Greece Economic Crisis of 2011 and its Prospects in the EU as its Essay

Greece Economic Crisis of 2011 and its Prospects in the EU as its Member - Essay Example 306). The deficit stood at 12.8 percent of GDP instead of 3.6 percent of GDP (Akram et al. 307). Inflation also was higher than the EU average (Xafa). Greece also accumulated a large current account deficit. Consumers demanded foreign goods, which resulted in a current account deficit of $51.5 billion in 2008 (Akram et al. 309). Private debt as a result accumulated too. By the end of 2009, Greece was downgraded by most rating agencies. According to Akram et al., â€Å"in October 2009, Fitch had down shifted the Greek credibility to A- and further degraded to BBB+ by the end of December 2009. Standards & Poor’s and Moody also downgraded the Greece on the same grounds† (306). The prognosis by many was that Greece needed to leave the Euro zone (Akram et al. 306). Some even recommended that the Euro Zone should be partitioned on a north – south basis (Akram et al. 306). The trust of investors was destroyed. The government failed to impose reforms. Administration also failed to properly assess the situation in Greece prior to 2009 (Akram et al. 308). Corruption levels were high too, which placed Greece at the bottom of South Europe (Akram et al. 308). Tax evasion stood at 30 percent of GDP (Akram et al. 308). Instead of flowing into government pockets, and then being used to repay the debt, this money stayed in private hands. As a result, investors fled as Greece was downgraded. The Euro Zone was supposed to decrease exchange rate fluctuations of its member – countries. According to Mishkin, large exchange rate fluctuations damage the economy (319). They damage financial institutions and banks as fluctuations generate losses (Mishkin 319). A single, strong currency can decrease these fluctuations. The single currency is still overwhelmingly a...This paper is the best example of analysis of the economic crisis in Greece in 2011. The root causes of the crisis are identified, and possible ways of the crisis overcoming are presented. Prospect s of the EU as an integral organization are described Origins of the crisis lie in the Greek public debt. In the 1980’s and early 1990’s, interest payment on public debt comprised a large share of the state deficit). Until the end of the 1990’s, despite high levels of public debt, Greece had managed to maintain fiscal control and debt regulation, largely because of the EU membership and lower interest rates it had to pay on its debt. Greece was unable to finance its deficit without indebting itself, because of low levels of public saving since the 1980’s. As a result, most of the Greek public debt, 80 percent, ended up being owned by 2010 by foreign banks. Greece also accumulated a large current account deficit. Consumers demanded foreign goods, which resulted in a current account deficit of $51.5 billion in 2008. Private debt as a result accumulated too. By the end of 2009, Greece was downgraded by most rating agencies. The trust of investors was destroyed. The government failed to impose reforms. Administration also failed to properly assess the situation in Greece prior to 2009). Corruption levels were high too. Tax evasion stood at 30 percent of GDP. Politically, an exit by Greece could imply a disaster. The EU would not be viewed as a strong union. Investors might view it unfavorably as well, since failure to keep Greece could be viewed as a forecast for future crises among the EU members. Moreover, if Greece exits and is bailed out at a lower interest rate, other countries would find it profitable to leave as well.

Contracting with the Federal Government Term Paper

Contracting with the Federal Government - Term Paper Example Contracting by Simplified Acquisition Procedures, FAR 13 This rule involves the government purchase of tools that are less than the value of $150,000. The government purchase of this equipment is considered micro purchases. The involved procedures do not require competitive bids or quotes and the involved agencies can buy through credit cards or the Government Purchase Card. In addition, it is not necessary to involve the procurement officer. However, most of the government purchases are in this category since most of the products purchased do not involve a lot of money. An example is the government purchase of office equipment such as chairs, tables, and computers. This category comprises of more than 70 per cent of all government purchase dealings. According to government statistics, this category involved a total sum of $19 billion dollars. The increase in government transaction in this category is because the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act made several amendments to the act thus eliminating limitations on government purchases under $150,000. This means that agencies can be allowed to use abridged processes for soliciting and assessing bids worth up to $150,000. However, it is mandatory for the government agencies to publicize all deliberate procurements over $25,000 according to Federal Business Opportunities or on the government website, which enlists all the available procurement opportunities. One main advantage of this easy purchase processes is that they require fewer governmental details, less endorsement levels, and fewer documentation. However, these procedures require all the government procurements above $3,000, but under $150,000, to be kept back for small companies. in addition, the small businesses has to apply for the purchases except if the assigned agent cannot get proposals from two or more minor businesses who are competitive on price, quality and distribution (Government Contracting 101; Worthington & Goldsman, 1998). Contracting by Negotiation, FAR 15 This government rule requires that the government agencies to use negotiation as a contracting method. In order to do this, the federal agencies have to issue a request for proposal (RFP) or Request for Information (RFI) or Invitation for Bid (IFB).  Unlike the previous rule, this rule allows for, communications, Clarifications, and discussions  in the selection procedure and the government might permit for last proposal amendments.  In order for a company to be selected, some factors such as best value and trade-off processes are evaluated. This occurs depending with the interest of the government to contemplate issues other than the lowermost price or utmost technical rating, or the lowermost price that is technically appropriate source for selection, where the solicitation highlights the marginally suitable standards and the selection is founded on a price assessment amongst all suitable bids.  This rule applies mostly to contracts above $150,000, and extremely technical products and services are being pursued (Worthington & Goldsman, 1998). Contracting by Sealed Bidding, FAR 14 The Contracting by Sealed Bidding as described by the rule consist of making and advertising an invitation for bids (IFB). It also involves receiving the proposals, opening them openly, assessing them without negotiations with the bidders, and giving the agreement to the accountable and responsive bidder founded on price and

Discussion Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Discussion Questions - Coursework Example Saying anything at all is not doing something; one who says anything neither has control over what he says nor the consequences, most of which are normally negative. In light of this argument, saying anything means raising the eyebrows and counter-sayings or counter-actions along one’s path to a desired destination (Soccio 58). By advocating for inaction, it is fair to describe Asian philosophers as passive. Asia is technically a closed society where open reactions to issues are highly unlikely. In Buddha, the Middle Path is the cure for suffering (Soccio 59). The Path requires the faithful to avoid either extremes of life which would keep them in indulgence or denial. Successful individuals do not yearn for endless satisfaction, and they refrain from painful scenarios either. In all these, ego is always the trigger of all the negative stimuli in the brain, and thus it is the basis of denial and suffering. Tzu’s observation is accurate; Buddha’s approach to suffering ensures that adherents are always prepared to avoid suffering by staying away from extreme pleasures or overindulgence (Soccio 44). The approach can cure virtually all kinds of suffering because pain is often associated with both

Retirement vs. Strife in Old Age Essay Example for Free

Retirement vs. Strife in Old Age Essay A man that spends many years in active service be it for himself or for a more noble reason such as his country or people, would more certainly than not find retirement a disorienting prospect once he faces it. Retirement means stopping whatever has kept one alive and working for most of his healthy years. It means realigning his goals, getting used to other, more leisurely and less strenuous habits as befitting old age, and preparing to face death with peace and resignation. In Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem â€Å"Ulysses†, the mythical hero of Homer’s epics expresses his anxiety about coming back home to Ithaca to reclaim his old responsibilities as king after years of traveling overseas and fighting the Trojan war, and his desire of undertaking a new adventure, instead. The poem begins with Ulysses dreading his return to resume the job of â€Å"an idle king† (Tennyson 1). He could not imagine the relevance of staying home â€Å"with an aged wife† (Tennyson 3) and to â€Å"mete and dole† (Tennyson 4) rewards or punishments to the people he governs—most of whom he does not know nor they of him but for his position as king. Ulysses does not like his former life of idleness and monotony even if it was a life of comfort and wealth. He prefers to travel and seek for adventures, testing life to its limits. For Ulysses, traveling means enjoying and suffering unpredictable moments. The sea and foreign lands, unlike a kingdom, presents varied and new experiences. Those that he had experienced so far have given him â€Å"a hungry heart† (Tennyson 12). His voyages have brought him to strange places, allowed him to interact with different peoples, customs and cultures, and meet creatures unimaginable if one simply stayed in one place all his life. Moreover, he has experienced the â€Å"drunk delight† (Tennyson 16) of war in Troy. Nothing in his kingdom could equal the things he did and witnessed. All that Ulysses saw and did made him what he has become and has produced a kind of restlessness or thirst upon his soul that cannot now be satiated by ruling a kingdom. This past life as king has become dull in comparison to his life as a voyager and soldier. According to him, a person who is contented with his present life is like rusting and acknowledging that the only purpose of life is to breathe. Ulysses wants to â€Å"follow knowledge like a sinking star/ Beyond the utmost bound of human thought† (Tennyson 31-32). He would like to keep exploring and test the boundaries of the capacities of an ordinary mortal, even one who is already old and less agile. He believes that one’s age is not a factor to consider because â€Å"old age hath yet his honor and his toil† (Tennyson 50). Only death can stop and end the possibilities that life has to offer. In the end, Ulysses appoints his son, Telemachus, to take his place as king, leaving him â€Å"the scepter and the isle† (Tennyson 34). Meanwhile, he prepares to embark on another journey. The speaker’s exhortations to his former companions in the final stanza may well be read as words that any man should well take heed as a personal advice, especially those who are contemplating a sedentary retirement in their senior years. The lines encourage everyone to not worry about the physical limitations that old age imposes upon every individual because the weakness of the body can easily be overcome when one is â€Å"strong in will† (Tennyson 69). This is also how a heroic life is lived.

Current Definition Of Recklessness Within Criminal Law Law Essay

Current Definition Of Recklessness Within Criminal Law Law Essay Recklessness is a problematic area of the criminal law, since there is no strict definition of what constitutes it. Statutes make provision for the presence of recklessness, but have yet to define it strictly, thus it falls on the hands of the judges to interpret what is meant by recklessness. It is therefore most easily delineated via case law. Judges have had to rely on explanations in important case reports in order to decide what amounts to recklessness. This has meant delving through colossal number recklessness cases in order to find out whether the case in question falls within the confines set out there. Realising this is challenging, the Law Commission have sought to remedy the situation, by releasing several working papers on the issue. One of them gives the following explanation: a person acts recklessly [if] he is aware of a risk thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦exists or will exist [or] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦when he is aware of risk thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦will occur and it is, in the circumstances known to him, unreasonable to take the risk.  [1]   This assignment will start by putting forward a concise history of intent in recklessness. The development of the law in this area will be looked out with the aid of case law such as Cunningham [1957] Caldwell [1982] and RvG [2003]. This paper will provide an evaluation of the current definition of recklessness within criminal law. In order to identify and understand the concept of recklessness, intention needs to be discussed. The 19th century criminal legislation required that defendants had to have acted `maliciously and `unlawfully when committing an offence. The accused will act unlawfully if he fails to present a lawful reason for his act, he would be considered acting maliciously once he satisfies the level of Mens Rea required for the Actus Reus. The word `malicious introduces the requirement of Mens Rea. The statutory definition of `malice is, requiring an actual intention to do a particular kind of harm that in fact was done, or reckless as to whether such harm should occur or not. The accused has foreseen that particular harm might be done, and has gone on to take the risk. The word `maliciously means in relation to the law of England and Wales `an intent or recklessness  [2]  . Intention is the highest level of Mens Rea. Mens Rea means `guilty mind in Latin. Intention differs from recklessness; intention commands a severe penalty within the criminal justice system, morally intent is considered objectionable, adjacent to recklessness. Recklessness was first used within criminal statute with conjunction to the Motorcar Act 1903. Professor C S Kennys opinion of recklessness required actual awareness by the defendant of the likelihood of the particular harm. Kenny considered it an element additional to awareness of risk, indifference whether the foreseen harm occurred or not. Another view is that an individual is reckless if he takes a known risk, even if he ardently trusts the foreseen harm, will not occur  [3]  . In 1957 the case of Cunningham transformed the interpretation of Recklessness. In R v Cunningham D broke a gas meter to steal the money contained within the meter. Gas seeped from the broken pipe and into the house next door, where Ds mother-in- law was sleeping. The mother-in-law became so ill, that her life was endangered. D was convicted of unlawfully and maliciously administering a noxious thing as to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm under S.23 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Cunninghams conviction was quashed because of misdirection of the trial judge as to the meaning of maliciously.   The Court of Appeal held that malice must not be taken as to mean wickedness, but as requiring either (1) an intention to do the particular harm that was done, or (2) reckless as to whether such harm should occur or not  [4]  . Recklessness in this sense means foreseeing that harm might occur, and going ahead with the act anyway. This is called a subjective test, i.e. the accused is reckless if he realised there was a risk of gas escaping and endangering someone, and went ahead with his action anyway. Prof. Kenny wrote in his first edition of `outlines criminal law that, intent or recklessness had to be proved, as mentioned previously, he also stated that ` it neither limited to, nor does it indeed require any ill-will towards the person injured  [5]  . For a defendant to be guilty under Cunningham recklessness he must have consciously undertaken an unjust risk, he must realise that there is a risk involved. However, if he continues to carry on with his conduct, he is then reckless. The case defined a type of recklessness that the knowledge of appreciation of the risk of some danger must have entered the defendants mind even, though he may have suppressed or driven it out  [6]  . Cunningham is considered the first limb of recklessness the second limb arises from the case of MPC v Caldwell (1982). The second test of Recklessness, Caldwell created a new and wider test. D was an ex-employee of a hotel and held a grudge against its owner. He started a fire at the hotel, which caused some damage D was charged with arson. The old Cunningham test of recognising theres a risk and going ahead anyway, was extended to include a second limb; namely that the D does an act which creates an obvious risk and, has not given any thought as to the possibility of there being such a risk  [7]  . The Caldwell test for recklessness is objective, i.e. the risk must be obvious to the reasonable man, in that any reasonable man would have realised it if he had thought about it. Although, it need not be obvious to the defendant: Elliott v C [1983] and R v Coles [1994]. Lord Diplock stated that the definition of recklessness in Cunningham was too narrow for the Criminal Damage Act 1971, recklessness, should not only include the Cunningham meaning. Lord Diplock stated that a person is reckless as to whether any property would be destroyed or damaged if; he does an act, which in fact creates an obvious risk that property would be destroyed, or damaged. Additionally when the act is committed he has not given any thought to the possibility of there being any such risk, alternatively, he has recognised that there was some risk involved and has nonetheless gone on to do it  [8]  . Hence, for Caldwell recklessness to be satisfied, D does not have to foresee a risk, nevertheless takes a risk that would have been obvious to a reasonable prudent man. The It was deemed that after Caldwell whenever the term reckless was involved, an objective approach would be applied to the case. However this changed with the decision in RvG, as a subjective test was applied, instead of an objective test. It was deemed that a subjective test would be applied because the Caldwell test was seen to be a model direction which contained inconsistencies and lacked precision  [9]  . The RvG case reinstated the subjective test from R v Cunningham  [10]  (Cunningham) and clarified the law on recklessness by overruling the objective test in Caldwell. Additionally one can note that from RvG, this subjective definition of recklessness would be applicable in all statutory offences of recklessness and not the definition which was illustrated in the Cunningham case. The House of Lords decision in RvG enforcing this definition of reckless, illustrated a significant impact by eradicating the definition of recklessness in Cunningham. One can note that this impact of the decision conveyed the problems with the definition of recklessness under Cunningham. For example, within the Cunningham definition, the test only refers to taking risks as a result and makes no mention of taking risks as to a circumstance. However the law commission draft criminal code adds an additional restriction on finding the term reckless. Additionally, under the draft criminal code there is the additional requirement of the awareness of the risk and that the actual damage caused might occur. Thus the reformed definition of subjective recklessness conveys a more acc urate and broad scope of the meaning of recklessness, compared to the Cunningham definition of subjective recklessness. As a result of this reform, a subjective approach will be incorporated when assessing the term recklessness. Consequently it can be seen that the House of Lords in G and another did in fact adopt the better test in terms of policy and principle. Also English law has progressed to the point where there is, almost certainly, now only one test of recklessness  [11]  which is of a subjective nature. Additionally from the Cunningham case, the expression Maliciously was replaced with the expression reckless in RvG by Lord Bingham in the House of Lords. Maliciously was an expression which was formerly recognisable within the House of Lords. This proposal was changed because the term maliciously was seen to be too narrow and with limited scope. However, the expression reckless is considered to have a wider capacity for interpretation. Therefore this modification of expressions portrays a positive impact of the decision of the House of Lords in RvG. The reasonable adult was an issue raised in RvG from the objective approach in the Caldwell test. The issue of a reasonable adult was challenged in a previous case known as Elliott v C  [12]  . This case highlighted the negative aspects of objective recklessness as the person in question was fourteen years of age with learning difficulties. Evidently the risk must be obvious to the reasonably prudent person, and not necessarily obvious to the defendant. Therefore this conveys the problems within the Caldwell test as it does not cover everything, including individual characteristics. In this case the fourteen year old girl was guilty of criminal damage as she failed to consider the risk which would have been obvious to a reasonable person. In Hardie,  [13]  which came after Elliott v C, contradicted the judgement of the latter. Hardie became intoxicated after taking valium, believing them not to be dangerous. While under this influence, he set fire to his ex-girlfriends house, with her in it. Originally convicted, Hardie appealed and his conviction was quashed on the grounds that in itself, the taking of valium was not reckless. This is contradictory because his actual mental state was considered, which was not the case in Elliott v C. Subsequently this issue was raised in RvG, where within the trial, Lord Diplocks direction in Caldwell was used and disagreement occurred as the issue of the reasonable adult was accepted in being aimed at the children of ages eleven and twelve. From this trial, the case went onto the House of Lords, which unanimously answered the conflict of this question. The impact of the House of Lords decision in RvG illustrated great criticisms on the Caldwell test, in where it was noted that the Caldwell case was based on fragile foundations because the law commission report was not referred to  [14]  and subsequently was referred to in RvG. Additionally this impact of criticism upon Caldwell was heavily enforced by other law lords, for instance, Lord Hutton illustrated his criticism nature by expressing Experience suggest that in Caldwell in law took a wrong turn  [15]  and agreeing with Lord Bingham. Therefore conveying Lord Diplocks decision in the Caldwell case was incorrect. Furthermore Lord Diplocks decision in the Caldwell case has been criticised by many academics who have described the decision to be Pathetically inadequate, slap happy and profoundly regrettable  [16]  . Therefore the decision in the House of Lords in RvG illustrated these criticisms by rejecting the Caldwell recklessness approach. On the other hand, one can note that the decision in RvG in the House of Lords has had significant criticism on the basis of the outcome of the case. Academics have criticised RvG that the decision of the case should have been different. For example, Professor Keating criticised the decision of RvG by where in his investigation, he revealed 69% of members of the public do regard behaviour such as that of the boys as criminally blameworthy  [17]   thus illustrating that the boys between ages eleven and twelve in RvG were old enough to appreciate the risks involved. Additionally, the House of Lords decision in RvG has conveyed an impact of a criticising nature. It can be seen that as a result of RvG, there are critics that illustrate that it will be too easy for a defendant to state that they have not considered a risk to others and therefore may by acquitted at their case. On the contrary, the House of Lords have reasserted the subjective test instead of the objective test seen in Caldwell and have also established that if the defendant is voluntary intoxicated, they can be convicted without the awareness of the risk present. In the RvG case, the House of Lords conveyed this to be seen as a special exception in accordance with crimes concerning intoxicated individuals. Evidently this conveys how the House of Lords in RvG took into account of refining the Caldwell test due it being unfair, and achieving justice by taking into consideration, individual characteristics which werent present before in the Caldwell test. As mentioned above, one can note that the House of Lords decision in RvG illustrated criticism thus conveying a negative impact of the case. This can be seen as the RvG case only overrules the objective test in criminal damage, therefore the Caldwell test still applies today in certain cases after RvG, this can be seen in R v Castle (Mark Anthony)  [18]  , in where both the RvG and Caldwell tests were applied. Additionally Simester and Sullivan, both academics argue that Caldwell reckless could still be applied in some offences  [19]  , an example in where Caldwell has been applied can be seen by the Data Protection Act 1998  [20]  . Alternatively, one can suggest that there has been a positive impact of the House of Lords decision in RvG. This can be conveyed by where the courts no longer have to distinguish what type of recklessness has to be applied and the House of Lords in RvG has illustrated that the subjective one will be upheld in future cases concerning recklessness. Therefore this has allowed the courts to scrutinize the expression reckless more easily than seen in cases before RvG. An illustration of this can be seen in Eliot v C as noted above. In addition one can note that RvG case has ruled out a clear distinction between negligence and recklessness. It can be illustrated by previous cases that before the decision in RvG, there was not a clear distinction between both concepts. An example of a case is Chief Constable of Avon v Shimmen  [21]  . Within this case, it was deemed that a person who stops to think will still be liable if he realised there was some risk. Therefore this case illustrates that the Caldwell test made individuals guilty who previously were not guilty due to them being careless, but now after RvG are reckless. Overall, one must appreciate the House of Lords decision in RvG, which has allowed a subjective test to be reasserted when referring to recklessness and introduced a reformed definition of subjective recklessness. Additionally the decision has allowed a clear distinction to be applied when assessing negligence and recklessness cases. Moreover, the Caldwell test has been overruled in relation to criminal damage. Furthermore it can be identified above that there are both positive and negative impacts which have departed from the RvG decision in the House of Lords. Having analysed all of the above facts and cases, it is clear that the law on recklessness has been problematic, and often contradictory in the past. However the case of RvG has gone somewhat to remedy this issue and can be said to have succeeded in many respects. But there is still room for a statutory reform even though it may be vastly difficult to make statutory provision for all potential problems within recklessness. However, in the long run, statutory definitions of all that constitutes recklessness, and explanations of issues surrounding the topic, would be most useful, and save the judiciary time and money. Booth v Crown Prosecution Service (2006)

GDP vs Life Expectancy of Countries

GDP vs Life Expectancy of Countries We have chosen to discuss the relationship between GDP per capita vs. life expectancy at birth.   At first glance, it would appear that the GDP and wealth of a country should directly impact the life expectancy of its citizens.   However, when looking at the graph we see that while there is definitely a correlation between GDP and life expectancy, their relationship isnt linear.   This graph shows that the countries which have a GDP of less than $10000 USD per capita have a life expectancy ranging from 45-80 years.   In addition, the countries with a GDP of $15000- $40000 per capita have a relatively steady life expectancy of about 80 years with a slight decrease as the GDP approaches $40000.   This gives the graph a backwards L shape which is referred to as a Preston Curve1. In the poorer half of the world, the life expectancy ranges drastically between 45-80 years.   The countries with the lowest life expectancy are almost always affected by their GDP.   When a country has a low GDP, the citizens dont have enough money for essentials to survive.   They are forced to buy the cheapest foods which dont have the proper amounts of nutrients required to live long, healthy lives.   Likewise, these governments usually do not have enough money to support and aid these citizens.   Additionally, countries with low GDP tend to have poor health care systems to treat the terminally ill.   This issue is exacerbated in these places because the poorer countries are more likely to stricken with serious, potentially life threatening diseases like HIV.   On the other hand, many countries with low GDPs have a very high life expectancy.   One possible explanation for this phenomenon is that these countries are heavily involved in farming and agriculture.   Thus, they have easy, cheap access to healthy food and other essentials to survive while not contributing much to the GDP2.   Another possible conjecture is that these countries have many citizens that are involved in illegal smuggling.   A prime example is Mexico which has a GDP of a mere $6228 USD per capita coupled with a respectable life expectancy of 76 years.   These people can become very wealthy and live elegant, plentiful lives while contributing $0 to the GDP as much of their incomes is not reported because they do everything under the table.   A third explanation why some countries have a high life expectancy despite a low GDP is because its government strongly prioritizes needs over wants.   Cuba is a good example of this.   They have a very strong social support network that provides health coverage, government pensions and economic support to poor families3.   While poor countries are definitely impacted by low GDP, they have many ways to live long lives without too much money.   In the wealthier half of the world, life expectancy has remained steady at 80 years with a minor drop at the highest GDP levels.   There are many ideas to explain the steadiness in this part of the world.   Firstly, people in the top quarter of the world usually dont spend more on essentials than the second quarter of people.   They tend to spend more on wants such as fancy cars, vacations, electronics, etc.   Hence, the second quarter isnt lacking in any essentials that the first quarter has that would affect their life expectancy.   Additionally, almost all governments in the top half of the world have excellent social and health services.   Thus, even the poor in these countries receive appropriate and suitable care.   However, as we approach the richest countries, the graph takes a slight dip down.   Some statisticians believe that there is nothing concrete to suggest any definitive reasons for this.   However, some try to explain this phenomenon.   Firstl y, people with a high income are more susceptible to traffic fatalities as they are usually on the road more often.   Similarly, they have the means to participate in risky, thrill seeking and expensive activities like sky diving.   These people also tend to drink more which can lead to all sorts of illnesses.  Ã‚   Another explanation given is pollution.   The richest countries are the ones with the resources to produce high amounts of pollution.   It has been proven that young children are especially susceptible to this.  Ã‚   Economists Kenneth Chay and Michael Greenstone think that the 1981-1982 oil shock recession may have saved as many as 2,500 infant lives in the United States through the slight reductions in air pollution caused by the reduced economic activity4.   To summarize, although there is definitely a connection between high GDP and long lives, the relationship isnt perfect. As with any study, it is very difficult to distinguish between correlation and causation.   Does A cause B? Or does B cause A? Is there a confounding or mediating factor? The relationship between GDP and life expectancy is no exception.   While we cant definitively prove that there is a causal effect, there is a strong correlation.   As a result, it is incumbent on the governments in countries to with low life expectancy to take steps to increase the life expectancy of their citizens. Some examples include but are not limited to educational programs and food vouchers. It is our fervent hope that one day the life expectancy across the globe will be similar regardless of financial status. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston_curve http://www.statisticalconsultants.co.nz/blog/life-expectancy-at-birth-versus-gdp-per-capita-ppp.html http://financialnerd.com/relationship-life-span-gdp-per-capita/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/the-relationship-between-gdp-and-life-expectancy-isnt-as-simple-as-you-might-think

Cell Phone Use :: Technology Essays

Cell Phone Use With technology on the rise, an important issue of social interaction and communication has risen with it. Many people have become heavily dependent on technology, unable to make it through a normal day without it. Granted, technology has provided society with many beneficial inventions, and for that we are grateful; yet, the sense of community that once resided around our homes has seemed to have all but diminished. For every branch of expansion this new technology â€Å"tree† grows, a new root ensnaring society grows with it, causing us to become ever more dependent on technology. I have found that many people are oblivious to the clear cause and affect system that is inseparable from growing technology. Being a student at a Public University, I have noticed an increasing amount of students who talk on their cell phones between classes. It has gone unnoticed that this limits the amount of interaction among students on the campus. With people ranting all over the media about what great opportunities technology provides to reach those across the globe, I began to wonder if technology was actually holding a positive effect of society. I wanted to find out how others viewed the situation. I decided that a good way for this to be done was by survey. In conducting this survey, I chose to question twenty random students at James Madison University. The survey was given at the on campus food court, PC Dukes. Its purpose was to investigate the topic of cells phones, attempting to discover whether cell phones expand our everyday life or if they constrict us to our own individual world. While eighteen students of the twenty surveyed felt cell phones actually do expand their life, a more in depth look was necessary. Other questions on the survey (questions four, five, six, and nine) contradicted this statement. For example, ten students who found their life to be expanded felt that they would be more socially active if they did not have cell phones. To me, this shows that cell phones keep people from reaching out and meeting new friends. I feel this is largely due to the fact that with cell phones, people are extremely easy to get in touch with. By having this luxury, a small group of friends can stay closer and more sociable with each other rather than keeping a large group of friends.