American revolution and its aftermath

The American Revolution marked the divorce of the British Empire and its one of the most valued colonies. Behind the independence that America had fought so hard for, there emerged a diverging society that was eager to embrace new doctrines. The ideals in the revolution that motivated the people to fight for freedom continued to influence American society well beyond the colonial period. For example, the ideas borrowed from John Locke about the natural rights of man was extended in an unsuccessful effort to include women and slaves. The creation of state governments and the search for a national government were the first steps that Americans took to experiment with their own system. Expansion, postwar depression as well as the new distribution of land were all evidence that pointed to the gradual maturing of the economic system. Although America was fast on its way to becoming a strong and powerful nation, the underlying issues brought about by the Revolution remained an important part in the social, political and economical developments that in some instances contradicted revolutionary principles in the period from 1775-1800.

The American Revolution stirred political unity and motivated the need for change in the nation. Because many Americans fought for a more balanced government in the Revolutionary War, they initially created a weak national government that hampered the country's growth and expansion. In the Letter from Abigail Adams to Thomas Jefferson, Mrs. Adams complained about the inadequacy of power that the American government had to regulate domestic affairs. The Articles of Confederation was created to be weak because many had feared a similar governing experience that they had just eliminated with Britain. The alliance of states united the 13 local governments but lacked power to deal with important issues or to regulate diplomatic affairs. Congress did not have the power to tax, regulate trade, or draft people for war. This put the American citizens at stake because States had the power to refuse requests for taxes and troops (Document G). The weakened national government could not do anything about uprisings or small-scale protests because it did not have the power to put together an army. The deficiencies of the confederation government inspired the drafting of the American Constitution. The document itself embodied the principle of a national government prepared to deal with the nation's problems. In James Madison's Federalist Paper, he persuades the American public to adopt the Constitution so that the government can protect humans from their nature and keep them out of conflicts. The government, according to Madison has to control the citizens and maintain order over the people (Document I). Under a bicameral legislature, the power of the national government was broken down into two houses, the power of the federal government is consolidated but sovereignty still originated from the people. Federalism and the three branches of powers created a representative democracy instead of a pure democracy that encompassed all factions. The ratification of the Constitution as a result of the American Revolution provided the country with stability and anchored it for further development.

The economic situation changed during the war period with respect to debts, taxes and the agriculture. The depiction of a farmer plowing a field next to a liberty statue (Document F) shows the strong will of the American economy to stay strong and independent. It represents how as a result of the revolutionary war, America feels the need to promote agriculture for the sake of domestic growth. Although the document is a form of propaganda, the North and the South did not agree in the direction of economic development that they wanted for the country. The North, especially Alexander Hamilton, advocated the development toward an industry-based economy with the key focus on urban growth. However, the Anti-Federalists imagined an agrarian society with a huge slave population. It was not until Jefferson became the president did the Republican party advocate for agricultural development and not commercial development. After the war, American trade prospered in the sense that it freed itself from trade restrictions and tariffs that Britain required of America. However, another change in economy that happened during this time was the postwar depression. The government lacked enough money to pay soldiers and many merchants cut off their ties with Britain. In addition to mentioning the inadequacy of the Articles of Confederation, Document G also mentions that rebellions from those who demand paper currency and an equal distribution of land. This alludes to the Shay's Rebellion where farmers demanded tax relief, paper money and in general relief from their indebtedness. Fighting the war was extremely costly and the huge amount of debt that America was accumulating at the time could not be paid off because Congress lacked the power to tax. Many farmers were dragged into debt and had their land taken away because most did not have enough money to pay the government and were taxed heavily. Even then, the economy was not prosperous enough to pay the soldiers who served in the war as many were paid in government bonds. Dissatisfied citizens protested for a better economy under the new government.

The social effects of the American Revolution can be examined through groups of women, slaves and Native Americans. It is also important to emphasize that the freedom of religion was states in the Statues at Large of Virginia (Document D). The fact that men are free to practice their desired religion or no religion at all differs significantly from the view of the Puritan, New England society. This set the precedent to the Bill of Rights, in which The Woodcut of Patriot Women illustrated how their role had changed dramatically during this time period (Document A). The fact that the woman in the depiction is holding a musket shows that she must be participating in the war at some level. As women's presence became more prevalent in the Revolutionary War, they demanded for an equal place in the society that Americans call free. Their slow but gradual advances in freedom were often met with rejection as the existing patriarchal structure strengthened. (Document J) For example, the Daughters of Liberty emulated the Sons of Liberty in their efforts to fight for freedom but did not find themselves at an equal level with the men. Slaves, another underrepresented group demand for freedom upon the victory of the American Revolution. The Pennsylvania Packet creates nationalistic feelings and prompts citizens to defend themselves and their rights (Document B). Although it may seem like those who take freedom away from Americans shall be banished, the slaves are still unable to control their own destiny. In the Ordinance of 1787, slavery is not permitted because it is incompatible with liberty (Document H). The Native Americans also seem to be excluded from the group. The Indians realize that the war with Britain took away their protection and now they are defenseless (Document C). Many wish to join the English cause because they are aware that the Revolution has weakened the position of Native Americans. American expansion took away most of their land and they seem to be in a hostile relationship with America because of this.

The American Revolution laid the foundation for America and its years to come. Not only did it initiate the serious of changes in several aspects of society, but it also allowed for future changes to be made. The shift in focus from the state to national government stabilized the nation and prompted economic development. The gradual recovery from the war also gave the economy a chance to take an alternate course, independent from that of Britain. The social changes did not immediately open up opportunities for minorities but in some cases (with slaves and women), it raised the awareness for underrepresented groups to be at an equal level.

GOOD BYE FOR THE NEXT POST.

The tragedy of racism in america

Less than fifty years ago, America was a society of segregation and racism. Racism is defined as “the belief that a particular race is superior to another” (pg 3?) Although it is clear things have changed, racism is still visible in modern America. Relationships between African Americans and whites are generally better than they were in the forties and fifties. Today, it is not common to see a black man walk down the street and step off the sidewalk to let a white man walk by, or to see a black man sitting on a different section of the bus or train because a white man says he has too. But superiority of races is still occurring. A lot of this has the do with the ignorance of others. Passed down generation to generation, learned at school, or passed along through entertainment. Its accurate to say that racism is something learned through out ones life. Although it is not as bad as it was, it is unmistakably visible that racism still exists in present day society.

Thousands of years ago, the Portuguese sailors found advanced African cultures. When they couldn’t keep up with the Portuguese, they were looked upon as stupid. The Portuguese began to take them in as slaves. They weren’t considered human, more or less “subhuman” and they were called “beasts.” Slavery, of course, is the most manifest form of racism (Page 3). It is very clear that slavery used to be a significant problem in the country. Slavery was eventually abolished in the country, but before it was, the country split and the Civil War began. People were fighting to treat blacks horribly, keeping them as slaves, beating them, and not providing them with proper nutrition, education or shelter. After slavery ended, the violence grew worse. This is that the time Jim Crow Laws were enacted.

Jim Crow Laws began in Massachusetts. Although it was a Northern state (slavery and racism were common in the South more than the North), it allowed separation of blacks and whites on railroads. By 1900’s, laws had been established allowing separation like this all over the country (Cayton, Perry, Reed and Winkler). According to the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments, blacks had the same legal protection as whites. The Supreme Court contradicted this when they allowed so called “restrictions” in the South against blacks. Those who supported Jim Crow generally lived in the South. They believed that whites were above the blacks, in things ranging from intelligence to morality. They thought sexual relations between the two races would ruin the nation, and violence could be used on blacks if needed. So, hospitals, beaches, parks, prisons, public restrooms and even water fountains were separated by color of skin. In certain areas, there weren’t even facilities for colored people (Pilgrim). African Americans also had to treat whites with respect, where as whites did not have to, and most of the time would not treat the blacks the same. Blacks had to use titles when speaking to whites, they could not eat with the whites, and black men could not offer to shake a white mans hand. Preachers did not help with the problem, but in some situations made it worse. They would preach that God supported segregation, “the whites were the chosen people, and Blacks were servants” (Pilgrim).

Violent rages began during the time of Jim Crow. The laws didn’t prevent one race from hurting another for reasons that are not acceptable. Lynching was the biggest form of violence, and mainly, blacks were the ones targeted. Lynching is the “public, murder carried out by mobs” (Pilgrim). Because blacks were apt to commit a crime, despite the fact that they were considered abhorrent, they were needed. Lynching’s resulted from blacks fighting for their rights, violating Jim Crow Laws or other reasons related. The most popular forms of murder were hangings, shootings and burnings. Rape was also had its toll on blacks. Sexual relations were not allowed between two different races. (What people don’t realize is that now and again, there are more genetic differences within a race than between two different races (ADL). One third victims were falsely accused of engaging in sexual activity with the opposing race. All to often, this accusation resulted in murder, or lynching (Pilgrim).

There were plenty of people who did not put up with the abuse. Bishop Turner, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. Du Bois were just a few who spoke their beliefs. A group of about four hundred, also stood up for equal rights and started the Niagara Movement. Another group, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) had around 6,000 members trying to abolish slavery. Today this group still exists, working on other projects. Associations like these helped to open other associations that helped to teach colored people how to write, open businesses and study history and sociology. In 1896, an African American fought in court for equal rights and formed a case that would become very important in history. Plessy felt his rights were violated when a law passed separating seating on railroads. He fought back, fighting for his right to “equal protection of the laws.” But he lost. The court said if the facilities were equal it was legal because the fourteenth amendment “wasn’t to give Negroes social equality, only political and civil” (Cayton, Perry, Reed, and Winkler). People were not happy about this because it lead to the doctrine “separate but equal.” And the unfairness continued.

The African Americans were not the only ones being discriminated against. Now, Native Americans were involved. As the nation started to expand, the Natives were “in the way.” The whites forced the Natives to change their culture, to be like them. When the Natives didn’t leave the fighting began. Except the whites outnumbered the Natives (Anonymous). Crazy Horse said “I was not hostile to the White man” (1). And many were not. The Whites were typically the ones causing the disputes. Wild Cat wrote that “[the] Whites told the Coacooche they weren’t enemies but the Natives [knew] they were” (1).Families were running away to avoid the Whites, but in the end they were stuck out in the cold, hungry, but too tired to fight anymore (Nez Perce). The Whites came and took the Natives land because of selfishness. The difference in cultures caused past generations to go and force change upon the Natives. It seems that the same cycle is reoccurring today.

The idea the humans are born pure leads to the fact that they learn racism, hatred and stereotyping (What causes Racism?). When children are separated from other ethnic groups, they do not learn that those groups are not different than they, except in color and culture. Neighborhoods like this contribute to racism (Isley). Another large part of what contributes to racism is the feeling of being superior to another race. This mainly shows between whites and African Americans. A 2004 statistic said that the African Americans had a poverty level of 24.4% where as Whites only had a poverty level 12.5% (CNN). The fact that one statistic shows whites generally have more money makes one feel “above” African Americans.
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Norman Podhoretz, however, had the opposite problem. He grew up in Brooklyn, in a neighborhood that was dominated mainly by the African American race. He was tormented by the kids there, and because of that he lived, and still does live in fear of them. Podhoretz said he never understand why the two races were enemies, why they were enemies or why they hated each other (96), but it was apparent the two did not get along. Podhoretz had suffered from abuse from the blacks during several occasions, but never reported them to police in fear of the kids who hurt him (94). “They were tougher(…?) and better athletes” (93). Regardless of all the injustice, he still said “ . . . I am convinced that we white Americans are--so twisted and sick in our feelings about Negros. . . ” (100). Some still believe that it is going to be a long time until blacks gain full equality. It isn’t right for one to be treated less important because they have a different color skin. Baldwin states that color is a political reality, not a human, or personal reality (100). To be solved, the races must merge (101). But some whites feel guilt towards African Americans. And some whites let that guilt turn into hate (97). They look at the other race and see them as all the same. They refuse to actually look at them, so convinced and stuck in their ways that the African Americans are bad (Podhoretz, 97).

From a different point of view, an African Americans point of view, this of course isn’t fair. He suffers exactly from what was mentioned above- the fact that some races will not look past the color of someone’s skin. Brent Staples writes in his 1986 essay, Black Men and Public Spaces, that he experiences episodes like that all of the time. One time, while walking at night, a woman saw him, or at least saw his skin color, grew afraid, crossed the street, leaving to get away from him. Another time, he went into a jewelry store. Instead of the lady helping him, she went and got a guard dog and refused to answer any questions. He began to make himself look less threatening, although that shouldn’t be something one should have to do, especially if they have never posed as a threat (Staples). The ignorance of the two ladies is the same ignorance in others that do the same thing. A man they have never seen before, who has never hurt them or attempted to, is frightening to them because he is black. Those two examples, prove that humans still find excuses not to trust another race, with no reason at all.

James Byrd had the same problem, but he was affected more than Staples. In 1998, Byrd was a father living in Jasper, a town that spilt the blacks and whites by a fence in a graveyard. They each had their side. But this all changed when three white men by the names of, John King, Lawrence Brewer and Shawn Berry murdered Byrd. After a night of drinking they found Byrd and chained him to the back of their truck. They dragged him for three miles. They laughed the whole time. They didn’t stop until he was dead. Byrd lived through most of it, but eventually his head was torn from his body (Film Description). American was shocked that something like this could happen. His family was devastated. They started speaking out against hate crimes. They tried passing the James Byrd Jr. Act, but the governor George W. Bush declined it. Byrd’s daughter, Renee Mullins said “It was like him dying all over again.” Eventually the law was passed, but not as quickly as it should have been. A year later, on January 20, 1999, the fence in the graveyard was taken down. It had separated the town for more than one hundred and fifty years. The Klu Klux Klan (A group that discriminates against Blacks, Jews, Catholics, Immigrants [ADL]) proved their anger to the Byrd family by leaving stickers and markers on Byrd’s grave. King and Brewer both remain on death row, both still stuck in their racists ways, not regretting the decision they made that night. Brewer has even bragged about what he did. Berry was only sentenced to a life in jail, rather than put on death row (Jasper Update). Others were not so happy about this. Others wanted murders like this to end.

Two best friends, a white and a black heard about the murder and were appalled by what happened in Jasper. Whitney Dow and Marco Williams wanted to learn more and share that information with everyone. To do this, they made the movie Two Towns of Jasper. Byrd’s death was the cause of the movie, but it was more about showing the two perspectives of the town- the white mans perspective and the black mans. Thirty citizens from the town were chose to be in the documentary. Dow interviewed fifteen white men and Williams interviewed fifteen black. While the movie was being made the white citizens didn’t like the negative attention from the viewers. Tons acted surprised by what happened. Except one man. He wasn’t shocked by the crime. He thought the reaction to it showed the true relationship between blacks and whites. African Americans on the other hand, thought it showed the danger that’s always there, but “beneath the surface” (Film Description). The murder occurred only thirteen years ago. How is it that segregation supposedly no longer exist, but this town had lived that way so long? How is it that three men can murder a man so brutally because he has a different color skin? How is it that one can say it is okay to be racist after something like that happens? How is this still happening?

It is clear that African Americans seem to be a main target for racist humans, but there are other races who are impacted by racists. The Muslims and Arabs are a very good example of this. One September 11, 2001, the Nation was devastated by the terrorist attack on the world trade center in New York. Nineteen Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four American planes. One plane was said to be initially head to the White House, but did not make it. Another crashed into the Pentagon. Then there were the two that hit the Twin Towers (September 11). The north tower was hit first, and very shortly after the south tower was hit. Around three thousand people died in this terrible incident. The nation became very patriotic after this happened. The most important change was the feelings Americans had towards those from the Middle East. Harassment, violence, etc. increased seventy percent in 2002. As the years went on, it did not get better either. Arabs are denied jobs, housing and are arrested for no reason (Smith). Random security checks are done at airports across the country. The random security checks always seem to be aimed towards Arabs or people of the Middle Eastern decent. Americans tend to exaggerate the danger of future attacks and “as a result they over estimate the effect of racially specific security measures“ (Akram and Johnson). “Singling out people for ethnicity is just plain racist, no fear or mistreatment ever seem to attach white folks” Tim Wise says. “Inconveniencing white folks after all, is never ones desire” (Wise). Arabs are now stereotyped as terrorists. Most feelings towards them are negative, but a lot of that is because of fear (Akram and Johnson). This is what terrorists want. They want us to live in fear of them. Except this is not what all Arabs want. Most Arabs are not terrorists, but they’re going to be treated like they are. It is hard for one not to have hostile feelings towards Arabs, but that does not mean they all should be treated differently, because of something people from they’re country have done. It seems that American feels they can do whatever they want. Going into another country and over running their government is fine, though it was never Americas business to do that. The problem there is the idea that our culture is the only right one, when maybe other cultures are thinking the same thing. Of course it isn’t right for them, only America.

Immigration is helping to create feelings of hate towards non-Americans. Illegal immigration seems to have turned into a problem in the country. Eight years ago it was estimated seven million people in the country were illegal immigrants (History of Immigration, 17). Things have been debated about what should be done to take care of this problem. Some want higher fences at the borders, more patrols at the borders, or tougher laws and enforcement. Others say it can be fixed by extending the number of legal workers, requiring proof of legalization and demanding employers to refuse to hire undocumented people (History of Immigration, 23). A major complaint made by Americans is that immigrants are taking all the jobs. Immigrants come to this country and work the jobs that Americans won’t. They get a very low salary, they work in terrible conditions and they get treated horribly. So when one is saying “they took our jobs,” its clear they haven’t really thought about what jobs they’re really taking. In some ways it help the immigrants do that, because the people complaining probably would never work under the conditions the immigrants do.

CONCLUSION

It used to be an American is a white, blonde haired, blue eyed person. Of course that is not the typical American. Most people don’t have blonde hair and blue eyes. Furthermore, plenty are not Caucasian. To some though, the right skin color to have is white. Having black skin makes one dangerous. Looking middle eastern makes one a terrorist. Hispanics are illegal immigrants. These are just a few of the stereotypical views whites have against others. Segregation was abolished, yet some towns are still separated by race. America has gotten better over the years, especially within the last sixty. The formation of nations, legal codes, wars and obviously slavery were all influenced by racism (ADL). The problem should be solved. Clearly it isn’t though, as more kids learn what it means to be racist and are faced with the decision to become a racist or not. But still one would think, after all these years that nation should be able to figure something out, and racism should be something that’s coming to an end. At this moment, the exact opposite is happening. Less than a week ago, Osama Bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaeda attack on September 11, was killed by Navy Seals. America rejoiced, celebrating the death of one of the most hated names in America. As they danced at the site of ground zero, they probably weren’t thinking of what would happen when the picture of that gets to Osama’s people. They probably weren’t thinking of all the things that could happen now, with his people so angry with us. With this killing, racism isn’t coming to end. Its coming to a new beginning.

GOOD BYE FOR THE NEXT POST

Employee reward and recognition

Companies have to break the bad habits of recognizing employees only by occasionally giving them mugs, t-shirts or pens with the company logo stamped upon it. They must realize that for most employees, most of the time, how they are treated on a daily basis matters more to them and more effectively communicates that they are trusted, respected and important to the company.

Potential employees coming to FedEx Home Delivery, whether newly graduated university applicants, transferees from other companies or internal candidates, are looking for different things from their work life than they were just 10 years ago. Today's employees are looking for some balance in their lives. Many employees will give up a portion of their lives for the 50-hour work week, but there has to be some benefit associated with that amount of labor.

Home Delivery employees have some expectations of their company. They are looking for an integrated approach to life. Work is a piece of a bigger picture to them. For the amount of labor that they give, they expect that they will receive important benefits. Benefits like competitive pay, family leave, tuition reimbursement, employee assistance programs, flexible hours and financial planning programs. They also expect that FedEx will enable the "soft" cultural values such as the company's commitment to society, the environment and diversity.

FedEx can also expect that the employees will have their own set of ethical values. They know that their employees exhibit high standards of honesty, trust, professionalism and ethical behavior. Home Delivery employees are open communicators and share what they know freely with each other. They work together with respect and dignity upholding diversity, ethnicity and different work cultures. Home Delivery employees provide excellent customer service and attempt to promote the brand identity wherever they happen to be.

In devising an award system to complement such employees, one must realize that traditional forms of recognition such as achievement awards, cash substitutes (gift cards), nominal gifts or food and public perks (parking spots) have diminished in importance for most of today's employees. These types of awards have become ranked near the bottom in employee surveys across the country. It is sad, but true that most certificates of achievement end up in a drawer collecting dust and not proudly displayed on the cubicle wall.

In many companies across the United States, the average employee's faith in his/her company has dramatically declined. The employees view themselves as working for other people rather than working for their organization. It is those people they work for (and with) that can most make recognition meaningful and special.

At FedEx Home Delivery, I wish to design a rewards system that will meet the needs of our highly skilled workforce. We cannot pull the wool over their eyes by offering them t-shirts or squeezable trucks as an award incentive. We must recognize them by offering them our sincere thanks in whatever form that will take: be it personal, written, electronic or public. Those persons whom the employee holds in high esteem will give it, and it will be given in a timely, sincere and specific manner.

Another form of recognition will be support and involvement. Giving the employee the information they need to do their jobs, involving employees in decisions (especially those that affect them) and asking employees for their opinions and ideas. How many managers go this far in rewarding their employees? Most managers would rather give a large cash award, than invest 1 hour of themselves into their employees.

Yet another motivator is giving them autonomy and authority, such as allowing them to decide how best to do their work, allowing them to pursue ideas they might have for improving things in the workplace. We will give them the "reward" of flexible working hours, learning and development opportunities and most importantly, the availability and undivided attention of their managers.

I recognize that this type of award and recognition program is intangible and highly situational. But I feel that granting this type of response to good work when it occurs is the most desired form of recognition cited by today's employees. This form of recognition lets the employee know that the manager is a real person and not just their boss. This lets the employee know that the manager will be there for them when the employee needs them. In my own personal managerial existence, I experienced an example of being a real person. My admin clerk is a top-notch performer and goes after his job with much enthusiasm and competence. About a year ago, he started experiencing difficulties at home and it was starting to wear him down at work. I went to him one day and told him I wanted him to take some time off (with pay) to deal with his anxieties. He accepted my offer and took 3 days off from work. At the end of those three days, he came back his old self again with problems in hand. He realized what this cost me, as I had to pick up his slack and do his work while he was gone. He later told my boss that he still thinks about this great kindness that I had extended to him in his hour of need.

I believe that this type of award and recognition system will fit well into our organization. I know that most of my peer managers do not want one more article that has the FedEx logo on it. Our company would benefit greatly from moving toward less formality when it comes to recognition. Instead of relying on some cold, impersonal award, managers should recognize their team members in a more personal manner. Cash awards can still be given, but they must be done personally by the employee's immediate supervisor. I do not think that we have to "throw out the baby with the bathwater" in redesigning a new award system. We can still have formal recognition, but we need to systematically move away from those things that our employees no longer value and move towards those that they are excited about.

Conclusion

I personally believe that FedEx Home Delivery will get the best from our employees and will retain them the longest when we show them that we personally care about them. The best and easiest way we can do this is through our daily efforts in recognizing and thanking employees when they do good work, and not waiting until the end of the year to formally recognize them on one special day.

GOOD BYE FOR THE NEXT POST

The car industry

In the U.S., the 2007 market was approximately 15.9 million cars and light trucks sold, down from about 16.5 million the previous year. Production in North America, during 2006, including cars and trucks of all types, totaled 11.8 million produced in America, 2.6 million produced in Canada and 2 million produced in Mexico. Globally, about 53 million new cars were sold in 2007, up from about 49 million the previous year. These estimates are from Scotiabank Group.

There are approximately 244 million vehicles in operation in the United States. Around the world, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road in 2007. By 2020, that number will reach 1 billion. Currently, those vehicles burn nearly 260 billion gallons of fuel yearly.

In the U.S., as of 2006, the industry included about 21,200 new-car dealerships, 1.07 million manufacturing employees and 1.12 million retail new and used car dealership employees. Total revenues at new-car and light truck dealers exceed $675 billion, according to NADA.

The years of 2004 through 2006 will long be remembered as a pivotal period in the automobile industry. It was a period during which high gasoline prices started a sea change among U.S. consumers that is finally creating significant demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. Gasoline prices of approximately $2.00 per gallon started taking a huge bite out of family budgets in 2004, and many middle-class consumers who owned fuel guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks began to wish they had vehicles that were much less expensive to operate. By 2005-2006, with gasoline prices in the $3.00 range, the party was over for traditional, large SUVs. While gasoline prices moderated during much of 2007, they were still in the $2.70 range in most markets.

One result was the phenomenal demand for Toyota's Prius hybrid car. Toyota responded by raising the price and planning production increases. Meanwhile, Toyota made investments in its Georgetown, Kentucky plant to enable it to manufacture 48,000 hybrid Camrys yearly there by late 2006—Toyota will likely wish it had created even more hybrid capacity. Meanwhile, there has been good demand for Toyota's Lexus RX400h hybrid crossover. Ford launched its first hybrids, and other carmakers, including GM, were greatly encouraged in their own efforts to bring more hybrids to the market. However, response to hybrids from U.S. makers has been lukewarm at best. Consumers generally aren't as impressed with U.S. hybrid technology as they are with that of Toyota models, and actual mileage results on the road have been disappointing, largely due to driver habits such as quick acceleration which uses more fuel. Over the mid-term, many hybrids will be available from a wide variety of makers, and technology will steadily improve.

Other fuel-efficient vehicles, such as BMW's MINI Cooper, have enjoyed soaring demand. Consumers and emissions regulators started to take a renewed interest in advanced-technology. Clean diesel engines, like those offered in new cars from Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, offer exceptional performance and fuel economy while providing the quiet, vibration-free running associated with gasoline engines. Clean diesel offers a particularly attractive alternative over hybrid technology in the U.S. market, and is already widely used in passenger vehicles in Europe. In addition to clean diesel, the use of ethanol as a gasoline additive will grow rapidly in the U.S., thanks to encouragement by Congress.

Meanwhile, sales of heavy SUVs lagged miserably, and automakers such as Chevy, Hummer and Cadillac offered large dealer incentives and rebates in an effort to move these vehicles. Ford cancelled production of its larger-than-life Excursion SUV in which some owners reported getting as little as 11 MPG in the city, and GM cancelled production of the massive Hummer H1.

Car consumers outside the U.S. made history as well. The rising affluence of consumers in China created both huge opportunities and huge problems. China has become one of the world's largest importers of petroleum products, largely to fuel its burgeoning fleet of cars and trucks. Streets and highways are clogged with new cars, to the extent that traffic and smog are a nightmare. Some Chinese cities are trying to cut down on new traffic by requiring car owners to purchase expensive permits. Meanwhile, automakers from all nations are racing to establish plants and partnerships in China to produce cars both for domestic use and for export. In fact, low labor costs and increasing product quality in China threaten auto plants located in high cost nations such as the U.S.

Vehicle sales in the booming nation of India are soaring as well. While motor scooters continue to sell at a rapid clip, a growing middle class is also creating great demand for cars. Local industrial giant Tata hopes to launch a no-frills Indian car at a base price of about $2,200 U.S. Other rapidly growing automobile markets include Russia and Mexico, along with many markets in South America.

Not to be overlooked are the vast changes taking place in automobile manufacturing. Flexible factories are reducing man-hours and costs per car, while offering a much wider range of choices for customization to consumers. Today, more than ever, car manufacturers and their suppliers are cooperating in the design and manufacture of new cars in ways that are revolutionizing the entire process.

Inexpensive cars manufactured in China will soon be on the market in the U.S. The question is not whether China will export cars and trucks, but whether consumers will be convinced that they offer safety and reliability. Meanwhile, U.S. automakers are making intense demands on their component suppliers for lower prices—these suppliers are, in turn, looking to low-cost production in China. Meanwhile, the Big Three (American automakers GM, Ford and Chrysler) face difficult times at best. The Detroit companies are under intense competitive pressure from foreign-based firms while enduring high labor costs at home. Ford and GM are both struggling to reengineer all parts of their operations, from design to manufacturing to marketing in order to cut costs and regain market share.

Chrysler has undergone the most gut-wrenching change of all: a new owner. Cerberus Capital Management, one of the world's largest private equity investment firms, purchased Chrysler from DaimlerChrysler AG during 2007. Daimler had purchased Chrysler several years ago, only to find itself battling the many challenges facing U.S. automobile manufacturers. Daimler was more than happy to unload it. The German-based Daimler renamed itself Daimler AG. Chrysler legally became Chrysler LLC. This is one of many major investments made by Cerberus in the ailing auto industry, including investments in parts manufacturers and in car loans provider GMAC. Cerberus hopes to be able to introduce better management, new strategies and greater operating efficiencies in these companies.

While the U.S-based Big Three struggle, Toyota is attacking mercilessly. It has the capacity to manufacture over 1.5 million vehicles yearly in North America. On a global scale, the company plans to sell 10.4 million vehicles by 2009, up from 8.8 million in 2006. The big news is that Toyota most likely surpassed GM in global sales during 2007 for the first time, making Toyota the world's largest carmaker.

The parts manufacturing business in the U.S. is equally dismal. Delphi Corp, the giant supplier that was part of GM until 1999, lost nearly $4.6 billion in 2004 alone and declared bankruptcy in 2005. The company hoped to exit bankruptcy by the end of 2007.

Asian car manufacturers are generally enjoying booming success, with Toyota and Honda at the forefront. South Korean makers Hyundai and Kia have established themselves as true, high-quality manufacturers with a growing global customer base. They will give the Japanese very tough competition.

European manufacturers have challenges of their own. High costs, tough labor laws, daunting government regulations and a few disappointing model designs have hampered recent results.
There is one exciting new development in the U.S. car manufacturing industry: Tesla Motors. This company may be on the verge of a significant success with its revolutionary, all-electric sports car.

GOOD BYE FOR THE NEXT POST

Owning and starting a business

For some people, being the boss, and which by boss I mean business owner, would be the greatest thing ever. Most think you get to pick your own hours, make the most money, and make everyone do the things you want done. Of course there is work involved and it takes work to make it but the rewards will be better owning a business that succeeds. The ultimate goal is becoming a millionaire and retiring at the age of forty and just drawing money from business production. However they really don’t understand the work it takes to make it a million dollar company. When these people are finally able to own a business they get a rude awakening. I am in no way trying to offend the typical business owner when I say, owning a business can be a challenging task that can cause many complications in your life and if you’re not careful they can change your life entirely.

Over the last eight years I have watched my Aunt and Grandfather start a completely new hospice. My aunt is the main boss of the business, my grandfather just put in money so that she was able to actually start the business. Over those last eight years she has had some of the roughest times in her life. Being a single mother is hard enough, but then to start a business from scratch made it much more difficult to not only raise a family by herself. My aunt has had many problems in the last eight years and her business is now getting to the point of choosing what she does. I see some teenagers saying they want to own a business when they get older, but they only think of the money they can earn, the people they can tell what to do, and the fact that they can work when they want to work and no one can tell them otherwise. My aunt has put in more work to her business in the last eight years than I have done homework assignments in my school career. When one owns a business, they must work constantly because there is always something that needs to be done. Whether there is a problem to sort out, bills to pay, or numbers and accounting paperwork to figure out, there is always something that they must do. I can remember staying the night at her house staying up late and playing video games while right down the hall she was in the office still working on paperwork at one and two in the morning. Still, she got up every day, went to work and did the same thing the next day. These grueling hours can cause many problems in the family, and with her being basically a single mother (got married about three years after starting the business), she always seemed to be stressed out. My cousin Joe (6’3, 350lbs, and obsessed with computer games) never really helped her out around her house so she was always down his back to make him do something but he never did. Those two constantly fought about little and stupid things and it really got annoying for a while. This continuous work put so much stress on her and if she was any less strong than she would not have lasted. She had a constant hassle of making decisions for the good of the business, hiring and firing new people, and trying to look after each employee to make sure they were giving the care they should be giving to the patient. It seems like with new business owners that the business is always in your mind thinking of ways to increase your appreciation among future patients or customers. With hard work, time management, and stress management you can make a business succeed to great lengths. Luckily her business is doing well now and she was looking to sell her business for something around $5 million. Owning a business is a difficult process one that you should be very prepared for because even if you have the greatest idea ever, being accepted in a community as a typical place to return to will take a very long time.

Four years ago, my father came up with the idea that he wanted to own a Chicago Style Hot Dog restaurant. He, like every typical virgin business owner, thought it was going to be a piece of cake. He got the money and thought he had the greatest idea ever by opening up a restaurant that our city doesn’t have. However, after a few weeks of opening reality set in and he was not the jolly man most remember him being. He looked at the city of Noblesville, and realized we didn’t really have a hotdog place in town. There is one problem with his thought process, he may have looked at the direct competition (other hotdog restaurants), but he failed to see the indirect competition (other fast food restaurants e.g. McDonalds or Burger King). When starting a fresh new business all the components must be looked at to judge whether starting the business is really worth the time and money. My dad has spent lots of money advertising trying to get his business known throughout Hamilton County and it has slowly been working. They say the biggest key to have a successful business is marketing. The toughest key about marketing however, is finding new ways to market to potential customers and get them to actually notice your advertisement. My father is good at coming up with ideas but gathering the money is a tough dilemma and can cause a lot of stress on the owner. Owners have a lot of work on their plate when trying to run the business due to every other person is always trying to help but it just doesn’t go the way you want it to happen. My father had some the most stressful times of his life, while owning this business. The business world is a constant cat and mouse game always trying to decide the best move to make next. His business has been slowly increasing its figures after starting out in the negative aspect of making money. It is still worth nothing right now due to the fact that the revenue earned is still below the expenses but it is slowly equaling itself which is a good sign. I have memories about when my dad was in an argument with a land lord or product agent .I can remember times where he used to be so stressed and just wouldn’t know how to handle it he would yell at me for simple small things that he thought I should have done. For instance, one day I didn’t clean my room because I was somewhat busy but more or less I was procrastinating. That night when he got home after working from open to close he blew up in my face over procrastinating. Procrastinating however is not the greatest way we should all be, especially if someone is going to own a business. Paying the bills is a business owner’s biggest concern. If the owner can’t pay the bills then there is not future and your life becomes horrible, and not being able to pay the bills causes the most stress on owners.

Owning and starting a business is one of the hardest things to do in life. You must first be able to have sufficient funds to run the business, have the time, and the ability to manage the stress. If you can manage all of these things plus the dilemma of making decisions for the better of the business you can run a successful business. Before you begin to own a business, please make sure you have the time to spend with your family because family is one of the most important things in life.

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The prime minister of great britain

There are a lot of political issues in Great Britain today. United Kingdom is a large, industrialized democratic society and as such it has to have politics and therefore political issues. One of those issues how should executive branch work and whether the Prime Minister has too much power. Right now in Great Britain there is a great debate on this issue and I am going to examine it in detail. The facts I have used here are from different writings on British politics which are all listed in my bibliography, but the opinions are my own and so are the arguments that I used to support my views.

First let me explain the process through which a person becomes a Prime Minister. The PM is selected by the sovereign. He (or she) chooses a man who can command the support of majority of the members of the House of Commons. Such a man is normally the leader of the largest party in the House. Where two are rivals in a three party contest such as those which occurred in the 1920s he is usually selected from the party which wins the greatest number of seats. The Prime Minister is assumed to be the choice of his party and nowadays, so far as he can be ascertained, participation of a monarch is a pure formality. Anyone suggested for this highest political office obviously has to be a very smart and willing individual, in fact it has been suggested that he be an "uncommon man of common opinions"(Douglas V. Verney). Not all Prime Ministers fitted this bill exactly, but every on of them had to pass one important test: day-to-day scrutiny of their motives and behavior by fellow members of Parliament before they were ultimately elected to the leadership of their party. Unlike Presidents of the United States all Prime Ministers have served a long apprenticeship in the legislature and have been ministers in previous Cabinets. Many Presidents of our country have been elected and on many occasions they have never even met some of their future co-workers, such as case of Kissinger and Nixon who have never even met prior to Nixon's appointment.

Let's now examine the statutory duties and responsibilities of the Prime Minister. Unlike the United States where the President's duties are specifically written out in the Constitution, the powers of the Prime Minister are almost nowhere spelled out in a statute. Unlike his fellow ministers he does not receive the seals of office: he merely kisses the hands of the monarch like an ambassador.

The Prime Minister has four areas of responsibilities. He is a head of the Government; he speaks for the Government in the House of Commons; he is the link between the Government and the sovereign; he is the leader of the nation. He is chief executive, chief legislator and chief ambassador. As we can see the PM has an wide range of powers, maybe too wide. As head of the Government the Prime Minister has the power to recommend the appointment and dismissal of all other ministers. Far from being merely first among equals, he is the dominant figure. Ministers wait in the hall of PMs office on No.10 Dowling Street before being called into the Cabinet room. He may himself hold other portfolios such as that of Foreign Secretary(as did Lord Salisbury) or Minister of Defense(as did Mr. Churchill). He has general supervision over all departments and appoints both the Permanent Secretary and the Parliamentary Secretary. The Cabinet office keeps a record of Cabinet decisions to make sure that PM has up to date information. He controls the agenda which the office prepares for Cabinet meetings. There is a smaller Prime Minister's Private Office which consists of a principal private secretary and a half a dozen other staff drawn from civil service. Perhaps owing to American influence the two offices are becoming increasingly popular and there are signs that the Prime Minister is no longer content to be aided by nonpolitical civil servants. There is little doubt that if he chooses the PM can be in complete command of his Cabinet.

The PM must also give leadership in the House of Commons, though he usually appoints a colleague as Leader of the House. He speaks for the Government on important matters-increasingly, questions are directed to him personally-and controls the business of the House through the Future Legislation Committee of the Cabinet which he appoints mainly from the senior nondepartamental ministers. Since the success of his legislative program depends mainly on support of his party he must as a party leader attend to his duties and ensure that the machinery of his party is working properly and in the hands of men he could trust. Basically the PM controls his party and in essence he controls the Parliament, but that is not all. The PM alone can request the sovereign to dissolve the Parliament and call a new election, it is open to debate whether it is this power to allow him the control of the party and the Parliament. I agree with this argument completely because if the PM doesn't like the way it is going with his party he can always announce new election so the Parliament pretty much backs up whatever the PM proposes. This is my main argument for this paper. In United Kingdom there is no system of checks and balances like there is in United States. In UK the PM and the Cabinet make a decision which is then almost blindly supported by the Parliament. A real democracy cannot function this way where there is one person of power and the rest can hardly do anything about it. Members of the majority party will not go against the will of PM because it means going against the will of their own party and that is unheard of in England, members of the opposing party cannot do anything because they are a minority. The Queen herself is a figure-head and does not have any real power. The PM is a link between the monarch and the Government, he keeps the Queen aware of what goes on with the Cabinet, the Government and the world at large. Although the Queen is a fictional figure and has no real power she can damage the reputation of the Government and the entire country by one careless word. It is the Prime Minister's responsibilities to keep the monarch well informed. Other ministers however can only see the monarch with the PMs permission (the monarch however can see whomever she chooses). As we can see, here is another illustration of PM having too much power. He basically has an exclusive relationship with the monarch and controls who can see the Queen and who cannot. In US this is unthinkable, any congressman can request an audience with the President if he wants and if let's say the Chief of Staff wanted to limit that in any way then he would run into some serious problems.

Finally the PM is the leader of the nation. In time of crisis the people expect him to make an announcement and to appear on television. Increasingly he should be a man who can not only secure the confidence of House of Commons, but of the man in the street or rather the man in the armchair in front of the television. Elections are ostensibly fought between two individual parliamentary candidates, but in practice they are contests between national parties which offer their own political and economical programs. The parties convey an "image" to the nation through the voice and appearance of their leaders. The Prime Minister must outshine his rival, the Leader of the Opposition. In the 1964 election, when the Liberals doubled their vote, much importance was attached to the TV performance of the Liberal leader, Jo Grismond.

The Head of State and traditional "symbol of the Nation" may be the Queen and the Royals, but the chief executive is in reality the PM. It is to his desk that ultimately all difficult problems come whether these involve participation in NATO, the balance of payment crisis, the budget-or even the royals' love affairs(as in 1936 and again in the 80's and 90's). It is the PM that has to symbolize his country's policies abroad and it is he who must personally convince political leaders in other countries that his Government can be relied upon.

The Prime Minister is also chief legislator. Through the Future Legislation Committee, he determines which bills the House of Commons will discuss during the session, and can attach whatever importance he chooses to the Immigration Bill or Steel Nationalization Bill. With few exceptions bills are introduced in the House by the Government and if they are important they require the backing of the Premier.

Also he is the chief administrator. Not only does he supervise the departments and chair Cabinet meetings but he directs the Cabinet Office and the Office of Prime Minister. In economic affairs he decides governmental strategy in conjunction with his Chancellor of the Exchequer and Minister of Economic Affairs, if there is one, and leaves these ministers to implement his policies. In defense policy he chairs the Defense Committee of the Cabinet, leaving the details to the Secretary of Defense(Army, Navy and Air Force) and the Chiefs of Staff. Foreign Affairs, normally the responsibility of the Foreign Secretary, require the intervention of the PM when really important decisions have to be made.

As we can see the PM is potentially a very powerful figure. Everything depends on how he chooses to use this power and the success with which he delegates some of his responsibilities.

All PMs have had an inner circle of ministers to which he turns when quick decisions have to be taken. The more important departmental ministers tend to be the Foreign Secretary, the Home Secretary and the Chancellor of the Exchequer; but these may not compose the inner circle of the given PM. Senior ministers don't have to be the members of the inner circle. They usually are, but not all the time. The Cabinet is usually as follows: the PM, three to six inner circle members and the remainder of the Cabinet which number about fifteen. I think it is obvious to see why the PM needs an inner circle. In United States for example the President can approve the appointment of a person to a high political position without having ever met him/her. In Britain this would sound ridiculous, all major political figures know each other for years having probably gone to same schools together. The Brits believe that good friends make good decision makers which to me sounds very reasonable. This fact can be viewed from two different perspectives: some people say that when a new PM is elected he usually appoints all his friends to high positions by doing this he creates an inner clique with which he governs as an absolute ruler, the opposing view says that you need to know your colleagues for years in order to successfully work with them. Both views have a point and this is a very hot topic in British politics right now.

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