World Beer Consumption Essay Example for Free

World Beer Consumption Essay Approximately, 100 billion liters of beer are consumed around the world every year (Olfir, 2007). The worldwide growth rate of beer consumption has been recorded for the past 19 years (Kirin Holdings, 2005). This, however, is not to say that the beer consumption around the world is alike. The alcoholic beverage consumption levels around the world and the rates at which these increase vary from one country to another. For example, in India the annual consumption of beer is . 5 litters per capita (Gupta, 2007), where as in Czech Republic, the consumption of beer is 156. 9 liters per capita per year (Olfir, 2007). There are many factors that contribute to the difference in beer consumption levels amongst different countries. Some of these factors include the stability of the country’s economy, laws and regulations, religion, and culture. Economy I believe that the economy of a nation plays an important role in the levels of beer consumption in different parts of the world. The demand for beer is rapidly increasing in nations whose economy is on the rise. Some of these economies include Asia, particularly China, Eastern Europe, and Africa (Access Capital, 2010). For example, In 1966 China only consumed about half a bottle of beer. As the average per capita income has increased so has the consumption of beer, reaching 103 beers per person in 2007 (Appebaum, 2011). Laws and Regulations Laws and regulations on alcoholic beverages also have an effect on the consumption of beer. In most cases, if not all, laws have the ability to hinder the increasing rates consumption of alcohol. For example, the principle of prohibition is intensely recommended by the Indian constitution and Indian law prohibits the advertisement of alcoholic beverage (Ranganathan, 1994). This is one of the reasons why their per capita consumption is so low. On the other hand, legislation may cause for consumption levels to increase. For example, in Czech Republic, Ireland and Germany, the top three nations with the highest beer consumption (Olfir, 2007), the minimum legal drinking age is between 16 and 18 years of age. Because people can start drinking at an earlier age legally, the amount of drinkers is higher in these countries. Religion As previously mentioned, India consumes approximately . 5 litters per capita on a yearly basis. Although this number might seem insignificant compared to other countries, such as Czech Republic, it is important to note that the consumption over the last few years has increased at a rate of about seven percent annually (Gupta, 2007). An important factor to such low rate is religion (Ranganathan, 1994). As Shanthi Ranganathan mentions in the article, The Most Sensible Thing is Not to Drink, Hinduism, the largest religion followed in India, the consumption of alcohol is known as one of the five heinous crimes. It is compared to adultery and murder (Ranganathan, 1994), making it a horrible act. Christianity, on the contrary, has more open-minded beliefs in regards with the consumption of alcohol (Wig, 1994). Culture Another country that can be used as an example to explain the difference in beer consumption levels among different countries is France whose beer consumption level per capita is 35. 5 liters per year (Lansdell, 2006). Compared to other countries, France may be considered to have a lower level of alcoholic consumption. The biggest contributor to this countries consumption level, I believe, is the culture of the country. When drinking, in most cases, French prefer wine instead of beer and they take their time to consume their beverages, unlike Americans, who are always in a rush to do everything. Worldwide Brewers and Increased Beer Consumption Each year, 2. 5 million people worldwide die do to alcohol or beer consumption. Alcohol is attributed to being the third greatest factor for diseases (W. , 2011). I believe that due to the great risk factor that comes with the consumption of alcohol, worldwide brewers should not have the ability to grow at such a fast rate all around the world. Although the industry could possibly help the economic stability of a country, I believe it does a greater harm to the different nations. I believe that one possibly solution that would allow the beer industry to prosper without causing much harm, is if as they enter a nation to introduce their product, they help create programs that educate people on the consumption of alcohol. I believe that if people are educated on the subject matter and know the consequences of drinking this product, they will continue to consume the beverage but being more responsible. This, in my opinion, will not have a negative affect on the beer industry. Another way that a nation can prevent the consequences of alcohol consumption caused by worldwide brewers is by creating greater taxation or other barriers that would hinder the production and selling of beer in their nation. This scenario, however, might be one that the beer industry might one to avoid. Unlike my first suggestion, this would have a greater negative impact on the industry. Such situation would lower sales in the given country affecting the revenue of the company. I also believe that although the rate of alcohol consumption in many developing countries is increasing, these rates will begin to slow down. Although, as mentioned earlier, economy prosperity may help increase the levels of alcohol consumption, it is also true that after a certain level of prosperity, people tend to consider quality when purchasing a product. For example, Ethiopians may start consuming low-end beer, however, as their financial stability begins to prosper they might continue to upgrade until they convert to wine-drinkers. Works Cited W. , C. (2011, February 12). W. H. O. Report on Worldwide Alcohol Abuse. Retrieved October 03, 2011, from lifering. org: http://lifering. org/2011/02/w-h-o-report-on-worldwide-alcohol-abuse/ Wig, N. (1994, September). Alcohol in the Third World. (D. p. Knight, Ed. ) Retrieved September 30, 2009, from unhooked. com: http://www. unhooked. com/sep/thirdworl. html Access Capital. (2010). Investing in Ethiopia. Access Capital. Appebaum, B. (2011, April 25). Beer Drinking and What It Says About China’s Economy. Retrieved October 03, 2011, from Economix: http://economix. blogs. nytimes. com/2011/04/23/beer-drinking-and-what-it-says-about-chinas-economy/ Gupta, V. K. (2007, February 15). The Beer industry in India in context of Consumer Buying Behavior. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from inidiamaba. com: http://www. indianmba. com/Faculty_Column/FC519/fc519. html Kirin Holdings. (2005, December 15). Kirin Research Institute of Drinking and Lifestyle . Retrieved Ocotober 3, 2011, from Kirin Holdings: http://www. kirinholdings. co.jp/english/ir/news_release051215_1. html Lansdell, G. (2006). Top 10: Drinking Countries. Retrieved October 03, 2011, from askmen. com: http://www. askmen. com/feeder/askmenRSS_article_print_2006. php? ID=949422 Olfir, E. (2007). Volume of World Beer Consumption. (G. Elert, Editor) Retrieved 0ctober 3, 2011, from http://hypertextbook. com: http://hypertextbook. com/facts/2001/JohnnyAlicea. shtml Ranganathan, S. (1994, September ). Alcohol in the Third World. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from unhooked. com: http://www. unhooked. com/sep/thirdworl. html.

The African Experience: A Curse or Blessing :: Research Papers

The African Experience: A Curse or Blessing The native African places an immense amount of importance and respect on Nature. Its effects determine certain predicaments that control and direct African lives, and how outsiders, especially Westerners, perceive them. Never before has a group of people followed so religiously and faithfully a baffling phenomenon such as nature. Nature worship has deep roots in the African tradition and is now a full and indispensable branch of the African heritage. Nature defines Africa to the world as the â€Å"Cradle of Mankind.† To the African, Nature also acts as a mediator between the gods in the heavens and man on earth. This relationship, I feel, has been greatly misinterpreted by the vacuous and ethnocentric civilized world: it has been tagged as ‘black magic,’ ‘voodoo,’ and other meager figments of unfortunately parochial imaginations. What an insult! Oh may the gods forgive them, for they know not what they do. â€Å"In the beginning was the water, and the water was with god, and the water was god.† This quote clearly defines how the natural elements such as land (earth), sun, moon, lightning, and, in this case, water are considered not just as the vital necessities that help sustain life but as the gods of life. They are built honorary shrines as an act of appreciation and appeasement. In Egypt, in northeast Africa, a great temple was built for Isis, the water god. This temple was built so flamboyantly as an attempt to try and reflect architecturally how important the Nile is to the people of Egypt. Without the Nile, Egypt would have been a barren, desolate place, incapable of supporting life; just an eastern extension of the Sahara Desert. Therefore, the great river is considered a miracle, a miracle from the gods, given in order that man may continue to exist and not be annihilated. Hence the magnificence of the Temple of Isis. African peoples had a lot of mysteries in their continent which they tried to explain. And once again, they turned to their superiors in the supernatural world, the gods. For example, if lightning should strike, that would be an ominous sight, implying that the gods are angry with the people; an extraordinary harvest or rain after a long, intolerably dry season would be considered as an act of favor towards man by the gods. All this was the Africans’ way of trying to understand the unexpected and to explain the inexplicable, functioning much as science does in contemporary Western society. Why, then, does this entire system connote barbarism or a rustic, undeveloped mentality when used in its original context, or when approached by the

Adam Smith and Karl Marx Essay

Adam Smith and Karl Marx Modern political economic theory and philosophy can be greatly attributed to the works of two men who seemingly held polar opposite views on the subject. Adam Smith, a Scottish philosopher, published his most well known work An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations in 1776 and is most often associated with the ideas and principles of the political economic system known as Capitalism. At the other end of the spectrum is Karl Marx; the German philosopher most often associated with Communism and the author (or co-author) of The Communist Manifesto. This paper seeks to discuss the core differences in their respective political economic philosophies with regards to what economic value is and what the role of government should be in their versions of political economy. This will conclude with the argument that while Smith's work had laid the foundation for modern economic philosophy, it was Marx who would ultimately leave the most significant impression upon the world with his revolutionary ideas. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (commonly abbreviated as The Wealth of Nations) is considered to be the first full treatment on the study of Economics. This work essentially lays the foundation for the economic system known as Capitalism. Interestingly enough, Capitalism was a term first brought into the public debate, somewhat pejoratively, by Karl Marx himself in describing a â€Å"capitalist† as a private owner of capital or the means or production. (â€Å"Capitalism† (Wikipedia), 2008). A consensus definition of this idea is an economic system based on private individual ownership of property in which the distribution of goods is determined freely by competing market forces and investments are made by individuals. (â€Å"Capitalism† (Merriam-Webster), 2008). In a Capitalist society, individuals are free to own property and invest their capital in the pursuit of profit with relatively limited influence or barriers from the government. The Wealth of Nations was organized into five books of several chapters each. The first two books examine the fundamentals of the market system and include explanations relating to the role of labor, the nature of capital and markets, and the motives people have for entering into the market system. The third book is mostly an historical examination of the economics in ancient societies. The fourth book is the core of Smith's argument for the capitalist society and it in these chapters that Smith lays out the core arguments for the limited role of government that is required for long term economic success. The fifth book deals primarily with government spending, revenues and taxation. The Communist Manifesto was much more a call to action than it was a treatise on economics and is a much shorter work than Smith's The Wealth of Nations. Marx also published a very thorough (and denser) economic examination known as Das Kapital in 1867. The conclusions reached in that and other works would underpin the concepts found in The Communist Manifesto. It is not inaccurate to say that Communism is in many ways the opposite of Capitalism. In The Communist Manifesto, Marx and co-author Friedrich Engels listed 10 attributes of an ideal Communist society. The first one lays out the primary condition: â€Å"Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes. † (Marx & Engels, 2006, p. 32) This effectively describes state-ownership and control of all capital and the means of the production made for the benefit of all in a classless society. Communism espouses the idea that the economy should function for the greater good of all society and not merely act as a tool to enrich the ‘bourgeois† or ruling classes. As the title would indicate, The Communist Manifesto lays out the purpose and reasoning for the existence of the Communist party that was developing across Europe in that time. In the prologue, Marx and Engels state the books purpose: It is high time that Communists should openly, in the face of the whole world, publish their views, their aims, their tendencies, and meet this nursery tale of the Specter of Communism with a Manifesto of the party itself. Marx & Engels, 2006, p. 2) The chief disagreement between Capitalists and Communists is who or what is entitled to ownership and the means of production. In chapter one of the second book of The Wealth of Nations, Smith defined capital as the stock (read: assets or money) that a person does not immediately consume for which the owner expects to derive a f uture profit. (Smith, 1909) This of course implies that the individual has possession and ownership of the capital item in the first place. Marx bestows a social aspect upon what capital is in The Communist Manifesto. Marx stated that capital is a â€Å"collective product? nly by the united action of all members of society, can it be set in motion. Capital is therefore not a personal, it is a social power. † (Marx & Engels, 2006, p. 23) In other words, capital belongs to all of the people that are needed to not only produce it, but to provide a reason for its value. One thing that Marx and Smith seems to have agreed upon is something economists call the Labor Theory of Value. While they would ultimately come to different conclusions on the use of the value, the basic assumption is this theory is that value is ultimate derived in an object from the labor necessary to produce it. â€Å"Labor Theory†, 2008) In chapter 5 of book I of The Wealth of Nations, Smith argues tha t â€Å"the real price of everything? is the toil and trouble of acquiring it. † (Smith, 1909, p. 36) Smith distinguishes this from the nominal value of an item that can vary based on market forces; he holds that the real value is constant in relation to the labor that it used in its production. Smith argues in the following chapter that there are three components to the price of an item: the labor needed to produce it, the â€Å"rent of the land† or resources needed to make it, and the â€Å"profit of stock† that compensates the investor for risking his resources. In Das Kapital, Marx also recognizes the labor component of any item in the first chapter. He states that any commodity has a use-value and an exchange value that is derived from the labor needed to produce it. (Marx, 2000) Marx however viewed the â€Å"profit of stock† as the ability of the capitalist to exploit the wage laborers out of the surplus value of the things they create because of their control over the means of production. The role of government in relation to the economic system is a central theme of how ultimately successful the economic system would become. One of Smith's core arguments to the success of capitalism is summarized in his most famous metaphor of the â€Å"invisible hand† found in Chapter 2 of Book IV in The Wealth of Nations: By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was no part of it. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. (Smith, 1909, p. 351-352) Smith argued that in a fair and free market economic system, producers will act in their own self-interest to maximize their profits. As profits increased, competitors would come about seeking to obtain a share of the profits, and would thus drive down prices through this competition. The result was more efficiency and productivity that would lead to the long term benefit of all of society. He was against any government action that would serve to disrupt this natural balance such as trade restrictions, wage laws, and industry regulation. Smith essentially believed that the more the government stayed out of the way, the better off society would be as a whole. In The Communist Manifesto, Marx makes an argument for an entirely stateless society. â€Å"Political power† he states, â€Å"? is merely the organized power of one class for oppressing another. † (Marx & Engels, 2006, p. 3) A common theme of The Communist Manifesto is the struggle between different classes of society, to which Marx simplifies to a clash between the â€Å"bourgeois† and the â€Å"proletariats†. Marx argues that â€Å"The essential condition for the existence, and for the sway of the bourgeois class, is the formation and augmentation of capital; the condition for ca pital is wage-labor. † (Marx & Engels, 2006, p. 19) Marx held the belief that in a pure Communistic society, there would be no classes, and that the government would out of necessity dominate and control the means of production in the economy. The legacy and impact of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations was felt throughout Europe shortly after its publication. In England in particular, the British prime ministers sought policies that were attributed to what they had learned in Smith's book including a new commercial treaty with France, customs reform, and a change in fiscal policy that resulted in lower debt and government spending. Government's throughout Europe also began to realize the fallacy of the artificial trade barriers erected between the different countries; so much so that they would prefer to trade with their American colonies more often than their own neighbors. West, 1990) Smith's greatest impact is perhaps the academic contribution to the study of economics. Before The Wealth of Nations, there really was nothing of the sort that so thoroughly examined the fundamentals of economics. Nearly every economist after Smith, including Karl Marx, would use The Wealth of Nations as a primary source and base their argument s off of Smith's suppositions. Marx's influence on the world however was far from an academic exercise. The violent revolution that Marx predicted would need to occur in order for the proletariats to overthrow the bourgeois did indeed occur in Russia during the â€Å"Red October† of 1917. The ruling aristocracy of Russia's Czarists came to an end at the hands of Vladimir Lenin's Bolsheviks. This would lead to the formation of the communist Soviet Union. During the revolution, the Bolsheviks seized all the private property around the country, gave control of all the factories to the government, nationalized all the banks, seized all of the Church's properties, and declared that they would not honor any foreign debts. Thus the first real attempt at Communism took the form of the Soviet Union; symbolized by the worker's sickle and hammer on the flag. â€Å"October Revolution†, 2008) The actions of the Soviet Union would go on to inspire many other Eastern countries to attempt their own versions of Communism; all consistent with the principles Marx envisioned in The Communist Manifesto. The resulting conflict of economic fundamentals between these Communist entities and the more Capitalist economies of Western Europe and the United States would spark conflict throu ghout much of the 20th century. References capitalism. (2008) In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia Retrieved December 17, 2008, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Capitalism capitalism. (2008). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved December 17, 2008, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/capitalism labor theory of value. (2008) In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia Retrieved December 17, 2008 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Labor_theory Marx, K (2000) Das Kapital Gateway Edition, Washington, DC, Regnery Publishing, Inc Marx, K & Engels, F (2006) The Communist Manifesto, New York, Penguin Books October Revolution. 2008) In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia Retrieved December 17, 2008, from http http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/October_ Revolution Smith, A (1909) Harvard Classics: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, New York, P F Collier and Son West, E (1990) Adam Smith's Revolution, Past and Present. Adam Smith's Legacy: His thought in our time. Retrieved December 17, 2008 from http://www. adamsmith . org/images/uploads/publications /ADAM_SMITH_Legacy. pdf

The Battle Of San Juan Hill - 1066 Words

The Battle of San Juan Hill July 1, 1898 was one of the bloodiest battles of The Spanish American War. The battle of San Juan Hill also known as San Juan Heights was of strategic importance because it permitted the Americans to place guns above the harbor at Santiago. The gun positions overlooking the harbor prevented the Spanish Navy from escaping which ultimately led to their land forces surrendering shortly after the loss of San Juan Hill. (United States History) U.S. General William Shafter ordered the attack on El Caney and San Juan Hill. General Shafter had hoped to take El Caney prior to beginning the push for San Juan Hill but the Spanish defenders proved themselves to be tenacious and managed to hold off a great number of American attackers. The steadfast defense of the Spanish prevented the Americans from securing El Caney until late in the afternoon. Spanish gunfire managed to take out hundreds of Americans but failed stop an estimated 8,000 troops from continuing on towards San Juan Hill. Troops were then split into two flanks at the base of the heights in order to take San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill with the order from Lieutenant John Miley that â€Å"the heights must be taken at all hazards†. (History.com, 2010) What took place after the units were given the order to begin the assault depends on which participant told the story. The lesser publicized accounts bring into question whether Teddy Roosevelt actually led the charge up San Juan HillShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of San Juan Hill1839 Words   |  8 PagesMISSION COMMAND PAPER: THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL The Battle of San Juan Hill took place in the hills surrounding Santiago, Cuba on July 1, 1898. It was a battle between the Spanish forces commanded by General Arsenio Linares and the United States Army V Corps commanded by MG William Schafter. Although the United States won the battle, MG Shafter did not properly exercise all of the principles of mission command prior to and during the battle. MG Shafter failed to provide a clear commander’s intentRead MoreBattle Analysis of San Juan Hill Essay2008 Words   |  9 PagesBattle analysis of San Juan Hill Introduction Throughout American history, a number of battles come to hold iconic positions in the shaping of this great nation: Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Alamo, Gettysburg, Belleau Wood, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and the Battle of the Bulge, just to name a few. When the Spanish-American War of is thought of, the Battle of San Juan Hill undoubtedly comes to mind. Americans think of the great sacrifices throughout the fightRead More Rough Riders Essay825 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican war started by America wanting to expand their influence in the western hemisphere. To do that they would need to gain action politically or militarily in Cuba (a Spanish ruled country). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The first battle of the war was The Battle of Manilla. Which was a naval strike on the Manila harbor. Led by Commander George Dewey, the Navy won the most glorious victory in the history of the Navy. However this didn’t end the war. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In order forRead More Teddy Roosevelt Essays919 Words   |  4 Pagesregiment, which was originally composed of 1000 men (Hill), were from the southwestern ranch country. These men were skilled wild horsemen, thus the regiment was given the name Rough Riders. (Roosevelt) nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Roosevelt was offered the position of commander of the regiment but had to decline because he did not have the time to train the soldiers. He suggested that he work under Colonel Leonard Wood as a lieutenant colonel. (Hill) Wood had received the Medal of Honor for his militaryRead MoreMilitary History / Book Review The Rough Riders Essay1361 Words   |  6 PagesS Volunteer Cavalry during 1898. Before becoming President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt leader the Cavalry along with Colonel Leonard Wood as second in command. The Rough Riders were part of the Spanish-American war; Battle of the Guasmas, Battle of San Jun Hill and Seige of Santiago. Roosevelt goes into details about his journey to Cuba in this book. Theodore Roosevelt was assistant secretary of the Navy and reassigned in 1898 to make the Rough Riders. As for Leonard Wood, he was aRead MoreThe Great Day Of My Life1395 Words   |  6 Pagesdemonstrated during the Battle of Las Guasimas as he braved a hail of enemy fire from horseback and led his men to a flanking position that broke the back of the Spanish forces and sent them into retreat. Following this action, Col. Wood was promoted to General, and Roosevelt was promoted to Colonel, giving him command of the 1st Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Las Guasimas was a defining moment in Roosevelt’s life; however the greatest of these moments was no doubt at the Battle of San Juan Heights. PinnedRead MoreThe Imperial Republic1299 Words   |  6 Pageswar to take away all of Spain’s colonies. XI. Battle of San Juan Hill Santiago Harbor was a deep water harbor that gave the Spanish control of Santiago City and of the harbor. This meant that the Spanish would not give up the hill. Theodore Roosevelt orders the assault of Kettle Hill which he took lead in the battle and took the hill quickly. He leads the charge to take San Juan Hill, he was proud and too bold but he won the hill. XII. Battle of Santiago Harbor The US Crushes the Spanish AtlanticRead MoreThe Spanish American War and Charles Denton Young970 Words   |  4 Pagesthis war together and will (hopefully) walk out as victors together. Since I was the first person to be ranked Colonel in the US Army, I personally am leading a squadron of the 9th and 10th cavalry of the Buffalo soldiers at our first priority, San Juan Hill. I expect my men to be at the top of their games the entire time we are on the move, or in combat. I will not take no as an answer. As an infantry, we are fighting in the home-front alongside Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. This is an honorRead MoreThe American Of The Spanish American War1757 Words   |  8 Pagesthat would potentially harm his crew and proceeded to the Philippines but found there was no Spanish fleet there. He then proceeded to search for the Spanish fleet and found it near Manila bay. On May first the battle commenced between the Spanish and American fleet. At the end of the battle the A merican fleet won with one sailor wounded and over 300 dead on the Spanish fleet. This decisive victory made Commodore Dewey a war hero back in the U.S and earned him a promotion later on.He then transportedRead MoreTeddy Roosevelt: An American Hero Essay examples1986 Words   |  8 Pagesan inevitable war, Theodore Roosevelt resigned as the assistant secretary to the navy to go fight on the front lines. He was 2nd in command of a legendary regiment nicknamed The Rough Riders. The regiment was a part of many battles including the battle of San Juan Hill, having a huge impact on the front lines. Theodore Roosevelt could not have had such a huge impact on the war if it were not for his position as assistant secretary of the navy. He was offered the position by President McKinley