Saturday, December 28, 2019

Biography of Joseph Stalin, Dictator of Soviet Union

Joseph Stalin (December 18, 1878–March 5, 1953) was an important leader in the Russian Revolution who became the head of the Communist Party and dictator of the Soviet state known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics  (USSR). During World War II he maintained an uneasy alliance with the United States and Great Britain to fight Nazi Germany, but he dropped any illusions of friendship after the war. As Stalin sought to expand communism throughout Eastern Europe and around the world, he helped spark the Cold War and the subsequent arms race. Fast Facts: Joseph Stalin Known For: Bolshevik leader, Russian revolutionary, Head of the Communist Party in Russia and Dictator of the USSR (1927–1953)Born: December 18, 1878 (official date: December 21, 1879) in Gori, Georgia  Parents: Vissarion Dzhugasvhil and Ekaterina Georgievna GeadzeDied:  March 5, 1953 in Kuntsevo Dacha, RussiaEducation: Gori Church School (1888–1894), Tiflis Theological Seminary (1894–1899)Publications:  Collected WorksSpouse(s): Ekaterina Svanidze (1885–1907, married 1904–1907), Nadezhda Sergeevna Allilueva (1901–1932, m. 1919–1932)  Children: With Ekaterina: Yakov Iosifovich Dzhugashvili (1907–1943); With Nadezhda: Vasily (1921–1962) Svetlana Iosefovna Allilueva (1926–2011)Notable Quote: â€Å"A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.† Early Life Joseph Stalin was born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili in Gori, Georgia (a region annexed by Russia in 1801) on December 6, 1878, by the Julian calendar then in use; using the modern calendar, that converts to December 18, 1878. He later claimed his official birthdate as December 21, 1879. He was the third son of four children born to Ekaterina Georgievna Geadze (Keke) and Vissarion (Beso) Djugashvili, but he was the only one to survive past infancy. Stalin’s parents had a turbulent marriage, with Beso often beating his wife and son. Part of their marital strife came from their very different ambition for their son. Keke recognized that Soso, as Joseph Stalin was known as a child, was highly intelligent and wanted him to become a Russian Orthodox priest; thus, she made every effort to get him an education. On the other hand, Beso, who was a cobbler, felt that working-class life was good enough for his son. Education The argument came to a head when Stalin was 12 years old. Beso, who had moved to Tiflis (the capital of Georgia) to find work, came back and took Stalin to the factory where he worked so that Stalin could become an apprentice cobbler. This was the last time Beso would assert his vision for Stalins future. With help from friends and teachers, Keke got Stalin back and once again got him on the path to attend seminary. After this incident, Beso refused to support either Keke or his son, effectively ending the marriage. Keke supported Stalin by working as a laundress, though she later secured a job at a womens clothing shop. Keke was right to note Stalins intellect, which soon became apparent to his teachers. Stalin excelled in school and earned a scholarship to the Tiflis Theological Seminary in 1894. However, there were signs that Stalin was not destined for the priesthood. Prior to entering the seminary, Stalin was not only a choirboy, but also the ruthless leader of a street gang. Notorious for his cruelty and use of unfair tactics, Stalin’s gang dominated the rough streets of Gori. Stalin as a Young Revolutionary Joseph Stalins 1912 arrest card. Hulton Archive / Getty Images While at the seminary, Stalin discovered the works of Karl Marx. He joined the local socialist party and soon his interest in overthrowing Czar Nicholas II and the monarchical system outstripped any desire he might have had to be a priest. Stalin dropped out of school just a few months shy of graduating to become a revolutionary, giving his first public speech in 1900. After having joined the revolutionary underground, Stalin went into hiding using the alias â€Å"Koba.† Nevertheless, the police captured Stalin in 1902 and exiled him to Siberia for the first time in 1903. When free from prison, Stalin continued to support the revolution and helped organize peasants in the 1905 Russian Revolution against Czar Nicholas II. Stalin would be arrested and exiled seven times and escape six times between 1902 and 1913. Between getting arrested, Stalin married Ekaterine Svanidze, a sister of a classmate from seminary, in 1904. They had one son, Yacov, before Ekaterine died of typhus in 1907. Yacov was raised by his mothers parents until he was reunited with Stalin in 1921 in Moscow, though the two were never close. Yacov would be among the millions of Russian casualties of World War II. Vladimir Lenin Stalins commitment to the party intensified when he met Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, head of the Bolsheviks in 1905. Lenin recognized Stalins potential and encouraged him. After that, Stalin held the Bolsheviks in any way he could, including committing several robberies to raise funds. Because Lenin was in exile, Stalin took over as editor of Pravda, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, in 1912. That same year, Stalin was appointed to the Bolsheviks Central Committee, cementing his role as a key figure in the Communist movement. The Name Stalin While writing for the revolution while still in exile in 1912, Stalin first signed an article Stalin, which translates to steel man, for the power it connotes. This would continue to be a frequent pen name and, after the successful Russian Revolution in October 1917, his surname. (Stalin would continue to use aliases throughout the rest of his life, though the world would know him as Joseph Stalin.) 1917 Russian Revolution Stalin missed much of the activity leading up to the Russian Revolution in 1917 because he was exiled to Siberia from 1913–1917. Upon his release in March 1917, Stalin resumed his role as a Bolshevik leader. By the time he was reunited with Lenin, who also returned to Russia a few weeks after Stalin, Czar Nicholas II had already abdicated as part of the February Russian Revolution. With the czar deposed, the provisional government was in charge. The October 1917 Russian Revolution Lenin and Stalin, however, wanted to topple the provisional government and install a communist one controlled by the Bolsheviks. Feeling that the country was ready for another revolution, Lenin and the Bolsheviks began a nearly bloodless coup on October 25, 1917. In just two days, the Bolsheviks had taken over Petrograd, the capital of Russia, and thus became the leaders of the country. Not everyone was happy with the Bolsheviks ruling the country, however. Russia was thrust immediately into civil war as the Red Army (the Bolshevik forces) battled the White Army (made up of various anti-Bolshevik factions). The Russian Civil War lasted until 1921. In 1921, the White Army was defeated, leaving Lenin, Stalin and Leon Trotsky as the dominant figures in the new Bolshevik government. Although Stalin and Trotsky were rivals, Lenin appreciated their distinct abilities and promoted both. Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, and Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin in 1919. Hulton Archive / Getty Images Trotsky was far more popular than Stalin, so Stalin was given the less public role of general secretary of the Communist Party in 1922. A persuasive orator, Trotsky maintained a visible presence in foreign affairs and was perceived by many as the heir apparent. However, what neither Lenin nor Trotsky foresaw was that Stalins position allowed him to build loyalty within the Communist Party, as an essential factor in his eventual takeover. Head of the Communist Party Tensions between Stalin and Trotsky increased when Lenins health began to fail in 1922 with the first of several strokes, raising the difficult question of who would be Lenin’s successor. From his sickbed, Lenin had advocated for shared power and maintained this vision until his death on January 21, 1924. Ultimately, Trotsky was no match for Stalin because Stalin had spent his years in the party building loyalty and support. By 1927, Stalin had effectively eliminated all of his political rivals (and exiled Trotsky) to emerge as the head of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Five Year Plans, Famine Stalins willingness to use brutality to achieve political aims was well established by the time he took power; nevertheless, the Soviet Union (as it was known after 1922) was unprepared for the extreme violence and oppression that Stalin unleashed in 1928. This was the first year of Stalins Five Year Plan, a radical attempt to bring the Soviet Union into the industrial age. In the name of Communism, Stalin seized assets, including farms and factories, and reorganized the economy. However, these efforts often led to less efficient production, ensuring that mass starvation swept the countryside. To mask the disastrous results of the plan, Stalin maintained export levels, shipping food out of the country even as rural residents died by the hundreds of thousands. Any protest of his policies resulted in immediate death or relocation to a gulag (a prison camp in the remote regions of the nation). The first Five Year Plan (1928–1932) was declared completed a year early and the second Five Year Plan (1933–1937) was launched with equally disastrous results. A third Five Year began in 1938 but was interrupted by World War II in 1941. While the efforts were unmitigated disasters, Stalin’s policy forbidding any negative publicity led to the full consequences of these upheavals remaining hidden for decades. To many who were not directly impacted, the Five Year Plans appeared to exemplify Stalins proactive leadership. Cult of Personality Joseph Stalin with a child who was later sent to a labor camp. Henry Guttmann Collection / Hulton Archive / Getty Images Stalin is also known for building an unprecedented cult of personality. Presenting himself as a paternal figure watching over his people, Stalins image and actions could not have been more distinct. While paintings and statues of Stalin kept him in the public eye, Stalin also promoted himself by aggrandizing his past through tales of his childhood and his role in the revolution. However, with millions of people dying, statues and tales of heroics could only go so far. Thus, Stalin made it a policy that showing anything less than complete devotion was punishable by exile or death. Going beyond that, Stalin eradicated any form of dissent or competition. No Outside Influences, No Free Press Not only did Stalin readily arrest anyone remotely suspected of having a different view, but he also closed religious institutions and confiscated church lands during his reorganization of the Soviet Union. Books and music that were not to Stalins standards were banned as well, virtually eliminating the possibility of outside influences. No one was allowed to say a negative thing against Stalin, especially the press. No news of the death and devastation in the countryside was leaked to the public; only news and images that presented Stalin in a flattering light were allowed. Stalin also famously changed the name of the city of Tsaritsyn to Stalingrad in 1925 to honor the city for its role in the Russian civil war. Second Wife and Family In 1919, Stalin married Nadezhda (Nadya) Alliluyeva, his secretary and fellow Bolshevik. Stalin had become close with Nadyas family, many of whom were active in the revolution and would go on to hold important positions under Stalin’s government. The young revolutionary captivated Nadya and together they would have two children: a son Vasily in 1921 and a daughter Svetlana in 1926. As carefully as Stalin controlled his public image, he could not escape the criticism of his wife Nadya, one of the few bold enough to stand up to him. Nadya often protested his deadly policies and found herself at the receiving end of Stalins verbal and physical abuse. While their marriage began with mutual affection, Stalins temperament and alleged affairs contributed greatly to Nadyas depression. After Stalin berated her particularly harshly at a dinner party, Nadya committed suicide on November 9, 1932. The Great Terror Despite Stalin’s attempts to eradicate all dissent, some opposition emerged, particularly among party leaders who understood the devastating nature of Stalin’s policies. Nevertheless, Stalin was reelected in 1934. This election made Stalin keenly aware of his critics and he soon began to eliminate anyone he perceived as opposition, including his most substantial political rival Sergi Kerov. Kerov was assassinated in 1934 and Stalin, who most believe was responsible, used Kerovs death to extol the dangers of the anti-communist movement and tighten his grip on Soviet politics. Thus began the period known as the Great Terror. Few leaders have culled their ranks as dramatically as Stalin did during the Great Terror of the 1930s. He targeted members of his cabinet and government, soldiers, clergy, intellectuals, or anyone else he deemed suspect. Those seized by his secret police would be tortured, imprisoned, or killed (or a combination of these experiences). Stalin was indiscriminate in his targets, and top government and military officials were not immune from prosecution. In fact, the Great Terror eliminated many key figures from the government. During the Great Terror, widespread paranoia reigned among citizens, who were encouraged to turn each other in. Those captured often pointed fingers at neighbors or co-workers in hopes of saving their own lives. Farcical show trials publicly confirmed the guilt of the accused and ensured that family members of those accused would remain socially ostracized—if they managed to evade arrest. The military was particularly decimated by the Great Terror since Stalin perceived a military coup as the greatest threat. With World War II on the horizon, this purging of the military leadership would later prove a severe detriment to the Soviet Union’s military effectiveness. While the estimates of death tolls vary greatly, the lowest numbers credit Stalin with killing 20 million people during the Great Terror alone. Beyond being one of the greatest examples of state-sponsored murder in history, the Great Terror demonstrated Stalins obsessive paranoia and willingness to prioritize it over national interests. Stalin and Hitler Sign a Non-Aggression Pact The non-aggression pact signed between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Hulton Archive / Getty Images By 1939, Adolf Hitler was a powerful threat to Europe and Stalin could not help but be concerned. While Hitler was opposed to communism and had little regard for Eastern Europeans, he appreciated that Stalin represented a formidable force and the two signed a non-aggression pact in 1939. After Hitler drew the rest of Europe into war in 1939, Stalin pursued his own territorial ambition in the Baltic region and Finland. Although many warned Stalin that Hitler intended to break the pact (as he had with other European powers), Stalin was surprised when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, a full-scale invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. Stalin Joins the Allies When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, Stalin joined the Allied powers, which included Great Britain (led by Sir Winston Churchill) and later the United States (led by Franklin D. Roosevelt). Although they shared a joint enemy, the communist/capitalist rift ensured that mistrust characterized the relationship. However, before the Allies could come help, the German army swept eastward through the Soviet Union. Initially, some Soviet residents were relieved when the German army invaded, thinking that German rule had to be an improvement over Stalinism. Unfortunately, the Germans were merciless in their occupation and ravaged the territory they conquered. Scorched Earth Policy Stalin, who was determined to stop the German army’s invasion at any cost, employed a scorched earth policy. This entailed burning all farms fields and villages in the path of the advancing Germany army to prevent German soldiers from living off the land. Stalin hoped that, without the ability to pillage, the German army’s supply line would run so thin that the invasion would be forced to stop. Unfortunately, this scorched earth policy also meant the destruction of the homes and livelihoods of Russian people, creating massive numbers of homeless refugees. It was the harsh Soviet winter that really slowed down the advancing Germany army, leading to some of the bloodiest battles of World War II. However, to force a German retreat, Stalin needed greater assistance. Although Stalin began to receive American equipment in 1942, what he really wanted was Allied troops deployed to the Eastern Front. The fact that this never happened infuriated Stalin and increased the resentment between Stalin and his allies. Nuclear Weapons and the End of the War Another rift in the relationship between Stalin and the Allies came when the United States secretly developed the nuclear bomb. The mistrust between the Soviet Union and the United States was obvious when the U.S. refused to share the technology with the Soviet Union, causing Stalin to launch his own nuclear weapons program. With supplies provided by the Allies, Stalin was able to turn the tide at the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943 and forced the retreat of the German army. With the tide turned, the Soviet army continued to push the Germans all the way back to Berlin, ending World War II in Europe in May 1945. The Cold War Begins Once World War II ended, the task of rebuilding Europe remained. While the United States and the United Kingdom sought stability, Stalin had no desire to cede the territory he had conquered during the war. Therefore, Stalin claimed the territory he had liberated from Germany as part of the Soviet empire. Under Stalin’s tutelage, Communist parties took control of each country’s government, cut off all communication with the West, and became official Soviet satellite states. While the Allies were unwilling to launch a full-scale war against Stalin, U.S. President Harry Truman recognized that Stalin could not go unchecked. In response to Stalins domination of Eastern Europe, Truman issued the Truman Doctrine in 1947, in which the United States pledged to help nations at risk of being overtaken by communists. It was immediately enacted to thwart Stalin in Greece and Turkey, which would ultimately remain independent throughout the Cold War. The Berlin Blockade and Airlift Stalin again challenged the Allies in 1948 when he attempted to seize control of Berlin, a city that had been divided among the victors of World War II. Stalin had already seized East Germany and severed it from the West as part of his post-war conquest. Hoping to claim the entire capital, which was located entirely within East Germany, Stalin blockaded the city in an attempt to force the other Allies to abandon their sectors of Berlin. However, determined to not give in to Stalin, the U.S. organized a nearly year-long airlift that flew massive amounts of supplies into West Berlin. These efforts rendered the blockade ineffective and Stalin finally ended the blockade on May 12, 1949. Berlin (and the rest of Germany) remained divided. This division ultimately manifested in the creation of the Berlin Wall in 1961 during the height of the Cold War. While the Berlin Blockade was the last major military confrontation between Stalin and the West, Stalin’s policies and attitude toward the West would continue as Soviet policy even after Stalin’s death. This competition between the Soviet Union and the United States escalated during the Cold War to the point where nuclear war seemed imminent. The Cold War ended only with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Death Joseph Stalins body lying in state. Keystone / Getty Images In his final years, Stalin tried to reshape his image to that of a man of peace. He turned his attention to rebuilding the Soviet Union and invested in many domestic projects, such as bridges and canals—most, however, were never completed. While he was writing his Collected Works in an attempt to define his legacy as an innovative leader, evidence suggests that Stalin was also working on his next purge, an attempt to eliminate the Jewish population that remained in Soviet territory. This never came to pass since Stalin suffered a stroke on March 1, 1953, and died four days later. Stalin maintained his cult of personality even after his death. Like Lenin before him, Stalin’s body was embalmed and put on public display. In spite of the death and destruction he inflicted upon those he ruled, Stalin’s death devastated the nation. The cult-like loyalty he inspired remained, although it would dissipate in time. Legacy It took several years for the Communist party to replace Stalin; in 1956, Nikita Khrushchev took over. Khrushchev broke the secrecy regarding Stalin’s atrocities and led the Soviet Union in a period of de-Stalinization, which included beginning to account for the catastrophic deaths under Stalin and acknowledging the flaws in his policies. It wasn’t an easy process for the Soviet people to break through Stalin’s cult of personality to see the real truths of his reign. The estimated numbers of dead are staggering. The secrecy regarding those â€Å"purged† has left millions of Soviet citizens wondering the exact fate of their loved ones. With these new-found truths about Stalin’s reign, it was time to stop revering the man who had murdered millions. Pictures and statues of Stalin were gradually removed, and in 1961 the city of Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd. Stalins body, which had lain next to Lenin’s for nearly eight years, was removed from the mausoleum in October 1961. Stalin’s body was buried nearby, surrounded by concrete so that it could not be moved again. Sources Rappaport, Helen. Joseph Stalin: A Biographical Companion. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 1999.Radzinsky, Edvard. Stalin: The First In-depth Biography Based on Explosive New Documents from Russias Secret Archives. New York: Doubleday, 1996.Service, Robert. Stalin: A Biography. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press, 2005.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Guilt and Redemption in Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner

Guilt and Redemption What is Guilt? Guilt is the overwhelming feeling of remorse that one experiences after committing a sin. What is Redemption? Redemption is compensating for one’s sins through actions that relieves one from guilt. Thesis When making choices that causes one to feel guilt, one tries to purge their guilt through the act of redemption. Hosseini exhibits this through the characters of Sanaubar, Baba and Amir. Sanaubar’s Guilt and Redemption Sanaubar elopes with a group of singers and dancers when Hassan was less than a week old. She also knew about the sin she committed when she slept with Baba and conceived Hassan. Eventually, Sanaubar returns to Kabul to seek forgiveness from Hassan. â€Å"I have†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"I lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it†¦ Then I knocked on Baba’s door and told him what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies.†(Hosseini,104)- The guilt building up in Amir is causing so much tension between him and Hassan that he just wants Hassan to leave. However it won’t be easy because his father will not fire his â€Å"family†. Theft is the only sin Baba cannot tolerate and Amir knows this. â€Å"They had been staring at my food†¦ I did something I had done 26 years earlier. I planted a fistful of crumpled money under a mattress.†(Hosseini, 242)- Now, 26 years later, the mature Amir is actually doing good deeds. Instead of him using money to get rid of someone, he is giving money to help a family in need. â€Å"I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into the alley, stand up Hassan- the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past- and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end I ran.†(Hosseini,77)- Amir shows that he cannot be as loyal as Hassan. Even if he was being a coward, he told no one. This decision he made him who he was 26 years from now. He was still running from his guilt. â€Å"My body wasShow MoreRelatedGuilt And Redemption In Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner1585 Words   |  7 Pagesthat some people feel guilt not in what they have done but in what they could have done. When faced with a difficult situation, a person has the choice to turn the other way or try and solve the issue. Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner explores the subject of guilt and redemption through the character Amir. When faced with the choice between helping a friend and running away, Amir chooses the latter. This decision plagues Amir throughout his entire life as he seeks redemption to ease his regretRead MoreSymbolism Of Kite Running By Khaled Hosseini1243 Words   |  5 PagesKali Denney Mr. Snyder AP Literature and Composition 11 December 2015 Symbolism of Kite Running In this essay the book being discussed is, Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Khaled Hosseini’s biography will be discussed as well as the historical influences upon him that affect the novel as a whole. The essay will contain a critical analysis as well as an analysis of the critical response to the work by others. In the novel and now a grown man, the main character Amir recalls events in his childhoodRead MoreCritical Analysis Of The Kite Runner1090 Words   |  5 PagesOctober 2017 Consequences of War: A Critical Analysis of the Kite Runner On a day to day basis, an individual is faced with an obstacle they must overcome, ultimately defining their morals and values. In the literature perspective, the novel The Kite Runner delivers multiple thematic ideas that portray the struggles of characters in their ordinary lives. Khaled Hosseini, author and physician, released his debut novel The Kite Runner in the year of 2003. This novel is written in the first personRead More Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesKhaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner In the Kite Runner, the author explores the ties that bind sons to fathers and childhood friends to one another and of the forces that tear them apa rtRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Kite Runner 1685 Words   |  7 Pagescould be used in a story. However, the theme of redemption seems to be one of the most common. Redemption is when one commits a wrongdoing and in order to erase the constant feeling of guilt, one will atone, or make up, for their sins. Khaled Hosseini uses the theme redemption in the novel, The Kite Runner, as he portrays the main character struggling to find himself and make right his childhood wrongs. To write a story with the theme of redemption helps to give the readers hope for a happy endingRead MoreMark Solis. Mrs. Ham . English 12. 02 March 2017. Kite1099 Words   |  5 PagesMark Solis Mrs. Ham English 12 02 March 2017 Kite Runner Essay Can one bury their past, if one acts as if something hasn t happened will it leviate some of the guilt, is it wrong to run away from one’s mistakes? The answer to that question depends entirely on one’s morality so responses vary depending on the individual although the novel’s underlying tone implies that one must atone for past mistakes in order to develop new relationships, one must have the courage to face their demons and makeRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1394 Words   |  6 Pagesunderlying message of the novel The Kite Runner, as author Khaled Hosseini tells a heartbreaking tale of a lifetime spent in the search of redemption for a â€Å"past of unatoned sins† (Hosseini, 1). Very often people undergo numerous internal conflicts throughout their lives, and they find that some of their problems change who they are as a person. Most people will not have the courage or the motivation to deal with and fix their problems, however, Khaled Ho sseini’s novel inspires people to face and dealRead MoreThe True Value of Loyalty Essay794 Words   |  4 Pagestormented by Amirs meaningless â€Å"tests† to prove Hassans loyalty. Now, it is Amir who has to prove to the world, and also to himself that he is worthy of Hassans endless sincerity and devotion. Khaled Hosseini does an excellent job of portraying this transformation in his writing. Hosseinis novel, The Kite Runner, illustrates the value of loyalty in the relationships between Hassan and Amir, Sanaubar and Sohrab, and Amir and Baba. First is the relationship between Hassan and Amir. â€Å"Hassan never deniedRead MoreThe Kite Runner by by Khaled Hosseini: Blinded by Guilt795 Words   |  4 PagesThe Kite Runner: Blinded by Guilt A person’s childhood is the foundation that paves the way for the rest of one’s life. Memorable events can trigger certain emotions in a child and, as a result, change the nature of that person as an adult. Set in the 1970s in California, the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is told in flashbacks as the reader follows the main character through his resolutions to lifelong conflicts. The novel traces Amir’s mixed feelings of love and jealousy towardsRead MoreKhaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner Essay747 Words   |  3 Pages In the novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini tells a notable coming-of-age story portraying the actions and thoughts of Amir, a penitent adult living in the United States and his reminiscence of his affluent childhood in the unstable political environment of Afghanistan. Throughout the novel Khaled Hosseini uses character description to display his thoughts on sin and redemption. The main character described in the novel is Amir. Amir is the narrator and the protagonist in the story. Although

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Investment on Research and Development †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Investment on Research and Development. Answer: Introduction: Strategic vision has always been a significant part of organizational performance and development. The strategic vision is based on the management teams ambition to achieve the desired goals and performance excellence. In order to achieve the business sustainability and long term profitability the management team of the Magic Pixel Company is planning to adopt more effective strategic vision. The companys service of providing HD cameras to its efficient customers reflects in their vision that says Inspire the World. In the era of digital revolution, the ever improving digital technologies provide the company with great opportunities as they improve their products with the help of those technologies. The Magic Pixel Companys board of executives has decided the vision as they focused on the motivational and inspirational power of the vision statement towards the goal of achieving strategic objectives and profit. Magic Pixel Company could also benefit from ensuring more returns to its s takeholders by providing innovative and high quality products to its customers. For Magic Pixel it is important to implement a strategy that provides their customers with value for money in order to achieve their goals Magic Pixel Company could achieve the goal not by just meeting the customer expectations but offering them more than their expectations regarding the performance, quality, services and extra features. The company could implement various new strategies to develop their services and financial benefits. The retail operations of Magic Pixel could be expanded by the company with great importance and their specialty sales could be increased as well. The business operation of The Magic Pixel Company can be improved through introducing new products and new distributing channels. Magic Pixel could improve their research and development program by investing more as this will ensure future innovative products and increase their competitiveness. Conclusion: As more investment on Research and Development will encourage our team to develop newer and better products in a market where competitors are engaged in constant innovation, our team has decided to invest more money on RD. The team plans to increase the expenditure by 20000 dollars for UAV drones and 30000 dollars in action capture cameras. The company aspires to increase average wholesale cost to their sales promotions, advertising budgets, retailers and warranty period in order to enhance their marketing strategies for those two kinds of camera.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

The Federal Government of U S Free Samples-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: What you believe the role of government should be in the health care system. Answer: The federal government of U.S has a crucial role in shaping the health care sector. They have managed to improve health care sector using their strong federal leadership, clear direction in achieving health care goals and implementation of consistent policies and practices in health care organizations. They have arranged for beneficial programs to raise the quality of health care delivery in America. The federal government has a different role in the health care department. They have acted as a medical regulator, purchaser, and provider of medical services, sponsor for health research, etc. They constantly arrange for health education training programs for health care work force. All these activities of federal government help in promoting health care quality assurance, innovation in health care and improvement in service (Stiglitz Rosengard, 2015). The federal government action to minimize medical errors and enhance patient safety is as follows: Purchasing and providing for better health care options in U.S. Ensuring access to quality health care for vulnerable sections of the population. Regulating health care market throughout U.S. Supporting acquisition of new knowledge technology and efficient medical equipment in health care. Developing and evaluating health technologies and practices. Informing health care decision makers and taking action to develop the health care workforce Arranging for stakeholders to develop the whole health care system (Kayyali et al., 2013). There is lot variability in the quality of health care. Some place has poor and unsafe condition exposing patients to the particular risk while in some area service is effective, but infrastructure is lacking. So through the role of moderator, the US federal government develops minimum health care standards in health organizations. They enforce effective standard health requirements which protect patients from incompetent and less-trained physicians and other health specialists. These approaches seek to remove those providers who are below the minimum standard. Regulatory requirement focuses on quality assurance. For example, they can explore structural or competency requirements in hospitals like a well-defined infection control process. They want all physicians and nurses to have a minimum standard training in their practice and maintain their professional licenses by working within professional boundaries. Government programs like Medicare, State Children Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), etc. deliver care through the private sector. They have also incorporated quality improvement programs where the focus is on improvement in health care processes and their outcome in patients. For example, Medicare creates health plans after collecting data on performance measures and highlight improvement with passage time (National Center for Health Statistics, 2015). In its role of a purchaser, the Government takes steps like rewarding providers with a high level of quality service delivery. Purchasing strategies help in raising the quality of care thus shifting the department to a new direction. They disclose comparative quality data of health providers publicly and reward those who have the high level of quality. This disclosure draws attention to best practices, and it is a form of learning and encouragement for other providers to adopt. Many health consumers take choices based on this data. If there are reports of poor services in any health clinic, then they take steps to enhance their knowledge and skills. The provider with exemplary performance is given higher fees, bonuses, diagnosis related payments, etc (Shi Singh, 2015). In the role of a provider, the US federal government has the responsibility of acquisition of health care organizations, health care workforce, manager, and operator of delivery systems. They have a department that tests new financing, delivery, information dissemination models, etc. Veteran Health Administration and Department of Defence Tricare have played the role in building a health data system to support improvement in health techniques, patient welfare, health care delivery, etc (Bostic et al., 2012). The health market cannot alone ensure Americans availability of quality health care, so the government has the responsibility of preserving the interest of citizens. They identify gaps and regulate the health market in case of inefficiency. So there are certain recommendations for the federal government. They can take maximum advantage of their position to maintain the standard of quality in heath care sector. They can implement regulatory processes to report clinical data accurately by way of different health care programs. All health care programs should efficiently implement purchasing strategies for health care in America. It will help in the adoption of superlative practices by the publishing of comparative quality data of different health providers. There can be provision for financial and motivational acknowledgement by rewards to those providers who achieve high quality care. So health care system operated by Government programs will help in the development of innovative mode rn health care delivery models. The emphasis should be more on spreading and publishing research finding and introduction of technology related to a positive health outcome. They can also take efforts to expand applied health service research. The emphasis should be on the promotion of medical information, equipments and strategies that support improvement of health care quality (Berwick Hackbarth, 2012). Reference Berwick, D. M., Hackbarth, A. D. (2012). Eliminating waste in US health care.Jama,307(14), 1513-1516. Bostic, R. W., Thornton, R. L., Rudd, E. C., Sternthal, M. J. (2012). Health in all policies: the role of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and present and future challenges.Health Affairs,31(9), 2130-2137. Kayyali, B., Knott, D., Van Kuiken, S. (2013). The big-data revolution in US health care: Accelerating value and innovation.Mc Kinsey Company, 1-13. National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, Preventi (Eds.). (2015).Health, United States, 2013, with special feature on prescription drugs. Government Printing Office. Shi, L., Singh, D. A. (2015).Essentials of the US health care system. Jones Bartlett Publishers. Stiglitz, J. E., Rosengard, J. K. (2015).Economics of the Public Sector: Fourth International Student Edition. WW Norton Company.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Slovakia Economic Analysis Essays - Geography Of Europe, Europe

Slovakia Economic Analysis Country: Slovak Republic Formation of the Slovak Republic The Slovak Republic, or Slovakia, is located in Eastern Europe with a population of 5.4 million people and borders the countries of Poland, Austria, the Ukraine, and the Czech Republic (The World Bank). As originally part of the former nation of Czechoslovakia, the Slovak Republic has only recently begun to write its own history (Abizadeh, p. 171). During 1989 many revolts took place against eastern European governments under communism, including Czechoslovakia (Slovakia.Org, ?20th Century?). Both Slovaks and Czechs staged massive protests against communism in Czechoslovakia and ended the communist regime in November 1989 (Slovakia.Org, ?20th Century?). Under the new non-communist system of government, the two republics of Czechoslovakia were established: the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic (Embassy of the Slovak Republic). In June 1990, with the federal and republic-level governments in place, free elections were held for the first time in the country since 1946 (Slovakia.Org, ?20th Century?). The main concern of the new government was the transformation of Czechoslovakia from a state-controlled to a free market economy (Embassy of the Slovak Republic). Disputes arose between the two republics about reform process which focused on privatization, the encouragement of foreign investment, policy of macro-economic stabilization, price liberalization, and liberalization of foreign trade (Slovakia.Org, ?20th Century?). The Czech Republic was more economically developed than the industrial-based economy of Slovakia (Slovakia.Org, ?20th Century?). The transition to a market economy left the Slovak Republic to endure greater economic hardships than the Czech Republic (Sovakia.Org, ?20th Century?). For example, the federal government chose to dramatically cut the country's defense industry, resulting in a large decrease in industrial production and a large rise in unemployment in Slovakia (Slovakia.Org, ?Slovak Economy?). This took place because the economy that rose out of the comm unist era in Slovakia was based on industrial production, particularly on weapons and military equipment (Slovakia.Org, ?Slovak Economy?). There was a great difference of opinions between the Slovaks and Czechs about the nature and pace of economic reform in Czechoslovakia (Slovakia.Org, ?20th Century?). The disagreements delayed the reform process and also the acceptance of a new constitution (Slovakia.Org, ?20th Century?). It became obvious that the current form of government could meet the demands of both republics. As a result, Slovakia declared its sovereignty in July 1992, in other words, its laws took higher priority than those of the federal government (Slovakia.Org, ?20th Century?). During November the federal parliament chose to officially break up the country, and on January 1 1993, the Slovak and Czech Republic replaced the Czechoslovakia as two independent countries (Abizadeh, p. 171). Recent Growth levels of the Slovak Economy The economic problems that began in the early 1990s still plagued Slovakia after it claimed independence in 1993 (Abizadeh, p. 172). After its first year of independence Slovakia's economy was in poor shape with a negative GDP growth of 3.7%, and inflation rate of 25.1%, and an increasing unemployment rate of 14.4% (National Bank of Slovakia). Overall, gross domestic product in Slovak Republic decreased a substantial 23.7% during the years 1990 to 1993. Through a slow reform process, however, positive macro-economic results have been accomplished over the recent years (Slovakia.Org, ?Slovak Economy?). GDP growth has been positive since 1993 and recorded an annual growth of 4.4% in 1998 (The World Bank). Slovakia's 1998 GDP per capita of 3,832 USD was very competitive with other central European countries (Embassy of the Slovak Republic). The budget deficit has been brought under control, and at the beginning of 1999, the inflation rate of 5.6% was the lowest among all transition econ omies (Embassy of the Slovak Republic). The decline in the inflation rate was due to developments in the capital markets and the banking sector, a decrease in food prices, price deregulation, and lower producer prices (Abizadeh, p. 172). Unemployment, on the other hand, is still a major problem in the Slovak republic. Since the end of the communist regime the rate of unemployment has been 10% or higher with no signs of improvement (Slovakia.Org, ?Slovak Economy?). Unemployment is related to the consistent regional disparities and the ?inevitable? restructuring of large companies (Embassy of the Slovak Republic). The most important part for Slovakia to convert to a market

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Redress for Japanese Americans essays

Redress for Japanese Americans essays The Lengthy Process of Redress for Japanese Americans After the surprise attack of the Japanese on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States grew concerned that people of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast would revolt and aid the Japanese war effort and were considered security risks. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, giving the War Department authority to establish military areas in which designated people would be subject to whatever restrictions the Secretary of War may impose. As a result, officials declared the entire Pacific Coast a military area and forced approximately 120,000 people of Japanese descent from their homes and into guarded relocation centers in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. Two-thirds of the evacuees were American citizens and many lost their homes and businesses as a result of the internment. The directive remained official policy until December 1944 (Patton 72). While many people have at least some knowledge of this Japanese in ternment, the postwar Japanese American effort to win redress, and its high point of the 1980s, is not that well known. The process of apology and redress was very drawn out and it was not until over forty years after internment that a formal apology was given to Japanese Americans. With this apology, though delayed, most would assume that the government has learned a lesson from its past errors. However, it is important to consider if the anti-Japanese hysteria of the 1940s that led to Japanese-Americans being imprisoned in internment camps could be repeated today, especially with Muslim-Americans in the war against terrorism. The internment of Japanese American citizens and resident aliens was not just an odd, wartime event, but also a climax of a long history of racism and discrimination on the West Coast directed against Asian immigrants. Those from China felt the first effects of this sent...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Observation Journal#3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Observation Journal#3 - Essay Example Avery approached a structure meant for them to play inside and climb, that was in the playground and tried to climb in it with difficulties. ‘Teacher! Teacher! he shouted looking at the teacher who was with other children inside the structure. The teacher then pulled Avery up and finally he was in the structure. Avery started jumping on the play structure as he falls down. He was jumping as he is shouting and laughing at the same time. I have observed that Avery does not take much time on a particular place for long, but he keeps running up and down touching one thing and another within a short time. Avery saw another child leave the play structure and go to the slide that was just beside the structure. Avery then went out of the play structure and ran very fast towards the slide. He suddenly stopped near the climbing staircases of the slide. He was keenly looking at the staircases and other children as they climbed one by one to the slide. He then stepped on the first staircas e with his right foot. Seeing that it was stable, Avery began climbing up the slide faster as there was another child coming after him. When Avery reached the top, and now it was time for him to slide down, he got afraid and refused to slide down. He blocked the way for the other children who were enjoying themselves in the slide. Avery then moved on one side of the slide, paving way for the other children to pass and slide themselves down. Avery sat up there looking at his fellow children slide with a lot if ease. He was cheering them up one by one as they were going down the slide. Avery suddenly lost the grip of the walls of the slide as he was clapping his hands to cheer the other children. Avery began sliding down unknowingly. ‘Huuuu! Huuuuu! he shouted as he was going down the slide. When he was down the slide, Avery began running away from the slide area, towards his teacher. ‘Teacher, poop, Avery told his teacher. ‘Ooh, you want to poop? ‘Yes,