Silent destroyer essays

Silent destroyer essays America the Beautiful! So why are we destroying it everyday with the use of pesticides? It has been proven that pesticides have affects on its surrounding, although made to improve earths resources, they typically take there negative effect on the environment in time. Pesticides affect more than the environment; they also affect the animals and humans living in the environment. There are alternative, to this major problem but, we as the caretakers of earth must act fast. In the following paper Im going to share with you what pesticides are. Ill tell you why they are not safe to use and some of the affects of pesticides. Last, I will talk about some new alternatives there are instead of using pesticides. Pesticides are toxic chemicals that poison the earth and its environment. Pesticides main use is to kill pests that destroy food crops. They are also used in forests, lakes, city parks, lawns, hospitals, schools, and homes. There are four types of pesticides; insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and rodenticides. Insecticides kill insects, herbicides manage weeds, fungicides control mold and mildew, and rodenticides kill rodents. Pesticides are also found in a large range of products from shampoo to paper. Pesticides may be found wherever we live and work, in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, and in the food we eat(Mott Why are pesticides not safe to use, and what are there affects? Pesticides have many affects on the world today. Pesticides affect the environment in two different ways, It affects the water we drink and the soils we plant our crops in. Pesticides also affect the food we eat. Not only can pesticides be detected in food they are also found in humans and animals. So why are we moving so slowly to fix the problem? Everyday pesticides are dumped into our environment. Over time most of the pesticides make thier way to a source of water, whether it&...

Is AP US History Hard Expert Discussion

Is AP US History Hard Expert Discussion SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips AP classes are typically more challenging than regular high school classes, but some are harder than others. Based on testing statistics and an examination of the curriculum, we can come up with accurate assessments of the true difficulty level of each AP class. In this article, I'll analyze AP US History exam scores, student testimonials, and course content to give you a clear picture of how hard the class really is! What Factors Go Into Determining the Difficulty of an AP Class? There are five factors that we will consider when deciding whether AP US History is a difficult class compared to other APs. I'll give you a quick rundown on all of them before we dive into answering our main question: isAP US History hard? Factor #1: Passing Rate This is the percentage of students who earn a 3 or above on the exam.Lower passing rates may indicate a more difficult class.However, sometimes, passing rates in the hardest subjects are unexpectedly high because only the most dedicated students take those classes.A smaller group of more serious students makes for a larger percentage of passing scores overall. Factor #2: Five Rate The 5 rate is the percentage of students who earn 5s (the highest possible score) on the AP test.If the 5 rate is on the lower side, it may indicate that the material is more difficult to master.A low 5 rate can also sometimes happen with very popular classes.The proportion of students who are prepared for an AP test tends to decrease as the total number of students taking it increases. Factor #3: Content Difficulty This boils down to the amount of material the course covers and how advanced that material is.Some courses have high 5 and passing rates because their content is extremely challenging, and only very driven students will take them, not because they are easy classes. Factor #4: Student Testimonials What do students say about the class? There should be some consistency based on the fact that everyone learns essentially the same curriculum, and everyone ends up taking the same test.Student feedback can provide more information about the day to day challenges of the class and the nature of the workload. Factor #5: Timing of the Class A final factor to consider is when students usually take the class.Classes that students take later in high school will be more difficult overall, although some students perceive them as being easier than other AP classes that they took when they had less experience.The reverse is true of classes that students take as underclassmen. When you've taken too many AP testsin your time. What Do Statistics Say About the AP US History Exam? To start off, I’ll examine the statistics for passing and 5 rates on the AP US History exam in 2015. Passing Rate The 2015 passing rate was 50.7 percent.Only three other tests have lower passing rates: AP US Government and Politics, AP Environmental Science, and AP Physics 1.This comparatively low passing rate would suggest that the test is difficult, but we can’t say that for sure yet. AP Environmental Science, for example, is a test with an even lower passing rate, but that class isn’t considered particularlydifficult.It’s low because more people who have little to no experience with other high-level classes tend to take AP Environmental Science as a one-off AP for their transcripts.A high volume of under-preparedstudents skews the passing rate lower, so the low passing rate means less about the difficulty of the class in this case. For AP US History, since it’s one of the most popular AP classes (the number of students enrolled was second only to English Language and Composition in 2015), the passing rate may likewise be skewed slightly lower because there are so many students at different levels of preparation who take it.However, students who take AP US History also tend to be students who are better prepared and have probably taken other AP/honors classes as well.The low passing rate might be slightly illusory because of the sheer number of people taking the test, but students who take it are (overall) high-achieving, so the data still points to the test being pretty hard.This fact is strongly linked to the difficulty of the content and intensity of the workload in AP US History, which I'll describe in more detail later in this article. Five Rate The 5 rate for AP US History in 2015 was 9.3 percent.Only seven other AP assessments had lower 5 rates than AP US History, as compared to the 27 with higher 5 rates.This would again suggest that the test is more difficult compared to other AP tests.However, five rates can also be skewed high or low depending on the popularity of the class and the types of students who take it. Some objectively difficult classes have high five rates because they’re less popular, and the students who do take them are more well-prepared and dedicated to the subject (Chinese Language, for example).AP US History is a popular class, so there may be a wider spectrum of preparedness amongstudents, bringing down the five rate.But, as I mentioned in the first part of this section, it’s also a class that is usually taken by the most high-achieving students, so there shouldn’t be wide-ranging problems with a lack of preparation.The low five rate combined with the types of students who take AP US History suggest that it is a difficult test. So far, based on testing statistics, we’re leaning towards the conclusion that AP US History IS hard.Let’s take a look at the otherfactors to see if they line up. Besides being the best AP score, five is also the ideal number of fingers for a human. What a kooky koincidence! Is the APUSH Content Difficult? AP US History covers the past few hundred years of history in this country, so there’s a lot to remember for the exam.However, memorization isn’t the main challenge.Throughout the test, you’re asked to analyze historical documents, demographic and other charts, and political illustrations from various periods in history.You have to apply your background knowledge to these sources and draw conclusions by blending skills of factual recall and deeper analysis. The free-response section is particularly challenging in this regard.Writing a coherent, well-supported argumentative essay on such a high-pressure test isn’t easy.And for the document-based question, you also have to incorporate at least six of the seven sources into your essay while using outside knowledge to bolster whatever point you’re making. I would argue the content is challenging because of the way you’re asked to synthesize what you’ve learned and relate it to themes that span multiple periods in history.These types of assessments are usually reserved for college classes because of the high-level thinking skills required.You have to look beyond the facts to draw larger informed conclusions. You want me to synthesize the what now? Do Students Think AP US History Is Hard? History was my best subject in high school, but I definitely didn’t think AP US History was an easy class.The tests were always challenging because my teacher had us take them with the same time constraints as the real AP exam.We would have one 50-minute class period to answer a bunch of multiple-choice questions and write a long essay.I remember the tests being stressful, but most people did well on the AP test because they knew what to expect. APUSHwas time-consuming outside of class because of the number of textbook reading assignments and other outside projects.We had â€Å"seminars† every couple of weeks where we were assigned to different sides of a historical issue and had a class-wide debate.We had to do write-ups of each seminar and were graded for participation during the debate.There were also quizzes on the nightly readings at the beginning of every class, so your grade would suffer if you didn’t do the homework. The consensus among other students (based on what I’ve seen in online forums) is reflective of my experiences.Most say that AP US History is a lot of work. Not all of it is difficult, and much of it is interesting, but it will take up a big chunk of your time.You have to be prepared to put in the effort, especially if you prefer science and math to the humanities,and the type of work you do in the course doesn’t come as naturally to you. I'd also like to consider briefly the last of the five factors I mentioned in the first section, which is when students tend to take this class.AP US History is typically taken later in high school (during junior or senior year).Many students have already experienced other AP classes, and all are familiar with the high school workload. Still, they find AP US History to be challenging in comparison to other classes.Our theory in the section on testing statistics has held true here as well - seems like this is a tough class from any angle. You're required to use authentic study materials and methods from each period. Sorry, electricity didn't go mainstream until the 1920s. Will AP US History Be Hard for YOU? It seems like APUSH is a hard class overall, but every student is different.You may have to do more research and self-reflection before you decide definitively whether this class will fit comfortably into your schedule.Here are a couple of measures I’d recommend taking if you want to get a clearer picture of what your experience with APUSH might be like: Ask Teachers and Past Students About the Class The most reliable way to decide whether AP US History will be difficult for you is to ask students and teachers who are familiar with it to give you their perspectives.If you know any older students who have similar academic records to you, ask them what they thought of the class and the workload.You can also ask your current history teacher if he or she thinks you’ll be able to handle AP US History based on your performance this year.You can even ask your guidance counselor what his or her opinion is of the class based on the performance of past students. Every AP US History class is slightly different because teachers have the freedom to design their own curriculum within the course framework. Be Aware of Your Academic Strengths and Weaknesses Which subjects challenge you the most? If you’re better at quantitative subjects like math and science and struggle with subjects that require lots of reading, writing, and memorization of facts, you can assume that AP US History will be difficult for you.On the other hand, if you prefer subjects that incorporate critical reading skills and essay writing (and have some interest in history), the class will probably be much easier. Keep in mind that this might be different from other history classes you took earlier in high school. Lower-level history classes are about factual recall, whereas the skills you need for AP US History are more analytical.It’s about applying your knowledge rather than just restating it. Check Your Class Schedule AP US History is a time-consuming class, so you should consider your schedule to make sure you aren’t overloading yourself by adding it into the mix.If you’re taking other challenging AP classes at the same time, you should be prepared for a daunting workload. Don’t take on too much, or you'll end up sacrificing your sanity and/or GPA. Pay attention to warning signs that your eyes may be bigger than your academic stomach. Conclusion: So, Is AP US History Hard? Based on all the factors I’ve examined in this article, AP US Historyis a hard class compared to most other APs.It has low passing and 5 rates, the content is challenging, students testify to a heavy workload, and most people don’t take it until junior or senior year.You should think carefully before you decide to enroll, but don’t underestimate yourself.Even if it’s a challenge, most students also think it’s an engaging and interesting class, and you’ll learn valuable analytical skills that will come in handy later in your academic career! What's Next? Looking for resources to help you get through this class with minimal suffering?Check out our list of the best review books available for AP US History this year. You can also read my ultimate study guide for AP US History for advice and links to tons of online practice questions! US History is on the more difficult end of the AP spectrum. Are there any easy AP classes to balance out your schedule? Read this article to find out which AP classes will be easiest for you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Argentinas Dirty War Research Paper Example

Argentinas Dirty War Research Paper Example Argentinas Dirty War Paper Argentinas Dirty War Paper At the Eleventh Conference of Latin American Armies, in October of 1975, Argentinas commander in chief of the military forces, Jorge Rafael Videla, pointed out to reporters inquiring about the fight against subversion: In order to guarantee the security of the state, all necessary people will die. When another journalist asked for clarification on the meaning of subversive, he replied, Anyone who opposes the Argentine way of life. 1 A few months following this declaration, on March 24, 1976, the military seized control of the nation; overthrowing the constitutional government, then lead by Isabel Peron. General Videla, Admiral Massera and Brigadier Agosti became the newest leaders in a sequence of military coups. Although this trio would go down in history as the bloodiest one of them all, a series of four more military juntas also followed. In 1981, General Viola, Army Chief of Staff, succeeded Videla upon the conclusion of his term. Although barely assuaging, Viola attempted to reopen conversations with the political parties which were still banned. The even more intransigent General Galtieri replaced him months later. Finally, in 1982, General Bignone was set up to manage the process of transitioning the government towards free elections. This evil period in Argentine history brought the word desaparecidos -the disappeared ones-into everyday parlance. As a terrifying foretaste of what was to come, renowned Peronist leader, Bernardo Alberte, was visited in the early hours of the seizure by a federal police unit. He was then thrown out of his sixth-story apartment building, while his family helplessly witnessed the entire torture. With this, one of many thousand deeds of horror, the new regime took hold of the nation. 2 It is estimated that during this period a total of 30,000 people were disappeared. The political unsteadiness of Isabel Perons administration had, amongst other things, established the grounds for the military coup. Outrageous inflation, murders and profound divisions within the political factions made this intervention appear unavoidable to practically everyone. A cautiously planned campaign by conservative groups of the media, with the support of Argentinean landowners, as well as the pressure of the international financial sector, fashioned an image of these rulers as honest men that would guard the countrys interests against the bloodshed that could occur if guerrilla organizations gained control. However, although the government by the army intended to provide a strong and unified front publicly, each one of them became notable for their internal power struggles, as well. Following the coup, the Constitution was replaced by, what is commonly known, as El Proceso (Statute for the Process of National Reorganization). This statute vested the military rulers with the capacity to exercise legislative, executive and judicial powers in their administration. Jointly, they now controlled trade unions, political groups and institutions of higher learning. Censorship was pervasive, habeas corpus was undermined and all constitutional guarantees were suspended indefinitely. Hence, ninety percent of the courts judges were substituted by new ones. The regime, in their self-portrayal of guardians of the Argentine values of tradition, family and property, deemed any disapproval of their rule as subversive behavior. Therefore, anyone and everyone suspicious of such attitudes would be eliminated, in the interest of protecting the welfare of the nation. As stated by Videla: The repression is against a minority which we do not consider Argentine. 3 The death penalty as a punishment for political crimes was incorporated to the string of new laws and decrees that not only amplified the power of the military, but also that of police officials. During a period of eight years, four different military regimes, took hold of all aspects of government, undertaking one of the most atrocious campaigns of despotism recognized in the Western Hemisphere. It would only be following the fiasco of the war for the Falkland Islands (known as the Malvinas Islands, to Argentineans) that democracy would be, finally, reinstated through the election of President Raul Alfonsin, in 1983. Context of The Dirty War Following World War II, Argentina was positioned eighth amongst the most affluent countries in the globe. Buenos Aires was a refined city, known to the rest of the world as the Paris of South America. As described by Marguerite Feitlowitz, its exceedingly European people were noted for being cultured, sophisticated and cosmopolitan. Up until the mid-seventies, Argentina had the highest literacy rate in all Latin America. In addition, because of the fertility of its expansive and fertile soil, it is one of the few nations in the world that shall never require the importation of food. Nevertheless, despite these achievements, this country has been socially, economically, politically self-destructive, as well. Politicians not only habitually consume their enemies, but also any restive allies too. An example of this was the fall of General Peron. General Juan Domingo Peron was a controversial leader that became president, for the first time in 1946. He was admired by the extreme left and extreme right alike. Peron was a strong supporter of the descamisados (shirtless ones) and organized labor. He was also a fan of Mussolini and Hitler, and a lure for progressive Jews who also provided asylum to thousands of Nazis. Peron became a strong adversary of the oligarchy by nationalizing services and industries and consequently keeping the employees in line with a combination of giveaways and the iron glove. 4 In 1955, the military toppled Perons government and the Peronist Party became outlawed. Juan Domingo Peron remained in political exile, in Spain, until1973, when he returned to be President for a second time in his career. The Montoneros was one of the primary guerrilla organizations to which the antisubversive campaign was originally directed. Although this particular group grew out of the much larger Peronist union movement, by 1976 Peronist leaders not only openly condemned the Montoneros, but also hired paramilitary assistance in order to combat and kill guerrillas. However, by the time the 1976 military regime came to power, the revolutionary groups in Argentina had been all but obliterated. Its is estimated that the total amount of insurgent force members was limited to only about two thousand, while only twenty percent of them were actually armed. On the other hand, the number of the armed forces was close to a quarter of a million people. Clearly, the so-called threat posed by left-wing insurgency was merely an excuse to take complete charge and impose the regime s own terror campaign. These new leaders set out to modify-through any means available-the political, economic, social and cultural makeup of Argentina and to establish themselves as the supreme and unchallenged rulers. 5 Political Culture: Recurring Phases of Gory Rule The history and political culture of this nation has, for long, been tainted by recurring cycles of bloody rule. Researchers date this modern military period back to the 1930s, when Jose Uriburus aggressive coup detat took place. This would become the first military intervention since 1854. From this point and until 1976 there were a total of nine civilian supported military seizures of the government, two other presidents selected by the armed forces, two blatantly rigged elections and also two terms of quasi-fascistic Peronism. 6 On average, each of these governments lasted slightly beyond two and a half years. Military control in Argentine politics not only stems from the weakness and inadequacy of civilian institutions, but also from the particular power of the armed forces within its culture. An irony in the history of this country is that not many officers took part in Jose Uriburus coup; however from that episode on the political culture of Argentina became highly militarized. Although the military forces have illustrated over and over how inadequate their governmental skills are, elected administrations have continuously sought the protection of their power. As summarized by French sociologist Alain Rouquie in his Pouvoir militaire et societe politique en Republique Argentine, No president-civilian or military-has managed to stay in office against the wishes of he men in uniform. Despite all of its cultural sophistication, the foundation of the Argentinean society is quite medieval. Fashioned after the Praetorian Guard, its conventional triad is comprised of the landowning oligarchy, the armed forces and the Catholic Church. Argentina has consistently showed uneasiness about the chaotic nature of democracy. On the other hand, the cool and heavy handed strength of the military provided them with the perception that government was less vulnerable to corruption. During the 1960s, high profiled newspapers-such as La Opinionsupported another series of coups. Because the military preferred an economy based on international capitalism, they were presumed to be more in sync with the interests of the upper and middle classes than the other factions which were after a statist economic policy with an emphasis in organized labor. In the 70s, a huge devaluation of the peso and rampant unemployment rates, exacerbated guerrilla conflict between ultra-right and ultra-left militia broke out. Violent behavior was widespread and everyone was in danger. In 1974, in the midst of such turmoil, Peron dies and control is taken over by his wife, Isabel. As a reaction to the intimidation of the left, the Peronist administration forms the Triple A (Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance. This death squad was originally under the management of the Federal Police and later on under the control of the Minister of Social Welfare. In 1975, Isabel Perons administration officially declared that subversion had been eliminated all subversive elements. Argentina, though supposedly democratic, was for all intents and purposes, under siege. As mentioned earlier in this paper, the armed left had originated from the Peronist movement, although there were other factions, which had a Maoist cast. Naturally, the Che Guevara was highly regarded by them. Although the Montoneros was the largest of the opposing organizations, the Maoist-inflected Peoples Revolutionary Army (ERP) and Peoples Armed Force (FAP) were seriously active as well. The United States and the National Security Doctrine In 1959, Fidel Castros rise to power was a source of much concern to Latin American conservatives and moderates alike. A year later, Argentina implemented the Plan for Civil Insurrection Against the State (CONINTES). This plan was not only aimed at terrorists, but also anyone who identified with or assisted in concealing them. Therefore, lead by a senior officer, the country was split up into military zones. As was to be expected, Washington was not welcoming to Fidel Castro, since he was perceived as a possible weapon of the Soviet Union in the Cold War. The United States was resolute in its objective to keep South America on its side. In 1963, Defense Secretary Robert MacNamara, addressed the United States Congress by asserting that, Our best return on investment in military aid probably comes from the training of selected Army forces and key specialists in our military academies and training centers in the United States and abroad. These students are carefully selected by their countries so that they, in turn, become instructors when they go home. They are the leaders of the future I dont need to dwell on the value of having people in positions of power who have a first hand nowledge of how we think and act here in the United States. For us having these people as friends is invaluable 7 The National Security Doctrine became the political foundation of the military juntas. Since the rule of right-wing General Ongania, soldiers were being methodically trained regarding the threat posed by anyone who did not remain associated to the military and Christian values that protected the world against communism. As many ot hers, Ongania was considerably biased by the United States counterinsurgency courses and lectures that had promoted the doctrine all over South America. This National Security Doctrine was comprised of a sketchy set of concepts and its cohesive power restive in its definition of the enemy, as communism. 8 A remnant of the Cold War, it was created in order to guard the economic power of the United States in South America. United States trepidation about another Cuba drove their efforts to train Latin America against Marxism. This dogma held that a third world war was in peril between the free world and Communism. Commander of the Third Army Corps expanded on this further, by saying: On one side were the subversives that wanted to destroy the national state to convert it into a Communist state, a satellite in the red orbit, and on the other side, us, the legal forces, which by the authority of two decrees of the then constitutional power, participated in that struggle. The internal foe was more dangerous than those out of the country, however, because it endangered the basic Christian and Western ideals of the Argentinean society. The role of the armed forces was to protect Argentinas ideological purity. The government started to intercede in other nations internal matters and joined the Southern Cones military dictatorships in combating subversion. Eventually, this model was exported to other countries-such as Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras-where the Argentine actively trained soldiers on repressive techniques against insurgency, as well. In order to synchronize military activities in these nations, General Viola, proposed the doctrine of Seguridad Continental (National Security). This created a actual secretive system for the repression. Political refugees from Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and Bolivia were warned that they would be deported, if they jeopardized, in any way, the national security of the country. Acknowledging the hazard the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) issued a global plea to assist in relocating the refugees elsewhere. According to the belief of the armed forces, the worldwide tactic of Communism now required that the state responded with a wide-reaching international approach. The predictability of a third world war systematically conditioned the minds of the officers and soldiers running the day-to-day operations. Thus, allowing them to justifiably exercise the gruesome methods of repression that were being requested of them from the juntas in power. In his personal account on his kidnapping and subsequent detention, Timerman, editior of La Opinion, discusses what he would overhear from the officers, at he detention center where he was kept: attendance to weekly courses given by the army on such war, was obligatory for the entire staff of torturers, interrogators, and kidnappers. The massage conveyed by this academy was simple: Communism needed To be stopped, and Nazi tactics and methods were the only effective tools For fighting the subversion Since Argentinas labor movement was the foundation of the Peronista Party, workers from the trade union was one the main targets of this campaign. Any demands for social or economic change coming from these groups, were interpreted as the inner workings of a communist scheme. Therefore, Finance Minister Martinez de Oz (who was also president of Acindar-one of three steel industriessubsidiary of U. S. Steel, member of ITT and Pan Am Airway board of Directors) instituted economic strategies that disenfranchised these particular employees. Oz voided progressive labor regulation, froze salaries and increased the wages of officers of the military. As a result, international investment sector was favored at the cost of the national industry. In the meantime, the large credit lines extended by foreign banks and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) supported the economy. However, this period known as plata dulce (sweet money) wouldnt last for long. As put by journalist I. Guest: Down came the barriers, up went the peso and in came the loans, again10 Influences in Counterinsurgency Instruction In 1951, the United States Defense Department established its Military Assistance Program, in accordance to the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance. The purpose of such program was to arm and coach South American armed forces. The Inter-American Defense College in Washington was a highly regarded center, in the U. S. , where the hand-picked candidates would be qualified in counterinsurgency techniques. Another infamous location, where eligible soldiers were rewarded with this unique training, was the United States Army School of the Americas (SOA). The SOA was, initially, established in 1946 in Panama Canal Zone and later on moved to the state of Georgia, in the United States. Here, fifty seven thousand Latin American soldiers were trained on blackmail, torture, bribery and murder. The courses were financed by the United States taxpayers money. Amongst the military men that were trained in this academy were Nicaraguan dictator Somoza, Panamanian drug trafficker Noriega and Argentinas General Galtieri. The academies manuals that surfaced in recent years advised that hypnosis and truth serum be utilized to induce interrogations. Additionally, it was also recommended that parents of political prisoners be arrested in order to encourage talk. The handbooks, which were translations from earlier American English versions, from the sixties, clearly violate todays United States policy. As far a military instruction is concerned, the United States was not the only resource of knowledge for the armed forces of Argentina. The French who had combated subversion in Algeria and Indochina also influenced the Argentine military curricula, as well. The Chief of Police of Buenos Aires between 1976-79, General Camps, was an admirer of the Frenchs take on repression, moreso than the American way. Camps, who believed that terror was a rite of passage and who proudly and openly, admitted his responsibility in over five thousand disappearances expanded on this point as follows: France and the United States were the great disseminators of antisubversive doctrine. They both. , but particularly the United States, organized centers to instruct in the fight against subversion. They sent advisors and teachers. They disturbed a huge amount of bibliography. Unfortunately,. All of that Ended in failure, although it was possible to analyze why they hadnt triumphed There was a basic difference: they were fighting outside their own territory, In countries of different race, a different language, different customs. That Situation is totally distinct from the situation in our Latin American countries. It is important to clarify that the French optic was more correct than The North American; the former had a global concept; the latter were all but Exclusively military. All that was fine until we reached adulthood and Applied our own doctrine which enabled us to triumph against subversion. 11 In the fifties, a military operation from France arrived at the Escuela Superior de Guerra in Buenos Aires (National War College), in order to teach courses in Revolutionary War-also known as Anti-Communist Warfare and Anti-subversive Warfare. During the 1950s and 1960s, articles written by French officers, were published in the schools journals. 12 During the 1970s the Argentine students, published new works that built on the earlier French principles of torture. Many Argentine researchers have acknowledged the influence of this particular mission in the shaping and of Argentinean military tactics and strategy. Clearly, the exchange of ideology at this College was of significant importance as it afforded the Argentine armed forces, yet added rationalization in their application of torture during their operations in the Dirty War.

Billabong International Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Billabong International - Case Study Example The past few years have seen an increase in the E retailing business. With E Bay and Amazon recording remarkable success, this decades business portals like Ali Baba and EC21 of Korea or 163.com of China have come up from different regions of the world. The trend of this era is to have e-commerce enabled business for success. Due to this any businesses have started including their own business portals ad web pages on their website include e commerce pages to capitalize on the traffic visiting their website. Considering the marketing strategies of billabong International, I would suggest that there is only one customer requirement that has been overlooked and that is the e availability. Billabong international has a web presence but I would suggest that it requires exclusive web pages that showcase their product lines along with prices and discount schemes if any. Such a web portal would not only serve the needs of the Australian and New Zealand based web surfers surfing online for surf boards and other sports products but would also serve the purpose of drawing attention from other parts of the world like developing countries with high growth rates including Pakistan and India, two up coming markets where our competitors Nike and Adidas are very strong in the apparel sector. Presence in the surf board sector is limited and surf boards are available only at limited outlets. This is mainly due to the fact that surfing is not a very popular sport in these two countries. However, these are untapped markets where by promoting this sport, Billabong will be expanding its geographical markets as well. Considering the above, we propose that Billabong International should launch: 1. Their E Business Portal, a website or WebPages on its existing websites that are geared towards generating internet sales i.e. E Retailing. 2. Our second proposition is that Billabong should launch an International Exhibition, in Australia, to display its surfing and other products and invite industry professionals and the consumers purchasing its products from data collected from outlets. These are likely to purchase goods from the exhibition. Purpose: The objective of this research is to determine how successful an E Portal would be and what value would it add to Billabong International. What factors may lead to website failure What impacts might that have on the brand name How and what information needs to be collected to ensure that the E Commerce enabled website would be successful. This report seeks to answer all of these questions through primary and secondary research. SECONDARY RESEARCH Secondary research was carried out to find out the size of the market, the target market requirements and the change in shopping trends over a period of years. a.Size of the Market Forrester research states that the amount of ecommerce activities worldwide reached US $ 6.8 trillion in the year 2004 as compared to just US $ 43 Billion in 1998.New Zealand and Australia are part of this same cycle. According to a report by META Group , New Zealand is one of the top ten countries where E-commerce can be developed. According to International Data Corporation " IT solutions in New Zealand will account for 29.6% of the total spending in the IT market

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

Business Strategy - Essay Example to remain progressive and contemporary with the changing business environment and has always tried to meet the consumer demand (Hitt, Duane and Hoskisson, 2012, pp.76-77). The company carries extensive research on the needs and tastes of the customers and at the same time constantly changes their advertising campaigns. The main aim of the company is to develop their products in the best possible way and give their customers a great place to socialize, eat and have a great experience. McDonald’s has achieved its competitive advantage through charging low price for its products and increasing the volume. McDonald’s attracts the consumers on a regular basis and at the most affordable prices. It aims at regular visits of the customers and hence does not display very high priced products on their menu. The product prices of McDonald’s are not standard for all the countries. It differs according to the location or rather the pricing strategy of McDonald’s depends on the local competition and promotions. McDonald’s has even changed the eating habits of the customers and attracts people at the peak hours by offering very low rates. McDonald’s follows an aggressive pricing strategy. McDonald’s products taste the same whichever country they operate, but they try and indulge some local taste so as to make it more appealing to the local consumers (Jeannet and Hennessey, 2005, pp.213-214). The company expands its operations internationally through franchising. They even aim at being the quick service restaurant and give their customers a good experienc e in terms of product quality, taste and cleanliness. The business strategy of McDonald’s comprises of the franchisee model, product consistency and act like retailer think like a brand strategy. The franchisee model that is adopted by the company helps it to maximize on the returns and minimize the investment. According to this model only 15% of the total number of restaurants of McDonald’s is actually owned by

Business Synoptic (reflective statment) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Synoptic (reflective statment) - Essay Example The learning outcomes are assured in business synoptic module because we get a chance of solving the problems demonstrated in the case study solely depending on our own knowledge gathered through the entire process of learning. Case study is an eminent means of reflecting various theoretical concepts learned through any module in practical situations (Monash University, 2010). The chart below provides a pictorial representation that I followed while solving the case study assignment. Firstly, I developed the methodology and then precisely, I followed those steps for arriving at a result. Most important stage of this methodology was to read the case comprehensively, again and again, so that every critical issue can be understood from the case. As a second stage, I really tried hard to identify the most crucial issues that I needed to handle for solving the case. Based on the issues identified, I formulated my strategy of researching various academic sources relevant in solving. Resear ch process along with understanding of the critical issues in the case helped me to a great extent in forming views about the main problems in the case. Based on the views formulated, reflective analysis has been made by me and concise solution has been presented. During the formulation of views about the case problem, the attendance that I made to the two workshops were of great help, the influence of which I could feel during writing solution to the case study’s questions. During solving the case, I came across a number of theories that I learned during my earlier classes. Here the integration of the knowledge became prominent for me when those were applied in the practical evidences provided in the case. The theories that I used are not many but whichever I have used were relevant to the case situation. The theories are emerging market analysis, performance analysis, corporate level strategy, mainly global strategy and multi-domestic strategy and the theory of management s tructure. Case study analysis provides the best results when sufficient strategic analytical tools are appropriately used in finding the results (Mind Tools, 2011). Figure 1 Answer to Question No: 2 It is evident that case study analysis provides us a wide scope of excelling in our areas of work, be it professional or academic. Through the module, I have developed various skills which I am sure will be beneficial in not only solving problems in my education career but also will help in gaining competitive position in the practical field (Lee & Et. Al., 2009). The following figure depicts the areas in which I have acquired skills through case study analysis. The most important skill that I gathered from the study is that of problem solving ability. The analysis demanded a lot of effort in solving the problems identified from thorough understanding of the case facts. The facts might even be wrong as I am not a perfect analyst but whatever knowledge I have in the area of strategy formu lation, I have applied in solving the problem (Raviv, 2003). The second most important skill that I acquired in the process is that of innovative thinking. Strategy demands innovation-I learnt this line during gathering education in this area and during the process of solution, I understood the real meaning of innovative thinking when I was bound to apply all my traits. This application process generated the

To Outline a Synthesis or Summary of two Quantitative Research Paper

To Outline a Synthesis or Summary of two Quantitative Articles about Nursing Rounds - Research Paper Example Meade, Amy L. Bursell and Lyn Ketelsen (2006) entitled â€Å"Effects of Nursing Rounds on Patients’ Call Light Use, Satisfaction and Safety† which found that hourly rounds by nursing personnel played a significant role in reducing patient falls as well as increasing their satisfaction while at the same time reducing the use of the call light. This study has been designed in a quasi- experimental like the previous study where hourly rounds are conducted by the nurses from two units namely 4S and 6S. 4S is a control unit where data was collected on an hourly round while 6S has been designed to maintain the current practice where there is no change implemented. Research has shown that falls among patients in the US are a problem given that 2.3 to 7 falls occur in U.S. hospitals every 1000 patient days and about 30-48% percent of these falls result in injury among both old and young patients. However, in this study, it has also been found that hourly nursing rounds can decr ease the rate of falls among the patients by 52 %. The study found that patients admitted in hospitals often require assistance with personal tasks such as the use of the toilet as well as during eating times where they will call for assistance using the call light. This study also found that the level of patient satisfaction is determined by his or her perception of the way a nurse conducts her duties. While the call light offers a lifeline to the patients in hospital, it has also been observed that it can be stressful on behalf of the practicing nurse. It often contributes to issues such as fatigue among the nurses and this negatively impacts on their patient care management which is often compounded by the existing shortage of staff. Therefore, hourly rounds have been found to be effective in this particular study which was carried over a twelve month period. At least, the study has been carried over a long period compared to the previous one. The sampling method employed by the study is non-probability sample on all subjects who are 18 years and over admitted to 4 South (Oncology/OBGYN) or 6 South (Orthopedic/Neurology) at Hospital during the period of the research. This method is ideal given that the results are likely to be reliable since it is inclusive of all subjects. This section also summarizes an article by Tucker, S.J. et al (2011) which is entitled "Outcomes and Challenges in Implementing Hourly Rounds to Reduce Falls in Orthopedic Units.† According to this article, patient falls remain a problem especially in acute care facilities as they have negative impacts such as injury to the affected people. Basically, patient fall can be described as unplanned descent to the floor (Curie, 2003). These range from 1.7 to 25 per 1,000 patient days with approximately 6–44% of these resulting in injury. Thus, patient safety through the reduction of falls is a very important phenomenon in the health care industry and can be derived from implementi ng structured nursing rounds interventions (SNRIs) according to this particular study. This study has been designed to establish the rate of patient fall during the three period intervals namely: baseline, during the 12-week SNRI implementation, and 1-year following implementation. According to this paper, evidence of effective interventions to prevent and reduce patient falls is mixed (Oliver et al. 2007; Currie 2008). However, in some studies like the work of Christine M. Meade, Amy L.