A Hardball Leadership Essay

Politics is a battlefield for power. Throughout history, politics play an important role in shaping leaders and forming powerful states. Wars are even conducted to be able to get the advantage of politics. However nowadays, to get ahead into politics warfare is not necessary; it all depends on how an individual handles it. It is more than just the leadership skills, the charisma and the motivation to serve. It is the usage of the smartest strategies to get acquainted with the ‘who’ and to get the ‘what’. â€Å"The end justifies the means. Machiavelli famously imprinted these words in the world of politics. For Machiavelli, politics is more than just a career, it is an art that should be mastered and should be maintained. For Chris Matthews, politics is a game that should be learned by playing according to a set of rules. Both authors have goals in mind: to be on top of the power. Their works serve as guidelines on handling politics. Machiavelli and Matthews provide strategies on how to be an influential and effective political figure. These rules were patterned in the context of their current society. Though Machiavelli’s attack on The Prince is more aggressive than Matthews, this is mainly because of the political turmoil that has occurred during his time. Matthews on the other hand, wrote practical approaches that can be applied not just in government but as well as in business, job promotion or other aspects of life. This is to convey that politics is everywhere. Nonetheless, despite the differences between Matthews and Machiavelli, their works are cohesively direct to the path of power. To be the best player in the field of politics, one must maximize everything – including flaws and opponents – to his or her advantage. While Machiavelli focused more on state affairs, Matthews applied strategies not just to politics but to general ways of life. Like Machiavelli, Matthews related in his book on how to rise to power and maintaining it the moment it is achieved. The spread of influence and the utilization of wits will be able to bring someone to the top. Matthews enumerated his practical strategies that people within the Washington circle used. The ability to appear powerful is one of the tactics which Machiavelli has also cited. The embodiment of power is important to acquire power itself. From the famous saying of ‘what the mind conceive the body will achieve,’ people and competitors will believe a person portraying as a powerful individual. It creates a strong impression. To convince others that one has a power; it should reflect the outer attributes and incorporate the attitudes of a powerful entity. The Politician will have to utilize everything to be able to reach the top and at the top, his resources should be exhausted even more to maintain his or her stature. The Prince has the same aim. Machiavelli described most of his tactics with the likes of being a fox and to be a lion at the same time. On the other hand, Matthews associated it with a term of aggressive sports. In the field of sports, an athlete needs to play hard and it is necessary to lay out the strategies to be able to win the game. The aspects of deception and manipulation clearly reflect a Machiavellian theme situated in the White House. The politician works closely with the enemies rather than shunning them away. It gives the politician an opportunity to watch the actions of the enemy directly. Their capabilities can be used in favor of the politician’s gain. Both authors have stated the importance of alliances to strengthen influence and gain trust. Machiavelli stressed the importance of taking sides rather than going neutral. Win or lose, the Prince still has allies to aid him when crisis comes. Matthews mentioned having alliances to gain loyal supporters. He was able to portray in Washington, that people who actually do favors for the politician become great allies. The work of Chris Matthews is often compared with Machiavelli. Both of them preached the same aim of acquiring power, though their subjects are different. It can be viewed that Machiavelli’s The Prince is solely based on an individualistic approach since he focused on monarchies as a source of power. On the contrary, Matthews’ approach is more inter-personal. By the title of his book Hardball: How Politics Is Played Told By One Who Knows The Game, it gives the impression of sports which is composed of individuals and teams. To be on top means to be the captain of the game. Hardball can be a useful reference for people who want to get ahead with life. As mentioned earlier, Matthews’ approach is not as aggressive as Machiavelli. This can be applied in other aspects of life because as what Matthews mentioned in his introduction, â€Å"there are enduring human truths in the rules that politicians play by† (Matthews 17). Matthews depicts politics as an exciting and thrilling environment where the most amusing personalities are passionately involved. Machiavelli, on the other hand, gave a cruel and ruthless picture. Since politics is compared with sports, the major player from Matthews’ book is a prominent figure in world politics. The United States is one of the most influential countries, economic-wise and political wise. As a state, the U. S. is good at keeping their alliances. The long years of friendship with other countries (i. e. Great Britain) contributed to numerous gains which helped the US to be a super power in the international community. Behind its status is the most powerful political figure in the United States. For the upcoming 2008 US Presidential election, it is notable to mention a candidate that created a name for him as the first colored American to be nominated for presidency. Barack Obama can be a perfect example of a major player in Matthews’ political field. Being raised in a multi-racial background, this became an asset for him to reach different minorities in the country. This particular asset of Obama became one of his forefronts of his campaign which focused on thriving for change. Modern United States is a diverse country made up of various racial origins and Obama thought that his colored skin can be an advantage. Obama revealed in his memoir Dreams from my Father about his previous lifestyle of smoking and drinking. Relating this particular detail of his life, it can be seen as a target for his opponent to dwell on. However, this can also be viewed as a method derived from Matthews’ book. Before the other party can even use it against him, he does the broadcasting himself. Admitting one’s flaw can lessen the negative impact of it, and the rivals will have to search for a new attack to use against the politician. Citing this example, it is seen how Chris Matthews’ strategies are put to use. This kind of political play inside the White House reflects how the United States moves in the arena of world politics. Taking that into account, Chris Matthews gives the readers a clear picture of the inner workings of America’s political center. Washington is portrayed as the battlefield, wherein politics is the game, and the athletes are the politicians who play hardball.

Art is an expression Essay

Art to me is an expression. Society has a way of creating social norms, and through this influence people to become inspired to be different, to express themselves in many ways and to share with others this passion, in the form of art. Cultures have utilized art in the form of drawings, patterns, and techniques; for example the type of clothes they wear, and type of houses they live in. Art is everywhere. Albert Einstein once said, you could look at life as if nothings a miracle or as if everything is. I think that you can look at art in the same way. I remember watching a film in class on a man and a woman who were in charge of the community project that consisted of hanging sheets for miles. I have no idea why they would do that over a different art project, but I got their message. It was all about working together, doing something that was unique and of their own works, regardless of everyone else’s opinion. They had to fight the system for a while before they were able to begin. That’s passion. After the readings I can’t help but to agree that art offers us a way to go beyond physical existence. What the author is saying to me is that art in every form changes our values our ideas in an effect change our lives. We are not robots, we don’t have to stay within regulations; we have the ability to be creative. Being creative is the most powerful tool we have some may argue. To touch back on why people make art, I can remember watching movies as a kid and there was this one kid out of the prep school that did wear the dress uniform to standard like all the other students. He was seeking to be different. Changing your uniform up a little to be different is art. Indians may paint their faces and their horses differently so that they stand out of all the others so that they can be found and identify. Same cases Indians made art was to distinguish themselves from other tribes as to not kill  their own people during a raid or battle. I used to become stressed with school and/or with relationship issues so I started drawing. I never liked being told what to draw and how to do it. I mostly like to begin with lines and later find out it looks like something that was unplanned. The reasons why I draw was take my focus off of life. Sometimes drawing something that makes you happy can help you to recall memories from good experiences and can turn your day around. Art is my tool and is my passion.

Contribution of Capital in Growth Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Contribution of Capital in Growth - Assignment Example   b) In such a model, the growth rate of output is ∆y/y =(SAnd), and therefore arise in depreciation cause a reduction in an economies output and since the growth rate of capital is a function of such depreciation and since they the increase in depreciation decreases capital stock. And since consumption is relative to output a decrease in output impacts in a similar way to consumption as they are positively related. Therefore it can be seen that increase in depreciation will reduce the capital stock, in the long run, reducing capital, capital-output per worker and finally consumption.   At steady state the optimum capital is utilized and since the government takes up all the units produced. The labor force utilizes all the capital available which the government takes up as indicated by point A. Also at this point, the government saves nothing since it utilizes everything in purchasing the entire output.   b) increase in government purchases will cause an increase in productivity per worker but since the capital is a function of depreciation capital at the disposal of the workers will decrease in the long run causing a reduction in the output per worker and consequently a reduction in consumption an increase in â€Å"g† cannot even match the growth of population or labor force of an economy.

GUN CONTROL LAWS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

GUN CONTROL LAWS - Research Paper Example Evolution of gun control laws in the United States Although gun battles and issues related to it are getting higher in various parts of America, gun control in general is encouraged by a few Americans. They support handgun control in particular. The gun laws in United States are mentioned in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. The gun control in the United States may be Federal, State or even local gun control. Congress in 1934 commenced the first major gun control in 1934 which emphasized on the regulation of the firearms like machine guns. This was followed by a new federal law in 1938 which imposed license on the gun sellers. This also put restriction on aggressive individuals from purchasing guns. An additional ‘Gun Control Act’ passed in 1968 stressed on the regulation of imported guns and expanded the regulations passed in the previous law. An obligatory penalty for the utilization of gun was established by the federal legislation in 1986 follow ed by prohibiting the manufacturing and importation of semi-automatic assault weapons. The gun control law passed by congress in 1994 has proved out to be the most prominent attempt at the national gun control. Ban on certain assault weapons also accompanied the 1aw passed in 1994 which expire in 2004. Along with the federal gun control, state and local legislation play their role in gun control. Leaving a loaded weapon with easy access of a minor has been regarded as a crime by the legislation passed by the state. As part of gun control, some states forbid concealed weapons while some others highlight on putting forward the requirement former to the obtaining of license to bear the concealed weapons. â€Å"States also regulate private sales to minors and all secondary market sales.† (Gun control policy issues, n.d.). California imposed ban on certain automatic weapons in 1989 followed by its extension by some other states. Most of the states have ‘preemption’ la ws forbidding the gun control ordinances from local authorities. Few states use additional state data for background study before the issue of handgun authority (Gun control policy issues). Multiple responses to regulations Gun control laws in the United States are believed to have brought significant reduction in the access of guns by immoral and illegal individuals. There exist controversies in the implementation efficiency of the federal laws. Some advocates claim that federal laws have indeed proved to be a milestone in the gun control efforts. They assert that state laws cannot be as effective as federal laws in restricting the states with few state laws from being the sources of guns for the immoral flow of guns to the restrictive states. The proponents of the federal laws have suggested for slight variations in the federal law components which would add to the effectiveness of laws and ensure the public safety. At the same time, there is equal denial on this claim from the op ponents. â€Å"They argue that controls often create burdens for law-abiding citizens and infringe upon constitutional rights provided by the Second Amendment† (Gun Control). The opponents show little satisfaction on the

Communication, Ethics, and Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Communication, Ethics, and Society - Assignment Example According to Forbes, in the last few years, GoDaddy.com has been a target for several unethical practices. One issue was when a CEO killed a wild elephant in Africa in 2011. Again, in 2011, GoDaddy underwent scrutiny by offering support for SOPA which was an example of people not being able to exercise a freedom of speech or what they wanted to do while online. GoDaddy pulled its support because people were going to boycott the company (Clay, K. 2012). The advertisement was simply controversial because it portrayed women as sex symbols, showing them partying in the workplace. It was an issue of sexism and since it was shown during the Super Bowl, it was a direct attempt at men that is the general demographic of people that watch football. Instead of offering an intelligent response, the company still maintains to show sexism in their ads, with one of their sexiest ads ever to appear during the 2013 Super Bowl where a â€Å"hot† model was in a deep lip lock with a nerdy man. This advertisement increased sales for GoDaddy.com tremendously (Huffington Post, 2013). It was uncomfortable to watch and still continued to use women as sexual objects that could use control over men to get what they want. In my opinion, viewers ignore it and find it humorous though the underlying message is disgusting. GoDaddy has not learned its lesson at all and seem proud to offend others. The public is desensitized to seeing women as sex symbols a nd it is a role that is reinforced through other companies such as Victoria’s Secret and Hooters. Feminists should be livid over these companies that use these examples and though Victoria’s Secret is geared at women to buy lingerie, every single one of these examples should issue an apology to women everywhere for depicting them as

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 7

Assignment Example 2 At any time during the tax year, was any partner in the partnership a disregarded entity, a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership), a trust, an S corporation, an estate (other than an estate of a deceased partner), or a nominee or similar person? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . a Did any foreign or domestic corporation, partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership), trust, or taxexempt organization, or any foreign government own, directly or indirectly, an interest of 50% or more in the profit, loss, or capital of the partnership? For rules of constructive ownership, see instructions. If â€Å"Yes,† attach Schedule b Did any individual or estate own, directly or indirectly, an interest of 50% or more in the profit, loss, or capital of the partnership? For rules of constructive ownership, see instructions. If â€Å"Yes,† attach Schedule B-1, Information on Partners Owning 50% or More of the Partnership NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a Own directly 20% or more, or own, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the total voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote of any foreign or domestic corporation? For rules of constructive ownership, see instructions. If â€Å"Yes,† complete (i) through (iv) below . . . . . . . NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . b Own directly an interest of 20% or more, or own, directly or indirectly, an interest of 50% or more in the profit, loss, or capital in any foreign or domestic partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership) or in the beneficial interest of a trust? For rules of constructive ownership, see instructions. If â€Å"Yes,† complete (i) through (v) below . .NO 5 Did the partnership file Form 8893, Election of Partnership Level Tax Treatment, or an election statement under section 6231(a)(1)(B)(ii) for partnership-level tax treatment, that is in effect for this tax

Identification the Stages of C elegans Lab Report

Identification the Stages of C elegans - Lab Report Example Most molecular genetics experiment cannot be employed on humans because of their complexity. In order to perform these experiments, researchers use certain model organisms which can be cultured very easily in the laboratory and is easy to manipulate. These model organisms though physically different from humans bear certain biochemical and physiological features that have been conserved during evolution (Hedges,2002, p838). With this respect, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis Celegans offer certain exceptional advantages and is one of the foremost model systems in molecular genetics. In order to study gene function in model organisms, single gene mutations are introduced and phenotypical characters are analyzed. The result of this analysis may vary-some of these single gene mutations would produce drastic biochemical or structural differences while others may go silent when compared with the wild-type phenotype (Fire at all,1998). Background of RNAi RNAi (RNA inference) also known as post-transcriptional gene silencing is a biological process which down-regulates expression of the targeted gene. Exogenous dsRNA could induce potent and sequence-specific silencing of endogenous gene expression in C.elegans (Fire et al,1998) i.e. intentional introduction of dsRNA into any organism, the difference in traits as a result of gene silencing may be observed. Worms as a model system: Most molecular genetics experiment cannot be employed on humans because of their complexity. In order to perform these experiments, researchers use certain model organisms which can be cultured very easily in the laboratory and is easy to manipulate and Celegans is an ideal organism because of the following characteristics: It is a eukaryote Genome size is small (97 Megabases) Small lifecycle Easy to maintain in laboratory (Gilbert,2000) Gene that we studied: The entire genome of C.elegans has been sequenced and therefore we have a clear understanding about the genes. We used 4 mutant with different genes suppressed so as to try and understand the role of the genes in the wild C.elegans. The genes are day-10, roll-6, by-1, and unc-22.  Material Required: Mutant worms on NGM-lite plates Wild-type worms on NGM-lite plates Binocular dissecting microscope Methods: 1. LAB1-part 1- Plates with wild worms are seen under microscope and behavior is observed. Life stage of microscope and drop on the plate to induce movement. Tapping the plate may also be required to induce movement. Observation of lifecycle is made. 2. LAB1-part 2 Both mutant and wild types are observed under the microscope and morphological and locomotor differences between them are observed and recorded. 2 E. coli are used as the food source for C.elegans. C.elegans are propagated on the lawn of E-coli on NGM-lite medium. The worms are propagated from plate to plate by the process of chucking and picking. Chucking and Picking Chucking is a rapid way of transfer and involved cutting out a portion of the NGM-lite medium where E. coli food source had been consumed and transferring it on a new plate. Picking involves transferring of individual worms with the help of flattened tip of a platinum wire.