to be able to open the application and do certain tasks. Imagine if your word processor Was programmed to make your text bold only once or if your operating system allowed you to use the copy command only once. Each computer task you perform has been coded into the software by a programmer and each task must have the ability to be used over and over.In this chapter, we will examine how to program a computer to repea t one or more actions many times. Pop Basics All programming languages provide statements to create a loop. The loop is the basic component of the repetition structure. These statements are a block of code, which under certain conditions, will be executed repeatedly. In this section, we will introduce some basic ideas about these structures. We will start with a simple illustration of a loop shown in Example 4. 1 . This example uses a type of loop called a Repeat†¦ Until loop. Other types of loops are discussed throughout the chapter. Example 4.Simply Writing Numbers This program segment repeatedly inputs a number from the user and displays that number until the user enters O. The program then displays the words List Ended. 2 3 5 6 7 Declare Number As Integer Write â€Å"Please enter a number: ‘ Input Number Write Number Until Number – Write â€Å"List Ended† In the pseudopodia, the loop begins on line 2 with the word Repeat and ends on line 6 with Until Nu mber O. The loop body is contained in lines 3, 4, and 5. These are the statements that will be executed repeatedly. The body of a loop is executed until the test condition following the word Until on line 6 becomes true.In this case, the test condition becomes true when the user types a O. At that point, the loop is exited and the statement on line 7 is executed. 1 66 What Happened? Let's trace the execution of this program, assuming that the user enters the numbers 1, 3, and O, in that order: When execution begins the loop is entered, the number 1 is input, and this number is displayed. These actions make up the first pass through the loop. The test condition, â€Å"Number – = O? † is now â€Å"tested† on line 6 and found to be false because at this point, Number =-? Therefore, the loop is entered again.The program execution returns to line 2 ND the body of the loop is executed again. (Recall that the double equals sign, -?2, is a comparison operator and asks t he question, â€Å"Is the value of the variable Number the same as O? ) On the second pass through the loop, the number 3 is input (line 4) and displayed (line 5), and once again the condition (line 6), Number = = O is false. So the program returns to line 2. On the third pass through the loop, the number O is input and displayed. This time the condition Number == O is true, so the loop is exited and execution transfers to line 7, the statement after the loop.The words List Ended are displayed and the program is complete. Iterations We have said that the loop is the basic component of the repetition structure. One of the main reasons a computer can perform many tasks efficiently is because it can quickly repeat tasks over and over. The number of times a task is repeated is always a significant part of any repetition structure, but a programmer must be aware of how many times a loop will be repeated to ensure that the loop performs the task correctly. In computer lingo a single pass through a loop is called a loop iteration.A loop that executes three times goes through three iterations. Example 4. 2 presents the iteration process. Example 4. 2 How Many Iterations? This program segment repeatedly asks the user to input a name until the user enters â€Å"Done. † Declare Name As String Write â€Å"Enter the name Of your brother or sister: † Input Name Write Name until Name â€Å"Done† and Elizabeth Drake. Published by Addison-Wesley. Copyright C 2011 by This pseudopodia is almost the same as shown in Example 4. 1 except that the input in this example is string data instead Of integer data.The loop begins on line 2 with the word Repeat and ends on line 6 with until Name â€Å"Done†. The loop body is contained in lines 3, 4, and 5. How are the iterations counted? Each time these statements are executed, the loop is said to have gone through one iteration. 167 Let's assume this program segment is used to enter a list of a user's brothers and sisters. If Hector has two brothers named Joe and Jim and one sister named Ellen, the loop would complete four iterations. Joe would be entered on the first iteration, Jim on the next iteration, Ellen on the third iteration, and the word Done would be entered on the fourth iteration.If Marie, on the other hand, had only one sister named Anne, the program would go through two iterations-?one to enter the name Anne and one to enter the word Done. And if Bobby were an only child, the program would only complete one iteration since Bobby would enter Done on the first iteration. Later in this chapter, We will see how to create a loop that does not require that the test condition count as one of the iterations. Beware of the Infinite Loop! In Example 4. 1 , we saw that the user was prompted to enter any number and that number would be displayed on the screen.Fifth user started with the number 234789 and worked his way down, entente 234,788, then 234,787, and so forth, the computer wou ld display 234,790 numbers (including the O that terminates the loop). However, after the user entered the last number, O, the loop would end. It would be a lot of numbers, but it would end. On the other hand, what would happen if the loop was written as shown in Example 4. 3? Example 4. 3 The Dangerous Infinite Loop In this example, we change the test condition of Example 4. 1 to a condition that is impossible to achieve. The user is asked to enter a number on line 2 and line 3 takes in the user's input.Line 4 sets a new variable, Computerized equal to that number plus one. The loop will continue to ask for and display numbers until the value of Number is greater than Computerized. That condition will never be met because on each pass through the loop, regardless of what number the user enters, Computerized will always be one greater. Thus, the loop will repeat and repeat, continually asking for and displaying numbers. 8 Declare Number, Computerized As Integer Write â€Å"Please e nter a number: † Computerized = Number + 1 Until Number > Computerized Write â€Å"The End† When will it end?Never. The words The End will never be displayed. If, as shown in Example 4. 3, a loop's test condition is never satisfied, then the loop will never be exited and it will become an infinite loop. Infinite loops can reek and Elizabeth Drake. Published by Addison-Wesley. Copyright @ 2011 by 168 havoc on a program, so when you set up a loop and put in a test condition, be sure that the test condition can be met. Computers don't mind doing a task many times, but forever is simply too many! Don't Let the User Get Trapped in a Loop There is one more important point to mention about Examples 4. And 4. 2. In both of these examples, we have test conditions that can easily be met. As soon as a user enters O for the number in Example 4. 1, the loop ends. As soon as the user enters the word Done in Example 4. 2, the loop ends. But owe would the user know that O or Done is th e cue for the program segment to end? It is important for the programmer to make it clear, by means of a suitable prompt, how the user will terminate the action of the loop. In Example 4. 1, the following would be a suitable prompt: Write â€Å"Enter a number; enter O to quit. In Example 4. 2, the following would be a suitable prompt: Write â€Å"Enter the name of your brother or sister:† Write â€Å"Enter the word Done to quit. † In the type of loops we used in these two examples, the loop continues until the user ends it. Other loops end without user input. Regardless of what type f loop you write, you always want to avoid the possibility that the loop will continue without end. Therefore, you must ensure that the test condition can be met and, if the user must enter something special to end the loop, be sure it's clear.Relational and Logical Operators The condition that determines whether a loop is reentered or exited is usually constructed with the help Of relatio nal and logical operators. We will briefly review these operators here. The following are the six standard relational operators and the programming symbols we will use in this book to represent them: equal to (or â€Å"is the same as†): – to equal to: less than: greater than or equal to: >= prelude to Programming: Concepts and Design, Fifth Edition, by Stewart Event All six operators can be applied to either numeric or character string data.Note that the double equals sign, the comparison operator (==) is different from the assignment operator While the assignment operator assigns the value on the right side of the equals sign to the variable on the left side, the comparison operator compares the values of the variable or expression on the left side of the operator to the value of the variable, expression, number, r text on the right side. It returns only a value of false (if the two values are different) or true (if the two values are the same).

Difference in Sunni and Shia Muslims

The difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims is not Islamic beliefs or spiritual differences, but politics. The division of Sunni and Shia Muslims started after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Sunni Muslims believed that the new leader of the Muslim nation should be elected out of those most capable of the job. Shia Muslims believed that leadership should be passed to his cousin or son-in-law. The leader was elected out of those most capable of the job. Abu Bakr was the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. The word â€Å"Sunni† in Arabic means â€Å"one who follows the traditions of the Prophet. † The word â€Å"Shia† in Arabic means â€Å"a group or supportive party of people. † They are also known as â€Å"followers of the Prophet. † Shias believe that Imams are descendants of the Prophet. Sunnis accept that the first four Caliphs were followers of Mohammad, but do not grant any kind of divinely inspired status to their clerics. Afghanistan is made up of 84 percent Sunnis and 15 percent Shias. Most Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims, while most Hazaras are Shia Muslims. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† Amir and Baba are Sunni Muslims and Hassan and Ali are Shia Muslims. Hazaras are generally Shia Muslims and Pashtuns are generally Sunni Muslims. They have different beliefs but between Amir and Hassan it does not make a difference. Hassan is called derogatory names by Assef and some others because he is a Hazara and a Shia Muslim. Amir is not because he is a Pashtun and a Sunni Muslim.