Pros and Cons of Free Trade

IntroductionFree trade is an agreement between two or more countries in exchange for goods and/or services without the enforcement of tariffs or duties and at a benefit for each country. Advocates in favor of free trade believe that it gives Americans a better standard of living because of the goods and services received at such low prices. Free trade strengthens the U.S economy, creates jobs, spreads the value of freedom, reinforces the rule of law, and helps under developed countries.(White n.d).Most foreign countries can manufacture goods at lower cost so we pay less for them. Economists of free trade believe that when we sell more of our products overseas, American businesses can employ more people. Opponents who oppose U.S. free trade believe that it has caused many job losses here in the U.S and is not good for the economy. Many jobs overseas can be performed for a fraction of the cost of what American workers earn; so many U.S jobs are outsourced. Opponents also stress the unf ortunate exploitation of workers in underdeveloped countries and the defiling of their resources.Lastly the free trade agreement is a little one- sided, the U.S buys more goods from overseas than what other countries buy from us.THE PROS AND CONS OF FREE TRADE 3The advantage of free trade is the goods and services that can be bought at a reasonable cost. Also, the use of less expensive materials and labor acquired through free trade leads to a lower cost of manufactured goods. Dollar Tree is an example of how free trade has allowed this business to grow. This dollar store sells all of its goods for one flat rate of $1 to the American consumer. Normally, a pack of batteries would be $4.00 but at Dollar Tree it is $1. A large loaf of bread , frozen food, cleaning agents, head phones, pet supplies, baby clothes, toys, and more are just $1, all items are imported from either Mexico, China, Japan, Brazil or the Philippines.â€Å"Deep discounts translates into savings in food and goods. Denise Froming of The Benefits of Free Trade: A Guide For Policymakers states, â€Å"Because of these low prices the U.S. economy has grown by more than 23 percent, adding more than $2.1 trillion to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) and raising the wealth of the average American consumer by more than $5,500†(Froming 2000). Although, these are tremendous savings brought about by these imports, it would be better to see U.S jobs and more American products made here at reasonable cost.The disadvantage of outsourcing jobs is how it impacts on American workers, for example in Ohio a once lucrative steel manufacturing company, named Republic Steel, became America's third largest steel company. Wikipedia states, â€Å"Republic Steel remained prosperous until the 1970s, but because of cheaper foreign imports, rising labor costs, and other factors they began to go under. In 1984 in an exchange of hands Republic merged into LTV steel but unfortunately, in December 2001, LTV fi led for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.† (Wikipedia 2014).THE PROS AND CONS OF FREE TRADE 4The steel plant was leveled and now in its place stands a Wal-Mart super store, the size of three football fields. The benefits of discount pricing do not outweigh the drawbacks of not having jobs. Hundreds of jobs were lost when Republic Steel went under and we now get our steel from Mexico†¦ Coincidentally, while writing this paper Ohio governor Kasich is bringing back Republic Steel with the help of a Mexican steel giant ICH who has brought Republic Steel out of bankruptcy.Ohio is producing shale oil and will need a steel plant to make pipes for gas lines within the next year. The average income with overtime and night shifts will be $50,000, and if this deal goes through it will inject more money into Ohio’s economy.(Schoenberger, 2011). In the U.S you have to pay at least minimum wage so, some companies who want to reap a high profit go to other countries and exploit those worker s. For example a pair of Michael Jordan tennis shoes made in China and Vietnam for around $7 resells for $70-180 here in the U.S.(Wiki n.d)The workers that produce these shoes in sweat shops make less than $2.46 per day with no benefits. (Jonathan n.d). The entrepreneurs who exploit the resources and labor of third world countries discredit what free trade is all about. What is needed is a balance of goods and services along with keeping a fair percentage of jobs for Americans. There should also be some way to police entrepreneurs from exploiting the resources of other countries.

When The World Stands Out, Aspire To Be Outstanding

We are all different. We view things from different perspectives. What one person acknowledges as the truth may not be accepted by others. There exists a plethora of interpretations, which are rooted on the fact that people come from varying backgrounds – politically, socially and culturally. These differences allows people to be unique in there own ways. The world is divided, geologically speaking. As such, people grew up in societies that have dissimilar and often conflicting views on a number of things. I was born in Bangkok. The place that I first called my home is a bustling city.Being the capital of Thailand, most efforts in relation to economic development are concentrated there. It dominates the country’s economy. Unfortunately, the continued development of Bangkok results to the neglect of other urban centers. This makes the disparity in wealth distribution more intense. Despite the developed faà §ade of the city, the truth that there is inequality still linge rs. Growing up in a country like Thailand, where people from neighboring countries come to work, I have learned to accept the fact that the things I believe in is not always the same as the things that the people around me agree to.Confrontation is not always the best solution. If I keep on asserting my own views upon others, I know that we won’t come to an agreement. It is best to base my judgment on respect and not animosity. It is in this line of thinking that I gained the courage to speak out, even though, I know that others won’t agree with me. Deep inside I am hoping that they would respect my opinion regardless of my political, social and cultural viewpoints since I do the same to them. The other reason why I choose to go against the grain, sometimes, is due to the fact that I would like to create a better future for myself, my family and my community.I have seen both the glittering and rusty covered side of life when I was in Bangkok. I know that I can do bette r if I work hard and believe in own capabilities. I also know that I can a difference in the world in the same way that the world affects me. When the odds are against me, I try to remember that I am more fortunate than others because I am able to exercise some of my rights especially my right to education. I am thankful for what I have now that is why I work hard to show how much I appreciate them. Once again, I can say that I draw my strength from my family and community.

Banks Mat Review Essay

Robert Banks and Bernice M. Ledbetter believe the subject of leadership to be one worth exploring, and they do so in their book much to our profit. In this short book, Banks and Ledbetter begin by presenting the overall question they want to answer: Do Christians’ core convictions shape their views and practices of leadership or are they affected by wider cultural assumptions? [1]The book begins by exploring the many reasons for the increased interest in leadership today. The authors offer a plethora of reasons, not withholding the greatly increased pace of change, and they also set out some other factors for understanding leadership, including the comparison and contrast between a ‘leader’ and the qualities of ‘leadership’. Banks and Ledbetter take great care to ask challenging questions. This practice aids in the development of the book. In the opening chapters they begin by defining leadership as involving a person, group, or organization who shows the way in an area of life. [2] The authors also provide a strong distinction between management and leadership while also showing the importance of these two roles to work together. The foundation of the writing is supported by the claims towards the importance  of the study of leadership. Banks and Ledbetter continue on to explore leadership in a wider range of historical and Biblical contexts. They work from religious and Christian perspectives and work outward towards cultural influences. The authors share insight as it relates to the biblical, historical and contemporary perspectives, covering the accounts of the Apostle Paul, historical models such as the Benedictine tradition, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Pentecostal. They continue by exploring trait, contingency and transformational leadership. Chapters three and four provide the most specific writings on the topic of leadership. In these chapters Banks and Ledbetter draw attention to the raw spiritual, theological, and religious concepts of leadership. Here the authors conduct a case study of a significant author of leadership material, Stephen Covey. It is revealed that many readers are influenced by his Mormon faith without truly understanding or discerning the undertones.[3] This continues with an exploration of other perceived authorities on the topic of leadership. One such study is of Laura Beth Jones, an woman writer with increasing influence as it relates to leadership. Chapter five addresses how to translate practices of leadership into individual context through the use of three basic yet important values: faithfulness, integrity, and a servant-like attitude. Exploration of these three traits is undergirder with discussion of authors such as Robert Greenleaf. He is one of many leaders who brought into popular leadership thinking the idea of ‘servant leadership’.The book closes by offering examples in the form of case-studies. These studies provide deeper insight into the foundational qualities of successful leaders over the span of several years and many different context. This offers the reader a broader view of leadership by showing its success in many different forms and context. CONCRETE RESPONSE While reading through each chapter I was challenged to consider the conflicts I have faced that came as the result of lacking a manager to accompany my leadership. As a pastor, I am a natural leader. I tend to seek out change while searching for ways to constantly make things better and more efficient. About two years ago I was in a conflict with several of the leaders in our church. The conflict revolved around our misunderstanding of  each others approach and roles in leadership. As an proponent of change, I was offended by their seeming lack of faith in pursuing a broader reach in ministry and our effectiveness in the community. As managers, they were more apt to move slowly and could only visualize the problems that would need to be addressed in order to achieve the vision that was laid forth by me. After studying the viewpoints of Banks and Ledbetter I can now see how we could have easily been on the same page and shared the same goal while simply looking from distinct perspectives. I have now began to wonder how many other relationships could have been mended by simply understanding the role that each party played. I have a tendency to assume that others will automatically view things in the same way that I have. This has often led to great disappointment or great feelings of being misunderstood. In this way my passion can easily become focused on the wrong thing and people could easily become the target of that passion. REFLECTION While the book does a great job of exploring the topic of leadership, because of the breadth and depth of the topic many questions remain. Taking into account the authors definitions of managers and leaders, how do the two roles successfully communicate their intentions to one another? It is very possible for the two roles to coexist with proper acknowledgment of one another. How do the two operate together effectively without disrespecting or disregarding the importance of each role. Also, how does one know which leadership style works best in a given context? Does it take an extended period of trial and error to discover the proper styles? How do followers or even managers respond to a constantly changing leadership style? This book could have been greatly improved with a more comprehensive study of the specified leadership topics. The writing feels much like a generic overview of very important topics. While well written and engaging, I am left wanting as it relates to determining how to not only incorporate the leadership styles but also choose the style that is most fitting. This book feels like a movie that ended too soon. Leaving readers wondering what do with the brief information provided. ACTION With a fresh view of the information given by Banks and Ledbetter, I now have the information needed to implement a healthier leadership style that includes a clarity of my role as an agent of change. This plan is broken into two distinct parts. First, to properly identify the contexts that guide the view of leadership within the leadership team of the church that I pastor. What types of leaders have they encountered in the past? Are they open to change or resistant to it? This objective will be accomplished through the scheduling of one on one meetings with each leader. These meeting will allow me the opportunity to engage each leader in a meaningful conversation about the leadership styles they are most comfortable with. With this information I will be equipped to better serve these leaders by communicating with them in a way that they are most likely to receive. This is based upon Banks and Ledbetters observation of the broad idea of leadership many people carry. Secondly, I will create a comprehensive list of the core beliefs that will guide our leadership team. For those considering becoming parts of our church, how do they know the values that determine our decision making as leaders? This list will answer that question. It will become the core values for current and even future leaders. This comprehensive list will incorporate biblical teachings from Jesus as well as the Apostle Paul’s qualifications from 1 Peter and the epistles to Timothy. By outlining these core values, we create accountability, an attribute that could also allow for congregants and members alike to feel more comfortable engaging with the vision of our church by being secure in the direction and the values that guide us. BIBLIOGRAPHY Banks, Robert and Ledbetter, Bernice â€Å"Reviewing Leadership: A Chriatian Evaluation of Current Approaches†, Grand Rapids, MI Baker Publishing Group 2004

Strategic Innovation - Critical Reflection Research Paper

Strategic Innovation - Critical Reflection - Research Paper Example The methodology used in the study was quite vague because there was no mention of the profile of the respondents and how they were chosen. The article was effective in disseminating information that at the forefront of sustainability are those organizations which have a direct impact on the environment such as the energy and utilities companies and automobile firms. Implications of the focus of companies to sustainability were not extensively discussed. Quotes from Kiron and Main provide credence to the article (Kho , par 4 & 6). There were no ethical issues addressed in the study. No future research is suggested in the article. On the whole however, one can say that the research offered new information with regards to how companies are giving importance to sustainability. An area of improvement that one can propose is for the author to give more relevant data on the methodology to prove the validity of the findings. Kho, Jennifer. "Report: More corporations turn to sustainability for competitive edge and profits." 24 January 2012. forbes.com. Web. 16 March 2012

US Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

US Government - Essay Example However, there are a lot of controversies related with the establishment of ICC. These controversies have created a complex political nature of International lawsuits which eventually has created attentions for remedy (Carroll 21). The U.S government and the Israelis were reluctant to sign the agreement meant to ratify the development of the international criminal court. This is because the two states feared that the ICC would be a threat to their internal situations. For instance, they feared that their soldiers would be prosecuted due to war crimes. In addition, other state also saw ICC as a threat due to the introduction of hybrid procedures. However, all these political issues led to complexity in handling international trials (Carroll 21). The International criminal court carries out proceedings that are faced with a lot of problems. The first one is that their trials are long and expensive. However, as a global community we should solve this problem through application of Guilty pleas. These are the admission of blameworthiness by an individual accused of a crime. In most cases a prosecutor in the international criminal court can be allowed to play a part in plea bargain. In this case, the prosecutor will agree to reduce punishment or charges in return with guilty plea. This guilty plea is important because it helps in avoiding complicated, expensive and lengthy trials. In addition, the international criminal court will avoid consuming resources and will help in handling a sizable caseload and dealing swiftly with complex cases (Carroll 23). The second problem is that the International Criminal Court fails to recognize the basic rights of the accused individuals. In order to solve this problem, the set of procedures used in the ICC should include the basic rights of the accused individuals (Carroll 22). These rights include presumption of innocence, the right to know the evidence used by the prosecutor, the right to remain silent, the

Short answers Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Short answers - Coursework Example So under such situation the seller will pass the entire tax burden on the consumer and will remain unaffected himself. If the price elasticity of demand (PED) of a product is 0.75, then it means that the product has an inelastic demand. This means a percentage change in price is not followed by a significant change in quantity demanded. If the firm decides to increase the price by 20 % then quantity demand will be negligibly affected and the total revenue will increase. Total revenue increases if either price increases or QD increases. Here price is increasing by a greater proportion then the decrease in QD, therefore the overall total revenue for the firm will also increase. The above shows that after the price change, the marginal utility per dollar spent on pretzels is higher than the marginal utility per dollar spent on beer. Under such circumstances the consumer should spend more on pretzels and less on beer. He should continue to do so until the marginal utility per dollar spent on both the goods become equal. If by hiring additional labor the total output increases with the decreasing rate, then the labor can said to have diminishing returns e.g if a firm hires 4th unit of labor, then the total output increases by 10 units. However when the firm hires 5th unit of labor, then the total output increases by 8 units only. So under such situation the total output is increasing but with a decreasing rate, this is known as diminishing returns. Similarly if a firm currently has 4 labors and they were producing 300 units per day. Now if the firm hires 5th unit of labor, but they manage to produce only 270 units per day, then this is known as negative returns, as the total output decreases with additional labor. The good produced under perfect competition are homogenous i.e goods of an individual firm is exactly identical to the goods of the other firm, they are perfect substitutes. So if an individual firm tries to charge a higher price on the

E potfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

E potfolio - Essay Example Consequently, developments in information systems also involve social and political relationships-and thus ethical consideration in how information is used is all the more important. Government records, workplaces and private lives of the people are within the reach of the system and it is a vital responsibility now to balance the needs and rights of everyone. While everything with online security systems seems very user friendly and tends to make life easier for a management team, there is also a significantly dangerous side to the use of online information systems. One of them happens to be cyber crime. Typically, cyber crime can be divided into four categories; theft, fraud, copyright infringement and attacks. With the popularization of the internet and its several weak links, hackers find it possible to break into security systems where they have access to a person's key personal data such as social security numbers, date of birth, driver's license numbers and credit card informa tion. Affected individuals have experienced fraudulent financial transactions, and false accusations of crimes they have never committed which begin showing against their names on their personal record files. Information systems are vulnerable to physical attacks, electronic hacking, viruses and natural disasters.

Dracula chapter 1-12 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dracula chapter 1-12 - Essay Example During his travels, he gets several hints that he is heading into great danger, but he tries to talk these fears away, even after he meets his host, a very creepy man who has many of the characteristics we today recognize as being vampires. Harker becomes a prisoner of the castle and has many disturbing experiences. His entries end with his desperate plan of escape, knowing he is about to lose his soul to an evil creature or creatures. The story then picks up through a variety of communication forms – letters, journal entries, newspaper articles, etc. These more fully flesh out Mina and introduce the characters Lucy Westenra, John Seward (a physician at the lunatic asylum near Dracula’s new London home), Dutch doctor Van Helsing, the lunatic Rensing and a few other minor characters. Through these pieces of correspondence, the reader learns about the arrival of Dracula to Britain and the mysterious illness that befalls Lucy, eventually leading to her death by the end of Chapter 12, as she is treated by Seward and Van Helsing. Mina escapes Lucy’s fate in these chapters because she is called away to Buda Pest in order to help nurse Harker, who was found suffering from brain fever. She returns to England just in time to hear about Lucy’s death. Reading through these chapters was enlightening. Although I thought I knew the story, I had never realized the strange way that it is delivered, as a series of writings made by the characters themselves. This approach continuously reminded me to view the story from the characters’ perspectives rather than my own. When I was reading about the warnings of the villagers and the description of Dracula, my own experience told me the character is obviously a vampire and Harker is already trapped. Looking at it from the character’s perspective though, I suddenly realized that everything I think I know about vampires

Student Project D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Student Project D - Essay Example nsultant who was hired by the chief operations officer (COO) of Phoenix, this brief paper will present ways to evaluate the performance of the central IT unit in its assigned task and subject a report. The information technology (IT) unit of any organization is often tasked with sensitive responsibilities with regards to the information needs of that organization. The evaluation of its performance can be subjective to a certain extent but there are measures or metrics by which its performance can be measure more objectively. In other words, there are ways by which metrics are transformed into something concrete, objective, measurable, effective, and time-bound. The said criteria is basically what is used to measure information management (Blackmore, 2003). Measuring performance of any business unit encompasses two aspects, generally. These are the external business perspective and the internal users perspective. The first pertains to how an organization is considered effective by its customers who availed of its products and servicesj in terms of its response and the timeliness of response (Epstein, Manzoni, & Davila, 2010). The internal side concerns more with perceptions, in particular, how people in particular departments react to their own business units. According to Blackmore, this is often called as perception management with regards to soft aspects of business operations. He called this aspect as perception management operations (PMO) which applies to how information is processed and how messages are sent to their intended target audience. In the case of Phoenix, its external users are the clients who access their company Web site perhaps to get updates on their investments. It is therefore a critical aspect of customer perception that will determine performance of IT unit. The effectiveness of the central IT unit at Phoenix headquarters can be measured by use of the above criteria. The performance measures (metrics) are based both on hardware and also

Profile of an Economist Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Profile of an Economist - Research Paper Example Friedman presented high expertise in the field of business that made him a renowned economist. In the year of 1951, he won the â€Å"John Bates Clark Medal,† an award that recognized economists under age of forty who presented commendable performance (Ruger 90). Furthermore, he received the Nobel Prize in 1976 for his contributions in the field of consumption examination, monetary history and concepts, as well as for his effort in describing the stabilization policy. The economist chaired the Chicago school of economics where he guided research plan of the economics profession. The scholar also worked as the chairperson of the American Economic Association in 1967 (Wahid 14). Furthermore, the scholar served as a senior research fellow at the Stanford University after retiring from the University of Chicago. Some surveys of economists have identified Friedman as a well-liked economist of the 20th century after John Keynes. Friedman explored various economics-related theories an d analytical procedures highlighting informative concepts. Nedomlelova (32) observes that Friedman was great scholar who had excellent knowledge of economics. The economist’s initial works include the 1945 publication titled the â€Å"Income from Independent professional Practice† that he coauthored with Simon Kuznets. This work was very relevant in the field of business and the report attracted a global attention. ... the need of adjusting such regulation in order to create constructive competition that would persuade delivery of quality services at sustainable fees. This provided strategists with effective managerial tools (Friedman et al. 32). Friedman’s effort in the development of the Theory of Consumption Function The scholar has substantially contributed in the development of the economic theories. His earliest prominent work includes the 1957 publication in which he described A Theory of the Consumption Function (Friedman & Ebenstein 19). The scholar developed the theory from the Keynesian perception that individuals and households have a tendency of adjusting their expenditures on consumption to align them with their income (Friedman & Ebenstein 26). The economist highlighted that individual’s yearly consumption reflects a function of their â€Å"permanent income.† He introduced this term as a measure of the aggregate income individuals expect over a few years. The the ory was an expression of the permanent income hypothesis, the concept that proposes that household’s consumption and investment decisions are mainly defined by changes in permanent income, but not temporary changes that household members experience within their activities. These ideas were essential because they provide bases for developing future business theories that has enriched the field (Brittan 2). Friedman challenged Keynes ideas claiming that the scholar based his consumption models on psychological assumptions. He emphasized the need of considering individuals as rational thinkers who make plans on how to spend their resources over their families. Friedman was not primarily objecting the Keynesian ideas because a reputable Keynesian economist Franco Modi-gliani also made the same observation.