Friday, January 31, 2020

How to make the world a better place to live in Essay Example for Free

How to make the world a better place to live in Essay There is nothing which can be done to totally improve the worlds condition presently. However, there is something which can de done for the betterment of the worlds condition. The main point which could affect the condition of the world is Education. Education provides people with knowledge, communication skills, discipline, and also with dignity. Educations purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one said Malcolm Forbes. The supporting idea which could improve the worlds current situation is Religion. Religion provides people with a belief system consisting of discipline, tradition, culture, and morality. Matthew Arnold had said that the true meaning of religion is thus not simply morality, but morality touched with emotion. Last thing that might help is looking at the world in a social aspect. Being social gives us a more understanding character, and it gives us more information about the current issues which at least makes us not ignorant, and it also makes us more open to people. If a person has knowledge, good communication skills, discipline, dignity, a belief system consisting of traditions, cultures, and moral values, understanding, not ignorant, and more open, than that person could cause no harm or trouble to anyone. If billions of people view the world as an educational, religious, and also a social place, then the condition of the world would be greatly improved and would be a heaven to some people. Today, people have no time to do anything. They are so busy working that they dont even know what is going on around them. All they want to do is to earn money. Money is everything for everyone these days. Money brings happiness to people nowadays, which is totally wrong. Money can never bring peace in anyones life. Money can actually ruin a persons life by bringing jealousy, and proud into that person. If a person has a lot of money, he tends to have more power on others, which usually leads to an evil act or a selfish act. Billions of people look at the world in an economic view which is the cause of all the politics tensions, wars, and all different kinds of riots and disasters. However, if people look at the world in different aspects, the world could be a better place to live in. Educations purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one said Malcolm Forbes. Education can improve the worlds condition greatly. Without  Education, people would just live like cavemen and cavewomen. They will have no idea about anything. If everyone in this world is educated, there would be fewer problems in the world for example, over population. Education provides people with knowledge, communication skills, discipline, and also with dignity. From knowledge, we learn, understand, and analyze. We need to learn in order to know how things work. We understand by the learning and by all this learning and understanding, we can analyze things. From good communication skills, we tend to communicate well with others with created a better understanding between others. From discipline, people get self-control. Having self-control is always good because you know how and when to act. Lastly, from dignity, people learn how to respect themselves which brings in them an optimistic view. Education can provide all these qualities in a person. Education can make the worlds condition better which would create fewer problems in the world. The true meaning of religion is thus not simply morality, but morality touched with emotion said Matthew Arnold. Religion could also improve the condition of the world with the support of education. Without religion, people would have no belief system or any traditions and cultures. People would not have any history of their own backgrounds and their ethnic values. A religion teaches us what is good and what is bad for us. Religion provides people with a belief system consisting of discipline, tradition, culture, and morality. We need a belief system in order to keep a systematic schedule between work and also personal life. We need discipline because we need self-control. Having self-control is always good because you know how and when to act. We need traditions and cultures because without traditions and cultures, we will just live out lives as a robot. We will not have any festivals and will not believe in anyone or God. Traditions and cultures affect the way we look at things and also affect our thinking. Our traditions and cultures make us act as we do. Lastly, religion provides us with moral values. We need moral values in order to know what is good and what is bad for us. Without religion, we are nothing but just a bunch of people looking at the world in a very practical view with results in selfishness. Supported with education, and religion, looking at the world in a social aspect also helps to improve the worlds condition. If a person is not socially involved, it is likely that that person would have fewer knowledge of what is going on around the world as that person would not discuss about current affairs with others. That person would also not know other people properly which could results in disaster especially during bad times when you need someones help. Being social gives us a more understanding character, and it gives us more information about the current issues which at least makes us not ignorant, and it also makes us more open to people. You need to be more understanding in order for you to make good relationship with other people which make it easier to be socially involved. If you are more understanding, people will tend to talk to you more, which could result in being open with other people. Being socially involved can be very enjoyable yet also could be very benefici al. If billions of people view the world as an educational, religious, and also a social place, then the condition of the world would be greatly improved and would be a heaven to some people. Education provides people with knowledge, communication skills, discipline, and also with dignity. Religion provides people with a belief system consisting of discipline, tradition, culture, and morality. Being social gives us a more understanding character, and it gives us more information about the current issues which at least makes us not ignorant, and it also makes us more open to people. If a person has knowledge, good communication skills, discipline, dignity, a belief system consisting of traditions, cultures, and moral values, understanding, not ignorant, and more open, than that person could cause no harm or trouble to anyone. Education is needed because it makes a person who he/she really is and what his/her capabilities are. Religion is needed because it is necessary for every individual in a society. Being social is needed in order for your own recognition in a society. Every person needs to be educated, religious, and also social. These are the three aspects of life. Billions of peoples life could be enhanced if everyone views this world in these three aspects.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Death and the Maiden Essay -- Ariel Dorfman

“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” Ââ€"Oscar Wilde Death and the Maiden discusses Princess Diana, her media, and her public from the point-of-view of Maureen Dowd. Was Diana the “spendthrift of her own celebrity”? Is the media a market of vultures feeding off of Diana? Does the public actually have any remorse for the Princess? There is no right or wrong answers for these questions because they are merely opinionated. Whether or not Diana was a victim of celebrity culture or the creator of her own demise is debatable, and even though Dowd thinks the coverage of DianaÂ’s death was awful she felt she brought on a lot of the other attention herself. She implies that DianaÂ’s celebrity led to her making careless, irrational decisions. Dowd states “The Princess of Wales was the queen of surfaces, ruling over a kingdom where fame was the highest value and glamour was the most cherished attribute.” Here she insinuates Diana is superficial and did things on purpose for the fame, she then goes on to say “she rode the...

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

A World Class E-Government: Singapore

E-government refers to the transformation of the business of the government such as processes, operations and transactions that is driven by the information technology. This can happen both internally (streamlined government administration procedures for greater efficiency and effectiveness) and externally (simplified, enhanced government-client interaction via online connections) (Tan, Pan & Lim, 2007). Singapore is a small country with a population of about four million with a small market and limited natural resources. Although Singapore’s position as an information gateway in the region has lead it to become a global hub which is attractive to many Multinational National Companies (MNC) (Chan & Al-Hawamdeh, 2002). Singapore is a leader in the electronic governance that has invited worldwide recognition. Singapore’s e-government offers 98% of all government services are provided online for businesses and the community. It is one of the first countries to have the Civil Service Computerization Program (CSCP). The above mechanism was followed by the e-Government Action Plans. These involved implementing as many public services online as possible, adding value to the e-services and providing a one stop service via the internet. Singapore has launched a iGov2010 plan in the aim of bringing the government a greater efficiency by integrating the back end processes of the government ministries and organisations. As per Tan, Pan & Lim (2007) it improves efficiency in terms of utilizing less time, effort and material resources while maintaining a constant level of output. There are two portals offered by the government of Singapore which are namely for the citizens and the businesses. The portal offered for the citizens is known as the eCitizen Portal which is the single entry point for the community to access the services provided by the government and private corporations. The portal is to be accessed by the SingPass which is given to the citizens and permanent residents of Singapore. It is the single online user identification called the Singapore Personal Access. Through this system they can access their own confidential information. Also through the e-portal the community can post any thoughts on issues they are currently facing. For example the extensions of the smoking ban or the country’s national climate change strategy. The portal offered for businesses involves the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS). This is an one stop portal for government registrations and licenses required to conduct business in Singapore. Through this portal the applicant needs to complete only one integrated form for multiple licenses. The system provides consolidated online payment mechanisms for one-time payments for multiple license fees. This system has lead the processing time a business license to reduce from 21 days to 8 days saving businesses more than $2. million annually. Therefore the implementation of IT in the government has lead to an increase in effectiveness and efficiency in providing services to businesses. Another example of such is provided by Tan, Pan & Lim (2007) where the unprocessed tax returns accumulated in the Singapore income tax department resulted in administrative backlogs and dissatisfaction among taxpayers. The e-filing system in the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has lead to greater efficiency in the department and the use of back-end infrastructure to incorporate taxation calculations and regulations has improved its effectiveness. Question 1: Explore the two portals. What are the benefits to both the community and businesses? In Singapore, citizens have quickly warmed up to the e-Government services. Activities such as renewing road taxes and e-filing of income tax returns over the internet are now common among the community (n. a. , 2006). The main benefit for the community is the lessened administrative burdens they have to go through for payments, renewals and other services. The e-Government would lead to an improved quality of information with a reduction in the process time. It would also result in cost reduction for both the community and the ministries. These improved service levels would lead to efficiency where the community operating with the e-Government would be satisfied (Corsi, Gumina & Ciriaci, 2006). Another benefit that is enjoyed is the ability for the citizens to use their mobile phones to interact with the government services. There are many services offered by the e-Government in Singapore that is compatible with the hand held device. For example Housing Development Board and IRAS. Another benefit provided is the use of SingPass to access the individuals own MyeCitizen account. Having this unique SingPass would enable the privacy and confidentiality of the citizens. The users can personalise the portal and they have a variety of channels to choose from such as MyTravel, MyKids and MyCareer. Lastly the ability of the citizens to voice out their opinions is a great benefit for both the government and the citizens. Businesses have also benefited by the services provided by the e-Government. It is an increased efficiency and convenience to deal through the online platform. The offering of the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS) allows the applicant to complete one integrated form for multiple licenses. The website provides the applicants with step by step guide which makes it trouble-free for the business to apply for licenses. By the OBLS the processing time of applications were reduced from 21days to 8days. This would be an efficient approach for the business where they can concentrate on other parts of starting up the business without a delay from the government authorities. Question 2: According to the chapter, there are six stages in the transformation to e-government. Which do you think Singapore is in? Why? In order for a transformation of a traditional government to an fully functional online government, there are six stages that are to be completed. These factors are explained in Wong (2000). Stage one is information publishing/dissemination which involves providing information on individual govermental departments by seting up their own website. It allows the community and businesses to choose from a range of services and contact for further assistance. By this activity the, the government departments would be able to reduce the number of phone calls customers need to make in order to clarify requests. Stage two is the â€Å"official†two-way transactions where the customers are able to submit personal information and conduct monetory transactions with individual departments through secure websites. At this stage customers should be convinced about the departments ability to keep the information private. Stage three is the multi-purpose portals. It involves integrating different departments. A portal allows the customers use a single point of entry to send and receive information and to process monetory transactions across many departments. Stage four is the portal personalisation where the customers can customise portals with their desired features. The goverment needs a much more sophisticated web programming that allows the interfaces to be user-manipulated. By the personalisation activity, the government can have a clearer read on the customer preference for electronic versus non-electronic service options. Stage fiveinvolves the clustering of common services where the customers now view the once-diparate services as a unified package through the portal. They tend to recognise group of transactions rather than than the group of agencies. Therefore the government will cluster the services along common lines to accelerate the delivery of shared services. Stage six involves the full integration and enterprise transformation. This is the stage where all departments across the government is integrated with technology. It would bridge a shortened gap between the front and back offices. Singapore’s e-government is in stage six in the Deloitte’s transformation model. E-government in Singapore has carried out Action plans since year 2000 regarding the accessibility, integration and providing value added services with one-stop service via the internet. There iGov2010 plan was launched in 2006 which involves bringing the e-government to a greater level of efficiency. This is to accomplished by back end processes across the entire government’s ministries. Question 3: What could other governments learn from the example of Singapore?  Despite the differences in Singapore and other styles of governments, there are things a country can learn from Singapore’s e-government experiences. Singapore has enjoyed political stability since independence in 1965 and the People’s Action Party (PAP) has been in government throughout that period. Due to the one party government system, there has been little or no disruption of policy implementation, which has enhanced the effectiveness of the delivery mechanism of public services. This stability has created well-organized institutions that help all stakeholders to adopt e-Services. Investments and master plans have leaded the success story of Singapore. For an instance in 2005,, the Singaporean government introduced a master plan to tackle security issues. S$38m (? 12. 3 million) will be invested in this plan to ensure a secure online environment. Incentives for tax-payers who submit tax declarations electronically, extensions of deadlines for those who are willing to declare their incomes electronically and lower fees for people who apply for their passports online are some incentives given by the government to promote e services and thereby an e governance. The social strengths of Singapore have been demonstrated by an educational system that produces a well-educated workforce to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). Not only developing its own pool of local talents, Singapore also recruits foreign talents to work in both the public and private sectors. Time saving, convenience and actual monetary savings are the main drives to pull e-Users to e-Services. In conclusion, one country cannot be a model of another country. But any country can be inspired by another. Singapore is a good example for other countries to open doors toward the success.

Monday, January 6, 2020

The Election Of A New President - 1260 Words

ntroduction The election of a new president can shift the policies of the United States in different directions. From 2009 to 2017, Barrack Obama and his administration used a liberal, globalist approach to foreign policy and domestic policy. Obama involved the United States in global affairs and in treaties with other states. The election of President Donald Trump reversed the globalist, liberal policies the U.S. had pursued for 8 years. President Trump has shown and stated that he supports an isolationist and realist approach to foreign policy. Therefore, President Trump has made campaign statements on defense, terrorism, trade, national security, and immigration that subscribes to the realist paradigm. Defense Throughout the 2016†¦show more content†¦(Courtesy of Dinah Walker) . The budget increase for the DOD was 9 percent (52 billion dollars), in addition to a 7 percent (2.8 billion dollars) increase in funding to the Department of Homeland Security (Soffen and Lu). This budget increase is to help accomplish the goals President Trump outlined on the campaign trail as mentioned previously. However, this change did not come without costs to other departments such as a 31 percent decrease in budget for the EPA and a 29 percent decrease in the State Department’s budget. The action taken toward the budget and defense spending shows evidence that president Trump subscribes to the realist paradigm and believes that the self-interests and protection of the state is the most important thing compared to environmental protection and other liberal ideals. Immigration The issue of illegal immigration and the magnitude that occurs in the United States was an issue voters cared about in the 2016 election. Throughout the campaign, President Trump made controversial remarks about Mexico and Mexicans. 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