Principles of War, Clausewitz and Jomini Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Principles of War, Clausewitz and Jomini - Essay Example It is worth noting that Clausewitz work very dialectically constructed; continuously, Clausewitz follows his declarations with sound arguments, which are intended to strengthen the principle being advanced (Clausewitz 1976). Clausewitz work presents warfare as an act of politics and emphasizes on the element of war as being more an economic, a psychological, and a political contest. Therefore, in terms of strategy, Clausewitz work and theories is more relevant compared to the theories by Jomini. Clausewitz works advances arguments mostly for the superiority of using defense. A clearer element of Clausewitz work is its exploration of the use of popular and partisan opinion. Therefore, the contrasting aspect of these two war theorists is that, for Jomini, his work was concerned more about maneuver, a war-fighting function widely used in the 19th century battlefields. On the other hand, Clausewitz work was in its outlook, strategic and mainly focused on the art of war. In short, the elements of Jomini’s work were offensive and maneuver kind of war, whereas the elements of Clausewitz work was characterized mostly by chance, violence, and reasons as the key elements. These theorists of war each emphasized certain warfare principles. We first look the principles advanced by Jomini. First, we must realize that the warfare principles advanced by Jomini, now referred to as Jominian principles were mostly designed for wars that were fought earlier under very different views about wars and circumstances. One of the principles of war that Jomini emphasized was the â€Å"line of operation.† According to him, this was an essential warfare principle, which he categorized as topographical barriers, i.e., natural lines of operation. He referred to this as the strategic choices and territorial lines, i.e., how and where to fight. He referred to this as â€Å"maneuver lines.† In addition, Jominian principles of warfare were mostly centered upon the key argument that an effective and successfully war had to adhere to strategy controlled by several consistent principles (Jomini 2008). These principles focused more on the massing of forces, the off ensive, and attacking an enemy force that is weaker at a very decisive point. In comparison to Clausewitz, Jomini looked at war in terms of clarity and simplicity. He viewed war in heroic and personal terms. Clausewitz considered warfare to be a complex, tragic affair that is always under the threat of escaping human control. Clausewitz viewed the war subject in a manner consistent with the eighteenth century Romanticism. The main principle of war that Clausewitz work advanced was that the art of decision-making and war defied the habit

Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary - Assignment Example The authors work with Elizabeth Brainerd is based on two hypotheses. Firstly, competitive industries do not have discrimination, so in case of an exogenous shock (increased trade) the effect of discrimination is negligible. Secondly, in less competitive industries, scope of discrimination is more, so in case of the same exogenous shock narrowing the gender wage gap would be considerable. Since theoretically, the wage differential in competitive industries is nil, by providing for increased trade, the authors could compute the gender wage gap in concentrated industries. The survey covering the period 1977-94 used data from Current Population Survey. The population comprised of individuals aged 18 to 64 and working as full time. First log wage of all individuals was regressed on education, age, agesqaured and nonwhite dummy variable. Then the residual gender wage gap was computed from difference in average residual wages for male and female at industry level. The industry level results were matched to trade level results, with trade measured as import shares. The findings show that an increase in import share leads to reduction in gender wage gap in concentrated industries. However overall increase in trade have a negative impact on relative wages of women. These results can also be factored on decline in unionization and not discrimination impact.

Philosophy Meaning Essay Example for Free

Philosophy Meaning Essay PHILOSOPHY greek meaning â€Å"love of wisdom†, encompassed the love of all wisdom, but only in recent centuries came to refer to a special branch of enquiry, separate from other sciences, such as â€Å"natural philosophy†. * is universally defined as â€Å"the study of the wisdom or knowledge about the general problems, facts, and situations connected with human existence, values, reasons, and general reality. † It seeks reasons, answers, and general explanations to life and its factors. Thus, if we talk about philosophy, we talk about a school of thoughts. â€Å"philosophers† which makes a profession of studying things in their separation from human life and practice. The main branches of Philosophy are Logic, Epistemology, Metaphysics and Ethics. Western philosophy is referred to as the school of thought from Greek philosophy that influenced the greater part of Western civilization. * takes its roots from Rome and Christianity, specifically Judeo-Christianity. * Latin * Rational, Scientific, Logical schools. Western civilization is more individualistic, trying to find the meaning of life here and now with self at the center as it is already given and part of the divine. Eastern philosophy is based mainly in Asia, more specifically the Chinese philosophy. * Confucianism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Taoism. Chinese. Hinduism, Integral Yoga, Islam, Zen * Relationship with religion; Integration Search for absolute truth: * Systemic approach – all events in the universe are interconnected * Searching inside yourself – by becoming a part of the universe through meditation and right living. Eastern philosophy is drawn much more into groups or society or people’s actions and thoughts as one in order to find meaning in life as they try to get rid of the false â€Å"me† concept and find meaning in discovering the true â€Å"me† in relation to everything around them, or as part of a bigger scheme. Summary: * Western philosophy is mainly used in the Western parts of the world, such as in the European countries, while the Eastern philosophy is prevalent in Asian countries. * Both philosophies center on virtues. * West’s Individualism ( and the East’s Collectivism (A human being is an integral part of the universe and the society. People are fundamentally connected. Duty towards all others is a very important matter. Collectivism is stronger. ) * Eastern philosophy takes more of a spiritual approach while Western philosophy is more hands-on. The Ionian Philosophers * comes from Aristotle; first source to attempt systematic exposition of their doctrines. Thales * Prediction of the eclipse, and other astronomical activities. * Prediction of solstices * Mathematical discoveries (geometry ) * Cosmology * Natural phenomena including the heavens could be discussed as processes governed by natural laws. * Believed that the Earth was a large (? at) disk ? oating on an in? nite ocean of water, and that earthquakes resulted from disturbances in this ocean that shook and cracked the Earth. * concept of â€Å"unity underlying diversity† some fundamental principles tying together all the multitude of things we see on Earth * water was the fundamental element from which all things were derived. Anaximander * Zoogony and anthropogony * thought the Universe formed out of an in? nite chaos he called the â€Å"boundless† due to a â€Å"separating out† of opposites (such as hot and cold, wet and dry). * ? rst recorded attempt to model the Universe. (the Earth was a cylinder and that the Sun, Moon and stars were all located on concentric cylinders, or hoops, rotating about the Earth. ) Anaximenes * one ruling material principle is air; imperceptible. * Air was the fundamental material of all things. * ? rst attempt to explain the diversity of the world with qualitative differences in terms of quantitative differences. Babylonians and Egyptians were excellent at mathematics. Greeks began to move away from their mythical view of the world and started to seek explanations of natural phenomena; later called science. * All questioned the origin of the Universe, what was here in the beginning, and what things are made from. They all believed that material substance (rather than some spiritual or supernatural substance; thus the name materialists) made up the Universe. In other words, matter is the only substance, and reality is identical with the actually occurring states of energy and matter. * physicalism. to distance oneself from what seems a historically important but no longer scientifically relevant thesis of materialism.

Sole proprietorship

Sole proprietorship Sole Proprietorship: A sole proprietorship is a business owned by a single person. Advantages of the Sole Proprietorship: A. Simplicity B. Autonomy C. Sole Gain D. Single Tax E. Shelter Income Disadvantages of the Sole Proprietorship: A. Limited resources B. Unlimited and Unshared Liability Key Characteristics: A. Liability-Liability is totally the sole proprietors. Meaning that there is no difference between the sole proprietor business and personal assets they are one and if the business fails or the sole proprietor is sued the creditors and litigants can come after both as if they are one. B. Income Taxes-The sole proprietor and the business are taxed as one. C. Longevity or Continuity of the Organization-If the sole proprietor dies the business goes with him. D. Control-The sole proprietor controls everything in the business. He and/or she can do it all their own of hire someone else to do it. E. Profit Retention-The sole proprietor keeps all of the profits F. Convenience of Burden-There are only a few instances when you have to have a register with the state or federal government. When you run a business under a different name then your own or you supply certain things that require licensure. General Partnership: By definition, is when two or more people come together to run a business. Advantages: A. Partners keep all the profit. B. The partnership is free from Federal income tax. C. Partnerships profits or losses pass directly to the partners as personal income for federal tax purposes. D. Partnerships permit pooling of capital, talent and a sharing of risk. Disadvantages: A. The death of a partner may automatically end the partnership-with serious consequences to all concerned. B. Unlimited personal liability of all the partners. Key Characteristics: A. Liability-The partnership has unlimited personal liability. B. Income Taxes-There is no Federal tax for the partnership, but they can claim their profits and their losses on their personal taxes. C. Longevity -The longevity of the business is based on the contract they had drawn up before the business was started in case of buyout and/or Death. D. Control-The control of the business is based on what the partners agree on. E. Profit Retention-All the profits go to the partners. F. Convenience or Burden-The partnership should have a contract drawn up that describes exactly what each partner has contributited to the business, what share of the profits each partner will receive, duration of the partnership and the breaking up and closing of the business in case circumstances arise. If this is done then a partnership would be a good venture. Limited Partnerships: By definition, the limited partnership is at least one limited partner and at least one general partner. Advantages: A. The limited partner can make a profit without much effort. B. If the company fails, the limited partner only losses the amount they had invested. Disadvantages: A. The limited partner has a very limited control in the running of the business. B. It is very hard for the limited partner to get there investment out of a limited partnership. Key Characteristics: A. Liability-The majority of the liability is taken on by the general partners not the limited partners. B. Income Taxes-If the partnership has two or more of the following things then it will be taxed as a corporation; Freely transferable ownership papers Continuing of life Participation of limited partners in management of the business Very limited liability of the limited partner in the debt of the business if it goes bankrupt (All Business, 2010) (All Business, 2010) C. Longevity-The longevity of the limited partnership is based solely on the contracts drawn up. D. Profit retention-The limited partner gets a percentage of the profits. E. Convenience or Burden-The limited partnership is best for the limited partner if they want to use it as an investment tool. C Corporation: By definition, the C corporation means closely held corporation. They are small none traded corporations, usually but not always limited to no more than 30 shareholders. Advantages: A. The closely held corporation is its own legal entity, as long as all the rules and bylaws are followed at the local, state, and/or federal level then there is limited liability. B. Closely held corporations can have benefit health plans, which will be better retirement and health insurance plans then those of non-corporation businesses. C. The health insurance is fully deductible and up to a certain amount of group term life insurance benefits per employee. D. Should a shareholder die or wish to cash out his or her shares, the corporation will still continue. E. It is a lot easier to get investment capital in a corporation then it is in other businesses. F. Employees can be offered stock option plans. Disadvantages: A. Double taxed. Which means after the corporation pays its taxes on the income the corporation makes, the shareholder will be taxed again on the profits they receive from their profits on their shares. B. You must follow the local, state and/or federal laws when it comes to incorporating to the letter. If they are not followed then the shareholders may be held liable for any situation that comes along. C. It costs more to have a corporation than any non-corporation business. D. It takes more time and effort to maintain a corporation then a non-corporation. Key Characteristics: A. Liability -As long as all the local, state and/or federal laws are followed then there is very limited liability. B. Income Taxes-A C-corporation is what is called double taxed. Meaning once the corporation pays the business tax then any profits the shareholders make are then taxed again. C. Longevity -The only way a C-corporation can be dissolved is if it is voted on and agreed to by the shareholders and very careful set of rules are followed. It doesnt matter if a shareholder dies or cashs in their shares the corporation continues. D. Control-A c corporation usually has a president, vice president and secretary-treasurer. Anyone or all of those people control the corporation. E. Profit retention-The closely held corporations profit depends on what percentage of stock each shareholder holds. F. Convenience or Burden-In order to form a c-corporation there has to be different local, state and/or federal law that must be followed and certain things that must be done to incorporate the business. S Corporation: By definition, the S Corporation means Subchapter S Corporation, it comes from the tax code from which it is taxed. An s-corporation is limited to no more than one hundred shareholders. Advantages: A. Since the corporate losses are passed thru to the shareholders, they are able to take is as a loss on their taxes. B. You will have limited personal liability without having to pay high corporate taxes. C. It is a lot easier to get investment capital in a corporation then it is in other businesses. Disadvantages: A. There are a lot of rules to follow and the amount of shareholders is limited. B. It will be costly to set up and follow the rigid set of corporate rules and laws. C. There will be close scrutiny by the I.R.S. D. All shareholders must be U.S. citizens. E. All shareholders must vote for the S corp. F. The corporation cant deduct the benefits like health and or accident insurance. Key Characteristics: A. Liability-the shareholder is only liable for the debts the corporation has up to how much they have invested. Exceptions Include: 1. If the shareholder guarantees a business loan. 2. If it is ruled by the courts that the business is a scam. B. Income Tax-S corporations are corporations that elect to pass corporate income, losses, deductions and credit through to their shareholders for federal tax purposes. Shareholders of S corporations report the flow-through of income and losses on their personal tax returns and are assessed tax at their individual income tax rates. This allows S corporations to avoid double taxation on the corporate income. S corporations are responsible for tax on certain built-in gains and passive income. C. Longevity-The S corporation is a perpetual entity and is not affected by the death of a shareholder. D. Control-The shareholders, the board of directors and the officers of the corporation all control the corporation. E. Profit Retention-In an S corporation all Officers, the Board of Directors and shareholder-employees must be paid a reasonable salary from the corporate earnings. F. Convenience or burden-Many rules and regulations must by follow the corporation, including the number of shareholders. Also, it can be costly to set and follow corporate formalities. LLC By definition, an LLC means Limited Liability Company. It is a business that brings a partnership and a corporation together. Advantages: A. LLCs offer pass-through tax statues similar to that of a partnership. B. Corporations are required to hold meetings and record minutes on those meetings each year; LLCs are not. The amount of paperwork needed to purchase assets, open bank accounts or make changes within the company is also significantly reduced in an LLC. C. LLCs provide owners with a degree of liability protection, such as also provided by a C corporation. Owners of both C Corporations and LLCs are typically not responsible for the debts and liabilities of the business. Disadvantages: A. Many investors will not invest in LLCs, because its a business structure that is not understood. B. LLCs dont have employee stock option plans. C. You cant switch from an LLC to a C or S corporation like you can switch from a C to S corporation. D. Some states dont allow single-member LLCs. Key Characteristics: A. Liability-LLCs are not personally responsible for debts of the business. B. Income tax-LLCs are taxed at the personal level. C. Longevity or continuity of the organization-Operating agreement can require a number to obtain interest beyond transferring interest. D. Control-persons and other legal entities composed of persons (such as trusts and other corporations can have the right to vote or receive dividends once declared by the board of directors. In case of for-profit corporations, these voters hold shares or stock and are thus called shareholders or stockholders. When no stockholders exist, a corporation has members who have the right to vote on its operations. Voting members are not the only members of a â€Å"corporation†. The members of a non-stock corporation are identified in the Articles of incorporation and the titles of the member classes may include â€Å"Trustee,† †Active,† †Associate,† and /or â€Å"Honorary.† However, each of these listed in the Articles of Incorporation are members or the corporation. E. Profit retention-Members share in the profit are proportion to how they invested in the business. F. Convenience or burden-LLCs dont allow single member companies, LLCs arent conducive to employee stock option plans and Investors will not invest in LLCs. (Haus, 2011) (All Business, 2010) (All Business, 2010) (All Business, 2010) (All Business, 2010)

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Essay -- Jonathan Swifts A Mod

Not So Modest Proposal In 1729, with â€Å"A Modest Proposal';, Jonathan Swift raised the argument that, â€Å"For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the public'; (44), we should rid ourselves of them by our own consumption. We should bake them, fry them, or serve them in a fricassee or ragout. Swift proposes his â€Å"humble'; thoughts, for which he expects no objection, on the idea that it would be beneficial to the parents, the country, and even the children if they were to be eaten. He also states that anyone who objects should â€Å"ask the parents of these mortals whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold for food at a year old'; (49). Swift backs up his ingenious scheme with previous accounts of success by gentlemen in America and other parts of the world. This shows that his idea is creditable because it has worked on previous occasions. This wondrous idea has so many benefits that it’s hard to see how anyone would be so close-minded to disagree. For instance, poor tenants would have something of value which could help them pay rent and also it would greatly increase the sales at taverns where the cooks would strive to find the best recipes for their new delicacy. Finally it would be a great advantage to those getting married, where as they could sell their children for profit ( with the children’s best interest in mind, of course). Swift has a very l... A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Essay -- Jonathan Swift's A Mod Not So Modest Proposal In 1729, with â€Å"A Modest Proposal';, Jonathan Swift raised the argument that, â€Å"For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the public'; (44), we should rid ourselves of them by our own consumption. We should bake them, fry them, or serve them in a fricassee or ragout. Swift proposes his â€Å"humble'; thoughts, for which he expects no objection, on the idea that it would be beneficial to the parents, the country, and even the children if they were to be eaten. He also states that anyone who objects should â€Å"ask the parents of these mortals whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold for food at a year old'; (49). Swift backs up his ingenious scheme with previous accounts of success by gentlemen in America and other parts of the world. This shows that his idea is creditable because it has worked on previous occasions. This wondrous idea has so many benefits that it’s hard to see how anyone would be so close-minded to disagree. For instance, poor tenants would have something of value which could help them pay rent and also it would greatly increase the sales at taverns where the cooks would strive to find the best recipes for their new delicacy. Finally it would be a great advantage to those getting married, where as they could sell their children for profit ( with the children’s best interest in mind, of course). Swift has a very l...

The Invincible and the taking over of technology :: essays research papers

In recent years, new advances in technology have freed people from tedious tasks, enabling them to do more in less time. We have come to rely excessively on this technology, to the point that we may be giving computers too much intelligence and independence. If machines ever develop intelligence on a level that could challenge humans, will they find that the most efficient course of action for humans is removing them? Stanislaw Lem’s novel The Invincible tells of a race of robots that dwell on a planet and come to threaten the lives of a crew looking for their sister ship, The Condor. Robots were placed upon the planet millions of years ago and evolved according to the environment. They needed to destroy anything that would cause their species to discontinue, including humans. The Invincible proves that the advancement of intelligent machines will threaten our society one-day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout history, humans have become fascinated with how far technology may someday take us. Works of science fiction through literature and entertainment have made it possible to uncover potential future developments. Levels of technological advancements are at an all time high, while computing power is set increase dramatically in coming decades. Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel, predicted, in what is now known as Moore’s Law, that the processing power will double every 18 months. This and the development of quantum computers may account for new tools toward artificial intelligence. Some have looked at this upcoming enhancement in artificial intelligence with anticipation and others with dread. Professor Hans Moravec, well known for his belief that machines will inherit the earth, believes that it is only the next logical step in evolution. Mechanical machines are capable of far greater learning and development and will therefore replace biological humans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Leslie, professor of philosophy at Guelph Univerisy, predicted a number of ways these intelligent machines may cause the extinction of mankind. The super intelligent machines may argue to themselves that they are superior to humans. They may also develop the theory that the only way to save humans, is to save us from ourselves. They may eliminate some of us due to overpopulation trends or disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although we do not currently possess the ability to create such complex intelligence, many who are studying this field have thought of ways to prevent an intelligent machine takeover. Isaac Asimov, a quintessential author of more than 500 science fiction works, developed a group of fundamental rules humans would give to intelligent machines in order protect themselves.

A1 Steak Sauce Essay

1) How would you characterize the A1 Steak Sauce business? In 1830, Henderson William Brand, chef to England’ King George developed a sauce that so delight the king he proclaimed it to be â€Å"A1†. The product was first sold in North America in the early 1900s. Kraft Foods acquired A1 in 2000 as part of its acquisition of Nabisco. Kraft Foods was the largest food company in the United States and second largest in the world. Kraft Foods most direct competitors were General Mills, Unilever, Pepsico and Nestle. In 2002, A1 had a 54% dollar share of the Steak Sauce Market Shares with an 83 percent gross profit margin. Distribution of A1 stretched across the United States with the product available in every grocery store. Kraft Foods spent 15 percent of its operating revenue on A1 advertising. Revenue on A1 Steak Sauce was about $150 million and operating profit was approximately $60 million. A1’s 2003 plan anticipated flat revenue and slight profit growth. 2) Why is Lawry’s launching a steak sauce product? Explain. In 2002, Lawry’s was owned by Unilever one of Kraft Foods leading competing food companies with brand sales in excess of $100 million and a strong position in seasoning and marinades. In early 2003, Unilever announced plans to launch a Lawry’s Steak Sauce with a ship date of April 1st and a price per bottle $1.00 less than A1. Unilever’s decision to launch a steak sauce product was based on disappointing financial results in recent years.  Unilever launched a new strategic plan program called â€Å"Path to Growth†. A key element of this program was rationalizing its brand portfolio focusing on the largest global brands. The company challenged all of its brands including Lawry to reach annual sales of at least one billion dollars. 3) Should A1 Steak Sauce defend itself against the Lawry’s launch? If not, why not? If yes, why and how? Discuss. Jennifer Miller, Smith’s research manager statement of â€Å"you know A1 has the strongest brand equity in the category, it’s virtually untouchable.† I don’t agree and feel her comment is unrealistic, nothing is untouchable. I would recommend that A1 defend against Lawry’s Steak Sauce launch scheduled for April 1st, otherwise A1 could find they are losing market shares and trying to play catch up. In my opinion A1 has a choice to compete head-to-head with Lawry’s 2 for $5.00 deal launching on April 1st or sit back and hope that consumer don’t switch to the Lawry’s Steak Sauce. Either way A1 will have to spend money to remain dominant and competitive in the steak sauce market. 4) What are the competitive and financial implications of defending or not depending against the Lawry’s launch?  Lawry is scheduled to launch their new steak sauce of April 1st at $1.00 less than the A1 sauce and Publix is ready to give Lawry the Memorial Day week promotion which is normally 10 percent of A1 Annual Sales. If Lawry, does gain 10 percent of the steak sauce  market and customers like the taste, willing to pay the reduced price regardless of taste or can’t really tell the difference in taste from A1, customers might continue to buy the Lawry’s Steak Sauce for the $1.00 cheaper bottle. Lawry’s Steak Sauce launch could allow them to gain and increase in Lawry’s share in the steak sauce market. 5) What did you learn from your analysis of this case? Explain. A1 Steak Sauce was invented in 1830 and first sold in North America in the early 1900s. In 2003, over 100 years later, A1 Steak Sauce finally had potential competition with the launch of Lawry’s Steak Sauce. I feel that Kraft Foods should have planned for such a contingency that to me was inevitable. If they had planned, the company could have properly budgeted, maybe with a contingency type fund within the marketing department. For example, today where are reel-to-reel tapes, 8 track tapes and cassette tapes, all have become outdated with improvements in technology. To further illustrate in the food industry, try to find â€Å"Pitter Patter† peanut butter cookies made by Keebler which were out marketed by Nabisco’s â€Å"Nutter Butter† peanut butter cookies. Nothing is untouchable or lasts forever!