Are China and the United States at War?

Are China and the United States at War? Not physical soldier vs soldier, but I'm talking about economic war. The Google ordeal with China seemed pretty much clear that China has declared war on the United States. But there have been other signs for awhile like the Cyber attack that took out the Pentagon for a little while. China doesn't have the same regulations that the States and other Capitalist countries have, which has helped contribute to China having the fastest growing economy in the world. One has to guess when the bubble does burst, how bad it could really be for the Chinese.

America has been the flag ship for Capitalism since the World Wars. Now it seems the tables are turning. In some peoples eyes that table has completely turned over upside down for the US. One of the disadvantage for the United States is the global economy. It seems like every country is trying to get a piece of China's hot economy, therefore pretty much kissing up to whatever the Chinese want. If you look at the back of any toy, clothing, etc.. there is almost always a 'made in China' stamped on the back of it. The United States has been very accommodating to China but that doesn't seem to matter. It seems that China wants not to be the U.S. of the East, but in the same token want to have a economic war with the U.S. Make up your mind: friend or foe.

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Are China and the United States at War?

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Forces and Trends in Business

The corporate environment is characterized by a number of variables: competition, dynamism, turbulence, complexity and change. All organizations must develop ability to continuously and consciously transform themselves and their contexts. Such contexts include restructuring for optimum effectiveness, reengineering key processes and streamlining functions that are able to provide a source of competitive advantage. The aim is to adapt, regenerate and most important, survive. (McLean, 2006).

For a company to thrive today, strategists must find ways to increase the organization's ability to read and react to industry and market changes. They must know their goal to boost the company's strategic flexibility by recognizing disruptions earlier and responding faster.
Strategic flexibility or adaptability can be defined as the organization’s capacity to identify major changes in its external environments, quickly commit resources to new courses of action in response to such changes, and to recognize and act promptly when it is time to halt or reverse existing resource commitments. Being adaptable means leaders must not get stuck in a too-rigid way of looking at the world. The organization must view change as an inevitable and essential part of an organization's growth, in order to achieve this adaptability.

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When there is uncertainty or unpredictability in the environment, managers tend to focus almost all their energy on successfully executing the current strategy. What they also should be doing is preparing for an unknown future. Flexibility stems from the ability to learn; managers tend to overlook the negative and emphasize the positive. They need to understand not only what led to the positive outcomes but also what led to the negative ones. This will optimize their learning experience. According to Ford (2004) four points to foster and maintain adaptability include challenging complacency, giving all employees a voice, encouraging participative work and driving fear out of your group.

The companies chosen for this task vary by industry: a famous automobile manufacturer (Ford) a bank going through a merger (Compass) and a start-up software company (DawningStreams). Ford and Compass have been in business for a long time; it is likely they have changed their strategic plan based on changing forces and trends. DawningStreams is new (established in 2005 and incorporated in 2007). Even though they have not had their first sale and have no staff, the owners have devised several iterations of their strategy.

There is a diversity of stakeholders all that are interested in the activity of business organizations. Emphasis must be placed on their adaptability in strategic analysis and their adaptability in strategic management of business organizations. The organization must have a strategic management model.

Each company might scan the same areas, but for different reasons. Considering technological advances, Ford would prepare itself to lead the market by having various electronic equipment in their vehicles, as well as robotic equipment with which to build them and the supply chain technology to keep all in check. Compass Bank is going through a merge and expanding globally; therefore they will need to keep abreast of communication technology. DawningStreams is a software company; they will need to monitor those companies who would be their competition to ensure their product offers better functionality. All three companies would make sure potential customers would be able to get good information from internet websites and advertisement, which encompasses yet another area of technology the organizations may need/want to scan. In this instance, many members of the organization must be enrolled: upper management and finance, who will determine budgetary factors; the IT department, who will be responsible for the implementation and maintenance of some of the technology; the staff who must be trained to use the technology; a sales force who will sell the technology.

To the outside observer, it may seem unnecessary for any but Ford to scan the (actual) environment when it comes to issues such as emission control, fuel efficiency and hybrid cars. That is true however; Compass Bank and DawningStreams can plan a strategy to be friendlier to the environment (and their pocketbooks) by practicing paper reduction (through the aforementioned technology). Lastly, DawningStreams’ product may be useful as a file sharing service to environmental groups.

With regard to the legal environment, all three must be acutely aware of laws, which affect their respective industry among others. To Ford, legal applies, among other areas, to environmental protection laws and department of transportation safety laws. To Compass Bank, they would abide by the rules of the Federal Reserve (www.federalreserve.gov) and the Federal Insurance and Deposit Corporation (www.fdic.gov). DawningStreams must follow laws as they pertain to the transfer of files, which have intellectual property and also the export of products, which have algorithms. All three companies are global and will need to monitor those laws in other countries, which could effect the strategic planning.

At one company after another--from Sears to IBM to Hewlett-Packard to Searle, strategy is again a major focus in the quest for higher revenues and profits. With help from a new generation of business strategists, companies are pursuing novel ways to hatch new products, expand existing businesses, and create the markets of tomorrow. Some companies are even recreating full-fledged strategic-planning groups. United Parcel Service expects to spin out a new strategy group from its marketing department, where strategic plans are now hatched. Explains Chairman Kent C. Nelson: ``Because we're making bigger bets on investments in technology, we can't afford to spend a whole lot of money in one direction and then find out five years later it was the wrong direction.''

In such a world we need a planning model that allows us to anticipate the future and to use this anticipation in conjunction with an analysis of our organization--its culture, mission, strengths and weaknesses--to define strategic issues, to chart our direction by developing strategic vision and plans, to define how we will implement these plans and to specify how we will evaluate how well we are implementing these plans. The fact that the world is changing as we move forward in the future demands that the process be an iterative one.

Ford Motor Company – Socio-cultural

Ford Motor Company embraces the socio-cultural changes taking place to allow the company to move in the right direction with respect to attitudes in the society. Two areas that stand out in terms of socio-cultural attitudes would be that of fuel economy and smaller cars. The growing concern by the public for better fuel economy has influenced the company’s introduction of the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. The organization is committed to the hybrid to improve fuel economy as a global strategy to meet customer demands. The increased demand in society for such environmentalism has assisted in the decision for Ford Motor Company to look forward to adding the hybrid feature to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan and continue in such a strategic planning direction.

The customers that use these vehicles get a substantial break on their insurance in many states and a tax credit as well while enjoying the increased mileage of a vehicle that runs on gasoline and capabilities for 100 percent electric power. The environmental scanning by Ford Motor Company has allowed the company to be knowledgeable of the fact that the people in the United States are buying more small cars today than any other type of vehicle segment. The lifestyles changes have been monitored and there is good data that shows that such a trend will continue in this direction and the expected growth in this segment will continue. The company has redesigned the inside and outside of the Ford Focus to set the car apart from the competitors in the small car segment while increasing upgrades and features to experience positive outcomes. The direction that the company is taking is based on a competitive advantage and being a leader in the industry. The vehicle line has both a sedan and a coupe to attract targeted markets including younger buyers at an entry level to build upon brand loyalty and customer retention. Ford Motor Company will continue to use the socio-cultural factors to drive the business and enjoy future success.

Ford Motor Company – Legal –

Ford Motor Company with regard to the Environmental Protection Agency adheres to the legal aspect of environmental scanning. Ford Motor Company accepted an award in March 2007 from the Environmental Protection Agency called the Energy Star 2007 Partner of the Year Award in Energy Management. The company is the first automaker to have ever been awarded the award two years in a row. The award has come to be presented due to the commitment made by the company to increase energy efficiency and to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from all of the facilities in the company.

The organization is committed to the responsible use of resources and energy efficiency. The leadership realizes that the environmental protection laws are of great importance and use the environmental scanning to move in the right direction to obtain future success in the company. In 2006 alone the company has improved the energy efficiency in the United States operations by five percent and saving approximately million with enough energy saved to equal 220,000 homes. The effective energy management protects the environment and reduces the greenhouse emissions. Some of the actions taken by the company include replacing lighting fixtures that use 40 percent less energy and using different low-energy, long-lasting compact fluorescent lamps in the properties to include the plants, corporate offices, distribution centers, and research and development campuses. Due to the environmental scanning that takes place at Ford Motor Company the company will use the information that is collected and continue in this direction. New projects for the company include Fumes-to-Fuel that is a system that converts paint fumes into electricity that is being performed with Detroit Edison along with attempting to consolidate the application of primer, base and clearcoat paint applications into a single application to eliminate the need for separate applications and ovens. In addition to the paint booth emissions Ford Motor Company will continue to rely on alternative energy sources such as landfill gas and wind and solar technologies to power their manufacturing facilities.

Ford Motor Company – Technology –

Another environmental scanning tool that Ford Motor Company monitors and uses would be the technological portion. The company has invested billion in the latest technology for flexible manufacturing. The technology that is involved is in many forms to include wireless technology that is installed on the delivery trucks with supplies to the plant as a monitoring status and improved efficiency to reduce inventory. The flexibility of products in the same plant allows the organization to use the same machinery and process for all areas from body assembly, paint facility, and final assembly. The improved efficiency at the manufacturing facility allows for several vehicle platforms to be built on the same line to produce multiple models and quickly change the vehicle mix, the volume, and options based on customer demand.

The technological changes that are being embraced by Ford Motor Company through environmental scanning enables the company to experience huge cost savings through new product launches and 50 percent reductions in cycle changeovers along with waste reduction. Robots are among the technological changes that are being experienced within the organization to include the 400 from the project that are used to weld and assemble the metal body of the vehicle for stamping and assembly. Artificial intelligence in the form of advanced visions systems and laser tracking systems are used to ensure quality through accuracy and dimension abilities. A multi-million dollar training facility is used to ensure that the workforce has the knowledge, skills, and ability to reap the benefits from the new technology that is being used by the company. The training that is administered includes the new servo-electric weld gun system that identifies the perfect center for welding that has replaced the older and loud air-powered system that used a less sophisticated spring system. The environmental scanning of technology that is performed by Ford Motor Company has allowed the company to have positive outcomes in efficiency while remaining a competitive company in the industry through cost savings and continuous improvement.

Compass Bank- Political -

On February 16, 2007, Compass Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Compass Bank, announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (NYSE: BBV Madrid: BBVA) ("BBVA") will acquire Compass for a combination of cash and stock. Compass will become a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of BBVA and will continue to operate under the Compass name. The transaction is expected to close during the second half of 2007, pending customary closing conditions, including necessary bank regulatory approvals in the U.S. and Spain and the approval of the stockholders of both Compass and BBVA.

BBVA, which operates in 35 countries, is based in Spain and has substantial banking interests in the Americas. The transaction will facilitate BBVA’s continued growth in Texas and will create the largest regional bank across the Sunbelt. Upon completion of the transaction, Compass will rank among the top 25 banks in the United States with approximately billion in total assets, billion in total loans and billion in total deposits. In addition, the combined company will rank fourth in deposit market share in Texas with .6 billion in total deposits and 326 full-service banking offices.

Compass is a billion Southwestern financial holding company that operates 415 full-service banking centers in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Texas. Compass provides a broad array of products and services through three primary lines of business – Corporate Banking, Retail Banking and Wealth Management. Compass is among the top 30 U.S. bank holding companies by asset size and ranks among the top earners of its size based on return on equity.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, which has been approved by the board of directors of Compass and the relevant bodies of BBVA, Compass will become a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA. After closing, BBVA intends to merge its U.S. based banking affiliates – including the former operations of Texas Regional Bancshares, State National Bancshares and Laredo National Bancshares – with Compass.

The aggregate consideration is composed of a fixed number of approximately 196 million shares of BBVA common stock and approximately .6 billion in cash. The merger is subject to customary closing conditions, including necessary bank regulatory approvals in the U.S. and Spain and the approval of the stockholders of both Compass and BBVA. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2007.

The merger between both companies will be determined by the political factors ranging from implications of laws and regulations to the state of world politics including the consideration of wars which may be going on in different parts of the world. New laws, regulations, tax programs and public policy create forces and trends, which may provide challenges and barriers or opportunities for any company or organization.

Compass Bank – Technology –

Ford is in the process of implementing a laser marking system on its production line to ensure the highest standard on each transmission assembled. The system will be checking for quality on different points on the assembly line. Ford is teaming up with a company called MECCO to implement this process and a trial run of the new system will last for 3 months. MECCO is a leader in its industry when it comes to laser technology. The decision to implement this new laser marking system came because it is more cost- effective and safer than previous ways of marking checkpoints for quality.

Although this process at Ford has not officially been implemented yet, Compass Bank can learn a few different things. It may be a good idea for Compass Bank to do a short trial of online cell phone banking to see how popular it becomes and if it worth all the time and effort, being spent to get it launched. Compass Bank should also consider investing into a company who is the best at what they do, is in the same time zone, and can meet their demands in a timely manner, not simply because they may be cheaper. Finally, Compass Bank can learn that they need to consider what will be most cost-effective and in the best interest of the company over time. Organizing a time line and a list of costs and potential risks would also be beneficial to Compass Bank so they know what to expect and when with the implementation of online cell phone banking.

When completing the global scan one looks for emerging new technologies which may impact any business in any industry. At one time the emergence of the Internet was a technology that was becoming an emerging trend across all industries. Today very new technologies are used to develop information systems at a fraction of the cost and time of processes that were used five years ago. Wireless is a telecommunications technology that may have moved from a trend to a force in revolutionizing the way information is stored, accessed and used across all industries around the world. Some, if leveraged by a company within an industry before competitors use it, may even provide a competitive advantage.

Compass Bank – Competition –

Although mergers may be costly and rather difficult, the value it creates in the end is the desired outcome companies seek. The eagerness to merge is based on several beliefs, those beliefs are, that the performance gains are greater, expenses are reduced, market power is increased, and shareholder’s wealth is also greater than before. The value of a merger is enhanced when the overall benefit is more valuable than the aggregate of two separate pre-merger companies.
In the end, both John and Bernard should consider this before finalizing a decision. When Zion’s purchased Stockmans, there overall value increased by 43 branches. These branches will help performance and brings much more power to the financial market. In the Journal of Money article, Pilloff states “Companies are more willing to acquire others to avoid being acquired themselves.” Keeping this in mind, companies must figure out a cross border strategy.

As part of the broad environmental scan, it is important to identify the internal capabilities of the organization. There are various models for defining capabilities. Most focus on the broad set of intangible assets such as brand, human capital, organizational capital and even relationship capital. Others include the more concrete assets such as available capital, the organization structure, current technologies and information technology infrastructure. In addition to doing a broad environmental trend, Compass Bank needs to do a more detailed capability assessment using any of the models available.

DawningStreams - Competitors –

Business activities are becoming more and more complex to manage, because of distance, time zones, number of parties involved in projects, number of tasks to achieve, multiple prioritizations, lack of general synchronization, insufficient secure and confidential communication channels and growing complexity of IT infrastructures. The use of task list managers has become very common. It is becoming more difficult to keep teams synchronized, to follow and to implement new business processes and to exchange sensitive information confidentially. The DawningStreams software application is aiming at increasing the practicality of daily executive activities. The types of business, which will most probably be interested in our product, are construction (size of network), consulting (need for synchronization), pharmaceutical research (secure exchange of information) and the software industry (complexity of manufacturing).

Many companies have already developed software applications that enable secured communications and file sharing. However, most, if not all, are relying on Microsoft technologies, which prevent them from expanding to Mac or Unix users. DawningStreams is developed in Java, which can be used on any platform, including Mac and Unix. Microsoft has acquired the Groove Company and has released a new version of the product, which can perform many of the functionalities of DawningStreams, but not generic activities (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/groove/default.aspx). This is our closest competitor by far. More recently, we found, merely by accident, a company called Shinkuro (www.shinkuro.com), which offers the file sharing aspects of DawningStreams but lacks other capacities.

Although DawningStreams will face competition from many existing players, the fact that it will combine a super-set of functionalities in one application, for a very reasonable price, will give it some leading edge over other competitors. If the US patent is granted, the position of DawningStreams will become a niche. Even if the patent were not granted, it would take a profound architectural redesign of Groove (or other competitors) to include generic activities and match the offer of DawningStreams. As a strategy we will monitor the activities of those companies’ websites and understand what they offer in terms of similar functionality and try to ensure we match or best those functionalities to the best of our ability and resources

DawningStreams – Political -

Maintaining the secrecy of information is the fundamental function of encryption items. Persons abroad may use such items to harm US law enforcement efforts, as well as US foreign policy and national security interests. The US Government has a critical interest in ensuring that persons opposed to the United States are not able to conceal hostile or criminal activities, and that the legitimate needs for protecting important and sensitive information of the public and private sectors are met. Since 2000, US encryption export policy has been directed by three fundamental practices: technical review of encryption products prior to sale, streamlined post-export reporting, and license reviews of proposed transactions involving strong encryption to certain foreign government end-users and countries of concern. US encryption policy also seeks to ensure that American companies are not disadvantaged by the European Union’s “license-free zone.” (Bureau of Industry and Security, 2007).

DawningStreams will contain cryptographic functions. Any reliable and efficient cryptographic system requires a central authority to avoid identity theft. Cryptography is a key functionality of DawningStreams. All specialists insist on designing systems using well-studied algorithms and fully tested protocols; novelty is considered a source of risk. The cryptographic layer of DawningStreams will rely on a dual public-private key system. The private key encryption system will implement Rijndael, the Advanced Encryption Standard (http://csrc.nist.gov/CryptoToolkit/aes/rijndael/), the public key system will implement RSA (www.rsa.com) and the hashing function will implement the 256 bits version of the Secure Hash Algorithm (http://secure-hash-algorithm-md5-sha-1.co.uk/ ).

Encryption products can be used to conceal the communications of terrorists, drug smugglers, and others intent on harming U.S. interests. Cryptographic products and software also have military and intelligence applications that, in the hands of hostile nations, could pose a threat to U.S. national security. The national security, foreign policy, and law enforcement interests of the United States are protected by encryption export controls. These controls are consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 13026, which was issued on November 15, 1996, and the Presidential Memorandum of the same date. (Bureau of Industry and Security, 2007).

DawningStreams also plans to be an international company, as offices now exist in the Netherlands and the US. As part of the strategy, we will ensure we remain compliant by registering our product with any necessary agency and allowing those agencies access to the processes if they feel there is a threat. We will be responsible to monitor (as best as we can) our client base and to put the proper verbiage in our contracts that illegal activities will not be tolerated. We will continue to monitor the BIS site mentioned in previous paragraphs and also sites in the European Union such as the Crypto Law website of legal expert Bert-Jaap Koops (http://rechten.uvt.nl/koops/)

DawningStreams - Technology/Intellectual Property –

The management of organizational strategy requires a comprehensive assessment of the macro environment of the business. Intellectual Property (IP) refers to the original ideas and innovations evolved by an organization in order to haul up its systems and processes. Creation of ideas requires large investments. This necessitates the protection of IP. Benchmarking is the continuous process of measuring products, processes, and systems of an organization against those that are rated best in the industry. It helps in uncovering weaknesses and flaws in the organizational systems, processes, and products. (Watson, 2003)

The study of the global research conducted by McAfee Inc. and MessageLabs Ltd. on security threat in small businesses in the U.S. reveals that 80 percent of small-and-medium-sized businesses (SMB) believe that an information technology (IT) security failure would be damaging in attaining their business priorities. Yet, only few are courageously making steps to fight against infringements due to resource limitations from other business related priorities. The research implies that company size plays an essential part in the way senior management views security. Among the challenges that SMBs face include keeping up-to-date with security solutions and keeping costs low. Small-to-medium businesses’ behavior towards security is very tactical and meets only immediate requirements. (unknown, 2007)

DawningStreams’ relevance to these forces is two-fold. We are a software company—there is an opportunity for us to lose the intellectual property by those who would download and attempt to modify the code. We have competitors who offer functionality similar to ours, however we offer an additional functionality the others do not. It is this ‘specialty functionality’ for which we applied for a patent the United States Patent and Trademark Office. If the patent is granted, there is less likelihood of software piracy or the loss of our IP. Environmental scans should show us if there are other companies trying to do this.

The functionality, which most resembles our competitors’, is the ability to share files. That brings in a different concern with intellectual property- the possibility someone else’s IP could be sent from one of our users to another, as this could seriously damage our reputation, as what happened with Napster. (www.napster.com).

Conclusion

At one company after another--from Sears to IBM to Hewlett-Packard to Searle, strategy is again a major focus in the quest for higher revenues and profits. With help from a new generation of business strategists, companies are pursuing novel ways to hatch new products, expand existing businesses, and create the markets of tomorrow. Some companies are even recreating full-fledged strategic-planning groups. United Parcel Service expects to spin out a new strategy group from its marketing department, where strategic plans are now hatched. Explains Chairman Kent C. Nelson: ``Because we're making bigger bets on investments in technology, we can't afford to spend a whole lot of money in one direction and then find out five years later it was the wrong direction.''

In such a world we need a planning model that allows us to anticipate the future and to use this anticipation in conjunction with an analysis of our organization--its culture, mission, strengths and weaknesses--to define strategic issues, to chart our direction by developing strategic vision and plans, to define how we will implement these plans and to specify how we will evaluate how well we are implementing these plans. The fact that the world is changing as we move forward in the future demands that the process be an iterative one.

References

Bilek, E. (n.d.) Compass Bankshares to be Acquired by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.,

Investor Relations. Retrieved from the Internet on March 31, 2007 at

http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/77/77589/bbvarelease.pdf

Cole, Jim. Zions makes small deal, cites growing Arizona market. American Banker, 171(175), 1-1. Retrieved March 31, 2007 from Proquest Database.
Ford Motor Company (2006). Ford Motor Company. Retrieved March 2007,

from the World Wide Web, Web Site: [https://ford.com]
Ford, S. (2004) Adapted from 13 Skills Managers Need to Succeed, Harvard Business School

Press. Retrieved March 31, 2007 from EBSCOHost Database.

Hockenberry, Todd. (2006). Ford implements advanced laser marking. Industrial Laser Solutions, 21(4), 6-7. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from EBSCOhost database
Jacobs, P. (2005) Five Steps to Thriving in times of Uncertainty. Negotiation (p.3) Retrieved

April 1, 2007 from EBSCOHost Database.

McLean, J. (2006) We’re going through changes! British Journal of Administrative Management

54. Retrieved March 30, 2007 from EBSCOHost Database.

Pearce, J. & Robinson, R, (2004). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation, and Control. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. The McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved March 2007, from the University of Phoenix, Resource, MBA 580-Strategies for Competitive Advantage Course Web Site: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp
Author Unknown, Strategic Planning, After a decade of gritty downsizing, Big Thinkers are back in corporate vogue. (2006) Retrieved from the Internet at http://www.businessweek.com/1996/35/b34901.htm

Unknown (2007) 80% of Small-to-Medium Sized Firms Fear a Security Threat. Computer Security Update 8 (4). Retrieved March 30, 2007 from EBSCOHost Database.
Unknown (2006) Strategic Planning, After a decade of gritty downsizing, Big Thinkers are back
in corporate vogue. Retrieved from the Internet at
http://www.businessweek.com/1996/35/b34901.htm
US Department of Commerce (2007), Encryption (ch.10, section 742.15). Retrieved March 27, 2007 from the Bureau of Industry and Security Website at http://www.bis.doc.gov/news/2007/foreignpolicyreport/fprchap10_encryption.html
Watson, G. (2003) Business Environmental Scans for Intellectual Property Strategy (PowerPoint Presentation). Retrieved March 28, 2007 from the Oklahoma State University website at http://www.okstate.edu/ceat/msetm/courses/etm5111/CourseMaterials/ETM5111Session3Part2.ppt#260,1,Business Environmental Scans for Intellectual Property Strategy

Forces and Trends in Business

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Brazil Ranks Near Lowest Cost of Living In The World

Brazil is the largest country in South America and offers broad opportunities for travel and a range of living opportunities you would expect from such a large and diverse country. There are the jungles of the Amazon rain forests, the high plains of the pampas around Brazilia, and of course the world famous beaches, plus much more. The range of landscapes is enormous. Brazilians are world-famous for their hospitality and friendliness, and welcome foreigners unhesitatingly. Rio de Janero is well known for its beaches, partying, nightlife, and the biggest party in the world, Carnival.

Brazil is fun, interesting, and warmly welcomes everyone. So you might expect it to be an expensive place to live. It is not. Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil are among the cheapest cities in the world to live in, according to a study by the British consultancy firm Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

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It is often said in Brazil: "You either have a housekeeper or you are a housekeeper." Even middle-class working families usually have a maid or housekeeper in Brazil.

You can retire in Brazil. There is a retirement visa available, but to qualify for it you must have proof of an income of at least 00 per month (plus an additional amount for dependents). There is also an investment category, as well as other ways to become a permanent resident in Brazil.

Permanent residents of Brazil may apply for Brazilian passports and can also keep their current citizenships and passports too. It is perfectly legal and common to do so. There can be some benefit to holding a Brazilian passport. Sometimes citizens of the USA are targeted by terrorists when traveling overseas. Brazilians are not targeted.

Health care is a high priority for retirees. Health care in Brazil is very good. The poorer people depend entirely on the free national health care system. It is not necessary to be a citizen of Brazil to use the national health care system. Any person who is legally in the country is welcome to use the national health care system. The national health care system does a good job of providing all health care needs at no cost to the patients. National health care patients pay nothing at all for doctors' fees, lab fees, hospitalization, surgery, and even prescription drugs are free.

Brazil's national health care system is toughly equal to the caliber and operational style of the V.A. hospital system in the USA. There are some drawbacks to this system. You will not receive the very highest possible quality of health care in the national health care system. There is a trade-off. If you want completely free health care, including all your prescription drugs, Brazil's national health care system is very good. Free health care is a good safety net. If you want the very highest possible quality of health care, then you must pay. The more affluent Brazilians favor two different private market providers for health care, much like Blue Cross & Blue Shield.

The first private market medical provider is UniMed , which is owned and operated by doctors. They have their own hospitals and clinics throughout Brazil, they use a referral type system whereas you have a primary doctor and he refers you when needed to a specialist for any special treatments. A plan for a family of three costs about R0.00 per month (less than 0 USD). I would recommend UniMed if you demand the highest quality healthcare. Personally, I prefer the completely free national health care system, but to each their own.

The second private market medical provider is Banco Bradesco , which is a major financial institution in Brazil offering health insurance and directly employing a substantial and high caliber medical staff. The difference with this type of policy is they only have private clinics and have to buy the hospital stay coverage from someone like UniMed. Costs are also higher. A comprehensive health insurance policy for a family of three runs in neighborhood of R,000.00 (0 USD) per month.

The bottom line is you can get more for your money in Brazil than almost anywhere else on earth. You can enjoy a higher standard of living for your money.

Brazil Ranks Near Lowest Cost of Living In The World

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Top Amusement Parks In The United States

Who doesn't like going to amusement parks? I mean, really, the word amusement is in the name! I understand some people don't like roller coasters, or get motion sick, but there are other things to do at these parks. Many parks have shows to go see, shopping, then of course, even if you don't like going on roller coasters, you can see your friends and families pictures that were taken on the roller coaster. There are many amusement and theme parks in the US but some are cream of the crop and will make you scream, out of excitement of course.

Cedar Point amusement park has made it to the top of our list. Sandusky, Ohio is home to Cedar Point amusement park with 75 different rides and attractions; it has been dubbed "The Roller Coaster Capital of the World." Cedar Point also has one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world, Thrill Dragster. Thrill Dragster goes to an acceleration of 120 mph in 3.8 seconds, it goes up at a 90-degree incline to the top of the 420-foot hill, and then as it descends the track twists 270 degrees before leveling out and being stopped by magnetic brakes.

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Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is next in line for the top amusement parks in the United States. What's great about this park is that it is open year round and has four theme parks of its own, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM Studios, and Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Throughout the year they have different events at their parks, they are all kid friendly, and some are for ticket holders only, such as Mickey Mouse's Not So Scary Halloween Party, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels, Texas, gets the third spot in our list. Schlitterbahn is a water park that has over 40 rides and attractions to keep you nice and cool in the Texas summer heat. The water park, sadly, is only open during the summer. It normally opens around the end of April, and closes its doors in September. The park is family friendly of course, so if you find yourself in the Texas Heat, head on down to Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels, Texas.

King's Island in Manson, Ohio and is home to the Beast, the longest, 7,400 feet long, roller coaster in the world. The park has over 80 rides and stretches across 364 acres. King's Island is open seasonally from late May to September. The theme park also has a water park, and is family friendly. The park opens its gates yearly to over 3 million guests.

So if you are a thrill seeker, like water parks, and want to scream going at amazing speeds, then you might want to visit one or all of these water parks. You can get season passes for most of these theme parks, and if you are planning a trip to one of these parks, you may want to get traveler's insurance for all your travel needs.

Top Amusement Parks In The United States

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Dream Act 2010 - Undocumented Students in the United States

With elections in November and the introduction of SB1070 in Arizona, the issue of undocumented immigrants in the United States has once again become a topic of great debate. Many of the problems the United States faces today are blamed on undocumented immigrants. Unfortunately, it is undocumented students who receive the harshest punishment. Many immigrant children are brought to the United States undocumented by their parents at a very young age and have no say in their parents' decision. They are raised here their entire lives and know no other home. Like their fellow classmates, many excel in school with high GPAs, are talented athletes, and participate in school clubs, activities, and community service. However, despite all their achievements, as soon as they graduate high school they are left with an uncertain future, while their classmates go on to college or enter the work force. Undocumented students' dreams of becoming lawyers, doctors, politicians, engineers, architects, scientists, and more are all shattered because they lack a piece of paper that displays their legal status.

Some may say, "Why does it matter? They don't pay taxes, they don't contribute, they're criminals." Statements like this are undeniably FALSE. Not only do undocumented immigrants make purchases that aid the flow of the economy, they also pay sales, property, and income taxes, and contribute billion to Social Security and 1.5 billion to Medicare, but receive none of the benefits despite paying ,000 more per capita than what they use in government services (truthout.org). If undocumented families are paying taxes and doing what they can to do things the right way, why should the students be denied the opportunity to continue their education and further contribute to the country they call home?

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Currently, undocumented students are in an extremely difficult situation because they must either remain in the United States undocumented where there is very little chance for them to receive a higher education or high-paying jobs, or they must return to a nation that is foreign to them, which often offers them no chance to advance. Although comprehensive immigration reform is far off, there is still a glimmer of hope. A bill known as the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) act would allow undocumented students who graduated from U.S. high schools, entered the country before the age of sixteen, and have good moral character to obtain legal status in the United States while pursuing a degree in higher education or serving in the military. Since its introduction in 2001 the bill has slowly begun to gain support, but has yet to be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Overall the bill would not only help undocumented students, but the United States as a whole. Of course the students benefit because they would be able to pursue their dreams, but the country would benefit through an improvement in the economy as students would be more willing to invest and high school drop out and crime rates would decrease because the students would have a promising future ahead of them. Why not give these students a chance?

Dream Act 2010 - Undocumented Students in the United States

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Recession Proof States

Though some states were literally on the verge of bankruptcy during the recession, there were others that were able to thrive during this time of economic uncertainty. Lets Take Oklahoma for example. It has one of the country's strongest housing markets and employment actually fell in this state while rising in others. With solid growth in 3 key areas, agriculture, manufacturing and energy, Oklahoma City was one of the largest metropolitan areas that were able to ride out the recession.

Now let's look at Texas. Six cities in the state of Texas had solid employment figures. Those cities include Austin, the Dallas Fort Worth area, El Paso, San Antonio, Houston and McAllen. Austin's unemployment dropped from 3.8% to 3.6% while San Antonio's went from 4.3% to 4%. So while the rest of the country was experiencing a rise in unemployment, these cities managed to decrease the level of unemployment. These cities also have low home prices which make them more affordable to the majority of the population.

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North Carolina also had a few cities that were able to stay afloat during the economic crisis. Those cities include Charlotte, Gastonia and Concord. Though Charlotte had a rise in unemployment, the economy as a whole still stayed very strong. Home prices grew and industries such as hospitality, transportation and health kept the economy moving.

Last but not least let's talk about Washington. Seattle in particular is home of some of the biggest companies in America. They include Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks and Costco just to name a few. This has helped unemployment to fall from 4.5% to 4.3%. Even better is the fact that home prices are very affordable in the area. Of the top metropolitan areas in the United States, Seattle had the strongest growth in manufacturing.

These are just a few of the states that have been able to stay strong while the economy was struggling. And truthfully, there are many more. So in essence, things might not be as bad as the news would have you to believe.

Recession Proof States

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Animal News in the World Today

Animals make the headlines today for many reasons. The problem is that animals tend to make the news for the horrible and unthinkable things that happen to them. In every state across the United States and every country across the globe atrocities happen to animals great and small everyday. We have covered news stories involving dogs and cats as well as assorted types of animals being stared to death, beaten to death, burned with acid, inhumanely executed in addition to countless other ways. We have written stories about animals that were killed for the fun of it by the sickest of individuals and by accident by the ones who loved them the most. But, with all of the negative headlines that animals are involved in, there are a number of animals that make the news for wonderful, heartwarming and humorous reasons.

Many dogs and cats can says that their owners would not be alive if it weren't for them. Dogs and cats have called the police when their owners were in trouble and in need of medical help, dogs have waken the owners up to let them know there was a fire in the house and still others have been the driving force behind helpful laws being enacted to help make the world a better place to live. Below I have placed one of my favorite articles I have written which highights one of the many happy reasons an animal has made the news. I hope that you enjoy it.

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Black Labrador Honored as Katrina Hero

At the annual Genesis Awards, hosted by the Humane Society, a black Labrador now called Katrina was honored for her life saving efforts. A New Orleans man who was in trapped in flood waters after the hurricane recalled how the dog helped to get him to higher ground, without her he surely would have drowned. The awards dinner attended by leading animal rights activists granted the dog a standing ovation. Katrina was rescued from a shelter after the man's story was reported on a local Los Angeles TV station.

Yes, animals have certainly solidified their position in the world today for both the good, as seen above, and the bad. Join us as we explore the world of animal news one day at a time.

Animal News in the World Today

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How to Immigrate Your Spouse to the United States

An Immigrant also known as a "lawful permanent resident" is a person whom was born in a country other than the one that they are trying to immigrate to who has been given the right to live and work permanently in that country. There are many hoops to jump through if you are a American citizen and you would like your spouse to become a lawful permanent resident.

It can be a very trying time being away from your spouse while they are trying to immigrate to the United States. If you have the money it is always nice to hire a knowledgeable immigration lawyer who knows the process well. The services of a person like this can be invaluable to you. The process of immigrating can be very complicated and time consuming if you do not know what you are doing or have some one on the payroll who knows what they are doing. If you are planning on completing the process of immigrating your spouse on your own here is a brief overview of the requirements and the process for spousal immigration.

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To be eligible for immigrating your spouse to the United States of America you must be a US citizen yourself. Not only must you be a citizen but you must also be able to support your spouse or you spouse and children at or above 125% of the poverty level.

If your family lives in the United State like your Mother, Father or Brother and they are petitioning to have you immigrated to the united states you do not need to fill out a separate petition for your spouse or children.

Also if you were married before you were naturalized as US citizen you may not have to petition for a second immigration. Your wife may receive an immigrant visa number almost immediately.

In order to complete the immigration process for your spouse here are the main steps you must follow. You, a family member or an employer must complete an immigration petition and have it approved by the (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) USCIS for immigration and usually have it filed by an employer or relative who is in the United States. The US immigration department must give you a immigration visa number. You must receive a number even if you already live in the United States. If you do already live in the United States then your process is slightly different and you must apply to adjust your immigration status to permanent resident status.

That's all there is to it. You really just need to know all of the correct forms to fill out and all the right places to send them too and you are on your way. Just stick to the process and get it moving right away. The longer you wait to get started the longer it will be until you see your wife and family. I wish you luck on your endeavor.

How to Immigrate Your Spouse to the United States

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United States Army Rangers

Army Rangers are an elite group within the U.S. Army. The first Ranger company was commissioned in 1676 and they fought in the French and Indian wars, the American Revolution, War of 1812, and the American Civil war but it was at the start of World War II that this elite fighting force was officially formed by order of General George C. Marshall.

Consisting of 6 Battalions they have been deployed in the Korean war, and wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. Their mission in these wars were to do highly dangerous reconnaissance deep within enemy territories, striking targets behind enemy lines. They were also tasked with gathering intelligence, directing air strikes, recovering captured American and other allied prisoners of war, and other classified military operations.

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There are 3 distinct phases of training for the Rangers. Located at Fort Benning in Georgia the United States Army Ranger Training School is a 61 day leadership course developed for small unit tactical missions. It is here where the "Benning Phase" woodland terrain tactics is taught. This is the basis of all their training that includes physical fitness, prowess and small unit tactical planning. The "Mountain Phase "training takes place at Camp Merrill near Dahlonega, Georgia. It is here that they are taught military mountaineering deploying techniques for combat in the mountains. Other tactical methods are taught in Florida at Camp Rudder and Elgin Air Force Base. Their training in Florida consists of intensely progressive skills in fighting and surviving in Swamp and rain forest environments. Due to Combat Exclusion Laws women are not allowed to apply or participate in Ranger training.

The Rangers have played a major role in the War on Terror. They were among the first elite forces to land on Afghanistan soil on October 2001, the start of Operation Enduring Freedom and were an integral part of the successful overthrow of the Taliban. In 2003 the Rangers were among the first sent in the Iraq going up against Iraq's elite Republican Guard units which they were overwhelmingly successful in defeating. The Rangers were also instrumental in the rescue of PFC Jessica Lynch.

Celebrate these brave soldiers of the Army Rangers and all the brave men and women who serve in all our military branches, honor all the heroes of our armed forces. If you know anyone that is serving or has served our country during war or is a member of the armed forces presently show your appreciation for their devotion, their steadfast to stand with their country in defending its freedoms. Visit Mall4Men and check out their the military clocks, watches rings and patriotic themed jewelry. Most items feature free shipping and all their products come with a 100% Money Back "No Hassle" Guarantee. They also have a Gifts4Her department for that special lady in your life.

United States Army Rangers

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United Nations - Useful Or Useless?

The UN "Charter" principles begins with a prayer: We, the peoples of the United Nations (...) we want to proclaim anew our faith in fundamentality of human rights... ". It's a prayer to whom? Surely not God! It may be some illuminist goddess? It may be possible, and then, at the very first instance, UN does not have any spiritual perspective to bring the love of God in the world.

It's an organization devoted to something different which, in a human viewpoint, is more powerful that God Himself perhaps.

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That's a good starting point but since its creation UN has been also a vain authority to prevent genocides and warfare across the world. We remember once an expression, which clarifies that only God gives authority. Again is there something hidden? It may possible that they would follow a politically correct approach with a relativistic perspective versus Religions. I then wonder why do not bring the words "Love" within their statement. It is possible that they hate love?

This starting point is reasonably philosophical, but now we are trying to enter in a more pragmatic view, in the human fact of this "superior" organization.

"Useless Nations" is a nickname of the UN applies by Americans, which disapprove support United States pays to UN. This is a pragmatic and a practical point.

Moreover we know that this "Human Right Organization" has proclaimed Fidel Castro "World Hero of Solidarity", receiving an award by UN General Assembly Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann. That's an additional pearl of these "gentlemen", which probably, affected by Socialist illness, have forgot those prison camps still used "democratically" and in full respect for "human rights" as established in the UN Charter, by the Castro regime.

Another affaire of this heroic wisdom is the request of the US Administration to UN to favorite the release of the dictator Manuel Zelaya and restore his Communist Presidential power.

It's useless, we believe, to list additional interesting support to the Islamic regimes across the world which demonstrate that UN counts nothing.

© Edoardo Rospo

United Nations - Useful Or Useless?

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What You Need to Know About Cremation in the United States

Though cremation has been practiced for many centuries and in many cultures, it hasn't been until recently that cremation has become a more acceptable choice in the United States. However, it is on the rise as an end-of-life option. Some estimates note that approximately 25% of deceased bodies are cremated in the United States.

Acceptance of Cremation in the U.S.

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For a long time, cremation was never considered an acceptable choice in Christian and Jewish religions-traditions that dominate the U.S. religious landscape. However, in the last several decades especially, cremation is seen as an acceptable practice within these religions. Cremation is also seen as an eco-friendly option that lightens the carbon footprint compared to traditional burial. For these reasons, it is increasingly accepted in the U.S.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

This governmental agency was established to protect consumers. And because the funeral-and cremation-industry is meant to make money, this sector also falls subject to the laws and regulations of the FTC. The FTC has established a regulation called the Funeral Rule, which protects consumers from fraudulent or unfair practices of those in the funeral industry. The FTC's website is a great resource for plain-language information about cremation rights under the Funeral Rule.

Cremation Societies

Cremation societies, like the Internet Cremation Society and the Cremation Society of North America, are clearinghouses of cremation information. They are meant to give reliable information to consumers. Although cremation societies aren't exclusive to the U.S., it's easy to find a society near you if you live in the United States. Typically for-profit businesses, these societies charge a small fee for membership, and in return provide quality information and reduced pricing for cremation services.

Transporting Cremated Remains

It's possible to transport cremated remains within and across state lines. While it's advisable to check local state laws where the remains will be transported, the general rule of thumb is that remains can be transported via the U.S. Postal Service or even on a plane. Do a little research about how to transport remains before actually transporting them, to ensure you're in compliance with local laws. Though it seems hard to believe, there are many unclaimed remains. The good news is, many funeral homes will actually keep those remains, with the hope that they may one day be claimed.

What You Need to Know About Cremation in the United States

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Vitamin Deficiency Epidemic in the United States

In the 21st century, in one of the most developed nations in the world, we have a vitamin deficiency of epidemic proportions. How is this possible, you may ask. We are extremely well fed, many of us take multi-vitamins, we drink our milk and eat our vegetables (most of the time). Furthermore, the US government has recommended daily allowances for vitamins that many of us try to get every day. How could we possibly be deficient in a vitamin?

Despite the efforts of the government and food science industries to make sure we have plenty of everything, studies show that 40-60% of the entire US population is deficient in vitamin D.

United States News

Historically, vitamin D deficiency resulted in rickets. Scientists determined the minimum amount of vitamin D and the government set the US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Vitamin D was added to milk so the average child drinking the amount of milk recommended by the average pediatrician was guaranteed to get enough of the vitamin to prevent rickets, and we all were to live happily ever after. 

It turns out Vitamin D is a critical nutrient for preventive maintenance of all of our body tissues, and recent research has shown the amount needed is far higher than the current US RDA.** Allowing your body to be deficient in vitamin D is like never changing the oil in your car. It runs just fine for a while, and then things simply begin to break down. Research has linked low levels of vitamin D to colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, kidney cancer, type I and II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, melanoma, cardiovascular diseases (including heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure), periodontal disease, all autoimmune disorders, pre-eclampsia, difficult birthing, autism, and other diseases.** Let's be clear: low vitamin D does not CAUSE these diseases, but studies overwhelmingly show that people with these diseases have low serum (blood) levels of vitamin D, and that when the vitamin D level is brought into a normal range the prognosis is often 50% (or more) better than when the vitamin D level remains low.

How did we get so deficient? There are few dietary sources of vitamin D, including cod liver oil, egg yolks, butter, liver, oily fish, some fortified breakfast cereals, and milk. We tend to avoid strongly-flavored fishy foods in this culture, and we tend to minimize consumption of eggs and butter to lower our cholesterol. Vitamin D is manufactured in the skin from cholesterol, and requires Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation for its synthesis. With the increased use of high SPF sunscreens (which completely block UVB radiation) and the increased use of cholesterol-lowering medication, we have severely limited our ability to manufacture vitamin D. Even without sunscreen, most of the US is far enough north of the equator that we receive limited amounts of UVB during most of the year. It is virtually impossible to get enough UVB to make vitamin D during the winter if you are north of the 35th parallel (think Atlanta or San Diego).

The US RDA for vitamin D is 400IU/day. Remember, the RDA for any nutrient is the MINIMUM amount required to prevent known deficiency disease, NOT the optimal amount needed for health.  For years, the only known vitamin D deficiency disease has been rickets, and this amount of vitamin D is sufficient to prevent rickets.  However, the latest research shows that for the disease prevention effect of vitamin D to be present, the blood level needs to be in the 60-80ng/ml range, more than double the current low end of the "normal" laboratory range for this nutrient.** To keep your blood vitamin D at this level requires 2000-2400IU/day from all sources for adults, 2000IU/day for children under 12, and 1000-1800IU/day for infants less than 1 year.

Vitamin D is fat soluble, so can't you get too much of it? The answer is yes, but you need a lot. Studies have demonstrated no toxicity with supplementation of vitamin D at levels as high as 20,000IU per day, so the levels recommended are well below the toxic dose for this vitamin.**

So, how do you get 2000IU of vitamin D per day? Most milk in the US has vitamin D added to it, so if you drink milk you are getting some vitamin D. 10-15 minutes of sun exposure on the arms and legs during the peak hours for UVB radiation (10am-2pm), without sunscreen, allows your body to make about half the vitamin D it needs. However, if you live north of the 35th parallel you will be unable to get enough UVB exposure to make enough vitamin D during much of the year. The good news is that vitamin D supplements exist and are relatively inexpensive. I recommend starting with 1000IU per day in a supplement for most people. If you don't drink milk and rarely get out in the sun, 2000-2500IU per day would be appropriate. Therapeutic doses can be much higher, and require periodic monitoring of your blood levels to make sure you don't overdose.

It is easy to test for vitamin D deficiency with a simple blood test which can be ordered by most health care providers. You can also be tested through D Action (unless you live in the State of NY!), an advocacy group with the goal of eliminating vitamin D deficiency in the world. You can sign up to participate in the D Action research project at http://www.grassrootshealth.org. and completion of a survey provides you with a vitamin D test, materials to send the test for processing, and a copy of the results.

**The list of research references for this article is almost 3 pages long, so it is not included in the newsletter. It can be accessed by clicking here.

Vitamin Deficiency Epidemic in the United States

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United States Welfare System - A History: Part 2

The Great Depression in the 1930's brought about the need for the creation of a national welfare system in the United States. In part 1 of this 2 part series, we covered the birth of this welfare system into World War II. In this, part, 2 we will follow that history into the present-day. For the most part, the welfare system grew slowly but steadily during the 40's and 50's in financial aid, but there was little in the way of real change of its basic structure.

All of that changed when John F. Kennedy assumed office in 1960. JFK intended to wage a "War on Poverty" by training Americans and putting them to work by creating educational, functional programs such as the Job Corps. After JFK's assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson carried the mantle in his place. In 1965, Medicaid and Medicare were established to provide medical assistance for the elderly and disabled and those on welfare. This change meant that 1 out of every 4 Americans received some form of federal assistance.

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Nixon aimed higher, looking to establish the Family Assistance Plan to guarantee a minimum income to all families in 1972, though SSI (Supplemental Social Income) was passed, establishing a base income for the disabled. Welfare rights were expanded and held up by the Supreme Court. It was to help support minorities and women that were being unfairly denied benefits in the segregated Deep South.

By the mid 1970's, another financial crisis assaulted the United States. Unemployment soared. Energy prices rose, and inflation came into being. The requirement that single women without the presence of a father in the home were the only ones who could qualify for welfare was lifted. The welfare system and those aided by its benefits grew substantially. By 1980, Ronald Reagan and the conservatives took power because many Americans believed that the welfare system had become swollen. In the mid 80's, unemployment insurance decreased nearly 7%, and the welfare system lost much of its federal subsidy.

In the 90's, the welfare battle continued. Bill Clinton promised to end welfare, though he attempted to launch a sweeping federal healthcare system, while the Republicans vowed welfare reform, led by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich who stated that the Congress would: "replace the welfare state with the opportunity society."

This led to the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in 1996. Essentially the Act replaced open-ended federal assistance with TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), setting a maximum amount that the federal government would set aside to assist states with in regards to needy families being aided by the welfare system. This Act put much of the responsibility for welfare back on the states, off of the federal government. The thought was that no one is entitled to assistance and that the welfare system had created a welfare mentality. States were urged to train people and reduce their welfare budget, as well. This put many people back into the workforce, but meant they had to take jobs that paid them an income that provided for a life below the federal poverty line. By 1999, 2.2 million families or single parents were receiving welfare assistance. That was 2 million fewer families or single parents than received such aid in 1994.

The economy boomed in the 90's, but in October of 2008, the United States and the world faced a crushing economic crisis, the largest since the Great Depression of the 1930's. The housing bubble burst, unemployment percentages spiked to double-digit figures, banks and the stock market crashed, and America once again saw its unemployment ranks and welfare system swell. The end of the Bush Administration and the beginning of the Obama Administration have seen the federal government once again assist its citizens and its corporations with bail outs, increased welfare benefits, and unemployment duration extensions. The President Obama Administration had passed a national healthcare act at long last, known as Obamacare, though it is unclear if or when the Act will be instituted as a conservative backlash is still fighting the policy. Once again America is faced with financial crisis, and once again the federal government is expanding welfare assistance.

Opponents of a welfare state deride welfare as a bloated system that rewards the weak and robs the productive. They say that welfare burdens businesses. They also claim it causes taxes to increase, and inflation to rise, and that much is historically accurate. Proponents of a national welfare system argue that sometimes people need help, and some people simply cannot fend for themselves. That also is true. Nonetheless, somewhere there must exist a happy medium. Though no one can predict the future, history of the welfare system in this country is clear enough and easy enough to follow and one thing is for sure since its origination in 1935, it hasn't disappeared. It has swelled, and it has slimmed down over the past 7 decades, but it hasn't gone away, and history never lies. Perhaps it is time to stop bickering over whether or not we need a welfare system, it is here, and history says it isn't going anywhere. The advantage of history is that we can acquire knowledge from it. If we agree that welfare in some form is here and here to stay, maybe we can examine what has worked and what hasn't. We can also try to establish a better system that works for the most important institution, not the Congress, not the Presidency, not the Republicans or the Democrats, but the United States of America and its persevering citizens; who, through good times and bad have remained one nation, indivisible, seeking truth and justice for all.

United States Welfare System - A History: Part 2

Nursing Jobs Overseas Opportunities for Foreign Nurses in the United States

If you are looking to move your nursing abroad to the United States of America, then now is the time to do it. Hospitals in the USA are experiencing a staffing crisis, and this crisis is predicted to become worse over the next decade.

The nursing shortage in the USA is said to be caused by the many factors. On one hand there are many nurses reaching retirement age or choosing to retire early, and there simply aren't enough newly graduated nurses to fill all the gaps. And there is more strain being placed on existing medical staff because of the bubble of baby boomers reaching retirement.

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This is great news for internationally educated nurses because they can now find nursing positions in US hospitals with ease. Hospital administrators are aggressively recruiting foreign nurses.

To nurse in the US, legally, there are many papers to fill out and different states have different rules. In order to qualify to register as a nurse in any state in the US you must meet the following criteria:

* undertaken post high school nursing education. This means you must have graduated high school and then gone on to do your nursing qualification afterwards.

* be a registered nurse or hold a license to nurse at home. This means that you are legally allowed to practice nursing in the country where you trained or the country where you currently live.

* have 1 year experience nursing in your specialty. If you aren't a specialist nurse in, for example, paediatric nursing, psychiatric nursing, neo natal nursing, etc, your specialty would be as an adult nurse.

* be able to communicate clearly in English. If English is not your first language, you will be required to provide evidence of your ability to communicate to the required standard. This means that you'll have to take an English language test in speaking, reading, writing and listening.

Should you meet these 4 critical pre-application criteria, you can be assured that you're a good candidate for getting a nursing job in the United States.

There are three visa options for nurses who want to work in the US.

Firstly you can apply for the much coveted Green Card. In order to qualify for a Green Card, you must meet all the criteria above, and sit and pass the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) examination. To get this visa takes the longest of the three options, but it is the better option for you if you want to make a long term move to the US. It is possible, with a Green Card, to move your nursing career to the US permanently.

Secondly, you can apply for an H-1B visa. To qualify for an H-1B visa you need to have at least a Bachelor's degree in nursing. If you have a vocational nursing qualification you will not be granted this visa.

The last visa option for nurses is the H-1C visa. The US government issues 500 of these visas to healthcare workers each year.

If you thought that getting a nursing job in the USA was an impossible dream, you were mistaken. You need to get started on your applications right away because medical recruiters in the US are desperate to employ you right now!

Nursing Jobs Overseas Opportunities for Foreign Nurses in the United States

Why is the American Flag Important?

When we talk about American flag, it has always been associated with 'Old Glory' and 'Starry Banner'. This flag is the most respectable and it is recognized throughout the world. Why? The answer is simply because United States is categorized as one of the most powerful and dominant countries from the past history. From the history itself, all the leaders have worked with full dedication and determination to bring independence to United States and to become a respected country to its nation. Until today, it is said that the national flag, American flag is one of the most valuable asset for the States. The design of American flag is simple. In the flag itself, there are 50 stars that represent all different states in US. All the states that joined the Union are represented by the 13 stripes.

So, why is the American flag important?

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We have heard around how great is United States in the history from the day the got the Declaration of Independence in 1776. This has given a freedom to the States from the British rules. Since then, it became important to indicate an independent government. It has been spelled out clearly under the United States Constitutions. The flag becomes important to show the pride and joy of United States. All the important elements such as liberty, righteousness, pride, fairness are carried along together in the flag. Besides all these, it also signifies the leaders' effort, sweat, blood and tears contributed for the success of United States.

The American flag survived in the two World Wars for more than 200 years. The flag is used is a lot of wars as a symbol for unity and fight till the last drop. When the flag is raised, it symbolizes the US pride and winning.

This is flown only on specific events such as Memorial Day, Veteran Day, Independence Day and Flag Day to show its importance. Flag Day is the day when American flag is first accepted. This flag is also displayed throughout the year at the White House in Washington, the Nashville City Cemetery, the Washington Monument and the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial.

It is important to the nation as it keeps all the history of the States. The people of United States are proud of their flag as it symbolizes winning. Today, American flag is respected everywhere especially during international tournaments and competitions.

Why is the American Flag Important?

The Top Five Special Forces Units in The United States Military and How They Keep You Safe

U.S. special forces teams are among the most elite, highly-trained military units in the world. You've heard of many of them-SEALS, Green Berets, and the Air Force Pararescue Unit, to name a few-but what do they really do, what kinds of tactical and survival gear do they use, and how do they, ultimately, keep you and the rest of us safe?

While there are plenty of other special-ops units within the military that are equally as important, let's take a look at five of the most widely known units.

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The Navy Seals

The U.S. Navy's Sea, Air, and Land is one of the most elite and highly-trained units in the Navy, as well as one of the most recognizable. An organization with a storied past, the SEALS fall under the command of the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) and SOCOM.

Seals employ a mixture of extremely rigorous training, tactical and survival gear, and other field equipment to: fight terrorism, aid in foreign/domestic internal defense, provide reconnaissance intel, rescue and recover other military personnel and more. SEALS are assigned some of the most dangerous and specialized missions-missions that other military personnel would not normally be able to accomplish. Seals have served the U.S. in Panama, Iraq, Grenada, and Afghanistan.

The Green Berets: 'De oppresso liber'

The Green Berets, most recognizable by their military uniforms and trademark headgear, are special ops units within the U.S. Army Special Forces. They specialize mainly in special reconnaissance and surveillance(SR), direct action (DA; short-term action for special causes), counter terrorism, guerrilla warfare (or unconventional warfare: UW), and foreign defense.

Air Force Pararescue: 'That Others May Live'

The Air Force Pararescue unit (AFSC) is an elite organization within the U.S. Air Force that specializes in recovery and medical treatment of individuals in hostile or 'denied' areas. Members who opt to join this unit undergo extremely rigorous training-both physical and mental-over a period of one to two years. Up to 90 percent of those who join pararescue training classes never graduate. It's just that strenuous.

The U.S. Rangers: 'Sua Sponte'

Officially known as the 75th Ranger Regiment, the U.S. Rangers is a rapidly-deployable infantry unit based out of Fort Benning, Georgia. Roles of Rangers in the military include air assault, infiltration and extraction, personnel and asset recovery, and aiding other special ops units.

The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU)

DEVRU, otherwise known as SEAL Team Six, is the unofficial name of another elite forces unit in the Navy. Sometimes even more secret than other SEAL team themselves, DEVGRU is a Tier 1 (known as 'Black' ops) unit-TIER 1 operates at the highest level of military and is typically only accountable to the President of the United States or the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This fact alone means that this unit is not controlled by the usual military hierarchy; furthermore, the unit is so secret that even its official name is classified information.

Many of DEVRU's activities and responsibilities are highly classified and, therefore, unknown. One of its missions since its inception has been countering terrorism-using gear and methods not unlike that of other SEAL units.

The Top Five Special Forces Units in The United States Military and How They Keep You Safe

Deportation From and Denial of Entry Into the United States

Every year, thousands of individuals come to the United States to work, to raise a family, or to experience a life that is better than the one they had before. Unfortunately, there are numerous ways to be deported or removed from the United States and even more ways to have entry to the United States denied.

Prior to the passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, "deportation" was the legal process of removing a foreign national already in the United States from the United States. "Exclusion" was the prevention of a foreign national from entering the United States. After the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, these two processes, exclusion and deportation, became "removal" proceedings. Anyone who is not a United States citizen is eligible to be put through removal proceedings.

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There are two main types of permits to live in the United States, permanent resident and non-permanent resident. Permanent residents are issued Green Cards while non-permanent residents are given visas. Visas have more restrictions on them and expire after the purpose for which the individual needed the visa is no longer there.

Visa Holders: Denial of Entry

Visa holders should be prepared to prove whenever attempting to enter the United States that they are entering the United States for permissible reasons. Non-permanent residents need to be able to show that they intend to leave in accordance with the terms of their visa. This means that if an individual is granted a student visa, he or she should plan on leaving when their purpose is complete.

Even after being granted a visa, when an individual approaches the border, he or she can still be deemed "inadmissible". If this happens, any individual is expected to depart.

Visa Holders: Deportation

Non-permanent residents are most-frequently deported because they have entered the United States without the correct inspection documents or valid entry documents. The second most common reason for deportation of non-permanent residents involves individuals who entered the United States with a visa and then overstayed their visa.

Green Card Holders: Denial of Entry

Lawful permanent residents who have been outside of the United States for an extended period of time need to be prepared to show that they have intended to return to the United States since the second they left. If not, the green card holder may be denied entry.

Green Card Holders: Deportation

The most common reason for removal proceedings concerning individuals with permanent resident status is that they have committed a serious crime. Some people do not realize they are open to a removal proceeding until they apply for citizenship and a background check is performed as part of the naturalization process.

When an individual realizes they are open to a removal proceeding, withdrawing an application for citizenship will not prevent an individual from being deported if the person has already had removal proceedings started against him or her.

If you would like more information concerning deportation or immigration, please visit http://criminalandimmigrationlawyer.com/deportation.html. If you have any questions, their team will be more than happy to answer them for you.

Deportation From and Denial of Entry Into the United States

The Rise of the United Nations - The Leopard With Dove's Wings

The Third Beast - The Leopard with Four Heads
As I have done with the other two beasts, the lion with eagle's wings and the bear with the three ribs in his mouth, let's assemble a complete image of the third beast, the leopard with the four heads and the four bird's wings. The first thing to notice is that this beast is the weakest of all the four beasts. The leopard is not as strong an animal as a lion or a bear and certainly weaker than the fourth beast that is "terrible" in appearance. 

The leopard is also weak when you consider it has bird's wings unlike the first beast that had eagle's wings; the bird being a much weaker animal than an eagle. I believe the leopard is also symbolic of the multinational organization, the United Nations, embodied by the ram in Daniel's vision of the ram and the goat. I believe the four bird wings of the leopard are representative of all the countries in the world because the four wings represent the four directions (north, south, east and west). 

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This is also shown in the book of Daniel (Daniel 2:39): "And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth." The leopard, the kingdom of brass, has the unique attribute of "having rule over all the earth". The four heads of the leopard are also consistent with the four horns that arise from the ram after the "notable" horn is broken, the four nations that arise from their respective part of the world to rule the United Nations. The evidence that the leopard and consequently the United Nations are not powerful in and of themselves is that dominion is given to them (Daniel 7:6).

Remember that the leopard is also representative of the third kingdom mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar's vision of a statue, the kingdom of bronze that forms the waist and the legs of the statue. The bronze represents a military power that is an inferior in strength to the iron kingdom that represents the fourth kingdom. 

The bronze that forms the waist and then the legs also represents the idea that the third kingdom will be unified in the beginning but later is will be separated into several parts. This is again consistent with the image of the ram having one horn and then having it broken and replaced by four horns that rise up later.

The Rise of the United Nations - The Leopard With Dove's Wings

Business Grants for Women In The United States

In addition to education grants, there is a wide range of business grants available to women. It is especially encouraged that women start their own career and own business so that they can stand on their own feet, without needing somebody to lean on. If you are a woman willing to start your own business but cannot feel courageous enough to take the first step for financial reasons, here is the good news for you: business grants can give you the push you need! However, before searching which grants are available, you should decide what you are willing to do. A woman with previously determined steps would attract many more grant providers. As soon as you have set out your plan, it is time to look around which grants are available for the sector you are planning to start a career in. At this point, there are many doors to be knocked. The alternatives range from starting a coffee bar to starting a home-based business; from day care centers to attending seminars for improving entrepreneurial skills. It is also possible to receive grants for jobs which have been started previously, but have gone into a crisis for a reason.

You may not get ,000 from the first foundation you apply to. There is no need for disappointment just because you get rejected from the top 3 institutions you were sure you would get funding from. First of all, do keep in mind that there are many different bodies that are distributing money to fund women. However, you should also be aware of the fact that you are not the only applicant. There are many other women who are seeking grants to start their businesses, and it should not be a surprise for you if you do not get "that" grant, because someone else will have got it. You should not give up and continue your research and application until you get what you want. However, it would not be very wise to look for large amounts of funding from a single organization, or two, unless they specify that they are allocating large amounts of money. The better solution is seeking to get smaller grants from various organizations. Once you have received a grant from one organization, others will be more willing to support you, as you are then seen as someone who deserves being supported, your reference being the other organizations to support you. Furthermore, your goals will start looking more realizable and it will be easier to get a grant as you will now need financial assistance for a project which has been initiated by previous help. Keeping these tips in mind, there is no need to remain as a desperate housewife.

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Business Grants for Women In The United States

Economic Crisis Puts the Funeral Industry in a 'Grave' State!

The old cliché resonates "Nothing is certain but death and taxes" and I have heard many talk about the 'death' industry as a "recession-proof" business. Yet the Funeral Industry is now feeling its own pinch as the current troubling economic times continue.

This once very traditional industry has to move out of the dark ages and embrace modern technology if it is to succeed as "recession-proof"! An billion a year industry, with over 21, 000 Funeral Homes, employing some 105,000 people, divided between a couple of large corporations, small independent businesses and individual family-owned Funeral Homes. Many of the independent and family run Funeral Homes do not even consider a web site as a fundamental tool to market their services in today's modern 'online' world.

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When money is tight, people look for options to save money, luxuries are reduced, and any extravagances are limited. In today's economic climate arranging a funeral, especially if it has come as an unexpected task, is treated much like any other expenditure.....and scaled down.

Reports from the industry suggest that more and more people are choosing cremation as a preferred alternative to a traditional burial. Why? Simply...the cost!! An average traditional burial costs between ,000 and ,000. The average basic cremation can cost from as little as 0. On average a family can save at least ,000 to ,000 by opting for a simple cremation. Some Funeral Homes are reporting cremation rates increasing by as much as 20 percent year-on-year. The Cremation Association of North America reports that the practice has been rising annually nationwide, with nearly 40 percent of all deaths in the United States expected to result in cremation by 2010. The No. 1 reason for this pattern, according to the association, is cost -- 30 percent of people surveyed said that cremation saves money.

Even those still choosing a more traditional funeral are opting for ways to save money on that expensive 'all costs' tab. Funeral Homes report that families are purchasing funeral items such as caskets and urns at a discount utilizing the Internet. The recession is hitting all areas of the Funeral Industry, but especially those 'extravagances' that cause a family to dig deeper into their coffers, but may seem superfluous to real necessity. Sympathy flowers sales are down, grave-markers and headstones are getting smaller and less ornate.

The price conscious public are now quite savvy that the Internet can afford them the luxury of comparing prices, products and services.....and all from the comfort of their home. An industry that typically avoided quoting prices is having to adapt to the demands of this modern consumer. And the Funeral Homes that will benefit from this market place are those that have not only embraced all that the Internet can offer in attracting them business; but also those that are choosing to be transparent in their pricing and offer the 'affordable' option. As with any industry if sales revenue falls then the volume of sales must increase.

Economic Crisis Puts the Funeral Industry in a 'Grave' State!