Introduction of British Airways Essay Example

Introduction of British Airways Essay Example Introduction of British Airways Essay Introduction of British Airways Essay British Airways has become the worlds second largest airline carrying more than 28 million passengers from one country to another. Main aim of British Airways is to provide outstanding service to its customers at an affordable price. Despite tough competition from other airlines such as Virgin Atlantic Airways, United Airlines and other European airlines, British Airways still holds the major market share. BA maximise on their work force by ensuring they employ the highest skilled staff for the particular job, some times they will only employ staff who are well educated. British Airways are currently struggling with staff shortages as the level of absenteeism for the companys employees are high above the average and acceptable figures for the industry. Employees are said to be unmotivated and morale is low as increase in pay is low and the restructuring of the company have led to 13000 job losses. Gate Gourmet is a world leading airline catering company. Gate Gourmet provides its service around the globe. They produce: 624000 meals per day or 228 million meals per year on average. I will use a couple of headings, which were given on the task sheet, to describe the features of employer and employee relations in this British airways selected case. Manger In flight caters Establishing employee relations Contracts of employment Gate gourmet employees are usually on a temporary or a part-time contract. Temporary contract workers are entitled to 15 days holiday including bank holidays and Boxing Day, each year from their employer. Paying more than the law at British airways it builds up loyalty. Gate Gourmet workers are paid over the minimum wage. Most gate gourmet employees work for the BA in flight caters. A BA Part-time worker has generally a lower absence than full-time workers, and is less likely to be members of the union, and is very good for the employer. Breaks are given to in flight caters at British airways. Example on an airplane they would stop at an airport half way, if the flight is not a one way flight. Payment by result payment according to performance: a system of payment in which the salary paid depends on how well a BA employee does a job. Bonus earnings depend on measured qualities or values of output for individuals or groups of BA employees, usually based on work studied time units; this covers a wide range of bonus schemes which still form the main method of performance pay for BA in flight workers. Contribution that employees make to British airways is a key issue for the employer. BA has devised pay methods that link individual or team performance to a pay system that rewards this. Alternatively, pay has been used to recognise such factors as individual development, responsibility, risk-taking and loyalty or experience. To get reward BA workers need to have the knowledge skills and attitude that a person needs to carry out his or her job effectively. When used in a pay system, they provide a basis for individual assessment to reward individuals who can positively contribute to the overall values and objectives of BA. BA workers are also related to their performance pay schemes, which cover a wide variety of methods of linking pay to a measure of individual or a group of in flight caters. They all share the idea that where a worker can vary output according to effort and this can be clearly related to earnings, the prospect of increased pay will lead to greater performance.

How Much Time to Spend Studying in College

How Much Time to Spend Studying in College Theres no right way to study in college. Even students who have the same majors and take the same classes wont need to spend the same amount of time on coursework because everyone has their own way of learning. That being said, theres a common rule of thumb students and professors use to determine how much time to allocate for studying in college: For each hour you spend in class, you should spend two to three hours studying outside of class. How Should I Study? Of course, that outside of class studying can take on different forms: You might take the traditional approach to studying by sitting in your room, poring over a textbook or reading assignment. Or perhaps youll spend time online or in the library  further researching topics your professor mentioned in class. Maybe youll have a lot of lab work to do  or a group project that requires meeting other students after class. The point is studying can take many forms. And, of course, some classes require students to work outside of class a lot more time than others. Focus more on what sort of studying will help you complete your necessary coursework and get the most out of your education, rather than trying to meet a specific study-hours quota. Why Should I Track How Much I Study? While prioritizing the quality over the quantity of your study time is more likely to help you accomplish your academic goals, its smart to keep track of how much time you spend doing it. First of all, knowing how much time to spend studying in college can help you gauge if youre spending enough time on your academics. For example, if youre not performing well on exams or assignments - or you get negative feedback from a professor - you can reference the amount of time youve spent studying to determine the best way to proceed: You could try spending more time studying for that class to see if it improves your performance. Conversely, if youve already invested a lot of time in that course, perhaps your poor grades are an indication its not an area of study that suits you. Beyond that, tracking how you study can also help you with time management, a skill all college students need to develop. (Its pretty handy in the real world, too.) Ideally, understanding your out-of-class workload can help you avoid cramming for exams or pulling all-nighters to meet an assignment deadline. Those approaches are not only stressful, but theyre often not very productive either. The better you understand how much time it takes you to  engage with and comprehend the course material, the more likely you are to reach your academic goals. Think of it this way: Youve already invested a lot of time and money going to class, so you might as well figure out how much time you need to do everything necessary for getting that diploma.

Conduct and interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Conduct and interview - Essay Example Women have always gotten very minimal opportunities to be involved in working in heavy industrial areas as this position is seen to mainly suit the men. Apparently, there are also very few women expertise involved in the same sector due to the perception that this is a male dominated area. In most instances, women will only be given the minor positions in such industrial areas and even the pay is seen to be less. The perception being that, it is just a favor for such women to be in such areas of expertise otherwise they are very vulnerable. Currently, there is an expert woman in chemical engineering who filed a complaint over not being given an equal opportunity in an interview for a position. This is still an evidence of some job areas being considered womanly or manly and thus the reason to this interview is of high value in order to understand gender issues at work places. Description of the interview This interview was conducted on the twenty ninth of March, 2013. The interview w as conducted at Shed Pharmaceuticals Company. It was only possible to carry out the interview after consulting with the senior human resource person in this company. I was given one of the offices that belong to the chief pharmacist as it offered more privacy and the interviewee also needed to be in a more comfortable situation without any distractions that would impede getting the correct information from the employee (Barret, 2006). The interviewee was a thirty eight year old at the highlight of her work career. Her name is Joan and she has two children one at age twelve, while the last born at age seven years. She lives as a single mother and thus she has to take care of her family needs which include providing education, food and shelter for the children. I particularly chose this interviewee because of the nature of position that she has in this company. She is one of the senior analysts of the pharmaceutical products that are produced in the company. She went through so much i n order to get to this position; therefore, she can tell best what some of the challenges are as a woman she has gone through during the highlight of her career. She is also the only woman in a team of five senior analysts and thus, it is what comes from her experience from working in a team of men whereby she is the only woman. Joan is also one the most convenient individual to contact for the interview as she has been in such a position under gender disparity in work places. More so, her area of specialization has always been perceived to be a male dominated area. Therefore, she is the most ideal individual for this type of interview. Summary of responses to the questions The ten questions were divided into three basic areas. Therefore, the summary will give a summary of the ten questions into the questions with the same agenda being made into one. One compacted questions during the interview process was based on opportunities given to women to express themselves and get a positio n in an interview. The main ideas under these questions involve the concept that women should be given even an upper hand during interviews especially in a situation that there are less women vying for the same position. I linked this to the notion that, less women are found in such areas of expertise and thus they should stand even better positions for positions like what Joan possessed. Her response According to Joan, yes

Finance coursework Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance coursework - Research Paper Example According to Gustav Cassel, the purchasing power parity is the appropriate level at which the foreign exchange rate should be set. The rate is measured by calculating the relative departures or deviations of price levels from a chosen base period in which the balance of payments of the concerned countries had been in equilibrium. If countries X and Y were in reasonable adjustment in time period 0, then these countries should choose an exchange rate in time period 1 (R1) which reflects the changes in their prices between time period 0 and time period 1. So, the formula is: The inflation rate has risen by 5% in US from 1993 to 1995, while it has risen by 12% in Zeal during the same period. Taking these rates into account and calculating at the old exchange rates of GP20 for $1, we calculate the new rate of exchange at GP33.6 for $1. The peso is not likely to fall any further. It has overadjusted. The rate would finally be set near the above calculated level. 2. The peso float could have been forecast due to a number of reasons. First, the exchange rate that was set and maintained by the Zeal authorities was clearly overvalued. The purchasing parity theory of exchange rates predicted a rate of GP33.6 for $1, while it was being pegged at the rate of GP20 for $1. Second, the balance of payments was running in deficit for a number of years as can be seen in Table1. The current account deficit was constantly increasing over the years and it was being funded by capital flows from abroad, putting pressure on the currency to depreciate. Thirdly, Inflation was consistently rising and was at 12% in 1995. The money supply was rising at a greater rate than the price level, again placing peso under pressure. Fourth, Zeal central bank was continuously losing international reserves in an attempt to hold the exchange rate. Fifth, the country had to borrow capital to fill the gap in balance of payments. And lastly, a sustainability of a particular level of current account deficit depends on how the capital flows are used and if the country has the appropriate debt servicing capability. A large and persistent current account deficit in the balance of payments of Zeal shows the employment of unsustainable macroeconomic policies. The exchange rate would have finally fallen victim to those policies. So, from the above reasons we can say that the peso float could have been anticipated. (Beenhakker, 2000) 3. Many wealthy individuals of the country have shifted their money out of the country through the dollarization of their assets. This is indicated from the unilateral transfers shown in Table1. The table indicates that the trade balance deficit has been increasing since 1973 and currently it stands at a very high $400,000,000.00. The current account deficit has similarly been increasing constantly over the years to reach $387 million. The international reserves have also been depleting as the current account deficit is increasing. There are still positive figures in unilateral transfers. The transfers have increased from a very minuscule $1 million in 1973 to reach $13 million in 1995. From 1973 to 1993 there was any increase of $6 million in unilateral transfers overall. But in the two years from 1993 to 1995 the country has seen an increase in unilateral tra

One Is One and All Alone Essay Example for Free

One Is One and All Alone Essay â€Å"One is One and All Alone† by Nicholas Fisk is a science fiction story, set in 2045. The main character is Trish, an 11-year old girl who is the only child on a spaceship to Trion. Her father is the Executive Officer of the spaceship and her mother is in Trion helping to set up a space station. She will only meet her mother in mid January 2047. After three months, she feels lonely and bored as she does not have any real friends to talk to except her private, multi-functional diary: the Voice Printer (VP). VP is an intelligent computer which keeps Trish entertained with its ability to perform many functions. Through her dialogue sessions with VP, Trish learns about clones and the cloning process. The idea of cloning fascinates Trish and she soon decides to create a clone to keep her company in the spaceship Bio lab without her father’s knowledge. She names her new identical twin â€Å"Clo† and initially it becomes her perfect friend and companion. They have fun playing and sharing their time together. However, certain mannerism of Clo begins to irritate Trish as the clone behaves and thinks like her. Soon they start to argue and disagree with each other over trivial matters. The last straw happens one night when Clo starts referring to Trish’s mum as her mum and this upsets Trish as she feels her privacy is being invaded. The next day, Trish opens up her diary and confides in VP that she does not like to be â€Å"swamped, invaded and taken over.† At that instant, she decides to dispose off Clo forever through the â€Å"DISPOSAL† hatch near her cabin. The story ends with a twist when it is Trish who is disposed by Clo. Clo then assumes Trish’s identity and Trish’s dad is not aware of the change at all. Clo then enjoys being â€Å"one is one and all alone† and her new lease of life as Trish in the spaceship.

Essay on Satire in Lysistrata -- Lysistrata Essays

Satire in Lysistrata Satire is a literary manner built on wit and humor with a critical attitude directed to human institutions and humanity. A successful satiric play will show certain truths about society and then try to improve upon them. Satire is meant to be constructive rather than destructive. Aristophanes uses satire in Lysistrata to convey many different themes such as war and peace, the struggles of power and class, and the life and death issues that are seen in war. Satire is successfully used and seen in Lysistrata by stereotyping women in general and then the different classes of women as well. Double entendres are seen throughout the play to help add humor to the play. Sex is used as humorous tool but only to covey a deeper theme that consists of war and peace and also of life and death. Aristophanes stereotypes women as bickering, self-centered, unintelligent people in the beginning. They are sex driven and selfish. Lysistrata is upset that the women are late for the very important meeting "Here I've called a meeting to discuss a very important matter, and they're all still fast asleep" (180). Calonice sums up what women are thought to do all day, and also what they represent to their households; "The women! What could they ever do that was any use? Sitting at home putting flowers in their hair, putting on cosmetics and saffron gowns and Cimberian see-through shifts, with slippers on our feet?" (181). It is in fact these very frivolous ideas that are used to bring peace to the two cities. Throughout the play Aristophanes begins to knock down ... ... convey deeper themes of life and death, the struggles between power and class structure and also the societal differences between men and women. Aristophanes uses humor to hook his audience into his play, and then undermines the surface humor with much bigger thematic issues. If this play had simply been about women withholding sex for other reasons such as wanting more money for shopping or other frivolous ideas it would not then be considered a satiric comedy. Satire requires more than physical humor. An issue must be raised such as the life and death theme that is seen in the war in Lysistrata, and a solution must then be made. Aristophanes created the women in the beginning to be bickering, unintelligent, and self-centered people. But in the end it was their idea and compromise that ended the war.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey Essay

Throughout history, the struggle of women to gain and sustain power in society has proven to be difficult, and has coexisted with a rivalry against the opposite sex. Women have been denied many throughout the course of history. They have been discriminated against, lost jobs, lost privileges. Women’s suffrage had not developed in the United States until the Nineteenth Amendment, which became effective in time to allow the voting by women nationally in the Presidential election of August 18, 1920. Stereotypical views of the ideal features of women are femininity, maternity, gentility, care, nurture, and dependency. Not matriarchy, independence, nor strength. Women are not generally associated with these traits, and society generally expects women to posses the assumed feminine characteristics. This is not the case in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, in which Ken Kesey shows a woman can hold a dominating, powerful role in society and be contrary to the stereotypical woman figure to depict the validity of the society’s views about women and their roles using the failure of the matriarchal female character to succeed at her role assumed by her occupation. The matriarchal female, Mildred Big Nurse Ratched, gains control over her realm in the mental hospital, but fails to fulfill her duties as a nurse of healing or helping her patients. The sexist description of her physical appearance provided by her patients are those typically associated with women, however, she completely contradicts the typical female. She is a matriarchal figure, not maternal. She is powerful, not dependent. And she manipulates complete power over the staff and patients of the hospital. However, her matriarchy does not fulfill her duties assumed by her occupation; to heal and help the patients. Instead, she worsens the situation by diminishing their strengths and exposing their weaknesses; which she does to gain control in a way which appeals to her senses. Big Nurse, or Mildred Ratched, attempts, and succeeds, to create her own world within the confines of the ward; one where she is completely in charge of all her subjects. This depicts her strong matriarchal role. Her desire to gain complete control over her environment uses several strategical moves.  After convincing her patients to confess their personal secrets, Ratched is understood by the patients to use the disadvantages of her patients to her own advantage in her accomplishment of gaining absolute power. Nurse Ratched is able to â€Å"smell out† the fear of her patients and â€Å"put it to use† (17) As the novel progresses, we also learn that Ratched’s powers within the ward extend to ludicrous measures as she is able to order harming of the relatively disruptive patients, which contributes to her extensive amount of power withing the ward. In numerous important scenes, we learn the extent of her power to prevent noisome independence: she can, in additio n to all the little arts of prodding the guilty recesses of her â€Å"patients'† consciences, order electric shock, even lobotomize the recalcitrant or merely disruptive patient. (Boardman ) She achieves control over the ward, as her patients, aware of her power, obey willingly or unwillingly. Mac, a patient at the hospital, promises to bug the nurse â€Å"till she comes apart at those neat little seams† (12). However, he learns that he can be institutionalized as long as the nurse sees fit. He immediately becomes cagey, satisfying, temporarily at least (Boardman)Nurse Ratched is able to establish complete control in the ward, and her patients recognize her ability maintain total control; a type of control that is parallel to a monarchy. In her own realm, Ratched is viewed as a very powerful individual, and the patients start to abide by her rules. Harding, a patient, explains, â€Å"‘We are victims of a matriarchy here, my friend, and the doctor is just as helpless against it as we are'† (54). This sentence is remarkably significant. It accredits the nurse as a dominant character in the hospital, and it also establishes the idea that the patients are not the only ones controlled by her, but the doctors as well. At times, Ratched refers to the sexuality of the men in the institute, making them inferior because of their inabilities. Ratched’s strength, and matriarchial character as a woman directly contradict the assumed characteristics associated with women; those of femininity and gentility. This contradiction is established in a way many by critics that look at the surface of the topic as a sexist description. In multiple occurrences throughout the progression of the novel, Ratched’s female characteristics are exaggeratively described by the patients such as McMurphy. McMurphy describes Ratched as having too red lipstick and the too  big boobs. (43) and as a a bitch and a buzzard and a ballcutter. Therefore, Ratched directly opposes the traditional gentle view of women as a matriarch but is given over-exaggerated female characteristics. Kesey’s purpose in creating this contrast between a stereotypical woman and and an ideal woman that is independent and strong is to establish the unsuccessful attempt at triumph of the ideal strong woman. The unsuccessful attempts of Ratched are depicted by her failure to meet the assumed role of being a nurse that consists of helping and healing her patients. Instead of helping, Ratched proceeds to make the state and situation of her patients worse and worse as she puts them down about their inabilities and maintains total control over them. Ratched is even viewed as evil. McMurphy explains, No, that nurse ain’t some kinda monster chicken, buddy, what she is is a ball-cutter. I’ve seen a thousand of ’em, old and young, men and women. Seen ’em all over the country and in the homes–people who try to make you weak so that they can get you to toe the line, to follow their rules, to live like they want you to. †¦ If you’re up against a guy who wants to win by making you weaker instead of making himself stronger, then watch for his knee, he’s gonna go for your vitals. And that’s what that old buzzard is doing. (58) McMurphy also refers to Ratched as impregnable and this sets her apart from the typical view of a female and the clichà ©d mother/whore dichotomy (Quinn) is established in the novel. There is an ambiguity that arises in the course of the novel, and the established dichotomy discussed by Quinn is expanded with a comparison of the two parts; the matriarch and the whore. Whereas Ratched uses power and control to accomplish her role of care and fails, the two whores introduced by McMurphy gain the trust and sympathy of the reader. They are viewed positively and as kind hearted by the patients in the institution. An excellent comparison captures the perception of the two figures; Strong women are evil and emasculating (Quinn) and The women viewed positively in the novel are the kind-hearted whores whom Mac introduces to the men and the sympathetic and very tiny Japanese nurse who works on the Disturbed ward. (Quinn) Through this direct comparison of the strong woman that is apart from a typical figure and the stereotypical woman that performers an act  directly associated with women, one can see that the typical woman is able to do what the other cannot; gain the affection of the male. While Ratched hides her female characteristics by wearing a white coat, the whores display their female attributes, and gain a positive view from the society made up of the hospital. McMurphy’s prior comment of Ratched being impregnable is linked to this comparison, since sexuality is a trait apparently missing from Ratched. Ken Kesey depicts the failure of a non-typical female figure to accomplish her goals as a dominating powerful figure by describing Ratched as evil, and comparing her to whores, who are viewed as kind hearted. This defiant comparison is uncommon since typically whores are viewed as a malignant part of society and nurses are viewed as purgatory. As a complete opposite, the whores are able to help amend the feelings of the patients, whereas Nurse Ratched fails miserably to accomplish her duty and even worsens the situation of her patients. Through the development of the female characters in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Kesey is able to convince the reader that the stereotypical woman is able to successfully help society, while the unusual matriarchal female is unable to fulfill her duties by gaining control and exercising domination. Works Cited (MLA Format)Boardman, Michael M. â€Å"One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Rhetoric and Vision.† Journal of Narrative Technique 9. No. 3. Fall 1979.: 171-83. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Quinn, Laura. Moby Dick vs. Big Nurse: A Feminist Defense of a Misogynist Text: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Censored Books: Critical Viewpoints. Ed. Nicholas J. Karolides. Lee Burress. John M. Kean. Scarecrow Press, 1993: 398-413. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Vol. 2. Zubizarreta, John. â€Å"The Disparity of Point of View in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.† Literature/Film Quarterly 22. No 1. 1994: 62-9. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism.

Lynda Smith “Disconnected” Rhetorical Summary Essay

In her essay, â€Å"Disconnected†, Lynda Smith apprehends that today’s technological forward movements are taking over our basic human interactions. She explains that we are being brainwashed into believing that cell phone, computers and other technological gadgets help us to stay connected smoothly and instantaneously. Although the reality is by using these gadgets we are not experiencing face to face communications, instead we are separating from each other. Lynda Smith tries to connect with readers emotions by pointing out misleading cell phone carrier commercials and slogans. Smith also uses further facts to support her claims, that these companies have lied to us and succeeded by providing false information by repetition. Which causal has the customer believe these companies are trustworthy and customer friendly. Even more she uses CIA’s data base information to show the number of cell phone and internet users to conclude her theory on commercials influencing our choices to purchase these services. Furthermore, Smith connects with people who have been affected by advertising and cell phone carries enormous number of cell phone users. Smith’s example portrays a men who was lead to believe, he would save time by owning a cell phone, while the truth is there is no saving time. Big corporations are just out to warp our sense of time so that we really end up with less, while still buying their products, and jumping on the bandwagon. Smith ends her arguments by stating we all have individual choice to decide how we communicate with our close once. Will it be by fast forwarding technology, or face to face interaction, either way we need to keep updated with technology in order progress forwards but we can not depend on it.

Moral decisions

Moral decisions Moral and Ethical DilemmasOne of the most difficult trials I face in my life are ethical and moral dilemmas. They can be soul-wrenching and searching experiences that tax my character and cause me to really 'put my money where my mouth is.' Sometimes I'm quick to see ethical faults in others, but slow to see them in myself. Other times I see all to clearly my mistakes and wonder why I don't measure up. I believe one purpose for this life is to learn to act for ourselves. Learn to see a situation correctly and act righteously. In this paper I wish to discuss many of the thoughts I have had recently on setting a pattern for making ethical decisions throughout my life. I will present many of the traps I have fallen into or observed in others.Everyday I'm faced with decisions of right and wrong, most of which are easily and correctly dealt with.Building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.Sometimes however, decisions need to be made that are not easy or clear-cut. They require thought and often prayer. I like to draw on past experience to make comparisons that help give insight to new problems. Many times, however past experiences cannot be related to present problems and can confuse and obscure possibilities. Even the opinions or actions of friends faced with similar dilemmas may not be helpful. Often you feel pressured by piers that say, 'it's no big deal', or 'you'll understand later'. It's important that I understand why a particular action or resolution is correct or incorrect. If I can't or don't it's difficult to feel I've been honest with myself. That for me can be a good measure of ethical behavior, my conscience.The ideal way to deal with difficult questions is to have a foolproof formula. Find steps that...

Thomas Macdonough in the War of 1812

Thomas Macdonough in the War of 1812 A native of Delaware, Thomas MacDonough became a noted officer in the US Navy during the early part of the 19th century. From a large family, he followed an older brother into the service and obtained a midshipmans warrant during the final months of the Quasi-War with France. MacDonough later saw service in the First Barbary War where he served under Commodore Edward Preble and took part in the daring raid which burned the captured frigate USS Philadelphia (36 guns). Shortly after the start of the  War of 1812, he received command of American forces on Lake Champlain. Building fleet, MacDonough won a decisive victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh in 1814 which saw him capture the entire British squadron. Early Life Born December 21, 1783 in northern Delaware, Thomas MacDonough was the son of Dr. Thomas and Mary McDonough. A veteran of the American Revolution, the senior McDonough served with the rank of major at the Battle of Long Island and was later wounded at White Plains. Raised in a strict Episcopal family, the younger Thomas was educated locally and by 1799 was working as a store clerk in Middletown, DE. At this time, his elder brother James, a midshipman in the US Navy, returned home having lost a leg during the Quasi-War with France. This inspired MacDonough to seek a career at sea and he applied for a midshipmans warrant with the aid of Senator Henry Latimer. This was granted on February 5, 1800. Around this time, for unknown reasons, he changed the spelling of his last name from McDonough to MacDonough. Going to Sea Reporting aboard USS Ganges (24), MacDonough sailed for the Caribbean in May. Through the summer, Ganges, with Captain John Mullowny in command, captured three French merchant vessels. With the end of the conflict in September, MacDonough remained in the US Navy and moved to the frigate USS Constellation (38) on October 20, 1801. Sailing for the Mediterranean, Constellation served in Commodore Richard Dales squadron during the First Barbary War. First Barbary War While aboard, MacDonough received a thorough nautical education from Captain Alexander Murray. As the composition of the squadron evolved, he received orders to join USS Philadelphia (36) in 1803. Commanded by Captain William Bainbridge, the frigate succeeded in capturing the Moroccan warship Mirboka (24) on August 26. Taking shore leave that fall, MacDonough was not aboard Philadelphia when it grounded on an uncharted reef in Tripoli harbor and was captured on October 31. Without a ship, MacDonough was soon reassigned to the sloop USS Enterprise (12). Serving under Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, he aided in the capture of the Tripolitan ketch Mastico in December. This prize was soon refitted as USS Intrepid (4) and joined the squadron. Concerned that Philadelphia would be salvaged by the Tripolitans, the squadron commander, Commodore Edward Preble, began formulating a plan to eliminate the stricken frigate. This called for Decatur to sneak into Tripoli harbor using Intrepid, storming the ship, and setting it ablaze if it could not saved. Familiar with Philadelphias layout, MacDonough volunteered for the raid and played a key role. Moving forward, Decatur and his men succeeded in burning Philadelphia on February 16, 1804. A stunning success, the raid was termed the the most bold and daring act of the Age by British Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. Peacetime Promoted to acting lieutenant for his part in the raid, MacDonough soon joined the brig USS Syren (18). Returning the United States in 1806, he aided Captain Isaac Hull in overseeing the construction of gunboats at Middletown, CT. Later that year, his promotion to lieutenant was made permanent. Completing his assignment with Hull, MacDonough received his first command in the sloop of war USS Wasp (18). Initially operating in the waters around Britain, Wasp spent much 1808 off the United States enforcing the Embargo Act. Departing Wasp, MacDonough spent part of 1809 aboard USS Essex (36) before leaving the frigate to direct gunboat construction at Middletown. With the repeal of the Embargo Act in 1809, the US Navy reduced its forces. The following year, MacDonough requested leave and spent two years as the captain of a British merchant vessel sailing to India. The War of 1812 Begins Returning to active duty shortly before the beginning of the War of 1812 in June 1812, MacDonough initially received a posting to Constellation. Fitting out at Washington, DC, the frigate required several months of work before being ready for sea. Eager take part in the fighting, MacDonough soon requested a transfer and briefly commanded gunboats at Portland, ME before being ordered to take command of US naval forces on Lake Champlain that October. Arriving at Burlington, VT, his forces were limited to the sloops USS Growler (10) and USS Eagle (10). Though small, his command was sufficient to control the lake. This situation changed radically on June 2, 1813, when Lieutenant Sidney Smith lost both vessels near Ile aux Noix. Building a Fleet Promoted to master commandant on July 24, MacDonough began large a shipbuilding effort at Otter Creek, VT in an effort to regain the lake. This yard produced the corvette USS Saratoga (26), the sloop of war USS Eagle (20), the schooner USS Ticonderoga (14), and several gunboats by late spring 1814. This effort was matched by his British counterpart, Commander Daniel Pring, who commenced his own building program at Ile aux Noix. Moving south in mid-May, Pring attempted to attack the American shipyard but was driven off by MacDonoughs batteries. Completing his vessels, MacDonough shifted his squadron of fourteen warships across the lake to Plattsburgh, NY to await Prings next sortie south. Out-gunned by the Americans, Pring withdrew to await the completion of the frigate HMS Confiance (36). Showdown at Plattsburgh As Confiance neared completion, British forces led by Lieutenant General Sir George Prà ©vost began gathering with the intention of invading the United States via Lake Champlain. As Prà ©vosts men marched south, they would be supplied and protected by British naval forces now led by Captain George Downie. To oppose this effort, badly outnumbered American forces, commanded by Brigadier General Alexander Macomb, assumed a defensive position near Plattsburgh. They were supported by MacDonough who arrayed his fleet in Plattsburgh Bay. Advancing on August 31, Prà ©vosts men, which included a large number of the Duke of Wellingtons veterans, were hampered by a variety of delaying tactics used by the Americans. Arriving near Plattsburgh on September 6, their initial efforts were turned back by Macomb. Consulting with Downie, Prà ©vost intended to attack the American lines in force on September 10 in concert with a naval effort against MacDonough in the bay. MacDonoughs Plan Blocked by unfavorable winds, Downies ships were unable to advance on the desired date and were forced to delay a day. Mounting fewer long guns than Downie, MacDonough took a position in Plattsburgh Bay where he believed his heavier, but shorter range carronades would be most effective. Supported by ten small gunboats, he placed Eagle, Saratoga, Ticonderoga, and the sloop Preble (7) in a north-south line. In each case, two anchors were used along with spring lines to permit the vessels to turn while at anchor. After scouting the American position on the morning of September 11, Downie chose to move forward. The Fleets Engage Passing around Cumberland Head at 9:00 AM, Downies squadron consisted of Confiance, the brig HMS Linnet (16), the sloops HMS Chubb (10) and HMS Finch (11), and twelve gunboats.  As the Battle of Plattsburgh began, Downie initially sought to place Confiance across the head of the American line, but shifting winds prevented this and he instead assumed a position opposite Saratoga. As the two flagships commenced battering each other, Pring was able to cross in front of Eagle with Linnet while Chubb was quickly disabled and captured. Finch moved to take a position across the tail of MacDonoughs line but drifted south and grounded on Crab Island. MacDonoughs Victory While Confiances first broadsides did significant damage to Saratoga, the two ships continued to trade blows with Downie being killed when a cannon was driven into him. To the north, Pring opened fire on Eagle with the American vessel unable to turn to effectively counter. At the opposite end of the line, Preble was compelled to withdraw from the fight by Downies gunboats. These were finally halted by determined fire from Ticonderoga. Under heavy fire, Eagle severed its anchor lines and began to drift down the American line permitting Linnet to rake Saratoga. With most of his starboard guns out of action, MacDonough employed his spring lines to turn his flagship. Bringing his undamaged portside guns to bear, MacDonough opened fire on Confiance. The survivors aboard the British flagship sought to conduct a similar turn but became stuck with the frigates vulnerable stern presented to Saratoga. Incapable of further resistance, Confiance struck its colors. Pivoting Saratoga a second time, MacDonough brought its broadside to bear on Linnet. With his ship out-gunned and seeing that further resistance was futile, Pring elected to surrendered. Having gained the upper hand, the Americans proceeded to capture the entire British squadron. Aftermath MacDonoughs triumph matched that of Master Commandant Oliver H. Perry who had won a similar victory on Lake Erie the previous September. Ashore, Prà ©vosts initial efforts were delayed or turned back. Learning of Downies defeat, he elected to break off the battle as he felt any victory would be meaningless as American control of the lake would prevent him from being able to resupply his army. Though his commanders protested the decision, Prà ©vosts army began retreating north to Canada that night. For his efforts at Plattsburgh, MacDonough was hailed as hero and received a promotion to captain as well as a Congressional Gold Medal. In addition, both New York and Vermont presented him with generous grants of land. Later Career After remaining on the lake into 1815, MacDonough took command of the Portsmouth Navy Yard on July 1 where he relieved Hull. Returning to sea three years later, he joined the Mediterranean Squadron as captain of HMS Guerriere (44). During his time abroad, MacDonough contracted tuberculosis in April 1818. Due to health issues, he returned to the United States later that year where he began overseeing the construction of the ship of the line USS Ohio (74) at the New York Navy Yard. In this position for five years, MacDonough requested sea duty and received command of USS Constitution in 1824. Sailing for the Mediterranean, MacDonoughs tenure aboard the frigate proved brief as he was forced to relieve himself of command due to health issues on October 14, 1825. Sailing for home, he died off Gibraltar on November 10. MacDonoughs body was returned to the United States where it was buried in Middletown, CT next to his wife, Lucy Ann Shale MacDonough (m.1812).

Doha Development Round Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Doha Development Round - Essay Example To add to that, even USA and EU have strategic differences on certain issues. The most recent round, which was held in 2008, broke down after the member countries failed to reach a consensus regarding agriculture import rules (BBC, 2008). Though these were followed by intense negotiations, they failed to break the deadlock. The World Trade Organization was formed with an aim to supervise and liberalize international trade. The Doha round of talks was a devise formulated to achieve that aim and lower trade barriers around the world, thus facilitating growth in trade globally. Besides that, the talks were also meant to insure that multilateral trading system must benefit the developing countries that constitute over three quarters of WTO members. The Doha declaration declared that the member countries of the WTO should strive to negotiate a policy, wherein the developing countries manage to secure for themselves a share in the growth of world trade in accordance with their respective national economic growth. To achieve the above stated goals, the following twin means were identified- reducing import tariffs, thus allowing the developing countries to have wider access to the global markets, and discouraging domestic and export subsidies, which would enable the over-production of goods at very low prices. This in turn would again boost trade practices. The talks were centered around... Thus, the Doha declaration carefully worked on these strategies and elaborated a set of objectives with stipulated deadlines. The objective was to establish a fair and market-oriented trading system through a program of fundamental reforms. The program strengthened rules, and provided specific commitments on government support and protection for agriculture. The purpose was to correct and prevent restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets. (WTO 2001). As has been discussed earlier, the major emphasis was on decreasing and eventually phasing out export subsidies, reducing support systems that pose a threat to trade relations, and broaden the limits of global markets, thus making them more accessible to the developing countries. Out of the 132 countries that are a part of the WTO, 103 countries are classified as developing or least developed. In majority of these countries, agriculture is the chief occupation for the masses. Thus, all possible steps were taken to ensure that developing countries benefit from the declaration, especially when it comes to the issue of agriculture. The issue was managed under the following dimensions- market access, domestic supports, export competition, and development issues. At certain places, these counties were also rendered special treatment, to alleviate domestic problems of food scarcity and rural development. Recently, however agriculture( more specifically, agriculture import rules) has become the crux of several deadlocks. The reforms were not limited to the agricultural sector alone. Negotiations were also carried out to implement tariff cutting schemes on major non agricultural