Oil Taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Oil Taxes - Essay Example Crude oil, as the raw material in the world market has effected changes that have affected the economic stability of countries. While price changes has its usual negative implications, adverse supply shocks unexpectedly has created a critical scenario in the reduced aggregate supply in the world oil market thereby increasing its prices. In the early 70's, OPEC's control and reduction of oil prices according to Mankiw(1998)1 has aroused the world oil price instantly that has resulted to double-digit inflation and high unemployment rates. The changing prices of crude oil have its usual implications on the economy that often results to a world oil crisis. At the moment, the world is witnessing a major oil crisis with the current war in Iraq and the ensuing conflict with the other large oil producing countries in the Middle East. It is startling to note that material changes in the price of oil can rapidly cascade to the whole economy thereby affecting the price structures of consumer go ods and services. The United States, as the highest consumer of the world's oil stands at the loosing end thereby carefully fielding studies to convince the Gulf and Europe to limit their cuts. Former US Energy Secretary Richardson2(2000)has suggested in a new measure to limit the drastic impact on world economic slowdown by discussing the relationship between the world oil price market and the heavy taxation imposed by the government of oil-producing countries on oil production. According to OPEC, the barrel of refined oil has been split in to three; crude oil price, industry margin and taxes. Governments who share the bulk of the profit are thereby enjoined to seriously observe their tax policies and exact measures to alleviate the prices of this main commodity. Mineral Taxation around the World The current moves to effective globalization aims to de-emphasize high tax rate, tie tax rate to additional profit or impose low but flat tax on all activities. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Tunisia and Venezuela that have similar high tax rate do not share in production, while Qatar, Egypt, Yemen and Argentina that share in production have tax rate ranging from 0-40%.73 Most of these countries have done away with royalty while others have rates ranging from 1-12%, which is based on the sliding scale tied to production. Let us look into the different taxation measures imposed by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, two minor oil producers who have every potential for economic gains and their implementation of tax reforms. As international capital flows are guided by the prevailing fiscal regimes, there is a need for achieving some degree of harmonization. In this context, it is important to know what types of taxes can be expected on the oil sector industry. The dual nature further imposed on oil and gas as a special character of the mineral sector on other countries has equated the dual role of the government leading to the dilemma of whether taxation should be different in the mining sector and general system in terms of rate structure and administration. Taxes of general application may not always be suitable for mineral companies involving higher capital intensity and long-gestation lags. Further, it is difficult to prejudge whether the exemption of the mineral companies from

Quality and perf 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quality and perf 1 - Assignment Example The data for the amount of time spent on each activity performed on the patient will be noted including transportation, waiting and the time spent on treatment. Also, comments from nurses, therapist and family-members of the patient will be noted to increase the efficiency of the project. Data collection will be a team work task among all the employees of all the departments. Each participant will note the time he spends on each activity and then submit the report to his respective department. All the final reports from each department will be organized in a â€Å"flow chart model with the timeline† as per organizational chart. The Quality Improvement Plan will be executed by the â€Å"Q-Team†. The team will consist of 6 senior members from each level of the organizational chart which includes the head of therapist, head of nurse, In charge of transportation, administrator, human resource manager and manager of strategic planning and financing. Head of the therapist will make sure that all the patients get the best care in an efficient manner considering the importance of time both for the organization and patient. Each therapist will fill a patient profile form mentioning the time spent on treatment and counseling. He then submits it to the head of therapist. In charge of the transportation will confirm that each patient will come to the centre, before his appointment time with the therapist. Transporters will note the time for transportation for each patient. Administrator will be in direct contact with the family members of the patient. In case of any complaint or request he will pass it on to the committee to refine the whole process. Any delays from the patients or complaints will be noted down and will be submitted to the committee later on. All the members of the committee being professional in their respective fields will utilize their

Group Pressure Essay Example for Free

Group Pressure Essay Groups influence the behavior of their members, often promoting conformity. The tendency to match one’s behavior to that of others is called conformity. Some amount of group conformity provides a secure feeling of belonging; group pressure, however, can be considerable and sometimes unpleasant. Even groups of strangers can foster conformity, as a classic experiment by Solomon Asch (1952) showed. This empirical study is a classic investigation that revealed the power of group conformity. It’s always been known that our social world not only involves making attributions, it also involves our tendency to conform to or not to conform to the attitudes and behaviors of others. The story of Okiki is one of the reasons why further study is needed in this field. She’s a thirteen-year-old honors student at a Lorain, Ohio, middle school. She sat in class, her arms and legs shaking nervously. In her book bag she had a twelve-inch kitchen knife. Her plan was to wait for the bell to ring and then rush to the front of the classroom and, with the help of another student, stab her teacher to death. Why?  To settle a grudge against the teacher and to show her classmates (at least a dozen of whom placed bets as to whether or not she would â€Å"chicken out†) that she was worthy of their respect. Hearing about the plot, an assistant principal broke up the plan only minutes before it was to be carried out (Gregory, 1993). The fact that young teens are anxious about fitting in surprise no one, although many people might be amazed at the lengths some will go to gain acceptance. Sociologists have confirmed the power of group pressure to shape human behavior and found that it remains strong in adulthood as well as in adolescence. Hence further study regarding this problem is needed. Another reason is that, more people nowadays, conform by adopting the social norms or customs of the larger group. Changing fashions in dress and hair style illustrate conformity. I t would have been extremely unusual in the 1950s, for example, for a young man to wear an earring, but it is commonplace today. Most people feel pressure to go along with the fashion trend that is operative at the time for their group. Hypotheses Solomon Ach conducted this classic study with the hypothesis that: There would be little yielding to group pressure. Hence the hypothesis being tested is that group pressure affects perceptual judgments. Specifically, the study seeks to answer the following questions: 1. Could anything persuade a person to choose others` choice other than what the person have selected is the correct choice? 2. Do opinions of the majority have an extremely powerful influence on an individual? Type of research A controlled experiment was conducted by Asch in his famous study. The controlled experiment allows the researcher to manipulate an independent. The experimenter forms an experimental group, which will experience a change in the independent variable (the â€Å"treatment†), and a control group, which will not experience the treatment but whose behavior will be compared with that of the experimental group. It is important to take note that the control group is similar to the experimental group in every other way. ) This type of experiment is especially characteristic of studies at the micro level of sociological research. Participants The participants are college students recruited by the researcher. Asch`s control participants/group consisted of subjects who looked at the lines in a room where they were seated together but were allowed to make their judgments independently. In this group the subjects invariably matched the correct lines, just as you no doubt have. But in the experimental group a different result was produced by the introduction of an independent variable: group pressure. Procedure Solomon Asch (1952) conducted a classic investigation that revealed the power of group conformity. He formed groups of six to eight people, allegedly to study visual perception. His technique required the use of confederates, all of whom stated an obviously incorrect judgment prior to the turn of the individual whose behavior was being investigated. He arranged with all but one member of the group to create a situation in which the remaining subject would be pressured to accept conclusions that were quite unreasonable. Asch asked group members, one at a time, to match a â€Å"standard† line on â€Å"Card 1,† to one of three lines on â€Å"Card. † Anyone with normal vision could see that the line marked â€Å"A† on â€Å"Card 2† was the correct choice. Initially, everyone gave correct answers. Then, Asch`s secret accomplices began responding incorrectly, making the naive subject bewildered and uncomfortable. Results and Conclusions So what happened? Asch found that more than one-third of subjects placed in this awkward situation chose to conform to the others by answering incorrectly or they went along with the incorrect group judgment. His study suggests that many of us are apparently willing to compromise our own judgment to avoid the discomfort of being different from others, even from people we do not know. The independent variable in the study was group pressure. Asch varied the degree of group pressure experienced by the subject. The independent variable (group pressure) thus produced more â€Å"errors,† or choices (dependent variable) of the wrong line (Asch, 1966). Methodological or ethical flaws Yes, an ethical flaw in the study is evident. In Asch experiment, the subject is duped and may feel embarrassed. Since this is a sociological research, it deals with the personal lives and inner thoughts of real human beings. Although this research seems relatively innocent, there are many times when the question asked or the behaviors witnessed may be embarrassing or even more damaging. Moreover, the study did not mention informed consent. So, the researcher did not take precautions to protect the fundamental rights of human subjects. More or less, the study has good internal validity as it clearly measures what it intends to measure. Moreover, external events and contamination may cause causal conclusions of the study to be invalid. For example, when the experimental group was interviewed, something might happen which is unrelated to the result or something in their surrounding might influence the subjects in answering the questions and thus might affect the result of the survey. On the other hand, external validity is not measured in the study. Alternative Explanation An alternative explanation for the results found in this research, not related to the effects of an independent variable is the foot-in-the-door technique (Dillard, 2001). This technique can produce extraordinary degrees of compliance. Here, the experimental group will conform to the confederates not by group pressure but by voluntarily conforming to the incorrect response. This is best explained by self-perception theory, which assumes that we infer our attitudes from observing our own behavior, and provides an answer. Here, if someone freely comply with a small, worthwhile requests, the person will somehow his self as someone who has positive attitude toward worthwhile requests. As one wish to be consistent with his self-perception, he may be more likely to comply with other requests. But supporters of this alternative explanation have been mixed (Dillard, 2001). One variations of the Asch experiment suggest that the social impact of the group varies as a function of its size, the degree of unanimity in the group, and the degree to which one’s nonconforming behavior can be hidden from scrutiny. People evaluate their opinions and behavior against the standards of a reference group. If they find major differences, they feel pressure to conform – or to change reference groups.

Is Canada A Peacekeeping Country History Essay

Is Canada A Peacekeeping Country History Essay Canada is viewed as a nation that always attempts to keep and build peace. Humanity has seen Canada virtually invent the terms peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Peacekeeping is a vital component of Canadas foreign policy, and consists of a reputation that has been established from fifty years of experience. Canadian involvement has ranged from, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦providing emergency shelter, patrolling, mine clearance, and the maintenance of critical distribution routes for delivery of vital humanitarian aid shipments.  [1]   Over 120,000 men and women have served in close to 50 different United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions, but with a price of 108 Canadian casualties.  [2]  There are two perspectives for Canadas participation in peacekeeping. One side says that Canada was distant from the majority of the disputes, and therefore there was no reason for involvement. These individuals speculate on Canadas sacrifice, but do not realize the reward. However, these people are incor rect, and the necessity of Canadian involvement in peacekeeping was specifically seen in the Suez Crisis (1957), Congo (1960), and Cyprus (1964). It is commonly said that, Canada has saved the world from the brink of war.  [3]   The opportunity for Canada to develop a reputation of peacekeeping began in the Suez Crisis. The crisis began when the British and French decided not to finance Egypts construction of a dam, because of Egypts growing ties with communist Czechoslovakia and the  Soviet Union.  [4]  The Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, reacted by taking control of the canal; gaining a strategic waterway, and the power to cut-off British and French shipments.  [5]  The British and French prepared a military force to seize the canal and found a ready ally in Israel. Eventually, fighting erupted with Egypt on one side, and Britain, France, and Israel on the other. As news spread about this dispute, The world braced for another deadly meeting of the worlds military powers.  [6]   This was when the Canadian external affairs minister, Lester B. Pearson, proposed to establish a UN peacekeeping force. His intentions were to create a multi-national force that could lower tensions, which woul d separate the combatants, and eventually bring lasting peace with negotiations.  [7]  The plan called for the British and French to withdraw, but a UN force would remain in the area, stabilizing the situation by patrolling the Egypt-Israel border.  [8]  The United Nations General Assembly accepted this proposal, and the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) was created. Canada sent the first peacekeepers to Egypt on November 24, 1956 and soon the canal was fully reopened to shipping.  [9]  Pearson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for the creation of the United Nations Emergency Force and he was now considered the father of peacekeeping. Therefore, if Canadas future prime minister did not propose his solution, the United Nations Emergency Force would never have been created, and war would have been a likely possibility. Furthermore, Canadians were needed in another UN peacekeeping mission in Congo. The problems in Congo began when they gained independence from Belgium, and this resulted in the native army and police revolting against its white officers. Belgium moved in troops to restore order and asked the UN to provide support. When the UN headquarters requested French-speaking bilingual Canadian forces, Canada was hesitant because French-speaking members in the Canadian Army were not common.  [10]  Some say that the reason the UN requested French-speaking bilingual forces was because the troops needed to be able to communicate with the Belgian forces, as well as the Congolese soldiers. A reason behind Canadas acceptance of this request was commonly seen due to people saying that Canada, the creator of peacekeeping, cannot decline a UN request. Although some say Canada accepted this mission to keep their reputation, Canadian involvement was much needed because it would have been very difficult to find French-speaking bilingual peacekeepers. Although the Canadian government was relieved when their peacekeepers eventually returned home, Canadian involvement was vital because the demand of the UN was very specific. Canada, being a multicultural country, was one of the only countries that had French-speaking bilingual forces at their disposal, and this was the key to the success of this mission. Lastly, Canada strengthened their already developed peacekeeping reputation on the island of Cyprus. This tedious mission was one of the longest, lasting 29 years. The conflict, leading to violence, began during the time of the islands independence. The island had been Greek in culture and population for a long time, but there was also a population of Turkish people. The thought of joining Greece had long been favoured by the Greek people; however, the Turkish people were concerned about this possibility. This was the origin of friction between the ethnic groups, and eventually led to violence in 1963.  [11]  In 1964, Cyprus asked the UN to establish a peacekeeping force. Once peacekeepers arrived, they discovered that the groups of people were mixed together. Small populations of Turkish groups lived among larger Greek populations and this made peacekeeping a great challenge.  [12]  Canadian soldiers used their skills of managing conflicts and disagreements, as well as tradi tional skills of soldiering. A unique remark erupted from Canadian actions that said, Peacekeeping is not a soldiers job, but only a soldier can do it.  [13]   Although all UN efforts were made to keep violence away from the island, Turkey invaded the northern part of Cyprus in 1974. As fighting erupted, peacekeepers were in the middle of a war zone, but after several weeks, an armistice was negotiated. The UN created a cease-fire line, and this separated the island between the Greeks and Turks.  [14]  Canadian peacekeepers continued to patrol this line until 1993, and this shows Canadas commitment and motivation, which has come from years of experience. The world would have been completely different if Lester B. Pearson, the father of peacekeeping, did not propose his solution. His proposal gave insight that created the fundamental goal of the UN. If the United Nations Emergency Force had not been established in the Suez Crisis, there would have been a large number of disputes and battles, and there would be no one attempting to solve them. Canada helped the world solve disputes with negotiations instead of war, and this reward is enough to claim the necessity of Canadian involvement. In the Suez, Canada created peacekeeping; in Congo, Canada provided bilingual peacekeepers; in Cyprus, Canadians showed commitment by patrolling the cease-fire line for 29 years. As a result, many soldiers have been saved by peacekeepers. Therefore, Lester B. Pearsons proposal has the world in his debt. Today, his reward can simply be the knowledge of saving the world from war, and giving Canada a reputation that can only be Canadian. Canada has built their reputation on the fact that they are a peacekeeping nation, and they have dealt with a large number of disputes, sometimes even preventing war. Canada will always be the creator of peacekeeping and they will always be needed to keep and build peace.

Judge First: Bite Last Essay -- social issues

Judge First: Bite Last The soccer ball hit the grassy field with a minor thump, while screams centered attention near the goalie’s post. The child’s puny hands showing little resistance to the canine incisors planted deep within his pierced left arm. The Pit Bull only winced his eyes to squeeze the blood laden arm beyond the shattering point. The Pit Bull’s head shaking as a crocodile with morning’s breakfast, forced his meal to lifelessness on the soiled grass. The child’s lame arm dropped, signaling the lost battle. Why do we have a maligned image of the Pit Bull? Pit Bulls strike fear in the hearts of their onlookers. Their body features look similar to that of a Rottwieler, with a blocky head, square body, and clamp-like jaws. Separated only by a leash, an unknown Pit Bull would terrify me. For example, imagine walking down the street and seeing a gentleman walking his Pit Bull. The jingle of dog tags grows louder, revealing a shadow that moves. Its cold stare, combined with unpredictability would bring me to swiftly move to the furthest sidewalk from them. The ability of that dog to bring my body an unexplainable mess is far from what I want to tango with. The carelessness of owners is our greatest source of danger with the Pit Bull. Picture a jogger embarking on his daily exercise. The last of daylight leaves as the sun disappears over the horizon. The man’s body tires as he pushes on down the nearby neighborhood block. Suddenly stopping with large sweat drop...

Museum Assignment: Portrait Comparison Between the 17th and 19th Centur

The Flemish seventeenth century artist Peter Paul Reubens and the nineteen century French artist Jean Auguste Dominque Ingres had little in common besides their occupation, as both utilized very different styles in their art. Reubens’s work is classified under the Baroque style, a period between 1600 and 1750 as a contrast to the prior perfection of Renaissance art, whereas Ingres’s work is under Neoclassicism, which praised the Greek and Roman classics that inspired the Renaissance artists (Kleiner). Yet the two separate time periods and painting styles that influenced the painters also share small similarites, through visual quality and iconography. Reuben’s portrait of Susanna Fourment and Ingres’s portrait of Franà §oise Poncelle clearly belong to the specific artistic movements, but some aspects of painting remain timeless, with each artist drawing inspiration from prior work. Peter Paul Reubens’s paintings were heavily influenced by his studio’s location in Antwerp. The city’s banking industry led to an emphasis upon works that a family could purchase, often within the upper middle class instead of the immensely wealthy. This emphasis allotted more time to be put into portraiture, in place of the large scale church altarpieces or palace paintings, which could be displayed in the family’s homes with more modesty. The Baroque period, a term that comes from the Portugese word â€Å"barroco†, or â€Å"irregularly shaped pearl† (Kleiner), is known for its bright colors, emphasis on reality’s relationship to fantasy, theatric quality, and dramatics. Many of Reubens’s paintings are allegorical, colorful, and inspired by numerous artists of the past as well as his current time. After the Renaissance period, artists took the classically influ... ... This painting style emphasized natural human form instead of Smooth finishes replaced thick swirls or dabs of paint to accurately convey the human form, which is shown explicitly in Ingres’s portrait. Although both pieces are portraits, each portrays the subject in differing manners. The harsh lines and blurred strokes convey a mysterious attachment to Reuben’s portrait, whereas the defined lines and photographic detail within Ingres’s portrait attach a formal connotation. The demand for home based patronage spread from Antwerp in the late sixteen hundreds into the early eighteen hundreds in France, yet what makes a portrait truly exemplary moved with the time shift. Each work reflects the time period while continuing to explore parallels between various artistic styles as well as movements, connecting artists together through their differences and similarities.

My Best Vacation Ever

My best vacation ever was my first trip to Disneyland. Something that I have always dreamt about was about to come true. First we researched ticket prices. We found a great price on So Cal City passes including three theme parks. The next step for us was finding a place to stay. All hotels were booked around the Disneyland park. We found a great deal 20 minutes away. Our trip was booked. We were counting down the days, looking for landmarks along the drive, and restaurants on a budget we never tried. I would Like to tell you about my best vacation ever. As we entered Disneyland we were amazed.The park opened October 5, 1955 and was built In 365 days but It look brand new. As we walked down main street towards the castle, we could smell all the concessions, because they pump smells throughout the park. The castle looked closer than It really was, this was because of a force perspective In the buildings on Mall Street. As your exiting It looks much larger. Also the buildings are design ed to look bigger than they actually are. While standing in line for various rides, we searched Disneyland secrets. We found out that there is a quarter of a basketball court and ping pong table inside the top third of the Mattering.This is a break room for employees only. When we were planning for our trip we used principle. Com After searching hotels around the park that could fit 6 people our luck ran out. The only available rooms were the parks signature hotels for $800 a night which was way out of our budget. We searched nearby and found Chase Suite Hotel twenty minutes away in Bread, California. So we booked a two bedroom suite through the hotels website at an incredible price. The rooms were amazing, and private. It was like a large apartment with a full sized kitchen and living room. I highly recommend this hotel.