The USSR's Voracity for Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The USSR's Voracity for Power - Essay Example The two powers distrusted each other. America resented Joseph Stalin’s dictatorship and communism in the USSR. The USSR, also referred to as the Soviet Union also distrusted America for not accepting them into the international community. They were also unhappy with America’s delay to participate in the World War II, leading to the death of many Russians. Therefore, even though the Soviet Union and the United States fought during the Word War II as allies, they had only joined hands to fight a common enemy, the Nazi Germany. The major cause of the Cold War was the move by the Soviet Union to try and gain power and influence in East European countries. After the World War II ended, the Soviet Union separated itself from the Western allies. The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin initiated aggressive policies in order to gain influence in east European countries. The United States intervened to stop the Soviet Union’s expansion, and this resulted in the Cold War. Afte r Stalin’s death, the Soviet Union was taken over by Khrushchev and later by Brezhnev. These leaders implemented various foreign policies. This discussion explores the Soviet Union’s voracity for power and influence as the chief cause of the Cold War, and the impact of Khrushchev’s and Brezhnev’s foreign policies. Origination of the Cold War Before World War II began, the United States and the Soviet Union had several differences. Firstly, the two nations supported different types of governments. The United States supported democracy while the Soviet Union favoured communism. There were also economic differences whereby the United States supported world free trade. However, the Soviet Union was against international trade as the Russians felt it would bring in influences from the west that would threaten their dictatorial system. Moreover, when Europe was weakened in World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States were the most influential powers and each of them wanted to control the other. When the World War II ended, the distrust between the Soviet Union and the United States was heightened by the domination of the USSR in Eastern Europe and the confrontational and domineering attitude of the United States to international matters, as well as their possession of an atomic bomb (Painter, 1999: 15). The Soviet Union had gained considerable influence in Eastern Europe even before World War II ended. The Red Army was in control of some parts of Eastern Europe by 1944. The Soviet Union also obtained the control of eastern Germany and obtained a new border line with Poland at the Yalta Conference in 1945. Towards the end of the war in 1945, the Soviet Union actively dominated the eastern European control and influenced the elections to ensure communist domination in their governments. Moreover, communists in these countries took charge of the most significant ministries of Military and Defence. The Soviet Union also influenced Wes tern Europe’s post-war elections in countries like France and Italy in 1946 (Phillips, 2001: 123). Stalin consolidated the Soviet authority in east European countries and used the Soviet Union’

Hilton Worldwide Inc Hilton Hotels and Resorts Essay

Hilton Worldwide Inc Hilton Hotels and Resorts - Essay Example Hilton Hotels & Resorts operates 558 hotels and resorts in 80 countries, including the USA, the UK, the UAE, and Singapore (Hilton Worldwide, Inc. 2013; Hiltonworldwide.com, 2014). Below is provided more detailed analysis of the marketing mix concept implemented by Hilton Hotels & Resorts. The company operates in the service industry and its main business activity is concentrated on providing accommodation services. Thus, the key product of the company is hotel rooms in hotels and resorts worldwide. As it is mentioned on the corporate website of the Hilton Hotels & Resort, guestrooms feature a smart, functional design supplemented with â€Å"thoughtful amenities† (www3.hilton.com, 2014, n.p.). In addition to accommodation services, there are additional services which make up the overall cycle of the guest service. Some of these supporting services include the following: restaurants and bars, spa, leisure and wellness facilities, entertainment faciliti3es, banquet halls and business/conference halls, online reservation facilities, concierge services, etc. (Company profile and SWOT analysis 2014). Hilton Hotels and Resorts have premium-level prices, as the prices for accommodation are above the market prices (prices vary greatly by geographical locations). Hilton Hotels & Resorts pricing strategy can be defined as prestige or premium pricing strategy because the company offers 5 and 4-star service in its hotels. That is why the prices in Hilton’s facilities are the high end of the possible pricing range (Marketingmentor.net, n.d.). By charging premium level prices the company focuses on status-conscious consumers who value high-quality service, comfort, luxury, and high status and therefore, who are ready to pay for it. Hilton Hotels & Resorts are located worldwide in more than 80 countries. The locations are chosen based on the type of resort and the specific location. Even though Hilton Hotels and Resorts is a global company operating its hotels worldwide, the concept of marketing mix implementation may vary and is subject to the variety of external factors such as competition, cultural and social factors, etc. Thus, locations in India, the USA, the UAE, and Singapore may target the same audience but the ways of attracting and communicating with the target audience may vary slightly. These differences also refer to the pricing strategy, promotion strategy, and product strategy. For example, rooms in the USA resorts may vary greatly from the rooms in the UAE by its design. However, taking into consideration that this is a global company and that its customers travel worldwide, there are some unified standards which are appropriate for people of any nationality.   

Discuss the rationale and impact of the decision on company law Assignment

Discuss the rationale and impact of the decision on company law - Assignment Example The conflict between the personal opinion of judges and the legal provisions of the law has been in existence for years, and this conflict has resulted in the determination of cases in a manner that does not reflect the legal provisions. However, under the case Salomon v Salomon & Co Ltd [1897] AC 22, the supremacy of the law as the principle that guides courts in determining cases was cemented. This is because; in both the High Court and the courts of appeal, the judges held that the merit of the case Broderip v. Salomon [1985] 2 simply warranted the consideration of Salomon Ltd as an ‘alias’, thus allowing for the treatment of Salomon Ltd and Mr. Aron Salomon as one and the same thing (Rickett, 1998:16). Therefore, the High Court and the Court of Appeal ruled that Mr. Aron Salomon was responsible for paying the debts incurred by Salomon Ltd. However, the House of Lords unanimously overturned the ruling, by holding that the opinions and personal perspectives of the judges were subordinate to the provisions of the law, and the provisions of the law under Companies Act (1862) had provided that a company could be incorporated for as long as it had seven members, regardless of whether the members contributed to the company in any substantial way or whether they were just mere individuals enlisted as part of the company ownership (Sealy, 2010:36). Thus, the relevance of the case Salomon v Salomon & Co Ltd [1897] AC 22 in company law is that it cemented the position of law as the principle reference for which the courts should base their judgments, while placing the opinion and fair judgment of the juries subordinate to the principle of the law. This is considering the fact that judge Vaughan Williams J. of the High Court had applied his opinion in ruling the case Broderip v. Salomon [1985] 2, whereby he opined that as opposed to the application of the legal provisions of Companies Act 1862 in the case, it was a bit more

Hinduism and Buddhism - What Sets Them Apart Essay

Hinduism and Buddhism - What Sets Them Apart - Essay Example The notion of human self differs in Hinduism and Buddhism. According to Hinduism, the individual soul or atman is separate from the body and the intellect. This Atman is indestructible, eternal, and unaffected by the changes in life. Individual actions (karma) are governed by the caste, but the soul is independent of caste and action. The ultimate goal of this atman is to end the cycle of births by merging with the all-pervasive Brahman (Mundaka Upanishad, in The Upanishads cited in Hinduism 66). Buddhist teachings on the other hand claim that there is no such thing as the eternal self. According to Buddhism, each individual is formed by combining the form, feelings, perceptions, volition, and consciousness. The law of karma (action) binds these five forces (The Theravada Buddhist Worldview). Individual actions are results of desires, which lead to suffering and rebirth. To break away from the cycle of births, one must give up desires. As with the Buddhist perspective of the human so ul, their views on God are quite different from those of Hindus. Buddhism is an atheist religion. Buddhists believe that individuals have to strive for enlightenment and that God does not help the man in this struggle. Even Buddha is not considered a God, but a venerated leader who showed the path to enlightenment (Means: The Four Noble Truth – The Eight-fold Path of the Middle Way). On the other hand, Hinduism is a religion with many gods, the most venerated being Brahma the creator of the universe, Vishnu the preserver, and Siva the destroyer, along with their respective divine consorts Sarasvati the goddess of knowledge, Lakshmi the goddess of wealth, and Parvati the universal mother. Buddha is considered an incarnation of Vishnu and hence a God (Devotional and Literature Movements: The Puranas). A Hindu could be devoted to any particular God of his/her choice. This Hindu tolerance towards many gods caused Buddhism in India to fade into Hinduism over time (Introduction, Th eravada Buddhism – the Middle Way).

Technology in the Classroom Essay Example for Free

Technology in the Classroom Essay There is no doubt technology had transformed teaching and the way students learn; however, in the world of education, there are those who believe technology is a vital asset in the classroom and there are those who completely oppose it. Either way, technology has become the leading force in society today; no one can escape it. It is important for educators to find the most effective ways of using technology in the classroom without relying solely on it. The keys to effective use of technology are remaining involved in the learning process of the student while using technology, keep teachers trained on new technology available, and never overusing it. Using technology effectively in the classroom will help develop a student who is ready and able to face the post graduation world successfully. In Becoming a Teacher, Parkay and Stanford, claim 46 percent of teachers use computers in the classroom on a weekly basis. These statistics are from the seventh edition, so it is safe to say those numbers have clearly risen and now have quite an impact in the classroom. With increasing use of technology, teachers need to make sure they are committed to the inclusion of technology in their lesson plan by developing new assessment techniques to evaluate students’ work. For instance, a teacher cannot simply grade a student on correct answers because he or she could have simply looked them up via the internet; the teacher must evaluate what the student is learning based on evidence of critical thinking and real-world problem solving. Plagiarism may become an issue with the use of technology, so it is important for educators to explain the importance of students’ writing their own material and citing sources they may have used. Parkay and Stanford also claim that, although school districts are developing new approaches to providing teachers with support for integrating technology, they are not spending an adequate amount of money on the training. With the abundance of technology available to teachers, it is important for them to receive sufficient and ongoing training. Teachers are doing everything from emailing parents to designing complete lessons that require student so use the Internet as a resource and part of their participation; these educators need to remain proficient in the ways they choose to use technology. Also, some claims are being made that students are becoming more â€Å"tech savvy† than the educators and this puts the teachers at a disadvantage when assessing the students learning. Teachers are beginning to rely on the students for help in the classroom and this sets an uneven tone in the classroom; teachers will lose their credibility. Once educators begin to realize how powerful a tool the computer can be to learning, they must resist the urge to rely solely on it. It must remain clear that the computer and the Internet is just another form of literacy available to them while teaching. A lesson plan should include reading, writing, listening, speaking, and the use of technology for visual and audio stimulation. Although technology provides students with the ability to learn in a nonlinear fashion, they still need other learning tools that will provide a basis for effective overall learning. Teachers need to remain in control of the classroom lesson and not leave the students to fend for themselves while using technology. Some critics believe teachers are, in fact, overusing technology. They claim computers will not improve education, and therefore, are not needed in the classroom. Some claim older effective teaching methods will be thrown out and overlooked because of the convenience of technology. There are many difficult questions surrounding if technology should remain at the center of learning, or if teachers should consider using them as only sources of entertainment. I believe, technology provides students with effective ways of learning that keep them on-track with the increasing technological world we live in and if teachers utilize it correctly, it will prove to be an effective strategy for teaching.

Healthcare Affordability in the US

Healthcare Affordability in the US Advanced Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice Issues Marina Bukhrashvili New York State needed an additional 1,200 physicians to address the shortage by 2012, according to a 2012 Haney’s survey by the Healthcare Association of New York State (Verdon, Ritchie, Marbury Mazzolini, 2014). The scope of Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP) practice is currently debated in some states. In New York State, the Nurse Practitioners Modernization Act will allow those nurses who have more than 3,600 hours of experience to treat patients without the supervising physician’s signed practice agreement (Farmer, 2014).This act will become law on January 1, 2015. This act may fill that void; however, various New York physician advocate groups continue to argue that patient safety will be compromised because of the gap in training of CNPs (Verdon et al., 2014). The United States (U.S.) health care system faces many challenges due to demographical, economic and political shifts. There are existing gaps in quality and accessibility of care and patient safety. U.S. population is aging rapidly and it is estimated that about 18 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 years old or older by 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). With growing number of Medicare beneficiaries, there will be more demand for primary care providers. It is estimated that by 2020, the U.S. nation will require 40 percent more primary care providers (Hauer et al., 2008). U.S people 65 and older will have more than one chronic disease and physicians’ shortages will not meet the demands that are expected (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). The National Governors Association (NGA) reviewed of the literature and summarized that CNPs can reduce disparities in access to care, promote cost effectiveness through policy advancement, patient advocacy and the development of innovative models of care to improve patient care (NGA, 2013). The push for giving CNPs more autonomy continues with the shortage of primary care physicians on the rise. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is not supporting the idea of allowing CNPs the full scope of practice without working under the physician’s supervision. One of the reasons cited is that family physicians have extensive training and education, which would ensure patients’ safety and provide the best quality of care (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2012). The scope of CNPs’ practice is currently debated in some states. Researchers studied care provided by both nurse practitioners and physicians and showed that while quality of care was similar for both providers, patients’ results were same or better for NPs as compared to physicians (Bauer, J. 2010). In addition, it was found that nurse practitioners provide care at a lower cost as well as more disease prevention counseling, health education, and health promotion activities than physicians (Mehrota et al., 2009). Another study which used data from the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Consumer Survey showed that consumers are open to the idea of obtaining medical care from NPs (Dill, Pankow, Erikson Shippman, 2013). Compared to physicians, CNPs traditionally are reimbursed at a lower Medicare rate for delivery of the same services. Yet, while our healthcare desperately needs to reduce cost, it is estimated that a cost savings would remain, even if CNPs were to receive equivalent reimbursement, because they utilize fewer resources than physicians (Health Policy Brief, 2012). In 2009, on average, it cost 20% less to visit a nurse practitioner than to visit a physician (Eibner, Hussey, Ridgely Glynn, 2009). In Massachusetts, after the insurance reform was implemented, it was shown that the state could save from $4.2 to $8.4 billion over a 10-year period when nurse practitioners use was increased (Eibner et al., 2009). Accountable care organizations (ACA), community and nurse-managed health centers, patient-centered medical homes success will require that CNPs have full scope of practice to have the ability to practice independently without restrictions (Fairman, Rowe, Hassmiller, Shalala, 2011). Organizational barriers exist for reimbursements of care provided by CNPs. Notwithstanding that the quality and standards of preventing care established in the ACA are met by these providers, their current rate of reimbursement for Medicare services to residents in long term care (LTC) facilities is only 85 percent of the rate that physicians charge for the same services (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2013). The unlimited contribution of CPNs will be even more important considering that with the implementation of the ACA, millions of newly insured Americans will seek the access to healthcare. Expanding the scope of practice of advanced practice nurses can possibly translate to an increased access to healthcare for many current and future patients, especially in underserved areas (National Governors Association, 2012). There is a need for the uniform standards for practice and to eliminate the difference in the level of practice among CNPs from one state to another (NGA, 2012). The scope of practice will establish which activities are reimbursed by third party payers and will have direct impact on the independent practice of CNPs (NGA, 2012). When CNPs are required to collaborate or to be supervised by the physician, they are less likely to be selected by insurers and are unable to directly bill for the services they render (NGA, 2012). Instead, the bill for their services is coded under the physician’s provider number. If the requirement for physician involvement is dropped, CNPs would be allowed to be credentialed as providers and directly reimbursed for their services. This is also important if a physician moves or does not want to collaborate with a CNP. Another issue related to scope of practice is the lack of universal, federal recommendations for mobility across states for practitioners involved in telemedicine. The significant discrepancy in CNP scopes of practice across states limits the ability of expert CNPs to work as consultants in a different state, which may limit the access of individuals to specialty consultations that may not be available locally. In their study of nurse migration, it was reported that nurses, including CNPs, move to states with less restrictive scopes of practice. Migration of CNPs may contribute to the shortage of primary care providers, especially in disadvantaged areas (Kalist, Spurr, Wada, 2010). Nurses are restricted to certify in some state to do health care visits or stay in skilled nursing facilities, admit patients to hospitals or prescribe medications without physician’s supervision and because of that nurses move to less restrictive states, and from primary to specialist care, a resu lting loss of access to care a lot of patients (Eibner et al., 2009). With millions of people signing up for health care under the Affordable Care Act, the aging population and number of chronic illnesses growing, the demand for primary care services is projected to grow. NPs will play a significant part in expansion and shaping of health care delivery. The looming shortage of primary care practitioners can be alleviating by integrating into health care delivery primary care nurse practitioners and physicians assistants. Medical profession should have an active interest in advancing the role of NPs and making sure that the high standards of the profession are intact. While NPs should not be a replacement for doctors they should be allowed to practice to the full extent of their training. Relaxing the scope of practice laws that prevent nurse practitioners from playing the important role in providing basic primary health care services is the first step that should be undertaken. References American Association of Nurse Practitioners (2013). Issues at-a-glance: Full practice authority.  Retrieved from: http://www.aanp.org Association of Advanced Nursing Practice Educators. (2009).Universities and advanced practice  programmes. Retrieved from  http://www.aanpe.org/AANPEHEIsMembers/AANPEMemberUniversitiesCoursesProgrammes/tabid/469/language/en-US/Default.aspx Bauer, J. (2010). Nurse practitioners as an underutilized resource for health reform: Evidence-based demonstrations of cost-effectiveness. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse  Practitioners 22 (2010), 228-231. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Chronic diseases and health promotion.  Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm Dill, M., Pankow, S., Erikson, C., Shipman, S. (2013). Health Affairs. Retrieved from  http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/32/6/1135.abstract The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Meeting Increasing Demand for Primary Care. (2012)  Retrieved from  http://www.nga.org/cms/home/nga-center-for-best-practices/center-publications/page-health-publications/col2-content/main-content-list/the-role-of-nurse-practitioners.html The, O. C., Pr, N. (2012). Education and Training: Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners.  Retrieved from  http://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/news/NP-Kit-FP-NP-UPDATED.pdf Eibner, C.E., Hussey, P.S., Ridgely, M,S., McGlynn, E,A. (2009). Controlling health care  spending in Massachusetts: an analysis of options. Retrieved from  http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2009/RAND_TR733.pdf Fairman, J., Rowe, J., Hassmiller, S., Shalala, D. (2011). Broadening the scope of nursing  practice. New England Journal of Medicine 364(3), 193-196.  doi:10.1056/NEJMp1012121 Farmer, R., (2014) Milestone New York legislation eases practice restrictions on NPs.  Retrieved from  http://news.nurse.com/article/20140505/NY02/305050020#.VGAJdMnsoh0 Hauer, K.E., Durning, S.J., Kernan, W.N., Fagan, M.J., Mintz, M., O’Sullivan, P.S†¦.Schwartz,  M.D. (2008). Factors associated with medical students career choices regarding internal  medicine. JAMA, 300(10), 1154-1164. Kalist, D., Spurr, S., Wada, T. (2010). Immigration of Nurses. Industrial Relations: A Journal  of Economy and Society, 49(3), 406-428. Mehrota, A. et al. (2009). Comparing Costs and Quality of Care at Retail Clinics with that of  Other Medical Settings for 3 Common Illnesses. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151, 321-323. Nurse Practitioners and Primary Care. (2013). Retrieved from  http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=79 Sealey, G. (2014). U.S. Elderly to Double in 25 Years. Retrieved from  http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=91943page=1 U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012 (131st Edition) Washington,  DC, 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/. Verdon, D., Ritchie, A., Marbury, D., Mazzolini, C. (2014). (Slideshow) Scope of practice  debate in primary care spreads to 8 states. Retrieved from  http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/content/tags/midlevel-providers/slideshow-scope-practice-debate-primary-care-sprea?page=full

An Accounting Problem :: essays research papers

The annuities department was faced with an accounting problem. The current accounting system would be obsolete in a few years and our business customers are currently experiencing resource issues when problems arise and support for this system is required. Since financial reporting is a complex process, convoluted action was required to resolve this problem. The annuity technology group, along with the annuity business group came up with three possible solutions and conducted a high level requirements analysis and a cost benefit analysis to determine which solution to implement. The solutions analyzed were, do nothing and stay on the existing accounting system, go with a new accounting system designed and built by our Life Insurance partners, or build our own accounting engine. The requirements and cost benefit analysis took several months to complete and a final decision would not be made until 18 months after the initiation of this project. The end result of the requirements and cost benefit analysis concluded that it was most beneficial to our business partners to build our own accounting engine; however this was not the elected solution. Our suggestion to do nothing was not feasible; we were already facing resource issues for existing accounting problems. Additionally, through requirements analysis, we discovered that no future enhancements would be made to this old system, as the annuity business unit was the sole user of this system. Early on, we were able to eliminate remaining with our existing accounting system as a reasonable solution. External pressure from our Life Insurance partners wanted us to commit to using their services. Life Insurance had designed and implemented an accounting system a few years ago that provided wonderful functionality. This system is being used by most of the enterprise although there is no corporate mandate requiring administration areas to use it. While the functionality of this system is quite detailed and impressive, it fails to meet all of the needs of the annuity business customers. Because the annuity business requirements were quite extensive, the life insurance group could not commit to the necessary enhancements that would be required to their system to satisfy annuity users. Because of these business requirements, we then conducted an extensive analysis to determine what Annuities IT could do to satisfy the business requirements. The analysis revealed that we could build our own accounting system for only 25% of the cost of using the life insurance system.