Free Essays on Reform In The Khrushchev Era

Soon after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953 Nikita Khrushchev positioned himself as the new leader of the communist party in the Soviet Union. Khrushchev’s rise to power was well executed and had strikingly similar characteristics to that of Stalin’s rise to power. â€Å"Like Stalin he climbed to power on the back of a party and proved himself a master of political infighting† (McCauley 216). Khrushchev saw a nation suppressed by the years of fear and terror inflicted through the dictatorship of Stalin. He wanted to improve all aspects of the Soviet Union and would attempt to accomplish this through a series of reforms. Although he showed great political power in his rise to power his political insecurities were exploited once he was at the top. â€Å"His personal style of leadership was acceptable in an underdeveloped country but the Soviet Union of his day had outgrown him† (McCauley 220). His inability to thoroughly evaluate and foresee consequences led to the ineffectiveness of his reforms. He simply tried to do too much too fast with little knowledge of the fundamental problems. Martin McCauley states in his book Khrushchev and Khrushchevism, â€Å"Khrushchev could not grasp the root causes of the deficiencies he was attempting to eliminate. Since his conceptual grasp was faulty his solutions were also flawed† (28). As a result, his lack of political savvy when dealing with reform led to great opposition within the system. In order to fully understand the limitations of Khrushchev’s efforts it is beneficial to look at his major reforms in agriculture, industry and his administrative reorganizations. When Khrushchev took power it was clear that his major concern was geared towards the improvement of the agriculture sector. Khrushchev viewed the best way to improve living standards was to focus on food production. He believed the best way to increase output was to expand the area to be cultivated. The Virgin Lands campaign wa... Free Essays on Reform In The Khrushchev Era Free Essays on Reform In The Khrushchev Era Soon after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953 Nikita Khrushchev positioned himself as the new leader of the communist party in the Soviet Union. Khrushchev’s rise to power was well executed and had strikingly similar characteristics to that of Stalin’s rise to power. â€Å"Like Stalin he climbed to power on the back of a party and proved himself a master of political infighting† (McCauley 216). Khrushchev saw a nation suppressed by the years of fear and terror inflicted through the dictatorship of Stalin. He wanted to improve all aspects of the Soviet Union and would attempt to accomplish this through a series of reforms. Although he showed great political power in his rise to power his political insecurities were exploited once he was at the top. â€Å"His personal style of leadership was acceptable in an underdeveloped country but the Soviet Union of his day had outgrown him† (McCauley 220). His inability to thoroughly evaluate and foresee consequences led to the ineffectiveness of his reforms. He simply tried to do too much too fast with little knowledge of the fundamental problems. Martin McCauley states in his book Khrushchev and Khrushchevism, â€Å"Khrushchev could not grasp the root causes of the deficiencies he was attempting to eliminate. Since his conceptual grasp was faulty his solutions were also flawed† (28). As a result, his lack of political savvy when dealing with reform led to great opposition within the system. In order to fully understand the limitations of Khrushchev’s efforts it is beneficial to look at his major reforms in agriculture, industry and his administrative reorganizations. When Khrushchev took power it was clear that his major concern was geared towards the improvement of the agriculture sector. Khrushchev viewed the best way to improve living standards was to focus on food production. He believed the best way to increase output was to expand the area to be cultivated. The Virgin Lands campaign wa...

Dollars Rule and Life Changes

Dollars Rule and Life Changes Free Online Research Papers Money rules everything and it allows you to overcome all other hardships, or atleast that was what I had naively believed since I was a little boy. My impression of life, however, was shattered with the death of my cousin Tommy. Tragic and horrific as it was, Tommy’s death was my epiphany, making me realize that contentment and a love for life- rather than wealth- is the most important thing in life In the small town where Tommy lived, his father was the wealthiest man around. Unknown to the family, they had attracted the attention of hoodlums who were on the look out for the right time to strike. One day, Tommy was on his way to the bank to deposit a huge sum of money when six hoodlums accosted him and assaulted him with clubs. Hit viciously on the head, Tommy bled profusely, lying on the street in a pool of blood. The hoodlums took off with the money, leaving Tommy for dead. Fortunately, some passers-by saw him and rushed him to the hospital. The doctor’s grim look said it all. Tommy was in a critical state with a huge blood clot in his brain. The doctor recommended that Tommy should undergo an extremely delicate and highly risky procedure which involved drilling a hole through his brain to remove the clot. That was his only chance of survival, although the doctor also cautioned that even with the surgery, Tommy might still not survive. I will never forget the expression on the face of Tommy’s family- the total shock, the paralyzing fear and the utter despair. Without any hesitation, Tommy’s family agreed to the surgery. Unfortunately, the thread of hope that Tommy’s family was cling to snapped- the surgery failed. Tommy spent his last few agonizing days of his life at home. In the midst of all wailing as he breathed his last, questions began to race through my mind: Would Tommy’s life have ended so miserably if he hasn’t been a rich man’s son? Would he have been unscathed if he had left the money on the ground and ran? Would I end up like Tommy if I am rich? That night, as I lay in bed, I continued to ponder: what is more important in life- money or happiness? As the image of Tommy’s last moments kept flashing before me, it struck me that it is more important to be happy than wealthy. Without happiness, wealth and possessions are meaningless. It was then that my perspective on money changed. Tommy’s death marks the beginning of my maturity, making me realize that that contentment with what I have is far more important than wealth. Life is transient; everyday is a gift I learned to cherish because in the final analysis, what does he gain for being wealth if he is dead? Research Papers on Dollars Rule and Life Changes19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Hockey GameArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Analysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsWhere Wild and West MeetStandardized TestingPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy

Learning to Edit News Stories Quickly

Learning to Edit News Stories Quickly Students in news editing classes get plenty of homework that involves - you guessed it - editing news stories. But the problem with homework is that its often not due for several days, and as any experienced journalist can tell you, editors on deadlines must usually fix stories within a matter of minutes, not hours or days. So one of the most important skills a student journalist must cultivate is the ability to work fast. Just as aspiring reporters must learn to complete news stories on deadline, student editors must develop the ability to edit those stories quickly. Learning to write rapidly is a fairly straightforward process that involves building up speed by banging out stories and exercises, over and over again. There are editing exercises on this site. But how can a student journalist learn to edit more quickly? Here are some tips. Read the Story All the Way Through Too many beginning editors try to start fixing articles before theyve read them from start to finish. This is a recipe for disaster. Poorly written stories are minefields of things like buried ledes and incomprehensible sentences. Such problems cant be properly fixed unless the editor has read the entire story and understands what it SHOULD say, as opposed to what it IS saying. So before editing a single sentence, take time to make sure you really understand what the story is all about. Find the Lede The lede is by far the most important sentence in any news article. Its the make-or-break opening that either entices the reader to stick with the story or sends them packing. And as Melvin Mencher said in his seminal textbook News Reporting Writing, the story flows from the lede. So its no surprise that getting the lede right is probably the most important part of editing any story. Nor is it surprising that many inexperienced reporters get their ledes horribly wrong. Sometimes ledes are just very badly written. Sometimes theyre buried at the bottom of the story. This means an editor must scan the entire article, then fashion a lede thats newsworthy, interesting and reflects the most important content in the story. That can take a little time, but the good news is that once youve created a good lede, the rest of the story should fall into line fairly quickly. Use Your AP Stylebook Beginning reporters commit boatloads of AP Style errors, so fixing such mistakes becomes a big part of the editing process. So keep your stylebook with you all the time; use it every time you edit; memorize the basic AP Style rules, then commit a few new rules to memory every week. Follow this plan and two things will happen. First, youll become very familiar with the stylebook and be able to find things more quickly; second, as your memory of AP Style grows, you wont need to use the book as often. Dont Be Afraid to Rewrite Young editors often worry about changing stories too much. Maybe theyre not yet sure of their own skills. Or maybe theyre afraid of hurting a reporters feelings. But like it or not, fixing a really awful article often means rewriting it from top to bottom. So an editor must cultivate a confidence in two things: his own judgment about what constitutes a good story vs. a real turd, and his ability to turn the turds into gems. Unfortunately, theres no secret formula for developing skill and confidence other than practice, practice and more practice. The more you edit the better youll get, and the more confident youll be. And as your editing skills and confidence grow, so too will your speed.

Analysis of the Source Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of the Source - Essay Example Lowen particularly contends that the information provided therein is misleading and does not reflect the actual scenario on the ground. The authors present the Californian education sector grappling with innumerable complaints from the public. The public is generally furious because of the fact that the curriculum does not exhaustively address all the historical aspects of the American people. They feel that this is manipulative and has detrimental lasting implications on the holistic wellbeing of the population. At this point in time, it cannot be disputed that the efforts that the authors have made in underscoring the contentious issue are immense. However, they have not been exhaustive and have provided minimal information about measures that can be undertaken to address the issue in a sustainable manner. The most important issue that the texts highlight pertains to the lack of inclusion of the historical background of the minorities in the education curriculum. The current texts place undue emphasis on the European culture and the weaknesses of the minority culture. This is not reflective of the current cultural scenario on the ground. Undoubtedly, the effects of this exclusion can have far reaching implications on the holistic wellbeing of the minorities. ... To a great extent, it also influences their decision making and related tendencies. The authors need to have clearly indicated that the need to align the curriculum to the expectations of the learners. This goes a long way in enhancing sustainability. An important issue is that the new educational framework demanded that the curriculum accurately portray the cultural and racial diversity of America’s society while emphasizing the â€Å"centrality of Western civilizations as the source of American political institutions, laws and ideology† (Reinhold, 26). According to the two authors, History and Social Studies do not reflect the students’ origin and background, but it depicts that of America. Certainly, America, which has been represented by the European culture, is given an upper hand. Arguably, the European culture is considered superior to the culture of the minorities. This is irrespective of the fact that minorities comprise a higher percentage of the Americ an population. The arguments provided by the authors would have been more insightful if this aspect was highlighted. As indicated earlier, the books purport stereotypes and overt biases of minorities (Reinhold 27). This is ironical of the purpose of education whose role needs to center on promoting the positive attributes of the minority populations. The government in this regard should take practical steps to address the issue. In particular, minority populations need to be also well represented in the education sector. Sadly, authors of the books and their publishers are out to maximize their profits in the writing and publication of the books (Ehman 96). The books are generally based on stereotypical

PROJECT and investment report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PROJECT and investment report - Essay Example This trend is majorly visible in China. In India, although there are strong government regulations against the practice of consuming wine, the young generation of the country are increasingly showing greater interest towards wine drinking. This paper presents a comparative study of the social-economic, political and financial conditions of two countries, India and China. Based on the information revealed, a particular country is chosen in which an Australian wine producing firm might invest for making international expansion. 2. Market Research Market size and potential growth Country China India Potential demand Drinking wine is one of the oldest traditions in China. This tradition can be dated as long as 5000 years back in the history of the country to. Brewing was a dominant industry in China. Wine made from food grains (such as rice) and grapes are the most favourite drinks for the people of China. This shows that the potential demand for wine in the country is quite high. Recent studies reveal that wine consumption by the population of China is showing an increasing trend over the period of last ten years. According to various researchers, consumption of wine by the Chinese would almost become double of the current figure (UPENN, 2012). Pattern of changes in the society as well as the economy has been the major thrust behind the changing trends in wine consumption in China. The market for wine in India is changing. The rise of the retail industry and the growing middle class in India acts as a catalyst to the growth of wine industry in the country. According to recent research, wine consumption in India reflects tremendous growth since the beginning of the 21st century. Wine market in India has increased by almost 30 percent between 2003 and 2010. As a result of globalization, India has been exposed to western culture. The middle class in the country is fast accepting and adapting to the western fashion. Although India does not have a heritage of drinking wine, practice of wine consumption is increasing, particularly, in social occasions. In the past, only the males in elite class used to patronize wine drinking culture. However, presently, the high income middle class is gradually becoming a loyal customer base for wine sellers. Costs Cost of the product is determined by the cost of the raw material used in the production of the good and cost of other inputs. Grapes are one of the major ingredients used in wine production. China has grape vines covering 1.25 million acres. Half of the produce is dedicated for the production of wine (G. G. Brostrom and J. Brostrom, 2008). Since there is adequate availability of grapes in China and cheap labour is also available, costs of producing wine in China is not very high. In India, the government protects the domestic wine industry against competition from foreign producers. Although cheap labour is available in abundance, other ingredients, such as grapes, are costly. This makes cost of produ cing quality wine quite high in India. Sellers often discriminate among the target customers with regard to pricing policies. While prices of certain products are lowered to attract more customers, while prices of premium brands are kept high. The premium products are generally consumed by the rich customers, who have a taste for wine developed through consuming wine over a long period of time. Degree of competitiveness China is emerging as a super market for global

EBusiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

EBusiness - Essay Example The primary methodology of e-Business is to present high quality content on shared exchanges, integration of relevant content of business sites of the suppliers (example, SONY, SAMSUNG, LG, etc. product details documented at a high quality and presented through an exchange site where customers visit for products of a particular type, say monitors; the exchange site in turn is integrated with the databases of these companies), RSS Feeds, Search Engine Optimization and Customized Web marketing (like Google Adwords or Structured Mass Mailing). The infrastructure that needs to support the front-end marketing framework comprises of backend On-Line Transaction Processing, Content Integration Platforms and Enterprise Application Integration. The primary challenges are to first ensure that Customers visit the exchange site and then to present absolutely current information of product specifications, product availability, product pricing and backend supply chain management (like delivery mech anism - online as well as via courier services). The transactions occur very fast and completely online and hence the organization cannot afford to have sluggish approach to updating content pertaining to the marketing information. Processing of queries by Customers again need to have a very robust backend system to cater to accurate content mapping, appropriate presentation of content, ad-hoc queries, high availability & performance, etc. Clients are invited to create their personal profile through the mechanism of personalization whereby such accounts can be used to communicate with them regularly with accurate and up to date information pertaining to the product details, pricing, availability, dispatch and services/warranty. (Stonebraker, Michael and Hellerstein, Joseph. M. 2001. p1-7; Osterwalder, Alexander and Pignuer, Yves. 2002. p3). What are the Similarities and Differences in marketing for traditional business as compared to e-Business The primary objectives of marketing (stated in the section above) and the fundamentals of marketing in any business viz., market research, segmentation, product positioning, schemes, customer identification, customer engagement, supply chain, delivery mechanisms, support & warranty system etc. remain the same in both traditional marketing and e-Business. However, the competency modeling of an organization as per the competitive advantages described by Porter's Diamond (Recklies, Dagmer. 2001. p1) varies in both models of business. Businesses can reach Customers (and Suppliers) across regions, continents, cities, cultures, mindsets, etc. by virtue of a well established global computing framework for e-Business. An organization that may not have done well in traditional marketing in a continent, city, culture, segment, etc. might do very well there through e-Business. The fundamental difference that supports this theory lies in the Customer's own choice of purchases whereby the custom ers preferring e-Business mode of purchasing are normally different from the customers preferring purchases from physical outlets, like shopping marts. However, it is mandatory that a company divulged into e-Business should "get it right" in the first attempt because probability of getting a second chance is very low. This means that the risk of brand dilution in e-Business is very high. The marketing research, customer buying behavior, presentation of a product, branding style, marketing

Profitability Measures Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Profitability Measures - Case Study Example On the other hand, return on assets will show how efficiently and effectively the company’s assets have been used in increasing the company’s returns. From the analysis, it will therefore be feasible to rank the companies in terms of their performance. Q2. Return on equity is a better premise of evaluating the performance of firms than the return on sales. Shareholders who are the providers of capital will only get interested if they get value for their resources. Return on equity is therefore in line with the firm’s objective of wealth maximization. Return on sales shows the proportion of sales that constitutes the profits to the company. It can be subject to manipulation by the management and therefore not a reliable way of assessing management efficiency (Freberg & Boland, 2000). Managers can alter their revenue sources to include only profitable products and customers rather than all its activities. Margins also depend on the capital base. Q3. It is possible that firms, which are profitable, offer negative returns to their shareholders. To a nonprofessional this might look ridiculous though it is possible. Profitable firms may have high obligations on repaying their debts or the directors could enjoy high compensation at the expense of the shareholders. Moreover, the large profits could be retained hence making shareholders fail to feel the profitability of the company. All the criteria used in assessing company’s performance have limitations. The best way of ranking effectiveness should be based on the shareholders wealth