Sunday, January 26, 2020

The Modern Machiavellian Prince

The Modern Machiavellian Prince   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Machiavelli wrote The Prince as an instruction manual for all princes to use as a rule book for ruling successfully. Machiavelli stressed the importance of stability in a kingdom and for the ruler to have complete control over his entire kingdom. The Prince was written mainly as a guide book for a prince to maintain his power and then to maintain his throne. To Machiavellis prince, the greatest good would be to have a moral and stable state so cruel actions are justified as protection. The main attribute to Machiavellis prince is that he must be loved and feared at the same time. A loved prince would result in people willing to do anything for him but they could go against their word unless he was also feared. When Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513 he dedicated it to Cesare Borgia, his ideal prince. Today, the modern Machiavellian prince attributes are depicted in Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister of Russia. Putin is loved by his people but makes n o attempt to hide the fact that his main goal is to advance Russias influence on the world and he uses Machiavellis advice to protect his growing country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Following Machiavellis advice of always maintaining himself in princedom, unless deprived of it by some extraordinary and irresistible force, and even if so deprived will recover it (Machiavelli), Putin recovered his lost Presidential power by becoming the Prime Minister of Russia on May 8, 2008. As Prime Minister, Putin had more power than he did as President: Putin gained government control over the large monopolies and since nothing increases the reputation of a prince so much as great enterprises (Machiavelli) people began to trust him more with their finances. Once he had control over the monopolies, he was able to blame the collapse of the Russian economy in August 1998 on the monopolies (Russian Profile). When Putin gained control over the monopolies he was able to manipulate what the money was being used for and where it was going. With this knowledge, Putin was able to significantly reduce Russias foreign debt and gain popularity from all clas s levels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After being accepted by the upper class because he did not raise taxes, Putin aimed at getting the respect of the lower class. Machiavelli states that a prince should shower benefits upon them [the citizens], they are yours; they offer you their blood, their substance, their lives and their children (Machiavelli 75) and this is exactly what Putin did. The poverty level in Russia was over 30% when Putin became Prime Minister but it dropped to below 17% when he acted upon his ideas (Washington Post). Putin perfected the system of privileges by putting it under complete government control: The system of privileges was designed to help poverty stricken people purchase the food and goods they need to survive (Russia Profile). Strictly following The Prince, Putin made sure that he was considered giving: It is a good thing to be considered generous. But if liberality is not openly displayed for all to see, no one will ever hear about it (Machiavelli). Donating money to the Russian army for many years, Putin tried a more public approach; he organized an auction. In this auction Putin auctioned off a painted that he painted for $1.14 million dollars, promising all of the money to be given to the Russian government to help repair the economy or for any other use the found necessary (New York Times). Putin was able to show people how generous he was and gain more support in the process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout The Prince, Machiavelli poses the question It is better to be loved more than feared or feared more than loved? Ideally, one ought to be both feared and loved (Machiavelli 70). Putin was defiantly loved by his people but he was afraid that they did not fear him enough. However, he quickly averted their belief that he was there to be their protector. He is, in a sense, protecting the Russian people but he does believe that people should not be punished when they do wrong. Putin resurrected torture colonies which people are sent to when they commit a crime against their country. The colonies range from torture by holding heavy weights and running to some of them imitating Nazi Death Camps. Putin relies on his people to for support and if they do not both love and fear him, he could lose his power forever. After a bitter argument over who played a larger part in World War II, Putin decided to cut off all oil flow to Poland. Putin knows that Rus sia controls most of the oil and gas and can use controlling it to manipulate countries to collapse to Russias desires since oil and gas are necessities. Machiavelli states that the wise prince will rely on what he can control and not on what is in the control of others and Putin ordered a gas cutoff to the Ukraine because of a commercial dispute and not a part of Moscows long-standing campaign to undermine Ukraines pro-Western government (Washington Post). Putin finally has a weapon he can hold over every country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Putin is still the Prime Minister of Russia and shows no signs of stopping his search for power. He recently developed a pipeline through Siberia so he can control the flow of oil and gas to all countries. Vladimir Putin is a modern day version of Machiavellis prince because he is power hungry for himself but makes it look as if he is doing it for his country. The Prince is all about how well you can lie to your people. They will love and fear you based on what they see you do, not on what they hear about you. Putin embodies all of the traits that Machiavellis prince had almost five hundred years ago. Works Cited Putins placemen pull the strings Telegraph. Telegraph.co.uk: news, business, sport, the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Sunday Telegraph Telegraph. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. . Russia Profile Putins Economy Eight Years On. Russia Profile Russian politics, Russian business, Russian current affairs and society. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. . The Prince. Machiavelli.1513 Vladimir Putin News The New York Times. Times Topics. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. . Vladimir Putin Wages a Cold War With a Heating Fuel washingtonpost.com. Washingtonpost.com nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. .

Saturday, January 18, 2020

India Country Essay

Below is a free essay on â€Å"India† from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. 1.What is the climate for doing business in India? Is it supportive of foreign investment? oThe climate for doing business in India is continuously evolving. Today, the Indian economy is characterized by a liberalized foreign investment and trade policy, the extensive role played by the private sector and deregulation. India is extremely supportive of foreign investment and in fact in recent years, the government has been relaxing its bureaucratic rules particularly those relating to foreign investments. 2.How important is a highly educated human resource pool for MNCs wanting to invest in India? Is it more important for some businesses more than for others? oIt’s very important for MNCs wanting to invest in India to have a highly educated human resource pool because it is very important for them to understand what they are getting into (specifically language & cultural barriers) and for them to adapt to the changes that come along with the corporation investing internationally. It’s evident that as India continues to grow and evolve so will the demand for well educated people. The more successful and competitive India becomes, the more critical human resource management will be. Luckily, companies are beginning to see that an investment in human resource processes & outsourcing services that can help make the successful is a good way to gain competitive advantage for their organizations future. It is more important for some businesses than for others depending on the industry they are in and the level of technology they use. Some MNCs use advanced technology to help them communicate, produce, and deliver their goods and services internationally which has ultimately led to some experts predicting that in the future, technology has the potential to displace employees in all industries. 3.Given the low per capita income of the country, why would you still argue for India to be an excellent place to do business in the coming years? oI will still argue†¦

Friday, January 10, 2020

A Guide to Social Climbing

Have you ever noticed that every school has cliques and that each clique has its own rules that determine whether you are accepted or rejected? For many students the clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ that they belong to will play a major role in who they are and what their schools days will be like. For this reason I believe it is of crucial importance that the younger generations of students are educated in the 3 tenets of coolness. By acquiring these skills, they will have a higher probability of growing up to become mature adults who suffer little or no emotional trauma, at the hassle of their peers. Depending on the category of school you attend and the area in which it is located, its social hierarchy may change. Nevertheless, typically the popular people are at the top, the losers at the bottom, and in between are several different classifications. Being conscious of where you belong is vital. It is easy to put yourself within a division, unless you understand complex nature of school cliques. The â€Å"losers† are at the bottom of the social ladder, forced to function outside of the cliquish system. No one truly wants to associate with them. The majority of students emotionally abuse the losers and use them as scapegoats. They're teased relentlessly and, as a result, are shy. Their shyness and quietness are a way of deflecting unwanted attention to themselves. But no matter how quiet they are, they often find themselves as the object of a cruel joke. Common characteristics here are quietness, low self esteem, â€Å"doormatish† behavior, unusual calmness, and homicidal impulses. Above the losers are Nerds. These teens average A's and maybe some B's. During lunch, in the corridors is where you'll find them. Usually them pretend to do school work but are actually playing computer games. And just in case a teacher walks by they utilize their ability to quickly change the computer screen from Space Invaders to an English Literature essay. If they are not, they find other things to occupy their time with that make the ‘preps' and ‘populars' laugh at them. If you have between thirty and forty friends, you are usually classified as a Prep, Preppy, or Lemming. Attending extra curricular activities such as basketball, student council, and debate team are in your record of achievements folder. This kind of student would probably do whatever it takes to maintain his or her reputation as supreme student; after all, it would go nicely in your certificate jammed record of achievements folder. So for your own selfish benefits you use your ability to pretend that you like someone, when in fact you hate them. For example, one minute you're sneering at the obese loser at the back of the classroom who always wears black and has the same pair of glasses as your grandmas. And then two minutes later you go back there and be buddy-buddy with him, while he does your math work for you. One thing to take note of is to not become an enemy. There is always the probability that this kid is secretly planning some mastermind scheme to arrive at school flying an Apache attack helicopter with twenty M-16 automatic rifles, which are to be used at his discretion for â€Å"peace settling purposes†. Therefore it would be wise to stay on their good side to make sure you are spared if this occurs. If you have fifty friends or more, you are at the top of the social ladder, in other words you are categorized as ‘popular'. These people are extremely unfriendly to anyone outside their highly exclusive clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. If an outsider tries to communicate with them, they are ignored or receive a pair of rolling eyes for their efforts. A populars daily routine includes gossiping about others and backstabbing. Now that you understand the complex behaviors and characteristics in which school cliques function, your next step is to understand the 3 tenets of coolness. These are based on guidelines of how to become cool: 1. Getting Dressed This is the most crucial aspect of fitting in. Mainly because in this day and age countless numbers of people will determine if you are worthy enough to say, â€Å"Hi† to them depending on your choice of apparel, rather than attempting to get to know you. Therefore if you want to get accepted among a certain clique you must dress like them. But being accepted is not just limited to clothing. This goes for hairstyles, music, movies, and hobbies. I doubt any self respecting wanna-be, such as yourself would hang out in the mall with their friends, who all have their hair died blonde, while you are still brunette. Eventually you are going to feel like the outsider and this type of attitude will stop you from being who you really are, which is a clone of your friends. So dress like your friends, but try to add some originality to your wardrobe, as this will help to gain attention. This actually leads on to my next point. 2. Getting Attention. Not only must you have a sense of originality and confidence to be cool, but you must also stand out from the herd. Part of this can be achieved through your sense of style and the rest is through your attitude. So the first thing to have is a killer pick up line, something to use when you try to meet someone at the coffee house or the record store. Something so suave so sophisticated, so irresistible that it's frightening. Try, â€Å"The only thing your eyes haven't told me is your name†, or † I bet you $20 dollars you're going to turn me down†. Practice these lines while raising one eyebrow and smiling out of the corner of your mouth. You may look around, but always keep one eye on your potential date, so that they know you mean business. This may not be appropriate in hospitals, libraries, and churches, but go with your instincts; after all you are tiring to be cool. 3. The Fonz Speaking of cool, it is universally known that Fonzie is cool. Therefore you should aim at making references to Fonzie at least five times in a conversation. You know, utilize his moves like the two thumbs up and the famous, â€Å"Ehhhhhhh†. So now that you have the basic knowledge of achieving coolness you are guaranteed to be accepted among any cliques in your school. After reading this article I hope that you will pass the three tenets of coolness down from generation to generation, so that your children (or future children) and their children can be equipped with the knowledge and skills, which are vital for social school survival.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Working With Windows Registry From Delphi Applications

The Registry is simply a database that an application can use to store and retrieve configuration information (last window size and position, user options and information or any other configuration data). Registry also contains information about Windows (95/98/NT) and about your Windows configuration. The Registry database is stored as a binary file. To find it, run regedit.exe (Windows registry editor utility) in your Windows directory. You will see that information in Registry is organized in a similar way to Windows Explorer. We can use regedit.exe to view registry information, change it or to add some information to it. It is obvious that modifications of the registry database could lead to a ​system crash (of course if you dont know what you are doing). INI vs. Registry It is probably very well known that in the days of Windows 3.xx INI files were a popular way of storing application information and other user-configurable settings. The most terrifying aspect of INI files is that they are just text files that the user can easily edit (change or even delete them). In 32-bit Windows Microsoft recommends using Registry to store the type of information that you would normally place in INI files (users are less likely to alter registry entries). Delphi  provides full support for changing entries in the Windows System Registry: via the TRegIniFile class (same basic interface as the TIniFile class for users of INI files with Delphi 1.0) and TRegistry class (low-level wrapper for the Windows registry and functions that operate on the registry). Simple Tip: Writing to the Registry As mentioned before in this article, basic registry operations (using code manipulation) are reading information from ​Registry and writing information to the database. Next piece of code will change the Windows wallpaper and disable the screen saver using TRegistry class. Before we can use TRegistry we have to add Registry unit to the uses clause at the top of source-code. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uses registry;procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject) ;varreg:TRegistry;beginreg:TRegistry.Create;with reg do begintryif OpenKey(\Control Panel\desktop, False) then begin//change wallpaper and tile itreg.WriteString (Wallpaper,c:\windows\CIRCLES.bmp) ;reg.WriteString (TileWallpaper,1) ;//disable screen saver//(0disable, 1enable)reg.WriteString(ScreenSaveActive,0) ;//update changes immediatelySystemParametersInfo (SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER,0, nil,SPIF_SENDWININICHANGE) ;SystemParametersInfo (SPI_SETSCREENSAVEACTIVE,0, nil,SPIF_SENDWININICHANGE) ;endfinallyreg.Free;end;end;end;~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Those two lines of code that start with SystemParametersInfo ... force Windows to update the wallpaper and screen saver information immediately. When you run your application, youll see the Windows wallpaper bitmap change to the Circles.bmp image -- that is, if you have circles.bmp image in your Windows directory. (Note: your screen saver is now disabled.)