Lenin's Cultural Policy and the Persecution of the Arts Essay

Lenin's Cultural Policy and the Persecution of the Arts - Essay Example However, things were not the same as shown to the world. The growing experimentation in the arts and cultural aspects of Russia forced Lenin to embrace more conservative and traditional ways and it was because of this reason that since his early days, Lenin started to control cultural institutions of the country. This control of culture in the country further worsened as the Lenin’s Communist party started to target those musicians and artisans who were relatively against the Communist thought. Lunacharsky- Lenin’s main person behind controlling the Cultural Revolution in the country put forward his own aesthetic theories which largely redefined the socialist art, however; this was often criticized by the later scholars for the reasons of curtailing the artistic creativity. â€Å"In the late 1920s, the term was taken up and transformed by young communist cultural militants who sought the party leaders' approval for an assault on "bourgeois hegemony" in culture; that is, on the cultural establishment, including Anatoly Lunacharsky and other leaders of the People's Commissariat of Enlightenment, and the values of the old Russian intelligentsia. For the militants, the essence of Cultural Revolution was "class war" - an assault against the "bourgeois" intelligentsia in the name of the proletariat - and they meant the "revolution" part of the term literally. In the years 1928 through 1931, the militants succeeded in gaining the party leaders' support, but lost it again in 1932 when the Central Committee dissolved the main militant organization, the Russian Association of Proletarian Writers (RAPP), and promoted reconciliation with the intelligentsia.† (Encylopedia).

Initial Public Offerings Essay Example for Free

Initial Public Offerings Essay Primary private companies, who desires to go public or in other words decides to be listed in the different stock markets to raise capital, must first undergo a process called Initial Public Offering or IPO (Investopedia, 2008). This method has been widely popular and it goes to say it has its own shares of controversies as well. Especially from what was experienced during the 1990s on the dotcom crash, in which a lot of investors bought Initial stocks from companies even without a track record of operations and a feasible plan for profit (same as Investopedia, 2008). Now another Online firm plans to go public, it is the popular program Skype whose main features are online video and audio call conferencing. This could be a good idea, from a sales standpoint since Skype has been earning revenues for its parent company Ebay even before the latter has decided to treat it as a stand-alone company due to its limited synergies with Ebay’s core activities which basically are Online commerce auction site and Paypal Online payments system   (Stone, 2009).But if Skype will really go public, it could most probably used the same online method applied by former online firms: Google and Morning star which is the online auction approach. This essay will attempt to justify the consideration of Skype to go public. It will also analyze what particular type of Initial Public Offering (IPO) it may apply. We will also go in detail to assess what type of investors that Skype would most possibly attract. This study will also provide background on the lessons learned from previous online industries who went Public and used the auction approach as its method for IPO.As part of the types of methods for IPO offering, we will finally discuss potential costs and risks of each to have a better understand which method would be appropriate for a specific firm like Skpe. Skype going Public Ebay’s President and CEO could be right by the decision of treating Skype as a subsidiary company due to its function and future revenue potential if provided with the right amount of capital to work with. Skype historically, has been a consistent top performer in terms of revenue generation since its early inception. From 2007, Skype posted a significant increase of 44% to a tune of   $551 million, and segment market margins is at 21% which is also another big leap of 47% from 2007, and the projection of a total revenue for 2011 for $1 Billion dollars is not far fetch(ebay Inc., 2009), since the growth rate of Skype on its recent   quarterly performance have been anything but slow. Just last October 2009 data Skype again has increased by another 41% in total registered users, which is in the $521 Million mark and growing, Its posted growth of 29% in revenues amounting to another $181 million dollars also confirms its status as a force to be reckon with on the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoiP) industry (Schonfeld, 2009). Direct competitors of Skype are Vonage and Net2phone although stable does not have the growth potential and massive customer base that Skype enjoys. Skype has just also been sold recently by ebay to some private investors, and group led by Silver Lake partners, ebay sold 70% of its stake on Skype (Wauters, 2009).Which shows continued interest of the potential profit generation of this software. Skype is also considered as number ten on the Top ten potential IPO candidates by TechCrunch.com, given the rapid pace of Skype growth (Schonfeld, 2009). Traditional or Online Auction Method for Skype’s IPO? Skype may opt to apply the auction method, to have a lot of potential investors instead of limiting the opportunity to buy shares to a few large investing institutions, which possibly may not desire a new online firm. Google used the same method, which is called the Dutch auction method in serving its IPO to the public, with a lot of potential risks in this kind of method Google still managed to pull it off successfully (Edmonston, 2009). What type of Investors would go for Skype Small and young investors may go for this firm if it went public, this group usually knows the boundless potential of the internet, and has some basic knowledge on the types of revenues tech stocks can produce. The emerging trend of young internet whiz kids, who have made fortunes using the net, may as well be the same characteristics of investors for Skype. Conventional Investors, still requires a fundamentally sound metrics from a company that has a above average track records and has produced mostly tangible goods which some have been a staple of a society. Lessons Learned from Online Auction Approach Bothe Morningstar.com and Google used the same method for its Initial Public Offering, for the purpose of taking the controlling power away from the underwriters and to provide opportunities to invest for those who really believe and acknowledge a company’s potential.   Both have been relatively smooth and successful. For Morningstar on its IPO last 2005 even when price analysts predicted that price of stock may be on the amount of lowest range projected of $16 to $19, the demand was really strong as it ended up on the marked price of $18.50 for the mutual fund and stock analysts’ online firm (Munarriz, 2005). Google however probably was overwhelmed by pressures of controversies induced by market analysts, financial scholars, other online competition   and even the Securities and Exchange Commission, has decided for a last minute reduction of its target share price (Sorkin, 2009). Online companies often face criticisms such as being overvalued or overhyped. Especially after the dotcom event, doubt of investors on whether they could really pull through some revenues and maximize shareholders’ equity is prevalent. Both Morningstar and Google have experienced those biases but took it in stride and have been relatively stable in the marketplace, despite contradictions. Cost and Risks of each IPOs According to a famous article by the Wall Street Journal regarding methods of IPOs, â€Å"Wall Street bankers compare auction IPOs with selling fine art on eBay instead of at Sothebys. The big Wall Street firms have good reason to defend the traditional model. Known as book building, it entails gauging the interest of hedge funds and mutual funds in an offering† (2005, p.2). This conventional model with its current fees of 7% of capital allows Wall Street companies to sell its IPO stock at discounted prices to their best customers, which could benefit them by taking profits if the IPO increased even on its first day of trading (Wall Street Journal, 2005 p.2). Underwriters for this traditional approach receive a percentage of the IPO sale as commission, in addition to other fees or underwriting proceeds charged to underwrite the IPO. Such examples of those fees according to Kamlet Rini (1995)are: †¢ Managers Fee Goes to the managing underwriter for negotiating and managing the offering. Amount:10% 20% of the spread (meaning the spread between the Public offering price or POP and the underwriting proceeds). †¢ Underwriting Fee Goes to the managing underwriter and syndicate members for assuming the risk of buying the securities from the issuing corporation. Amount: 20% 30% of the spread †¢ Selling Concession Goes to the managing underwriter, the syndicate members, and to selling group members for placing the securities with investors. Amount: 50% 60% of the spread These fees, almost selected investors and a potential of losing more capital by an increase in value on share price, especially when first day trading price of IPO rise for the company, has been the somehow the risks a company going public undergoes when applying this method. As for the Auction Method, in which the firm sets a price of the share well above what any investor is expected to bid, and then reduces the price incrementally when an investor actually bids, has a relatively lower amount of fees. Risks involved according to some analysts is that IPOs   develop pricing patterns similar to those exhibited by IPOs during the dot.com era, and whether it would really provide more efficient pricing (Hensel, 2005). Risk of this mispricing can occur to lack of information on the part of the small investor, especially if the information issued could be implicit somehow to the small investor. Conclusion This study has discussed the strong possibility of Skype, joining the ranks of two famous Web companies such as Google and Morningstar, on going public. Skype have a rapid pace for growth based on its quarterly revenues and growing registered users. The best method for Skype to serve its Initial Public Offering is through an Online Auction, which again worked smoothly for both of the companies stated earlier. Each IPO type has its own costs and risks. For traditional IPOs, banking on their solid foundation of book building, it has its drawbacks of high fees and profits for companies who went public especially if the share prices do well on the first trading day. For Online auction, although has relatively low fees compared to the traditional method, has also the risk of running into similar pricing patterns which has links with the dotcom mania that occurred not too long ago. But for recommendation for Skype, the auction approach still works best, first to minimize cost on fees and a large possibility of fetching true market value stock price provided by potential strong demand due to Skype’s already significant business value.

Alexander The Great Essay -- Alexander Great Biography History

Alexander the Great On July twentieth, 356 B.C. Alexander the Great was born. His Father was Philip, the King of Macedonia. His mother was Olympia, daughter of the late King Epirus. Alexander was quite mature for his age. At 13 he started learning from Aristotle, he was trained with other children. It was at this time that he met Hephastion, his future best Friend. Aristotle gave Alexander training in rhetoric and literature and sparked his Interest in science, medicine, and philosophy, all which became important later In his life. When Alexander was 14 his father was going to purchase a black stallion. The horse was to wild and no one thought it could be tamed. Alexander decided That he could do it and leapt onto its back and started a sixteen year relationship with the horse. He named the horse Bucephalus At the age of sixteen his father made him regent , with the power to rule in his father's name. While his father was away ,one of the colonies revolted. Alexander quickly marched troops to the area. Also at 16 he founded his first colo...

Revenge in Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights :: Wuthering Heights Essays

Wuthering Heights - Revenge Emily Bronte, who never had the benefit of former schooling, wrote Wuthering Heights.   Bronte has been declared as a â€Å"romantic rebel† because she ignored the repressive conventions of her day and made passion part of the novelistic tradition. Unlike stereotypical novels, Wuthering Heights has no true heroes or villains.   The narration of the story is very unique and divergent because there are multiple narrators.   Bronte’s character Lockwood is used to narrate the introductory and concluding sections of the novel whereas Nelly Dean narrates most of the storyline.   It’s interesting that Nelly Dean is used because of her biased opinions.   There are many major themes of the book, but revenge is the most imminent theme, the factor that leads the protagonists to their dismal fate.   Bronte proves there is no peace in eternal vengeance, and in the end self-injury involved in serving revenge’s purposes will be more damaging than the original wrong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Heathcliff never finds peace through his revenge.   In fact, the only time he truly finds happiness is when he gives up his plan for retaliation.  Ã‚   Austin O’Malley states   â€Å"Revenge is like biting a dog that bit you†Ã‚   (O’malley 1).   O’Malley’s quote reflects Heathcliff’s immature need to propagate agony in those who have offended him.   Heathcliff’s plan for revenge on Edgar and Catherine is to marry Isabella, who is ignorant of love and of men because she has never experienced either.   He wants to hurt Edgar because of his marriage to Catherine, and he wants to get revenge on Catherine by making her jealous. Catherine’s death proves that this flawed plan of repayment helps nothing.   Heathcliff, haunted by the ghost of Catherine because he is her â€Å"murderer,† still is motivated by the need for revenge and tries to get young Cathy away from Edgar by having her marry his son, Linton.   Heathcliff never finds peace until he gives up his plan for revenge just before he dies.   When Heathcliff gives up his plan for revenge, he meets Catherine in death and truly becomes happy once more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Catherine’s revenge does not make things better for her.   Her   revenge on Heathcliff by blaming him for her upcoming death does not meliorate her mind.   Just before she dies, she ascribes Heathcliff for her â€Å"murder.†Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"You have killed me, and thriven on it, I think† (Bronte 158).   Catherine resembles what Oliver Goldsmith said,   â€Å"When lovely woman stoops to folly, and finds too late that men betray, what charm can soothe her melancholy?

Kath Walker’s We Are Gloing

Basically the theme of the poem is the Aboriginals oppression. The fact they have had to give up on their old way of life and let go of the world that used to be theirs. The Aboriginals knew â€Å"We belong here, we are of the old ways† but eventually through white civilisation and development this life is â€Å"Gone and scattered,† everything is gone and now they had to leave. In summary, the theme of this poem is the oppression experienced by the Indigenous population that resulted in a loss of culture and life for the Indigenous now â€Å"gone and scattered. One example of a technique in the poem includes repetition such as that of the word ‘gone. ‘ The word gone typifies the themes of loss and it's repetition enforces this concept. Other techniques include alliteration such as ‘silent and subdued,' similes such as â€Å"Where now the many white men hurry about like ants,† capitalisation of the word Thunder, six stanza structure, first perso n narration etc. Good luck! The obvious technique is slow deliberate repetition. This reinforces the ancient sigh of a people dispossessed. All that is sacred has been violated. A history is being expunged. Alliteration: subdued and silent ( we even faintly hear the shush) Simile: white men hurry about like ants There are metaphors used by the naive speaker in this poem. They are the land, the elements, the fauna, the flora and the history. The warning is all this heart will be gone if the white man has his way. Kath Walker was right. Her warning was not heard. And they are gone! 1. Explain why they are â€Å"silent and subdued†. 2. How are white men represented? Why? 3. What is a bora ring and explain why it is so central to this poem. 4. Explain their reaction in line 8. 5. Lines 9-17 begin a ‘litany’. What is the effect produced? 6. Comment on the significance of metaphors used in the poem. 7. Comment on the structure and form of this poem. 8. Why does Thunder have a capital letter? 9. Comment on the mood and atmosphere created here. 10. Combine comments on its theme, title and conclusion. Answers 1. They were silent and subdued because little remained of their tribe and many strangers were busy at work like ants. 2. The white men were represented as ants because they were busy at work and hurrying around. 3. A bora ring is where an initiation is performed and is hardened earth done by foot which is surrounded by raised embankments in a formation of a circle and it is central because the bora ring is not being respected as a sign says, â€Å"Rubbish maybe tipped here†. 4. Their reaction meant that to the white men they are strangers and are treated like they don’t belong in Australia but the Aboriginals feel that the white men are the strangers and are in their land. 5. It gives an effect of showing their side of really saying that they are the real natives of Australia and not the white men and that now that they are the past. 6. It compares and shows how the Aboriginals feel. 7. It has six stanzas and has no rhyming pattern. 8. The emphasis the word as thunder is really the loud terrifying sound as a result of lightning. 9. They are in the fresh air of Australia near the Bora Ring and the mood is of sadness and subduedness because of how the Bora Ring is being mistreated. 10. ‘We are going’ are the three words in the title, conclusion and theme and portrays how the life of the Aboriginals would be as the Aboriginals are not welcome to their own homeland therefore they are saying that they will leave their old ways and be cast upon a low unwanted class forever.

Inflation and Pestle Analysis

Pestle Analysis A pestle analysis is one of the most popular and effective methods of analysing the external macroeconomic factors that could impact on a business within a specific industry. Commonly, a pestle analysis will be used alongside other analyses that focus on internal factors. The combination of the pestle analysis with other factors will allow a company to create a strategic management plan of how to move its business forward in a way that maximises the opportunities available to it, externally.A pestle analysis comprises of six factors, namely political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal and environmental. The latter two have been recent additions to the pestle analysis (formerly known as pest) and reflect the growing importance of the environment and regulation to companies across all industries. Pestle Analysis – Political Political issues as part of the pestle analysis include all sorts of factors that normally derive from the government in the for m of policies or legislation.For the purposes of the pestle analysis of a self-employed beautician, there is little in the way of trade restrictions and tariffs to be concerned about. With the government currently encouraging parents (and specifically single parents) back to work the beauty industry should see a growing number of workers available. As peak times generally evenings and weekends, this could certainly fall in line with the political drive to encourage mothers back to work as this would be the times where alternative childcare would not be available.Pestle Analysis – Economic The pestle analysis then goes on to look at the economic impact on beauty industry. Key areas for the pestle analysis include inflation rates, interest rates and general economic conditions. The Beauty therapies are usually considered luxury products; therefore, when there is an economic downturn, the number of customers is likely to reduce. Where individuals have less disposable income due to high inflation levels, they will be less inclined to spend money on luxuries.The current economic climate is relatively weak and individuals are not feeling sufficiently wealthy to spend large amounts of their income on beauty treatments. As the pestle analysis has indicated, this to be a particular threat to the beauty industry and this should be something that management looks at mitigating. Typically, this could include reduction in costs and enhanced services for clients. Pestle Analysis – Social When conducting a pestle analysis on beauty therapy, the area of socio-culture presents a much more positive outlook.This part of the pestle analysis considers demographics such as age and wealth as well as issues including career aspirations and general interest in beauty issues. In this case, the beauty industry is doing extremely well. With a growing number of young women carving lucrative careers, there is an increasing demand for beauty therapy. Not only are greater numbe rs of younger individuals earning good wages, but the grey pound is also increasing in strength. There is a growing demand from older people for beauty treatments and an increasing ability by these individuals to be able to afford such treatments.These changing demands have led to substantial diversification and new opportunities within the beauty industry. Pestle Analysis – Technological On the face of it, technological developments may not appear to be particularly relevant to a beauty business. However, in conducting a more detailed pestle analysis, it becomes clear that the beauty industry as it stands has relatively high barriers to entry by virtue of the level of expertise and technology required. As established in the earlier part of the pestle analysis, consumers are becoming more demanding and experimental in the area of beauty therapy.As such, there is a growing need for beauty treatments to ensure not only that they have the latest technology, but also that beautic ians are trained to use such equipment. Whilst basic beauticians may find that they are not prohibited from entering the market by virtue of their lack of technology, the pestle analysis in relation to socio-cultural issues has shown that in order to establish a truly competitive position, companies will have to offer the latest technology and a wide range of options.Pestle Analysis – Legal When looking at the beauty industry from a pestle point of view, it is not surprising that health and safety legislation is both plentiful and restrictive. It is necessary for all beauticians to comply with the basic health and safety regulations, but they should also pay attention to treatment specific requirements. All beauticians will have to be suitably qualified. Insurance will have to be maintained and all necessary employment law provisions complied with.As the workforce is likely to be largely part time and possibly even self-employed, attention will have to be paid to ensure that the correct taxes and paperwork requirements are complied with. Pestle Analysis – Environmental The issue of environmental factors has only just been added to the pestle analysis in a bid to recognise how important this factor can be to the success of a business. Traditionally, in the pestle analysis, a company would consider the environmental issues with which it must comply.In the case of a beauty therapy, this is largely likely to be in relation to dangerous substances such as massage oils and cleaning chemicals. However, a slightly different approach which the pestle analysis reveals is that the environment could, in fact, bring opportunities to a beauty therapy with a growing demand for organic and natural products. Many consumers (as previously analysed in the pestle analysis) will pay a premium for natural products and, as such, being seen to be environmentally friendly will not only ensure regulatory compliance, but may also encourage more customers at a higher value.

Economic Developments Essay

The current system of the world economy has emerged as a result of the historical trends and economic developments that occurred in the past particularly during the periods of World War I, World War II and the Cold War. To a significant extent, the current world order and the capitalist and industrial prosperity that is being experienced today are products of historical economic developments. This paper examines the economic developments from 1913 to the present including the history of self-determination in the world economy in relation to the current world economy. Consequently, the role of the United States from being an isolationist to an economic hegemon is analyzed. Economic Developments from 1913-Present The period from Post World War I up to the present can be considered to be a see-saw of economic prosperity and economic crises for most countries. For countries like the United States the war had brought about economic development but it also caused the economic downturn for countries like France and Germany. Capitalism began to ensue and trading had been more active. Hence, the period from 1920-1929 signaled the massive economic progress in the world economy- industries were established and the percentage of industries to agriculture rose. After this massive growth however, the unemployment rate and poverty that ensued from the period of 1929-1941 had led to the Great Depression- interest rates were high, hyperinflation ensued and the rise in debt had led to stock market collapse. The world economy had experienced a systemic recession leading the collapse of markets worldwide. In this era, the GDP and GNP of nations dropped and poverty ensued as world trade had been inactive. After the Great Depression, the World War II had created another economic era- post World War II had been considered to be a golden era for capitalism worldwide. This is because of the rapid rise in industries, the technological advancement, the prospering and stabilization of world trade, domestic and international institutions had been established in order to facilitate the world economy. Consequently, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank and the IMF were established in order to aid countries needing economic lift in order to aid in their industrialization. Backed by capitalism and foreign direct investments, this era can be considered the time when the world economy had boomed. However, after this period the time between 1970s-1980s, inflation and interest rates grew up and the fixed interest rates were deregulated in order to let the world economy repair itself. This era had however, contributed in terms of the massive plan to reorganize domestic economies through fiscal policies. The post Cold War on the other hand, marked the era when the US became the sole hegemon after the downfall of Russia. Before the Cold War, democratic countries can only trade with democratic countries and communist countries are only limited to trade with communist countries- the downfall of Russia opened the doors for all countries to be participants in the world economy. Hence, during the period of 1990 and up to the present times, despite some economic fluctuations, the world economy can be considered as stable and progressive. While there are ups and downs, the stability of the world economy in the present times cannot easily succumb to another depression. Self-Determination and in the World Economy Self-determination started after the World War I as a result of the Treaty of Versailles- it declared that the sovereignty of the states should take charge of the whole population. World War I led to the breakup of the Hapsburg and Ottoman empires and the birth of a new generation of nation-states. At Versailles, U. S. President Woodrow Wilson’s famous Fourteen Points–the fifth of which declared that sovereignty should take full account of the interests of the populations concerned–formed the basis for the treaty ending the war. After World Wars One and Two, self-determination inspired the demolition of empires and the formation of new sovereign states; the concept being thus extended in the 1940s and 1950s to apply in the context of the decolonisation process. In the 1960s and 1970s, the principle of self-determination clashes with the principle of territorial integrity and global leaders are increasingly seeing this angle to the problem. In fact, even the UN resolution 1514 adopted in 1960 which elevated the status of self-determination, had also emphasized territorial integrity: any attempt aimed at the partial or total disruption of national unity and territorial integrity of a country is incompatible with the Purposes and Principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The international system was caught up in the contradiction and had exhibited some degree of ambivalence at least after the post-war decolonisation. It can be observed that the further extension of the principle today, as it inspires the surge of ethnic politics and threatens the break-up of the established post-colonial order. The United States as the World’s Political and Economic Hegemon The United States before World War I cannot be considered to be an economic or a political superpower, it derived its wealth from World War I from selling ammunitions and exploiting the economic opportunities caused by the war. However, in World War II, the US emerged as one of the more powerful countries not only in terms of technology but also politically and economically after surviving the Great Depression. The Post World War II established the United States from a country in the middle to that of a global hegemon. For one, post World War I saw the US to be involved in trade, the importation and exportation of goods as well as in searching for new territories to expand its power and industries. Post World War II saw the United States cementing its economic and political hegemony- it had established itself as one of the most prosperous and progressive countries not only through its GDP and GNP but also in terms of its ability to impose upon other countries. The United States during this time served as one of the economic powers together with countries in Europe, Japan and the USSR. Upon entering the Cold War, the world became a division of the US and the USSR or democracy versus communism. During this era, the United States served as an international role model for democracies as well as the patron of democratic countries. The fall of the USSR catapulted the US to its role today as a global hegemon- except for North Korea, there had been no real threat to the supremacy of democracy and hence, the United States. During this time until the present times, the United States had been a major player in sanctioning countries that do not abide by international laws and regulations as well as being a forerunner in providing foreign aids as well as regulating trade activities. To be a partner with the US would be tantamount to economic growth. The power held by the US both politically and economically can be considered to spawn countries even in Asia and Third World countries. Needless to say, the United States can be considered to be the most important international player today.