Polish Immigration to the United States and Canada Essay

1. Introduction 1.1. Overview Poland is a small country, tucked away in the recesses of Eastern Europe. Surrounded by countries like Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, its population of 38.5 million is slightly more than half of the United Kingdom’s and a fraction of that of the United States. Whilst experiencing a welcome improvement in economic development and prosperity in recent years, the country and its citizens, the Polish people, can well be counted as among the more unfortunate of the world. Centuries of political turmoil, foreign rule and occupancy, decades of partitioning, and extended periods of economic distress, have scarred the psyche of the Polish people, driven them out of their surroundings, and made them into global wanderers, refugees, and migrants, searching for comfort, peace, and economic well being for themselves and their families. The mass genocide of the 1940s, which left more than 6 million Polish dead, was followed by four decades of communist rule and it was not until 1989 that the country joined the ranks of free nations. Difficult home conditions during the last few centuries have often forced the Polish people to travel out of the environs of their familiar surroundings and make their homes in strange countries, among people with different cultures, languages, religions, and traditions. Polish migrants have moved out in waves not only to other more hospitable regions in Europe but also to the new world, more particularly to the United States and Canada. Through years of hard work, toil and perseverance, the Polish have created a world wide diaspora, better known as Polonia, of people who, despite living in alien conditions for decades, have continued to be true to their culture, traditions, language and religion. Their migration to North America is not of recent origin; the first waves of people of Polish origin came to the United States in the late 1700s and to Canada in the early 1800s.[1] These original adventurers were followed by periodic streams of migrants whose numbers depended both upon the conditions of their home country as well as on the immigration policies of their host nations. Once settled in their host locations the Polish proved to be model immigrants, industrious, peace loving, cultured, lovers of art, and extremely religious. Their tale of immigration and settlement in Canada and the United States is one of courage, determination and fortitude; visible proof of how adversity brings forth the best in human beings. 1.2. Objective This dissertation takes up the issue of Polish immigration to the United States and Canada, investigating the causes of migration, the areas of choice, the challenges faced by the settlers, the ways and means adopted to overcome such problems, and the evolution of the Polish presence in their adopted countries. Whilst investigating the phenomenon, specific emphasis will be given to the differences in the adopted processes of migration and settlement between Polish Canadians and Polish Americans. A study of this nature should hopefully be of interest to students of history, international relations, sociology, immigration, demographics, and government policy. The global Polish community, immigrants or otherwise should also find such a study illuminating and interesting. 1.3. Methodology A dissertation of this nature will be well served by intensive study of the literature available on the subject. Substantial primary and secondary information is available on the topic by way of government websites, books, and journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. Whilst surveys or in-depth interviews with Polish immigrants could yield some very interesting and relevant information, such an exercise would need to cover substantial numbers of respondents in two nations and involve the deployment of resources beyond the capacity of the researcher. The dissertation as such relies fully on the information available both on line and in hard copy for its findings, analysis and conclusions. The sources of information accessed have been listed in the bibliography at the end of the study. The body of the dissertation is structured into a literature review followed by a section on findings and analysis. The concluding section details the conclusions arrived at in the course of the study along with recommendations and the limitations of the assignment. 2. Literature Review With the first Polish people travelling to North America more than three centuries ago their connection with the USA and Canada is hardly of recent origin. The phenomenon predates the American War of Independence of 1776 and has been shaped by a range of political, military, economic, social, and cultural factors, not just in their homeland but also in the other countries of Europe as well as in the USA and in Canada. This review of literature approaches the subject from specific angles, namely the historical and modern day circumstances that influenced their migration to North America, the governmental and policy approaches of the two host countries that shaped their entry and settlement, the factors behind their demographic dispersion and build-up, and the evolution of the Polish diaspora in the two countries. 2.1. Migratory Compulsions Political and Military Turmoil Whilst Poland developed into a recognisable political entity, a millennium ago, under the Piast dynasty in the tenth century, its period of greatest affluence and development, also referred as the golden age, occurred, during the 16th and 17th centuries, with the formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.[2] This short lived era of freedom, parliamentary working, and economic affluence came to an end with the Swedish invasion and the Cossack Uprising towards the middle of the 17th century. These events were followed by numerous wars against Russia, three partitions of the country, in 1772, 1793, and 1795, and the division of its territories between Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The reconstitution of a Polish state in 1807 by Napoleon lasted for only 8 years, the defeat of Napoleon being followed by Austrian and Russian hegemony over the country until the end of the First World War.[3] â€Å"This loss of independence created the situation that for most Poles, â€Å"Poland† as their country, became just an idea-a memory from the past, and a hope for the future. In short, in the world of the Polish spirit, it enabled men and women to live their lives in their own way in spite of the established order, and often in defiance of the law† (Davies 1990). These partitions and the disaster of the 1830 Uprising caused the Great Emigration to the Western European countries and to the overseas territories, among which the United States holds the primary position†[4] Regaining is independence in 1918, the country remained independent for just two decades until the twin invasions of the country by Germany on September 1, 1939 and Soviet Russia on September 17. Divided into 2 zones under the control of Germany and the Soviet Union, Poland suffered greatly during the Second World War; the holocaust took its greatest toll in this country with six million, half of them Jews, perishing in the first four years of the 1940s. The end of the war saw the occupation of the country by the forces of the Soviet Union and nearly 4 more decades of communist rule before the country emerged, on the back of a Solidarity movement, as a democratic nation in 1990. Joining the European Union in 2004, the country is making economic progress and integrating rapidly with the global community. [5] With the last three centuries being spent in incessant political and military turmoil it is not difficult gauge the extent of mental, physical and economic hardships suffered by the Polish people. Deprived of the security of their country and a national umbrella, the Polish left their homeland in successive waves from the 18th century to the present day. Economic and Social Conditions Whilst political and military turmoil was of course causal in driving large numbers of patriotic Polish from their homes and forcing them to seek safe sanctuary in other countries, economic compulsions also played a major role in motivating them to regions with better prospects for earnings, savings and the development of prosperity and affluence. In fact it would appear that the majority of Polish migration took place because of severe disturbances in economic conditions. Significant increases in population in the late years of the 18th century, along with industrialisation and the consolidation of commercial agriculture led to the elimination of small land holdings, exhaustion of available land, and loss of earning capacity and destitution of peasants dependent upon farming for their livelihood forcing them to migrate to areas of economic opportunity.[6] The decline of industrial production in the Russian controlled regions of Lodz and Piotrkow after the Russo-Japanese War and the 1905 revolution sparked off a significant wave of migration with hundreds of thousands of workers departing for other regions. Apart from such occurrences pressures of population, exhaustion of land and the lack of investment in industry kept the region in a perpetual state of economic deprivation and drove emigration figures upwards.[7] Whilst economic deprivation drove emigration among the economically weaker sections of society, sporadic bouts of anti-Semitism were to lead to thousands of Jews moving away to escape persecution. A wave of anti-Semitism swept through the region after the revolution of 1905. Fanned by the anti-Semitic wing of the National Democratic Party in the early years of the 20th century the movement increased steadily until the onset of the First World War and led to social ostracism and violence against Jews â€Å"Students would picket Jewish stores, threatening Poles who dared to enter. Shame was also placed upon those citizens who sought the services of Jewish lawyers, dentists and doctors. One technique that was frequently used was to photograph Poles entering Jewish residences and print the pictures. The picture, with a derogatory comment, would be placed on pamphlets that were distributed among the townspeople. Less costly but just as painful and derogatory were such incidents of Poles throwing stones at Jewish men, women and even young children. Killing Jews was contagious in an atmosphere of hate that enveloped Poland. Not only were the Polish radicals placing the blame for their problems on the Jews, but they were also gaining free media.†[8] (Reisner, Davis and Miera) Post Second World War Emigration Many of the Iron Curtain nations have experienced the phenomenon of citizens being pushed to emigrate, rather flee, in large numbers to escape political repression and economic scarcity. With most communist governments unwilling to allow their citizens to leave their borders except for official reasons, much of the ensuing emigration was illegal until travel restrictions were eased. In Poland the easing of travel curbs in the late 1950s after the cessation of Stalinist rule, led to a spurt migrants who travelled to European countries, mainly Germany, in search of lost relatives and motivated by the desire to motivate families. The next large migration occurred only in the late 1980s.[9] Whilst some of the people who left belonged to Lech Walesa’s Solidarity party and had to leave after the imposition of martial law to avoid incarceration, most of the others were young and educated and did not foresee the happening of any major political change. Their reasons for leaving were m ostly economic and they accordingly left for countries like Australia, Canada or the USA, which though far away offered the opportunity of economic improvement.[10] 2.2. Migration to the USA and Canada Polish emigration, as per extant records, appears to have been focussed on western countries, with very few Poles evincing interest of emigrating to Latin America, Africa or Asia. The only exceptions to this rule were Australia, which became a preferred destination choice for many of the Polish in the post Second World War period, and Israel, which attracted thousands of Polish Jews, from the 1960s, after the government eased travel curbs and relaxed issuance of passports. [11]The community seems to have concentrated mostly on neighbouring European nations like Germany, France, and Belgium, as well as on North American countries like the USA and Canada. Whilst there are clear motives for emigration with the range of causes being large and varied and stemming from political unrest, partition and annexation, economic deprivation, lack of agricultural land and job opportunities, political suppression (during the communist regime), and religious persecution and discomfort (for the Polish Jews), researchers are less clear on the reasons behind the choice of destination of Polish migrants. Very possibly the community felt more comfortable with settling down in countries with a majority of whites, where Christianity was the dominant religion. Migration to the USA Whilst migration of Poles, individually and in small groups, to the USA started soon after the voyages of Columbus, significant community immigration did not occur until the onset of the three partitions in the closing years of the 1700s. Records however suggest that many Polish craftsmen were hired by the London Company in 1608 to bring their skills to Jamestown, where a sizeable community grew over the next two decades. â€Å"The Poles created glass house shops, and pitch and potash burners. These products became the first exports of Jamestown. As a result of their success more Poles were invited to Jamestown. They were always cooperative and willing workers. In 1619 more Poles landed at Jamestown with the intent to manufacture pitch, tar and resin for ships. They also helped start the timber industry that was necessary for ship building. The first Legislative Assembly denied the Jamestown Poles the right to vote. As a result the Poles went to strike, refusing to work unless they had the right to vote. On July 21, 1619 the Legislative Assembly granted Poles the right to vote. Thus, the Poles were the first group that fought successfully for civil rights.†[12] Polish immigration subsequently increased from the last quarter of the 18th century when Poles participated in the American Revolution. The 1800s saw two major waves of Polish immigration, the first of which occurred between 1830 and 1863 and the second between 1870 and 1913. Whilst the first wave of migrants moved mainly into neighbouring European countries a few thousands did travel to the USA. The second wave however saw the majority of emigrants leaving for the USA, whilst the others went to Germany, France and Belgium. Approximately 2.5 million Poles, practically 95 % of the migrants landed at Ellis Island during this period whereas the balance 5 % came in through Castle Garden. This huge flow of migrants dropped sharply only after the adoption of quotas and the imposition of strict limits for immigrants by the USA in 1921.[13]   The next major flow of migrants was to occur only after the end of the Second World War when 200,000 Polish refugees were settled in the United States. Recent decades have also seen a steady flow of the Polish coming into the country. Whilst some came into the country illegally in the 1970s and the 1980s, smaller waves have come in after the overthrowing of the communist government in 1989. [14] Migration to Canada Polish migration to Canada started later than in the United States and commenced in substantial numbers only in the first decade of the 1900s. Polish migrant inflow was highest during 1901-1910, 1921 -1931, and 1946 – 1961.[15] Inflow of migrants into Canada, whilst being far lesser than into the United States, has however been considerable in absolute numbers considering the far lesser population of the country. Reasons for Polish immigration to Canada remained the same as for other accommodative and affluent destinations, namely gross overpopulation, scarcity of land, falling industrialisation, and generally depressed economic conditions in the homeland. Canada, whilst offering the opportunities of easy availability of land and an affluent and fast developing economy was however able to attract only a trickle of the vast numbers of Polish who exited their country in the 19th and 20th centuries. Governmental Policies and Demographic Distribution The United States, along with the affluent countries of Western Europe, namely Germany, France and Belgium, have always been the major destinations of Polish migrants. Whilst West European countries offered the comfort of proximity, similar cultures, and the possibility of more frequent home visits, the United States offered vast economic and other opportunities and proved to be an irresistible magnet for the bulk of Polish migrants, especially in the first two decades of the 1900s. To an economically deprived people, the country appeared to be the best option for achieving economic sufficiency and prosperity. â€Å"These Poles were called ‘za chlebem’ or â€Å"for bread† immigrants. They came to America for the sole purpose of making money. Once this was accomplished, they would return to Poland and prosper. Other Poles risked everything to travel to America. They sold all their property in hope of starting a new life. When these Poles entered America they wrote letters back to their relatives about their life here. Soon their relatives came to America to join their relatives. Some Polish people came because America was portrayed to be the land of opportunity; others came because they were encouraged by exaggerated stories of abundant job opportunity.†[16] With economic opportunities appearing so lucrative in the USA it was possibly but natural for the country to receive far more migrants, Polish and otherwise than Canada. Whilst Canada also did receive migrants their numbers invariably went up with the imposition of entry restrictions in the United States. The first such ballooning in Canadian migrants occurred in 1921 with the imposition of entry curbs in the USA in 1921 following three decades of heavy Polish migrant inflow from the closing years of the 1890s. The US introduced quotas as preliminary policy in 2 phases in the early 1920s before implementing them in their final form towards the end of the decade.[17] Annual quotas were set for each country on the basis of 2 % of the foreign born of particular countries as per the census of 1890, a decision that skewed immigration against East Europeans in favour of those from West Europe, thus shifting the source of immigrants into countries more likely to contribute skilled labour. Canada also followed the US in this regard by adopting formal restrictions in 1923. Whilst Canadian policy had restrictions similar to those of the United States, ranking immigrants by country of origin it did not impose an explicit numerical limit. Whilst the more stringent entry norms adopted by the USA had a significant diversionary impact upon canalising Polish immigration into Canada, the Canadian government opened the border still wider by authorising 2 Canadian railway companies to act as its agents for ad mission of immigrants.[18] â€Å"From 1925-1930, under what is termed the railway agreement, the Canadian government authorized the two Canadian railway companies to act as its agents for the admission of immigrants. The railway companies were given authority to screen immigrants subject to the restrictions in place. Essentially, they were allowed to recruit agricultural labor in Eastern Europe for the Canadian West. The result was a large increase in immigration from the countries in which agents of the railways were active, primarily central and Eastern Europe.†[19] The significant increase in Polish immigration to Canada was as such substantially influenced by restrictive US entry policies compared to a more liberal Canadian approach that favoured a tilt towards canalising farm workers from Eastern Europe for work in the Canadian prairies. History in a way repeated itself with the passage of the passing of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, (INA) which continued with the quota system and further allowed the US government to prohibit the entry of perceived undesirables. With the emergence and consolidation of a sharp anti-communist bias in the United States it is very possible that the INA was used selectively against people from East European communists who were very firmly identified with the Soviet Union. Whilst such biases are difficult to establish, this period coincided with a rapid escalation of migrants to Canada, where entry curbs were far lesser than in the US for all people of European origin. 3.0 Findings and Analysis Polish migration to the North American continent began tentatively soon after its settlement by British and European settlers and picked up momentum only after the ending of the Polish golden age in the mid 1700s, followed by the partitioning and dismemberment of the country. The events of the late 1700s led to the unleashing of several waves of Polish migration, which were to continue in fits and starts for the next 150 years and appear to continue even today, four years after the entry of the country into the European Union. Whilst most of the causes that led to this significant migratory shift are connected with economic reasons dealing with overpopulation, scarcity of farming land, and lack of industrialisation, they are in a sense deeply connected with the constant political and military turmoil involving Russia, Austria and Germany, which denied peace and economic development to the country and drove the residents to venture into strange countries in search of economic stabilit y and peaceful existence. The Second World War and the accompanying holocaust brought in another intense period of tragedy, displacement and deprivation, forcing hundreds of thousands of Polish refugees to seek shelter in foreign countries. Whilst the exodus has abated somewhat in recent years, the recent entry of the country into the European Union and ease of travel and employment in other EU countries appear to have motivated thousands of young Poles to move to other countries in Europe for economic improvement. The migration of the Polish to North America was in the main directed towards the United States, and though migration to Canada started within decades of the Polish beginning to go to the USA, the number of Polish in the USA today outnumber those in Canada by ten times. Furthermore such migration to Canada has been substantially influenced by governmental entry restrictions imposed by the USA first in the mid 1920s and later in the early 1950s. Whilst the incidence of migration to Canada has, apart from more flexible immigration policies, also been helped by specific proactive Canadian policies aiming to attract farm hands from Poland and other East European countries, it is debatable whether the migration to Canada would have been what it is if the USA had not tightened its entry requirements for people with Polish and other East European backgrounds. Once settled Polish immigrants in both countries remained bound together by a common culture and the Catholic religion building church centric Polish communities. Whilst cities like Chicago and Detroit in the USA saw the growth of extensive Polish populations, the Polish community in Canada developed numerous settlements in the prairie region before moving towards Ontario and building up a substantial Polish population in Toronto.

The Gulliver’s Travels

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan SwiftThe Gulliver's Travels is a satire done by Jonathan Swift, who is among the great authors in the fields of drama, prose and poetry. This was a collection of tales written during the Augustan Age, which can be referred to as the neo classical age, the age of Queen Anne, the age of pope or simply the 18th Century, in England. Satire was developed in Rome by Juvenal, Persius and Horace. The elements of satire as a style makes it the best of Jonathan Swift's writing skill employed in the Gulliver's Travel to help him achieve his goal; not to earn a living from writing as most of his articles were published anonymously, but to attack thin learning, to show his audience how a Christian should live and attacks man's ability to reason. The tales in this book show Swift's view of man as a weak and selfish character, one not in a position to make the right decisions when faced with challenges. Swift believes that man can find neither peace nor prosperity via his natural goodness and reason, but strongly believes that religion, through the church would keep man from destroying himself. He is considered a misanthrope and satirist at the same time as he narrates the political, religious, educational and economical values of the Great Britain and its relationship to Ireland through the four books that are classified according to the voyages he made as Lemuel Gulliver, the narrator. The element of setting and era is represented by the voyages by sea, either in fictional places, as shown by his visit to Lillipu, Brobdingnag, Laputa and the land of the Houyhnhmns or real countries like Japan and England made by Lemuel Gulliver. Gulliver is introduced as an Englishman, whose background is in medicine, navigation and mathematics. He comes out as a character who loves to travel and learn about people and his character is honest, naà ¯ve and uses his common sense in order to survive in various life threatening situations, like the case when he finally regains his consciousness after sleeping for long hours and finds himself tied up by the Lilliputians. Realism is used to explain how Gulliver finally finds himself in Lilliput, the land of the small people, almost six inches tall. This was as a result of the wreckage of his ship, Antelope, in which he served as a surgeon. Traveller narrative was the form through which Swift expressed his criticism and satire since his audience enjoyed reading about explorations and discoveries of new lands. Through Lilliput, Swift uses Gulliver to gain the confidence of his readers as they associate with Gulliver's honesty, naivety and peace loving nature. It is at this point where Gulliver uses common sense to survive instead of being violent. He gains the King's trust and is the granted his freedom and engages on the political structure and situation in Lilliput. The people here are prone to jealousy and conspiracy, with a division which they refer to as the Big-endians and Small-endians. These help illustrate the political and religious disputes in England. The Lilliputian Empire is a satire of King George the 1st; the king with his nationality as a German, who through marriage succeeded Queen Anne's throne. The empire, like King George, uses the blue, red and green ribbons during the rope dance to buy political support. This was the same case as that in England where the Garter, Bath and Thistle were used. Gulliver thought that the rope dance was not as effective as religious qualifications or reason to entrust a person in any leadership position. Gulliver proceeds to show that Flimnap the Lilliputian treasurer was the best rope dancer. This is his worst enemy both politically and at personal levels. It is evident that he compares him with Robert Walpole, the 1st England prime minister who had ruled for more than twenty years. Here, Gulliver and Flimnap represent the Tori and Whig parties respectively. The Tori party is shown as the party that believed in the power of the King and the church and usually honest and transparent in their discussions for they were for the good of everyone. The Whigs on the other hand were for the argument that there was need for a parliament to check on the powers of the King. The Emperor ensured that Lilliput was safe from the Blufascu, the Big-endians.The disagreement between the small-endians and the bigiendians has a history that relates well with that of England's religious dispute. King Henry VII, the father to Queen Elizerbeth is presented as a satire to show how he broke the Catholic hold of England when he created the Church of England. Gulliver does not see any reason for the disputes and refuses to be used as a weapon of war against Blufascu, but agrees to help them stop the war and is given the greatest tittle in Lilliput as the Nardac. This was the same case during the treaty of Utrecht, that though stoped the war, it was questionable. An illustration similar to this is when Gulliver urinates on the palace to save it from burning and yet it was against the rules of Lilliput to make water around the palace, yet he had saved the empiror's life, the empress among alongside some officials including Flimnap were angry with his behavior and wanted him executed as a punishment. The reader would agree with Gulliver for using any means available to save the emperor's life despite the method used and that it doesn't matter which side of the egg should be broken before eating it. It is also possible that the reader would agree with Gulliver's view of not being used as a weapon of mass destruction during war and that any nation lucky to have such a weapon should use it for encouraging peace. The same could be argued for the case of the both the Catholic and Protestants on basis of religion as they represent Big and Small Endians respectively. Gulliver agrees to pay a visit to Blufascu when her citizens come to negotiate for peace. When Gulliver heard about the Lilliputian's plot to blind him and starve him to death instead of killing him at once, he ran away to Blufascu. This is a frown upon Bolingbroke and Oxford's impeachment when it was agreed they be accused of misdemeanors as opposed to treason. For the fear of trial, they run for refuge in France. It is evident that Gulliver was large and with a great potential here to choose violence, instead chose peace. He then finds his way into an English ship headed back to England from Japan along the South Seas and to show realism indicates the date as 13th April 1702, then organizes yet another adventure to India on 16th June 1703, where following strong winds and twenty days of lost direction discover land, Brabdingnag. Brabdingnag, the land of the giants is used to show how disgusting people are, especially how the human body smells and man's ignorance. This was Swift's chance to express his feelings that there would be much larger forces that could potentially put an end to the world stage of English dominance. The Brabdingnagians are represented here as peaceful and whose simple rules are based on reason. He uses the King to question the English leadership and takes the chance of the King's inquisitive nature to explain the politics, social and economic status of England. The questions included how the nobles were educated, their nature, whether greedy or corrupt, the basis of bishops' promotions and if this was based on religion or goodness and knowledge, whether the house of commons' members spent much money to be elected, whether justice was time and money intensive for the citizens to have, and lastly, he was also interested to know whether lawyers valued money and pleaded for wrong causes. As Gulliver explained some of the questions, the king wondered how a small man's society, the size of Gulliver would think of gun powder to produce such an instrument that would destroy so many lives. Those ruling the English society are expressed as ignorant, vice and idle through Gulliver's stay at Brabdingnag. Gulliver is not happy when the King laughs about England based on the fact that he never imagined that such small people had tittles, distinctions and that they built nests and holes that they called houses and cities. The queen also criticized Gulliver for cowardice when he was uncomfortable with the flies that he describes as disgusting, with a terrible smell. Though they were loving and kind to him, he was not comfortable living a humiliating life and disliked the greedy nature of the farmer who focuses on profit from showing Gulliver to audience at the expense of his health then sells him when sick to the queen. Some of the Brabdingnagians were caring like Glundalclitch, his nurse who had nicknamed him Grildrig. She was not as ignorant, but at some times, she had left Gulliver unguarded at the palace and a guard's dog had picked and delivered him to its master. Had the dog not been trained, it would have caused him his life. Gludalclitch's friend was ignorant when given the responsibility to take Gulliver to the sea, a mistake that had given the eagles a chance to grab Gulliver's travelling box and latter dropped into the sea, rescued by the ship crew and a caring captain who offers him food and rest in his cabin as opposed to the rest of the crew that had so many questions for him. Gulliver makes yet another voyage that lands him to Laputa, the floating island, after his ship is attacked by pirates. In Laputa, pursuit of knowledge in music, science and philosophy is held at high esteem while people neglect their social affairs and common sense. The obsessed Laputian men neglect their wives to their obsession for astronomy that the sun might burn out and hence their wives become adulterous with men from Balnibarbi, an earth-bound city, that have no such preoccupations. He observes that even with their knowledge, they have unfitting clothes, build houses that lack accurate right angles, and the experiments that are carried out by the Projectors at Lugado are almost impossible to achieve and a waste of their knowledge and resources. This projects include the recovery of sun beams from cucumbers, converting human excrement to the food from which it was digested, manufacture of silk from cobwebs, rooftop downwards construction of houses and writing books without exerting ones brains on various subjects. He challenges the academic intellectuals and planners who engage in the pursuit of theories that are practically useless in England, a mockery of the loyal society's absurd inventions at that time. The Laputa king uses the floating island as a weapon to threaten and intimidate the cities bellow so that they can provide food and the necessities of life on the floating island. Failure to this, the island would be used to cut off rain and sunshine on such cities or even crush it by landing the floating island on those cities or using bombs. The city of Lindalino successfully revolts and the attempts to lower the floating island on it had been unsuccessful. This is an allegory of the revolt that Ireland makes against England's adopted international and foreign violent politics. Gulliver feels neglected by the people at Laputa for they value the knowledge of both music and mathematics, which he does not have. The King allowed him to travel to Balnibarbi where he meets Lord Munodi at Lagado. Among the houses in Lagado, only Munodi's was beautiful and well kept. This was as a result of a travel to Laputa made by the people of Lagado that motivated them to open an academy and develop new theories in Agriculture and Mathematics that ruined their land's productivity except that of Munodi who had refused and only followed the theories passed down from his ancestors. Gulliver is disappointed that resources are being used to fund unhealthy and unrealistic projects while the citizens are suffering in both poverty and hunger and decides to go back to England through Japan. The academy of Lagado is used to eplain how the Royal Society of Dublin misused funds allocated due to the hunger for inventions in England. This was the time of great Physicians, Mathematicians and Astronauts including Newton, who concentrated on inventions only to forget about their social life. The projects in the Royal Society of Dublin were used as means to acquire wealth and the arm-chair technicians among other hosts of mad inventions that resulted into financial crisis among which was the South Sea Bubble. The desire of humans to reverse both the past and historical figures is criticized for he reminds his audience that they were normal people. Immortality is also mocked since the people who possess this thought noble gift are presented as selfish, petty and eternally sad. Gulliver never liked the life in this part of the world and decided to return to England through the island of Luggnagg. There is no ship ready at Balnibarbi to take him to Luggnagg and together with two friends from Maldonada port city; he tours Glubbdubdrb Island, the land of magicians, headed by a governor with the power to summon the spirit of the dead for a twenty four hour service at his palace. Gulliver befriends the governor and is allowed to call any person from the dead and ask them questions only if he agreed to confine his questions to the period when they were still alive. He summons famous heroes starting with Alexander the Great, the conqueror of both the Greece and Percia, followed by Hannibal who concurred Romans by crossing into North Italy from North Africa through Alps, Julius Caesar who, first Roman Emperor alongside his rivalry Pompey the Great and Marcus Junius Brutus who was responsible for Caesar's assassination to help prevent the development of a hereditary monarchy in the Roman Republic. Satire in Glubdubdrib is used to show that history actually lies and that those who kill tyrants as they seek freedom should be appreciated. He really encourages the terrible suggestion that one would do the right thing by assassinating King George 1. This is evident where Julius actually confesses that there was nothing braver or even better that he did than what Brutus did by assassinating him for the sake of the Roman Republic.. Gulliver also shows the need to learn from smart people in the society, but being cautious not to be misled by the stupid people who write commentary. People who like Eustathius and Didymus become famous for commenting on Homer's literature works. The same case applied to John Duns who is famous for commenting on the literature works of Aristotle. Both Homer and Aristotle are not aware of people who became famous as a result of commenting on their works. Through this, Gulliver advocates for people becoming famous by their original contributions in literature and ethical models, as opposed to their endless talks about those developed by other people. He supports applied learning just as he opposes the Royal Academy of projectors and strongly encourages useful learning in England, which practical philosophy and applied science are examples. He then goes back to England and becomes captain of his own ship from which he is marooned on Houyhnhnm Island, land of the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos.The first encounter with the Yahoos, with physical appearance as that of man, violent, brutal, cowardly hairy but naked symbolizes the follies in human beings. Houyhnhnms on the other hand are reasonable and smart horses that. This is the only place that Gulliver

The Wonders Of Golf Good And Bad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Wonders Of Golf Good And Bad - Essay Example Golf is gaining in popularity a lot these days. With players like Tiger Woods and Tom Watson in the professional league earning millions of dollars and making golf gain immense recognition, the game has attracted many new comers from through out the world. Golf also has a lot of other advantages over other sports: Another plus point about this game for newcomers is that they do need partners to play with them. It can be played by a single individual. And unlike other sports such as football and tennis, there is also no upper limit on the number of players that can play at a time. For those people who need exercise but are limited by physical potential to play sports like tennis and squash can play golf. These people usually include middle aged and older men and women. Playing golf does not only provide for them good entertainment for passing time, it also provides to them physical exercise in the natural, outside as they have to walk at least a couple of miles all in the name of fun. Even though golf is gaining popularity through out the world, there still remain people who do not like the idea of a sport that does not demand much from its players physically. There still remains a crowd that believes that this game is more suited for older people than young athletes. The same points that go in favor of the game can be manipulated to go against it too. Young athletes who are attracted to this game must take into consideration that more aggressive games like tennis, squash, basketball etc. are more likely to keep them fit both physically and mentally. Another very important concern related to golf is its environmental impact. The construction and maintenance of the golf courses is very costly and uses up thousands of gallons of water and in today's world where there is scarcity of a resource like water, it is quite shocking. Conclusion There are many wonderful things about golf. It's nice being outdoors playing a relatively peaceful game in the open, under the sky, with the trees and beautiful scenery around. But it is clear that when it comes to physical exertion and fitness, the game does not have much to offer compared to the other games. Ultimately then, it depends on the player who has to make the choice between the different sports available to him and whether he chooses golf as a sport for himself or not, depends on his preferences. Works Cited 1) Adler, Ben. "The case against golf." 14 june 2007. www.commentisfree.guardian.co.uk. 26 may 2008 . 2) NYTimes. "Golf is growing in favor." 4 october 1891. query.nytimes.com. 26 may 2008 . 3) Jean Wyrics. Steps to Writing Well. 6th Edition, isbn#1-4130-0109-2.

Accounting 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Accounting 1 - Essay Example The organization had elaborate risk assessment about which every employee was cognizant. The organization conducted risk awareness and emergency response training regularly. Fire extinguishers were regularly checked and replaced and there were notices providing information on what do in the event of a hazard. The management routinely supplied employees with the latest information on common and emergent risks. I realized that the organization monitored and reviewed its internal controls periodically. The petty cash was checked at the end of every week and recommendations given on what to avoid and what to improve. Internal controls that were found ineffective or failing after monitoring were replaced and others were improved in order to enhance their functionality. The organization had a comprehensive yet simple way of reporting risks to the relevant officials in which everybody knew the most immediate person to approach. The organization had good information and communication system in place. The management issued memos in good time when calling for a meeting and every employee was issued with a copy of previous meeting’s minutes with the day’s agenda. The management was respectful in the way it summoned employee for disciplinary action and they did not let other employees know about it. The most outstanding element of the organization’s internal controls was its control activities. The duties of different individuals were separated and every individual knew what they were supposed to do and what to forward to the next person. This was most evident in the accounts department where duties such as approval of purchases, reception of deliveries, approval of invoices, review, and reconciliation of financial records were handled by different people. There were clear procedures for transactional authorization where there were officers entrusted with authorizing purchases and payments. No such transactions could be undertaken

Organizations on the Move Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Organizations on the Move - Essay Example Finally, the study will try to evaluate different remedies (like regulation of accounting/financial markets, regulation of incentives or regulation of punishment) to stop financial fraud. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Nortel Networks Corporation 4 Mechanisms to Align Managers with the Interests of Shareholders 7 Meltdown of Nortel More as a Failure of â€Å"People† 9 Why Do Businesspeople Keep Making the Same Mistake? 10 Remedies 11 Business Education 11 Regulation of Accounting/Financial Markets 11 Regulation of Incentives 11 Regulation of Punishment 12 Nortel Networks Corporation Nortel Networks Corporation is a well known telecommunication company. The company has its headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The company was founded by Charles Fleetford Sise Sr. in the year of 1882. The company has pioneered telecommunication boom in Canada during 1990s. Market capitalization of the company was more than $350 billion Canadian dollars in July 2000. Nortel account ed for more than 37 percent of the Toronto Stock Exchange during 1990s. The company offers various telecommunication services like wireless and broadband communications, global networking solutions etc. Share price of Nortel increased by 300% in the year 2000. The company has expanded business in North America rapidly. The company has revolutionized the concept of internet application in telecommunication industry. Market capitalization of the company has touched a record $398 billion in September 2000. The company has experienced a sudden fall in market capitalization during the year 2002. Market capitalization of the company slashed down to mere $5 billion in august 2002. The accounting system of the company has failed to produce a stable financial condition. Many top level corporate managers resigned during the tumultuous period. Government seized the trading in Nortel stock. Share price of the company was decreased by 335%. CEO of the company John Roth resigned in November, 2001 . Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed fraud charges against the company. The company is currently in liquidation phase. Factors that Contributed to the Rise and Fall of Nortel Reason for the Rise of Nortel can be summarized in following manner. Breakup of American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) has created an entry scope for small telecommunication companies. The market has suddenly become oligopolistic in nature. The telecommunication equipment market was dominated by Western Electric, an AT&T subsidiary before 90s. Nortel took the opportunity and entered in telecommunication equipment market. The company fulfilled the market demand with vast array of service mix like wireless and broadband communications, global networking solutions. Cellular market has achieved an outstanding growth during 1990s. Growth in cellular market automatically created a demand pool for telecommunication equipments. Demand for telecommunication services has increased by more than 50% during 1 990s. Nortel emerged as telecommunication service provider in the cellular market boom period. The company established itself as major supplier of telecommunication equipments. Nortel fulfilled the telecommunication equipment demand pool generated by cellular market. Personal computers were introduced by IBM and Macintosh during late 1980s. These two companies have revolutionized the concept of using computer in home. Customers using personal computer were well aware

Does the term 'risk society' capture important features of recent Essay

Does the term 'risk society' capture important features of recent social changes - Essay Example al pollution, and new terrorism which shape the social changes such as increased social accountability, availability of information and most importantly a general paranoia within the society. ‘Risk can be defined in the risk society as a systematic way of dealing with hazards and insecurities induced and introduced by modernization itself’ (Beck 1992: 21). The most palpable point about risk is the main difference between risk and disaster. Risk does not necessarily mean disaster. Risk is actually the anticipation of disaster. Therefore it can be said that risks exist in an everlasting state of virtuality, and only become ‘relevant’ to the degree that they are likely. Risks are not ‘real’; they are in fact ‘becoming real’. ‘As soon as risks become real say an act of terrorism destroying the financial heart of New York - they cease to be risks and become catastrophes. Risks have already moved elsewhere: to the anticipation of further attacks, economic decline, or worldwide war.’ (Loon 2002) There has been a transformation in the awareness of risk by society. We have evolved to a society’ where what is significant is not whether the number or nature of risks have increased in their gravity, but that people feel that this is so and react accordingly. Obsessive worrying about ‘risk’ in contemporary social life has little to do with the actual frequency of life-threatening dangers. On the level of a single lifetime, i.e. in terms of life expectancy and level of freedom from grave disease, people in the modern societies are in a much more privileged position than were most in bygone eras. An imposing list follows of the ways in which the material security has been improved in modern societies; even so it is balanced by a list of fresh risks: terrorism, motor accidents, drugs, environmental pollution, etc. Both can be seen as results of the modernization. In terms of basic life security, nonetheless, the risk-reducing elements seem

ASSIGNMENT 5 PLAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

5 PLAY - Assignment Example Therefore I gather a few of my friends and decided to play cricket. The game is usually played with twenty two players with eleven players on both sides. We however made teams of four and it made it much more exciting. On the second play day I decided to play soccer. Due to the world cup fever small groups in our society regularly play soccer these days. I decided to become part of their training session. We tried a few free kicks and penalties. Answer: As mentioned the first play day was based on cricket. The teams were much smaller and there was no padding. Therefore the players were in a lighter mood altogether. In nature it is a very competitive game but due to a smaller number of players it became much friendlier. It really felt good hitting the ball over the top. There was no motivation to win or defeat our opponents. Most rules were made spontaneously along the way. On the second play date it was a training session and I was a rookie therefore there was no pressure. The other players applauded and laughed at my each short it was all fun. A couple of time the goal let my ball in willingly just to have a good laugh. Answer: To understand anything in life one has to be in their shoes. This is why I think learning to play is an important part of being a parent. Most parents force their children to spend extra time in study or work. I for once have felt the joy of the game and know that no amount of success in life can match the freedom of playing on the field. Answer: The responsibilities in life had a different perspective as I reflect now after my experience. There are no reasons that life can not fun. For example in a game you have to score a goal but you do it without worry or pressure. Similarly I think that one should not try to run away from the responsibilities of life but in fact learn to enjoy them. Answer: The play days really gave me mental freshness and agility. One back home I was eager to move from my couch and get work done. This shows

Finance-Whether to undertake a project or not Research Paper - 1

Finance-Whether to undertake a project or not - Research Paper Example Ford Motors well established business attracts a great deal of consumer base irrespective of demography. The primary business of the company comprises of high end state of the art cars both for the individual as well as for the industrial use. The company, through its resilient and effective marketing tactics, has able to capture significant market shares in the automotive industry worldwide. Following is an extract from the financial statement of the company which presents the movement in the market share of the company for the current financial year of 2011 The company divides its revenue into two broad segments which are through automotive and through financial services. The automotive structure is further divided into four segments of 1) Ford North America, 2) Ford South America, 3) Ford Europe, and 4) Ford Asia Pacific Africa. Whereas, the ford financial services are divided into 1) Ford Credit, and 2) Other Financial Services. The company has improved its asset allocation strategy and has also rejuvenated its business strategy and global competitive strategy. The proactive approach has resulted in an increase of 5.7% in sales revenue from the automotive and financial services business. The financial year 2011 proved to be another progressive year for Ford Motor Company. During the current year, the company’s revenue increased by 5.7% during the current year to an impressive $136,264 million which has caused the operating profit to increase by a staggering 21%. The company, following its growth strategy, aspires transform its operation into multi channel business. The company has taken major steps in investing its direct sales business which enhanced the revenue during the current financial year. In addition, the company is actively following its strategy of refurbishing its plants and giving them a new and improved look. The refurbishment has resulted in an

OrganizationaL Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OrganizationaL Management - Assignment Example The equity theory further asserts that employees behave according to their perception. What the employer think is of no importance to an employee. The employer should ensure that any unpleasant outcomes of equity comparison are avoided when rewards are billed. Informed employers expect perceived negative inequities particularly when visible rewards such as promotions or bonuses are apportioned (Gayne & Deci, 2005). To manage equity concerns, the employers cautiously communicate the planned value of rewards being given and spell out the performance appraisals used in determining the allocation of rewards. In Perfect pizzeria, the employer who happens to be the operation manager applied the equity theory. All the employees are entitled to the same amount of reward. The manager’s act of working beside the employees’ served to show that all employees are equal and can work in any department because it enhances learning. The expectancy theory asserts that an employee is motivated to put more effort when he or she deems the efforts will result in a good performance review. The review will result in a reward that will fulfill the set objectives. An employee is highly motivated if the level of expectancy is high and the reward is appealing. Therefore, employers who seek to motivate the employees should fortify employee’s perception of their efforts as both feasible and valuable and make sure the rewards are attractive (Gayne & Deci, 2005). The operational manager of Perfect Pizzeria provides bonuses to the night managers on condition that the percentage of unsold food reduces. Each employee is entitled to free food after every six hours though it was later adjusted to 12 hours. The reinforcement theory analyzes the relationship between employee’s behavioral action and the subsequent consequence (Gayne & Deci, 2005). It focuses on adapting an employee to the behavior expected in the workplace through the appropriate use of the