Graduation of Jake Moon Essay

In my book Graduation of Jake Moon, Jake is the main character in the book. Jake Moon is an only child Jake Moon was named by his grandfather because his mother was stressed out for the first 2 weeks of him being born. When they moved in with his grandfather he named him Jake not Jacob just Jake. Jake Moon changes by being annoyed, frustrated, and embarrassed to being understanding by his grandfather. Jake changes from being annoyed and frustrated and embarrassed towards his grandfather because his grandfather Skelly got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Jake gets annoyed with him being forgetful and not knowing who he is. Jake witnesses him being in the dumpster Jake was embarrassed and felt different when he seen his grandfather in the dumpster and 2 eighth grade boys picking on him and asked him if he went to PU University. Jake Moon changes at the end by being frustrated, annoyed, and embarrassed to being understanding towards his grandpa. He helps his grandpa get up in the morning and get dressed. Jake found his wet sheets in the oven when his friend Lucas was over. Skelly put his pajamas in the freezer. Skelly wrote stuff on post it notes and put them all over the house to remember things. What happens at the end is that at Jakes Graduation is Skelly goes up on the stage and then Jake goes off stage and takes his grandfather down to family then goes back up on the stage. That shows how Jake Cares about his grandpa Jake Moon understood at the end of the book compared to the beginning. Jake was better towards his grandfather because of the graduation stuff with his grandfather. Jake cares about his grandpa that he did that but if that happened at the beginning of the book he would of probably sat In his chair like who is that guy.

Internet censorship Essay

INTERNET CENSORSHIP Internet censorship is subjected to governmental control to keep programmes inoffensive to the public. It controls the ideas and information in a society. The question is if government should be allowed full authority on the internet. Is it completely fine to allow the government to decide the information we access and does this infringe on the rights of freedom and speech? First of all, there are the people who side with internet censorship. There is certain vulgar and offensive material put on the internet which can cause divisions between the society and offend some of the people. For example, videos and articles against a religion or culture can cause problems between citizens within a nation and so such information has to be censored. Censoring material that insults a religion helps protect society from disputes and thus doesn’t qualify to be called stealing someone’s rights. Moreover, censorship is important to keep children from corrupting their minds. Inappropri ate videos and images put on the internet can be seen by the youth which is why this material should be removed by censoring. This act by the government ensures children don’t get to see vulgar material which can destroy their innocence. So, in a sense, government helps to protect children and in this case freedom of such information cannot count as it is too mature for children. Furthermore, some people argue that internet censorship is necessary to preserve national security. Without censorship, it is impossible to maintain secrecy of information and protect it from enemies that can use it against the nation. Adding on, other forms of illegal material being communicated are stopped by censorship. Illegal downloading of copyrighted content is a crime and internet censorship helps the government to catch criminals that indulge themselves in this act. As well, e-mail containing dangerous information like bomb plans have no right to be spread around the internet and so discarding them is the right thing to do. This shows that the government does not violate rights of freedom of speech by actually prote cting its public from threatening information. However, others think that internet censorship is a violation to rights of freedom of speech. It limits free access to information which causes the society to foster ignorance in its citizens. Through this ignorance, people would not have knowledge and awareness on issues that take place around their environment. this is not  fair as everyone should have the right to full access to information on the internet. Additionally, there is the history of censorship abuse. The government can remove certain material that gives a bad image of it to the public meaning people have no freedom to criticize the government or voice their opinions. In this corrupt information can also be spread around the internet by the government and this gives wrong information to the public. In China, for example, videos and articles on human rights violation are blocked by the government from the eyes of the world. If people cannot freely express their opinions on such critical subjects, then there is no use of the internet as it limits freedom of speech. Furthermore, some governments put strict rules on internet usage like blocking social sites from the network. These include facebook and twitter. For instance, in China, facebook is banned and this affects the citizens and people owning facebook. Facebook loses more users from China. Also this limits communication and thus transfer of information is narrowed to usage of phones and letters. People will also find it difficu lt to interact with people outside the nation. This is a serious act against freedom of speech and shows government uses censorship to restrict passing on of information which signifies they have something to hide. In conclusion, government should censor material to the extent where it becomes a threat for the community. Otherwise censorship of material that contains ‘offensive’ vocabulary like breast cancer is limiting freedom of speech as it is accessed by people for knowledge and it is not going to harm anyone. Besides, for child protection, there is already software that is available to block offensive sites. This shows that government has no right to censor the internet by removing material that can actually be helpful to the people. The government misuse its control over the internet to limit people’s ideas and thought capacities which violates freedom of speech and information.

Research about plastic recycling Essay

1. Introduction The task for the students was to write about a topic that interested them, and to apply the learned knowledge and skills in connection with the course information literacy. First step was to get an idea of what to write, therefore brainstorming was the adequate method. With the gained information an own mindmap was created. Underneath, we can find both brainstorms, according to those brainstorms the topic has been chosen. Then the research question was formulated: â€Å"What should we do with our plastic rubbish?† Furthemore three subquestions were formulated: â€Å"What is the current situation of plastic pollution?† â€Å"How can we recycle our plastic rubbish?† and â€Å"Which are the best possibilities to recycle plastic?† The purpose of this research is to find out the damage that is caused by plastic rubbish and how to avoid it. Plastic rubbish is a global problem and affects us all. This research will be based on secondary research, so by existing literature. The following chapters describe the findings of this report. Firstly it explains the search plan, made to lead the research. Secondly summaries of two main articles will be given and judged upon their professionalism due to the help of the CARS checklist. A literature review of one of the summarized reports will be given. The report will also contain a chapter about plagiarism and research ethics, which are very important to remember while writing a report. Finally the last chapter â€Å"discussion and conclusion† summarizes the findings of this report. Table 1:Samuel Thà ¶nnes, course Information Literacy. Table 2: Samuel Thà ¶nnes, course Information Literacy. 2. Search plan 1. Search question: What is the current situation in plastic pollution? How can we recycle our plastic rubbish? Which are the best possibilities to recycle plastic? 2. Search terms: plastic rubbish worldwide, problems of plastic rubbish (worldwide), Recycling methods for plastic, most effective recycling methods for plastic, plastic recycling process, innovative plastic recycling methods 3. Information search method: internet search engines (google, bing), internet library HZ 4.Information sources used: scientific articles, reports, websites 3. Summary of the article â€Å"Global declaration on plastic pollution†. Nowadays people are in permanent contact with packages, bottles, toys and a lot more products consisting out of plastic. Most of the products end up as rubbish after the first hour they have been bought. About the question what  is happening to the plastic once it is thrown away, hardly anyone is thinking. The answer is simple, the plastic is coming back to cause even more damage. The way it comes back hardly anyone can imagine. It is coming back through our food chain, to fulfill its task, causing diseases to animals and finally to human kind, which is last in the food chain. For the last 60 years society has been using plastic in a wasteful way, with little concern in which ways this valuable, important and useful product can properly be disposed or recycled. The results are catastrophic, between 60 to 80 % of marine debris are in direct connection with plastic products. In the 5 largest gyres of our oceans enormous quantities of plastic are concentrated, with enormous consequences for the animals that live in the ocean. The consequences are going further to the food chain and human health. (Catto Fellowship Program, 2012, p.2) Plastic is not biodegradable, its decomposing into micro particles. Those tiny pieces are impossible to get out of the water, and the pollution degree is growing on a daily basis. The ocean plastic pollution can be identified as persistent, bioaccumulating and toxic substances. Due to chemical substances, as polychlorinated biphenol, PCBs, the pesticide DDT, several chronic health effects, as endocrine disruption, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity can be observed. (Catto Fellowship Program, 2012, p. 2) After summarizing the main facts of the pollution which can be traced to plastic rubbish, the next step is to find out what possibilities do we have to recycle the plastic. 3.1 CARS checklist on â€Å"Global declaration on plastic pollution†. CREDIBILITY: -Trustworthy source: As the article †Global declaration on plastic pollution† is a submission from the united nations conference on  sustainable development in advance of the Rio earth summit, I would call this source a very reliable one. – Author’s credentials: Detailed information are not given. Only given is that it is the Catto Fellowship Program an initiative from the UN. – Evidence of quality control: This article was published on the online site of the UN, which has to make sure that the quality of the published articles are good. – Known or respected authority/organizational support: The united nations are well known and have respected authority. Organizational support is also given through several experts, which is ubiquitous knowledge, that these kind of organizations have full access to any kind of expertise. Conclusion: The CREDIBILITY of this research is given. ACCURACY: – up-to-date(partially): The research was published in June 2012, nevertheless the used facts have not changed since then. – factual/detailed/exact: This submission contains detailed facts as it was prepared for the â€Å"Rio Earth Summit†. It is worked out in a very detailed way. -comprehensive: As 172 governments participated on the â€Å"Rio Earth Summit†, it was written in a very comprehensive way, which is also accessible to public. -Audience and purpose reflect intentions of completeness and accuracy: This document supports my own research, as it is giving me important facts about the world wide pollution of plastic rubbish. Conclusion: the ACCURACY of this research is given. REASONABLENESS: -Fair/ Balanced/ Objective/Reasoned: This document has been written in a very objective way, reasoned by facts, which have been researched through  experts. Furthermore that makes it fair and balanced. -No conflict of interest: We can find a conflict of interest between the research of the United Nations and large industrial companies, which are depending on the wasteful use of plastic. Despite the fact that this conflict of interest can not be found in the text, but relies on common sense. -Absence of fallacies or slanted tone: Nevertheless no slanted tone against anyone was found in the document, which makes it very objectively. Conclusion: The REASONABLENESS of this research is given. SUPPORT: – Listed sources: At the end we can find several companies which support the ideas of the United Nations. – Contact information: Contact information are provided through the United Nations itself, and can be found on their website. Conclusion: the SUPPORT of this research is given; as we could contact co-workers from the United Nations, to get more information. 3.2 Literature Review on â€Å"Global declaration on plastic pollution†. What is the specific topic of this article? The topic of this article is about the actual situation in plastic pollution world wide. What is the objective of this article? The objective of this article is to provide information about the world wide plastic pollution. In this case it was written for the â€Å"Rio Earth Summit. What are the theoretical assumptions? Assumption 1: Plastic pollution is a global problem. Assumption 2: A huge part of the ocean is affected by plastic pollution. Assumption 3: Plastic pollution is getting worse every day, and has to be stopped. How do the theoretical assumptions fit to your research? The theoretical assumptions do fit my research, because it answers the sub question â€Å"What is the current situation in plastic pollution?† Is there reference to specific concepts of theories/ What are the sources of information the author used? Unfortunately there are no specific information about the author. Only information about the organization, the United Nations, are given. What is the research method? The article has been written through expert opinions, which are working for the United Nations. Which type of material does the article present? As it is written from experts it contains their own field research. How did the author analyze and present the data? The data were presented relying on facts through expertise, so the author based the article on expertise. Does the author describe how the data could be interpreted? A clear description is not contain, the article only gives information about the actual plastic pollution situation and the consequences. What are the main conclusions in the article? As main conclusion it can clearly been identified that the actual situation is catastrophic and is even getting worse. 60 to 80% of marine debris are in direct contact with plastic pollution, the 5 largest gyres of our oceans show an enormous concentration of plastic pollution. This high concentration of plastic pollution results into our food chain being affected and finally being the cause for several diseases for animals and humanity. 4.Summary of the article „5 Stages of the Plastic Recycling Process† Defintion First of all it has to be clarified what plastic recycling means by definition: â€Å"Plastic recycling is the term given to the processing of waste plastic which turns old or scrap plastic in to a useable product which can then re-enter the manufacturing chain. In order for the plastic to be in a suitable format for re use in manufacturing environments such as by injection moulding companies the waste or scrap plastic, needs to go through several recycling processes†. (Daniel Marriott, 5 Stages of Plastic Recycling Process, 2011) Classify Numbers Before explaining the 5 stages of the plastic recycling process, the importance of the 7 numbers given to each plastic product while being produced, has to be explained. -Number 1 is used for â€Å"PETE†, which means Poly(ethylene terephthalate): Soda bottles, water bottles, vinegar bottles, medicine containers, backing for photography film. -Number 2 is used for â€Å"HDPE†, which means high-density Polyethylene: Containers for: laundry/dish detergent, fabric softeners, bleach, milk, shampoo, conditioner, motor oil.  Newer bullet proof vests, various toys. -Number 3 is used for â€Å"V†, which means Poly(vinyl cloride): Pipes, shower curtains, meat wraps, cooking oil bottles, baby bottle nipples, shrink wrap, clear medical tubing, vinyl dashboards and seat covers, coffee containers. -Number 4 is used for â€Å"LDPE†, which means low-density Polyethylene: Wrapping films, grocery bags, sandwich bags. -Number 5 is used for â€Å"PP†, which means Pol ypropylene: Tupperware ®, syrup bottles, yogurt tubs, diapers, outdoor carpet. -Number 6 is used for â€Å"PS†, which means Polystyrene: Coffee cups, disposable cutlery and cups (clear and colored), bakery shells, meat trays, â€Å"cheap† hubcaps, packing peanuts, styrofoam insulation. -Number 7 is used for â€Å"OTHER† Products labeled as â€Å"other† are made of any combination of 1-6 or another, less commonly used plastic and therefor very difficult to recycle. (Eco Reading, 2007) 5 Stages of Plastic recycling Stage one – Sorting the plastic In the first stage the plastic is collected by the recycling company and gets to the recycling plant. At the plant the plastic gets sorted out into specific types of plastic. In total 7 different numbers which are used to specify, which kind of plastic is maintained, can be identified: The problem in plastic recycling is that mixed recycled plastic cannot deliver good quality in manufacturing, therefore it is sometimes difficult or impossible to recycle the plastic to produce new plastic out of it. Recycling companies must therefore pay attention especially to sort out waste plastic. Stage two – Washing Waste Plastic Once the plastic has been sorted out, the washing process begins. Paper labels get removed, as adhesives and other impurities. Any third-party product on the plastic will lower the quality of the recycled plastic. StageThree- Shredding the Plastic In the third step the plastic is getting shredded through huge hoppers that funnel the clean scrap towards rotating metal teeth. The plastic is ripped in to small pellets, which are bagged and tested afterwards. Stage Four – Identify and Classify the Plastic After being bagged the plastic is getting tested chemically and labelled to its exact specification. Either the rGrade plastic can be used for manufacturing by adding a mix of virgin plastic, or it can be further recycled. Stage Five – Extruding In the last step the clean shredded plastic is going to be extruded in to form of pellets, so that it can be either used for manufacturing of for further recycling. (Daniel Marriott, 5 Stages of Plastic Recycling Process 2011) 4.1 CARS checklist on „5 Stages of the Plastic Recycling Process†. CREDIBILITY: -Trustworthy source: PR Log is an online press release distribution and press release submission service. Main objective of this site is to publish news from all over the world in the industry sector. The article â€Å"5 Stages of the Plastic Recycling Process† is supported by the company â€Å"Ck Polymers†, which is a multi-national distributor of rGrade plastic. Therefore we can call this source trustworthy. – Author’s credentials: The author â€Å"Daniel Marriott† is mentioned, it is possible to contact him via email through a hyperlink and via his phone number. 0845 8730037. As a conclusion it can be said, if further questions are necessary, it would be possible to contact the author. – Evidence of quality control: This article was published on the online site  of â€Å"PR Log† and is supported by the company â€Å"Ck Polymers†, which makes sure that the quality of the article is given. – Known or respected authority/organizational support: â€Å"PR Log† is a registered company and all the published content must be controlled. Furthermore it is supported by the company â€Å"Ck Polymers†, which is in the recycling business. Conclusion: The CREDIBILITY of this article is given. ACCURACY: – up-to-date: The article was published in October 2011, we can not call this up-to-date, on the other hand it can not be called old, because the process has probably not changed. – factual/detailed/exact: This article only contains facts , is very detailed and exact about the whole process and the five steps. -comprehensive: The article is very easy to understand and to read , which makes is very comprehensive.the -Audience and purpose reflect intentions of completeness and accuracy: This article supports my own research, as it is giving me important facts about the plastic recycling process. Conclusion: the ACCURACY of this research is given. REASONABLENESS: -Fair/ Balanced/ Objective/Reasoned: This document has been written in a very objective way, reasoned by facts, which have been researched through the company â€Å"Ck Polymers†, which exerts the written process. Furthermore the article is fair and balanced as no one is getting offended. -No conflict of interest: No conflict of interest can be found in the article, as it is only informing about a possible recycling process. No one gets offended. -Absence of fallacies or slanted tone: No slanted tone against anyone was found in the article, which makes it very objectively. Conclusion: The REASONABLENESS of this research is given. SUPPORT: – Listed sources: At the end of the article three hyperlinks can be found, leading to â€Å"Ck Polymers†, where the information is coming from. – Contact information: Either the possibility is given to contact directly the author of the article, or through the hyperlink from the company â€Å"Ck Polymers†. Conclusion: the SUPPORT of this research is given 4.2 Literature Review on „5 Stages of the Plastic Recycling Process†. What is the specific topic of this article? The topic of this article is the five step plastic recycling process. What is the objective of this article? The objective of this article is to provide information about how the five step plastic recycling process works in practice. What are the theoretical assumptions? Assumption 1: Plastic recycling is a great economically opportunity. Assumption 2: The recycling process is simple and effective. How do the theoretical assumptions fit to your research? The theoretical assumptions do fit my research, because it answers the sub question â€Å"How can we recycle plastic?† The article shows me a clear opportunity how to recycle plastic? Is there reference to specific concepts of theories/ What are the sources of information the author used? There is a reference existing, linking to a company using the five step recycling process. The author is basing his information on this source/company. What is the research method? The research method is secondary research, the author made a research by contacting the company to get detailed information. Which type of material does the article present? The article presents detailed knowledge about the recycling process. How did the author analyze and present the data? The data were presented relying on facts through expertise from the company â€Å"Ck Polymers†, so the author based the article on the expertise of the company. Does the author describe how the data could be interpreted? An interpretation is not available, the article only gives information about the five step recycling process. What are the main conclusions in the article? The main conclusion in this article is that we can make the difference between 7 different numbers every plastic material contains for the recycling process. Furthermore we get a detailed explanation about the five  step process, in which the plastic gets sorted, washed, schredded, identified/classified and finally extruded. The end product is called rGrade plastic, which can either be manufactured by adding virgin plastic, or being used for further recycling. 5. Summary of the article â€Å"Startups make plastic rubbish to oil†. This article is about the possibility to transform plastic rubbish into oil. Oil is one of the most used and important products and nowadays called the â€Å"black gold†. Oil relies on 10% of the world wide plastic production, so the main question should be. Why don’t we recycle it back to oil? The possibility for this recycling process is given now. Pioneer companies as â€Å"Agilyx† and â€Å"Vadxx† developed a process, in which plastic can be transformed to oil again. The result is out of 5 kilogram plastic, 3,8 liter oil can be won.. Looking at the yearly production of 265 million tons of plastic, which moves right away to our garbage 1.5 billion barrels of oil, could be recycled. Only in Europe around 70 million tons of plastic rubbish are ending up on landfills. Looking at the actual landfills, which could be seen as giant oil pits. The process is simple. In a first step the plastic gets assorted. In the second step the assorted plastic gets shredded and heated up to 400 degrees. The resulting synthetic gas cools down and is transformed into the end product, oil. According to â€Å"Agilyx† 75% of the oil, which is located in the plastic, can be recycled. Not forgetting the CO2 emission, which is 60 % lower as if we would simply burn the plastic. (Innovation: Startup makes plastic to oil, 2013) Meanwhile this plastic recycling noise is spreading all over the world. In Germany for example the company â€Å"Nill Tech† situated in Mannheim has opened a factory, which is using the same procedure.(Company in Mannheim makes plastic to oil, 2013) 5.1 CARS checklist on â€Å"Startups make plastic rubbish to oil† and â€Å"Company in Mannheim makes plastic to oil†. CREDIBILITY: – Trustworthy source: Both articles are written by the German author â€Å"Benjamin Reuter†, who is working for the magazine â€Å"Wirtschafts Woche Green† , the information are coming from an interview with the named companies, which makes the article trustworthy. – Author’s credentials: Unfortunately, no details about the authors can be found in the report itself, only his name. More information about the author can be found through the Magazine â€Å"Wirtschafts Woche Green†. – Evidence of quality control: This article was published on the online site of the magazine â€Å"Wirtschafts Woche Green†, this magazine is focusing on reporting over innovative technologies and companies. A quality control is guaranteed. – Known or respected authority/organizational support: The magazine â€Å"Wirtschafts Woche Green† is a registered company, which means that the all the online articles are controlled. Conclusion: The CREDIBILITY of these articles are given. ACCURACY: – up-to-date: The articles were posted on January 2013, 11 month ago. – factual/detailed/exact: These articles were made from interviews with the named companies concerning their technology and procedure. -comprehensive: These articles can be called comprehensive as a lot of important information for my report are given. -Audience and purpose reflect intentions of completeness and accuracy: These articles supports my own research, as it gives all detailed information about the possibility , how to recycle plastic. Conclusion: the ACCURACY of this research is good. REASONABLENESS: -Fair/ Balanced/ Objective/Reasoned: These articles are fair, balanced,  objective and reasoned, as direct information from the mentioned companies were given. -No conflict of interest: These articles do not contain any conflict of interest, as it is written to inform public and does not offend anyone. – Absence of fallacies or slanted tone: No slanted tone was found in these articles. Conclusion: The REASONABLENESS of this research is given. SUPPORT: – Listed sources: a list of references is not given. – Contact information: No contact information of the authors, only the magazine can be contacted directly. Conclusion: the SUPPORT of this research is partially given 5.2 Literature Review on â€Å"Startups make plastic rubbish to oil† and â€Å"Company in Mannheim makes plastic to oil†. What is the specific topic of this article? The topic of this article is the process making oil out of recycled plastic. What is the objective of this article? The objective of this article is to provide information about how the process making oil out of recycled plastic works in practice. What are the theoretical assumptions? Assumption 1: Recycling is a great opportunity to gain raw material. Assumption 2: Oil is one of the most important resources nowadays. Assumption 3: The resource oil will even become more important in the future. How do the theoretical assumptions fit to your research? The theoretical assumptions do fit my research, because it answers the sub question â€Å"How can we recycle plastic?† and â€Å"Which are the best possibilities to recycle plastic?† The article shows a clear opportunity how to recycle plastic and make oil out of it again. As Oil is an important resource nowadays it can be seen as the best possibility together with the five step process of recycling plastic. Is there reference to specific concepts of theories/ What are the sources of information the author used? The article contains a link to the companys â€Å"Agylix† and â€Å"Vadxx†, which can be seen as a reference. The recycling process is explained with a video, which can also be seen as a reference. The sources the author used are definitely coming from the above mentioned companies. What is the research method? The research method is secondary research, the author made a research by contacting the company to get detailed information. Which type of material does the article present? The article presents detailed knowledge about the recycling process. How did the author analyze and present the data? The data were presented relying on facts through expertise from the company â€Å"Agylix† and â€Å"Vadxx†, so the author based the article on the expertise of the company. Does the author describe how the data could be interpreted? An interpretation is not available, the article only gives information about the recycling process making oil out of plastic. What are the main conclusions in the article? Main conclusion of the article is that there is possibility to get oil out of recycled plastic. Oil is one of the most wanted resources nowadays. Pioneer companies made it possible to develop a process, where 3,8 liter oil can be produced out of 5 kilogram of plastic. Furthermore the process is being explained, working as follows: The plastic gets assorted and shredded. The shredded plastic is going to be heated up by 400 degrees. Due to this heating up process, results synthetic gas. In a next step the synthetic gas cools down and results into oil, which can be used again. A last point is the CO2 emission, which is 60%, then if the plastic would simply be burned. 6. Plagiarism First of all what is Plagiarism? Definition found on â€Å"Dictionary.com†: Plagiarism is an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author’s work as one’s own, as by not crediting the original author. In short, plagiarism is all about stealing someone else’s work and lying about it afterwards. During my research on how to recycle plastic rubbish, I tried to prevent plagiarism by summarizing the article into my own words. Furthermore every used source is given in APA style, at the end of the text. In short I used someone else’s knowledge, but summarized it into my own words. 7. Research ethics According to the known information the used sources did not break any common research ethics. The author of this research used information, which were freely obtainable for everyone on the Internet. In order to prevent plagiarism and only use the sources for knowledge and information, no common research ethics was broken. It was not necessary to ask permission to use the mentioned sources. 8. Discussion and Conclusion Then the research question was formulated: â€Å"What should we do with our plastic rubbish?† Furthemore three subquestions were formulated: â€Å"What is the current situation and why is it like that?† â€Å"How can we recycle our plastic rubbish?† and â€Å"Which are the best possibilities to recycle plastic?† The main research question was â€Å"What should we do with our plastic rubbish?† The first sub question â€Å"What is the current situation of plastic pollution?†, was answered as follows: It was found out that the actual situation is catastrophic and is even getting worse. 60 to 80% of marine debris are in direct contact with plastic pollution, the 5 largest gyres of our oceans show an enormous concentration of plastic pollution. This high concentration of plastic pollution results into our food chain being affected and finally being the cause for several diseases for animals and humanity. This fact lead to the next sub question, â€Å"How can we recycle our plastic rubbish?† The answer to this question has been found in the two other summarized articles. It has been found out that there are companies, which are specialized in plastic recycling, following a five step process. In this five step process the plastic gets sorted, washed, schredded, identified/classified and finally extruded. The end product is called rGrade plastic, which can either be manufactured by adding virgin plastic, or used for further recycling. This further recycling leads us to a second effective possibility of plastic recycling. Transforming plastic into oil, which is one of the most wanted resources nowadays. Pioneer companies made it possible to develop a process, where 3,8 liter oil can be produced out of 5 kilogram of plastic. This process works as follows: The plastic gets assorted and shredded. The shredded plastic is going to be heated up by 400 degrees. Due to this heating up process, results synthetic gas. In a next step the synthetic gas cools down and results into oil, which can be used again. An important aspect of this process is also the CO2 emission. It uses 60% less CO2 emission, then if the plastic would simply be burned. The last sub question â€Å"Which are the best possibilities to recycle plastic†, has also been answered. We can say that the â€Å"five step recycling process† is the basic, which should be consequently applied all over the world. The possibility to gain oil out of used plastic again, should be seen as a continuation on the â€Å"five step recycling process†. To answer the main question â€Å"What should we do with our plastic rubbish?† It can be said that the answer is recycling as much as possible. Recycling due to innovative techniques, which can be further developed and ameliorated. The reason humanity has to focus on plastic recycling is not only because of the fact humanity is polluting his earth, which is our source of life. Furthermore the wasteful use of resources will create economical crises, prices of essential products will rise into immeasurable circumstances and make life on earth much harder. All people do need to start thinking long-term and more important in a sustainable way! 9. Reference List 9.1 Summaries, Literature review Catto Fellowship Program (2012). â€Å"Global declaration on plastic pollution† SUBMISSION TO UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT In advance of the rio earth summit. Written on June, 2012, from http://www.uncsd2012.org/content/documents/621Cattos%20Plastic%20Pollution%20 Submission.pdf Benjamin Reuter (2013). Wirtschafts Woche Green, Startup company makes plastic to oil. Written on January, 2013, from http://green.wiwo.de/kreislaufwirtschaft-plastikdeponien-werden-zu-olfeldern/ Benjamin Reuter (2013). WirtschaftsWoche Green, Company in Mannheim makes plastic to oil. Written on January 31, 2013, from http://green.wiwo.de/innovation-fabrik-in-mannheim-macht-plastikmull-zu-ol/ Daniel Marriott (2011). Pr Log, 5 Stages of the Plastic Recycling Process. Written on October 27, 2011, from http://www.prlog.org/11708649-5-stages-of-the-plastic-recycling-process.html 9.2 Other articles Technikatlas.de. Plastic recycling from http://www.technikatlas.de/~tb4/recycling.htm Diana Bocco & Bronwyn Harris (2013). How is plastic recycled? Written on December 20, 2013 from http://www.wisegeek.org/how-is-plastic-recycled.htm Eco Reading (2007). Reading Recycles 1-7 Plastic. Written on June 7, 2007, from http://ecoreading.blogspot.nl/2007/06/reading-recycles-1-7-plastic.html Ck Polymers. Website from recycling company : http://www.ckpolymers.co.uk/ http://www.ckpolymers.co.uk/polymers http://www.ckpolymers.co.uk/polymers/plastic-identification-information 9.3 Pictures Front page picture: https://www.google.nl/search?hl=de&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih= 621&q=Plastikm%C3%BCll&oq=Plastikm%C3%BCll&gs_l=img.3..0l10.2259.6057.0.6372.13.10.1.2.2.0.119.949.7j3.10.0†¦.0†¦1ac.1.27.img..0.13.998.sgL6hhgqFyY#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=UKWSgudQNm8SGM%3A%3BIHIxbqd3Gq6txM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.wz-newsline.de%252Fpolopoly_fs%252F1.1289863.1365710844!%252FhttpImage%252FonlineImage.jpg_gen%252Fderivatives%252Flandscape_550%252FonlineImage.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.wz-newsline.de%252Fhome%252Fpolitik%252Fvermuellte-meere-kampf-gegen-kostenlose-plastiktueten-1.1289876%3B550%3B328

Financial effects and constraint paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial effects and constraint paper - Essay Example A pharmacy can play a significant role in research and development of a hospital so as to come up with new medicines and cures for diseases and thus pose direct completion to pharmaceutical companies with cheaper medicines and other drug related products and small and simple surgical tools. The pharmacy here can provide effective analysis on the development of drugs. These drugs can then be tested on animals or patients in the hospital aiding to lower promotion cost of the developed drugs. Besides, the most obvious effect of a pharmacy on operations management of a hospital is that it can be an additional source of revenue for the hospitals as the patients coming to the hospital are more likely to buy medicines from there. Plus it helps the doctors etc to get medicines quickly rather than having to go anywhere far to get medicines, drugs, or any surgical items they need. This will help speed up operations of the hospital by providing quick service to patients. To facilitate operations management, a pharmacy can evaluate and correctly interpret the complete medication order. To facilitate patient data and its analysis, a pharmacy can play a significant role in evaluation of patient record for potential interactions. This information can be communicated to health Care Professionals who would then accurately forecast demand for new medicinal products. A pharmacist at a pharmacy can better transcribe telephoned orders and other medical information and also deal with buyers and suppliers in a professional manner. A pharmacist at a pharmacy can better advise a doctor on reviewing alternative courses of action, and making decision to resolve drug/therapy problems. Also a pharmacy can work with other departments and committees in the hospital to see what drugs are the most effective ones. The pharmacist has the understanding of drug quality specifications drugs to be procured as he can assess the reliability, price- value, and quality

Kotter#5,6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kotter#5,6 - Essay Example In this step, Kotter (4-12) emphasizes to delegate the powers, authority and autonomy to direct the change efforts in order to reshape a new behavior, replacing the old behavior. On the other hand, Haddad (98-99) has focused more on feasibility, effectiveness and benefits of participatory design while implementing a strategic change. If participation is encouraged from those who are directly going to be affected by change implementation, that change program will fulfill their needs more appropriately rather than implementing such a change in which employees participation is overlooked. This bottom lime strategy clearly resembles with that of fifth step of Kotter (4-12) which puts more weight on â€Å"empowering others to act in the vision†. I agree with points raised by Kegan and Lahey (49-59) to understand the concept why people won’t change, simply because of the 180-degree difference in their stated commitments and competing commitments. However, if these behaviors are identified and appropriately confronted with the participation of employees, the implementation of strategic change will be far more convenient for the organizations. The analysis of Beer and Nohria (13-23) outlines the two mindsets of managers in dealing with the change. These mindsets are formulated as Theory E and Theory O by Beer and Nohria (13-23). Those managers who have the mindset of Theory E, investigates the Economic value of everything which they find in the organization’s culture. These managers toil hard to maximize the wealth of shareholder as their ultimate goal of success. On the contrary, Theory O believers have the standpoint of developing the capabilities of the organization. If the combined effects of both these theories are analyzed, these effects are closely related to the sixth step of Kotter (4-12) which involves short-tem wins.

Comparing Two Similar Businesses Research Paper

Comparing Two Similar Businesses - Research Paper Example This research paper discuses more about the management strategies essentially in Amazon.com and Borders Books businesses. To arrive at the conclusion of this paper statistical analysis related to the topic of discussion was collected and previous works used. Amazon.com is considered the pioneer in online selling. It expanded in the late 1990s to sell the world’s largest selection of books, DVDs, videos, CDs, electronics, toys, tools, house wares, and kitchen gadgets. Through intermediaries’ conformities, Amazon.com in addition sells products from renowned retailers like Toysrus.com Incorporated., the Borders Group, etc. On the other hand, Borders Group incorporated is the largest after Amazon.com in the United States bookstore chains. It is the fastest rising bookstore chain. It runs 354 superstores in the name of Borders Books and Music. It features books and special events, like live music, and appearances by artists. This research paper analyzed and compared two buss inesses on such topics as management approach each took to Internet marketing and sales, three reasons for Amazon's success despite not turning a profit for the first five to six years, three reasons Borders, although initially successful and profitable, ended up in chapter 11 in relation for bankruptcy safeguard. In conclusion, in order for a company to flourish in the competitive market environment it should adopt the modern marketing strategies like marketing online, designing there website in a way that attracts many customers.

Systems and Operations Management Recommendations Essay

Systems and Operations Management Recommendations - Essay Example 4-7). Operations management involves various manufacturing processes such as supervising, designing, and managing so that the business functions can come under redesign for the production of goods and services. Operations management also makes sure that minimum resources come under utilization in the process of production so that it can become efficient and the business strategies come under effective implementation. Besides, the operations management administers the inputs (particularly in the form of materials, labor, and energy) that come under conversion to output (in the shape of outcome that is goods and services) in an effective and efficient manner (Kumar and Suresh, 2009, pp. 9-11). On the other hand, Systems management is the overall administration and management of the organizations information technology distributed systems. ... This company established its business operations in the early decade of 1960 in Sydney, Australia with the core service provider of photocopying. With the success in the photocopying business, Lachlan (the founder) expanded its business operations and started out as Atokowaâ„ ¢ printing and they reproduced copies for different organizations (Lord Ashcroft International Business School, 2012). Today, Atokowaâ„ ¢ Advantage deals and trade a wide range of stationery and office supplies to individuals and businesses (which are the two distinct types of customers they cater). From their widespread businesses, they now own several retail outlets from where they deliver stationery and office supplies directly to organizations. Additionally they also carry out customized printing upon request for different enterprises. Atokowa also prints brochures, flyers, letterheads, business cards, memo slips, and various other products (Lord Ashcroft International Business School, 2012). With the success and growth of the business, the vision came to cognizance to become the one-stop shop for stationery and office supplies. However, with the passage of time, the vision broadened and the focus towards technology was driven. Atokowa widened their focus and initiated the trading of Commodore 64 and the IBM PC 5100 (one of the technological advancements at that time). Moreover, the company continued their interest in technology and provided a range of information technology products in their retail outlets for their customers (Lord Ashcroft International Business School, 2012). Systems and Operations Management Analysis and Evaluation The systems and operations management analysis and evaluation comes under practice that

Should polygamy be made legal in the United States Essay

Should polygamy be made legal in the United States - Essay Example This enabled a division of labor. It also relieves the difficulty of child bearing. Few women in Zimbabwe desired to be a single wife in a marriage because of the numerous responsibilities customs and the larger society would give her (Zeitzen 2008). In contrast, Western societies has championed two conflicting principles of marriage’s purpose, one rooted in collective or joint principles, and the other rooted in personal satisfaction and companionship (Gordon 2002). This fusion of principles has generated laws that rigidly control sexual behavior in accordance to a monogamous definition of marriage. The United States, as such, bans polygamy (Zeitzen 2008). In my opinion, it should remain to be so. The success of polygamy depends on the culture which hosts it. For instance, as shown in the above discussion, in largely agricultural or labor-intensive societies such as Zimbabwe polygamy is more favorable than monogamy. But in a society like the United States, which is highly ind ustrialized or mechanized, monogamy is more acceptable than polygamy. Polygamy, in my opinion, should not be legalized. According to my research, some of the most compelling reasons for the prohibition of polygamy are the following: (1) Legalizing polygamy will further deprive women of some basic rights.

Hypertension Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hypertension - Research Paper Example Should the blood pressure hit 140/90 and above, one is considered to have hypertension. The two major classifications of hypertension are secondary and essential hypertension. Whereas essential hypertension refers to a high blood pressure case whose cause is unknown, secondary hypertension refers to high blood pressure caused by tumors, kidney disease, and birth control pills (Falvo, 2009). The essential type of hypertension has been identified to cause about 95% of all hypertension cases. That is, among the about 73 million adults in the United States suffering from hypertension, 69.35% have the essential hypertension (Falvo, 2009). Although the exact causes of hypertension are generally unknown, several risk factors have been associated with hypertension. These factors include diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, and lack of physical activity, smoking, vitamin D deficiency, stress, aging, excessive alcohol consumption, genetics, and medications such as birth control pills, obesity, and e xcessive consumption of salt. Others are chronic kidney disease and insufficient consumption of minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. The symptoms of the condition are rather hard to identify and quite a big percentage of hypertension victims do not know that they have the condition. Because this ignorance about one’s hypertension status could last years and endanger lives, it is recommended that people continually go for screenings. Included in these symptoms are problems with vision, breathing problems severe headaches, fatigue or confusion, nausea, blood in the urine, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, and chest pains (Falvo, 2009). This paper explores the subject of hypertension with regards to its statistics, prevalence, psycho-social challenges, lifestyles, treatment, researches, and community programs. Statistics on Hypertension That hypertension is a major health concern in the United States is evidenced by the statistics made available by federal, state, a nd local government agents as well as private citizens, community-based groups, and non-governmental organizations. For instance, that as many as one in three American adults are at risk of contracting chronic kidney disease, stroke, and heart attack/heart failure makes them highly likely to develop hypertension as well. Evidently, hypertension prevalence is rather alarming. It has also been noted that more than half of hypertension patients have not managed to put it under control, resulting in severe health and psycho-social problems, reduced control rates, and high prevalence across the population. According to the American Society of Hypertension (ASH), more should be done regarding the establishment of educational, prevention, treatment, management and research programs to address hypertension, which has been a national health concern for quite some tine. These programs should specifically target hypertension prevention, treatment, awareness, and the reduction of hypertensionâ €™s consequences. To meet these objectives, these programs will have to initiate

If managers are rational, mergers should always lead to an increase in Essay

If managers are rational, mergers should always lead to an increase in shareholder value. Discuss this statement in view of the relevant analysis of mergers and acquisitions - Essay Example Scholars denote that a merger is just one example of an acquisition, and there are other methods that an organisation can acquire another organization. These methods include purchasing of a company’ shares or even making an initiative to purchase all the outstanding stocks of the business targeted for acquisition. It is therefore important to understand that the main purpose of acquisitions and mergers is for the companies involved to gain an economic advantage (Custà ³dio, 2013). For any transaction involving mergers and acquisitions to be justified, the net worth of the two organizations when combined must be more than when the two organizations did not merge, or were not together. This paper will identify the reasons as to why so many mergers and acquisitions usually fail, despite the advantages that these mergers and acquisition bring about. Some of the advantages of an acquisition or merger include elimination of inefficiency, acquiring some tax advantages, achieving the benefits of economies of scale, and acquisition of complementary resources that can help an organisation to increase its market share (DePamphilis, 2010). Other major reasons for acquisitions and mergers include the ability to obtain proprietary rights to services and products, increasing the market share of an organisation through acquisition of the competitors of an organisation, and using the distributional channels of the acquired company to penetrate new markets, and geographic locations. All these advantages of mergers and acquisition must always be reflected in the growth of organizations shares, hence increasing the share value of an organization (Van Horne and Wachowicz, 2009). However, this is not always the case on most of the mergers that occur. This is because an acquisition and a merger is always a very complex procedure, and on most occa sions, it is difficult for the managers to accurately evaluate the transactions, the benefits, the costs, and the

The Hawaiian Monarchy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Hawaiian Monarchy - Essay Example Kamehameha used intelligence gathering and warfare experience to defeat most of his enemies in different war fronts. The unified legal system promoted unity in the Hawaiian Islands even after the death of the Kamehameha. This indicates the strength of the legal system instated and the tolerance of the Hawaiian people. According to Potter et al. (76), the Hawaiian Islands remained united for a long time with the exception of the five months British occupation. For the case of technology and other modern concepts, Kamehameha made contacts with the outside world such as the British who provided his army with modem technology. The modern armoury made his army superior and this aided him and his descendants to have a technologically and well-equipped army (Potter et al. (129). In essence, Kamehameha adopted technology, particularly on armoury through creation of contacts between Hawaii and outside world. Later these ties created trade links, which saw Hawaii Islands develop into a commercial canter. In conclusion, the Hawaii Islands remain united up to today because of the strong legal system, Kamehameha created. Several battles brought the unification of the Hawaiian Islands. On his death in 1819, king Kamehameha left the law of the splintered paddle and other attributed laws as the unifying pillar of the Hawaiians Potter et al.

The Big Five model Essay Example for Free

The Big Five model Essay The Big Five model is an inventory tool which is very helpful in assessing one’s personality by evaluating five dimensions; these attributes are conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. Although these five dimensions alone cannot explain the human personality in its entirety, psychologists have agreed that these dimensions do encompass both heredity and environmental factors. This model has proved to be quite effective in evaluating potential candidates for jobs since the measure of its dimensions can be correlated to performance outcomes of various job roles (Tyler Newcombe, 2006). Conscientiousness is a dimension of the human psyche which emphasizes the need to be disciplined and goal-oriented. Individuals who have a high level of conscientiousness are usually very duty-bound and organized. Openness to experience is a personality trait which influences the extent to which an individual is open towards new and abstract concepts and thoughts. Individuals who are well-endowed with this trait are very creative and outstanding in problem-solving due to the ability to expand their horizons. Extraversion is an inclination to socialize and interact. People who posses a high level of extraversion are out-spoken and tend to easily mingle with new people. Agreeableness is a quality of being accommodative of other people’s actions and opinions. People who posses this quality are cooperative and work extremely well in groups. Neuroticism is a tendency to frequently and suddenly experience negative emotions such as depression, anger, anxiety or fear (University of Wisconsin). Neurotic individuals exhibit unpredictable behavior and mood swings due to the inability to keep their emotions under check. Samantha’s decent score in openness to experience signifies her willingness to experiment with new ideas. Her moderately high score in agreeableness implies that she is quite unbiased, fairly analytical and does not take things personally. Samantha’s excellent score in conscientiousness suggests that she is a very dependable and self-motivated person who is capable of gaining the respect of her associates. Her outstanding scores in extraversion vouch for her dynamic personality and indicate that she is free of inhibitions. She also has low neurotic scores, which implies that she is a calm and composed person. All these are indispensable qualities of a good leader and would certainly make Samantha an excellent manager. Reference: Tyler, G. and Newcombe, P. (2006). Relationship between work performance and personality traits in Hong Kong organizational settings. International Journal of Selection Assessment, 14, 37-50. University of Wisconsin. (n. d. ). A Quick Overview of the Big Five Model of Personality. Retrieved 28 January, 2007 from http://www. uwmc. uwc. edu/psychology/big_five. htm

History and Influences on South East Asia

History and Influences on South East Asia CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION If there were only two men in the world, how would they get on? They would help one another, harm one another, flatter one another, slander one another, fight one another, make it up, they could neither live together nor do without one another Philosophical Dictionary, 1764 Increasing role of China in South Asia has attracted the attention of the policy framers as well as scholars. Its foreign policy towards Southeast Asia has varied from indifference to hostility, but Chinese interest in the region has persisted since 1949. While India occupies a vital position in the Chinese calculation, there are discernible variations in Chinese policy towards other states in the region. The behaviour of Southeast Asian states towards China has also varied. Notwithstanding the persistence of the Indian factor in their perceptions, we observe different response to Chinese behaviour and policy in these states. Chinese foreign policy is undergoing a metamorphosis never seen in the history of the Peoples Republic (PRC). The country has enjoyed a more secure place in the world than before, yet it has remained dissatisfied with its international status. Chinas quest for international legitimacy and a positive image is tested by its pursuit of security interests and the power politics logic of its own and other states. Chinese foreign policy strategy has equally stressed the need to protect its national interest in a threatening world and the struggle to remold the international environment in line with its preferences. Clearly PRC foreign policy is complicated, dynamic, and consequential. China has managed to become a rising star in the international arena, both politically and economically. The bipolar world order lasting for nearly half a century came eventually to an abrupt end in the closing months of the 1980s as a result of dramatic changes in Eastern Europe and the so-called post cold w ar era began in the final decade of this century. China has some motivations in the Southeast Asia one of these is China is in pursuit of hegemony[1] in the region, another possibility is primarily defensive an attempt to neutralize the region while China focuses on internal priorities and the third possibility is to have a cooperative structure. India is seeking an expanded role in the international Geo-political arena which includes Asia and Southeast Asia. Indias growing economy ,common energy security interests, national interest, and power projection makes India China a Peer competitor. Beijings current goal in southeast Asia is to maintain a stable environment around its periphery to assure others that China is not threat, and to encourage economic ties that contribute to Chinas economic modernization and thus regime stability. The foreign policy instruments that Beijing has employed to secure its goals are constituent throughout most of Southeast Asia, but the priorities assigned to different strategic goals vary depending on Chinas interest in different part of the region. CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM To examine the current politico-economic influences in South east Asia and recommend measures for India to significantly expand its politico-economic strategic influence in the South East Asian region with a view to counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian Region.. Justification of the Study The most significant strategic development after the Cold War, is probably the sudden growth in Chinas economic potential and consequent national power. A rapid rise in power of a major country in the past has usually led to tension in the region, conflict with the neighbours and eventually a war. To make an assessment of Chinas posture well into the future is fraught with number of uncertainties. Equally, a projection of that role in the next century would, of necessity, demand an intimate acquaintance with how the Chinese have been involved in their dealings with this part of the world in the past. Above all, how that relationship has evolved, to the present day environment. Idea shall be to restrict the paper and sketch out important events in the near past, which have shaped the present and loom larger than the hoary past on the future that is yet in the limbo. The basic intention in writing this dissertation is To examine the current politico-economic influences in South east As ia and recommend measures for India to significantly expand its politico-economic strategic influence in the South East Asian region with a view to counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian . A direct question has been addressed whether or not China restricts India from emerging as a global player. Scope Axiomatically any meaningful discussion of Chinas role in Southeast Asia would imply an understanding of its relations with the Indian subcontinent as a whole. Of the worlds great powers, China is geographically the closest to the Southeast Asian countries. It has common borders with Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Caombodia. There is significant cultural similarities far reaching political and strategic repercussions over the past couple of centuries, and has propelled the worlds most populous regions into interaction in a wide variety of ways. From a simple geographical perspective, qualitative changes in the Chinas foreign policy should be expected if China grows from a medium-sized power to superpower. At its present rate of economic growth, Chinas productive capabilities and total wealth will soon outstrip those of the other Asian powers. As a weaker power, Chinas dependence on the favour of its neighbours has been comparatively high. But increased relative capabilities make i t feasible for a rising great power to exert greater control over its surroundings. If the opportunity arises to establish a dominant role in the region, China can be expected to seize it. Thus the scope of this paper has been restricted to Chinese dominance in the Southeast Asian region, which will pose vexing problems for India . An attempt has been made to analyse, how India can focus and counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian. Organisation of Dissertation. The study is proposed to be dealt in the following sequence: Modern History strat influences in South East Asia. Political Economy of South East Asia. Chinese political and economical strategy in South East Asia. Indian political and economical strategy in South East Asia. Comparative Analysis of Indian Chinese politico-economic strategies in SE Asia. Recommended response of India to expand its influence in the region. CHAPTER III MODERN HISTORY AND STRATEGIC INFLUENCES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA The post-Cold War world is seeing in some areas a resurgence of nationalism and in others a greater emphasis on regionalism. These two tendencies will overlap. In Southeast Asia national and ethnic differences were significantly blunted by European colonialism and in some cases have been further submerged in the post-colonial period of new nation states. But what is new in Southeast Asia is the development of voluntary (as distinct from externally mandated) cooperation on a sub-regional or regional level. Most recently there is the assertion of an Asian identity, shared by Southeast Asians, which is sharply distinguished from Western value systems, social norms and economic models. It is too early to say how far that will be taken or how much it will influence the political and social development of Southeast Asia. The very important differences between and indeed even within the Southeast Asian countries induces some skepticism in academic circles about the existence of Asian values [2] etc. But there is no doubt that there is a perception in the region of some essential shared values or priorities, and a rejection of what are seen as Western individualistic and libertarian values. An embryonic sense of shared interests transcending ethnic or national groups emerged in colonial times between independence movements, student movements and other groups, including notably the various Marxist-inspired or communist movements in the region. But until after the Pacific War there was little connection across the region. The colonial empires were very separate and governed on different principles. It is a common observation nowadays that Australia, on the fringe of the region, only recently and belatedly become aware of and involved with its Southeast Asian neighbors. That is true, though with some qualifications. There was peripheral contact in the north even before the Europeans colonized Australia. But in the colonial era there was no steady development of contact or interest. The shifting patterns of alliance politics in Europe affected such contacts as there were between the colonial administrations in Southeast Asia and Australia, and indeed between the Southeast A sian colonial administrations themselves. Australia was not unique, or even unusual, in having little contact with its neighbors and in having its external links directed principally along the lines laid down by the metropolitan power. What are now the independent nations of Southeast Asia also had little contact with each other during the European colonial period. Just as the lines of communication and trade ran from Melbourne and Sydney to London, so did those between the French, Dutch, and other British colonies and the respective metropolitan powers in Europe. Right up to the Pacific War there was little or no communication between, for example, what are now Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The links ran from Manila to the United States, from Batavia to the Netherlands, from Hanoi to France, and so on. It was the remarkable Japanese campaign which began at the end of 1941 which precipitated or accelerated the radical changes which took place between 1945 and the end of the Vietnam war. The sheer speed and success of the Japanese successes against numerically superior defending forces in Southeast Asia made a strong impression on opinion in the erstwhile colonies. The Japanese failed to capitalize on that in the sense that after early political successes in encouraging nationalist and pro-Japanese movements the appeal to shared Asian interests lost plausibility in the face of Japanese policies and actions which were exploitative or worse. Although Japan lost the war and left wounds in the region which are still not healed, the war precipitated the end of the moribund European colonial era, and accelerated the creation of independent states largely within borders established by the colonial empires. For some years trade and other economic links remained predominantly in the old colon ial grooves but with the economic supremacy of the United States and then with Japan embarked on decades of the highest rates of economic growth the world had yet seen, those patterns diversified. In the region the United States and Japan became the two most important outside powers and that was reflected inter alia by their leading roles in the setting up of the Asian Development Bank in 1966. By that time Australia[3] too had perforce diversified its trade away from Britain which had made it clear that it would seek its future economic arrangements in Europe and the Commonwealth arrangements which had supported much of Australias traditional export industry were phased out. Australia turned to Japan and others for new markets (a trade agreement with Japan had already been made in 1957). Australias development assistance programme had from the beginning concentrated on Southeast Asia and become and increasingly important instrument for involving this country with the region, especially as significant numbers of students from the region came to our universities and other institutions under the Colombo Plan and successor programmes.The failure of the attempted coup in Indonesia, the Gestapu of 30 September 1965, and the subsequent establishment of the New Order government there opened the way to overcome the regional or sub-regional strains produced by President Sukarnos eff orts to crush the newly-constructed Malaysia, as well as other tensions created or exacerbated by the Sukarno policies. In this climate ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, was established in 1967 and set out on its long and successful course of gradually building a sense of common interest and regional association among the six (originally five) members. ASEAN recently embarked on the development of AFTA, the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. ASEAN has become the key institution in Southeast Asia not only because of its success in developing a sense of community among its very disparate members, and in finding a road for them to closer economic cooperation. It has also become the forum for discussion with the main world powers on a wide range of matters. This has come about through an annual mechanism of post-Ministerial consultations held after ASEANs own internal consultations through which ASEAN member governments, at Foreign Minister level, meet with their counterparts. These counterparts, termed dialogue partners, currently are Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United States. In 1994 discussions on regional security were further developed with the establishment of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) which groups ASEAN and its dialogue partners with Russia, China, Vietnam, Laos and Papua New Guinea. Looking at the recent evolution of Southeast Asia perhaps the most sig nificant thing has been the change that has occurred since the ending of the Cold War and the collapse of communism. Until relatively recently the centrally planned economy model had much attraction for many developing countries and there was up to the beginning of the eighties quite widespread aversion to capitalism and to the liberal market model as exemplified by the Western industrialized countries. Now virtually all of Southeast Asia is committed to market economics, albeit with more governmental political control than in the Western countries. There is a virtual unanimity about the commitment to economic development based on relatively open markets, private ownership and competition. With that has come a period of unprecedented economic growth. The major economies of Southeast Asia are all growing at rates previously thought unattainable for a sustained period. There are of course some uncertainties about the future; but there are few who doubt that Southeast Asia will early i n the twenty-first century be a major centre of economic power and influence. Southeast Asia has traditionally been a site of great power competition for regional dominance, due to its strategic location as a bridge between continental and maritime East Asia. To manage this competition and to enhance their own sub regional autonomy, the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) engaged in a number of regional institution building initiatives during the early 1990s. This institutionalism agenda led to speculation that ASEAN could become the hub of a nascent regional security community following the 1997 Asian financial crisis, however, the prospect that ASEAN could act as an autonomous entity to mitigate Sino-U.S. geopolitical pressures seemed increasingly tenuous. Weakened by political and economic instability, intra-regional disputes and a simultaneous expansion of its membership, ASEAN has come to question its own identity. This has only further undermined ASEAN-led regional security initiatives such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF ). More frequently, Southeast Asian states have favored bilateralism and have looked to external powers to realize their security interests. These changing sub regional dynamics have, in turn, prompted renewed efforts by China and the United States to cultivate influence within Southeast Asia. Chinas attempts to gain support for its new security concept and US efforts to secure additional access and infrastructure agreements along the East Asian littoral are illustrative. To some extent, Sino-U.S. geopolitical competition has been modified by strategic cooperation resulting from the war on terror. China still remains wary of U.S. attempts to engage Southeast Asia in countering global terrorism. These trends have, in turn, compelled analysts to reconceptualize the Southeast Asian security landscape in a balance of power context. It is clear continental Southeast Asian states have aligned with China and maritime Southeast Asian states have aligned with the United States. The geographi c position of China and the United States, and the evolution of their interests and military capabilities accordingly, make it unlikely that either country would seek to project power into the others respective sphere. Southeast Asian states maintain a position of equidistance between the great powers. She attributes this to the ASEAN states general distrust of great powers and their desire to maintain the delicate Sino-U.S. regional balance. CHAPTER IV POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SOUTH EAST ASIA China sleeps, when she wakes, the World will tremble Napoleon The South east Asian countries over the past four decades has transformed itself from a region with enormous economic and political problems to one blessed with relative peace and prosperity. In particular the five ASEAN economies, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand , grew strongly in the 1960s with an average rate of 6 percent. This buoyant economic performance continued in the 1970s with 7.3 percent as they benefited from the massive inflows of the foreign exchange earnings due to sharp increase in the world price of primary commodities, including two oil shocks which benefited some of the members the same period. In the 1980s the region slowed down to an average growth rate of 6.1 percent. Regional economies experienced recessionary conditions due to high interest rate policy of the US Federal Reserve Bank, the consequent debt crisis in the region, the recession in the ASEANs major trading and investment partners, and the fall in the world prices of the primary commodities. But there was also a positive trend of influx of export- oriented foreign direct investment from Japan and the NIEs following the strong appreciation of their currencies. The recovery from 1991 to 1996 was followed by an economic contraction in 1997-98 due to the crisis which began in Thailand in July 1997 and spread to other parts of the region. In 1999-2000, the ASEAN economies staged a dramatic recovery with Singapore and Malaysia leading, things again turned sour with the September 11 attacks and the lackluster performance of the export sector. There was again a decrease in the economic growth due to the SARS, Iraq cri sis and terrorist related attacks, slump in the electronic market and collapse of the WTO talks in Cancun. The global economy is most rapid in emerging Asia where GDP accelerated to 7.2 percent in 2003, accounting for about 50 per cent of world growth. Looking forward, growth is projected to remain high at 7.4 per cent in 2004 and 7.0 per cent in 2005. The IMF stated that while domestic demand growth has increased significantly in emerging Asia, the regional current account surpluses remain very large, with exports supported by the rebound in the information technology (IT) sector as well as depreciating exchange rates. In the ASEAN-4, Thailand has shown the strongest expansion at 6.7 per cent in 2003, and is expected to remain high at 7 per cent in 2004 and 6.7 per cent in 2005. Cyclical considerations and high levels of public debt necessitate fiscal prudence for Thai authorities. The Malaysian economy is also recovering strongly and is expected to continue with inflation and unemployment remaining at low levels. However, the main policy priorities are the implementation of the announced fiscal consolidation to achieve a balanced budget by the year 2006 and greater exchange rate flexibility accompanied with suitable macroeconomic policies. Indonesias modest growth continues to be driven by private consumption, and has been accompanied with lower inflation. The Indonesian government should continue to implement its planned fiscal consolidation. Moreover, it needs to sustain banking, legal and judicial reforms in order to provide a better investment climate conducive to higher growth. As for the Philippines, uncertainties remain high even after the May 2, 2004 presidential elections. The main concerns of the Philippine government include increasing the tax revenues, restructuring the power sector, strengthening the banking sector, and improving the business system. Following the SARS crisis, the Singapore economy recovered in 2003 with supportive macroeconomic policies. To enhance its medium-term competitiveness and growth prospects, the IMF recommends a deepening and acceleration of reforms including further divestment of government  ­linked companies Issues and Challenges for Southeast Asian/ASEAN Domestic policy issues and challenges. On the domestic front, the growth prospects for ASEAN are very much dependent on various factors including the ability of their respective governments to provide economic, political and social stability, implement economic reforms, and diversify their economies. ASEAN policy makers thus face the following challenges: Sound macroeconomic environment. Following the 1997/98 economic crisis, government budget deficits relative to GDP have broadly increased and this is of serious concern for ASEAN governments, particularly for Malaysia and the Philippines. Price instability has become a serious concern for Indonesia and the Philippines. Exchange rates in Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines and Myanmar have weakened significantly. Moreover, the rising levels of foreign debt in the Philippines and Indonesia could create additional uncertainties. In terms of the current account surplus as a proportion of GDP, the six older ASEAN members have broadly shown higher levels relative to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV countries). Thus, in order to achieve a sound macroeconomic environment, ASEAN economies need to adopt a prudent fiscal policy, low inflation rates, stable exchange rates, and manageable levels of external debt and current account balance. Stable political and business environment. The political environment in some countries has been affected by military uprisings, kidnappings, bombings and other terrorist-related activities, peoples demonstrations, and elections. A 1997 survey of Japanese firms conducted by JETRO indicated that political stability is considered as the most significant determinant of Japanese investments in ASEAN. Thus Southeast Asian governments need to find ways and means towards achieving and maintaining a politically stable environment in order to encourage domestic and foreign investments. Social Harmony. ASEAN countries need to address issues such as conflicts between racial groups (e.g. the Chinese and pribumis in Indonesia, and the Chinese and bumiputras in Malaysia), between religious groups (e.g. the Muslims and Christians in Southern Philippines) and between the poor and rich. Despite all the policies and resources spent on alleviating poverty and reducing income inequality, unemployment, poverty and income inequality continue to be the major policy concerns of ASEAN governments. In reality, it is very difficult to reduce poverty and narrow the income gap given the interplay of politics, economics and industry, and the conflicting goals of the various interest groups in the economy like businesses, religious groups, the elite, farmers, small and medium entrepreneurs, etc. Thailands income gap between the rich and the poor was the widest in the world (Bangkok Post, 2S Aug 2003). In the Philippines, Gerard Clark and Marites Sison (2003) in their study titled liDo t he well-off really care about the plight of the poor? revealed that majority of the respondents suggested that some elite people cared while others did not; and those who did care did too little or acted primarily out of self-interest. In fact, there are some people in the superior group like the elite who wish the poor to remain poor because of the benefits that can be derived from their poverty. For instance, politicians often depend on the poor at elections time for support that propels them to political office. Economic Reforms. Southeast Asian governments need to continue implementing economic reforms that include market opening, trade, investment and financial liberalization. These reforms are particularly crucial for the CLMV countries as they undergo transition from centrally planned to market  ­oriented economies and for the crisis-hit countries especially Indonesia and Thailand. In the case of Indonesia, there was a lack of seriousness on the part of the political leadership to undertake economic reforms. For example, there were delays in the removal of tariff control and the privatization of state assets and enterprises, so that the process of reforms is reverting to protectionism. Furthermore, a delay in the IMFs financial assistance added to the ineffectiveness of Indonesias recovery programme. Thailand completed its 34-month Stand-By Arrangement from the IMF that formed part of an international financial package worth US$17.2 billion from multilateral and bilateral lenders. Outs tanding obligations at end-June 2002 amounted to US$6.4 billion and repayment was finally completed on July 31,2003, some two years ahead of schedule a significant achievement on the part of the Thai government. Economic Diversion. Various factors impel ASEAN economies to continue to diversify their economies: volatile and broadly declining primary commodity prices, depletion of non-renewable primary resources such as oil and gas, and the high costs of production. Following the decline in crude oil prices in the 1980s, Brunei and Indonesia have begun to diversify their economies from oil towards non-oil products and services (finance, tourism). Because of the high costs of production (e.g. high labour costs), Singapores economy has emphasised the significant contribution of the services sector (IT, education, tourism, finance). The services sector has accounted for about 60-70 per cent of Singapores GDP. Moreover, to improve the competitiveness of Singapores manufactured products and services, several cost-cutting measures have been implemented, namely, cuts in contribution rates for mandatory saving, reduction in corporate taxes, and reduction in utility charges. Long-run policies include t raining and re-training programmes for workers and greater focus on RD activities for innovations and improvement in technology. In Singapore, there are more than 600,000 workers with secondary education or lower. As such, it is extremely important that these workers upgrade their skills and learn new tasks to be more productive and to be more employable in the future. There are also other schemes such as the job re-design programmes implemented by the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board which involves changing both job content and arrangement to encourage workers to become more productive. Other ASEAN countries can learn from Singapores experiences with regard to cost-cutting measures, training and re-training programmes, and RD activities to improve productivity and competitiveness. Multi-Ethnic States. Multi-ethnicity is a dominant feature of the region and therefore stable inter-state ties and intra-state ethnic stability are closely intertwined. The region has to work toward the stability and security of strong, secular, federal multi- ethnic states if it is to remain secure and stable in the coming years. The Challenge of Democratisaton. The other key political challenge that confronts South East Asian nations is how to build stable, democratic state structures in condition of a rising tide of expectations for better life and greater liberty. Through much of Asia, the struggle between pressures for democratization against existing authoritarian state structures or oppressive socio-political conditions is a reality. Human rights abuses are common in many of the states. In Myanmar and Indonesia there is a rising pressure for political change and expansion of political rights. Militancy, insurgency and terrorism have wracked many parts of ASEAN region in the past and continue to do so even now. Only through steady democratization, decentralization and provision of caring and efficient governance can the integrity of state structures and stability be preserved. CHAPTER V Chinese political and economical strategy in South East Asia. China perceives itself as a central power on Earth. The rest of the World is an array of greater and lesser powers which neither have unified structure nor a single head Macnall Mark[4] Chinas political and economic strategy are interlinked with the security relation that China shares with the Southeast Asia as a region. China embraced the Southeast Asian regionalism and of multilateralism with Southeast Asia is part of broader decision to jettison Chinas old confrontational policy and style. Chinese leaders officials turned this approach to South east Asia on its head replacing the assertiveness that characterized pre 1997 Chinese policy with accommodation. This concerted campaign assuaged South east Asian fears but also paved the way for South east Asian and Chinese to participate in and profit from this rapidly expanding economic ties. Chinese leaders and officials smoothly employed diplomacy in innumerable meeting with South east Asian counterparts to slowly and carefully win greater influence in south east Asia. The Chinese foreign policy community made a concerted effort to represent Chinas reemergence as a regional power. It portrayed recent trends as aligne d with the economic and security interests of its southern neighbors. China convinced the neighbors that it is not a threat. China employed the same set of instruments of Chinese national security policy at both multilateral level with ASEAN and bilateral level with individual ASEAN states albeit with differing effects in the countries concerned depending on their individual circumstances. It places contentious issues temporarily to the side, places processes before product and welcomes efforts to build EAST ASIAN community. Beijing binds the South East Asean countries with a spectrum of economic, political and cultural and security proposals. As Beijing courted its southern neighbors, it supplemented diplomacy with economic ties in terms of trade and economic investment. China opened China to overseas ethnic Chinese and invited ethnic Chinese Southeast Asians to invest in China and subsequently invited Southeast Asians. Rapid increases in the Southeast Asian- China trade led to ove rcome the financial crisis. Chinas economic success has been as impressive as its diplomatic campaign, because china and Southeast Asian countries have been competitors both FDI and for developed markets in Japan,Europe and the United States. Beijing has worked assiduously tp provide Southeast Asian economies with a stake in Chinas economic expansion thus stabilizing Chinas periphery and contributing to Chinas own economic growth. Chinas turn to multilateralism diplomacy was to compliment its intense bilateral diplomacy was timely. ASEAN grew during the 1990 and accommodated new countries and also in the due course of time it had not been able to respond to the financial crisis and also the turmoil in East Timor. Chinas help to ASEAN gave a new appearance to ASEAN. Multilateral diplomacy provided a two way street for ASEAN countries and China and provided measures to forge new bonds. ASEAN also History and Influences on South East Asia History and Influences on South East Asia CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION If there were only two men in the world, how would they get on? They would help one another, harm one another, flatter one another, slander one another, fight one another, make it up, they could neither live together nor do without one another Philosophical Dictionary, 1764 Increasing role of China in South Asia has attracted the attention of the policy framers as well as scholars. Its foreign policy towards Southeast Asia has varied from indifference to hostility, but Chinese interest in the region has persisted since 1949. While India occupies a vital position in the Chinese calculation, there are discernible variations in Chinese policy towards other states in the region. The behaviour of Southeast Asian states towards China has also varied. Notwithstanding the persistence of the Indian factor in their perceptions, we observe different response to Chinese behaviour and policy in these states. Chinese foreign policy is undergoing a metamorphosis never seen in the history of the Peoples Republic (PRC). The country has enjoyed a more secure place in the world than before, yet it has remained dissatisfied with its international status. Chinas quest for international legitimacy and a positive image is tested by its pursuit of security interests and the power politics logic of its own and other states. Chinese foreign policy strategy has equally stressed the need to protect its national interest in a threatening world and the struggle to remold the international environment in line with its preferences. Clearly PRC foreign policy is complicated, dynamic, and consequential. China has managed to become a rising star in the international arena, both politically and economically. The bipolar world order lasting for nearly half a century came eventually to an abrupt end in the closing months of the 1980s as a result of dramatic changes in Eastern Europe and the so-called post cold w ar era began in the final decade of this century. China has some motivations in the Southeast Asia one of these is China is in pursuit of hegemony[1] in the region, another possibility is primarily defensive an attempt to neutralize the region while China focuses on internal priorities and the third possibility is to have a cooperative structure. India is seeking an expanded role in the international Geo-political arena which includes Asia and Southeast Asia. Indias growing economy ,common energy security interests, national interest, and power projection makes India China a Peer competitor. Beijings current goal in southeast Asia is to maintain a stable environment around its periphery to assure others that China is not threat, and to encourage economic ties that contribute to Chinas economic modernization and thus regime stability. The foreign policy instruments that Beijing has employed to secure its goals are constituent throughout most of Southeast Asia, but the priorities assigned to different strategic goals vary depending on Chinas interest in different part of the region. CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM To examine the current politico-economic influences in South east Asia and recommend measures for India to significantly expand its politico-economic strategic influence in the South East Asian region with a view to counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian Region.. Justification of the Study The most significant strategic development after the Cold War, is probably the sudden growth in Chinas economic potential and consequent national power. A rapid rise in power of a major country in the past has usually led to tension in the region, conflict with the neighbours and eventually a war. To make an assessment of Chinas posture well into the future is fraught with number of uncertainties. Equally, a projection of that role in the next century would, of necessity, demand an intimate acquaintance with how the Chinese have been involved in their dealings with this part of the world in the past. Above all, how that relationship has evolved, to the present day environment. Idea shall be to restrict the paper and sketch out important events in the near past, which have shaped the present and loom larger than the hoary past on the future that is yet in the limbo. The basic intention in writing this dissertation is To examine the current politico-economic influences in South east As ia and recommend measures for India to significantly expand its politico-economic strategic influence in the South East Asian region with a view to counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian . A direct question has been addressed whether or not China restricts India from emerging as a global player. Scope Axiomatically any meaningful discussion of Chinas role in Southeast Asia would imply an understanding of its relations with the Indian subcontinent as a whole. Of the worlds great powers, China is geographically the closest to the Southeast Asian countries. It has common borders with Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Caombodia. There is significant cultural similarities far reaching political and strategic repercussions over the past couple of centuries, and has propelled the worlds most populous regions into interaction in a wide variety of ways. From a simple geographical perspective, qualitative changes in the Chinas foreign policy should be expected if China grows from a medium-sized power to superpower. At its present rate of economic growth, Chinas productive capabilities and total wealth will soon outstrip those of the other Asian powers. As a weaker power, Chinas dependence on the favour of its neighbours has been comparatively high. But increased relative capabilities make i t feasible for a rising great power to exert greater control over its surroundings. If the opportunity arises to establish a dominant role in the region, China can be expected to seize it. Thus the scope of this paper has been restricted to Chinese dominance in the Southeast Asian region, which will pose vexing problems for India . An attempt has been made to analyse, how India can focus and counterbalance the overwhelming Chinese politico – economic dominance in the South East Asian. Organisation of Dissertation. The study is proposed to be dealt in the following sequence: Modern History strat influences in South East Asia. Political Economy of South East Asia. Chinese political and economical strategy in South East Asia. Indian political and economical strategy in South East Asia. Comparative Analysis of Indian Chinese politico-economic strategies in SE Asia. Recommended response of India to expand its influence in the region. CHAPTER III MODERN HISTORY AND STRATEGIC INFLUENCES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA The post-Cold War world is seeing in some areas a resurgence of nationalism and in others a greater emphasis on regionalism. These two tendencies will overlap. In Southeast Asia national and ethnic differences were significantly blunted by European colonialism and in some cases have been further submerged in the post-colonial period of new nation states. But what is new in Southeast Asia is the development of voluntary (as distinct from externally mandated) cooperation on a sub-regional or regional level. Most recently there is the assertion of an Asian identity, shared by Southeast Asians, which is sharply distinguished from Western value systems, social norms and economic models. It is too early to say how far that will be taken or how much it will influence the political and social development of Southeast Asia. The very important differences between and indeed even within the Southeast Asian countries induces some skepticism in academic circles about the existence of Asian values [2] etc. But there is no doubt that there is a perception in the region of some essential shared values or priorities, and a rejection of what are seen as Western individualistic and libertarian values. An embryonic sense of shared interests transcending ethnic or national groups emerged in colonial times between independence movements, student movements and other groups, including notably the various Marxist-inspired or communist movements in the region. But until after the Pacific War there was little connection across the region. The colonial empires were very separate and governed on different principles. It is a common observation nowadays that Australia, on the fringe of the region, only recently and belatedly become aware of and involved with its Southeast Asian neighbors. That is true, though with some qualifications. There was peripheral contact in the north even before the Europeans colonized Australia. But in the colonial era there was no steady development of contact or interest. The shifting patterns of alliance politics in Europe affected such contacts as there were between the colonial administrations in Southeast Asia and Australia, and indeed between the Southeast A sian colonial administrations themselves. Australia was not unique, or even unusual, in having little contact with its neighbors and in having its external links directed principally along the lines laid down by the metropolitan power. What are now the independent nations of Southeast Asia also had little contact with each other during the European colonial period. Just as the lines of communication and trade ran from Melbourne and Sydney to London, so did those between the French, Dutch, and other British colonies and the respective metropolitan powers in Europe. Right up to the Pacific War there was little or no communication between, for example, what are now Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The links ran from Manila to the United States, from Batavia to the Netherlands, from Hanoi to France, and so on. It was the remarkable Japanese campaign which began at the end of 1941 which precipitated or accelerated the radical changes which took place between 1945 and the end of the Vietnam war. The sheer speed and success of the Japanese successes against numerically superior defending forces in Southeast Asia made a strong impression on opinion in the erstwhile colonies. The Japanese failed to capitalize on that in the sense that after early political successes in encouraging nationalist and pro-Japanese movements the appeal to shared Asian interests lost plausibility in the face of Japanese policies and actions which were exploitative or worse. Although Japan lost the war and left wounds in the region which are still not healed, the war precipitated the end of the moribund European colonial era, and accelerated the creation of independent states largely within borders established by the colonial empires. For some years trade and other economic links remained predominantly in the old colon ial grooves but with the economic supremacy of the United States and then with Japan embarked on decades of the highest rates of economic growth the world had yet seen, those patterns diversified. In the region the United States and Japan became the two most important outside powers and that was reflected inter alia by their leading roles in the setting up of the Asian Development Bank in 1966. By that time Australia[3] too had perforce diversified its trade away from Britain which had made it clear that it would seek its future economic arrangements in Europe and the Commonwealth arrangements which had supported much of Australias traditional export industry were phased out. Australia turned to Japan and others for new markets (a trade agreement with Japan had already been made in 1957). Australias development assistance programme had from the beginning concentrated on Southeast Asia and become and increasingly important instrument for involving this country with the region, especially as significant numbers of students from the region came to our universities and other institutions under the Colombo Plan and successor programmes.The failure of the attempted coup in Indonesia, the Gestapu of 30 September 1965, and the subsequent establishment of the New Order government there opened the way to overcome the regional or sub-regional strains produced by President Sukarnos eff orts to crush the newly-constructed Malaysia, as well as other tensions created or exacerbated by the Sukarno policies. In this climate ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, was established in 1967 and set out on its long and successful course of gradually building a sense of common interest and regional association among the six (originally five) members. ASEAN recently embarked on the development of AFTA, the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. ASEAN has become the key institution in Southeast Asia not only because of its success in developing a sense of community among its very disparate members, and in finding a road for them to closer economic cooperation. It has also become the forum for discussion with the main world powers on a wide range of matters. This has come about through an annual mechanism of post-Ministerial consultations held after ASEANs own internal consultations through which ASEAN member governments, at Foreign Minister level, meet with their counterparts. These counterparts, termed dialogue partners, currently are Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United States. In 1994 discussions on regional security were further developed with the establishment of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) which groups ASEAN and its dialogue partners with Russia, China, Vietnam, Laos and Papua New Guinea. Looking at the recent evolution of Southeast Asia perhaps the most sig nificant thing has been the change that has occurred since the ending of the Cold War and the collapse of communism. Until relatively recently the centrally planned economy model had much attraction for many developing countries and there was up to the beginning of the eighties quite widespread aversion to capitalism and to the liberal market model as exemplified by the Western industrialized countries. Now virtually all of Southeast Asia is committed to market economics, albeit with more governmental political control than in the Western countries. There is a virtual unanimity about the commitment to economic development based on relatively open markets, private ownership and competition. With that has come a period of unprecedented economic growth. The major economies of Southeast Asia are all growing at rates previously thought unattainable for a sustained period. There are of course some uncertainties about the future; but there are few who doubt that Southeast Asia will early i n the twenty-first century be a major centre of economic power and influence. Southeast Asia has traditionally been a site of great power competition for regional dominance, due to its strategic location as a bridge between continental and maritime East Asia. To manage this competition and to enhance their own sub regional autonomy, the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) engaged in a number of regional institution building initiatives during the early 1990s. This institutionalism agenda led to speculation that ASEAN could become the hub of a nascent regional security community following the 1997 Asian financial crisis, however, the prospect that ASEAN could act as an autonomous entity to mitigate Sino-U.S. geopolitical pressures seemed increasingly tenuous. Weakened by political and economic instability, intra-regional disputes and a simultaneous expansion of its membership, ASEAN has come to question its own identity. This has only further undermined ASEAN-led regional security initiatives such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF ). More frequently, Southeast Asian states have favored bilateralism and have looked to external powers to realize their security interests. These changing sub regional dynamics have, in turn, prompted renewed efforts by China and the United States to cultivate influence within Southeast Asia. Chinas attempts to gain support for its new security concept and US efforts to secure additional access and infrastructure agreements along the East Asian littoral are illustrative. To some extent, Sino-U.S. geopolitical competition has been modified by strategic cooperation resulting from the war on terror. China still remains wary of U.S. attempts to engage Southeast Asia in countering global terrorism. These trends have, in turn, compelled analysts to reconceptualize the Southeast Asian security landscape in a balance of power context. It is clear continental Southeast Asian states have aligned with China and maritime Southeast Asian states have aligned with the United States. The geographi c position of China and the United States, and the evolution of their interests and military capabilities accordingly, make it unlikely that either country would seek to project power into the others respective sphere. Southeast Asian states maintain a position of equidistance between the great powers. She attributes this to the ASEAN states general distrust of great powers and their desire to maintain the delicate Sino-U.S. regional balance. CHAPTER IV POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SOUTH EAST ASIA China sleeps, when she wakes, the World will tremble Napoleon The South east Asian countries over the past four decades has transformed itself from a region with enormous economic and political problems to one blessed with relative peace and prosperity. In particular the five ASEAN economies, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand , grew strongly in the 1960s with an average rate of 6 percent. This buoyant economic performance continued in the 1970s with 7.3 percent as they benefited from the massive inflows of the foreign exchange earnings due to sharp increase in the world price of primary commodities, including two oil shocks which benefited some of the members the same period. In the 1980s the region slowed down to an average growth rate of 6.1 percent. Regional economies experienced recessionary conditions due to high interest rate policy of the US Federal Reserve Bank, the consequent debt crisis in the region, the recession in the ASEANs major trading and investment partners, and the fall in the world prices of the primary commodities. But there was also a positive trend of influx of export- oriented foreign direct investment from Japan and the NIEs following the strong appreciation of their currencies. The recovery from 1991 to 1996 was followed by an economic contraction in 1997-98 due to the crisis which began in Thailand in July 1997 and spread to other parts of the region. In 1999-2000, the ASEAN economies staged a dramatic recovery with Singapore and Malaysia leading, things again turned sour with the September 11 attacks and the lackluster performance of the export sector. There was again a decrease in the economic growth due to the SARS, Iraq cri sis and terrorist related attacks, slump in the electronic market and collapse of the WTO talks in Cancun. The global economy is most rapid in emerging Asia where GDP accelerated to 7.2 percent in 2003, accounting for about 50 per cent of world growth. Looking forward, growth is projected to remain high at 7.4 per cent in 2004 and 7.0 per cent in 2005. The IMF stated that while domestic demand growth has increased significantly in emerging Asia, the regional current account surpluses remain very large, with exports supported by the rebound in the information technology (IT) sector as well as depreciating exchange rates. In the ASEAN-4, Thailand has shown the strongest expansion at 6.7 per cent in 2003, and is expected to remain high at 7 per cent in 2004 and 6.7 per cent in 2005. Cyclical considerations and high levels of public debt necessitate fiscal prudence for Thai authorities. The Malaysian economy is also recovering strongly and is expected to continue with inflation and unemployment remaining at low levels. However, the main policy priorities are the implementation of the announced fiscal consolidation to achieve a balanced budget by the year 2006 and greater exchange rate flexibility accompanied with suitable macroeconomic policies. Indonesias modest growth continues to be driven by private consumption, and has been accompanied with lower inflation. The Indonesian government should continue to implement its planned fiscal consolidation. Moreover, it needs to sustain banking, legal and judicial reforms in order to provide a better investment climate conducive to higher growth. As for the Philippines, uncertainties remain high even after the May 2, 2004 presidential elections. The main concerns of the Philippine government include increasing the tax revenues, restructuring the power sector, strengthening the banking sector, and improving the business system. Following the SARS crisis, the Singapore economy recovered in 2003 with supportive macroeconomic policies. To enhance its medium-term competitiveness and growth prospects, the IMF recommends a deepening and acceleration of reforms including further divestment of government  ­linked companies Issues and Challenges for Southeast Asian/ASEAN Domestic policy issues and challenges. On the domestic front, the growth prospects for ASEAN are very much dependent on various factors including the ability of their respective governments to provide economic, political and social stability, implement economic reforms, and diversify their economies. ASEAN policy makers thus face the following challenges: Sound macroeconomic environment. Following the 1997/98 economic crisis, government budget deficits relative to GDP have broadly increased and this is of serious concern for ASEAN governments, particularly for Malaysia and the Philippines. Price instability has become a serious concern for Indonesia and the Philippines. Exchange rates in Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines and Myanmar have weakened significantly. Moreover, the rising levels of foreign debt in the Philippines and Indonesia could create additional uncertainties. In terms of the current account surplus as a proportion of GDP, the six older ASEAN members have broadly shown higher levels relative to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV countries). Thus, in order to achieve a sound macroeconomic environment, ASEAN economies need to adopt a prudent fiscal policy, low inflation rates, stable exchange rates, and manageable levels of external debt and current account balance. Stable political and business environment. The political environment in some countries has been affected by military uprisings, kidnappings, bombings and other terrorist-related activities, peoples demonstrations, and elections. A 1997 survey of Japanese firms conducted by JETRO indicated that political stability is considered as the most significant determinant of Japanese investments in ASEAN. Thus Southeast Asian governments need to find ways and means towards achieving and maintaining a politically stable environment in order to encourage domestic and foreign investments. Social Harmony. ASEAN countries need to address issues such as conflicts between racial groups (e.g. the Chinese and pribumis in Indonesia, and the Chinese and bumiputras in Malaysia), between religious groups (e.g. the Muslims and Christians in Southern Philippines) and between the poor and rich. Despite all the policies and resources spent on alleviating poverty and reducing income inequality, unemployment, poverty and income inequality continue to be the major policy concerns of ASEAN governments. In reality, it is very difficult to reduce poverty and narrow the income gap given the interplay of politics, economics and industry, and the conflicting goals of the various interest groups in the economy like businesses, religious groups, the elite, farmers, small and medium entrepreneurs, etc. Thailands income gap between the rich and the poor was the widest in the world (Bangkok Post, 2S Aug 2003). In the Philippines, Gerard Clark and Marites Sison (2003) in their study titled liDo t he well-off really care about the plight of the poor? revealed that majority of the respondents suggested that some elite people cared while others did not; and those who did care did too little or acted primarily out of self-interest. In fact, there are some people in the superior group like the elite who wish the poor to remain poor because of the benefits that can be derived from their poverty. For instance, politicians often depend on the poor at elections time for support that propels them to political office. Economic Reforms. Southeast Asian governments need to continue implementing economic reforms that include market opening, trade, investment and financial liberalization. These reforms are particularly crucial for the CLMV countries as they undergo transition from centrally planned to market  ­oriented economies and for the crisis-hit countries especially Indonesia and Thailand. In the case of Indonesia, there was a lack of seriousness on the part of the political leadership to undertake economic reforms. For example, there were delays in the removal of tariff control and the privatization of state assets and enterprises, so that the process of reforms is reverting to protectionism. Furthermore, a delay in the IMFs financial assistance added to the ineffectiveness of Indonesias recovery programme. Thailand completed its 34-month Stand-By Arrangement from the IMF that formed part of an international financial package worth US$17.2 billion from multilateral and bilateral lenders. Outs tanding obligations at end-June 2002 amounted to US$6.4 billion and repayment was finally completed on July 31,2003, some two years ahead of schedule a significant achievement on the part of the Thai government. Economic Diversion. Various factors impel ASEAN economies to continue to diversify their economies: volatile and broadly declining primary commodity prices, depletion of non-renewable primary resources such as oil and gas, and the high costs of production. Following the decline in crude oil prices in the 1980s, Brunei and Indonesia have begun to diversify their economies from oil towards non-oil products and services (finance, tourism). Because of the high costs of production (e.g. high labour costs), Singapores economy has emphasised the significant contribution of the services sector (IT, education, tourism, finance). The services sector has accounted for about 60-70 per cent of Singapores GDP. Moreover, to improve the competitiveness of Singapores manufactured products and services, several cost-cutting measures have been implemented, namely, cuts in contribution rates for mandatory saving, reduction in corporate taxes, and reduction in utility charges. Long-run policies include t raining and re-training programmes for workers and greater focus on RD activities for innovations and improvement in technology. In Singapore, there are more than 600,000 workers with secondary education or lower. As such, it is extremely important that these workers upgrade their skills and learn new tasks to be more productive and to be more employable in the future. There are also other schemes such as the job re-design programmes implemented by the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board which involves changing both job content and arrangement to encourage workers to become more productive. Other ASEAN countries can learn from Singapores experiences with regard to cost-cutting measures, training and re-training programmes, and RD activities to improve productivity and competitiveness. Multi-Ethnic States. Multi-ethnicity is a dominant feature of the region and therefore stable inter-state ties and intra-state ethnic stability are closely intertwined. The region has to work toward the stability and security of strong, secular, federal multi- ethnic states if it is to remain secure and stable in the coming years. The Challenge of Democratisaton. The other key political challenge that confronts South East Asian nations is how to build stable, democratic state structures in condition of a rising tide of expectations for better life and greater liberty. Through much of Asia, the struggle between pressures for democratization against existing authoritarian state structures or oppressive socio-political conditions is a reality. Human rights abuses are common in many of the states. In Myanmar and Indonesia there is a rising pressure for political change and expansion of political rights. Militancy, insurgency and terrorism have wracked many parts of ASEAN region in the past and continue to do so even now. Only through steady democratization, decentralization and provision of caring and efficient governance can the integrity of state structures and stability be preserved. CHAPTER V Chinese political and economical strategy in South East Asia. China perceives itself as a central power on Earth. The rest of the World is an array of greater and lesser powers which neither have unified structure nor a single head Macnall Mark[4] Chinas political and economic strategy are interlinked with the security relation that China shares with the Southeast Asia as a region. China embraced the Southeast Asian regionalism and of multilateralism with Southeast Asia is part of broader decision to jettison Chinas old confrontational policy and style. Chinese leaders officials turned this approach to South east Asia on its head replacing the assertiveness that characterized pre 1997 Chinese policy with accommodation. This concerted campaign assuaged South east Asian fears but also paved the way for South east Asian and Chinese to participate in and profit from this rapidly expanding economic ties. Chinese leaders and officials smoothly employed diplomacy in innumerable meeting with South east Asian counterparts to slowly and carefully win greater influence in south east Asia. The Chinese foreign policy community made a concerted effort to represent Chinas reemergence as a regional power. It portrayed recent trends as aligne d with the economic and security interests of its southern neighbors. China convinced the neighbors that it is not a threat. China employed the same set of instruments of Chinese national security policy at both multilateral level with ASEAN and bilateral level with individual ASEAN states albeit with differing effects in the countries concerned depending on their individual circumstances. It places contentious issues temporarily to the side, places processes before product and welcomes efforts to build EAST ASIAN community. Beijing binds the South East Asean countries with a spectrum of economic, political and cultural and security proposals. As Beijing courted its southern neighbors, it supplemented diplomacy with economic ties in terms of trade and economic investment. China opened China to overseas ethnic Chinese and invited ethnic Chinese Southeast Asians to invest in China and subsequently invited Southeast Asians. Rapid increases in the Southeast Asian- China trade led to ove rcome the financial crisis. Chinas economic success has been as impressive as its diplomatic campaign, because china and Southeast Asian countries have been competitors both FDI and for developed markets in Japan,Europe and the United States. Beijing has worked assiduously tp provide Southeast Asian economies with a stake in Chinas economic expansion thus stabilizing Chinas periphery and contributing to Chinas own economic growth. Chinas turn to multilateralism diplomacy was to compliment its intense bilateral diplomacy was timely. ASEAN grew during the 1990 and accommodated new countries and also in the due course of time it had not been able to respond to the financial crisis and also the turmoil in East Timor. Chinas help to ASEAN gave a new appearance to ASEAN. Multilateral diplomacy provided a two way street for ASEAN countries and China and provided measures to forge new bonds. ASEAN also