Witness

The development of characters is enhanced by Peter Weir’s film techniques? Discuss this statement with reference to witness The film Witness focuses on the clash of cultures, allowing Peter Weir to comment on the injustices of modern culture and the development of characters as a result. In the film Witness the Western World influences and changes the characters through the new experiences they face and encounter. Throughout the course of the film the Amish boy, Samuel Lapp undergoes many changes as he is influenced and corrupted by the horrors of the Western World as appose to the Amish culture which dwells on living a pacifist lifestyle within which he lives. The murder scene in Witness is critical to revealing the change of Samuel’s experiences from innocence to complete awareness of the horrors of the world. The close up of Samuel’s eye through the keyhole in the bathroom door reveals that we are seeing the course of events through his point of view and perspective on the situation. However in the bathroom scene Samuel witnesses a brutal murder which vicissitudes his character to one that has knowledge of the danger and violence in the Western World. The Western World’s morals and values of what is veracious and immoral are different to that of the Amish society. The Amish and John Book have different perceptions of justice as illustrated throughout the gun scene. In this scene both John Book and Eli reprimand Samuel when he touched the gun. The close up of Samuel handling the gun provokes contradictory responses from both John Book and Eli. John Book is concerned that the gun is loaded and hands Samuel the gun without bullets. To John Book the bullets symbolise the power to exert justice; the gun is purely the vessel like he is, from which justice can be delivered. The close up of Samuel directs the audience’s attention to the fact that it is Samuel whose mind is being influenced and challenged by his exposure to the western world. In contrast Eli’s view is that the gun symbolises the unclean nature of the Western Culture as it has the power to take away a man’s life. However the gun is purely an extension of a person’s values whether that is moral or unmoral values. The Amish culture dwells on the concept of peace within their community and lives a pacifist lifestyle; however when the western world collides with the Amish lifestyle many differences yet some similarities show through. This reveals Peter Weir’s ultimate comment the despite our differences and similarities uman nature draws individuals together. The western lifestyle is represented through the Dark music which conveys the cruelness and brutality of the Western World coming into and influencing and challenging characters within the Amish community. This is revealed in the final gun scene. In this scene John uses what is within the Amish community to defeat the corrupt cops that are coming against him. In the final gun s cene there is a sense of community in order to protect the Amish culture whereas the murder scene there is a sense of individualism and corruption.

How did France come to look like a consolidated democracy and why the Essay

How did France come to look like a consolidated democracy and why the fifth republic has been a relatively stable period in French history - Essay Example This partly explains why democracies, unless the freedom on which they are founded is violated, are assumed to be poorly equipped to deal with threats to their security. This antinomy currently appears to be more pronounced as both terms of the alternative have been assuming new configurations. In terms of security, two opposing trends are at work. There is on the one hand an overall sense of irenization of modern polities' internal and external order that is encapsulated in the image of the neo-Saint-Simonean "consensual/warless society," and the parent neo-Hegelian view of "'the end of history." At the domestic level, their sociopolitical foundations are no longer questioned, and conflicts over the management of the state are settled through electoral alternatives. At the external level, appeasement induced by nuclear deterrence and continued with the progress of disarmament policies was enhanced by the collapse of the communist system, which represented enmity for the West. On the other hand, a new and more ambivalent threat pattern emerged that increases the ubiquity of order and security issues. Within societies, deepening center-periphery tensions and sociological cleavages lead to the displacement of traditional civility by more frictional relationships. From withou t, menaces become more insidious, discontinuous, and multifocal, and less predictable and identifiable than before the end of bipolarity, extending on the low-intensity side of the violence spectrum and assuming unconventional aspects. Concomitantly, old-fashioned institutions and instruments of violence management, doctrines, and protocols ruling their employment, and their articulations with the state appearing less suitable and effective, call for other less orthodox means based on preemption, swiftness, and secrecy, which are generally at variance with the democratic process. The concept of democracy has been evolving also. Karl Mannheim, T. H. Marshall, and more recently Edward Shils have described its logic in advanced polities. First, rights have been extended and their nature modified to encompass almost every aspect of the individual's life. Formerly limited to civic and political contents, they became economic and social, and finally sociological and cultural so as to include security. Second, the beneficiaries of these rights, once very few, have been extended to include the farthest peripheries of the social system (even beyond, in that advocates of the so-called "natural contract" or "deep ecology" also include animals and the environment). Thus, those who until recently would not have been judged as legitimate recipients of such rights, either because they were unable to enjoy them--e.g., the child, those mentally impaired, or immigrants, or those legally deprived such as delinquents--are now considered full members of the polity. Democratic rig hts, in other words, are seen as belonging to everyone, partisans as well as adversaries of democracy. Saint-Just's famous utterance, "no freedom for the enemy of freedom," would not be applicable today. Democracy has become a holistic concept, no longer defined in a discrete manner, be it in terms of the rights composing it or in terms of its titulars. The dilemma, then, is obvious. The rightful exigency for order and

Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) - Research Paper Example Requirements consist of the applicant of court orders to ban advertising systems and payment services from carrying out business with the offending websites and search engines links to sites, and court orders demanding suppliers on the Internet to disallow accessing sites. The bill would expand the criminal law to consist of the unauthorized transmission of copyrighted material, setting a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment2. The bill has grave implications for the current structure of the Internet in every sense as it allows the Justice Department and the owners of intellectual property, obtain court orders against those sites or services that allow or facilitate the infringement of alleged copyright, including: Block by ISPs to the website or service in question, including hosting, and even DNS level (although this has been a discussion). Facilitate collection companies on the internet (like PayPal) to freeze funds and restrict the use of the service. Block the sites that provi de advertising services. For example, Google Adsense cannot offer web service complained if this law was to be approved. It should remove links to the web or service reported. The bill declares a criminal offense to unauthorized radio broadcast or other distribution of copyrighted content with the punishing of the guilty with the maximum penalty of imprisonment for a term of 5 years. ... Under the bill, any member of a network on the Internet – from service providers, search engines and even the advertisers – in fact, require treatment for any owner to stop providing services to the resource, accused of piracy, and to stop any interaction with them (for example, close the channel, pay for content, suspend the ad contract, to limit the effect of the payment system, delete the site from Google to remove links to the site, completely block a site to visit, to prohibit the payment systems (such as PayPal, Visa, etc.) to make payments in favor of services and so on); otherwise, any of the direct and indirect accused of counterparties site will be regarded as his partner. Under the eyes of this new law, merely to get on your wall a picture, document or video that has a copyright will be considered a crime. This bill was welcomed by the entertainment industry in the United States and members of both parties. The funny thing is that this kind of activity is man y times promoted by the entertainment industry itself since they are the same fans who virally promote their favorite artists through social networks. Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to maintain profit organizations, employment and intellectual property protection in their respective industries (movies, music, software, etc.), especially states that it will help deal effectively with services outside the U.S. outside their jurisdiction. According to them it provides a protection to the market for intellectual property, employment and income, and need to strengthen enforcement of copyright laws, especially against foreign Web sites. Alleging defects in existing laws do not include foreign sites owned and functioned, and cited examples of "active promotion of the websites

Financial strengths and weaknesses of Primax, Alpha and Beta; Essay

Financial strengths and weaknesses of Primax, Alpha and Beta; - Essay Example Some accountants contend that Bank Overdraft should be treated as a long-term liability since that arrangement with the bank is is almost permanent (so long as the enterprise is a going concern). On the other hand, some accountants that contend that Bank Overdraft should be treated as a current liability since this facility may be withdrawn by the bank at any time. As a conservative measure of short-term financial position, Bank Overdraft has been considered as a current liability in the current instance. The current ratios of both the firms are nearly same but when compared to that of Primax both of them are well below the desired level. However, there could be firms that have low current ratios but work efficiently as is the case in fast food industry. This is so because current ratio does not analyze the quality of current assets which might contain obsolete stocks or slow paying and doubtful debtors. In the current instance it is observed that while Alpha has cash worth 43, Beta does not have any cash balances. Hence, though current ratio of Alpha is lesser than Beta, from a broader perspective, between the two; Alpha is in a better position than Beta (C. C. D. Consultants Inc. 2009). Quick Ratio = (Current Assets – Stock)/(Current Liabilities) Quick Ratio of Primax = (3399-1102)/1098 = 2.09 Quick Ratio of Alpha = (525-306)/745 = 0.29 Quick Ratio of Beta = (636-224)/853 = 0.48 If we consider Primax’s quick ratio as a benchmark, both these firms fall woefully short of that, but of the two, Beta seems to be in a better position provided of course its trade receivables are all good without any possibility of bad debts or slow recovery. Solvency Ratios Solvency Ratios evaluate long-term capability of a business... One of the most popular tools of identifying financial strengths and weaknesses of an enterprise is through Accounting Ratio that could be used by a financial analyst to qualitatively evaluate the financial status and level of performance of an organization. This project analyses in detail financial strengths and weaknesses of Primax, Alpha and Beta; three firms engaged in manufacturing furniture. While Primax among them is most financially sound the other two firms are not doing that well financially. Any business consists of a series of interrelated processes that operate in tandem to produce the final output that the consumer wants. Kaplan and Norton have identified certain groups or bundle of activities that should be considered as independent units for the purpose of evaluating the efficiency of the entire business process. These independent units are: operations management, customer management, innovations, regulatory compliance and social responsibility in that order of import ance. Efficiency of a business enterprise in each of these sectors should be independently measured and the overall efficiency of the business enterprise would be calculated as a weighted average of these independent measures. Unless an enterprise can satisfy its customers it cannot exist. The best way to do it is to identify the most profitable group of customers and focus marketing efforts in wooing this group. However, the costs of such an exercise should never exceed the tangible benefits obtained from it.

Australian International History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Australian International History - Essay Example ts, Australia would still be under the umbrella of the empire and not completely control it's own foreign policy. In the words of B.R. Wise, "I certainly did not anticipate at the time (1888), that in such short a period of twelve years, the then prevalent indifference on the part of Great Britain and suspicion on ours would have given place to the mutual confidence which is now so significant of the relations between the two countries."[1] called "the crimson thread of kinship"[2] with the British, this basically meant that most Australians could trace their roots to the United Kingdom, be it England, Ireland or New Wales, however, in Australia, developed a mix of nationalism and imperialism. The militarizations of Europe posed many threats to Australia and slowly lead to the rise of Australian Nationalism and in time to the formation of a navy under the command of the Commonwealth government in 1909. These events mainly shaped the Australian foreign policy in the period of 1900-1914. According to Paul Kelly, the early commonwealth period saw the establishment of 'The Australian Settlement' comprising five planks: 1. White Australia 2. Industry Protection 3. Wage Arbitration 4. State Paternalism 5. Imperial Benevolences[3] It aimed to create an environment that would be a modified version of capitalism which would function under the already existing imperial machine. The empire was to be responsible to ensure that racial purity (the concept of White Australia) would be protected and enforced and also provide the Commonwealth with the markets and work force for it to establish its presence and develop its resources. However, this goal was easier set than achieved, for Japan allied with Britain in 1902 and even though the British Forces provided the main defences for Australia, [2]. Paul Kelly, The Elf Certainty: The Story of the 19805, Allen & Unwin, St. Leonards (NSW), 1992, pp. 1-2 [3]. Paul Kelly, The Elf Certainty: The Story of the 19805, Allen & Unwin, St. Leonards (NSW), 1992, pp. 1-2 Britain itself was being challenged by Germany in the northern hemisphere, which left it weak in the pacific and the Commonwealth government anticipated that it may be left dependent on Japan for its defence. This in itself proved to be a challenge to the concept of White Australia as this policy aimed to exclude coloured people from Australia and that included the Asians. Even in being dependent on solely the British Empire, the White Australia policy faced many challenges as the majority of the

Gaining or Losing Power Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gaining or Losing Power Paper - Essay Example Weiner, a native of New York City and former New York City Council member, has been famous for his straight-forward liberal views and his fiery speeches on the floor of the US House of Representatives (BBC News, 2011). Weiner was forced to resign due to his scandalous online flirtations. After losing political power, Weiner is planning to return back in politics through his wife, Abedin who has been instrumental by supporting Weiner in amassing funds and participating in public events. Weiner knows that winds are not blowing politically in his favor, as â€Å"months ago† he spoke to Bill and Hillary Clinton, who have not backed any candidate in the mayoral race. As he said, â€Å"I have given wide berth to my colleagues in public life because I know I have a lot to prove to them (Bacon, 2013). Weiner is the perfect example of how public leaders gain and lose power in public policy environment. Factors such as communication, leadership, constituents, and organization played a significant role in his gaining and losing power. Weiner’s candidature for the rank of New York mayor was risked through his extra-marital sexting but the news that he might be playing a role in Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2016 presidential election, if it happens (Bacon, 2013). It only indicates that political power and those who become instrumental for their party leaders in gaining that political power whatever ethical irregularities they commit are ignored by their leaders and the masses after an interval of time. Weier’s wife, Huma Abedin, is sure that future political prospects are going to brighten up for Weiner. It shows that various political ranks like that of Weiner play a significant role as constituents of both losing and gaining power. Weiner (Bacon, 2013) has been forthcoming in accepting his scandalous actions publically for hurting his wife’s political career growth for getting distanced for her insider role with Clinton. This kind of commun ication is going to help Weiner in the long run, as people start viewing the unethical traits of their leaders from human perspective by not awarding lifelong punishment to them and welcoming them back in the leading political environment. Weiner’s own political dignity as US Congressman was endangered when it was revealed that he sent underpants photo, compelling him to publically apologize to his family and his voters although he remained adamant on not submitting his resignation over this revelation. His public acceptance through a news conference, telling that he was "deeply ashamed of my terrible judgment," could possibly break the ice for his political ambitions if it is revealed that he might be engaged for launching a campaign in favor of Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016 presidential election or there is a possibility that that such falsified communication from Weiner and his wife’s side could bring him and his wife back in the public limelight, giving the expres sion that his mistakes of the past have been forgotten, letting him to start afresh. It could be a communication tactic as well because until this news is confirmed by Clinton herself, nothing can be said for sure (BBC News, 2011). There has been a history of political figures committing blasphemy but with a fine line differentiating their return back, as in the case of Bill Clinton, the US president who survived in office amidst his affair with Monica Lewinsky. And that fine line creating the difference and letting Clinton not lose power has been Clinton’s remark, stating: â€Å"I did not have sexual relations with that woman† (BBC News, 2011). Others who had to lose power include Eliot Spitzer, Governor of New York, who has been a regular visitor of prostitutes from the Emperors Club VIP agency and had to resign in March 2008; Chris Lee, New York

Health maintenance organizations Essay Example for Free

Health maintenance organizations Essay There are nine private payer plans which include preferred provider organizations (PPO), health maintenance organizations (HMO), point of service (POS). Indemnity plans cost the most for employees and they usually have to choose a PPO plan. The new consumer driven health plan (CDHP) which a lot of people are picking, it has a high deductible combined with a funding option of some type. All of the plans have unique features for coverage of services and financial responsibility. PPO plans are the most popular plan that doctors, clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies contract with. One of the reasons that the PPO plans are so popular is because they pay the doctors a discounted fee for service based on their fee schedule. PPO plans offer a low premium that has a higher deductible or the other option is a high premium with a lower deductible. The patients are responsible to pay a copayment, and there is also a yearly deductible that the patient has to pay out of pocket. If a patient sees a doctor outside of the network without a referral, the plan will pay less and the patient is responsible for the remainder of the fee. Patients have their choice of providers, but if the patient goes to a out-of-network provider it will cost more. One thing to remember though is that all non-emergency services require pre-authorization. With HMO plans there is a list of providers that the patient can only go to, if they go to a doctor that is not in the list of providers they will have to pay extra. The only way that a patient should see a provider out of the network is if it is an emergency. HMO’s have an annual premium and a copayment that is due at the time of service. The main services the HMO’s cover is preventive and wellness checks and disease management. However, in order for complete coverage the enrollees must see a doctor that offers an HMO plan. The providers manage the care and referrals are required, low payments, ad this plan does cover preventative care. The indemnity plan allows the patient to see any physician but there are preauthorization’s required for some of the procedures. Their features are higher costs, there are deductibles, coinsurance payments, and preventative care is not usually covered. Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHP) has two elements that are included in this plan. One being a health plan, which is normally a PPO. This plan has a higher deductible and lower premium. Second is the special savings account which is used to pay medical bills before deductible is met. Point of service (POS) is similar to an HMO plan; specifically called an open HMO. This plan reduces restrictions, allowing members to choose providers outside of the HMO. However, a penalty fee is charged.