Thursday, December 26, 2019

Vietnam as the Socialist Republic

For the Westerners Vietnam is mostly interesting as a side in the Vietnam war; after the end of the US participation in this conflict Vietnam just kind of ceases to exist. Which, of course, isn’t so – after the victory of the Northern Vietnam in the war the country had a rich and, for the most part, depressingly illustrative history. After the reunification of the country the socialist regime started a massive campaign of collectivization and nationalization, which worked about as good as it usually does: inflation went sky-high, effectively devaluing the currency, the economy, which already was in shambles in the aftermath of the war, fell apart, rebuilding of the infrastructure almost stood still. All these issues were addressed in a manner in which totalitarian states address most issues: about one million people were sent to ‘reeducation camps’, where at least the fifth of them died, the state went on a nationwide campaign of terror, killing more than a hundred thousand people and forcing millions to flee the country in any available manner, which resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe in this region and incredibly high death toll on those who unsuccessfully tried to cross the sea in makeshift boats. Thus, for a decade since the reunification of Southern and Northern Vietnam the country stayed in constant state of poverty and economic chaos, until in 1986 the traditionalist Communist government was replaced by reformists who followed the example of the Soviet Union’s â€Å"Perestroika† and the Chinese economic reforms. Thus Vietnam entered the period of Doi Moi (Renovation). The government started a series of economic and social reforms, aimed at gradually transferring the country from a completely planned economy to a ‘socialist-oriented market economy’ along the lines of modern China. Elements of free market and socio-economic liberalization were introduced into the country’s everyday life, while political life stayed firmly under control of the Communist party. Efforts at collectivization were abandoned, private enterprises became first permitted and then encouraged to take part in the production of goods. The effect was not late in coming – after the introduction of natural market forces into the Vietnam’s economy the country that spent the last decade in the state of poverty and stagnation was almost immediately turned into a dynamic, competitive economy. There is also a strong belief that the reason why new enterprises appeared en masse so swiftly was because a lot of them have been around for quite some time, but had to hide their existence from the state, thus creating a shadow economic system of small-time entrepreneurs, family-owned businesses and smugglers who supported the everyday existence of an average Vietnamese since 1975. Today the Socialist Republic of Vietnam continues on its way of social and economic liberalization, on which it had achieved considerable success – right now it is one of the fastest-developing economies in the world, in 2007 it joined the World Trade Organization, which means its goods are more than commercially viable outside the state, and established relationships with most countries of the world. Nevertheless, the past still holds Vietnam firmly in its clutches – despite all the economic and social progress made during the last thirty years, there is a long way to go: income disparity remains extremely high, malnutrition is still common, especially in more remote rural areas, health care isn’t universally accessible and political life is still strictly controlled by the state. No parties except the official Communist party are permitted, a lot of international organizations, such as Catholic Church, are seen as a threat to the government and banned. But hopefully, Vietnam will continue along the chosen path.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Essay about Karl Marxs Communist Manifesto - 1353 Words

Karl Marxs Communist Manifesto Faith and Reason Communism can seem very desirable. â€Å"It argued a world without war, in which the meek and the disadvantaged would share without distinction, the anticipated material and spiritual abundance generated by advanced.†(Gregor 19) This seems as though it would be the ideal form of government but in reality it is far from that. I will tell you about three of the most powerful communist countries of the twentieth century. The countries that I am talking about are the Soviet Union, or Russia as it is called today, the Peoples Republic of China, and Cuba. Communism is a theory that states that society should own all property. There should be no private ownership†¦show more content†¦The entire economic status of the Soviet Union was now controlled by the government. Also, all private ownership ended. There were no exceptions. Along with this, a large industrialization program was started and the Soviet Military was being strengthened. The Soviet Union was now considered a â€Å"super power† and only the United States was more powerful. Then in 1953, after the death of Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev became the First Secretary of the Communist party. This was a very different time than that of Stalin. People were given a say in the government. A very small say but it was still a say. Also, the judicial branch of the government stopped their rampage against threats to the communist party and gave better chances for defendants to defend themselves. Khrushchev focused more on the individual, attempting to make food more available, making goods easier to come by, and providing more housing. Also, leadership was decentralized so that owners and managers had an easier time running their businesses. Soon after this he was kicked out of office for a couple of reasons. The first was due to a shortage of dairy and grain product. Also, there was extreme turmoil in the communist party at this time. The next leader of Soviet communism was Leonid Brezhnev. He took office in October of 1964. Under this new leader the government was centralized, again. During this time there was an unstableShow MoreRelated Karl Marxs The Communist Manifesto Essay1731 Words   |  7 PagesKarl Marxs The Communist Manifesto The Communist Manifesto written by Karl Marx explains the history of all societies as the history of class conflicts, he claims that the power and direction of all societies is determined by the modes of production, as such when the mode of production no longer suits the relations of society there is a revolution. He predicts that a revolution is coming between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, and calls its coming inevitable. Marx argues that the bourgeoisiesRead More The Revolution of 1848 and Karl Marxs The Communist Manifesto1430 Words   |  6 PagesThe Revolution of 1848 and Karl Marxs The Communist Manifesto There were two major things that happened in Europe in 1848. 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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Mortgage Marketing Strategy for Cash Basis- MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theMortgage Marketing Strategyfor Cash Basis. Answer: Based on the current statistics and market projections, the real estate business is booming and will continue to grow. A great number of buyers, especially in urban areas are willing to own their own first homes and be able to do so with ease. Some have argued against purchasing a mortgage, majorly due to the long procedures involved that may delay the purchase process as well as make it frustrating for the buyer in the long run. Furthermore, the additional benefits that cash buyers of new properties have over mortgages in that they do not have to pay any interests to any company, which in the long run is cheaper than having to pay any interest at all[1]. Regardless of these facts, it is well known that very few people on the market for new homes rely on cash payments. This essay aims to provide a workable marketing plan that would be able to increase the number of sales on mortgages by our company. Market Analysis As stated above, the mortgage market has been on the rise, majorly due to the fact that majority of buyers are not able to buy the houses on a cash basis. Some may argue that the reduced interest rates in the repayment of mortgages over the past few years has made it worth it for a great number of consumers. The end result is that the number of persons who have been willing to get a mortgage has increased steadily but surely. Statistics show that out of the total number of houses within Australia, more than a third of these houses are purchased via some form of financial assistance, and in particular mortgages[2]. The statistics further show that the vast majority of homes purchased in Australia with the help of mortgages are already established dwellings and houses, which account for approximately 70% of the new house sales in Australia on their own[3]. The values of the said houses also had a spike with the figure in 2016 February rising from $31,500,000,000 to $33,500,000,000 in February 2017. The rise in the number of mortgage commitments however reduced slightly by about $1,000,000,000. In the month preceding February 2017, the total value of mortgages at the time was 0.4% lower, even though the number of commitments rose by about 0.7%. Furthermore, the occupied house commitments also rose by about 0.2%[4]. certain forecasters point out that it may be possible that the total number of commitments had fallen by about 2.7% in the past month. However, this figure has been argued not to reflect the exact and accurate trends within the mortgage and housing finance industry. SWOT Analysis Some may argue as to why a SWOT analysis may be necessary to the development of a marketing plan. Every marketing plan is based on the fact that the company is in need of a new way to be able to reach its clientele. In order to do so effectively, the company would therefore need to take the necessary steps to be able to identify the different strengths and weaknesses that the company has, as well as analyze the different opportunities and threats that may face the company[5]. Strengths. The first and foremost strength that may be assumed to be the basis of the stability of the company is the fact that the company is privileged to be part of a stable and successful financial group. This strength is able to provide the clientele with the peace of mind, knowing that the company shall remain stable and thus not affect the interest rates or other variables on the mortgage[6]. Due to the reason above, the company therefore enjoys a good image in the public eye, and also furthermore enjoys a strong financial base. The ability to manage the equipment and human resource effectively shall always affect the strength and functioning of any company. Our company excels at this. Weaknesses Our company has faced its fair share of weaknesses, the most pronounced being the fact that there have been low sales in some of the products that are on offer. Additionally, the customer base has viewed mortgages as an old fashioned means to acquire property, thus making it less appealing to the younger and less understanding buyers. One other weakness is the fact that our company has not been actively involved in planning how to market our mortgage products. Opportunities To be able to capitalize on the current market needs for mortgages and financial assistance to purchase homes, it is important for our company to make the effort and create a support arm for the marketing department as a whole. The ability to also connect and relate our products to our parent companys products would be a great opportunity that would help the company grow steadily and curve a niche in the competitive mortgage market. Threats As stated under the opportunities section, there is constant competition in the mortgage market. The increased competition is definitely a threat, as more firms are slowly attempting to enter the mortgage business and therefore would cost us the much needed finances that would be key in the running of the company[7]. The changes in mortgage related legislation is definitely a problem, meaning that our company is to modify and adapt our plans and strategies to be able to reflect the changes made in legislation. Marketing Strategy Majority of our competitors face similar, if not the same challenges[8] and therefore, we can say that the mortgages market is a level playing field for most of the companies involved[9]. However, in order to succeed, it is important for us to advance and be prepared to go the extra mile in order to be able to beat the competition[10]. Creative and targeted marketing is the main means to be able to capitalize on the current market base. Newspapers have for the longest time been the easiest and most successful means to advertise products to the masses. However, the younger crowd, who are the majority of the first home owners and need the mortgage to be able to buy the home do not read newspapers as much and therefore would not be able to get to know about the different products we have to offer[11]. To be able to handle this, we should invest more in social media marketing, as this is the future. Majority of our target market is the youth, who spend less time on traditional forms of media and majorly focus on social media and online media as a means to learn of new products and services. With a reach into social media marketing, we would have an edge over the competition and stand higher chance of increasing the number of mortgages sold to new customers and first home owners. Aside from social media campaigns, we need to use our current online platforms to be able to make it easier for our customers to be able to handle and purchase mortgages. In particular, our website would need to be modified, redesigned if need be, to be able to support better user interactions and furthermore be able to keep the users on our site for longer. The website should have a system whereby we can monitor the number of visitors and frequency of the visits to be able to properly analyze how effective it is. Implementation Plan In order for the marketing plan to be successfully implemented, it would require advanced and careful planning by the various departments. First, the workforce that shall be involved in the marketing campaigns shall have to be properly trained on the intricate details of online marketing and how to successfully market products to the youth via online channels. In order to do this, the finance department shall need to be involved so as to cater to the financial needs and necessary resources required to be able to train the workforce. The ICT department would also need to work hand in hand with the marketing department to ensure that the website and other channels are properly optimized in order to reach more persons in te target demographic. Growth Plan In the end, the main aim of the elaborate marketing campaign is to make sure that the company sales are able to grow significantly within a given period of time. With a proper online marketing strategy, there is going to be a significant increase in the number of sales of mortgages to the new customers and also there shall be a clear growth in the number of mortgages sold. Based on previous statistics, I project that there shall be a 10 percent growth within the first quarter of implementation. Bibliography Arping Stefan, Deposit competition and loan markets, Journal of Banking Finance, 2017 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Housing Finance Australia February 2017, 10th February 2017, https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/5609.0Main+Features1February%202017?OpenDocument Cerutti Eugenio, Dagher Jihad and Giovanni Dell'Ariccia, Housing Finance and Real-Estate Booms: A Cross-Country Perspective, Journal of Housing Economics (2017) Deloitte, The Deloitte Australian Mortgage Report 2016 Delivering tomorrow, today? 2016, p.4 LeBlanc Jean, Applying SWOT to the Mortgage Industry (September 10, 2013), https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/26275/applying-swot-mortgage-industry Myers Erin, 7 Marketing Ideas for Mortgage Loan Officers in 2017, https://www.outboundengine.com/blog/marketing-ideas-for-mortgage-loan-officers/ The Conversation, Australias housing finance in seven charts (April 15, 2016), https://theconversation.com/australias-housing-finance-in-seven-charts-57870 Tzanetos Georgina, getting a Mortgage vs. Paying Cash for Investment Properties (November 11, 2016), https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/111116/getting-mortgage-vs-paying-cash-investment-properties.asp Zhu Bing, Betzinger Michael Steffen Sebastian, Housing market stability, mortgage market structure, and monetary policy: Evidence from the euro area, Journal of Housing Economics, 2017

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Ebola Virus Essays - Biological Weapons, Tropical Diseases

The Ebola Virus A virus is an ultramicroscopic infectious organism that, having no independent metabolic activity, can replicate only within a cell of another host organism. A virus consists of a core of nucleic acid, either RNA or DNA, surrounded by a coating of antigenic protein and sometimes a lipid layer surrounds it as well. The virus provides the genetic code for replication, and the host cell provides the necessary energy and raw materials. There are more than 200 viruses that are know to cause disease in humans. The Ebola virus, which dates back to 1976, has four strains each from a different geographic area, but all give their victims the same painful, often lethal symptoms. The Ebola virus is a member of a family of RNA viruses known as ?Filoviriade' and falling under one genus, ?Filovirus'. "The Ebola virus and Marburg virus are the two known members of the Filovirus family" (Journal of the American Medical Association 273: 1748). Marburg is a relative of the Ebola virus. The four strains of Ebola are Ebola Zaire, Ebola Sudan, Ebola Reston, and Ebola Tai. Each is named after the geographical location in which it was discovered. These filoviruses cause hemorrhagic fever, which is actually what kill victims of the Ebola virus. Hemorrhagic fever as defined in Mosby's Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary as, a group of viral aerosol infections, characterized by fever, chills, headache, malaise, and respiratory or GI symptoms, followed by capillary hemorrhages, and, in severe infection, oliguria, kidney failure, hypotension, and, possibly, death. The incubation period for Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever ranges from 2-21 days (JAMA 2! 73: 1748). The blood fails to clot and patients may bleed from injections sites and into the gastrointestinal tract, skin and internal organs (Ebola Info. from the CDC 2). The Ebola virus has a tropism for liver cells and macrophages, macrophages are cells that engulf bacteria and help the body defend against disease. Massive destruction of the liver is a hallmark feature of Ebola virus infection. This virus does in ten days what it takes AIDS ten years to do. It also requires biosaftey level four containment, the highest and most dangerous level. HIV the virus that causes AIDS requires only a biosaftey level of two. In reported outbreaks, 50%-90% of cases have been fatal (JAMA 273: 1748). Ebola can be spread in a number of ways, and replication of the virus occurs at an alarming rate. Ebola replication in infected cells takes about eight hours. Hundreds to thousands of new virus particles are then released during periods of a few hours to a few days, before the cells die. The several cycles of replication occur in a primate before the onset of the fever and other clinical manifestations (Ornstein, Matthews and Johnson 7). In most outbreaks, transmission from patient to patient within hospitals has been associated within the reuse of unsterile needles and syringes. High rates of transmission in outbreaks have occurred from patients to heath-care workers and to family members who provide nursing care without appropriate precautions to prevent exposure to blood, other body fluids, vomitus, urine and stool. Risk for transmitting the infection appears to be highest during the later stages of illness, which are often characterized by vomiting, diarrhea,! shock, and frequently hemorrhaging (JAMA 274: 374). Even a person who has recovered from the symptoms of the illness may have the virus present in the genital secretions for a brief period after. This makes it possible for the virus to be spread by sexual contact. Complete recovery is reached only when no particles of the virus are left in the body fluids, this however is rarely attained. The disease, for humans, is not airborne, capable to be passed on through air travel, but for nonhuman primates it has been a possibility in a few cases. Ebola Zaire was identified in 1976 in Northern Zaire and was the first documented appearance of the virus. This strain of the virus effects humans and nonhuman primates. Close contact and dirty needles spread the Ebola virus. The center of the epidemic in Zaire involved a missionary hospital where they reused needles and syringes without sterilization. Most of the staff of the hospital got sick and died. This outbreak infected 318 with a death rate of 93% (Le Guenno et al. 1271). Another fatal case was reported one year later in Zaire but nothing major ever became of it. The most recent case recorded was