Propositions on Poker Machine Addiction Essay Example for Free

Propositions on Poker Machine Addiction Essay The American Gaming Association (AGA) is a group which represents its members who come from the commercial casino industry. Formed in 1995, the goal of the group is to create awareness and factual understanding of the casino world. The main purpose of the group is to educate the public and its stakeholders about casinos. In the process, it also benefits its members by giving support to them in terms of legislations that affect them and the industry, rules and regulations that they need to be familiar about, and several other assistance while operating their respective enterprises. The AGA also acted as a trusted source of information for media personnel and other industry partners. (About the AGA, 2003, n. p. ) As part of its advocacy, the AGA also highlights responsible gaming as an important element in enjoying casinos. It partners with schools and encourages its members and employees to create awareness on responsible gaming, and identifies the results of irresponsibility within casinos. The AGA started the orange wristband campaign under the â€Å"Keep It Fun† slogan, encouraging gamers to keep casino playing fun and never destructive. The wristband campaign continues to be part of the Responsible Gaming Education Week and Lecture Series, both hosted by the AGA. (Responsible Gaming, 2003, n. p. ) Propositions on Poker Machine Addiction The American Gaming Association submits this document to the Federal Government in response to the inquiry on propositions regarding the community effects of poker machines. Poker machines have been traditional entertainment tools. Since the creation of the first poker machine in the late 1800s, it has become widely identified with bars and liquor shops. (Poker machines history, n. d. , n. p. The availability of poker machines in public places has raised concerns that it might affect family structure. Coleman (1999, n. p. ) reports that in Australia efforts have been made to study the link between family issues and gambling. Poker machines have been pointed out to be the major culprit among all gambling devices. The same issues are present. Noting that poker machines are readily available to all and that getting addicted to it is not impossible, and with an existing statistics of gamblers whose family life has been put at stake because of their addiction to the game, an inquiry has been made on how the issue can be resolved. The first option for many would be to restrain the availability of poker machines. At the most, the machines can even be totally banned. While this is an efficient way to address the issue, there are many considerations that may affect this. Casinos around the world employ thousands of workers, and a deep cut in their revenues may mean an unforeseen increase in unemployment. Also, poker machines and other gambling entertainments remit big tax revenues. In New Orleans, for instance, video poker machines accounted over $200 million in taxes. With such a price tag at stake, it is difficult for the local governments to surrender into banning poker machines. (The Associated Press, 2008, n. p. ) Poker Machines and the World The issues besetting poker machines are not isolated. The same concerns happen all around the world. Actor Russell Crowe moved to ban poker machines in Australia though lost in the voting. (Poker machine ban effort a bust, 2008, n. p. ) The Australian senate, on the other hand, also created the Poker Harm Minimization Bill of 2008, which aims to restrict, limit, and monitor poker machine activities in the country. The dilemma crosses other continents. Poker machines are big hits across Asia too. Thus, poker machines are often blamed to many social problems. (Man vs. Machine, 2008, n. p. ) However, coinciding with this is the fact that poker machine players often have to deal with other problems, as a study of 43,000 Americans have found. It is therefore concluded that making the game unavailable to gamblers with interrelated problems will not solve their addiction. The same is true with thousand of other gamblers around the world. (Man vs. Machine, 2008, n. p. ) Gambling and the Family Considering that a big percentage of 43,000 poker-machine playing Americans who underwent the study have other behavioral problems while addicted to the game, it cannot be disclosed that the family problems are caused by playing poker machines. There is the possibility that poker is their way of escaping from the other stresses in their lives. It can also be said that poker is their way of solving their problem—a player whose family is undergoing financial turmoil may think that poker may give him the luck he has been waiting for to ease his family of financial burdens. (Man vs. Machine, 2008, n. p. ) However, it is acceptable to say that there are many players who have become addicted to the game, and at which point became disconnected with their families, begun failing to judge their finances properly, and miscalculated many personal and financial decisions for the sake of playing. The actual percentages of players who belong to these groups are difficult to tell. Yet, in crediting the existence of these two facets, it is easier to recognize the proper solutions to be carried out by the government. Individual choices Before any legislation, legislators must closely study the profile of poker machine players. In Australia, 62. % of casino players gamble in poker machines. This is a majority of all other casino games and gambling devices. Of these poker machine players, 98% play mainly in casinos and betting clubs. 85. 4% knows that playing the poker machine is a game of chance. Still, 73. 4% can play the machine for up to an hour. (Hing and Breen, 2002, 192) Here, the behavior of players can be seen. It also shows that the wide availability of poker machines elsewhere does little to affect the betting behavior of players, as majority plays mainly on betting clubs. It can be alarming, though, that gamers can sit and bet in the machine for up to an hour. Thus, this requires a close look. Gamers also have different reasons for playing. For the majority, playing the poker machine is purely to entertain themselves. It was a way to let time pass. A small percentage of the respondents (21. 4%) played for hopes to win. (Hing and Breen, 2002, 192) This dispels the second facet presented herein, where it has been theorized that some players play poker machines for money. It can be associated that because majority of the players see poker machines as a game of luck, there is no certainty of winning or gaining money with it. In a personal level, respondents who play poker machines have been found to be between 18 and 34 years old. They are singles in the sense that they have never married. Thus, they may have relationships. Majority of them do not have dependents. (Hing and Breen, 2002, 192) This questions the validity of the argument that poker machines break families. With a majority of players without families or living under circumstances of broken families already, it is notable to discuss that poker machines may not be causing the family problems to begin with. The other issues besetting the players should likely be causing the complications, and thus should be addressed as well. Proposed Implementations The Australian study is a comprehensive view of the profiles of poker machine gamers. However, it is difficult to pattern implementations in other counties with this single study. A rigorous study for each country or state is needed, for which solutions should be patterned. On the other hand, given that these findings are also true elsewhere, the AGA proposes the following strategies for implementation. With these, it is expected that the Federal Government will be able to find ways to decrease or eliminate the claimed probable causes of poker machines as destructive agents to families. Bet and Time limit Hills (n. d. , n. p. ) assert that a player can bet up to $2 per spin and play up to 200 spins per hour. Finding that majority of poker gamers can sit and bet for up to an hour, it is recommended that time restriction be implemented. A player can bet on a machine for up to the approved maximum time only. This ensures that the player will not be too absorbed in the game and will remain conscious about his betting behavior and betting practices. Coinciding with this, there should also be a limit on the bets that one can play in a specific set. If the maximum bet for the day has been reached, the player should stop even if the game is less than the maximum allowed. Support for Gaming Advocacies Currently, the American Gaming Association has education drives to combat gaming addiction. While the program has been successful in places where it has been introduced, the group needs the additional mileage that the Federal Government can provide. The support will also mean more people knowing about the campaign and educated about the ill effects of addictive gambling. It covers both prevention of gaming addiction and cure. Conclusion Many studies have associated gambling with breakage in family ties. With majority of gamblers playing poker machines, the device has become a point of contention. The local government, however, cannot decide on the proper move considering that a bog percentage of community revenues come from the machines. The Federal Government’s inquiry helped assess the situation. It paved the way to reconciling the benefits of poker machines in terms of the financial help that it is offering and the pre-meditated bad effects that it is highly addictive and that it affects families. A thorough study of gamers is necessary. From their profiles, proper actions can be made. Limits on betting and play can help, as well as support in the education drives such as that of the American Gaming Association. This way, the machines can continue helping the community while avoiding any destructive effect it may have with families.

The Strategic Planning Process At United Parcel Commerce Essay

The Strategic Planning Process At United Parcel Commerce Essay UPSs primary business is the delivery time identification of packages and documents worldwide. In recent years, UPS has extended their service portfolio to include less than truck transportation (mainly in the U.S.) and supply chain services. UPS reports its operations divided into three parts: U.S. Domestic Package operations, International Package operations, and Supply Chain transportation activities. Based on the Case study, the purpose of this report is to answer the following questions: Identify the strategic problems and opportunities that exist at United Parcel Service and discuss a coherent set of actions that will address these. What are the potential problems involved in implementing these actions Critically assess the approach to the Strategic Planning process at United Parcel Identify the strategic problems and opportunities that exist at United Parcel Service and discuss a coherent set of actions that will address these. SWOT is an acronym of the internal strengths and weaknesses of a company and the opportunities and threats to the environment in which the company is facing. SWOT analysis is a widely used technique through which managers create a quick overview of the companys strategy. This technique is based on the assumption that an effective strategy derives from a sound fit between a companys internal resources (strengths and weaknesses) and its external situation (the opportunity and threat). An appropriate maximum strength and opportunities of the business and minimize the weaknesses and threats of it. This simple assumption has a strong impact on the design of a successful strategy, United Parcel Service UPS offers transportation services, primarily in domestic and international mail and package delivery Packet through its subsidiaries, it also provides transportation, logistics and specialized financial services company is one of the largest companies provide packages in the world, in terms of revenue and volume. UPS is one of the leading providers of less than trucking service. size large operations of the company allows it to cater to a large customer base in the international market. However, the increase in fuel prices can have a direct impact on corporate profits by causing an increase in the cost of operation of the UPS. Strengths à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sustainability: UPS is the environmental leader in the U.S. package delivery industry. UPS to reduce its carbon emissions through integrated network, modern air fleet, alternative fuel sources, and extensive use of the tracks.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Network: UPS has a network of established and continue to invest in network expansion, especially in China.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Superior Financial Strength: UPS is known for maintaining high operating margins than its competitors.  It is highly profitable, the average ROE of 28% in six years.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Value of dividends Strength: has consistently increased dividends every year except 2009, in which it is held constant.  Since 2000, the ratio of annual dividends have increased by an average of 2.53%.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Brand equity: UPS is synonymous with the delivery of parcels.  Brown tones of the delivery truck and logo is iconic for the distribution industry. Weaknesses Awareness of traffic ground instead of overnight Heavy union presence Lag Brand: While the brown trucks of UPS recognized, who cannot have a complete picture of the full capacity of the UPS. Trade unions: the labor force of the UPS is unionized and thus affect the labor cost of the UPS. The threat to strike UPS can cause pressure to increase wages. Debt: UPS has a higher ratio of financial debt compared to its competitors Opportunities: Expansion of online shopping The emergence of the international middle class Business to business growth: increase B-to-B growth will help to expand operating profit due to economy of scale. Asian markets: By increasing the expectations of customers higher quality products, UPS scalability in a fragmented Asian market. They first entered the market by working with key business players in the market with a focus on export / import. After that, they will pursue acquisitions and more of a domestic drama. Logistics Business Solutions: UPS promote its network by providing logistics solutions for the retail and manufacturing companies. Business has been growing double-digit expansion before the crisis and in 2009 revenues decreased 20%. However, this has recently reversed by We Love Logistics campaign. Global healthcare distribution network: the new facilities are being added to the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Canada to adapt to the rapid growth in the medical field. Productivity growth: While DHL, market prices down, leaving the U.S. parcel market more than two years ago, we believe that pricing power is partly delayed after shipment contracts often is 1-3 years. So UPS can be increased margins by controlling prices. U.S. mail volume decline: Over the past 10 years, USPS has steadily lost market share to UPS and FedEx. Continue their decline may benefit modest volume for UPS Threats à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rising fuel prices: UPS fuel surcharge in the domestic and international package and LTL services as their primary means of reducing the risk of adverse changes in fuel prices. They also periodically on the option contracts on energy commodities to manage price risk with forecasted transactions related to refined fuels such as jet fuel. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ challenging weather conditions: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Bad weather can damage the quality and efficiency in delivery impact. In addition, bad weather can affect retail sales and other groups UPS partner that could hurt sales. While the UPS cannot control the weather, they have improved their tracking platform for customers by providing more information and provide an updated time for customers in case of any delay doubt. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Currency Headwinds: headwind currency in their international business can affect inflation costs. However, UPS has delivered the strong cost that we believe make them competitive with others in the industry. With over a century of experience, we believe that UPS has specialized in foreign currency hedging activities using the derivate financial instruments such as forward currency contracts and currency options. What are the potential problems involved in implementing these actions Porters five forces Porters Five Forces will be used to determine industry competition as well as the strategic impact on Apple. New Entrants- Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ UPS has established brand equity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Long-term contracts with corporate customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Capital intensive industries related to aircraft, vehicles, software, and storage Replace Medium à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Some customers have needs not time sensitive logistics can trade down using the slower delivery options and less expensive, such as USPS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Companies can create their own housing in the supply chain and logistics solutions rather than outsourcing work with a company like UPS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Threats to business mail delivery as a result of a movement to electronic documents Power supply Low UPS does not rely on specific suppliers for their business activities outside the major capital costs Buyer Power Medium Smaller customers are less likely to negotiate the price for fixed price Larger companies using the full range of logistics solutions have pricing power due to their ability to negotiate long-term contracts Competitive rivalry -Private postal companies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Federal Express Most government agencies support à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ USPS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Deutsche Post Until 1994, UPS has mainly focused on continuously improving their operations that they have to compromise on quality and customer service. Many analysts noted that UPS did not pay attention to the needs of the customer and customer satisfaction. In 1994, due to increasing competition, UPS recognized the need to have many customers meet and embark on a major transformation initiatives of the company. This case gives a detailed overview of the various human resource initiatives UPS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Nearest competitor, FedEx, similar services in the freight and logistics business à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ UPS focused on overseas growth and expansion of business supply chain à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ be able to compare prices in the industry Critically assess the approach to the Strategic Planning process at United Parcel They have invested in the core business of worldwide distribution and logistics. The company is building capacity in the integration of goods, funds, and information. They use technology to create new services. They began to attract talented people. Study customer behavior and predict their needs. Practice innovation leads to growth. Build an environment that allows them to treat each customer as if he was the only one. We believe that UPS has high potential in the fragmented Asian emerging markets such as China, Malaysia obvious its recent expansion in 2010 and bought seven new aircraft in 2011. Air Freight transportation is developed here. UPS has high interest activities and will earn higher profits when the economy recovers and Have the right to set higher prices in 2012 and 2013. UPS developing supply chain and transportation division, using customized logistics solutions. While they have been used for many retail and high-tech companies, they are branching out into the market global distribution of health care, we believe there is high growth potential for distributed this song. In January, UPS announced the expansion of health care facilities in Kentucky, Singapore, the Netherlands, and Canada. UPS operates in a competitive environment with their direct competitors just FedEx. Developments in the past have shown that they are able to set the price on the exchange rate as well as pass along higher costs in the business, such as energy prices rise. The companys financial strength has allowed them to generate stable cash flow through all business segments of business EPS is expected to reach the highest of all time

Organised Crime Affecting The United Kingdom Essay

Organised Crime Affecting The United Kingdom Essay In order to assess the extent to which organised crime is affecting the UK one must first try to define the term itself. A recent definition by Interpol describes it as Any group having a corporate structure whose primary objective is to obtain money through illegal activities, often surviving on fear and corruption  [1]  . UK based SOCA simply states that Organised crime covers a very wide range of activity and individuals involved in a number of crime sectors. The most damaging sectors to the UK are judged to be trafficking of Class A drugs, organised immigration crime and fraud. In addition, there is a wide range of other threats, including high-tech crime, counterfeiting, the use of firearms by serious criminals, serious robbery, organised vehicle crime, cultural property crime and others.  [2]  There are many terms brandished about for organised crime and it is difficult to come up with one definition, therefore, this makes it difficult to also assess what is being tackl ed as far as the UK in concerned. As the SOCA definition above shows there are many different types of crimes which can be called organised crime so therefore in order to assess of how there being tackled one will need to assess them individually, for the purposes of this essay one will focus on Trafficking i.e. drugs and how money laundering is being dealt with in the UK as a big part of organised crime are its proceeds. Organised crime generates a huge income and as crime becomes more globalised and so revenue generated from it increases more and more every day. Profits are usually in the form of cash so therefore need to be disguised in a way to blend into the banking system. The ultimate aim of the money laundering is to get the proceeds of the crime into the financial world legitimately, so the criminals can benefit from it and not get caught. The process is long and complicated as the cash has to moved several times in order to cover its tracks. Different routes the money might take are being transferred in between various different accounts and through front companies which are set up to disguise the illegitimate profits in a legal business form, this process is repeated many times until the criminals can extract their profits legitimately. There are three stages to money laundering, firstly placement, whereby the illegitimate profit is put into the banking system, followed by layering, where t he cash is passed through many different areas in order to perplex its origins, and the final step is integration, where the cash is put through legitimate companies and accounts. Money laundering in the UK is a criminal offence, and as such, any person involved in any known or suspected money laundering activity risks a criminal conviction carrying a jail term of up to 14 years. It is significant that even innocent involvement on the part of professionals such as bankers and lawyers can provoke a criminal charge. Money laundering is an offence covered by many different parts of legislation United Kingdom and can be found in statutes such as the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (as amended), and the Terrorism Act 2000 (as amended). The most significant change made by these two pieces of legislation is that they enforce two new obligations to create Suspicious Transaction Reports. The legislation, then, increases the responsibility on professionals dealing with big financial business of any kind to be cautious in detecting suspicious transactions, and this in effect helps find criminals when such occasions do arise, so, in essence, this is an example of the UK successfully implementing legislation in order to tackle organised crime . This attack on money laundering is huge part of tackling organised crime as it is suggested that the economic and social impact of organised crime in the UK is staggering and statistics show that global profits from people smuggling are estimated to be $10 billion annuall y, 280,000 problem drug users cause half of all crime, every  £1 spent on heroin is estimated to generate about  £4 of damage to the national economy and there are around 400 organised crime bosses in the UK with an amassed criminal wealth of approximately  £440 million.  [3]  The economic and social cost of organised crime is estimated to be in the region of  £20 to  £40 billion per year. The role of recovering criminal assets fell upon the Assets Recovery Agency which was set up under the Proceeds of Crime act 2002 and played an important part in the governments plans to seize the profit out of crime, and separate and prevent the criminal organizations from continuing with their activities by removing the money which motivates their activities and their major source of income  [4]   The Assets Recovery Agency had three strategic aims to disrupt organised criminal enterprises through the recovery of criminal assets, thereby alleviating the effect of crime on communities, to promote the use of financial investigation as an integral part of criminal investigation, within and outside the Agency, domestically and internationally, through training and continuing professional development and to operate the agency in accordance with its vision and values.  [5]   The UK is a founding member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), established in 1989 to develop global measures to prevent money laundering. The FATF has 40 recommendations, engineered to combat money laundering and create the best resources to do so internationally. UK money laundering experts regularly participate in FATF mutual evaluations of its members, showing that the UKs initiatives against money laundering are strong as not only are they tackling the issue internally but are looking at the international impact money laundering has. On the 1st April 2008 the Assets Recovery Agency merged with the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Commenting on the merger Hughes, of SOCA said we are gaining important skills and expertise with the arrival of Assets Recovery Agency staff and we welcome them into SOCA. Now that the merger has taken place we will get on with the job that parliament want us to do, namely depriving crooks of their ill-gotten gains  [6]. In support of this the Home Office minister Coaker said that assets recovery is critical in the fight against all levels of crime and we are determined to stop criminals profiting from crimes which affect the lives of law-abiding majority.  [7]  Adding to this Goggins, said this merger will strengthen the fight against crime in Northern Ireland as it combines the intelligence expertise of SOCA with the hands-on practical experience of ARA. This combination will make the recovery of assets even more effective and strengthen our fight against those who profit from org anised crime.  [8]  This important merger highlights the steps in the UK have taken to try to successfully tackle aspects of organised crime, by merging together these two organisations it showed that the UK has acknowledged the fact the money laundering linked with organised crime is a very serious issue that needs to be dealt with. A further offence as introduced in the Drug Trafficking Act 1994 and the Terrorism Act 2000 which states the offence of failure to report. This occurs where the person suspects that another person is involved in laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking or terrorism, and fails to report it. In the case of the Terrorism Act 2000, this offence is broadened to those who have reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting. These statutory offences have amplified the range of money laundering offences within the UK legislation, and have similarly enlarged the mandatory degree of vigilance on financial professionals. By increasing the legislation to include those or may not even be involved directly in the crime or its proceeds it eliminates any sort chains there may in a particular organised crime groups structure. This offence highlighted is very similar to offences laid out in the USs Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) whereby prosecutors could arrest group leaders ba sed on the activities of those who worked with them. This shows another way in which the Uk is successfully trying to tackle the issue by looking at all aspects of weakening organised crime. Overall the legislation on tackling money laundering is effective, with agencies such as SOCA recognising its importance Money is at the heart of all organised crime. The lifestyle and status it brings are the main motivation for most criminals.  [9]. SOCA states that it is determined to ensure that criminals cant enjoy their profits  [10]. According to the report released by SOCA 2009/10  £317.5 million was seized from organised crimes groups in the UK. A recent example of SOCA in action in April 2011 where SOCA was granted the Confiscation Order in Leeds Crown Court for  £933,422 against Paul Anthony Romano Morgan from Leeds  [11], this is a significant achievement for the UK in tackling the issue of organised crime. In order for the UK to continue being protected the effects of money laundering, authorities, however, must work stronger at identifying criminals that are still accessing the financial system. Only by using more advanced method will criminals and money launderers become more hesitant. Professor Bill Gilmore stated: for the first time, to take co-ordinated and effective worldwide action to undermine the financial power of drug trafficking networks and other criminal organisations, is now in sight if not, as yet, fully within our reach.  [12]  Highlighting there is still room for the UK to improve to completely eradicate organised crime. One of the most threatening of activities undertaken by organised crimes groups is the trafficking of illegal narcotics. The drug trade has the capability to infiltrate all aspects of society and can threaten the social, political and economic security of any nation, so it is not surprising that it is becoming an increasing issue in the UK. The impact of the drug trade may not necessarily be the most threatening to social security, but it is probably the most threatening to the people of the country. The problems with drug trafficking are not simply mattered of criminal activities taking place but what the drugs trafficked into the country are causing, such as addiction and furthermore diseases being spread through improper use and then furthermore the crime associated with drug abuse as more and more people depends on these trafficked narcotics. McFarlane points to another interesting threat which may emerge from an increase in crime: Furthermore, with increasing crime, a free press and civil rights tend to be ignored both by the criminals and by the hard-pressed law enforcement agencies.  [13]  The threat that drug trafficking brings is potentially very large and is affecting the economic stability of the UK and therefore has become a focus of major law enforcement to tackle and one will now review on whether atte mpts to combat drug trafficking have been successful. The Serious Organised Crime Organisation (SOCA), takes a role in the gathering of information about major drug syndicates that control the UK drug trafficking scene. Created in 2007, SOCA is responsible for the collection, analysis, research and dissemination of intelligence relating to major criminals involved in serious crime, including the distribution and trafficking of drugs.  [14]  And in the Annual SOCA Plan 2010/2011 they mention that Class A drugs, poses the greatest single threat  [15]  showing that they realise that it is a serious target to be dealt with. SOCA has been working heavily on tackling drug trafficking with a recent case in again in April 2011 highlighting the capture and trial of one of SOCAs most-wanted, Edward Morton, who went on the run for more than three years,and has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for his part in a organised crime group which trafficked illegal narcotics worth millions of pounds into the UK. SOCAs Gerry Smyth said: This ope ration succeeded in breaking up highly organised professional drugs trafficking gang who brought large quantities of controlled drugs onto the streets of the North East of England. Morton tried to evade justice by hiding in Amsterdam. He failed. SOCA and its national and international partners are determined to bring fugitives back to the UK courts to face justice.  [16]  , this highlights SOCA and UKs enthusiasm on working with international organisation to tackle the problem, which is a positive factor as most drugs are trafficked into the country so therefore it is not enough to tackle the issue internally and from this case we can see the UK has picked up on this and is using this to tackle organised crime successfully. Important organisations that help deal with the international aspect of the problem is HM Customs and Excise National Investigation Service. There are two principal aspects of Customs control for drugs. The first is preventive control at ports and airports and through coastal surveillance. The second is specialist investigations based on information and intelligence gathered from various sources at home and overseas, designed to anticipate and intercept consignments of drugs and arrest the organisers of smuggling attempts.  [17]  With this work continuing it will add the to work with other agencies such as SOCA to deter drug traffickers in the UK. However one may note that the HM customs side of operations does need substantial improvement if today the figure of the profits of drugs being trafficked into the country remains at a staggering 4-6.6 billion a year, this emphasises aspects of the UK operations that needs to be improved in order to tackle organised crime successfully. In fulfilling its aims, the UK works as a partner or member in a number of leading international organisations, The UK is part of United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), formed in 1991, which acts as the focal point in the United Nations for international support and battle against drugs. The UK is also an active member of the Dublin Group, which merges the EU and other countries to bring together individual country policies and give assistance to source country of the illegal narcotics. Many actions have been implemented throughout local Dublin Groups to ensure more commitment from national governments in assisting producer countries but also assistance from the actual source countries themselves in order to successfully tackle organised crime. In particular, the UK plays an important role in the 1988 UN Drugs Convention, which provides a broad framework for intercontinental cooperation against drug trafficking. The UK ratified the Convention in June 1991, extending it to UK Dependent Territories. The UK participates in the G8 Group on Transnational Organised Crime (TOC) following the G7/8 Halifax Summit in 1995. The groups objective was to recognise gaps in intercontinental cooperation against TOC and put forward realistic actions for improvement. All of these movements and actions were taken by the UK show their intent on successfully tackling drug trafficking and in essence organised crime as they have again acknowledged that the problem is not entirely internal and international aid needed to be addressed as most organised crime groups have a non-British ethnicity and in order to administer actions against them and to deter them in it important that the UK seek support of source countries and on reflection it seems that they have done this successfully. There are other arguments that state that the UK cannot tackle the issue of drug trafficking alone simply but regret the source or even the supply, some may argue that present legislation needs to be revisited and weaknesses in it need to be addressed, Steve Rolles of Transform Drug Policy said When prohibition of something collides with huge demand for it, you just create an economic opportunity and illegal criminal entrepreneurs will inevitably exploit the opportunity that it creates  [18]  Lord Mancroft agreed by stating We have controlled drugs in this country but you only have to walk a mile of this palace to realise that the controls do not work, because anywhere on the streets of London you can buy any of these drugs The way forward is a range somewhere from the way we control alcohol or indeed the most dangerous object in our everyday lives, the motorcar. If you go outside in the street and step in front of a moving motor car you will find out how dangerous it is, so what do we do? We do not prohibit it. We license the vehicle, we license the users, we made them pass a test, we make them have insurance so if they damage anybody they have to pay up, we tell them how fast they can use it, on which side of the road. That is control.  [19]   However to argue in favour of what is already being done and its benefits and arguing against controlling drugs trade Professor Strang of the National Addiction Centre told states, There is no question that the illegality of a substance is a major deterrent to its useà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦one would have to presume that if legal constraints were taken away the level of use would almost certainly increase  [20]  , these two arguments highlight different approaches the UK can implement the second being what is being actioned now, however despite how drastic the first argument that Rolles and Mancroft mat be one may have to consider its possible effectiveness in aiding the UKs campaign in tackling organised crime, by eliminating the opportunity for organised crime groups. To conclude is seems on a whole the UK is successfully trying to tackle organised crime, but there are some hole so to speak and from looking at SOCA Annual report 2010/11 one can see that the UKs weakness when it comes to tackling organised crime is its understanding of the inner workings of an organised crime group, Organised crime is identified in the National Security Strategy as a major threat to the UK. Broad estimates value the economic and social costs to the UK, including the costs of combating it, at between  £20 billion and  £40 billion a year. Whilst the understanding of organised crime is becoming clearer year on year, there are however still gaps. To be successful in reducing the harm caused by organised crime it is essential that efforts to combat it are well-directed. This requires investment in developing knowledge and understanding of the threats and of those responsible for them. The harm to the UK comes in particular from a large number of individuals and grou ps operating in tactically astute ways, in response to this the UK has recognised that it needs to improve and will do so by bringing together a wide range of departments and agencies, each with specialist skills and powers  [21]  but whether or not this proves to be successful is yet to be seen. However, in 2010, the Home Office published an evaluation named Drugs Value for Money Review. It pointed out that there was a lack of factual data being collected by the government on the effectiveness of its drug policy against the trafficking of drugs it stated that policies to reduce the availability of drugs produced the greatest analytical challenge. The absence of robust and recognised measures of success, combined with a limited base of research evidence, makes it particularly difficult to draw conclusions about supply-side policy.  [22], so this reiterates the point that in order for the UK to successfully tackle organised crime it needs to put more effort into its research in order to create a higher intelligence to what they are actually trying to tackle.

William Faulkner’s short novel, The Bear Essay -- Bear

William Faulkner’s short novel, The Bear "The Bear" is a short novel in an anthology that begins in Yoknapatwpha County sometime after the Civil War. The story deals with loyalty, honor, truth, bravery, courage, fear, nature, history and choices. Cleanth Brooks best described this story by saying, "Faulkner's villains do not respect nature and their fear of it has nothing in common with the fear of the Lord or with awe in the presence of the divine." (Brooks 149) In the story, we find a bear that has learned to outwit and survive hunters for years. It wasn't until they took a beast of the wild and tamed it before they could even come close to the bear. They took a beast of nature to kill a beast of nature for their own personal pleasure, for sport...a conversation piece. When looking into the history aspect of the story, think of human actions and how People make radical decisions that may affect the rest of their lives, or even the lives of others, not even giving a second thought to the consequences. This book deals with a radical decision made by one man that changed the lives of many. The author of this story, William Faulkner, was a white southern male born "September 25, 1897, in New Albany, Mississippi. He died July 6, 1962." (Compton's CD) Faulkner had a way with Christianity, but more with the nature of man. He believed that man was nature. We can see how this affects the story with the statement "It was of the men, not white nor black nor red but men, hunters, with the will and hardihood to endure and the humility and skill to survive..."(Faulkner 327) The story begins with Ike and C who are going on a hunting trip to try to catch Old Ben, t... ...ficient utilization of it, or when he ceases to love it and to carry on his contention with it in terms of some sort of code, then he not only risks destroying nature but risks bestializing his own nature. (270) This novel is a wonderful book to read for those who like nature and the wilderness. It is through nature that one can achieve their highest level of love for the world. Although it may be hard to get through a few of the chapters, once you truly understand the meaning of the book, it will stick in your heart forever. Work Cited Brooks, Cleanth. "On the prejudices, predilections, and firm beliefs of William Faulkner." [Baton Rouge] LSU Press, 1987. "Six great modern short novels." New York Dell, 1982. 328 Brooks, Cleanth. William Faulkner The Yoknapatawpha County. London Yale University Press, 1974

So many Gods, So Little Time: Contemplating Religion :: Religious Religion Biblical God Essays

So many Gods, So Little Time: Contemplating Religion The man watched with a blank gaze out the window of the plane. The scenery below passed him by; buildings and streets mostly. But they were remarkably close to the plane; much closer than they should be. This man had previously been sitting in the passenger section of the plane, but he now sits in the pilot seat. The real pilot lay on the floor with his throat splayed open by a box-cutting knife. His bloody gurgles had long since ceased as his eyes fixed on the ceiling with a stare only death can bring. He was of no matter; only one of many deaths that would come today. The other men in the cockpit chanted prayers silently to themselves. Prayers to a wrathful and unsympathetic God. A God that had sent them on this ‘holy’ quest. A building comes into view, and the plane begins heading straight for it. It lands home, searing concrete from metal, flesh from bone, disintegrating bone to dust. People die, and others rejoice in it. People die, and other s thank God for their homicidal salvation. People die, and the survivors ask God ‘why?’ I ask God not ‘why did this happen’, because no God had a hand in this. No person was on a quest from God. Fanatics who had handed themselves the will of God did this. I ask God ‘why do we end lives over pointless arguments about you?’ Religion can be a funny thing. It can cause many events to happen, good and evil. Many people have found a sense of peace through religion while others have found a reason to kill people and cause war. What is this creature called religion that can cause two such completely opposite things to happen? What is it about religion that is appealing to any human being? Why do people give up so much to follow the ways of religion? Because, in the end, religion is designed to force its followers into a form of submission in which the follower gives up his or her most basic of urges for the greater good of society and themselves.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Dispute

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, is a refuge geared toward preserving national wildlife in northeastern Alaska. ANWR is about 19 million acres, in space, and contains a potential drilling spot for oil and petroleum. The potential drilling spot is a small area known as the 10-02 Area. It is only 1. 5 million acres, or 8%, of ANWR, would even be considered for development (What is ANWR). The controversy surrounding ANWR is whether to drill or not to drill into the 10-02 area. Some people want to preserve the wilderness and to find more fuel-efficient technologies.Others want to lower gas prices and to create more job opportunities. If the government decides to drill for oil, it could possibly lead to about 17 billion barrels of oil, to last the United States for the next 20 years. According to the official ANWR website, Prudhoe Bay is located 60 miles west of ANWR and has produced about 10 billion barrels of oil in the past 20 years. It is currently producing about 1. 4 millio n barrels a day, but is slowly declining; this induces the need for a new source. The northeastern part of ANWR is America’s best opportunity in finding another oil and gas field the size of Prudhoe Bay.The coastal plain of ANWR could produce up to 1. 5 million barrels of oil a day and would save the U. S. $14 billion a year in imports (Making the Case). 75% of Alaskans want to drill in the designated ANWR area, 10-02. They feel that it could possibly relieve Americans of their foreign dependency for imported oil and petroleum. The United States currently spends up to $330 billion on foreign oil imports, not including the money used to protect and acquire it. The total area of area10-02 only amounts to 8% of ANWR’s total area, which is 1. million acres. Out of the 1. 5 million acres considered for development, only 2,000 acres of the Coastal Plain would actually be affected, which is less than half of one percent (Top Ten). Drilling in ANWR would also create anywhere f rom 250,000 to 750,000 job opportunities, as well as an opportunity to better the economy. Drilling in ANWR also has no impact on wildlife. This can be proven by the fact that the Central Arctic Caribou Herd that migrates through Prudhoe Bay has grown from 3,000 to its current population of about 32,000 healthy caribou.The total amount of oil that is expected from ANWR estimates from 9 to 16 billion barrels (Making the Case). There is also an underside to drilling in ANWR. Although it would considerably lower gas prices, it would take approximately ten years for the oil to actually reach the marketplace. Clara Tsang argues that instead of drilling in ANWR, the government should produce more energy-efficient technologies. She also states that during the peak of drilling, only 876,000 barrels of oil will be produced a day. That is not enough oil to significantly reduce world oil prices.She states that the 2000 acres designated for drilling, Area 10-02, only accounts for where the actu al equipment will be, not including the areas of the oil reservoirs. Lastly, Tsang argues the destruction of moral and spiritual grounds for conserving a place for meditation and inspiration (Tsang). On the official website for the Defenders of Wildlife, it states that we shouldn’t industrialize a natural treasure (Arctic National). It also states that if drilling became imminent that destroy the coastal plain of the Beaufort Sea, the most sensitive area of the entire refuge.They believe in preserving the national wildlife’s habitat, instead of tampering with an arctic, subarctic and boreal ecosystem (Wildlife Impacts). According to the ANWR official website, Louisiana can be greatly affected by drilling in ANWR. It would create approximately 14,800 jobs in module and facility construction, exploration, and production engineering. It also states that Louisiana has already been greatly affected by Prudhoe Bay. Since 1980, Louisiana has spent almost $400 million in Prudh oe Bay. Also, over 850 Louisiana vendors are doing business in Alaskan oil fields.An example is the Prudhoe Bay gas expansion module GHX-2, produced in New Iberia, in 1994 (What Development). Drilling in ANWR could greatly benefit the United States. It could boost the economy, decrease foreign oil trade, lower oil prices worldwide and create about 750,000 jobs, throughout the United States. On the other hand it could ruin ecosystems and tamper with wildlife’s habitats, for a less than significant amount of oil. Either way a decision has to be made. Prudhoe Bay is steadily declining. The question is whether the government wants to ontinue paying the high price of foreign imports or drill at ANWR and potentially ruin fragile and ecologically sensitive ecosystems.Works Cited â€Å"Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. † Defenders. org. 2008. Defenders of Wildlife. 19 Oct. 2008. . â€Å"Making the Case for ANWR†. ANWR. org 2008. Frontier Communications. 19 Oct. 2008. < ; http://www. anwr. org/Background/Making-the-Case-for-ANWR. php>. â€Å"Top Ten Reasons to Support ANWR Development. † ANWR. org 2008. Frontier Communications. 19 Oct. 2008. < http://www. anwr. rg/ANWR-Basics/Top-ten-reasons-to-support-ANWR-development. php>. Tsang, Clara. â€Å"Arguments Against Drilling in ANWR. † 19 Oct. 2008. . â€Å"What Development of Alaska’s Arctic Coastal Plain Means to Louisiana. † ANWR. org 2008. Frontier Communications. 19 Oct. 2008. . â€Å"What is ANWR and Where is it? † ANWR. org 2008. Frontier Communications. 19 Oct. 2008. < http://www. anwr. org/ANWR-Basics/What-is-ANWR-and-where-is-it. php>. â€Å"Wildlife Impacts from Oil Drilling in the Refuge. † Defenders. org. 2008. Defenders of Wildlife. 19 Oct. 2008. .

Public Punishment Essay Essay

Public punishment is an act or instance of punishing. A deterrent is something that discourages or is in intended to discourage someone from an act. In today’s society public punishment is often debated, where as in the 1800s, punishing someone publically was accepted. From community service to standing at intersections with hand written signs, public punishment can act as a deterrent or not affect that person at all. Public punishment is often frowned upon, but is effective in some, not all cases, and influences better behavior. Public punishment does not always work. Trenton General from Chesapeake, Virginia, is a troubled teen whose grades in school were below his parents’ expectations (Belkin 1). Trenton’s parents took away his video games, cell phone and made him a â€Å"work for food† sign around his neck in an orange jumpsuit (Belkin 1). His parents stated â€Å"It was an embarrassment to us that we tried so much to reach him and it seems like ever ything we did failed† (Belkin 1). His parents tried everything they could until they decided to resort to public punishment (Belkin 1). Trenton’s guardians gave him the choice of no phone for two weeks or stand on the corner with a sign with his grades posted, that method did not work (Belkin 1). Trenton stated that â€Å"because when it comes to school it’s boring† (Belkin 1). Public punishment does not always work. Public punishment is often frowned upon because of the humiliation that is brought along with the punishment. Trezhan Blaha, from Elyria, Ohio, learned his lesson when he was caught stealing from the mall (Jackson 1) . Trezhan’s mother and uncle decided that he should stand on the corner with a sign that read: â€Å"I like to steal and have no respect for my mother or authority† (Jackson 1). Blaha stated â€Å"I was embarrassed but I definitely learned my lesson† (Jackson 1). This punishment from Blaha’s guardians helped him learn his lesson and acted as a deterrent for the future.In Fulton County, Georgia, Judge Robinson is starting to crack down on new methods to punish criminals (Romaker 1). Shoplifters and prostitution are just two of many crimes in Fulton County that are being introduced to criminal t-shirts (Romaker 1). The criminal t-shirts are not meant to be a fashion statement but serve as a deterrent for other criminals (Romaker 2). The judge in the county who sentences these criminals to wear the t-shirts stated, â€Å"Public punishment, serves as a deterrent, particularly at a time when more people are being tempted to steal from others† (Romaker 1). When the economy went in the tanks, the shoplifting rate went up. To cope with the criminals these judges them neon green shirts with large, black letters announcing their crime (Romaker 2). The judges decided that criminals needed to suffer a little humility (Romaker 2). Wayne Seely, former police officer said â€Å"Judge Robinson should be commended for saying he’s had enough and doing something to discourage people from stealing† (Romaker 2). These criminal t-shirts are not only happening in Fulton County but in other counties around Georgia (Romaker 2). This public punishment was not only effective but served as a perfect deterrent for future thieves. In some instances public punishment can work very effectively or can not affect the person at all. T renton General was one of those people whom were not affected by publicpunishment despite having to hold his grades up on a busy intersection. Trezhan and the Fulton County criminals learned their lesson from the humiliation and the stares that came along with the punishment. Not all public punishment does work, but most do. As some would say â€Å"You do the crime you pay the time†. Works Cited: Belkin, Lisa. â€Å"Bad Grades= Public Punishment† The New York Times. The New York Times Company. 18 February 2009. Web 30 Oct 2012. Romaker, Janet. â€Å"Fashion Police: Judge Tailors punishment that fit Criminals to a T.† The Blade. Waveson, Ohio. 7 Sept 2012. Wed Oct 2012. â€Å"One boys very public punishment† Abcolocal .go.com.N.p., 23 Mar. 2012. Web 30 Oct 2012.