Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology Essay Having culture as a field of psychology makes sense because culture plays a significant role in everyday life. Culture allows someone to define who they are how they survive. Expressions of who one is can be done in many ways, by behavior, appearance, and language. Without culture, one’s human nature would rely on instinct to remain alive. Culture is a product of one’s environment. How important culture is and how culture influences oneself and others will be discussed in this paper. Examining various types of relationships as it pertains to culture and cross cultural psychology will also be deliberated. Critical thinking and the role it plays in cross cultural psychology and the use of scientific method will also be covered. Definition of Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology There are many avenues when looking at what culture stands for, but for most there is an agreement that culture is passed down from one generation to the next, there is a strong influence of molding one’s behavior, and that culture is learned. One’s environment is based on the culture that he or she is subjected to. Culture influences humans in many ways that is what makes humans human. Culture separates individuals from any other species and affords one the opportunity to use instinct and cultural knowledge to survive. Culture is woven into one’s fabric of daily life, and aids in how one interacts with others. By definition psychology is the study of performance and human behavior, so when tying to define one’s actions, it is imperative that incorporating one’s culture into the equation. See more: how to start an essay The behaviors of a person can be directly related to the environment or various biological factors, but, behavior can not be solely answered by just those two things without examining the social cultural conditions which impact that person’s behavior. Cultural psychology looks for the connection between psychology and one’s culture. By looking at this link the correlation between culture and behavior is recognized. Acknowledging this permits that cognitive operations are the variable in culture and oneself based on the environment that he or she is surrounded by (Segal, Dasen, Berry Poortinga, 1999). Culture can bring people together as well as separate others. Cross-cultural psychology is a newer specialty in the field. This field does not just focus on one specific culture when attempting to clarify the actions of someone’s behavior. Rather it views many different cultures that could be affected a person. It is imperative to know not to confuse race, ethnicity and society with culture. They do offer a look at a person’s individualism but it is different than one’s culture. A society consists of people where a culture is a common interest shared by persons with in a group that lead to a given behavior. To understand human behavior, viewing other approaches like sociological, cultural mixtures, integrative approach, eco-cultural and evolutionary all help in understanding how a human’s behavior could fluctuate based on. For example, when looking at the evolutionary approach views the biological factors contributing to the behavior over the eco-cultural approach views the environment (Shiraev Levy, 2010). The Relationship between Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology There are two different disciplines, anthropology and philosophy, that overlap in cultural psychology. Then reviewing other disciplines there is a wider viewpoint when researching various actions that others do. The purpose of cultural psychology is to unearth how someone’s culture affects behavior as well as how the connection is generated. Human energy cannot be the only factory determining one’s predisposition. Cultural psychology interprets that one’s mind should not be viewed as separate when explaining behavior. However, cross culture psychology relates to not only history and anthropology but also similarities and differences between histories. Regardless, both disciplines take into account culture so their foundations are close. The difference occurs because cultural psychology is interested in the relationship with culture someone has versus cross-cultural being interested in comparison on cultures (Shiraev Levy, 2010). The Role of Critical Thinking in Cross-Cultural Psychology Using critical thinking the right way, there are many ways that critical thinking that be a benefit. Life can be complex and complicated to understand. Critical thinking provides someone the ability to steer through life with a certainty. This being said, critical thinking is learned, not n inherited trait. Being able to think hypothetically, decrypt puzzles, synchronizing thoughts and communicating all require critical thinking. Using critical thinking means that one asks questions that will ultimately solve problems. If someone is unqualified or unskilled, it is possible they will not develop to full potential. By developing the critical thinking skill, this means that one could grow and learn. The use of language, patience when making important decisions, and ability to organize (Hunter, 2009). All of those that were mentioned are influences in cross-cultural psychology. Language can lead to discrimination for example. The way words are translated can be confused because of the way that it is understood. Translating word for word could lead to an incorrect translation. Understanding that any language can be translated into other meanings causing traumatization or inspiring depending on the interpretation. The research is another part of cross-cultural psychology that is attached to critical thinking. Research that is conducted without bias, emotion, choosing right from wrong, and accepting validity and reliability of that research is a form of critical thinking. It is normal for there to be comparisons made when linking groups or cultures. Here are a few instances how critical thinking and cross-cultural psychology are intertwined. Without a critical thinking understanding how culture affects behavior could form the wrong impression (Segal, Dasen, Berry Poortinga, 1999). Methodology Associated with Cross-Cultural Research Research is a critical part of cross cultural psychology. Without having research the only information about cross-cultural psychology would be assumptions. Psychologists who focus their studies on cross cultural psychologists are intrigued with the commonalities between cultures. As psychologists explain, foretell and manage various behaviors of those they observe they do so because humans are consumed with the interactions he or she has with others resulting in behaviors. Generating research is done by scientific investigation. Cross cultural psychology research is subdivided into quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative research is done through observation by mode, median and mean. Qualitative research is nconditioned settings or a natural setting. This method is picked when the variables are impossible to gather because the tools are not available. There are two different strategies that are also available to use; the application orientated and comparativist strategy. The data collected by these strategies can be done through systematic or random sampling (Shiraev Levy, 2010). â€Å"Observation (naturalistic and laboratory), survey (direct and indirect), experimental studies (independent and dependent variables), content-analysis, psychobiography, meta-analysis, focus-group method† (Shiraev Levy, 2010, pp. 5-40) are all available to psychologists who are interested in cross cultural insestigations. When using cross cultural psychology hindrances could occur. Language could create problems when completing research consequently ensuring correct translation is of the utmost importance. Investigators should be able to decipher a specific method as realistically as possible. Attention should also be paid when associating two phenomena and also avoid biases at all times (Shiraev Levy, 2010). Conclusion Since culture plays a vital role in one’s life, it is critical to recognize that it is what causes one’s behavior. Culture is manmade and appears all of the time without much thought. It is important for one to be a successful psychologist that there is a clear understanding of both cultural and cross cultural psychology and how it effects the individual as well as his or her environment. Because of cultural psychology one can trace the connection between culture and psychology and eventually behavior. Viewing various parallels in cultural psychology can help see the differences as well as similarities between cultures and how it impacts one’s actions. Without it, there will always be a mystery surrounding humanity.

Economy Of The Kingdom Of Thailand

Economy Of The Kingdom Of Thailand Chapter 1: Introduction. The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. Thailand is the worlds 50th largest country in terms of total area with a surface area of approximately 513,000 km2 (198,000 sq miters), and the 21st most-populous country, with approximately 64 million people. About 75% of the population is ethnically Thai, 14% is of Chinese origin, and 3% is ethnically Malay; the rest belong to minority groups including Mons, Khmers and various hill tribes. There are approximately 2.2 million legal and illegal migrants in Thailand. Thailand has also attracted a small number of expatriates from developed countries. The countrys official language is Thai. As for the Thai economy, it is export-dependent, with exports of goods and services equivalent to over 70% of GDP in 2008. Thailands recovery from the 1997-1998 Asian financial crises (which brought a double-digit drop in GDP) relied largely on external demand from the United States and other foreign markets. From 2001-2006, the administration of former Prime Minister Thaksin embraced a dual track economic policy that combined domestic stimulus programs with Thailands traditional promotion of open markets and foreign investment. Real GDP growth strengthened sharply from 2.2% in 2001 to 7.1% in 2003 and 6.3% in 2004. In 2005-2007, economic expansion moderated, averaging 4.5% to 5.0% real GDP growth, due to domestic political uncertainty, rising violence in Thailands four southernmost provinces, and repercussions from the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. Thailands economy in 2007 relied heavily on resilient export growth (at a 17.3% annual rate), particularly in the automobile , petrochemicals, and electronics sectors. Persistent political uncertainty and the global financial crisis in 2008 weakened Thailands economic growth by reducing domestic and international demand for both its goods and services (including tourism). Due to minimum exposure to toxic assets, Thai banks have limited direct impact from the global financial crisis. Nonetheless, Thai economic growth slowed to 2.6% in 2008, with fourth quarter growth dropping below zero. In 2009, the contraction continued. First quarter GDP was down by 7.1% year-on-year. To offset weak external demand and to shore up confidence, the Abhisit administration introduced two stimulus packages worth $43.4 billion. The government projected that the Thai economy would be down 3.5% for the year but would see positive growth of 2.5% in 2010. Roughly 40% of Thailands labor force is employed in agriculture (data based on Bank of Thailand.) Rice is the countrys most important crop; Thailand is the largest exporter in the world rice market. Other agricultural commodities produced in significant amounts include fish and fishery products, tapioca, rubber, corn, and sugar. Exports of processed foods such as canned tuna, canned pineapples, and frozen shrimp are also significant. As for the old and familiar neighboring country of Thailand, China is the second largest export market and third-largest supplier after Japan. These two neighboring countries had never been encroached to each other; the very well relationship remained in peace and stable. Two developing countries are rising with the same pace, but also compete economically. China has one of the worlds oldest civilizations and has the oldest continuous civilization. It has archaeological evidence dating back over 5,000 years. China was the largest and most advanced civilization for much of recorded history and is viewed as the source of many major inventions. It has also one of the worlds oldest written language systems. Historically, Chinas cultural sphere has extended across East Asia as a whole, with Chinese religion, customs, and writing systems being adapted to varying degrees by neighbors such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam. The Peoples Republic of China has a land area of about 9.6 million sq km with approximately 1.5 billion population size, and is the third-largest country in the world, next only to Russia and Canada. Because of Chinas unstable situation in the 70s of last century, since then a lot of Chinese population was flowing to some other countries for a better shelter; and definitely Thailand was a very sweet one. At that time over 30,000 populations crossed the border of Thailand. They are now part of 14% of Chinese origin. At the beginning of 80s, the reform and open-up policy were implemented. Since then, a huge amount of cheap Chinese products were exported to oversea countries. Nowadays, therere still over half of the daily products were made in China. Not only the products were exported, but also labor migrants have left China and settled throughout Southeast Asia, seeking better opportunities in difficult times and creating burgeoning and long-standing communities. Now, China is one of the largest producers and consumers of agricultural products. Over 40% of Chinas labor force is engaged in agriculture, even though only 10% of the land is suitable for cultivation and agriculture contributes only 13% of Chinas GDP. Chinas cropland area is only 75% of the U.S. total, but China still produces about 30% more crops and livestock than the United States because of intensive cultivation, China is among the worlds largest producers of rice, corn, wheat, soybeans, vegetables, tea, and pork. Major non-food crops include cotton, other fibers, and oilseeds. China hopes to further increase agricultural production through improved plant stocks, fertilizers, and technology. Incomes for Chinese farmers are stagnating, leading to an increasing wealth gap between the cities and countryside. Government policies that continue to emphasize grain self-sufficiency and the fact that farmers do not ownand cannot buy or sellthe land they work have contributed to this sit uation. In addition, inadequate port facilities and lack of warehousing and cold storage facilities impede both domestic and international agricultural trade. China is now one of the most important markets for U.S. exports: in 2008, U.S. exports to China totaled $71.5 billion, a 9.5% increase of $16.2 billion from 2007. U.S. agricultural exports have increased dramatically, totaling $12.2 billion in 2009 and thus making China our fourth-largest agricultural export market. Leading categories include: soybeans ($7.3 billion), cotton ($1.6 billion), and hides and skins ($859 million). Export growth continues to be a major driver of Chinas rapid economic growth. Here comes our conflict: As the neighbor of supper sized China, Thailand faced double challenge. First of all, by import cheap but quality Chinese products the lessened GPD is shown and China is recently steadily replacing Thailands first place on exporting rice. Secondly more and more skilled Chinese labor forces are into Thailand, the local unemployment is facing the challenge. What is going to be the aftermath and what we can do about these becomes the very serious problem for Thailand. Chapter 2: Situation of the problem. As we know, Thailand is a very popular country, not only by tourism but also by the minds. Thai people are very conscientious and friendly, may that be the reason why so many western populations would like to move to Thailand for the rest of their lives. Under the capitalism system, Thailand has a GDP worth 8.5 trillion Baht (on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis), or USD 627 billion (PPP). This classifies Thailand as the 2nd largest economy in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. Despite this, Thailand ranks midway in the wealth spread in Southeast Asia as it is the 4th richest nation according to GDP per capita, after Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia. Most of Thailands labor force is working in agriculture. However, the relative contribution of agriculture to GDP has declined while exports of goods and services have increased. Tourism revenues are on the rise. With the instability surrounding the recent coup and the military rule, however, the GDP growth of Thailand has settled at arou nd 4-5% from previous highs of 5-7% under the previous civilian administration, as investor and consumer confidence has been degraded somewhat due to political uncertainty. Chinese economic history is quite fancy and interesting. This strong nation had gone through a lot. Even for the modern Chinese economy is still a long story to tell. The economic history of modern China began with the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Following the Qing, China underwent a period of instability and disrupted economic activity. Under the Nanjing decade (1927-1937), China advanced several industries, in particular those related to the military, in an effort to catch up with the west and prepare for war with Japan. The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and the following Chinese civil war caused the collapse of the Republic of China and formation of the Peoples Republic of China. The new ruler of China, Mao Zedong, initially promised to develop a socialist alliance with Petit Bourgeois, workers, and nationalist Bourgeois, but enacted collectivization upon consolidation of this regime. Collectivization resulted in the success of the first five-year plan, but Maos second five-year plan, which included the Great Leap forward, did not meet with the same success. A new party faction who supported private plots eventually challenged Maos economic policy. Unwilling to give up power, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution, which led to the collapse of the Chinese economy. Following Maos death, one of the most senior officials who had advocated private plots in the early 1960s, Deng Xiaoping initiated gradual market reforms that abolished the communes and collectivized industries of Mao, replacing them with the free-market system. Dengs reforms vastly improved the standard of living of the Chinese people, the competitiveness of the Chinese economy, and caused China to become one of the fastest growing and most important economies in the world. It also led to one of the most rapid industrializations in world history. For this achievement he is sometimes known as The Venerated Deng. As a result of Dengs reforms, China is widely regarded as a returning superpower. 1992 Deng Xiaopings Southern Tour at the beginning of the year massively boosted foreign direct investment inflows into coastal areas and started a wave of government investment in Shanghai. Record trade and GDP growth and inflation followed. 1993 Zhu Rongji appointed to rein in the overheating economy, this time more selectively than in 1989-91. Growth rates subsided gradually in subsequent years, producing a so-called soft landing. During the 1990s, living standards continued to rise, as evidenced by the proliferation of consumer durables, especially among the urban population. Continuing FDI inflows helped boost foreign exchange reserves to record heights in the late 1990s. Especially after the publication of the 1998 GDP figures, economists, both in China and abroad, have raised serious doubts about the quality of Chinas national accounts, which appeared in the late 1990s to overstate economic growth and are now suspected of understating growth. This may be because the statistical system tends to overestimate output at the trough of the cycle and underestimate output at the peak. However, the countrys first production census discovered at the end of 2005 that GDP has recently been grossly underestimated as a result of a failure to take into account the rapid growth of the services sector. As a result, growth rates for 2003-2005 are now recorded at around 10% per year in real terms. Despite efforts to cool the overheating economy, the officially recorded GDP growth rate was 11.4% in 2007. In 2008 the global economic crisis began to reduce Chinas growth rate. In the face of forecasts that this might drop below the rate at which school leavers can be absorbed by the growing economy (7%-8%) the government decided to pump RMB 4 trillion into the economy in the form of an economic stimulus package consisting largely of investment in fixed infrastructure and human capital. In 2009 Chinas GDP growth rate, though lower than the double-digit average of recent years, has held up well, rising from 6.1% year-on-year in the first quarter to 7.7% in the first three quarters of the year. This means that year-on-year GDP growth was around 9% in the second quarter. A similar rate of growth (9%) is expected in the final quarter, ensuring a rate of over 8% for 2009 as a whole. In Chinese GDP, more than 40% are expected from the export of products; there are over 50% daily products all over the world are MADE IN CHINA. The reason why Chinese products are so competitive is because they are very cheap and quality. How come the Chinese products are so cheap? Compare with the GDP chinas API (annual premium income) is very low, because 1/5 worlds population is in China, and this is also the reason why the Chinese products are so cheap; labor force are paid only a little bit of money. In the contrast, Thailand may not have an impressive GDP, but the API is much higher than China. In the structure of Thailands GDP over 70% are exporting, but its not only products also services; which means tourism is still the major income for Thailand. However the amount of products exporting in Thailand is steadily deteriorated. Former merit of Thai export; Rubber and Rice is now slowly losing its first place. As for human resource exporting; in China therere more than two million graduates will be unemployed every year. Most of them are staying home and doing job hunting, some may find-out a better way by crossing the border to oversea countries. These graduates are fully skilled and they are eager for job, so they may take some unwanted jobs in oversea countries. Nonetheless, potentially they are increasing the unemployment rate in Thailand as well. Chapter 3: Thailand Economical Crises. Thailand is a member of AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Area), which is purpose of Increase ASEANs competitive edge as a production base in the world market through the elimination, within ASEAN, of tariffs and non-tariff barriers. Unlike the EU, AFTA does not apply a common external tariff on imported goods. Each ASEAN member may impose tariffs on goods entering from outside ASEAN based on its national schedules. However, for goods originating within ASEAN, ASEAN members are to apply a tariff rate of 0 to 5 percent (the more recent members of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, aka. CMLV countries, were given additional time to implement the reduced tariff rates). This is known as the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) scheme. ASEAN members have the option of excluding products from the CEPT in three cases: 1.) Temporary exclusions; 2.) Sensitive agricultural products; 3.) General exceptions. Temporary exclusions refer to products for which tariffs will ultimately be lowered to 0-5%, but which are being protected temporarily by a delay in tariff reductions. Sensitive agricultural products include commodities such as rice. ASEAN members have until 2010 to reduce the tariff levels to 0-5%. The AFTA was formed in 1992, after that Thailand economy was increasing rapidly, but in 1997 Thailand suffered the Dom Yam Goon crisis. It was beginning in July 1997, and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown due to financial contagion. The crisis started in Thailand with the financial collapse of the Thai baht caused by the decision of the Thai government to float the baht, cutting its peg to the USD, after exhaustive efforts to support it in the face of a severe financial overextension that was in part real estate driven. At the time, Thailand had acquired a burden of foreign debt that made the country effectively bankrupt even before the collapse of its currency. As the crisis spread, most of Southeast Asia and Japan saw slumping currencies, devalued stock markets and other asset prices, and a precipitous rise in private debt. Such was the scope and the severity of the collapses involved that outside intervention, considered by many as a new kind of colonialism, and became urgently needed. Since the countries melting down were among not only the richest in their region, but in the world, and since hundreds of billions of dollars were at stake, any response to the crisis had to be cooperative and international, in this case through the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF created a series of bailouts (rescue packages) for the most affected economies to enable affected nations to avoid default, tying the packages to reforms that were intended to make the restored Asian currency, banking, and financial systems as much like those of the United States and Europe as possible. In other words, the IMFs support was conditional on a series of drastic economic reforms influenced by neoliberal economic principles called a structural adjustment package (SAP). The SAPs called on crisis-struck nations to cut back o n government spending to reduce deficits, allow insolvent banks and financial institutions to fail, and aggressively raise interest rates. The reasoning was that these steps would restore confidence in the nations fiscal solvency, penalize insolvent companies, and protect currency values. Above all, it was stipulated that IMF-funded capital had to be administered rationally in the future, with no favored parties receiving funds by preference. There were to be adequate government controls set up to supervise all financial activities, ones that were to be independent, in theory, of private interest. Insolvent institutions had to be closed, and insolvency itself had to be clearly defined. In short, exactly the same kinds of financial institutions found in the United States and Europe had to be created in Asia, as a condition for IMF support. In addition, financial systems had to become transparent, that is, provide the kind of reliable financial information used in the West to make sou nd financial decisions. However, the greatest criticism of the IMFs role in the crisis was targeted towards its response. As country after country fell into crisis, many local businesses and governments that had taken out loans in US dollars, which suddenly became much more expensive relative to the local currency which formed their earned income, found themselves unable to pay their creditors. The dynamics of the situation were closely similar to that of the Latin American debt crisis. The effects of the SAPs were mixed and their impact controversial. Critics, however, noted the contractionary nature of these policies, arguing that in a recession, the traditional Keynesian response was to increase government spending, prop up major companies, and lower interest rates. The reasoning was that by stimulating the economy and staving off recession, governments could restore confidence while preventing economic loss. They pointed out that the U.S. government had pursued expansionary policies, such as lowering in terest rates, increasing government spending, and cutting taxes, when the United States itself entered a recession in 2001, and arguably the same in the fiscal and monetary policies during the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis. Although such reforms were, in most cases, long needed, the countries most involved ended up undergoing an almost complete political and financial restructuring. They suffered permanent currency devaluations, massive numbers of bankruptcies, and collapses of whole sectors of once-booming economies, real estate busts, high unemployment, and social unrest. For most of the countries involved, IMF intervention has been roundly criticized. The role of the International Monetary Fund was so controversial during the crisis that many locals called the financial crisis the IMF crisis. Many commentators in retrospect criticized the IMF for encouraging the developing economies of Asia down the path of fast track capitalism, meaning liberalization of the financial sector (elimination of restrictions on capital flows); maintenance of high domestic interest rates to attract portfolio investment and bank capital; and pegging of the national currency to the dollar to reassure foreign investors again st currency risk. Unfortunately, 2008 is another hard year, but its not only for Thailand or Asia, its the global economic crisis. The Global Financial Crisis has been called by leading economists the worst financial crisis since the one related to the Great Depression of the 1930s. It contributed to the failure of key businesses, declines in consumer wealth estimated in the trillions of U.S. dollars, substantial financial commitments incurred by governments, and a significant decline in economic activity. Many causes have been proposed, with varying weight assigned by experts. Both market-based and regulatory solutions have been implemented or are under consideration, while significant risks remain for the world economy. The collapse of a global housing bubble, which peaked in the U.S. in 2006, caused the values of securities tied to housing prices to plummet thereafter, damaging financial institutions globally. Questions regarding bank solvency, declines in credit availability, and damaged investor confidence had an impact on global stock markets, which suffered large losses during 2008. Economies worldwide slowed in late 2008 and early 2009 as credit tightened and international trade declined. Critics argued that credit rating agencies and investors failed to accurately price the risk involved with mortgage-related financial products, and that governments did not adjust their regulatory practices to address 21st century financial markets. Governments and central banks responded with unprecedented fiscal stimulus, monetary policy expansion, and institutional bailouts. 2008 is a very tough year for Thailand. Not only is the Global Economic Crisis threatening Thai economy, but also the 2008 flu. The flu directly affected Thai tourism, which is the backbone of Thai economy. However, even the crises are monsters; Thailand is still standing in a very firm place of exporting rice, rubber and tourism. Not only today, but also after decades. Chapter 4: Compete from China. Not only Chinese daily products the only stuff competitive from China, but also foods, heavy industry, mineral materials and so on. In Thailand, Chinese food is one kind of high class treat. Its quite expensive and health. The most famous one could be the Chinese vegetarian. Vegetarianism is only practiced by a relatively small fraction of the population. Most Chinese vegetarians are Buddhists, following the Buddhist teachings about minimizing suffering. This is also one major reason why the Chinese vegetarian food is quite popular in Thailand. Chinese vegetarian dishes often contain large varieties of vegetables (e.g. Bok Choy, shiitake mushroom, sprouts, corn) and some imitation meat. Such imitation meat is created mostly with soy protein and/or wheat gluten to imitate the texture, taste, and appearance of duck, chicken, or pork. Imitation seafood items, made from other vegetable substances such as konjac, are also available. As for the Chinese industry export, Chinas machinery manufacturing industry can provide complete sets of large advanced equipment, including large gas turbines, large pump storage groups, and nuclear power sets, ultra-high voltage direct-current transmission and transformer equipment, complete sets of large metallurgical, fertilizer and petro-chemical equipment, urban light rail transport equipment, and new papermaking and textile machinery. Machinery and transportation equipment have been the mainstay products of Chinese exports, as Chinas leading export sector for successive 11 years from 1996 to 2006. In 2006, the export value of machinery and transportation equipments reached 425 billion US dollars, 28.3 percent more than 2005. Thermal, hydro and nuclear power industries are the fastest growing of all industrial sectors. At the end of 2004, the installed capacity of generators totaled 440 million kW, and the total generated electricity came to 2,187 billion kwh, ranking second in the world. Power grid construction has entered its fastest ever development; main power grids now cover all the cities and most rural areas, with 501-kv grids beginning to replace 220-kv grids for inter-province and inter-region transmission and exchange operations. An international advanced control automation system with computers as the mainstay has been universally adopted, and has proved practical. Now Chinas power industry has entered a new era featuring large generating units, large power plants, large power grids, ultra-high voltage and automation. There are several countries such as Thailand requesting Chinas help and investment for the industrial sector. China is the third largest country all over the world, and so as the Chinese mineral resource. China is rich in mineral resources, and all the worlds known minerals can be found here. To date, geologists have confirmed reserves of 153 different minerals, putting China third in the world in total reserves. The reserves of the major mineral resources, such as coal, iron, copper, aluminum, stibium, molybdenum, managese, tin, lead, zinc and mercury, are in the worlds front rank. Chinas coal reserves total 1,007.1 billion tons, mainly distributed in north China, with Shanxi Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region taking the lead. Chinas 46.35 billion tons of iron ore are mainly distributed in northeast, north and southwest China. The country also abounds in petroleum, natural gas, oil shale, phosphorus and sulphur. Petroleum reserves are mainly found in the northwest, northeast and north China, as well as in the continental shelves of east China. The national reserves of rare ea rth metals far exceed the combined total for the rest of the world. Rubber and rice used to be Thailands advantaged exports. However for the last 10 years, China is chasing Thailands heel. Rubber is an important industry for economy all around the world. Its price is usually influenced by the worlds oil price which is feature in changing in rubber price. China, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia (rubber garden about 200 hectares, output about 3 million tons) are the most importance producer and exporter for rubber market of the world. The amount of rubber they have produced account for 70%-80% of total world amount on average. Because the rubber is an important industrial crop in these countries, the rubber price has been going up due to increasing in demand for the rubber. These result in an expansion in production area which produces effect on the higher level of rubber output. The information released by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, the output of crude rubber is about 3.2 to 3.3 million tons in 2007 more than previous year and the annual growth is about 5%. This satisfying outcome was caused by the assistance of Chinese government in giving the better breed to the farmer. Most of rubber outputs are profuse in the second and the third quarter in each year, particularly in the southern part of China which is the largest source of domestic rubber production, because that period is humid season in Southern China. There might be a little decreasing in rubber price in that period because of the increasing in supply of rubber. Since the Chinese currency continued appreciation and the demand for rubber was increase, the export price was going up to 2.10 U.S. dollar per kilogram in March on 2007. Why does the price increase in international rubber market? There are two possible reasons. The first one is because some of the primary countries (Thailand and Indonesia) in producing rubber were affected by unfavorable weather, so the output was negatively affected. The second explanation is derived from the increasing demand for rubber in American and China itself, because the price of rubber was going up for a while, so the price was not expected to increase so much in the near future. On October 2008, the domestic price of rubber was going down so rapidly. It decreased to 8 RMB per kilogram in 20 days time. However before that, the purchasing price of fresh rubber is around 15RMB per kilogram and the cost of production is about 5 RMB per kilogram. The loss of the rubber profit is about 100% at that time. The cooperative of Chinese rubber farmers express that Thailand is the foremast partner of commerce in China because of the economic crisis from the U.S, so the exporter was very careful in it. Chinese Ministry of Agriculture adopts the countermeasures which analyze the tendency of international market in the future and establish the solving measures. It has made a commitment with financial institutions to extend the loan repayment period for rubber farmers. This hopefully enables the farmers could reduce their burden associated with rubber production. In addition, the Rubber Association of Asia wants to resolve the problem of lower the price of rubber. They decid ed to stop the production for six month so as to reduce the amount of rubber output and this enhanced the price level. They also suggested Chinese government to add the financial aid but dont interpose the price of rubber. If the price continue going down, the farmer may choose chopping the rubber trees to replant other crops and many farmers had already started to chop the rubber tree and sealing it. Furthermore, the farmers confronted with immense pressure from synthetic rubber, many rubber gardens change to replant other crops. Many other Chinese resources and products are also very much competitive, especially for Thailand. Thailand doesnt have many resources to use, thus if Thailand still want to improve the GDP they will have to import goods from China. Why China? The reason is not only the cheap price, but also the very convenient geographical location. Chapter 5: Solution of Thai-na Intersect. There are several solutions for avoid the incoming challenge and further crises. One of the most important progresses for the Thai-na trading is the China-Thailand FTA. The China-Thailand FTA was signed in June 2003 and came into effect four months later in October 2003. It is an early harvest agreement on farm trade alone, whereby both countries opened their agricultural markets before the broader China-ASEAN FTA comes into force in 2010. Under the deal, tariffs for 188 types of fruits and vegetables were cut to zero overnight. The China-Thailand FTA has had very strong impacts in Thailand, amply documented by NGOs, farmers groups, academics and the press. Many Thai garlic, longan and other fruit and vegetable producers, especially in the North, lost their livelihoods because they could not compete against the cheap flood of Chinese imports. In fact, despite government reassurances, only Thai cassava exports went up. Investigations showed that Thai produce entering China was left to rot at point of entry, by local warehouse operators, so that it could not actually be commercialized. Cheap Chinese fruits and vegetables, in the meanwhile, were criticized by Thai people for their high pesticide residue levels. But this actually led the two governments to adopt joint private food safety standards (Thai-China GAP), providing yet another boost to corporate farming and further concentration. In all, the China-Thailand FTA has not benefited small farmers on either side of the border. It has only been favorable for businessmen who control the trade and are able to use it to expand their contract farming operations, such as Thailands (ethnic Chinese-owned) Charoen Pokphand Group. After the formation of the FTA, Thailands exports to China are likely to continue to grow over the remainder as massive stimulus spending by Beijing is showing clear signs of

Creating a Robot to Tie a Knot with Lego Mindstorm :: Robotics

Abstract The point of building this robot was to have it successfully complete and tie a knot. The original idea was to have the robot tie knots creating a bracelet. Unfortunately, the process of tying a knot alone was too much work to try and move on to an entire bracelet. I had neither the time nor the insight to build a flexible and usable 'arm.' I tested and modified a design from the Lego Mindstorms book, but found that I could neither open nor close the hand. I continued to further modify the design to be able to grab and let go of string but the result was extremely bulky. Also I could not find a plausible and spaceconstrained way to attach the gears to each of the 'fingers.' The conclusion that I drew was not that the project was impossible but that it needed more time and research. Background The idea for a robot that could neatly and efficiently create a knotted bracelet became a reality after my own experiences of personal pain and triumphs over its creational process. Although the design is merely knotting in a line some people have neither the patience or ability to complete such a simple masterpiece. This is when the idea for a bracelet making robot was first manifested. It is being brought to life for all those who can't or don't want to make one themselves, hence, a robot to do it for them! Unfortunately, two weeks is not enough to make a full blown bracelet making robot. Instead my attempt will be to make a robot that can successfully tie a knot around a string. Which with more time would eventually lead to an entire knotted bracelet. The textile industry has prospered greatly since the age of industry and invention. Cotton, silk, and various other materials are processed and transformed into beautiful fabrics and cloths which soon become clothes and accessories. The flying shuttle was brought to factories in 1733 by the inventor John Kay, improving looms to enable weavers to get their work done even faster. Soon after there came the spinning jenny, and the water frame which became the first powered machine. To be or Knot to be? 3 The inventions kept spewing forth until at last the modern textile machine was born. Most of these are run by computer with nowhere near the machinery. This minimizes injury and ups the efficiency of production. While my robot won't be the next big factory design, it will make a simple but overly complicated knot for a robot. In future years at COSMOS in the robotics cluster, perhaps someone will see my design and continue it, until it completely finishes an entire

Lyrical Violence :: essays research papers

Lyrical Violence Music is a prominent force in adolescent lives; according to the American Medical Association, American adolescents spend a total of four and a half hours a day listening to music and watching music videos. Parents are increasingly weary of suggestive, violent, lyrical content in popular music. A University of California study recently showed that 48% of Americans, including the younger generation, say that violence in popular music should be regulated. In Paducah, the affect of violent lyrical content in popular music has been an ongoing debate since the Heath High School shooting. Another case of a school shooting has shook up a small town in Arkansas called Jonesboro. One of the teen murderers admitted to law enforcement officers that the rap music he listened to might have contributed to his state of mind before the murders, if not his overall decision to gun down his classmates. Mitchell Johnson, the student, said, â€Å"It puts you in a certain state of mind.† This is not only relevant to the music/violence debate but it is a crucial element in understanding what is going on with the modern youth. Clearly, it can not be stated that the sole contributing factor in the student’s decision to commit murder was rap music; but it was a contributing factor. I b elieve that there is a painful and direct correlation between violence in popular music and violence in youth. I do not believe that government regulation, or censorship, is going to fix this problem. For those who debate the adverse effect of violent music on a person’s mind-state, I offer this example. In the early days of jazz, African-Americans would listen to, and play, the music as a release from the racial climate in which they lived. The music, if only for a while, removed their problems. This being the case, how can we deny that music, even without lyrics, has an overwhelming impact on our mind-state. Popular music affects everyone. Some people find that they can’t get a song out of their head after hearing it on the way to work. Other individuals discover that they get sentimental if they hear a song which they danced to at their prom. At funerals, people are brought to tears at the first note of Amazing Grace. While there are almost always other reasons behind the emotion, it is the music that triggers that particular mind state.

Nixon Essay -- essays research papers

Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th President of the United States of America, was born on January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda in Southern California to Francis A. and Hannah Milhous Nixon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nixon had a very rough childhood. Due to the illness of Richard’s brother, his mother was rarely around. Richard’s father was a very loud man who would beat his sons and enjoyed arguing with everyone, especially when it came to politics. Richard had to help out at the family gas station and grocery store while he was a college student. Nixon grew up harboring resentment toward people who were born into families and privileged and could trade on their social connections. Nixon attended Duke University and graduated from law school there. After graduating, Nixon applied to become an agent with the FBI and was rejected. He was also rejected when he applied to various major law firms. Eventually, Nixon found a job in a small law firm in Southern California. Nixon served as a Naval Officer during World War II. Afterward, he began to climb up the political ladder. He began by first serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and then in the Senate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout Nixon’s career, he used smear-politics to gain victory by viciously attacking his opponents. He used the public’s fear of communism during the Cold War years to his advantage by accusing several of his political enemies of being soft on communism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1952, President Eisenhower agreed to allow Nixon to serve as his running mate although he never really liked him. This was because Nixon would help Eisenhower win California. Six weeks before the election, a bombshell was dropped on the campaign. An illegal secret political fund of Nixon’s was discovered and publicized. Although Nixon was encouraged to withdraw from the ticket, he, instead, went on television and delivered a speech not about receiving bribes or money but about a little dog that his daughter had named Checkers. Eisenhower was convinced to keep Nixon on the ticket when he heard of the positive response of the American people to the â€Å"Checkers Speech.† Eisenhower and Nixon later won the 1952 election by a massive landslide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1956, Nixon was, once again, on the Republican ticket as the vice-presidential candidate. During his second term, Nixon became m... ...le from around the globe. These people included every president who was still living. A Eulogy was given by President Clinton in which he dwelled on Nixon’s great accomplishments, particularly in foreign affairs, rather than on his constitutional crimes such as those pertaining to the Watergate scandal. Summary Richard Milhous Nixon’s life started out being kind of tough but he eventually went on to be able to do great things such as becoming the President of the United States of America. Throughout his life, Richard Nixon did many things that were very great and very impressive but he was also responsible for doing many things that were definitely not so great and impressive. Nixon had a very impressive career when it came to foreign affairs but his career was far less impressive when you look at what was happening in the United States. If Nixon hadn’t been quite so paranoid and insecure in his own abilities, he would have made a far better president. After all, it was his paranoia and his insecurities that led him to forming the â€Å"plumbers† and to authorizing the things that ended up going on at the Watergate complex, which eventually led to his resignation from the Presidency.

Computer Hacking and Cyber Crime Law Essay

COMPUTER HACKING AND CYBER CRIME LAW History of Hacking According to (Clifford R.D. 2006) a cracker or cracking is to â€Å"gain unauthorized access to a computer in order to commit another crime such as destroying information contained in that system†. These subgroups may also be defined by the legal status of their activities. Eric S. Raymond (author of The New Hacker’s Dictionary) advocates that members of the computer underground should be called crackers. Yet, those people see themselves as hackers and even try to include the views of Raymond in what they see as one wider hacker culture, a view harshly rejected by Raymond himself. Instead of a hacker/cracker dichotomy, they give more emphasis to a spectrum of different categories, such as white hat, grey hat, black hat and script kiddie. World Of Hacking Hacking is the practice of modifying the features of a system, in order to accomplish a goal outside of the creator’s original purpose. The person who is consistently engaging in hacking activities, and has accepted hacking as a lifestyle and philosophy of their choice, is called a hacker. Modifying the features of a system. Gaining an unauthorized access to a computer system. Breaks into a system security. Refers to the hobby/profession of working with computers. It also about learning how a system works and how to make it do things it wasn’t designed to do, or you haven’t got the privileges to do. Hacker A hacker is someone who seeks and exploits weaknesses in a computer system or computer network. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, such as profit, protest, or challenge. The subculture that has evolved around hackers is often referred to as the computer underground and is now a known community. White Hats – good Gray hats – good or bad Black hats – bad Script kiddie A script kiddie (also known as a skid or skiddie) is a non-expert who breaks  into computer systems by using pre-packaged automated tools written by others, usually with little understanding of the underlying concept—hence the term script (i.e. a prearranged plan or set of activities) kiddie (i.e. kid, child—an individual lacking knowledge and experience, immature). Blue hat A blue hat hacker is someone outside computer security consulting firms who is used to bug test a system prior to its launch, looking for exploits so they can be closed. Microsoft also uses the term Blue Hat to represent a series of security briefing events. Hacker Code Of Ethics Levy (1984) suggests that there is a â€Å"code of ethics† for hacking which, though not pasted on the walls, is in the air: Access to Computers – and anything which might teach you something about the way the world works – should be unlimited and total. Always yield to the Hands-On Imperative! All information should be free. Mistrust Authority – Promote Decentralization. Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position. You can create art and beauty on a computer. Computers can change your life for the better. CYBER CRIME LAW Senator Angara is defined as any illegal and criminal act activity committed on the internet. State Policy Regarding Cyber Crimes The State Recognize.. 1. The vital role of information and communication industries such as content production, telecommunication, broadcasting, electronic commerce, and data processing, in the nation’s overall social and economic development. 2. The importance of providing an environment conducive to the development, acceleration, and rational application and exploitation of information and communication technology to attain free, easy and intelligible access to exchange and/or delivery of information. 3. The need to protect and safeguard the integrity of computer, computer and communication systems, network, and databases and the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and data stored therein, from all forms of misuse, abuse, and  illegal access by making punishable under the law such conduct or conducts. Cyber Crimes Offenses 1. Offenses against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems. A. Illegal Access – The intentional access to the whole or any part of a computer system without right. Element of Computer System There must be a device a group of interconnected or related devices. At least one of the devices performs automatic processing of data pursuant to a program. The device need NOT be connected in a network as long as it consists of both hardware and software and have input, output and storage facilities. Element of the offense of illegal Access 1.There must be an intentional access in whole or any part of a computer system. 2. The person who attempts, or is accessing, or had already access the data has no right to access to the system. â€Å"An Authorized person may not be authorized.† B. Illegal Interception Interception – refers to the listening to, recording, monitoring or surveillance of the content of communication. Elements of Illegal Interception 1. It must be intentional. 2. It must be by technical means. 3. The person involved is without any right to do the intercept. 4. The transmission of computer data to, from, or within a computer system is non-public. 5. It must not fall in any exemption. C. Data Interference Intentional or reckless alteration of computer data without right. C.System Interference Intentional or reckless hindering without the right of the functioning of a computer system by inputting, transmitting, deleting or altering computer data or program. MisUse of Devices The use, production, sale, procurement, importation, distribution, or otherwise making available, without right, of: – device, including a  computer program, designed or adapted primarily for the purpose of committing any of then offenses under this act; Or -a computer password, access code, or similar data by which the whole or any part of a computer system is capable of being accessed with intent that it be used for the purpose of committing any of the offenses under this Act; CYBERSEX AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CYBERSEX -Any person who establishes, maintains or controls, directly or indirectly any operation for sexual activity or arousal with the aid of or through the use of a computer system, for a favor or consideration. Child Pornography -refers to pornography depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child. It may use a variety of media, including writings, magazines, photos, sculpture, drawing, cartoon, painting, animation, sound recording, film video, and video games. Child pornography is divided into simulated child pornography and pornography which was produced with direct involvement of the child (also known as Child Abuse Images.) For a person to be guilty of cybersex as defined by the cybercrime law, all the following elements must be present: There must be an operation for sexual activity or arousal; The sexual activity or arousal is done with the aid of or through the use of a computer system; The activity is done for a favor or consideration. The operation is/ was established, maintained or controlled by a person directly or indirectly. From the above, element no.3 should NOT have been included by our law makers. What is the Penalty for this Crime? Any person found guilty of the cybercrime of cybersex shall be punished with imprisonment of prison mayor or a fine at least Two Hundred Thousand Pesos ( Php 200,000.00) But not exceeding One Million Pesos (1,000,000.00) or both. Sec. 5 Other Offenses: The following acts shall also constitute an offense: 1. Aiding or abetting in the Commission of Cybercrime– Any person who willfully abets or aids in the commission of any of the offenses enumerated in this Act shall be held liable. 2. Attempt in the Commission of Cybercrime– A prosecution who willfully attempts to commit any offenses enumerated in this Act shall be held liable. Sec. 6 Liability under other Laws A prosecution under this Act shall be w/o prejudice to any liability for violation Of the Revised Penal Code, as amended or special laws COMPUTER-RELATED OFFENSES: Computer-related forgery Computer-related Fraud Unsolicited Commercial Communications 1.) Computer-related Forgery -(a) the intentional input, alteration, or deletion of any computer data w/o right resulting in inauthentic data w/ the intent that it be considered or acted upon for legal purposes as if it were authentic, regardless, whether or not the data is directly readable and intelligible; (b) the act of knowingly using computer data which is the product of computer-related forgery as defined herein, for the purpose of perpetuating a fraudulent or dishonest design. 2.) A pe rson is guilty of forgery if: (a)With purpose to defraud or injure anyone; OR (b) With knowledge that he is facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone; the actor: 1.) alters any writings of another without his authority; 2.) makes, completes, executes, authenticates, issues or transfers any writing so that it purports to be the act of another who did not authorize the act, or to have been executed at a time or place or in a numbered sequence other than was in fact the case, or to be a copy of an original when no such original existed; or 3.) utters any writing which he knows to be forged in a manner specified in the revised penal code. Elements of Computer related Forgery. First type of Offense â€Å"ACTIVE COMPUTER RELATED FORGERY† (a) There must be an intentional input, alteration, or deletion of any computer data without right; (b) The result is an inauthentic data; (c) The intent is to use the inauthentic data to be considered or acted upon as if it is authentic Second type of Offense â€Å"PASSIVE COMPUTER RELATED FORGERY a) There must be an existing inauthentic data brought about by the elements of ACTIVE computer-related forgery. b) Knowingly acting on the inauthentic data for the purpose of perpetuating a fraudulent or dishonest design. 2.) Computer Related Fraud If A had a loan from his cooperative and the only evidence of such loan is the records stored in the cooperative’s computer system, A with intent to procure economic benefit, changed the source code of the system’s program so that on an particular date, the system will hang and immediately cause the malfunctioning of the said system. Thus, A can easily deny that he still has an obligation to the cooperative. 3.) Unsolicited Commercial Communications -The transmission of commercial electronic communication with the use of a computer system which seek to advertise, sell, or offer for sale products and services are prohibited unless a. There is a prior affirmative consent from the recipient; or b. The following conditions are present: i. The commercial electronic communication contains a simple, valid, and reliable way for the recipient to reject receipt of further commercial electronic messages (‘opt-out’) from the same source; ii. The commercial electronic communication does not purposely disguise the source of the electronic message; and iii. The commercial electronic communication does not purposely include misleading information in any part of the message in order to induce in the recipients to read the message. BLOG Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content WHAT IS BLOGGING ? – A new form of expression where in you express your thoughts and ideas about a specific topic . BLOGGERS : Tina Hamilton is a veteran journalist , a social media guru and a aspiring blogger who enjoys covering a wide range of topics. She currently works with a professional SEO consultant in her attempt to gain an education in the industry John Charles Edward â€Å"Carlos† Pamintuan Celdran also known as CARLOS CELDRAN† He is truly proud of being a Filipino as his blog Celdrantours tries to change how the world sees Manila. Through his blogs. INTRODUCTION With the emergence and popularity of blogging as a new form of expression, the coverage of defamation laws has extended to cyberspace. The consequences is that, people who are adversely affected by writings in this medium is bringing lawsuits to protect their name and reputation. While the Philippine Constitution protects bloggers’ right to free speech and expression, this does not give them unfettered license to write to the detriment of others. This Chapter discusses the person’s right to free speech and expression while respecting the person’s honor. This chapter aims to equip the reader relevant knowledge to supplement his skills in determining whether or not a certain form of expression is within the scope guaranteed by the Constitution. Bases of the Guaranteed of the Right of Freedom of Expression Two (2) Philosophical Bases for the Guarantee of this Right Discovery of truth For self-government In the case of US vs. Bustos (37 Phil. 731), in which the defendants were charged with libel of a public officials for statements made Mr. Justice Malcolm, writing the opinion of the Court, said: â€Å"Public policy, the welfare of society, and the orderly administration of government, have demanded protection for public opinion. The inevitable and incontestable result has been the development and adaptation of the doctrine of privilege.† `â€Å"A public official must NOT be too thin-skinned with reference to comment upon his official acts.† Scope of the Freedom of Expression Article III, Section 4 of the Phil. Constitution says: â€Å"No law shall be passed abridging the freedom speech, of expression, or the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the Government for redress of grievances.† Article III, Section 18(1) of the Phil. Constitution says: â€Å"No person shall be detained solely by reason of his political beliefs and aspirations.† Question: But how can we determine the scope of this expression? According to Justice Isagani Cruz, an authority in Constitutional law, the ideas that may be expressed under this freedom are NOT confined only to those that are sympathetic or acceptable to the majority. To be really meaningful, it should permit the articulation of even the unorthodox view, though it be unfriendly to or mocked by others, or â€Å"induces a condition of unrest, creates dissatisfaction with conditions as they are, or even stirs people to anger.† Justice Holmes said that this right exists NOT so much for the thought that AGREES with us as for the thought that we detest. From this comes the famous statement from Voltaire: Voltaire â€Å"I may NOT agree with what you say, but I will defend to the dead your right to say it†. Freedom from prior restraint or censorship Prior means official governmental restrictions on the press or other forms of expression in advance of actual publication or dissemination. Freedom from subsequent punishment The freedom from prior restraint would set at naught if the citizen would hesitate to speak for fear of vengeance that he might suffer against the officials he criticized. Limitations on the Guarantee Case: Tulfo wrote an article in his column in PDI ‘On Target’ on October 13, 1989, stating that the Supreme Court rendered an idiotic decision in legalizing checkpoints, and again on October 16, 1989, where he called the SC stupid and â€Å"sangkatutak na mga bobo justices of the Philippine Supreme Court†. There are 2 kinds of publications which can be punished for contempt: 1.Those whose object is to affect the decision in a pending case 2.Whose object is to bring courts to discredit Standards for allowable subsequent punishment TEST CRITERION 1.Dangerous Tendency Test There should be a RATIONAL CONNECTION between the speech and the evil apprehend 2.Clear and Present Danger Test There should be a clear and present danger that the words when used under such circumstances are of such a nature as to create a CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER that they will bring about the substantive evils that the State has a right to prevent 3.Balancing of Interest Test The courts should BALANCE the PUBLIC INTEREST served by legislation on one hand and the FREEDOM OF SPEECH (or any other constitutional right) on the other. The courts will then decide where the greater weight should be placed LIBEL A legal term for something written which is harmful to a persons reputation. – is a defamation committed by means of writing, printing, lithography, engraving, radio, phonography, painting, theatrical exhibition, cinematographic exhibition, or any similar means. Libel is punished by our Revised Penal Code which states: Art. 353. Definition of Libel. – A libel is public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead. Art. 354. Requirement for Publicity. – Every defamatory imputation is presumed to be malicious, even if it be true, if no good intention and justifiable motive for making it is shown, except in the following cases: 1.A private communication made by any person to another in the performance of any legal, moral or social duty; and 2.A fair and true report, made in good faith, without any comments or remarks, of any judicial, legislative or other official proceedings which are not of confidential nature, or any of statement, report or speech delivered in said proceedings, or of any other act performed by public officers in the exercise of their functions Art. 355. Libel means by writings or similar means. – A libel committed by means of writing, printing, lithography, engraving, radio, phonography, painting, theatrical exhibitions, cinematographic exhibition, or any similar means, shall be punished by prison correctional in its minimum and medium periods or a fine ranging from 200 to 6,000, or both, in addition to the civil action which may be brought by the offended party. DefamationElements of Defamation For a person to be convicted of defamation, the following elements should be present. 1. There must be an imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance. 2. The imputation must be made publicly. 3. It must be malicious. 4. The imputation must be directed at a natural or juridical person, or one who is dead. 5. The imputation must tend to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of the person defamed. Absolute Privileged Communication To illustrate, let us recall the privileged speech delivered by Sen. Revilla in the Senate last 2009, in that instance, he called Dr. Hayden Kho â€Å"Maniac†. Buwang itong doctor na ito. Baliw, Mr. President,† he further said. Qualified or Conditionally Privileged Communications Under this privilege, the freedom of the liability for an otherwise defamatory utterance is conditioned on the absence of express malice or malice in fact. Thus, in re:Tulfo (supra), notwithstanding the freedom of the press guarantee of the Constitution, the respondent was severely censured because there is malice brought about by a disrespectful language. A good example which will illustrate the absence of malice in rendering fair and true report is the case of GMA Network vs Bustos (G.R. No. 146848 October 17,2006). Interpreting The Libelous Statement The alleged libelous article must be construed as a whole (Jimenez vs. Reyes, 27 Phil.52) The Meaning given by the writer nor by the offended person is Immaterial. If the libelous statement shall be interpreted by the writer, then the writer can easily escapes by giving an interpretation to the effect that malice is not present. On the other hand. If the offender person is the one who will interpret the libelous article, he can easily imputes malice against the writer to hold him liable. Meaning of Publication Publications does not mean that the defamatory statement should be published in the newspaper of general circulation, televised in national television, neither by refereed ISI Journal, etc. There is publication when the communication of the defamatory matter is made to some third person or persons( People vs Atencio, Dec 14,1954) Thus, If Juan sent a letter to Pedro which reads: â€Å"Pablo is a thief†, this is sufficient publication. ‘ Identification of the Party is Required in the 4thElement A blind item writer cannot be guilty of libel , as long as the person defamed cannot be identified. Thus, if the blind item states: â€Å"The wife of the pound for pound king†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Although the name is not expressly mentioned, the person can be easily identified, so the writer may be liable. General Rule: Every defamatory imputation is presumed to be malicious, even if it be true, if no good intention and justifiable motive for making it is shown, Exception: Except in the following cases: {This is the exemption to the general rule; here malice is NOT presumed} A Private communication made by any person to another in the performance of any legal, moral, or social duty; and A fair and true report, made in good faith, without any comments or remarks, of any judicial, legislative or other official proceedings which are not of confidential nature, or of any statement, report or speech delivered in said proceedings, or of any other act performed by public officers in the exercise of their functions. Going back to our previous example, if Juan sent a letter to Pedro which reads: â€Å"Pablo is a Thief† , it is presumed that that there is MALICE on the part of Juan. It means that the law presumes that Juan is prompted by personal ill-will in making the communication to Pedro. Now, suppose Pablo really is a thief, will the law still presumed malice on the part of Juan? Yes, unless Juan has good intention and justifiable motive in making communication. Thus, If Pedro is looking for a cashier in his department store Juan will be justified in making the communication so that Pedro won’t hire Pablo who applied for the cashier position. The same holds true if the message was sent through an e-mail and/or text messages. Relevance of Knowing the Presumption of Law If the case falls under the general rule, that is, malice is presumed, it is the writer or the accused who has the burden of proof. Hence, the complainant will NOT be obliged to prove that there is a malice on the part of the accused. The accused will have to produce evidence that his claim against the complainant is true. Do not be confused, the accused is the writer that is why he is being accused of libel because he is the one who wrote the libellous statement. The complainant is the offended party, that is, the person defamed that is why he is the one complaining. If the case falls under the exemption, it is the complainant who has the burden of proof like in the case of GMA Network vs Bustos, wherein Bustos, the complainant failed to prove that there is bad faith or malice on the part of GMA in showing the alleged malicious report. Libel in the Internet After reading the necessary materials pertaining to an individual’s right to freedom of expression and the libel law, we are now ready to study its application using the internet as its medium. Let us start our study with the following scenario. Libel in the internet or e-libel is within the Scope  of Libel Defined in the Revised Penal code The case of Bonifacio vs Jimenez (supra), unfortunately, was misinterpreted by some because they cite this case to support their opinion that e-libel is beyond the ambit of libel provided by the Revised Penal Code. According to them since the SC had dismissed the case, it is already settled that e-libel cannot be punished in our jurisdiction. I beg to disagree. If you will read the full text of the case of bonifacio vs Jimenez, it is very clear that Jimenez did not win the case because of the wrong choice of option. If Jimenez simply alleged in the information that they are (or at least one of the offended parties) presently residing in the City of Makati at the time of the commission of the offense, that is enough to vest jurisdiction to the RTC-Makati and enable the letter to hear and decide the case on the merits. The case was dismissed because RTC-Makati failed to acquire jurisdiction of the case NOT because there is no e-libel in our country. Another argument is that, â€Å"at the time the revised penal code was enacted, there is no internet yet, hence, the legislature could NOT have intended to include internet as a medium. To address this argument let us reproduce the pertinent provision of the libel law regard to this, thus: Art.335.Libel means by writings or similar means. *A libel committed by means of writing, printing, lithography, engraving, radio, phonagraphy, painting, theatrical exhibit, cinematographic exhibition, or any similar means (big emphasis supplied).

Political Unrest in Lybia

Political Unrest in Libya Introduction For the past forty-two years Muammar Gaddafi has been in control of Libya. For the past few months the people of Libya has been involved in a civil war with hopes of Muammar Gaddafi stepping down as the Prime Minister. The civil war began with the arrest of human rights activist Fethi Tarbel; who works to free political prisoners. The arrest of Tarbel triggered a riot in the city of Benghazi. February 17, 2006 is a known date in Libya because that was the day that security forces killed protesters outside of the Italian consulate, so anti-Gaddafi activist choose February 17, 2011 as a day of rage. All over the city of Benghazi laws were being defied and law enforcement officers were being ignored by the people who were tired of forty-two years of Muammar Gaddafi’s reign. The Libyan civil war is an important social issue because Muammar Gaddafi is killing his own people in attempt to keep control of Libya. Any time a leader is killing his own people it is a matter of international affairs. As a leader he should not be killing his own people in attempt to keep control of his reign. As a nation we should be worried about the Libyan war because not only is innocent people being killed, Libya is an oil producing country. As an oil producing country Libya exports 1. 6 million barrels a day eighty percent of oil exported Libya is imported to Europe (petroleum-export). The United States imports one percent of Libyan oil but forty percent of European oil and when imported oil is disrupted in Europe it is felt in the United States. Libya is also surrounded by countries that are sometimes hostile. The United States depends on Libya to be able to project influence and power into those hostile countries if needed to be (NPR). General Background Libyan Arab Jamahiriya is a country in northern Africa that was previously controlled by the Italians until 1943 when they lost in World War II. Libya gained their independence in 1951 from the United Nations Trusteeship making Tripoli the capital. Libya is populated with about 6,597,960 people with a thirty percent unemployment rate (CIA). Majority of the people that make up Libya is from the Arabian descent. With majority of the people being Arab, the religion that is most practiced is Sunni Muslim (CIA). There are three languages that are widely spoken in Libya which are: English, Italian and Arabic being the official language of Libya. While some people might mistake Libya for being a communist country it is not. The belief of Libya is from the â€Å"green book† which rejects communism (CIA). Libya is actually considered an authoritarian country which is defined as; characterized by or favoring absolute obedience to authority, as against individual freedom (the free dictionary). Just like any other self-governing country Libya has its own military with all five branches. Muammar Gaddafi fights for power and gets it Muammar Gaddafi sometimes referred to as Colonel Gaddafi graduated from the University of Libya in 1963 (Britannica). Soon after that he began to come up with a plan to overthrow King Idris I. He decided to go to a military academy to achieve some rank. In 1965 Muammar Gaddafi graduated from the Libyan Military Academy (Britannica). After he graduated he began to rise within the ranks of the Libyan military. September 1, 1969 Colonel Gaddafi successfully overthrew the monarchy of King Idris I in a bloodless military coup (Britannica). Many high ranking officials thought his plan was a mastermind so at the age of twenty-seven colonel Gaddafi was named commander in chief of the armed forces and chairman of the revolutionary command council which was Libya’s new governing body. In 1970 he was appointed Prime Minister (Britannica). Once in power Gaddafi began making some radical changes in Libya by removing the United States and British military bases from Libyan soil (Britannica). He began to push his Islamic beliefs onto the people of Libya by banning alcoholic beverages and gambling. Gaddafi tried several times to unite Libya with other Arabian countries, but all of his attempts were unsuccessful. He formed the Arab Socialist Republics changing the official name of Libya to Republic Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (dnewsglobal). Not only did he change the name of Libya but he also changed the flag from its original red, black, and green with a star and crescent on the middle to a simple green colored flag. He changed the government landscape of Libya to be led into two main pillars (dnewsglobal). One of them is called the â€Å"revolutionary sector† while the other is called he â€Å"Jamahiriya Sector†. They are extremely different because the revolutionary sector consists of Gaddafi as the leader, The Revolutionary Committee, and the Revolutionary Command Council (dnewsglobal). The revolutionary sector is the core power in Libya. The people that are in the revolutionary sector are appointed so they have no term of office (dne wsglobal). On the other hand the â€Å"Jamahiriya sector†, is for the people it is the Libyan congress and is the legislative part of the two sectors. The people that serve the Jamahiriya sector are elected every four years (dnewsglobal). Along with everything else Muammar Gaddafi wrote a â€Å"green book† which outlines the three basic understanding of democracy on the basis of â€Å"people’s power†, â€Å"economic Socialism† and â€Å"third international theory. †(dnewsglobal) The book is a very controversial book because the green book promotes the system of direct democracy based on the formation of people’s committees. Although there are two committees that runs the core of Libya it always come down to one person which is Muammar Gaddafi and forty-two years of power is far from a democracy. Civil War Two weeks into February a human rights activist name Fathi Tarbel was arrested (CNN). The people of Libya were outraged and they began to protest outside of the police headquarters in Benghazi in attempt to free Tarbel. The protest started with 200 people but quickly rose to about 600 people. Things took a major turn when Libyan police came out dressed in civilian clothes to break up the protest. They dispensed tear gas, hot water and they hit the protesters with baton sticks. Gaddafi began to use his air force to calm things down. He ordered an helicopter to fire rapidly on the protesters in Benghazi. The protesters began to fight force wit force by packing a car with explosives with the hopes of breaking into a nearby military camp (CNN). The protest spread to other parts of Libya in Quryna African mercenaries opened fire on the civilians in Tajourea (CNN). In the countries capitol war planes and helicopters conducted air strikes. Even though there were some people against Gaddafi there were still some people for him. The people that wanted him gone began to fight with the people that wanted him to stay. All of the fighting going on eventually spread to Zamiya, Tajura and Misrata (cnn). In Zawiya seventeen people were killed and 150 were wounded (CNN). It was reported that mercenaries were shooting at unarmed civilians in Tajura(CNN). In Tripoli snipers and other security forces were firing at the crowd in an attempt to make them disperse (CNN). Once anti-Gaddafi people took over Zamiya they began to fight back against pro-government people. The anti-Gaddafi people were taking over Libya and Gaddafi had enough by stating â€Å"they play hard I also play hard. I will survive until the last drop of blood. † He ordered Libyan aircrafts to drop bombs were the rebels had took over. He ordered mortar and machine gun attacks. Muammar Gadaffi growing very upset began to bomb places just to make sure there were no rebels there. A CNN witness stated that â€Å"he is bombing his way into Misrata†¦he doesn’t care if all of the people there are dead by the end of the day (CNN). † The rebels managed to get their hands on anti-aircraft weapons in an attempt to fight back some of the air attacks ordered by Gaddafi (CNN). Since the united nations ordered a cease fire and a no-fly zone(CNN) Gaddafi took his attacks on more of an ground mission. Despite the international orders Libyan forces continued to fire mortars and heavy fire into the city of Misrata to try and take control back of lost land. The human watch has reported Gaddafi forces placed dozens of land mines outside the city of Ajdabiya (CNN). Everyone has their own view on the Libyan civil war even the media. The Medias perspective on the Libyan civil war is that it is unacceptable. They feel that Muammar Gaddafi’s tactics are completely out of line for killing his own people. They also feel that the rebels should stop and let international forces handle Muammar Gaddafi. A CNN reporter stated that â€Å"the rebel forces appear to be in disarray. It’s been a very chaotic effort on the part of opposition fighters from the beginning. They have no command-and-control structure and little discipline. † International Diplomacy Many surrounding countries began to take action to distance them from Libya. The Arab League suspended all Libyan delegates to attend their meetings (euronews). Since Libya is a country within the United Nations one of their responsibilities is to protect its population and with all of the killing of their citizens Libya is clearly not upholding that responsibility. The United Nations Security Council decided to put some sanctions against Libya by putting a travel ban and freezing the assets of Muammar Gaddafi’s family and other Libyan figure heads (euronews). Since Gaddafi could not comply with the reminder made earlier to protect its population, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously suspended Libya from the human rights council (foxnews). The United Nations Security Council international criminal court opened an investigation against Muammar Gaddafi, his sons, and his close political circle for crimes against humanity. Muammar Gaddafi and his family assets were frozen in certain countries (euronews). The United States response to the Libyan problem was that it was unacceptable. President Barack Obama said that â€Å"Muammar Gaddafi has lost the legitimacy to rule and need to do what is right by his country and leave now (cbsnews). † Twenty-seven leaders of the European Union countries put together a no-fly zone request with the support of the Arab league and the United Nations. The no-fly zone was passed unanimously. In an attempt to help the civilians of Libya American, French and British navies and air forces launched cruise missiles and airstrikes against Libyan military positions and their communication facilities (CNN). Conclusion After reviewing my information and observing it I came to the conclusion that Muammar Gaddafi needs to go. Forty-Two years has been long enough for Gaddafi there should be another leader for the country of Libya from the beginning he has been changing things in Libya and he now has to recognize that there needs to be a change in leadership for Libya. The people have clearly spoken and they are ready for a new leader. From my perspective of the situation in Libya I believe that it is unacceptable. No leader from any country should be allowed to kill his people and not expect to be checked about it. Since Libya is a part of the United Nations they should up hold the united nation laws one of them being â€Å"protect your population†. Muammar Gaddafi is clearly not upholding that law. I also believe that there should be more discipline to handle the situation in Libya. I don’t think that rebels should be the ones to take care of the work because they have no training and especially no discipline. For the rebels there is no sense of organization because they don’t have communication abilities the Gaddafi has. While I don’t believe that a country should go to war with Libya I do believe that troops from different countries put together should go in and try to deter the situation. Even though the United Nations put up sanctions like the no-fly zone and the countries that support the no-fly zone is helping by sending air strikes and other forms of attack the innocent people of Libya have suffered enough it has been going on since February and it needs to end now.