Abstract The surge in globalization for the past two decades has exacerbated the gaps between rich and poor. It has also pointed out imbalances in rule-making, with those that favor market expansion becoming more robust and enforceable; among these are rules concerning intellectual property rights and trade dispute resolution. This paper explains that it is arguable that the BrettonWoods agreement was successful. It could easily be argued that it served to minimize the disparity, not enhance it, by virtue of the loan provisions. It could be argued that while the poor are always with us, so are the rich. The paper argues that the BrettonWoods agreements, in themselves, might be regarded as an unqualified success in the history of world economics; what has failed, however, is the construction of a world philosophy that would allow nations to enter into such agreements in the true sense of global prosperity BrettonWoods-in the waning days of the world's worst war following the world's worse economic era-sought to foster.
From the Paper "The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the most essential outgrowth of the Bretton Woods conference in July, 1944, has drawn not only critics, but also protestors. In September, 2002, about 2,000 protestors were kept in line by police officers in Washington, D.C. Police took "649 people into custody while avoiding the mass violence that has marred other such demonstrations in recent years" (Franken et al 2002). At the time, finance minister of the Group of 24, also known as G-24, were meeting. Their task is to "coordinate the positions of developing nations on monetary and finance issues and to ensure that those positions are adequately represented to the IMF and World Bank." G-24 has eight member states in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Also meeting were the finance minister of the Group of 7, or G-7, to discuss economic and financial issues of the major industrial nations-- Canada, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and Italy. The headquarters of the IMF is in Washington, D.C."
Abstract The BrettonWoods system of international monetary management was set up after World War II and established the rules for commercial and financial relations among the world's major industrial states. This paper attempts to analyse to which political considerations precipitated the inception and then the eventual collapse of the BrettonWoods system.
From the Paper "Through loans and the Marshall Plan, money flowed into Europe; tariffs on American imports were put in place as a temporary measure to help in reconstruction. As a result, Europe was able to increase productivity and create a regional bloc that discriminated in favour of each other and against the United States. The extension of credit through loans and aid resulted in a deficit in the balance of payments in the United States, which was seen as necessary at the time 'if other countries, and especially those of Europe, were to build their reserves at the rate they did. The United States and the whole free world economy benefited by this' (Diebold, 1960:6). The end of the 1950s saw the end of exchange controls in Europe. "
Tags: bank, consensus, economy, exchange, imf, post, rate, stability, war, world
Abstract This paper examines the post-war international monetary system, which was introduced to deal with the shortcomings of a freely fluctuating exchange rates regime. It starts by presenting the history of the BrettonWoods System (BWS) and its features. The paper then outlines the pre-requisites for the BWS to operate. A series of events that led to the collapse of the BWS are also studied alongside its inherent defect (the 'n'th country problem).
From the Paper "As early as 1942, the Americans and British shared common ground on international monetary matters. They were opposed to a system of freely fluctuating exchange rates, which they judged to have had adverse effects on the world economies on two counts, in the years immediately after World War I and in the 1930s when the Great Depression set in. They were also opposed to a system of absolutely fixed exchange rates. In addition, there was also a common view that unregulated and competitive trade restrictions were not beneficial to the international community. By contrast, both countries agreed that countries should be free to control certain capital transfers especially those of a short-term nature."
Abstract This essay will argue the reality of exchange rates in the modern world is much more complex than popular wisdom would suggest. Through a discussion of the history of exchange rates in the postwar era - from the fixed rates established at BrettonWoods to the flexible rates of today - it will be seen that exchange rates are one of the most complex features of modern economics. As the Canadian experience demonstrates, control of the exchange rates is beyond the power of governments to significantly influence in the long term. Indeed, given the complexities of the relationship between exchange rates and market forces, exchange rates are a feature of modern economics that defy easy analysis and prediction.
This paper explains that many factors, such as history, politics, differential currency types, ease of conversion and regulations of various international banking institutions, prevent full harmonization of international financial reporting.
Abstract This paper explains the history of the inter-relationship of political and economic changes that effect today's problem of harmonization of currency and reporting such as (1) competing economic policy objectives similar to today's problems with oil, (2) the Janus-faced nature of international capital flows and (3) the changing center of influence of the international system from the United Kingdom and toward the United States. The author points out that the new ISO engineering standards represent a model for standardizing accounting and reporting processes not only by solving the problems of harmonizing the accounting and reporting process but also by offering an open-ended approach, easily adaptable to even the smallest of enterprises. The paper stresses that this need for global standardization means that the mundane "bean-counters" of the past must be replace by today's global accountants trained in several disciplines.
Table of Contents
Thesis Statement
The Powerful Influence of History
The Gold Standard
The Rise and Dilemmas of Bimetallism
The Development of the International Monetary Systems between WWI and WW II
The BrettonWoods System and its Problems
The Harmonization of the British Pound, U.S. Dollar and the European Common Currency
The Future Outlook from an ISO Point of View
From the Paper "Between the wars, the United States overtook Britain as the leading player in the commercial and the financial domains. However, America's foreign financial and commercial relations did not yet fit together in a way that produced a harmoniously working international system. Moreover, with even today's technological edge America is finding the attainment of harmonization a difficult task at best. Great Britain likewise struggles with several issues in this area. Hence, when postwar planners again contemplated the reconstruction of the international system, they sought a framework capable of accommodating these changed conditions. The solutions to the problems are not at all straightforward and thus the pronounced lack of harmonization of accounting and reporting."
Abstract This paper explores the extraordinary talent and popularity of golfer Tiger Woods. The paper provides a biography of Woods and his father's guidance throughout his entire life. It discusses other great African-American sports stars who broke ground with the "country club" sports, like tennis player Arthur Ash. The paper describes how great talent can break cultural boundaries like no other political vehicle.
From the Paper "Golf has long been a maligned sport in American popular culture, most famously by Mark Twain as a nice long walk spoiled by a small white ball. Although it is a popular game in terms of people who participate in it, it is hardly what one might call a "cool" game like basketball. Basketball is a sport whose cache and celebrities may be considered to have kept the brand of Nike alive and well for decades.
Nor is golf a venerated game like baseball (as witnessed in the success of such spiritually conscientious films as "Field of Dreams" and ?The Natural,? in contrast to ?Caddyshack.?) Golf is not a culturally significant sport as football has been in the American psyche, with the focus the Super Bowl has had as a national event and pastime. Golf has not been the center of controversy for the violence or the practices of golfers in the national media. Golf has long been thought of as the game of the "leisure village" set, or overfed and overpaid white, male executives. On a symbolic level, nothing could be less cool or more reactionary than golf, so the thinking went.
That is, until Tiger Woods came upon the scene. Tiger Woods has given the game of gold a "coolness" that was lacking. "Until the last few years with Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour spiking ratings, the ratings haven"t been relevant to golf,? commissioner Tim Finchem said last week in defending declining ratings on the Senior Tour. Now, Woods often helps golf draw a larger TV audience than the NBA. (Ferguson MSNBC.Com) "
Abstract This paper reviews the well known poem by Robert Frost titled 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening'. The paper reports that Frost uses a specific situation to make a general comment on the course of life and the obligations faced by the speaker. The paper also discusses the use of iambic tetrameter, creating a lazy feeling that contributes to the idea that the speaker is tired and wants to go to sleep, and it imitates the regularity of the horse's hooves when the carriage is moving.
From the Paper "The horse is here treated as another sentient being, while Nature on a quiet evening is snow and woods. The snow creates a white background that the listener can picture and that thus has a purity that is disturbed by those moving through it. This image might also be seen as another representation of life, as a clean slate that the individual makes of what he can."
Abstract This paper examines how there was here was a slowdown in productivity in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) caused by numerous developments during the late sixties and early seventies, most notably the collapse of BrettonWoods, the exhaustion of catch-up gains and labour issues. On a more wider comparison to the decade before, it looks at how the 1970s seemed to be a time that lacked the stability and drive of the 1960s, both of which were exacerbated by the First Oil Shock. It attempts to show how it was also the ineffective responses by government to these developments that caused greater instability.
From the Paper "In America the story of the productivity slowdown is perhaps slightly different to that of Europe. It represents the fall of the lead America had in technological leadership. In the article by Wright and Nelson they distinguish that there was a clear weakening in the advantages that American firms used to have in mass production. The initial reasons for the US technological lead were its long standing strength in mass production that was allowed to develop because of resource abundance and a large domestic market as well as a lead in 'high technology' industries that came about due to investment in higher education and R&D at a level that was much higher than any other country at the time."
Abstract Under the microscope, distinctions between coniferous (soft) or non-coniferous (hard) woods can be seen. Soft woods are, as a rule, more simple in construction than hard woods. The writer discovers that this is the reason soft woods are preferable in making paper.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Analysis of Hard and Soft Woods History of Paper
Modern Paper Production
Recycled Paper
Conclusion
From the Paper "Paper is the dry sheet form of an aqueous deposit of any vegetable fiber. It has been in common use for so long, we often take it for granted. We forget that our trees are being cut down at an alarming rate to produce virgin paper. However, recycling processes are trying to slow this trend. The making of paper has been refined to almost art form; indeed, some people create handmade papers as an art. While it can be made from a variety of vegetable fibers, such as hemp and cotton, trees have long been the main source for the fibers."
Tags: recycling, coniferous, fibers, cotton, trees
Abstract This paper explains that the main cause of pollution resulting from the use of fireplaces and wood burning stoves is produced when the wood does not completely combust, and instead ,releases gases, especially PM10, and particulate matters into the air in the form of smoke. The author points out that PM10 causes major lung damage, which is particularly harmful for young children and the elderly; wood smoke has been shown to be just as hazardous as cigarette smoke, and it should be taken just as seriously. The paper suggests that homeowners can prevent excessive pollution from their wood-burning stoves by starting their fires with a soft wood so that the fire burns quickly, by building a small hot fire, which quickly heats up the chimney and gets a good draft going, and by choosing a hard wood or manufactured logs, which burn longer and cleaner, emitting more heat and less creosote.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Nature and Origin of the Problem
History and Current Status
Health Effects
Biological Effects
Standards and Regulations
Management and Remediation
Comparison with Other Heat Sources
Conclusion
From the Paper "Air pollution has a major impact on the environment in California because it affects many things from our health to our property, and ultimately the environment. When the issue of pollution arises, most associate the source of the problem to be large cities with thousands of polluting cars and dirty industries; however, the use of wood burning stoves has become an increasing source of severe air pollution in rural areas. Studies show that, "woodstoves release far more air pollution than heaters using other fuels." Not only does the wood smoke present health hazards for the people living in the area, it also clouds the air and reduces visibility."
Abstract A paper discussing the microscopic differences between hard and soft woods. In addition to this, a discussion of one of the major wood products, paper, is included.
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the short story, "Death in the Woods", by Sherwood Anderson. Specifically, it looks at the unity and beauty of the old woman's life in the story. The old woman's life in "Death in the Woods" is like an unbroken circle, and that is what makes it beautiful and unified. Her life certainly was not beautiful, but the fact that she totally understood her purpose and carried it out all her life is a beautiful thought, and her story, although tragic, is beautiful in its simplicity and function.
From the Paper "The old woman's story is sad and seems pointless at first, and at first glance, this short story seems the same. The old woman lives a terrible life, and dies a horrible death. Yet, there is beauty and purpose to her life, and to her story. Her only purpose in life is to feed those who are hungry, and she does this creatively, with little or no help from her husband and son. The author writes, "Starve, eh? Well, things had to be fed. Men had to be fed, and the horses that weren't any good but maybe could be traded off, and the poor thin cow that hadn't given any milk for three months" (Anderson 152). This is the woman's reason for being, and it has been her purpose her entire life."
Abstract This paper discusses the use of wood and plastic. The paper outlines the history of both materials and examines the current usage of wood and plastic in today's world. Additionally, the paper presents the advantages and disadvantages for each material, in terms of price comparisons, means of production, the ability to recycle products made from the material and ease of use.
From the Paper "According to researchers at the University of Madrid, recent discoveries of old stone tools in Penini, Madrid, which bore traces of acacia wood on their blades, show humans utilizing wood as far back as 1.5 million years ago. Previous estimates showed wood use beginning only 500,000 years ago near Germany and England, with the oldest wood implement being a set of spruce spears, dated 400,000 years ago (Schuster, 36). On the other hand, plastics are a relatively new substance, coming into existence in the late 1850's. Alexander Parkes, a British inventor, is discussed as the inventor of plastics with his creation of the first semi-synthetic material, cellulose nitrate. Following many financial hardships and material failure, Parkes exhibited the world's first plastics at the world fair in 1862."
Abstract Written in the style of a scientific review article for a journal, this paper compares the sanitation of wood versus plastic cutting boards. One of the main points emphasized is the ability of each material to prevent disease and bacteria.
From the Paper "Every home, restaurant, and commercial food processing area needs a cutting and chopping surface. The materials these surfaces are made of have been under scrutiny as possible sources of foodborne illness. Most cutting board safety issues relate to cross-contamination, which results from processing ready-to-eat, non-cooked items (such as a salad) on a board previously used to cut animal products (1,6). The residue from the animal product inoculates the non-cooked food with pathogenic microflora. This residue, called biofilm, can be made of any number of food products, but the most common sources of pathogenic bacteria result from a biofilm deposit of chicken or beef extract ("juice")."
Abstract This is a critical analysis of the Ellen Wood novel, "East Lynne". It demonstrates how the story is told from a voyeuristic servant's point of view, yet fundamentally does not reverse or rearrange the class structure that underlines the servant-master relationship. It examines why the book is a popular and sensationalistic work of fiction, rather than a tale that is questioning of the dominant mores of the society that produced it.
From the Paper "Ellen Wood, or as she preferred to be known as, Mrs. Henry Wood, wrote a novel entitled East Lynne, or The Earl's Daughter that was, though largely forgotten today, one of the most popular fictions in its day. It was a popular text both in terms of the large percentage of the public who read the work and also in terms of the novel's literary genre. The novel tells the tale of a woman, Isabel, daughter of the title, who is married to a man, named Mr. Carlyle."
