The Evolution of Morality Essay Example for Free

The Evolution of Morality Essay De Waal, author of Good Natured, is one of the most foremost proponents of debate over the evolution of morality. He is a famous primatologist and ethologist who bases his opinions partially on Darwinism and partially on his own personal viewing of primates. According to De Waal, morality comes from two separate sources. De Waal’s theory of morality rests upon the observations of primate behaviors of empathy and sympathy, the selection of kin, reciprocal altruism with regards to fairness, and the simple ability to get along, in conjunction with the idea that one part of our human morality is biological and one part is a result of cultural development. If the idea of a moral code were to be described using only one source, the theory would fail almost immediately. In the human sector, de Waal suggests that our cultural norm is a result of the collaboration of two separate things. The first would be our biological makeup. He claims that all humans are born with some sort of moral ideas. These are, in some cases, fueled by the simple needs and desires that simply come with the territory of being an infant, adolescent, or adult. However, the simple existence of an awareness of what is right and what is wrong is in no way weighty enough to incur a full-fledged code of morals. In order for it to be a sense that is strong enough to sway human behavior it needs to be manipulated by another set of values. This is where cultural decision begins to play a part. Much of the human’s idea of a moral code is embedded in what society believes to be correct behavior. This can encompass many things whether it be how a community should function, how other humans would like to be treated, or the innate desire for friendship. The key point that de Waal is striving to make is that our human morality is consistently evolving with the times. Fairness, normality, and obligation are cultural ideas formed simply by the majority’s expectations. De Waal’s theory rests upon the fusion of these two human traits. However, his ideas also draw from proof of his own scientific observations in the field of primates. However, human morality is not a concept that can be grasped simply by what has occurred to actual human beings over the course of history. In order to fully understand it, one must take into consideration the fact that there may be other entities that practice or abide by the same moral code. De Waal is famous for stating that â€Å"By limiting the concept of morality to the form that is able to be practiced by human beings, we are limiting our understanding of what made us moral in the first place† (4). The â€Å"building blocks of morality† encompass many different characteristics that even primates demonstrate. The ones that are most obviously identifiable in animal behavior are empathy, the selection of kin, reciprocal altruism, demonstrations of fairness, and even their need to resolve conflict. These are all human traits that can undoubtedly be recognized outside of the human spectrum at an undeniable level. This is where de Waal’s theory comes in. His evolution of morality stands on the idea of primates also exemplifying human characteristics. The first and most obvious things that primates show are empathy and sympathy. Some would argue that all animals contain this trait because of the need to nurture and care for young. They are shown through multiple things whether it be emotional attachment, giving simple help to a fellow monkey, or caring for children. De Waal gives a specific example of this when he tells of Yeroen. This primate has just lost a pertinent fight over who will take leadership in his community. Instead of being left to fend for himself emotionally, another young chimpanzee runs over to console him. De Waal also offers multiple flashbacks of monkeys protectively positioning themselves with and around those who are wounded or are their family. Many of these things are human tendencies and de Waal wastes no time in using them to support his ideas of the evolution of morality. Familial bonds are also something that is, surprisingly, not unique to human nature. The selection of kin is also seen in primate life. Maternal instincts are strong, and a father is often seen as the head 1 / 2 of his family. De Waal writes: â€Å"Attached with an emotional umbilical cord to her offspring, the primate mother is never free† (122). The community also institutes multiple ideas of rank and order within their tribes as well. The story of Socko stealing alpha male Jimoh’s choice female and suffering wrath for it is a prime example. Reciprocal altruism can arguably be the most obvious way in which primates demonstrate a code of morality. This is simply the idea of a Golden Rule. Often times, cultural expectations are tied to what one person (or in this case primate) will do with the expectation that they will ultimately receive the same treatment. Many societies base their entire code of ethics around this simple truth, so it is impossible that chimpanzees do this without knowing. Fairness is another trait that de Waal rests his theory upon when it comes to what he has observed in the world of primates. He claims that as a community they share food, take revenge, and even executively hand out justice. There are ranks and rules that need to be followed. This goes hand-in-hand with the final building block which is the ability to resolve conflict. Within a communal setting, this is an inevitable side affect. De Waal writes: â€Å"Golden monkeys do it with mutual hand-holding, chimpanzees with a kiss on the mouth, bonobos with sex, and tonkeana macaques with clasping and lipsmacking. Each species follows its own peacemaking protocol† (176). De Waal concludes his book Good Natured with his statements over moral code as a whole. Ultimately, he lends notability to the idea that humans came up with a case for morality partially because of biological makeup and partially because of cultural compromise and normality. However, his theory is different in his insistence that primates demonstrate the building blocks of a code of morality in their portrayal of empathy and sympathy, their selection of kin, reciprocal altruism, and the ability to get along in regards to fairness and resolving conflict. The fusion of these three things is what de Waal rests his case upon, with much credibility. References De Waal, Frans. Good Natured: The Origins of Right and Wrong in Humans and Other Animals. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1996. Print. POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).

Bermuda Triangle Essay -- Science Exploratory

Bermuda Triangle The Bermuda triangle, or the devil’s triangle, is an imaginary area located off the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States. It is the greatest modern mystery of our supposedly well understood world. It is noted for a very high incidence of unexplained losses of ships, small boats, and aircraft. The tips of the triangle are generally thought to be Bermuda, Miami, Fla., and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Many theories attempting to explain the many disappearances have been offered throughout the history of the area. The most practical seem to be environmental and those that involve human error. Some reports even go as far as to saying that there are UFO’s kidnapping ships and planes, and that the lost city of Atlantis is below the Bermuda triangle. Weird disappearances and sightings in the Bermuda triangle date back to 1492, when the first voyage to America took place. Christopher Columbus when sailing through the imaginary place called the Bermuda triangle wrote of weird sightings in the ship log. He recorded that he and his crew had observed a large ball of fire fall into the sea and that the ship's compass was behaving differently. On October 11, which is the day Columbus landed on Cuba, Columbus and another man saw a light over the water, which disappeared suddenly. Within hours land was sighted. These incidents have been thought to be the first known indications that the Bermuda Triangle is filled with bizarre happenings, Columbus himself was not apparently bothered by what he had seen. The ball of fire might have been a meteor, a fire on the shore, a torch in an Indian's boat or even a hallucination. Whatever it was, Chris Columbus provided the Bermuda Triangle with a five hundred-year story. (3) Many ships and planes have been lost in the triangle. Of unexplained stories, the most famous of them all is of flight 19. The mission called for the thirteen men to fly due east fifty-six miles to Hens and Chicken Shoals to conduct practice-bombing runs. When they had completed that objective, the flight plan called for them to fly an additional sixty-seven miles east, then turn north for seventy-three miles and finally straight back to base, a distance of 120 miles. This course would take them on a triangular path over the sea. About an hour and a half into the mission Lt. Taylor reported that his compass was not working. Planes t... ...pearances occurred. Each was a world away from the other. One was off Australia, the other off Puerto Rico in the Bermuda Triangle, yet both were very similar. Both pilots were sober, one was a US Marine. Both reported a strange object harassing or, at the very least, very interested in their aircraft. Both could not describe exactly what it was. But in both cases, when it came in closer, it apparently caused a disruption of radio communication and cut out electro-magnetic power, causing the engine to sputter. Neither aircraft left any trace. Both carried ELTs, automatic alarms that are jettisoned when the aircraft impacts. This triggers them to send their electronic SOS signals, guiding rescuers to the point of the incident. Yet in both these incidents they were hushed, for no signal was ever picked up. (2) The Great Bermuda Triangle is one of the biggest mysteries still alive today. It has created many stories, some true, some untrue; there have been many unexplained disappearances in this imaginary place. Peoples lives have been lost, and ships and planes seemed to enter and never come out. Whatever it is, it will always be a mystery, a mystery of the Great Bermuda Triangle. Bermuda Triangle Essay -- Science Exploratory Bermuda Triangle The Bermuda triangle, or the devil’s triangle, is an imaginary area located off the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States. It is the greatest modern mystery of our supposedly well understood world. It is noted for a very high incidence of unexplained losses of ships, small boats, and aircraft. The tips of the triangle are generally thought to be Bermuda, Miami, Fla., and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Many theories attempting to explain the many disappearances have been offered throughout the history of the area. The most practical seem to be environmental and those that involve human error. Some reports even go as far as to saying that there are UFO’s kidnapping ships and planes, and that the lost city of Atlantis is below the Bermuda triangle. Weird disappearances and sightings in the Bermuda triangle date back to 1492, when the first voyage to America took place. Christopher Columbus when sailing through the imaginary place called the Bermuda triangle wrote of weird sightings in the ship log. He recorded that he and his crew had observed a large ball of fire fall into the sea and that the ship's compass was behaving differently. On October 11, which is the day Columbus landed on Cuba, Columbus and another man saw a light over the water, which disappeared suddenly. Within hours land was sighted. These incidents have been thought to be the first known indications that the Bermuda Triangle is filled with bizarre happenings, Columbus himself was not apparently bothered by what he had seen. The ball of fire might have been a meteor, a fire on the shore, a torch in an Indian's boat or even a hallucination. Whatever it was, Chris Columbus provided the Bermuda Triangle with a five hundred-year story. (3) Many ships and planes have been lost in the triangle. Of unexplained stories, the most famous of them all is of flight 19. The mission called for the thirteen men to fly due east fifty-six miles to Hens and Chicken Shoals to conduct practice-bombing runs. When they had completed that objective, the flight plan called for them to fly an additional sixty-seven miles east, then turn north for seventy-three miles and finally straight back to base, a distance of 120 miles. This course would take them on a triangular path over the sea. About an hour and a half into the mission Lt. Taylor reported that his compass was not working. Planes t... ...pearances occurred. Each was a world away from the other. One was off Australia, the other off Puerto Rico in the Bermuda Triangle, yet both were very similar. Both pilots were sober, one was a US Marine. Both reported a strange object harassing or, at the very least, very interested in their aircraft. Both could not describe exactly what it was. But in both cases, when it came in closer, it apparently caused a disruption of radio communication and cut out electro-magnetic power, causing the engine to sputter. Neither aircraft left any trace. Both carried ELTs, automatic alarms that are jettisoned when the aircraft impacts. This triggers them to send their electronic SOS signals, guiding rescuers to the point of the incident. Yet in both these incidents they were hushed, for no signal was ever picked up. (2) The Great Bermuda Triangle is one of the biggest mysteries still alive today. It has created many stories, some true, some untrue; there have been many unexplained disappearances in this imaginary place. Peoples lives have been lost, and ships and planes seemed to enter and never come out. Whatever it is, it will always be a mystery, a mystery of the Great Bermuda Triangle.

Cyber Bullying Essay

Walking through the school door, she feels the sweat dripping down the side of her cheeks. Her stomach flips and flops, and her hands have an obvious tremble. The slamming lockers and running footsteps are enough to make her eyes swell with tears. The snickers behind her are all too familiar, but she is not prepared for the shove to the back and degrading names that follow. In a split second, her mind is made up. She turns around, heads out the door, and doesn’t look back. The computer, her cell phone, and now school. The cyber-bullies have stepped out of the screen and into face-to-face contact. With this new kind of bully on the rise and ruthless, is she the school’s responsibility? Schools should be held responsible for cyber bullying because the crime extends from the computer to the school setting. Studies indicate that cyber-bullying incidents have quadrupled in past five years (Ross). Cyber-bullying has become a huge issue recently. Every time you turn on the news there is another bullying, or a suicide related to bullying, incident being reported. Love is louder† has been a common phrase among celebrities and influential figures lately. They are trying to send out a message to their followers saying that bullying is not right and should not be tolerated. The expansion of communication technologies is widening the way bully’s can torture their victims. The fact of the matter is, technology is not going anywhere, so we need to figure out a way to put an end to cyber-bullies. Cyber-bullying is becoming a major problem and we all need to do our parts in figuring out what can be done to stop cyber-bullies in their tracks. Cyber-bullies will continue to be a threat to today’s youth until we take preventative measures against them. Before putting a stop to cyber-bullying we must understand why and how a cyber-bully works. After researching and analyzing informative articles on the topic, this research paper aims to inform and answer questions such as: what a cyber-bully is, how they work, whom they target, and how to stop them. By understanding how a cyber-bully works we will be able to better protect youth populations as technology grows. Approximately half of U. S. students are impacted by traditional bullying each school day (Ross). Cyber-bullying is technology powered and as technology expands it is getting harder and harder to see and prevent bullying from happening. Bullying over the Internet makes it easy for the tormenter to get away with their destructive behavior without any consequences. The article, â€Å"What is Cyberbullying: Bullying Comes Home† states, â€Å"Bullying is not new but thanks to the Internet teens are now being bullied at home. Online harassment is a serious problem† (Hardcaslte). Although the Internet has opened many doors to new opportunities, it has unfortunately taken bullying to another level. As the article, â€Å"Cyber Bullying Facts† states, â€Å"as the number of households with Internet access approaches saturation and cell phone ownership expands to the 100 million mark, so do the ways kids bully each other† (Ross). Anything sent out into cyberspace is very difficult, sometimes impossible, to remove. Therefore, being cyber-bullied can sometimes be much more severe than traditional bullying. Ann Frisen in the article, â€Å"Cyber-bullying: A Growing Problem† states, â€Å"This type of bullying can be more serious than conventional bullying. At least with conventional bullying the victim is left alone on evenings and weekends† (ScienceDaily). What exactly is ‘cyber-bulling’? The author of the article, â€Å"What is Cyberbullying: Bullying Comes Home† explains it as, â€Å"any harassment that occurs via the Internet† (Hardcastle). Cyber-bulling messages can be communicated through text, e-mails, instant messaging, web pages, blogs, chat rooms, or any other information communication technologies. For example, Michigan’s assistant attorney general, who is a grown adult, has been harassing the University of Michigan’s openly gay student body president. Andrew Shirvell, assistant Michigan attorney general, created a blog in April of 2010 targeting Chris Armstrong, University of Michigan’s student body president. On this blog he has posted many rude, untrue, and unnecessary comments towards Chris Armstrong, along with distorted pictures. According to the article, â€Å"Assistant Michigan AG targets openly gay college student† the author states, â€Å"Shirvell has published blog posts that accuse Armstrong of engaging in ‘flagrant sexual promiscuity’ with another male member of the student government; sexually seducing and influencing ‘a previously conservative male student’ so much so that the student, according to Shirvell, ‘morphed into a proponent of the radical homosexual agenda’† (Steward). Mr. Shirvell is clearly a first-hand example of a cyber-bully and this article goes to show that it’s not just kids bullying each other in school anymore; it’s much bigger than that. There have been at least three teen suicides in September after experiencing homophobic cyber-bullying. Who are the main victims targeted by cyber-bullies? According to the article, â€Å"Cyber-bullying Facts† Middle school and High school girls are twice as likely as boys to display cyber-bullying behaviors in the form of email, text, and chat, and only 20% of cyber-bullying victims tell their parents about the incident (Ross). Cyber-bullies target students, coworkers, neighbors, and even friends. Lately, there have been many reports of suicides related to bullying. For example, the recent death of Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University, is an extreme case of cyber-bullying. The article, â€Å"Rutgers student death: Has Digital Age made students callous† informs, â€Å"Mr. Clementi killed himself on September 22nd, 2010. According to prosecutors, a few days earlier his roommate, Dharun Ravi, and another student, Molley Wei, used a Web cam to secretly transmit images of a sexual encounter between Clementi and another man. They intended to do so again on September 21† (Khadaroo). With cyber-bullying a bully can pick on people with less risk of being caught. People who you would not see bullying someone in school don’t have a problem using the Internet to bully their victims because you can’t see their initial reaction. Bullying cannot only hurt the victim emotionally it can also cause them to have frequent headaches, indigestion and vomiting, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, paranoia, and suicide. In Tyler Clementi’s case he was so overwhelmed by what had been done to him that he jumped off of the George-Washington Bridge. It is important for college campuses to promote tolerance for differences, including homosexuality. From the article, â€Å"Rutgers student death: Has Digital Age made students callous† the author states, â€Å"We are tempted to think that social-media technology drove the behavior, but as a truly ethical matter, the behavior has to be and should be considered human-driven, not technology driven† (Foulkrod). Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania recently blocked the use of social media for a week to prompt discussions about its role in everyday life. Nobody wants to see this happen again; therefore, we need to come up with a solution to the problem. Some observers of today’s youth and media culture believe that today’s media environment could be desensitizing young people to the hurtful effects of their actions. What can be done to prevent cyber-bullying? Parents can start by talking specifically about yber-bullying and explain that is harmful and unacceptable behavior. Talk regularly with your child about on-line activities he or she is involved in, keep your home computer in easily viewable places, such as a family room or kitchen, and consider installing a filtering or blocking system (Ross). Also, you can â€Å"outline your expectations for responsible online behavior and clearly explain the consequences for inappropriate behavior† (Ross). The most important thing that can be done to stop a cyber-bully harassing you is to just not respond to the bully. Do not play into the bully’s games. Ignore the bully and tell a parent or teacher. While ignoring the bullying make sure to save all of the evidence so that if police need to be involved you will have it ready. In the article, â€Å"What is Cyberbullying: Bullying Comes Home† states, â€Å"Repeated or excessive harassment via email, forums or chat rooms is harassment and should involve the police. Threats of violence should also be reported to the police. Try to save all messages as evidence† (Hardcastle). Treat a cyber-bully like you would any other bully and they will lose their power. Another important way to prevent cyber-bullying attacks is if you see something going on don’t just be a bystander and let it happen, report it before anyone gets hurt. In conclusion, with the expansion of the Internet and social networking technologies cyber-bullying is becoming more common and more severe. The information presented in this research paper should give people a better understanding of what a cyber-bully is, how harmful they can really be, and how to prevent cyber-bullying from happening. This paper can be used to help victims realize they are not alone and should not give into a bully’s dangerous behaviors. This research paper is to inform society about what has been going on lately and how unacceptable and dangerous it is. Kids are killing themselves over photos, web posts, and videos posted by bullies using the Internet. Cyber-bullying is technology powered and will only get worse as technology becomes more widespread. Hopefully, this paper will help to inform today’s youth and parents. If you see any kind of bullying happening in front of you, stop it if possible, and then report it. Conclusion Cyberbullying is a growing issue in schools. Students have been in fights, brought guns to school, and even committed suicide because of being cyberbullied. This is an issue which is a growing problem and must be addressed. It is serious. By helping students research the issues around cyberbullying, it raises awareness for both students and staff. A WebQuest like this can make a real difference in school climate and student relations. Take a stand against cyberbullying with your classmates. Students will listen to other students more quickly than they will listen to an adult.

Essay On Hispanic Growth And Growth - 748 Words

Hispanic Growth Strategy Updates †¢ Ramon will start his new role as Business Development ____ in October †¢ Stamford FCU kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) with a staff celebration on September 15th. For the duration of HHM, the credit union staff will wear buttons wishing members a Happy Hispanic Heritage Month. †¢ Ramon will begin to build relationships and partnerships with community organizations. Ramon has a background in banking, radio, and comedy. Stamford is confident Ramon’s personality will be well liked by the Hispanic community. †¢ Ramon would like to reach potential Hispanic members at their jobs. Building relationships with local employers will hopefully get his foot in the door. †¢ Stamford has meetings coming up with†¦show more content†¦Stamford currently has a secured credit building product. Stamford will explore the possibility of an unsecured credit building product. †¢ Coopera will share a sample credit building policy from Des Moines Metro Credit Union. †¢ Coopera will draft talking points for Ramon to utilize when he meets with local organizations. †¢ Stamford and Coopera will have an ongoing conversation about product enhancements. Coopera Team Transition Period †¢ Alba’s last week with Coopera was the week of September 25th. She has the opportunity to go back to her native country to spend time with her father. †¢ Miriam de Dios, CEO, will be the primary liaison in the partnership between Stamford and Coopera †¢ Coopera is dedicated to help Stamford enhance and growth their Hispanic growth efforts. Credit Unions and the Rescission of DACA †¢ Stamford is familiar with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. They are aware that the program has been rescinded and is right now with Congress. †¢ It is important to keep discussing this topic for it might affect employees and credit union members. Digital Marketing Opportunities †¢ The Spanish marketing campaigns are surpassing English marketing campaigns in return of investment. †¢ Coopera is partnering with an organization to introduce a new digital marketing tool that will utilize IP addresses to reach the Hispanic market online. Miriam will send Dave and Bo more information about this innovative product. †¢ SherleneShow MoreRelatedPolitics And Its Impact On Hispanics941 Words   |  4 PagesReflection Essay PART 1 1. The presentation topic was to examine the impact of politics on Latino in United States by studying various factors such as- population, citizenship status, geographic location and age. 2. The presentation talked about one of the core issue, which is Politics in this case, that affected Latino in USA. 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Study And Analysis On Hedge Funds Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1480 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Hedge funds can be distinguished from mutual funds by a number of key characteristic. Different financial instruments are used by hedge funds to reduce risk, increase returns and minimize the correlation with equity and bond markets. Compare to mutual funds, hedge funds normally have more flexible investment strategies and are more flexible in their investment options, such as using short selling and derivatives which include puts, calls and options etc, and can also decide to have a higher level of leverage. Many hedge funds can deliver returns which are not correlated to any market and aim to have absolute or positive targets that are not correlated to the development of the market while mutual funds aim to have relative return in the results of the fund compared with an index. The structure of fee in hedge funds and that in mutual funds are also different. Hedge fund managers usually invest their own money in their fund. Mutual funds only have a management f ee which is a few per cent of managed capital while hedge funds normally have a fixed fee which is around two per cent of the managed capital and a variable fee which is around 20 per cent of any earnings lower and higher than the return target. When a variable fee is charged only if the value of funds is larger than its previous top value, some hedge funds would set a limit for when the variable fee may be levied. Most hedge funds are primarily intended to be managed by investment professionals who are experienced or financially strong individuals. One of the key characteristics of hedge funds is that it only allows investors to withdraw their money from the fund on a monthly or quarterly basis while mutual funds can provide liquidity on a daily basis. This can improve investments when there are less liquid assets. There are around 14 unique investment strategies of hedge fund and there are differences between them because all hedge funds are not the same. Many hedge funds prote ct their investments against losses and downturns in markets, but this does not apply to all of them. For example, some hedge fund strategies which are not related to equity markets can transfer similar returns with a very low risk of loss, while others may be as or more volatile than mutual funds. And the hedge fund strategies are also including selling short, using arbitrage, trading options or derivatives, investing in anticipation of a specific event and investing in deeply discounted securities etc. For example, short selling strategy means selling shares but not holding them and expecting to buy them back at a lower price in the future. Among the various hedge fund strategies, there are huge differences in investment returns, volatility, and risk. Reducing volatility and risk are the targets of most hedge funds when they are trying to keep capital and transfer absolute or positive returns under all market conditions. Strà ¶mqvist (2008) and ECB (2007) show that the hedge f und market has developed dramatically between 1996 and 2007. Around 2000 Hedge funds managed about USD 135 billion dollars in 1996 and the figures were increased to 10000 and USD 2000 billion in the end of 2007 (see Figure 1). In this period, not only hedge funds have grown in size, but also numbers of strategies used has changed. Hedge funds can affect financial markets positively or negatively and perform two functions on the financial markets. Firstly, liquidity in the financial market can be improved by hedge funds. When there is a higher liquidity in the financial market, pricing should be more effective. Compare to other investors, hedge funds would like to buy or sell more assets and they can invest in markets and instruments with less liquidity while mutual funds cannot. Moreover, hedge funds usually play an important role in new markets. Liquidity in the financial market can therefore be increased. Secondly, hedge fund can use arbitrage strategy to let managers achieve i n mispricing. Investors should purchase undervalued assets and then sell overvalued assets out, so that prices can be balanced and also can be shifted closely to fundamental values. As a result, the market can be more effective by improving pricing. However, there are also some negative effects occurred by hedge funds on financial market. It may occur higher risks due to the flexibility. For example, a higher level of leverage can produce larger profits, but risks can also be increased. If a wrong investment is applied, hedge fund will collapse. And also, the use of borrowing and of derivatives can have effects on financial market. There are several events happened in financial markets in the period 2007-2009. The financial crisis of 2007-2009 is caused by a liquidity shortfall in the United States banking system and it has resulted in the collapse of large financial institutions, the bail out of banks by national governments and downturns in stock markets around the world. Fo r examples, Bear Sterns hedge funds collapsed in the beginning of 2007 and these funds had highly leveraged portfolios with credit instruments related to the US market for housing bonds; Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc which was a global financial-services firm declared bankruptcy in 2008; the Icelandic banking sector collapsed and hedge funds are accused of speculating against the currency and the economy in Iceland (Affà ¤rsvà ¤rlden, 31 March 2008) etc. The financial crisis 2007-2009 has affected hedge funds more than they have affected the crisis while there are still lack of evidences to show that the crisis is caused by hedge funds . Hedge funds had poorer returns due to the financial crisis. According to the changes in regulations to manage the financial market in 2008, hedge funds have been affected. The changes in regulations are about to prevent short selling which affected different hedge fund strategies. Short selling is one of the major strategies of hedge funds. When it was prevented in the falling market, hedge funds would not be able to sell shares and to buy them back at a lower price in the future. And also, it would be much harder to protect long positions through short positions and to use certain arbitrage strategies. Hedge funds then applied a short bias strategy to create back a higher positive return. In the financial crisis 2007-2009, future movements in values of assets cannot be foreseen easily because the volatility in shares and prices was very high. While the share prices increased and the commodity prices decreased suddenly, many hedge funds were experiencing problems. And also, the problems of banks have affected hedge funds which are in the form of more restrictive lending, higher borrowing costs and assets related to bankruptcies such as Lehman Brothers. The hedge funds were forced to sell assets in a falling market and this affected their returns negatively. Moreover, the financial crisis 2007-2009 has also affected v arious types of assets. Hedge funds normally assume different types of risks including credit, duration and liquidity by receiving premiums which usually produce majority of the profits of hedge funds. In the crisis, the higher degree of risk taking did not lead to higher profits because different types of assets has been affected by the downturn and at the same time all the profits that gained from the premiums has been cancelled by the market. The losses made in the crisis could not be covered by the increased risk premiums. Sometimes, hedge funds may also have both positive and negative effects on the financial crisis. There are many benefits of Hedge funds. For examples, many hedge fund strategies can generate positive or absolute returns in both rising and falling equity and bond markets; in a balanced portfolio, hedge funds comprehension can lower overall risk and volatility of the portfolio and also increases returns; there are huge amount of hedge fund investment styles a nd many of them are nor correlated to each other, therefore, investors would have a wide range of hedge fund choices in order to meet their different investment purposes; it is proved by some researches that hedge funds usually have higher returns and lower risk comparing to other investment funds and also hedge funds create more stable long-term investment returns than any of the individual funds etc. There are also critiscisms of Hedge funds including Transparency, Systemic risk, Market capacity, U.S. investigations, Performance measurement and Value in mean/variance efficient portfolios etc. In conclusion, hedge funds had both positive and negative effects on financial markets but had been affected by the events in financial markets in the period 2007-2009. For examples, most types of asset and markets has been affected by the downturn and it has reduced the diversifications effect; hedge funds had been affected by the changes of regulation and hedge funds which are in the for m of more restrictive lending, higher borrowing costs and assets related to bankruptcies such as Lehman Brothers have been affected by the problems of banks etc. Therefore, the performance of hedge funds became worse. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Study And Analysis On Hedge Funds Finance Essay" essay for you Create order

Australian Foreign Policy And Australia s Relations With...

Australian foreign policy is characterised by a series of significant issues that are all inter-related. This piece will focus on Australia’s relationship with the US, Asylum Seeker policy and Australia’s relations with Asia. Relationship with the US Australia has had a long and close relationship with the United States. US-Australian relations are underpinned by the ANZUS treaty, finalised in 1951. The relationship is underpinned by shared values, culture, social bonds and common strategic interests. However, the partnership has become a problem within Australian foreign policy for a variety of reasons. Firstly, there is concern regarding the responsibilities we have placed upon ourselves as an Ally. Although we are not obligated to join the US in war, we are consistently following them into overseas conflicts that we otherwise have no interest in. As it currently stands, Australia has fought in numerous wars alongside the United States in the years since the conception of the ANZUS treaty, and we are yet to win one. Australia appears to be under the impression that we are under the military protection of the US, and this is often stated as a reason for maintaining close ties with the global power. This is simply not the case; our partnership does not force either party to come to the aid of the other. The United States will not come to our defence in the case of a conflict unless it is within their own interests. Secondly, our alliance with the US has placed aShow MoreRelatedAustralia s Relationship With Indonesia1712 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Australian-Indonesian relations are the foreign relations between the two countries, whether economically, politically, legally or socially. Australian-Indonesian relations involve an interaction in foreign policies between the two nations (Wolfsohn, 1951, p. 68). 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Supporting Legalization Marihuana Presented-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Supporting Legalization Marihuana Presented? Answer: Introduction Recently, Canada announced its plan of legalizing the recreational use of marihuana by the end of July 2015 and proved that it is a cool next door neighbour of United States. The legalization of the recreational use of marihuana was fulfilment of one of the campaign promises of the present Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau. Marihuana had been legal in the nation since 2001; though, this is a move for an industrialization large nation moving towards legalizing a controversial drug (Molly, 2017). In the following parts, the reasons for supporting legalization of marihuana have been presented. Legalization of Marihuana Just because Canada has decided to legalize marihuana, it is not a good enough reason for it to be right. And so, there is a need to highlight compelling cases for legalizing recreational use of marihuana. The first point in favour of this is the medicinal properties of marihuana, which are well known (Welsh Loria, 2014). In this regard, a crucial point which needs to be highlighted is that the view of legalizing marihuana is not just of Canada. 57% of the adults of United States, as per a 2016 Pew Research study, believe that marihuana needs to be made legal in the nation and only 37% believed that it should continue to be illegal (Geiger, 2016). So, not only the people of Canada support the legalization of marihuana, but also of the neighbouring nation, i.e., US. Another substantial point which is to be taken into consideration for legalizing pot is that it is not a gateway drug, as is the conception of the opponents of its legalization (Szalavitz, 2015). Even though the people are like to use other drugs instead of opting for marihuana smoking, there is nothing to show that the reason for this is pot. A major problem is continuing to not give marihuana a legal status is that the enforcement of the marihuana related contraventions continue to be an expensive affair and the resources which are used to punish these contraventions, can instead be put to use somewhere else. As per the Human Rights Watch and the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) 2016 report, around six million people were arrested in US alone for possessing marihuana (Williams, 2016). Added in this is the cost of keeping the individuals behind bars and the money and resources of the court used on such individual, which results in a big mess (Luis, 2016). One can also not deny the fact that legalization of marihuana would result in addition of billions of dollars to the economy of any nation, in a very quick manner. As per the article published by CNBC back in 2010, the earnings from legalization of pot would be vaguely around $10 billion to $120 billion for every year (Nelson, 2010). This infusion of money would boom any economy. Apart from this, a lot of money can be made from tax revenues, where tax is imposed after marihuana is legalized. This would provide government with additional cash, which can be used by it in different programs. Nearly $70 million were generated from July 2014 to June 2015 by Colorado, solely from the taxes imposed after marihuana was legalized (Sweet, 2015). Following that year, the amount which was brought in as taxes stood approximately at $200 million (Williams, 2017). A key worry which is made by the opponents of legalization of marihuana is that it results in increased crime. However, the test cases in Washington and Colorado show otherwise. Even though there was a minimalistic rise in crime in the past few years in Denver, there was nothing to show that this was due to the legalization of marihuana, as the crimes related to marihuana composed of less than one percent of all the other offences committed (Ingold, 2016). There is also no denying to the fact that there are a number of other things which are legal and which result in deaths of people, in comparison to which, marihuana does not seem dangerous. Use of alcohol beyond limits causes around 88,000 deaths every year (CDC, 2016). The overdose of prescription drugs results in 25,000 deaths every year (CDC, 2017). Cigarettes kill over 480,000 individuals on annual basis (National Institute of Abuse, 2017). There is still a case to be reported where a person died from overdosing on marihuana (D rug Enforcement Administration, 2017). Furthermore, the indirect effects of marihuana can also be avoided by taking proper care (Couch, 2015). In comparison to the other drugs like alcohol, opioids, cigarettes and even caffeine, marihuana is not that addictive (Molly, 2017). Even though there have been cases where the people have stated that they became addicted to marihuana, but 91% of the cases are such, who did not become addicted after using marihuana (Arkowitz Lilienfeld, 2012). A significant benefit which would be attained from the legalization of marihuana is that the power would be taken from the hands of the violent drug cartels, along with reducing unlawful crossings on border, thus, effectively resulting in countless lives being saved, particularly in context of the pitiful situation present at the border of US and Mexico (Molloy, 2015). Even though this discussion favours legalization of marihuana, the need for taking care cannot be denied, particularly because cannabis is linked to some particular mental illnesses. This is because the relationship with marihuana is linked to anxiety and depression, even though a casual relationship between the two has not been established scientifically. Further, there is evidence to show that the teens who regularly smoke pot have to face long-lasting damage to their immature brain. And the impact of smoking anything on lungs is also an area of concern (Grant, 2017). Then again, this is also true for the already legalized items like cigarettes. However, every aspect has certain negated points, because of which, the particular aspect cannot be denied credibility. For instance, caffeine addition is also an issue of concern, but that does not mean that it needs to be made unlawful. And so, legalization of marihuana in a careful manner is the need, to counter its negated impact. Conclusion Thus, it can be effectively concluded that marihuana should be legalized in not only Canada, but also in other nations. There is not one, but several reasons for doing so, which includes the increased revenues, which would boost the economy and the increased taxes, which can be used by the government for different purposes. Along with this, the medicinal use of marihuana cannot be denied. Thus, legalization of marihuana is a right step. References Arkowitz, H., Lilienfeld, S.O. (2012). Experts Tell the Truth about Pot. Retrieved from: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-truth-about-pot/ CDC. (2016). Fact Sheets - Alcohol Use and Your Health. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm CDC. (2017). Fast Facts. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/ Couch, R. (2015). A study found the unintended way legalized marijuana is likely preventing overdose deaths. Retrieved from: https://www.upworthy.com/a-new-study-found-the-unintended-way-legalized-marijuana-is-preventing-overdose-deaths-rc2-3f Drug Enforcement Administration. (2017). Drug Fact Sheet. Retrieved from: https://www.dea.gov/druginfo/drug_data_sheets/Marijuana.pdf Geiger, A. (2016). Support for marijuana legalization continues to rise. Retrieved from: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/10/12/support-for-marijuana-legalization-continues-to-rise/ Grant, K. (2017). What Canadas doctors are concerned about with marijuana legalization. Retrieved from: https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/what-canadas-doctors-are-concerned-about-ahead-of-marijuana-legalization/article34694165/?ref=https://www.theglobeandmail.com Ingold, J. (2016). Marijuana legalization unlikely to blame for Denver crime increase. Retrieved from: https://www.denverpost.com/2016/02/17/marijuana-legalization-unlikely-to-blame-for-denver-crime-increase/ Luis, N.S. (2016). The DEA just wrote a letter to Congress about marijuana. It's a big deal. Retrieved from: https://www.upworthy.com/the-dea-just-wrote-a-letter-to-congress-about-marijuana-its-a-big-deal Molloy, P. (2015). The Mexican Supreme Court's marijuana ruling could save lives on both sides of the border. Retrieved from: https://www.upworthy.com/the-mexican-supreme-courts-marijuana-ruling-could-save-lives-on-both-sides-of-the-border Molly, P. (2017). Canada is legalizing marijuana. Here are 9 reasons the U.S. should too. Retrieved from: https://www.upworthy.com/canada-is-legalizing-marijuana-here-are-9-reasons-the-us-should-too National Institute of Abuse. (2017). Overdose Death Rates. Retrieved from: https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates Nelson, A. (2010). How Big Is The Marijuana Market?. Retrieved from: https://www.cnbc.com/id/36179677 Sweet, A. (2015). Marijuana brings more tax dollars than alcohol. Retrieved from: https://www.csbj.com/2015/09/15/marijuana-brings-more-tax-dollars-than-alcohol/ Szalavitz, M. (2015). Once and for All, Marijuana Is Not a Gateway Drug. Retrieved from: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9bgn7a/why-marijuana-is-not-a-gateway-drug-1013 Welsh, J., Loria, K. (2014). 23 Medical Uses of Marijuana. Retrieved from: https://www.businessinsider.in/23-Medical-Uses-Of-Marijuana/articleshow/34015633.cms Williams, T. (2016). Marijuana Arrests Outnumber Those for Violent Crimes, Study Finds. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/13/us/marijuana-arrests.html?_r=0 Williams, T. (2017). Marijuana tax revenue hit $200 million in Colorado as sales pass $1 billion. Retrieved from: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/marijuana-tax-revenue-hit-200-million-in-colorado-as-sales-pass-1-billion-2017-02-10