Comparison Of Napoleon And Hitler Essay

The world as we know it has seen the likes of the most feared and infamous dictators and military geniuses. Some of these people have even shaped the way the world is today and their influences are still felt. Among such dictators are Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler, leaders of France and Germany respectively at two different periods. Adolf Hitler’s reign of power begins in 1933 when he is appointed Chancellor of Germany and his reign ends with his suicidal death on April 30 1945. Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign of military power begins in 1783 until he resigns in 1814, yet he has a slight military rebirth after that but it only lasts for a very short time. Both leaders’ careers are filled with massive successes yet they are also littered with massive defeats that truly change the way the world is today. Although these leaders can be considered geniuses, it does not mean they are perfect and not susceptible to the pull of human nature. Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte are two of the foremost military strategists and totalitarian leaders yet both had lapses in their judgment, both exhibit episodes of cowardice and both fail in their battles with Russia, ultimately ending their reigns. Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte both have several lapses in judgment on the battlefield, and in the planning rooms, during their reigns. While these lapses in judgment immediately may not result in the defeat of an army, when they are added together the results can and often were disastrous. Though Hitler had a strong army that could fight well, the mismanagement of that army and the people around it eventually lead to his personal demise as well as his army’s demise. Napoleon too is responsible for making several irresponsible and debilitating decisions during his reign. The Rhineland, a buffer zone between France and Germany that was formed at the end of World War I in the treaty of Versailles, is a very sensitive area that cannot be occupied by any German military forces. When Adolf Hitler announces to his political party and advisors that he wants to occupy this area, they are incredibly shocked and disappointed at their leader, as this would bring massive retaliations from the French and its allies. Amazingly enough, Hitler gambles on this decision and wins, as the French are initially shocked and eventually just let it go, giving Germany a front in which to attack France from. This action is discussed by all of the leagues and officials at this time and it still is accepted and Germany receives no penalty for occupying the Rhineland. If there had been opposition stemming from this incident though, the Germans would surely have been destroyed, as their army is not even close to being prepared for a major battle. The second decision that Hitler puts into effect is the occupation of Czechoslovakia, an occupation that sends to the rest of Europe the message that Hitler is hungry for land. Most states do not voice their opinion at this stage of Hitler’s reign though, and the one of the only areas that at least thinks about stopping Hitler is France. Hitler’s decisions continue to upset France and throw the balance of European power into a chaotic state. First the Rhineland is occupied by Germany, and now Czechoslovakia is taken by force; these tactics taken by Germany make France decide that the next detrimental decision made by Hitler should have a detrimental effect on his own forces, an effect that will be delivered personally by the French forces. The third decision that Hitler executes improperly is the invasion of Poland at the precursor of World War Two. With Germany simply ignoring the previous alliance with Poland it makes it very hard for Hitler to convince other nations and people to trust him. He also makes it seem that he is only running military maneuvers in the area, which is another example of how other political leaders can distrust him. Because of these decisions, Italy will not fight on Germany’s side and Germany’s unwillingness to back from Poland prompts France and Britain to prematurely enter into direct conflict with Germany, a conflict that Hitler does not believe will take place. Although the Germans easily win the Polish War, it sets an ominous tone for the events to come. Perhaps one of the biggest lapses in judgment that Hitler makes during World War II is the Battle of Britain. Operation Sea Lion definitely is not a success for Germany as they lose their battle as well as fully bring Britain into the war. The people of the beleaguered Great Britain, which is under constant attack at all times, are drawn together to fully strengthen the war cause. If there was ever any doubt about why Hitler and Germany should be  stopped it is pushed away and full on hatred for Germany forms. Germany’s Luftwaffe loses quite heavily as its planes and equipment simply is not up to the English advances in technology, such as radar. The Battle of Britain is an unnecessary and disastrous venture for the Germans and they are faced with heavy losses and morale issues, as Berlin is counter attacked by British warplanes with relative success. Another small defeats adding up to a huge failure in the long wrong include losing the campaign in North Africa, and leaving forces in the area for quite some time while the rest of the war continues. These supplies could have been used for other campaigns occurring at the time and the tanks that are being utilized in North Africa can also be used in the defence of Germany when Allied forces invade it. Napoleon Bonaparte too is susceptible to making bad decisions. While his early military career is littered with amazing and wild successes, his first campaign in the East is a miserable failure. While the initial invasion is a success, the British forces catch most of France’s navy anchored and destroy it, thus leaving much of France’s army stranded in Egypt, Napoleon included. With plague and the constant destruction of French forces, Napoleon knows that the campaign is doomed to failure and leaves his men to die in Egypt while he makes his way towards France once again. The way Napoleon and his soldiers conduct themselves in their occupied Spain is also quite disturbing. After taking over Spain there are continual attempts by the people to overtake their new French government. Napoleon does not take kindly to such actions and begins the slaughtering and torture of his enemies. Napoleon and his men before simply did not practice this type of warfare and now getting into this type of war is definitely the wrong thing to do. There is no definite winner or loser in Spain as Napoleon simply keeps it occupied with soldiers for five years. The most incredible lapse of judgment of both Hitler and Napoleon occurs when they both decide that they want to conquer Russia. Hitler and Bonaparte both failed in Russia thus ending their full-fledged military advancement. The  Russian campaign is considered a huge failure asked for by Hitler and Napoleon. Each leader’s decision for invading Russia is very different with Hitler invading for lebensraum (space for living) and Napoleon invading to somewhat defend France with Russian forces on France’s borders. While both reasons can be seen as rational to a totalitarian leader, neither leader could decide just what to do while inside of the Red country. Although both campaigns lasted much longer than expected, with Hitler and his advisors expecting Operation Barbarossa (the German codename for the invasion) to be a success in eight to ten weeks and Napoleon prophesized his battles would be complete within twenty days. While both can be reasonable estimates while simply looking at the equipment, training, and manpower involved, the leaders of both campaigns do not factor in human resistance, weather, and simply sheer luck. Both campaigns immediately take the same face from the get go, with both forces finding very slim lines of defence to stop them. While Hitler simply engages and destroys the forthcoming Russian defence, Napoleon is faced with a much more daunting situation as the Russian forces employ a strong scorched earth policy, leaving nothing behind for Napoleon’s forces to use for the remainder of the campaign. Because of this policy Napoleon and his forces dwindle on a massive scale, as soldiers fall out from exhaustion, sickness, and desertion at a staggering rate of five thousand per day. After two months, and before Napoleon’s forces could fight a single major battle, one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers are out of action. One of the most disabling situations that occur in Germany’s quest for Russian supremacy is the continual confusion and debate occurring between Hitler and his cabinet, something that many believe cannot happen in a totalitarian regime. Hitler continually intervened on his advisor’s decisions and made all final decisions on his own, something that is very dangerous when you consider Hitler’s mental stability. In Russia he changes his mind several times before settling for Leningrad as the primary objective and Moscow as the secondary objective in Barbarossa, much to the chagrin of his advisors. In what could be one of the unlikely and unusual decisions of the campaign, Hitler decides to merely surround Leningrad  instead of taking it by force, something that could be accomplished within weeks. Instead of actually taking Leningrad, Hitler then decides that Moscow is the primary objective after all and sends a bulk of his forces towards it. The first of Germanyâ €™s weather problems occurs in the taking of Moscow as heavy rainfall hinders the German offensive. An additional major mistake that can be attributed to Napoleon’s downfall in Russia is the fact that great portions of his fighting forces are not even French. Due to this situation most of these soldiers simply left because they did not have a personal attachment to the cause. The fight was being fought simply for the fulfillment of their leaders’ alliance with Napoleon. Hitler could not crush the Russian cities while he had the chance and Napoleon waited too long to retreat. This fact coupled with Russia’s troops fighting in a religious manner results in a downshift in Russian morale. Although Napoleon successfully takes Moscow he accomplishes it in a ridiculous manner. He does not fight the strategic battle style that he is greatly known for and simply throws throngs of his soldiers at the inspired Russians and although his forces do win the battle it does not come with massive personnel and morale losses. The scorched earth policy being employed by the Russian forces definitely takes a dramatic increase when the French forces take Moscow. When Napoleon and his forces enter Moscow they find it mainly abandoned and by the end of the night it begins to burn with fire, fire lit by the Russians themselves. French forces cannot stay in Moscow and use its shelter, food, and water resulting in a losing situation for France. The scorched earth policy also takes a very crucial part in Russia’s victory in Operation Barbarossa as Stalin implores his soldiers and citizens to employ such a tactic that would deprive the oncoming Germans of important supplies. This can lead one to believe that the Russian campaign is won on the basis of nationalism and the idea of helping your fellow citizen the same that you help yourself, a very basic and fundamental communist belief. While all of the other factors involved in taking Russia are very important and crucial, by far the most important of them is the Russian winters that decimated both offensive forces. The winter to Napoleon means the end of his campaign in Russia, and the end of his military supremacy. The Tsar of Russia uses the winter as a great defensive tool as he knows that the French forces cannot take a winter battle and he is definitely correct. The French forces disembark from Moscow in the fall and three weeks later the harsh Russian winter arrives. The temperatures quickly fell and so too did the number of soldiers. The French simply cannot survive with starvation, fatigue, and the extreme cold constantly hounding them. With few French soldiers behind him, Napoleon finally returns to the French capital faced with the daunting task of rationalizing his disgusting defeat. The few Russian winters that Germany has to deal with are among the worst the world has ever seen. In the December 1941 to March 1942 portion of the campaign Germany suffers heavy losses and cannot take Moscow, Hitler’s prime directive and the German forces now have to halt their offensive. In the winter the German forces take a huge blow as the Russians accomplish counter offensive attacks. These attacks are highly successful due to the failing equipment of the Germans coupled with the lack of personal equipment such as jackets and proper footwear coupled with Hitler forcing the soldiers to not retreat and make the soldiers fight as long as they can. The German military commander resigns during this time due to Hitler being overbearing and Hitler takes full command of the forces. Finally realizing his forces are being decimated on a massive scale, Hitler calls for full withdrawal in January, a task that is much easier said than done. Oddly enough, Hitler actually gains more support from his soldiers and the citizens at home because of his actions. Again, though, Hitler begins the spring and summer offensive with relative success and then begins to lose it again. The Russian front is much too large for Germany and its now dwindling supply of soldiers and forces are being spread much too thin. The country is simply much too large to be taken for Germany and Hitler soon begins realizing this. Russia forces Germany  into a war of attrition that is simply cannot compete with and Hitler must withdraw all offensive troops except ones stationed at Stalingrad and other very important points. Eventually, during the following winter the Germans are once again decimated by Russian forces and are forced to evacuate from Stalingrad after many requests to Hitler. Although Hitler makes many plans and tries to implement them with relative success, the German withdrawal takes place between 1943-1944. The German forces are finally removed from the Russian territory with a resounding sense of success emanating from the allies. The defeat of Germany in Russia very greatly depletes the Germans of supplies and forces the Germans to now fight on many fronts while throwing the German military strategists into a state of confusion. Further bombing runs by England begin to eliminate most of the raw materials processing plants employed by the Germans. The invasion of Normandy is carried out by the Allied forces with success and the liberation of Germany begins, and all simply because the taking of Russia is not accomplished. While both Hitler and Napoleon are widely considered military geniuses their lack of effective judgment, courage, and success in Russia equaled a long and tiring end to their military careers.

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay

The texts, Frankenstein and Blade Runner reflect changing contextual values; however the treatment of content remains the same. Mary Shelley’s didactic Frankenstein published in 1818 centres on scientific advancement of the Industrial Revolution, as presented through a consolidation of Gothic and Romantic elements in response to the shifting paradigms of the Enlightenment Age. Similarly, Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott in 1982, transforms the notions of Frankenstein to position its postmodern audience to consider the negative ramifications of the Cold War and the rise of capitalism. These contextual ideas will be explored through the thematic concerns pertaining specifically to the destructive potential of abusing scientific power, the flawed responsibility of man as creator and the nature of humanity. Indeed, Blade Runner is a realisation of the sublime warnings highlighted by Shelley’s Frankenstein in 1818. Destructive potential of abusing scientific power Frankenstein highlights the destructive potential of abusing science through overpowering human morality and provoking irresponsibility. The 18th Century Age of Enlightenment was a social movement where logic and reason was advocated as the primary source of authority, characterised by scientific advancements such as Galvani’s concept of electricity as a reanimating force and theorists such as Erasmus Darwin. Hence, Walton’s metaphor, influenced by Age of Enlightenment, â€Å"What may not be expected in a country of eternal light? † is mantric for both Walton and Frankenstein who display a â€Å"thirst for knowledge† in their respective scientific quests. The metaphor and symbol of â€Å"eternal light† represents the mysteries the pair wish to uncover and accompanied with rhetorical question it reflects the optimism of society embracing the Age of Enlightenment. However, the irrevocable consequences of abusing scientific power is highlighted when Frankenstein says, â€Å"â€Å"All my speculations and hopes are as nothing, and like the archangel who aspired to omnipotence, I am chained to an eternal hell. † as he is tormented by the â€Å"filthy daemon† he creates; a monster â€Å"even Dante could not have conceived. The allusions to John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Dante Alighieri’s Inferno through metaphor and simile emphasises the destructive potential of abusing scientific power as Frankenstein’s environment decays into hell. This caution of the destructive potential of abusing science is realised in Blade Runner through Scott’s mise-en-scene of the dystopian urban wasteland of 2019 Los Angeles, emphasising the destruction of the natural environment as a result of the Cold War’s nuclear threat and rise of consumerism. In the opening sequence, the slow-panning panorama shot, under chiaroscuro lighting, captures a hellish megalopolis with huge smokestacks spewing fire into the atmosphere and large pagan corporate edifices towering over the city. This disorienting imagery is coalesced with violent, non-diegetic sounds and visuals of constant rain, symbolizing concerns of acidic rain and the burning of the environment. Hence, Scott’s utilization of futuristic â€Å"film noir† cinematography establishes a grim, claustrophobic environment that is completely devoid of the natural world. By depicting such dystopia and understanding contextual concerns such as the capitalist deregulation and the ‘trickle down’ theory of Reagan’s era, Scott applies Shelley’s â€Å"Promethean† motif to caution viewers about the potential environmental dangers of abusing modern technology and nuclear warfare, which were widespread social concerns at the time due to the climax of the Cold War. Flawed responsibility of men as creator Frankenstein highlights how unrestrained science undermines man’s responsibility as creator. Shelley’s era was a time of religious revival where philosophers such as Kierkegaard asserted spirituality was more than â€Å"objective appearance† and demanded engagement. In both texts, several biblical allusions are made to the image of man usurping the title of â€Å"creator† and creation becoming the forsaken â€Å"fallen angel. † Hence Victor’s Godly damnation reflects man as illegitimate to play the role of God: â€Å"Wretched devil! You reproach me with your creation; come on, then, may I extinguish the spark which I so negligently bestowed. Through the emotive biblical language and poetic allusion to â€Å"Milton’s Paradise Lost†, Shelley evokes the retelling of Satan’s fall from grace, where the monster’s likeness to the â€Å"fallen angel,† exacerbates the notion that man, corrupted by the moral insensitivity of science, is flawed as creator. Moreover, the â€Å"spark† alludes to the â€Å"eternal light† which irresponsibly leads to the immoral creation of a monster that is both extravagant and aberrant. This is illustrated by the graphic imagery of the monster’s impurity such as â€Å"skin arely covered† and â€Å"yellow eye† alongside the creature’s painful personal recollections through direct use of the first person, â€Å"I was a poor, helpless, miserable wretch. I knew, and could distinguish, nothing; but feeling pain invade me on all sides. † Hence, Shelley highlights to readers in the Enlightenment period that innate selfishness of men corrupts the moral grounding of scientific pursuit rendering man as illegitimate to play the role of God. The issue of mankind as selfish creators, disengaged from institutionalized structures such as Christendom, is extended in Blade Runner in the â€Å"meeting of the maker’ scene. Tyrell ruthlessly exploits his economic power by separating himself from the decaying dystopia of Los Angeles. Tyrell’s fundamentally flawed intentions are personified in the Tyrell Corporation’s edifice of a Grandiose, Mayan style pyramid physically exerting a powerful dominance over the city. It is presented through an upward panning low angle shot, spliced with close up shots to reinforce the dominance of consumerist progress in dystopia. The pyramid’s historical association with Egyptian royalty links them with the divine, typifying Tyrell’s ‘God-like’ role as creator. This is reinforced in Tyrell’s costuming of white clothing amidst long shots of a candle-lit church atmosphere, typifying his glorified religious status. Moreover the low-angle shots of the ‘artificial owl’ with dark shadows emphasises the extent to which the natural environment has been artificially remodeled due to the rise of consumerism in the 1980s. Hence, the dehumanised portray of Victor Frankenstein and Tyrell demonstrates that despite differering contexts, science leads to an abandonment of moral responsibility and man is flawed as creator. What constitutes humanity in an individual Frankenstein highlights the true nature of humanity as influenced by the 18th Century Romantic Movement. The 18th Century Romantic Movement was a social reaction against the 18th Century Age of Enlightenment, characterised by stressing the beauty of the natural world and emotional feeling. The natural world’s splendour is highlighted as Frankenstein flees to Mont Blanc for conciliatory peace away from his torment. â€Å"The unstained snowy mountain-top, the glittering pinnacle †¦ the eagle soaring amidst the clouds. † The Romantic and emotive language, imagery and allusion to Edmund Burke’s On the Sublime and the Beautiful portrays the beauty of the natural world, free from destructive science. Further humanity’s emotions are romanticised through the benevolent portrayal of the Monster. â€Å"No father had watched my infant days; no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses†¦ What was I? † Through the combination of emotive language, a personal tone created through the personal pronoun â€Å"I† and a rhetorical question to question what constitutes humanity within a being, Shelley transcends the Gothic stereotype typically bestowed upon a monster to emphasise the monster’s human longings for parental love and companionship. Hence, as the Romantic Movement and its fascination with the sublimity of nature, was being overcome by the strict rationality of the Age of Enlightenment, Shelley foreworns of the destruction of the magnificence of humanity, both in the natural world and in human emotions, as a result of rampant science and irresponsibility. Similarly, the â€Å"more human than human† portrayal of Roy in Blade Runner also highlights our mistreatment of scientific creations as artificial commodities, blurring the distinction between humans and products of artificial intelligence. In the final scene, Scott uses a close-up shot at Roy’s nailed hands, literally portraying him as a Christ-like figure, as he is enslaved and morally detached from humanity from the goals of â€Å"commerce†. The condescending aphorism in Tyrell’s comment at Roy’s desperate cry for life, â€Å"the light that burns half as long, burns twice as bright† alludes to the â€Å"eternal light† in Frankenstein’s Age of Reason and its effects on humanity’s disregard for the human consequences of its actions. Hence Roy asserts â€Å"I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe†, which reflects about his personal, human pain and suffering as a result of the commoditised world. Furthermore, a close up of Roy, alongside the pure white background creates a cathartic moment as Roy becomes ‘the fallen angel’, magnanimously giving life to Deckard and instilling human qualities within him. It is through illustrating Roy’s sensitivity that Scott ‘appropriates’ Shelley’s dilemma of what constitutes humanity within any being, questioning the morality of the technology-dependent audience of the 1980s; as they take scientific creations for granted. Hence after suffering and succumbing to brutal dehumanisation, both Replicant and Beast have emotively evoked pathos and senses of profound solemnity. Ultimately, both Frankenstein and Blade Runner are products of their cultural milieu and forewarn us of the destructive potential of abusing science, illegitimately playing the role of God and the values of humanity that degrade our morality and responsibility. More subliminally, however, each text embodies the moral limitations of being human through the oppressive nature of scientific and technological advancement.

This is a pro and con essay about weather there should be gun control in the united States

This is a pro and con essay about weather there should be gun control in the united States No Longer NeededAudience- The English 101 teachers and anyone who supports the use of guns.As life began humans only knew two things, they must survive and mate. In the survival category fell gathering food and protecting themselves from other creatures. As humans began to develop, weapons were invented. For example, first there were spears, then bows and arrows, and eventually guns. Guns became a necessity to hunt for food and to protect themselves from other, harmful people. This was the case when the United States of America was formed. Since then, over 200 years ago, the military has become very powerful and the need to hunt has been eliminated by ranches and slaughterhouses. For this reason, and many others, the question to ask is why guns should be illegal for the public to use and possess in the United States.As guns become more common in the household, they because more available to kids.Kids with gunsIn today's society kids have to go to school scared, no knowing if they wil l be shot by a crazy classmate. Over the past ten years there has been a huge rise in school shootings. Something else very alarming is each year more than 35,000 people are killed by guns (Gun Control par. 2). Attacks made with a gun are five times more likely to result in death than similar attacks that are made with a knife (Gun Control par. 2) and in 1997 guns were used in approximately 70 percent of the murders in the United States (Gun Control par. 2).The statistics about un violence are alarming, even with these outrageous statistics, supporters of the right to bear guns always turn to the second amendment of the constitution. It states "A will-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state,

Sub‐Saharan Africa poor development record over the last thirty years

Sub†Saharan Africa poor development record over the last thirty years Introduction Africa is one of the continents lagging behind in all sorts of developments for a long time. As a result, it has had continuous dependence on other continents for several items. Most of the industrial commodities used in Africa are imported.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sub†Saharan Africa poor development record over the last thirty years specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More That way, it continues to enrich other continents by adding into their foreign exchange. Over the last thirty years, the Sub Saharan Africa has recorded a very poor development, making its people to continue languishing in poverty. Compared to other continents, its economic performance is comparatively poor. The development record The poor development record can clearly be seen in its per capita Gross Domestic Product of the 1980s, which declined by 1.3 percent per annum coming five percentage points below the average of all inc ome developing countries (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 64). The decline has since continued to increase from the 1980s up to now. Between 1990 and 1994, the economic growth slowed down a great deal, whereby the per capita GDP decline accelerated to 1.8 percent and with time went up to 6.2 per cent (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 64). From the 1980s, it has declined by almost 1 percent annually making the countries poorer than they were in the 1980s. That has made it the lowest income region in the whole world. Reasons for poor development Lack of social capital is one of the reasons that have led to the poor economic growth. The community and the government through institutions that facilitate private property can generate social capital (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 65). The government plays the greatest role in determining the rate of development of a particular country. By imposing taxation on different areas of production or businesses, it only means one thing, and that is, man y people who would be willing to invest in certain areas will be cut off.. There are those who may go ahead but they end up realizing very little growth. When transaction costs are high, the level of economic development will slow down. This part of Africa has greatly been affected by civil wars. With wars, little developments can take place since insecurity will make people fear to make any form of investments in the affected areas. People will fear and run for their lives to different neighboring countries and this is what has happened in this region.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More That also affects the neighboring countries, as they have to put up with the increasing number of refugees from the affected areas. Today, most African countries are still facing wars and after the war, it takes a long time to rebuild the economy again (Crafts 1999, p. 20). Over the l ast three decades, there have been low levels of investments in the Sub Saharan Africa and the region is not in good capacity to import the capital goods and technology that are needed to accelerate structural change. Therefore, there is need for increase in support that the African countries get from multilateral organizations like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. This is because it is not easy to attain good economic growth from other sources like the Foreign Direct Investments. The slow economic growth could also have been greatly influenced by the region’s adverse climatic conditions, which results to poor health and thus reduces life expectancy (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 8). Most parts of this region are tropical which greatly affects the economy. This is because most of the people are affected by tropical diseases like malaria. The disease is said to be one of the leading causes of death in the tropical region of the world and the governments of t hose countries have to spend a lot in trying to curb it (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 7). The harsh weather conditions result to leached soils, which are of poor quality and unreliable rainfall thus making most of the region semi arid. All that affects agricultural activities and this greatly affects the economic development of the countries that lie in this region since they mainly depend on agriculture. When they are deprived of their major economic activity, poverty ensues and with it, positive economic growth cannot be recorded. In general, Africa is also said to be the leading continent in the rate of HIV and AIDS infections. It has recorded the highest number of deaths related to the dangerous disease and as a result, the continent has lost a lot of skilled labor (Sender, 1999, p.91). People who could bring about good economic growth perish with the disease and this greatly affects the given countries. The governments of such countries have had to spend a lot of money in taki ng care of the infected and the affected, for instance, they have to buy ARVs, which help to prolong the lives of the infected. Additionally, the government has the task of taking care of the orphaned children. That huge amount of finance spent in all that could have otherwise been used on development projects that could bring about positive economic growth.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sub†Saharan Africa poor development record over the last thirty years specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most of the African poor people are greatly affected by economic and health related factors, natural disasters, and conflict shocks, which continue to keep them in poverty (World Bank 201, p. 2). The World Bank looks forward to enabling the African countries to provide better health care and make use of irrigation together with other water management ways to help them deal with the effects of climatic change. Global warming , which is the main cause of climatic change, has led to raised temperatures, prolonged seasons of drought and decline in rainfall. All these make it hard for Sub-Saharan African countries to sustain their agricultural activities resulting to poverty and hence poor economic growth. This part of the African continent is made up of developing countries which face are technologically challenged (Commission on Growth and Development 2008, p.3). Most of them still lag behind in innovation and the creation of new technology; they just absorb and adapt technologies that already exist elsewhere in the world. For example, African countries started using computers a few years ago long after that innovation whereas in the western world, use of computers had become the norm of the day. This means that that they have taken long to develop economically as progress in technology is highly important in determining economic growth. Failures of the Sub Saharan Africa Corruption is another major probl em that has dragged behind Africans. For economic growth to prevail there must be openness in carrying out operations. Most African countries have however failed in fighting corruption (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 69). Africa is said to be the leading continent in the levels of the vice. Therefore, it is very hard to attain economic growth and development as embezzlement has already become deeply rooted in most African countries due to corruption. This happens when for instance money is set aside for developments such as roads construction but is not utilized for such purposes but for personal gain by corrupt leaders. This explains the reason as to why there is a very wide gap between the poor and the rich in this region. Some people are too rich because of acquiring property through the wrong means while others are too poor.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As said earlier, agriculture is the main economic activity in most of the African countries as many of the people depend on it for survival. The sector is very crucial, as it is a great source of foreign exchange in the region; 70 percent of the Africans depend on it and half of all employed women are in the sector (Sender, 1999, p. 97). This shows how important the sector is to the continent but things would be better if the African governments took measures to promote the farmers. Some Africans practice cash crop farming but the efforts of such people are greatly undermined by the fact that, they are made to remit a certain amount of money as agricultural taxation (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 66). For a country to reap economic gains, it must have good infrastructure. Definitely, anything that has been produced needs to be transported to the market. For this to happen, there has to be a good transport and communication network not only in the urban centers but also deep in the r ural areas. This is where most of the African governments have failed in (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p 66). The rural areas where agricultural products come from are hardly accessible as there are no enough roads and those that are available are in very bad conditions. The situation becomes worse when it rains, as most of the roads are very rough. As a result, great losses are encountered in the transportation process of agricultural perishable goods. It is estimated that in the Sub Saharan Africa, agriculture accounts for between 30 and 55 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (Sender, 1999, p. 96). Although the rural areas of the African region may be very rich in agricultural soils that may end up not contributing the right percentage to their economic growth as most of the produce, fail to get to the required market at the appropriate time. Therefore, the people and the governments need to cooperate in order to build social interaction and that will definitely lead to economic g ains. This can be achieved through building trust, which lowers the transaction costs (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 19). There is a growing rate of unemployment in most parts of this region. The governments of the African countries have failed in provision of employment, as most of the people remain jobless. As a result, many people are not able to place food on the table and they continue to live in poverty. Research shows that by the year 1996, only 1 percent of the African population consisted of civil servants which is lower compared to other developing countries whereby 3 percent and above of the population are civil servants. Those who are lucky to get civil employment may not be so happy as well, for they receive little wages, which is not good enough to lead a comfortable life. Most of the African nations have more ethnic diversity than other poor countries in the world and this makes it more difficult for them to have or develop an interconnected economy (Collier and Gunni ng, 1999, p. 67). The governments of the Sub Saharan African countries have not done much in fighting ethnicity. People continue to term themselves different from one another and this breeds nepotism and discrimination, which causes many conflicts. People of different ethnic groups have different beliefs and ways of life. What one group does and terms as very good may not be allowed by another group. When such differences occur, cooperation is not very easy and thus developments cannot be arrived at with much ease. The Sub Saharan Africa successes Sometimes back, there was a very high rate of infant mortality in the region. Most of the deaths occurred in children under five years because of the diseases that affect them while at that age. These diseases include measles, tuberculosis, and whooping cough among others. With continued improved medical care, the number of deaths in small children has greatly been reduced as they are immunized against most of the diseases in the first yea r of their lives. The number of children who die at infancy has drastically reduced (Sender, 1999, p. 90). There have been increased medical facilities that facilitate the provision of better health care and in addition to that, there has been improved nutrition adding to the advantage. As a result, there has been increased life expectancy even in the poor countries (Crafts, 1999, p. 21). Credit should also be given to these countries for promoting literacy to its people. It is no longer the time when women were to stay at home and raise children. Fifty years ago, women in Africa were very unlikely ever to attend school and over 90 percent of the adult females were illiterate (Sender, 1999, p. 92). Most of the countries in this region have done a lot to ensure that the girl child is protected, and gets the required education. The World Bank is in the process of making sure that the economy of African countries improves (World Bank 201, p. 1). This will see majority of people access employment and hence improving their living standards. Many of the poor people live and work in the rural areas but perhaps that may change in future as more people are now migrating to the urban centers in search of better lives. This has created a pool of people who are unemployed and many ends up indulging in criminal activities and prostitution for survival. Conclusion The Sub Saharan Africa has had poor development for a long time. It is considered the last in all development records compared to other regions in the world. The region’s tropical climate, which causes tropical diseases and harsh weather for agriculture, is one of the reasons associated with its failures. To add to that, the governments of countries in this region have failed in several ways and this has led to a decline in the economic development of the region. They have failed to provide good infrastructure, fight corruption, and have not been able to scrap taxation that is imposed on different areas of investment. Though these governments have failed in one way or another, they have also had their successes. They have been able to provide better health care and education to their citizens. Reference List Collier, P., and Gunning, J. (1999). Explaining African Economic Performance. Journal of Economic Literature, 37, 64-11. Collier, P., and Gunning, J. (1999). Why has Africa grown slowly? Journal of Economic perspectives, 13, 3-22. Commission on Growth and Development. (2008). The Growth Report, Washington DC: World Bank. Web. Crafts, N. (1999). Economic growth in the twentieth century. Oxford review of economic policy, 15, 18-31. Sender, J. (1999). African’s performance: Limitations of the current consensus. Journal of Economic perspectives, 13, 89-114. World Bank. (2011). Africas Future, World Bank: Washington DC. Available from  http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,contentMDK:22846778~pagePK:146736~piPK:226340~theSitePK:258644,00.html

Global business managers should consider and deal with the knowledge Essay

Global business managers should consider and deal with the knowledge management challenges in a holistic manner taking into a - Essay Example â€Å"There are various ways used in gathering and dispensing of information and this is done in various departments† (Adas 2010, p. 30). They include human resource department, marketing department or information technology department. Data can be gathered from secondary and primary sources. There are many research secondary sources that provide information needed by a company. Trade magazines, newspapers articles, libraries, government agencies and the internet can be used as secondary sources. Primary sources involve collection of information through ways such as observation, networking, interviewing, focus groups or experimentation. Questionnaires are also used for collecting data. Observation is the simplest method. Networking is a more of an informal method to gather primary data from experts (Anderson 2006, p. 35). Business managers use knowledge for organization objectives like sharing intelligence, improving the performance of a company, for competition or innovation. Knowledge transfer is either through training, peer discussions and mentoring programs. For example, a company solves the problem of culture barrier by teaching different cultures of people to its employees. Learning different cultures of people help in understanding them well and hence avoid work conflicts (Anderson 2009, p. 56). Offering training to employees is important because it improves working efficiency. Dealing with Knowledge Management Challenges Global business managers should deal with the knowledge management challenges in a holistic manner in order to achieve their business goals. There are various knowledge management challenges that need to be solved in order to achieve goals. Information collected is sometimes not accurate and this affects decision making in a company. Global business managers should deal with this problem of data inaccuracy by validating the information presented to them. There is another problem of data misinterpretation (Allen 2011, p.98) Infor mation gathered should be interpreted the way it is. Data biasness results in making the wrong conclusion. Data collectors and researchers in a company should be very careful in recording the information given (Bartlett 2002, p. 34). They are not supposed to record mistakes or include information that is not provided by the respondent. Another transnational strategy of managing information is by having a good system of storing information. FedEx is a company known to have a good paperless system of storing data of its employees. They have programs called PRISM HIRS which records any information pertaining to a worker. This programs record jobs posting, applicants and training information (Birkinshaw 2001, p. 23). It is important to maintain this strategy because information can never be lost. Information stored in files is mostly misplaced. The information stored in this system can be accessed any time. Importance of International Knowledge Management International knowledge managem ent is important for global business managers because they will get and share knowledge concerning global markets. This is explained in the Theory & practice of knowledge management. There will be sharing of explicit knowledge from the international world. This is the transnational strategy used by global firms. This is important because the global environment is complex and need to be studied well. There are

Enterprise knowledge management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enterprise knowledge management - Essay Example discussions on theories pertinent to the progress of a company or organization in the business realm (even lay persons think of business success in this way) is always equated to the continued accumulation of wealth or profit in terms of monetary returns or other similar concrete and measurable outputs. There is, indeed, nothing wrong with the old, traditional conception of business success. But what is made crystal-clear is the fact that such measure is not enough to gauge real capital of companies or organizations at play in our era – the era of knowledge. James Brian Quinn, Philip Anderson and Sydney Finkelstein in their article Managing Professional Intellect: Making the Most of the Best have explicitly stated that â€Å"intellectual assets, unlike physical increase in value and use. Properly stimulated knowledge and intellect grow exponentially when shared.†1 And this claim properly presents the notion that the call and demand of the time among and between companies and organizations is to continuously destroy all boundaries and hindrances of knowledge via sharing of knowledge from within and from without. But what does it entail? Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton in their article The Balance Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action have highlighted the stark reality that if companies in the contemporary period want to be competitive, aggressive and progressive they should learn to project not only within short term perspectives but that they should also be able to come up with a viable and workable long term plans. The idea of having long term plans and projections entail the presupposition of having human resources being thrust in the center as the main and focal point in business environment, in the connection and collaboration of organizational and structural systems moving towards the establishment of a harmonious and friendly yet very, very competitive ambiance in the business world. However, if one is going to be honest to one’s self one

Relationship Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Relationship Management - Essay Example This revolution led to the renovation of a marketplace into marketspace, where businesses and communications were carried on not physically but virtually. But still many marketspaces faced a lot of problems in the field of virtual customer relationship management or CRM. Building relations with clients or suppliers virtually is very tough due to the trust factor, i.e. it is very hard for people (clients, suppliers, dealers, or people related to the e-business or marketspace) to trust somebody that they have never ever met. This used to be a very serious issue because this was one of the largest disadvantages that the e-commerce industry had faced, not only a disadvantage but slowly and slowly this became a setback for the industry. But eventually just as any problem that technology has faced in the previous centuries, this disadvantage for this industry is gradually being removed and more and more reliable ways to deal with the e-commerce industry are being fabricated. The term e-commerce had been originated in the late 1970’s. At that time the term e-commerce was introduced only for online transfer transactions such as data transfers, purchase orders, funds transfers and codes transfers; that is, all the data transfer that was related to business and was done electronically was termed as e-commerce. (e-commerce land, 2007) E-commerce has surpassed itself from just being a technology, instead e-commerce or e-business is a whole new revolution in the marketing, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and management industry. (CRM, better management.com) Since the beginning, e-businesses have proven to be a much better way to stay in contact with the consumers and to have a better approach towards the markets via creating virtual marketspaces and eliminating the geographical boundaries. These fresh techniques (e-business & marketspace) grew at a lightning pace because of their geographically