With specific reference to post-1990s developments, critically Essay

With specific reference to post-1990s developments, critically evaluate the scope of the doctrine of humanitarian intervention under Article 2 of the United Nations Chapter - Essay Example â€Å"The Statute of the International Court of Justice†2 forms an integral part of â€Å"the Charter of the United Nations†3 and is annexed to it. The main objective of the Statute is â€Å"to organize the composition and the functioning of the Court†4. It is â€Å"the principal judicial body of the United nations and functions according to the â€Å"provisions of the present Statute5†. The Article 38 of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Statute is elaborated below. Various sources of the International Law have been recognized and emphasis has shifted between them over recent times. This has brought about remarkable results in creating â€Å"far reaching changes in the political shape of the world†6. The legal relationships among the different nations have undergone vast positive changes. The ICJ has the responsibility to make decisions over the disputes that are submitted to it, in â€Å"accordance with the international law7†. Being an organ of the United Nations, the Court is bound to perform its tasks â€Å"in compliance with the Charter†8 in order to promote â€Å"human rights and fundamental freedoms†9 In its functionalities the court shall apply either general or specific international conventions and establish the rules that are distinctly recognized by the concerned states. The Court will also make use of the international custom which will serve as an evidence of the common practice of acceptance of the law . The principles of law that are generally recognized by the civilized nations would be put into effect. According to the provisions mentioned in the Article 59, the process of determining rules and regulations for the nations would involve â€Å"the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations†10 and their judicial decisions. It would act as a subsidiary means towards the determination of the

Choose one of the eight schools of criticism. Choose a poem from part Essay

Choose one of the eight schools of criticism. Choose a poem from part two of your english 1302 textbook. Craft an argument through the lens of your chosen schools criteria or focus on that poem - Essay Example This serves as a challenge for the reader to try and relate the author’s events with that of a historical event. It is here that he reader is curious as to which race in history is known for martyrdoms? If the first of the reader’s guesses is the Jews, then this answer is conveyed in the latter parts of the poem. One cannot help but sympathise with the state of hopelessness of the author in the second stanza. This is evidenced in the lines: ‘nothing serves me to assuage the agony of our age.’ 1The second part of the poem which is at the beginning of the third stanza is also an emphasis on the hopelessness of the author that her life will not become better with time. We get to know of her obsession with redemption from the life she is living at that time. Short terse and compact lines compel he reader to sympathise with the author’s situation. The reader can feel the sorrow and agony of someone in despair from the use of such short and emotional lines. The reader also is constantly in question as to who is the cause of such misery to the author but a good historical background may serve well to inform the reader that he setting of the poem was in Nazi Germany, where the Germans oppressed the people of Jewish origin. From the line, ‘The Jew of ghetto crawls,’ the reader is given a distinct imagination ox the deplorable living condition of the Jews as they were living in the Holocaust. 2The reader sympathises with the author for the horrors that she experiences of her teenage years after reading the following stanza: â€Å"Like every living Jew I have in imagination seen the gas-chamber the mass-grave the unknown body which was mine and found in every German face behind the mask the mark of Cain I will not make their thoughts my own by hating people for their race.†2 Gershon says that ‘Here and there a Jew lifts an individual face, a man for the sake of his gifts

U.S. Supreme Court decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

U.S. Supreme Court decision - Essay Example In April, advocates for parental choice in education scored a major victory in the precedent-setting case before the United States Supreme Court, American Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn. The court ruled by a narrow 5-4 margin that the Arizona program promoting school choice can continue − dismissing a lawsuit waged by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of taxpayers who disliked the program. The ruling favored arguments made by the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal organization that defended ACSTO over the years. The concurring justices found that taxpayers have no standing to challenge the program because the contributions going toward tax credits are private funds − not government funds (Liptak, 2011). ACSTO, like many other programs in the U.S., gives state residents the ability to receive a tax credit for contributions to private organizations that provide private schools with scholarships. This ruling has wide-ranging effects across the governmental, political, and structural spheres of America.The ACSTO decision will greatly impact the way state governmental entities deal with programs similar to ACSTO across the country. Now that such programs will be recognized as legitimate, due to U.S. Supreme Court precedent, state institutions will no longer be able to easily keep state residents from freely donating their money to organizations that help parents send their children to the private schools of their choice. Also, elected, appointed, and/or career policymakers, such as the U.S. Supreme Court Justices who presided over this case ? as well as lawmakers, senators, governors and mayors ? will be making more and more decisions based on the precedent set in this case regarding the use of private funds donated to generate tax credits. Now, bureaucracies will not be allowed to strike down such contributions within the states that adopt the precedent set in Arizona. On the political level, the ACSTO decision has man y far-reaching ramifications. Political parties, interest groups, and unions that are generally opposed to religious organizations receiving funding in the form of tax credits generated from private contributions will have their hands tied when opposing such programs. Leftist social movements opposed to private schools will now have a more difficult time shutting down programs resembling ACSTO. Also, with the case’s national attention, 2012 presidential election campaigns and voters agreeing with the decision will more likely take a stance on the parental choice issue. With the extensive media coverage, public opinion was likely swayed in one way or the other. Many were likely swayed by the executive director of the special interest group Americans United for the Separation, Rev. Barry Lynn, who said that the court â€Å"has slammed the courthouse door in the face of Americans who don’t want their tax dollars to subsidize religion (Biskupic, 2011). On the other hand, those with conservative ideals were likely influenced by media statements made by Tim Keller, executive director of the Institute of Justice’s Arizona chapter, who saw the victory as rebuffing â€Å"efforts by school choice opponents to use the courts to halt programs that empower families to chose a private school education if that is where their child’s needs will be best served (Biskupic, 2011).† The political climate on education has undergone a shift since the decision. Furthermore, the structural forces that hold our nation together, such as the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, state laws, our federalist system, and the economy, can all be affected in some way by the ACSTO ruling. To accommodate such program funding, federal and state constitutions can be amended, laws can be changed, and the economy can be reshaped, as tax credits up to $500 for donations to groups funding religious schools redistributes much money (Weiss, 2011). The decision could also spur a demographic shift, as families

Family on Film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Family on Film - Movie Review Example This paper makes a reflective analysis of the films Crooklyn and To Kill a Mockingbird in order to establish how they convincingly portray the stress permeating families and how the children in these movies deal with stress within their families. A careful observation of how Spike Lee presents the plot in the film Crooklyn confirms that the filmmaker makes crucial decisions to show how stress permeates a family and how the family deals with various difficulties. In an insightful review of the movie Crooklyn, it becomes lucid that Spike Lee has been highly effective in reflecting the stress within the family of five children and how the young girl Troy Carmichael deals with this stress. In this movie, the main character Troy is presented as facing various types of stress in her family, which consists of the four troublesome brothers and the stressed parents. All through the movie, the careful viewer comes across a brave and maturing young girl who efficiently manages various stressful moments in her daily life. It also comes to the notice of a close observer that the director makes use of arbitrary reflections and storytelling in the movie to suggest how Troy realizes the realities of life around her.

Reflection on the Secluded Paradise in the Community Park Essay

Reflection on the Secluded Paradise in the Community Park - Essay Example In the first step, I had to garner enough information on the accessibility of the secluded paradise. Gathering this information was vital in ensuring I amassed enough information on travelling to the place. I had to search for this information since I figured a reconnaissance study would be appropriate. Therefore, finding a better route to the place would be plausible. Secondly, I searched for information about the place (Kamyab 23). I indulged the use of both primary and secondary data collection techniques. As I received loads of data, I had to sieve the data to attain the vital points. With such a drill, I was able to gather enough information. Instantaneously after amassing data from the primary and secondary sources, I had to embark on the reconnaissance study. This study gave me enough preparation for the actual visit to the place. After a couple of days, I made the official visit to the place to gather more data. I had to indulge many people in the quest for data as I was practically looking for quality data. I also had to compare the pricing and quality of services with other businesses offering the same services (Kamyab, 66). I discovered there was a minute difference in the pricing, as other businesses preferred the same pricing. After collecting information, I set on to write the essay. Since I had all the information, I faced lesser challenges. I had to encompass all the vital information in the essay, giving a stronger outlook. Though the essay had all the vital information, I had to revise several parts. For instance, I had to specify some of the prices in the park. The community park charges from $ 595 to $ 605, prior to a deposit of $ 303. With such a pricing technique, there is a reduction in cancelations.

Drilling at the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve Essay

Drilling at the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve - Essay Example Nonetheless, it is high time that people agreed on drilling on the refuge. The U.S should drill in the ANWR because it would add economic value, reduce dependency on foreign petroleum, and because the plan has immense support from Alaskans. An essential reason to drill in the ANWR is to add economic worth of the US. It is of immense profit not only to Alaskans but also to all American to explore the area for economic value. Economic and other remuneration of ANWR oil are of much implication that even conservationists should concur to consent drilling since even they might profit directly from the venture. America’s reliance on oil from countries that are constantly either politically unsteadies, or at variance with the U.S subjects. The U.S economy irregularly delivers disruptions, price hikes and trouncing of wealth. In the recent past, U.S has spent over 7 trillion defending hefty foreign oil, money that is more than what the U.S has spent in all the wars it has fought since the revolutionary war. America’s cost of Middle East oil is projected at fifty billion dollars each year. From all these expenses that stretch the U.S economy subjecting the citizens to grave economic crisis it is vital to explore the ANWR oil. By drilling the ANWR, this will enable the American economy to progress, as several costs will be minimized. Therefore, quick response should be taken to start exploring the oil reserves in ANWR to ease the economic burden on the American citizens. This will also take off the emotional stress, placed on the U.S, due to frequent loss of lives of soldiers’, things that are not always reflected on the imported oil price tags. The constructive significance on the U.S economy is enormous. More than 80 percent of the theoretically recoverable gas is commercially developable at a gas price of around $25 per barrel. The recoverable oil in Alaska generally, is presumed that, creation from Alaska would reduce oil imports by an equal amou nt. The latent ANWR oil improved would have a worth between $125 and $350 billion (kitchen & Burger, 1). Another critical reason to drill in the ANWR is to help the U.S to reduce its dependency of foreign oil manufacturers. It is vital to sustain drilling in this hefty area in Alaska as a method of reducing dependence on foreign, and often hostile, sources of petroleum. Taking into consideration the U.S’s present political intervention in conflicts, in the Middle East, as well as the shortage of other practical supply of petroleum, it is inevitable drilling in the ANWR as a requisite to secure and defend the interests of the country (Corn, 97). Supporters also include organizations that facilitate support extensive employment, including factions such as the Teamsters, was in favor of drilling in ANWR since it would generate a bulky sum of newly formed jobs. It is a monumental step in designing new jobs in a country facing several layoffs and recession problems, which hugely a ffect the Americans lives. Drilling for oil and natural fuels would create numerous jobs for the American public in a time where work is abundantly needed. Jobs would not only be available in the state of Alaska, but in every single state across the United States (Trapp 76). A further reason to drill in the ANWR is that many Americans are in support of the initiative. One of the main arguments against

Georgia Atlantic Company Essay Example for Free

Georgia Atlantic Company Essay During the depression of the 1930s, Ben Jenkins, Sr., a wealthy, expansion-oriented lumberman whose family had been in the lumber business in the southeastern United States for several generations, began to acquire small, depressed sawmills and wholesale lumber companies. These businesses prospered during World War II. After the war, Jenkins anticipated that the demand for lumber would surge, so he aggressively sought new timberlands to supply his sawmills. In 1954, all of Jenkins’s companies were consolidated, along with some other independent lumber and milling companies, into a single corporation, the Georgia Atlantic Company. By the end of 1992, Georgia Atlantic was a major force in the lumber industry, though not one of the giants. Still, it possessed more timber and timberlands in relation to its use of timber than any other lumber company. Worldwide demand for lumber was strong in spite of a soft world economy, and its timber supply should have put Georgia Atlantic in a good position. With its assured supply of pulpwood, the company could run its mills at a steady rate and, thus, at a low per-unit production cost. However, the company does not have sufficient manufacturing capacity to fully utilize its timber supplies; so it has been forced to sell raw timber to other lumber companies to generate cash flow, losing potential profits in the process. Georgia Atlantic has enjoyed rapid growth in both sales and assets. This rapid growth has, however, caused some financial problems as indicated in Table 1. The condensed balance sheets shown in the table reveal that Georgia Atlantic’s financial leverage has increased substantially in the last 10 years, while the firm’s liquidity position markedly deteriorated over the same period. Remember, though, that the balance sheet figures reflect historical costs, and that the market values of the assets could be much higher than the values shown on the balance sheet. For example, Georgia Atlantic purchased 10,000 acres of cut timberland in southern Georgia in 1961 for $10 per acre, then planted trees which are now mature. The value of this acreage and its timber is estimated at $2,750 per acre, even though it is shown on the firm’s balance sheet at $230 per acre, the original $10 plus capitalized planting costs. Note also that this particular asset and others like it have produced zero accounting income; indeed, expenses associated with this acreage have produced accounting losses. When Georgia Atlantic was originally organized, most of the outstanding stock was owned by the senior Jenkins and members of his family. Over time, however, the family’s ownership position has gradually declined due to the sale of new common stock to fund expansion. In 1987, Ben Jenkins, Sr. died; the presidency of the firm was passed to his son, Ben Jenkins, Jr., who was 61 at the time. By the end of 1992, the Jenkins family held only about 35 percent of Georgia Atlantic’s common stock, and this represented essentially their entire net worth. The family has sought to finance the firm’s growth with internally generated funds to the greatest extent possible. Hence, Georgia Atlantic has never declared a cash dividend, nor has it had a stock dividend or a stock split. Due to the plowback of earnings, the stock currently sells for almost $2,000 per share. The family has stated a strong belief that investors prefer low-payout stocks because of their tax advantages, and they also think that stock dividends and stock splits serve no useful purpose—they merely create more pieces of paper but no incremental value for shareholders. Finally, the family feels that higher-priced stocks are more attractive to investors because the percentage brokerage commissions on small purchases of higher-priced stocks are lower than on large purchases of lower-priced shares. They cite the example of Berkshire-Hathaway, whose stock price has risen phenomenally even though it now sells for over $15,000 per share and pays no dividends. (The family does acknowledge, though, that Warren Buffett, Berkshire’s chairman, has done a superb job of managing the company’s assets, and that the rise of its stock price reflects that factor as well as Buffett’s financial policies.) As the date for Georgia Atlantic’s annual stockholders’ meeting approached, Mary Goalshen, the corporate secretary, informed Ben Jenkins, Jr., who is commonly called â€Å"Junior† at the company, that an unusually low number of shareholders had sent in their proxies. Goalshen felt that this might be due to rising discontent over the firm’s dividend policy. During the last two years, the average payout for firms in the paper and forest products industry has been about 35 percent; yet for the 58th straight year, Georgia Atlantic’s board, under the Jenkins family’s dominance, chose not to pay a dividend in 1992. The Jenkins family was also aware that several reports in the financial press in recent months indicated that Georgia Atlantic was a possible target of a takeover attempt. Since the family did not want to lose control of the company, they were anxious to keep the firm’s stockholders as happy as possible. Accordingly, Junior announced that the directors would hold a special meeting immediately after the annual meeting to consider whether the firm’s dividend policy should be changed. Junior instructed Abe Markowitz, Georgia Atlantic’s financial vice president, to identify and then evaluate alternative dividend policies in preparation for the special board meeting. He asked Markowitz to consider cash dividends, stock dividends, and stock splits. Markowitz then identified six proposals that he thought deserved further consideration: (1) No Cash Dividends, No Stock Dividend or Split. This was the position Markowitz was certain that Junior and the family would support, both for the reasons given above and also because he thought the company, as evidenced by the balance sheet, was in no position to pay cash dividends. (2) Immediate Cash Dividend, but No Stock Dividend or Split. This was simply the opposite of the no dividend policy. If a cash dividend policy were instituted, its size would still be an issue. (3) Immediate Cash Dividend plus a Large Stock Split. The stock split would be designed to lower the price of the firm’s stock from its current price of almost $2,000 per share to somewhere in the average price range of other large forest products stocks, or from $20 to $40 per share. (4) Immediate Cash Dividend plus a Large Stock Dividend. The reasoning underlying this policy would be essentially the same as that of Alternative 3. (5) Cash Dividend, Stock Split, and Periodic Stock Dividends. This policy would require the company to declare an immediate cash dividend and, simultaneously, to announce a sizable stock split. This policy would go further than Alternatives 3 and 4 in that, after the cash dividend and stock split or large stock dividend, the company would periodically declare smaller stock dividends equal in value to the earnings retained during the period. In effect, if the firm earned $3 per share in any given period-quarter, semi-annual period, and so on—and retained $1.50 per share, the company would also declare a stock dividend of a percentage amount equal to $1.50 divided by the market price of the stock. Thus, if the firm’s shares were selling for $30 when the cash dividend was paid, a 5 percent stock dividend would be declared. (6) Share Repurchase Plan. This plan is based on the premise that investors in the aggregate would like to see the company distribute some cash, but that some stockholders would not want to receive cash dividends because they want to minimize their taxes. Under the repurchase plan, individual stockholders could decide for themselves whether or not to sell some or all of their hares and thus to realize some cash and some capital gains, depending on their own situations. To begin his evaluation, Markowitz collected the data shown in Tables 2 and 3. As he was looking over these figures, Markowitz wondered what effect, if any, Georgia Atlantic’s dividend policy had on the company’s stock price as compared to the prices of other stocks. Markowitz is also aware of one other issue, but it is one that neither he nor anyone else has had the nerve to bring up. Junior is now 66 years old, which is hardly ancient; but he is in poor health, and in recent years he has been almost obsessed with the idea of avoiding taxes. Further, the federal estate tax rate is currently 60 percent, and additional state estate taxes would be due; so well over half of Junior’s net worth as of the date of his death will have to be paid out in estate taxes. Since estate taxes are based on the value of the estate on the date of death, to minimize his estate’s taxes, Junior might not want the value of the company to be maximized until after his death. Markowitz does not know Junior’s view of this, but he does know that his tax advisors have thought it through and have explained it to him. Finally, Markowitz knows that several Wall Street firms have been analyzing Georgia Atlantic’s â€Å"breakup value,† or the value of the company if it were broken up and sold in pieces. He has heard breakup value estimates as high as $3,500 per share, primarily because other lumber companies, including Japanese and European companies, are eager to buy prime properties such as those owned by Georgia Atlantic. Of course, Georgia Atlantic could sell assets on its own, but Markowitz does not expect that to happen as long as Junior is in control. Now assume that you are an outside consultant and have been hired by Abe Markowitz to help him with the analysis and make a presentation to the executive committee. First, Abe is not sure whether an announced dividend policy is a good idea. He believes an announced policy could cause the firm to feel forced to take actions that otherwise would be undesirable. He has also expressed concern about signaling and clientele effects. As old man Jenkins used to say, â€Å"If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.† Thus, analyze the firm’s present dividend policy to determine how well the company has performed compared to other firms in the industry before discussing the implications of the alternative dividend policies and making a recommendation. Markowitz also wants you to discuss whether the firm’s historical rate of return on investment has been affected by its dividend policy, the estate tax issue, and the takeover issue. Junior is famous for asking tough questions and then crucifying the person being questioned if he or she has trouble responding. That is probably why Markowitz wants you to make the presentation. So be sure that you thoroughly understand the issues and your answers so that you can handle any follow-up questions that you might receive.