Julian Assange; Hero or Villain?

Julian Assange Hero or Villain? The question of whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whose organization can be credited with releasing thousands of classified documents from various countries, is a hero or a villain depends entirely on one’s political opinions. Those who believe in transparent government and freedom of speech/publishing would call Assange a hero. Those who believe governments must have some secrecy from citizens would call him a villain. As a believer in the ideals America was founded on it is clear that Assange’s actions are heroic. He is fighting to keep the average citizen informed of any corruption within their government, fighting for the mainstream press to stop supporting the government’s views on everything, fighting to introduce the power of technology into a political system that has become outdated and corrupt. The United States is looked on as the ideal example of democracy. People have freedom of speech, elect the officials who represent them and the government works to benefit the everyday person. Right? Wrong. How can we try and set up a new government where the people are actively involved in countries such as Iraq when the average American doesn’t know anything about what’s going on in our own government. Julian Assange’s organization revealed 1,500 civilian deaths in Iraq previously unreported to the American public. (4) Our relatives are fighting for their country and we’re told that civilian casualties are going down when in fact there are 1,500 previously unreported deaths, there’s something wrong with that picture. Outside of the U. S. WikiLeaks has made an impact in Tunisia when they published remarks made by Ambassador Robert Godec stating that the government’s inner circles were corrupt. The leaks added with the already tumultuous anger at the government pushed Tunisians over the edge, and they overthrew the corrupt government. (1) Those who believe Assange to be a villain site his â€Å"vendetta† against the U. S. as the primary reason for distrust and hatred, but the publication of Robert Godec’s statements helped the U. S. gain power in the Middle East and succeed in their, â€Å"efforts to work with other countries to solve shared problems†. Hillary Clinton) The leaks posted on WikiLeaks aided the U. S. more so than it harmed them, making Julian Assange a hero, not a villain. If Julian Assange’s crusade isn’t against the United States, then what is he fighting for? How about for the mainstream press to report more than one side of the story? The mainstream press refu ses to even acknowledge Assange as a legitimate journalist and publisher; in fact the freedom of the press committee of the Overseas Press Club of America in New York City declared Assange â€Å"not one of us†. 2) This seems odd when the duty of the press has always been to inform the people, which Assange is doing, albeit in an unconventional way. Take for example the war in Afghanistan, without WikiLeaks the public is subjected to claims that the Taliban is losing — and that al Qaeda has been severely weakened and yet we’re told that our country will have to stick it out until 2015, rather contradictory! Organizations such as WikiLeaks force the traditional press to acknowledge inconsistencies in Washington’s story. Although they do continue to try and control the narrative so that it does not radically digress from the official Washington storyline. Without the pressure put on by Julian Assange freedom of press would be declining, making him a hero, At least once a century governments encounter radical change. In the 1700’s it was the American Revolution, in the 1800’s it was the French Revolution, in the 1900’s it was the Russian (Bolshevik) Revolution. What will the revolution of the 2000’s be? Governments have already been de-stabilized in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. Who says that the protests won’t continue over to the United States? Protests in other countries happened because the systems were outdated and corruption was suspected. This is certainly true in the U. S. , where the government’s inefficiency is being blamed on outdated technology. Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget admitted that the gap between the public and private sectors results in â€Å"billions of dollars in waste, slow and inadequate customer service and a lack of transparency about how dollars are spent,† this â€Å"lack of transparency† is exactly what Assange is fighting against. (3) WikiLeaks forces the United States government to think about the extreme secrecy it operates under and whether this is the best for its citizens. Without Assange the â€Å"lack of transparency† would only grow, making him a hero. Julian Assange has been called many names; traitor, anarchist and even a high-tech terrorist, but the proper name for him is hero. WikiLeaks is an organization that truly works for the people. Keeping people informed with the inner workings of government, putting pressure on the press to acknowledge the truth and forcing change within government. WikiLeaks is driving journalism into the future and Assange is the driver. Sources: 1) Jackson, William E. , Jr. â€Å"A Liberated Press and WikiLeaks: Bulwarks Against Claims of ‘Victory’ in Afghanistan . † The Huffington Post. N. p. , 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. . 2) Zapata, Xavier. â€Å"Is Julian Assange a hero or a villain? † World Have Your Say Blog. BBC, 7 Dec. 2010. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. http://www. bbc. co. uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay/2010/12/is_julian_assange_a_hero_or_vi. html 3) Swanson, Ian. â€Å"Budget director blames old computers for ineffective government. † The Hill. Capital Hill Publishing Co. , 14 Jan. 2010. Web. 6 Mar. 2011. . 4) Assange, Julian. â€Å"Julian Assange; The Man Behind WikiLeaks. † Interview by Steve Kroft. 60 Minutes. CBS News. 30 Jan. 2011. CBS News. Web. 6 Mar. 2011. .

Sources of Capital: Owner’s Equity

Owner’s Equity as a Source of Capital Sources of capital come in two forms: debt and equity. Obtaining permanent capital through equity is the capital supplied by the entity’s owners. It is the owner’s share in the financing of all the assets. Richard Scott, United States accounting professor wrote, â€Å"one of the most deep-seated, and incontrovertible concepts embraced by accounting theory today is that of owner’s equity. † Through analysis of the case, we found this to be true. There are different financing costs both a company and its investors face when considering equity financing. It is strangely fascinating that often times, equity financing becomes more costly than debt financing. The analysis of opportunity for both sides of the transaction, financier and debtor, requires multiple formulas and calculations. Options for financing vary in pre-tax earnings and return on investment. For this reason, the options should be thoroughly analyzed to find the best yield for both parties, company and investor. Innovative Engineering Company was founded as a partnership, and within five years became a thriving business bringing with it both success and the need for new permanent capital. The two partners, Gale and Yeaton, estimated the capital need at $1. 2 million. Initially, the partners found interested investors, but none willing to risk their personal assets by participating in a partnership. Though incorporation is more costly and subject to numerous regulations, it provides limited liability to its investors and the ability to raise capital through bonds and stock. The partners planned to form a corporation to secure investors. Under incorporation, owner’s equity becomes stockholder’s equity. The two types of equity are purchased equity, consisting of preferred stock, common stock, and paid in capital, and that of earned equity, also referred to as retained earnings. The later represents profits earned by the company and retained in the business. Owner’s equity is shown on the balance sheet and within the statement of owner’s equity in a company’s financial statements, and is most commonly influenced by income and dividends. Four proposals were developed to attempt to meet the needs of investors in the Innovative Engineering case and the two original partners struggled to maintain ownership control. Proposal A includes a $1. million long-term loan, giving Arbor Capital Corporation 10% common stock. Proposal B includes $200,000 debt, $900,000 preferred stock, and $100,000 common stock. Proposal C includes $600,000 debt, $600,000 equity with 40% common stock. Proposal D includes $300,000 debt, $900,000 equity with 50% common stock. Calculating the impli cations of each proposal is necessary to seek further investors and find the best option for both sides of the transaction. Gale and Yeaton assumed an interest cost of debt at 8% and a dividend rate for preferred stock at 10%. They also assumed pessimistic, best guess, and optimistic variables. The applicable tax rate is 34%. The return on common shareholder’s equity earned under each of the three income assumptions is as follows: Proposal A: Debt = $1,100,000 Taxes= 34% Payment on Debt = $1,100,000(. 08) = $88,000 Common Stock = $1,000,000 Pessimistic NI – Interest Expense+ Tax Savings/Common Stock = $100,000 – 88,000+34,000 = 46,000/1,000,000 = 4. 6% Best Guess $300,000-88,000+102,000 = 314,000/1,000,000 = 31. 4% Optimistic $500,000 – 88,000+170,000 = 514,000/1,000,000 = 51. 4% Proposal B: Debt = $200,000 Payment on Debt = $200,000(. 08) = $16,000 Preferred Stock = $900,000 Dividend Payment for Preferred Stock = $900,000(. 0) = $90,000 Common Stock = $100,000 Common Shareholder’s equity = 1,000,000 Taxes = 34% Pessimistic NI-Interest Expense-Preferred Div+ Tax Savings/Common Stock $100,000-16,000-90,000+34000 = 28,000/1,000,000 = 2. 8% Best Guess $300,000-16,000-90,000+ 102,000= 296,000/1,000,000 = 29. 6% Optimistic $500,000-16,000-90,00 0+170,000 = 564,000/1,000,000 = 56. 4% Proposal C: Debt = $600,000 Payment on Debt = $48,000 Common Stock = $1,500,000 Taxes = 34% Pessimistic NI-Interest Expense+Tax Savings/Common Stock $100,000-48,000+34,000 = 86,000/1,500,000 = 5. 7% Best Guess $300,000-48,000+102,000 = 354,000/1,500,000 =23. 6% Optimistic 500,000-48,000+170,000 = 622,000/1,500,000 = 41. 47% Proposal D: Debt = $300,000 Common Stock = $1,800,000 Taxes = 34% Pessimistic NI-Debt+Tax Savings/Common Stock $100,000-24,000+34,000 = 110,000/1,800,000 = 6. 1% Best Guess $300,000-24,000+102,000 = 378000/1,800,000= 21% Optimistic $500,000-24,000+170,000 = 646,000/1,800,000 = 35. 89% From this, we see proposal D is the optimal investment strategy for Arbor Capital Corporation. The three income assumptions provide higher returns at a more constant rate than the other proposals. For Innovative Engineering Company, proposals A and B are more ideal for meeting their control needs. For a further analysis of earnings, the pre-tax earnings and return on investment are calculated as follows: Pre-Tax = 100,000 / (1-. 34) = 151,515. 15 Proposal A: Debt = $1,100,000 Common Stock = $100,000 Interest = $88,000 Dividend = $21,200 Pre-Tax Earnings = $109,200 (sum – common stock and debt) Return on Investment = 9% (pre-tax earnings / $1,200,000) Proposal B: Debt = $200,000 Preferred Stock = $900,000 Common Stock = $100,000 Interest = $16,000 Preferred Dividend =$90,000 Common Dividend =$10,000 Pre-Tax Earnings = -$64,000 Return on Investment = -5% Proposal C: Debt = $600,000 Common Stock = $600,000 Interest = $48,000 Common Dividend = $240,000 Pre-Tax Earnings = $288,000 Return on Investment = 24% Proposal D: Debt =$300,000 Common Stock = $900,000 Interest = $24,000 Common Dividend = $450,000 Pre-Tax Earnings = $474,000 Return on Investment = 40% Again, proposal D shows the most promise for Arbor Capital Corporation, with larger pre-tax earnings and a greater return on investment. Innovative Engineering Company is in a good position and has options. They should not consider proposal B. Proposal A will give them greater control over the company but comes with large debt financing and is risky. They should consider other investors and should look at options such as warrants. They should further research their options for a large loan. We have found debt financing can be cheaper than equity financing and should be considered. We are certain Innovative Engineering Company could find more attractive financing than proposal D. They should have more options, because their need is success driven versus a start-up company. From outside research we have found there is a natural definition of market efficiency relating capital stock and investment flow. Obviously, equity finance should not be used if it becomes more expensive than debt financing. The company can create value by managing these sources of capital, finding an optimal balance of both. Works Cited Anthony, R. N. , Hawkins, D. F. & Merchant, K. A. (2007). Accounting Text & Cases (12th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Frieden, Roy (2010). â€Å"Asymmetric information and economics. † Physica A. Volume 389 Issue 2. Scott, Richard (1979). â€Å"Owner’s Equity, The Anachronistic Element. † The Accounting Review. Volume 4.

History and Theory of New Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History and Theory of New Media - Essay Example The emergence of software began after the Second World War (Alisa 34). Televisions are also part of the media that give visual images to the viewer. The frequencies used from one channel to another are controlled by the satellite. Historically, they were used by the military in monitoring their activities, observing scientific features and for education. Broadcasting directly via the satellite is symbolized by a sphere. This shows that the entire globe relies on the satellite for wave transmission. There had been outstanding advancement in televisual development, ranging from the 1960’s when echoes were used. In the modern, world almost every household has a satellite dish to capture diverse frequencies. Culture in orbits described the origin, significance and the various uses of the satellite. They range from social, political and economic uses (Alisa 56). It is during the Second World War that most machines were invented. This was to facilitate the war and make it a modern war. The creation of cinemas and films were gaining popularity at that time and thus a machine to enable their view to the audience emerged. A mechanical analog computer and a gun control were the main form of technology. As a result of the war, many citizens were displaced, among them the Whitney brothers who dropped from school and went back home. This situation triggered them to invent many machines for the military, photograph and aircraft industry. They further produced a different version of music where the sound and images were appropriately linked. Camera obscura the first model, used to capture images used the functioning of the human eye (Holt 65). In one way or another, all methods of technology are extensions of the human body. The function of the machine gives it its meaning to human life. Electricity light is a medium without a message, but it gives a clearance to visual images. This is a characteristic of media where the content of the speech

Employment Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Employment Relations - Essay Example This socioeconomic demarcation inevitably paves way for South-to-North migration, which will remain our area of focus. In 2000, there were a total of 80.9 Million migrants in the world among which approximately 40% of the migrants were from the South. According to the International labor Organization (ILO), some of the reasons cited for migration include: †¢ Poverty †¢ Wars †¢ Famine †¢ Repression †¢ Population pressures on scarce natural resources, †¢ Wage or income inequality †¢ Growing urbanization, †¢ Reduction in the cost of transport and communications †¢ Increasing interactions among societies †¢ Establishment of migration networks by earlier migrants. Globalization is both a cause, and a consequence of migration. While most of the world is celebrating increased transnational interaction, there is growing skepticism about the fruits of such open interaction and liberal policies. This notion has translated to simultaneously incr easing nationalist sentiments in some factions, specially as an aftermath of the global economic crisis. Immigration restrains have often been a subject of moral debate with proponents of migration citing the right to emigrate, as an inalienable right of any human being. It is suggested that equality of opportunity shouldn’t be restricted by geographical boundaries. ... International labor laws and migrant unions are constantly trying to create a balance between easing migrant movement, yet maintaining national sovereignty through regulation of immigration. Consequently, the migrant worker has yet again become an area of focus. Historically seen as an instrument of convenient labor, the experiences of migrant workers pose as interesting commentaries on the existing socioeconomic fabric of the globalized world of today. THE MIGRANT LABOUR MARKET: A notable feature of a number of migrants from the South is their socioeconomic milieu and their skill and education level. While many professionals are seen migrating to the Northern regions, at the other end of the tier there is mass mobilization of unskilled labor, the attractiveness of which lies in its abundance and easy accessibility. Most economies of the South are not able to sustain their citizens, thus the labor market naturally diverts a number of people to move to destinations where they can fetc h a relatively higher price for their provided labor. (S, Valiani., 2008) On the demand side, businesses in the North view unskilled migrant workers as a convenient alternative to an empowered local labor market, thus creating room for more commanding working terms. The dynamics of this relationship cause the room for the employers to create undue influence by virtue of their position. This is perhaps an area where trade unions have not been able to negotiate because it lies beyond their conventional area of work. (Holgate, J., 2005) The need for migrant labor in a host region occurs either because of a dearth of the required labor in the local market or because of cost effectiveness. It has been seen that there are particular sectors that usually provide employment for migrant workers.

Hobbes and Locke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hobbes and Locke - Essay Example Human beings naturally seek peace, and the best way to achieve peace is to construct the Leviathan through social contract. The Second Part: Of Commonwealth, shows the process of erecting the Leviathan by outlining the rights of sovereigns and subjects, and draws the legislative and civil mechanics of the commonwealth. He deduces twelve principals of the sovereign, proposes censorship of the press and the restriction of free speech rights for the promotion of order. The Third Part: Of the Christian Commonwealth, formulates the compatibility of Christian doctrine and the religious system of the Leviathan. He argues that though there is no God personally present in this world, even in the incarnation of Christ, there is a Prime Mover who intervenes in the world through the mediation of matter.Hobbes thus takes theological knowledge and reinterprets it to conform to his determination of natural facts and philosophical conclusions. The Fourth Part: Of the Kingdom of Darkness, engages in deflating false religious beliefs and argues that the political implementation of the Leviathanic state is necessary to achieve a secure Christian commonwealth.

The Role of the Bahamas Development Bank in the Bahamian Economy Coursework

The Role of the Bahamas Development Bank in the Bahamian Economy - Coursework Example State of the Bahamian economy Before exploring the role played by the Bahamas Development Bank in the Bahamian economy, it is imperative to look at the state of the Bahamian economy: its strengths and weak points before addressing how the Bahamas Development Bank plays a role in addressing these weak points. Being among the best offshore global banking centers, Bahamas has come up with a non-simple banking structure that caters for the services of both domestic and foreign investors. Both the central bank of Bahamas and the Bahamian international banks and Trust have a complete list of about 272 financial institutions that are legally mandated to conduct business with the public (US Department of Commerce, 1992, p. 40). The states in the Caribbean went through several challenges in 2004. Examples of these include declining real sector production, a reduction in their export trade, pressure from other parties regarding the exportation of sugar and bananas, increased indebtedness and a season highly characterized by natural perils and catastrophes. Moreover, though categorized as middle – class economies, majority of these nations have a good score of their citizens who are poor. Statistics from the Caribbean Development Bank indicate that the poor form between one and twenty six percent of the population. In a bid to deal with these challenges, Bahamas has had to conserve economic stability, strengthen the tourism and fiscal financial sectors, enhance the security of citizens, and support family islands and growth of small businesses through buttressing social services and improvement of the transport sector (Commonwealth Secretariat, 2006, p. 16). The Bahamas authority plays this role through its financial institutions like the Bahamas Development Bank, among others that get their external sources of finance from other lending agencies such as the Caribbean Development Bank. In the recent years, there has been a reported rapid growth in both the financia l, Nassau and tourism sectors. In the recent years, Bahamas has become popularly known as a center for offshore banks and trusts apart from being a strategic location for carrying out international currency business (Khambata, 1996, p. 95; Bernardi, 2008, p. 107). This has been facilitated by the overall openness of the economy, proximity to the United States and The Bahamas’ tax haven state. Apart from generating income and employment for the country, financial services enhance the nation’s tax haven image. The attainment of the nation’s high-level per capita income can be attributed to the growth in the service sector that has really increased the national income of Bahamas (Karagiannis and Witter, 2004, p. 150). The major cause of the post war growth in the Bahamian economy can be attributed neither to structural reforms neither in the country’s production base nor to any changes in the functioning of its economy. The change can rather be attributed to the enlargement of the tourism and financial sectors. In fact, the pattern

THE COLLAPSE OF THE HALIFAX BANK OF SCOTLAND, AND THE SUBSEQUENT Essay

THE COLLAPSE OF THE HALIFAX BANK OF SCOTLAND, AND THE SUBSEQUENT RESPONSE OF THE UK AUTHORITIES - Essay Example HBOS formation took place in the year 2001 as a causal resulting from the merger of both Halifax and the Bank of Scotland. The former’s position towards mortgages and the latter’s bravery in corporate lending that was to create a balanced Big Five Bank. In the year 2001, it had a total assets summing to 275 billion pounds, much bigger than that of its ultimate rescuer Lloyds and approximately three-quarters as big as Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland (O’sullivan & Kinsella 2013, p. 9). This report will highlight the four areas in which this new banking force sowed its destruction seeds. These four areas include aggressive expansion; deluded management; failure of internal controls; and reluctance to heed to the warnings of the FSA, and even allowing the shortcomings of the regulator. The key to the growth of HBOS, as per the findings of the commission, was in accepting of more risks across all the division of the group. The strategy was to ensure a new cultures in the higher echelon of the banking system. This culture was brash and underpinned by the belief that the growing market shares were as a result of a special skills category possessed by the HBOS and lacking to the competitors. The culture effects became even more corrosive when joined with the absence of corporate self–knowledge within the organization top as time elapsed. Tellingly, in October 2007, as the alarm bells rung in banks all over the world, Cumming, the head of HBOS debt-fuelled corporate wing, remarked that people appeared to lose their nerves. They were panicking even to the days testing property environment (Veron 2010, p. 113). Cumming’s corporate division ended up with an impairment of 25 billion pounds, an equivalent to the 20pc of its loan book in 2008, and away out of balance with rival banks. But while the corporate book holes hastened, the rescue by the taxpayers and

Racism and discrimination Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Racism and discrimination - Research Paper Example Whiteness and identity issues have stood at the center of racism in Canada (Lund & Carr, 2010). Lobby groups’ advocacy against racism in Canada continues to mobilize the Canadian population against racism and discrimination. The interactions and relations among Canadians, people of color, and aboriginals cannot be described in the best words. However, the continued social, economic, and political efforts to curb racism in the country serves as a vital step towards societal unity in Canada. â€Å"Visible minority† is a common term in Canada. Colored people in Canada are referred to using the term. In fact, Canada’s legal framework also recognizes this term and further integrates it into the legal provisions relative to racism and discrimination. This comes amid persistent efforts to fight racism and discrimination in the country. Ghosh, R. (2012). Multicultural Teacher Education in Canada. In Craft, M. Teacher Education in Plural Societies: An International Review. New York: Routledge. http://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=GVMkNEH2Um8C&oi=fnd&pg=PA45 &dq=racism+in+Canada+2012&ots=SSTZjKFOzj&sig=frXz89Wk8InmiT29swSptxDxY bk&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false Lund, D. & Carr, P. (2010). Exposing Privilege and Racism in the Great White North: Tackling Whiteness and Identity Issues in Canadian Education. Multicultural Perspectives, Volume 12, Issue 4, 229-234. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15210960.2010.527594 Walker, B. (2008). The History of Immigration and Racism in Canada: Essential Readings. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press.

Common Law Rape and Modern Statutes Describing Sexual Assault Essay

Common Law Rape and Modern Statutes Describing Sexual Assault - Essay Example The paper tells that according to common law, rape is a crime and the rapist must be duly punished for the attempt to forcefully have sexual intercourse with a helpless victim. Common law states that rape cannot be committed by husbands and wife as it is believed that a man cannot in any way rape his own wife. This is actually the disparity that exists between common law and modern statutes with regards to sexual assault. Modern statutes stipulate that a man that forces his wife to have sexual intercourse with him is guilty of rape and should be convicted like any other rapist. Common law treated the wives as the property of their husbands and even if the man uses force to have sex with her, he is not in any way guilty of raping her. The modern law stipulates that a man must seek the consent of his wife before sexually penetrating her as the use of force by the man is a case of rape and the man must be duly punished. Thus, common law stipulates that a case of rape cannot exist betwee n husband and wife, while modern statutes stipulates that a man can force his unwilling wife to have sex with him and in this case, the man has committed the offence of rape and must be punished according to the punishment that is given to rapists. To say that rape statute is â€Å"not gender specific† simply means that rape can be committed by both males and females. It was generally believed that it was only the males that committed rape, while the females were the victims of rape.