Human Resource and Industrial Relations Essay

In many Commonwealth Caribbean Countries since the early 1960’s, there have been attempts at Public Sector Reform by replacing the traditional system of Public Administration with what is commonly known as New Public Management and to this day, the successful implementation of such structural adjustment attempts have evaded most Governments who have dared to try. It was evident, however, that there were differences in the way each country attempted to introduce NPM. Jamaica and Barbados, for example, adhered rigorously to the primary tenets of NPM and Trinidad and Tobago by implementing some measures but not others. Human resource management (HRM) is a term which is now widely used but very loosely defined. It should be defined in such a way as to differentiate it from traditional personnel management and to allow the development of testable hypotheses about its impact. Based on theoretical work in the field of organizational behaviour it is proposed that HRM comprises a set o f policies designed to maximize organizational integration, employee commitment, flexibility and quality of work. Within this model, collective industrial relations have, at best, only a minor role. Despite the apparent attractions of HRM to managements, there is very little evidence of any quality about its impact or that of New Public Management. However, the purpose of this paper is to review and analyze some of the different approaches to Human Resource Management, New Public Management and  Industrial Relations initiatives used in Trinidad and Tobago and the extent to which the introduction of a â€Å"new† model of management in the public sector has led to a realignment in the roles, responsibilities, and relationships between the policy-makers, the bureaucracy, civil society and Trade Unions in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, mentioning the work of two (2) well accomplished local minds who have contributed to the study of Public Sector Reform and Industrial Relations. Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations (HRIR) is a multidisciplinary area that investigates all aspects of employment relations in the public and private sector. Modern organisations i ncreasingly regard staff as their most valuable asset and a chief source of competitive advantage. Consequently, they attach great importance to how they manage people. Successful management of employment relations is vital if employees are to be motivated and organisations are to be successful. The Human resource management (HRM) side encompasses the governance of an organization’s employees and is sometimes referred to simply as human resources (HR). It is the people who work for the organization and human resource management is really employee management with an emphasis on those employees as assets of the business. Areas of HRM oversight include employee recruitment and retention, exit interviews, motivation, assignment selection, labor law compliance, performance reviews, training, professional development, mediation, change management and some extent of Industrial Relations. Industrial relations, which is sometimes called labour-management relations is a professional area of activity and is multidisciplinary, drawing from several academic areas such as law, economics, psychology, sociology and organizational theory. The field of Industrial relations also similarly encompasses the relationships between employers and employees, between employees and other employee s, between employers and their unions and advisors, between employees and their unions, between workplaces in the labour market, the environment created by historical, political, legal and social forces, cultural norms as well as the products of the industrial relations systems including industrial action, collective agreements, grievance handling and other problem-solving mechanisms. Since the 1990’s, there has been the need to transition from the traditional Public Administration (PA) to New Public Management (NPM) and the implementation of NPM ideas are closely related to Human Resources (HR)  in public institutions. In order to achieve a consistent shift, a lot of attention has been devoted to the reconstruction of Human Resource Management (HRM) as well as the improvement in the quality of Industrial Relations in Trinidad and Tobago that has become necessary due to the increasing frequency of strikes and other industrial action related to negotiations for new collective agreements. The first of the two (2) Authors who’s work are being mentioned and have made valid contributions to the field of Public Sector Reform is Dr. Ann-Marie Bissessar, a well accomplished Senior Lecturer in the Behavioural Sciences Department, University of the West Indies. Dr. Bissessar in one of her many writings entitled. â€Å"The changing nexus of power in the new public sector management of Trinidad and Tobago†, examines the extent to which the introduction of a â€Å"new† model of management in the public sector has led to a realignment of the bureaucracy and civil society in Trinidad and Tobago. The document suggests that the introduction of new public management in the public services of Trinidad and Tobago has led to changes in the structure, culture and functioning of the public sector. Doctor Bissessar argues that while there were tensions between the politician and the administrator during the post-independence period these were, to a large extent, kept in check by the rules and regulations that were part and parcel of the traditional method of administration. The introduction of principles of new public management in 1991 and the stress on greater autonomy and a more â€Å"fluid† bureaucratic arrangement, however, have fundamentally altered the power relationships between the politician and the administrator so that the division between the political sphere and the administrative sphere has become increasingly blurred. With respect to the civil society, concludes that with the exception of certain non-governmental organizations, the wider civil society continues to have a minimal input in either policy formulation or execution. Writing along the same lines of thought was Dr. Roodal Moonilal in his one of his articles entitled, â€Å"A note on the Human Re source Management and its Diffusion†. Doctor Moonilal, wrote that the notion of HRM is difficult to pin down with one definition and that is has central concerns with issues of quality, productivity, safety and the efficient use of materials. Other features include sub-contracting, re-deployment of labour, individual contracts and external forms of flexibility and much of the human relations  school. He took from the work of Allan Fox, who articulated two categories or frames of reference within which to conceptualise workplace industrial relations. He stated that Fox outlined a unitary frame of reference which stressed the importance of a common objective for the enterprise, with one source of authority and one focus of loyalty, all participants have the same basic aim and all aspire to share in the rewards which will accrue from the attainment of this aim. Conflict within this framework is denied, as Fox states, â€Å"the doctrine of common purpose and harmony of interests implies that apparent conflict is either (a) merely frictional, e.g. due to incompatible personalities or â€Å"things going wrong†, or (b) caused by faulty â€Å"communications†, e.g. â€Å"misunderstandings† about aims or met hods, or (c) the result of stupidity in the form of failure to grasp the communality of interest, or (d) the work of agitators inciting the supine majority who would otherwise be content† (1966:12). Improving human relations and communications are said to be the appropriate methods to avoid conflict which is seen as the result of poor social relations. In the unitary frame the presence of trade unions is seen as an â€Å"intrusion† into the private, peaceful and unified structure, they compete â€Å"illegitimately† for control over, and the loyalty of, the employees and are considered â€Å"foreign and alien† to the private affairs of the company. Foxs’ work also identified a â€Å"pluralist† frame which accepts that an enterprise contains groups with a variety of different interests, aims and aspirations and it is therefore a coalition of different interests rather than the embodiment of one common goal. In the pluralist enterprise conflict is normal, expected and should not be suppressed but the aim must be to keep it within accepted bounds to prevent the destruction of the enterprise. The article also states that if HRM can be located conceptually within the unitary ideology in the 1960s, it must also be traced to forms of strategic industrial relations adopted during the very period. The emerg ence of productivity bargaining defined as â€Å"an exchange of higher wages for more work, or the same wages in less time, or for greater flexibility and mobility of labour was seen as an earlier attempt by management to give direction to industrial relations. By the late 1970s external forces placed a focus on HRM in the academic and professional circuits as well as a wide range of features and dramatically contrasting reports on its implementation, impact and implications. The  article also stressed the need for Total Quality Management (TQM) and that the historical labour-management distrust and war in industrial relations has no place in Human Resource Management while stating that there are however characteristics of HRM which can threaten the functioning of traditional trade unionism. Dr. Moonilal states that even though some features of HRM can threaten the Union, they can only endanger a Union if it is weak at the shop floor level with a membership which is immobilized and lacking faith in the collective action and skill in representation. The Practitioners of industrial relations were said to be trade union officers, human resource managers, conciliators, mediators, labour department officials and project managers, among others. The main focus of industrial relations is on people in the workplace, whether such a workplace is a large transnational organization, or a small family firm, whether those employed are on a contract of service or on a contract for service; and whether or not a union is involved at the workplace. Indeed, industrial relations can exist even where collective agreements do not materialize. PART A Like most islands in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago emerged from colonization in the early 1960s extremely poor and with an economy structured around resource exports. Trinidad and Tobago’s tremendous growth spurt slowed, and the economy entered a ten-year period of sluggish growth and had become urbanized, many belonging to the middle class, a situation unknown in most developing countries. As economic growth slowed, increased demands were voiced for adequate housing, better labor rights, more jobs, improved living and working conditions, more equitable distribution of wealth, and national ownership of resources. Despite these demands, the socioeconomic problems present in Trinidad and Tobago were hardly as acute as in other Caribbean countries; nonetheless, such issues as negative attitudes toward foreign ownership tended to dominate. Led by the charismatic and intellectual Eric Williams since its independence in 1962, citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, like people through out the region, hoped and expected that political independence would bring not only dignity but economic improvement. The moderate growth Trinidad and Tobago had been experiencing resulted in some gains for the population. During this time,  the islands’ labor force was highly unionized and the industrial relations climate in Trinidad and Tobago was growing tense with the development of the trade union movement. There was an increasing number of strikes and labour disputes which threatened the economic growth and productivity of the country. The Public Service employees were described as being indolent, inefficient and corrupt and it was impossible to discipline anyone or reform the service. So, It was said that the Public Service no longer attracted the best. The Government of the day could no longer delay in taking legislative action to regulate the relations between unions, workers and employers and there was an urgent need for change and the role of government in the economy increased drastically during the 1960s. The year 1962 was actually when the first step in the development of the collective bargaining process in Trinidad and Tobago was taken in November of that year, just three (3) months after the country obtained Independence from the British in 1962. An agreement was signed by the Secretary to Cabinet at the time on behalf of the Government and by the leadership of the Civil Service Association, the recognized representative for Civil Servants. It established a Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal with the power to decide issues remaining unresolved between the Government and the Association. The Tribunal was designed to function on an â€Å"Ad Hoc† basis and under the Whitley Council System, the Colonial Secretary and subsequently, the Secretary to Cabinet discussed matters relating to the Terms and Conditions of employments in the Civil Service with the Executive of the Civil Service Association .However, the right to approve of not approve any agreements reached was reserved to the Governor General after Independence. The relationship then changed between the Government and the Association and by extension the Civil Service, by bringing an end to the virtually absolute authority previously exercised by the Government. The next phase of Collecting Bargaining was achieved in 1966 when Parliament passed the Civil Service Act as Act No. 29 of 1965. This Act which came into force on August 27, 1966 provided for an effective system of Collective Bargaining referred to in the Act as consultation and Negotiation. The Act established the Personnel Department of Government which was headed by the Chief Personnel Officer and staffed by Civil Servants to; maintain the class of Civil  Servants and keep under review the remuneration payable to them, administer the general regulations respecting the Civil Servants, provide for and establish procedures for consultation between the Personnel Department and an any Association in respect to classification of officers, any grievances and Terms and Conditions of Emp loyment of Civil Servants. Those aspects of the employment relationship which could not be left to collective bargaining such as employee health and safety, minimum age of employment and workers’ compensation, retrenchment and severance benefits and maternity leave are set down in legislation which bind the State and private employers. As a result the Industrial Stabilisation Act, 1965, was enacted. This Act introduced the concept of compulsory arbitration to Trinidad and Tobago by the establishment of the Industrial Court. The main function of this Court was to intervene to prevent and settle industrial disputes between employers and their union represented workers. The Industrial Stabilisation Act was later repealed and replaced by the Industrial Relations Act, 1972, Chapter 88:01 of the Laws of Trinidad and Tobago to provide for the following: free collective bargaining between employer and workers through their representative associations, the development of a peaceful and expeditious procedure for the settlement of disputes, the establishment of the Industrial Court,  the recognition and registration of trade unions,   the freedom to be represented by a trade union and the right not to associate, and industrial action which may be taken by both employer and employee. In addition, Provision was made for a T ripartite industrial relations advisory committee which had the responsibility of reviewing the IRA and making recommendations to the Minister of Labour. This way the Act kept up with industrial relations trends. The general industrial relations policy in Trinidad and Tobago was based on voluntary collective bargaining between employers and workers, via their representative associations, for the settlement of terms and conditions of employment. While the Government has ratified several ILO Conventions, including the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144), these Conventions only become effective when they are legislatively implemented. A 144 Tripartite Committee, comprising all of the social partners, trade  unions, employers, and Government, in operation in Trinidad and Tobago with the responsibility of considering and recommending the ratification of ILO Conventions. State employees included all civil servants, teachers and members of the Protective Services (Fire, Police and Prison Services). The employment relationship between the State and its employees was governed generally by legislation, which made provisions for terms and conditions of e mployment including recruitment, hours of work, leave entitlements, payment of remuneration, pensions, allowances and other benefits. There was legislation which dealt specifically with each group, such as the Civil Service Act, Chap 23:01 for all civil servants, the Police Service Act, Chap. 15:01, as revised by the Police Service Bill (2003), the Fire Service Act, Chap. 35:50 and the Education Act, Chap 39:01 for teachers. The representative associations of monthly paid State employees may bargain collectively with the Chief Personnel Officer, who is deemed to be the employer of State employees under the IRA. The subject of these negotiations include wage increases, travelling and other allowances and leave entitlements. Other legislations were as follow: The Occupational Safety and Health Act – Sets standards for employee health and safety at the workplace The Workmen’s Compensation Act or the Employment Injury and Disability Benefits Bill – Provides compensation where employees are injured on the job Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act – Guarantees the payment of severance pay to retrenched employees. The Maternity Protection Act – Provides maternity leave and related benefits to female employees PART B In December 1991 a new government was elected in Trinidad and Tobago. It soon embarked on an ambitious programme of public sector reform under the overall direction of Gordon Draper as Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Administration and Public Information. The programme drew directly on the NPM paradigm and sought to deliver decentralised management, improved morale and productivity, improved human resource management, improved quality of service and delivery, and improved budgeting and accounting systems. The details of the programme were set out  in detail in a publication of the MTSD as A Profile of the Public Service of Trinidad and Tobago (Commonwealth Secretariat 1995). It covered seven areas, three of which were elaborated in some detail. The first was ‘making the most of staff’ through training and development, the establishment of ‘change teams’ within ministries to lead reform, new systems of performance appraisal, and improving work performance by upgrading accommodation and developing an employee assistance programme. The second focused on ‘making government more efficient’ through the introduction of strategic planning, improving productivity via computerisation, contracting out services, redundancy management, and conducting comprehensive audits, a view also shared by Dr. Bissessar and Dr. Moonilal as mentioned previously. The third area, ‘improving policy analysis and co-ordination’, was to be achieved by creating standing committees of Cabinet in vital areas for national economic development, improving policy presentation in the media, and creating more mechanisms for public consultation on national development. The other areas addressed the quality of public services, partnerships with the private sector and non-government organisations, effective management and the management of finance. It was a comprehensive vision and some of the ideas, mechanisms and procedures set forth in it have since been adopted by other Caribbean countries in their programmes of reform. In Trinidad and Tobago, however, it ran into difficulties. One was over the powers and responsibilities of the Public Service Commission (PSC). The reforms proposed their reduction and rationalisation, with many of them being exercised by ministries and other public agencies in accordance with the more decentralised management principles of NPM. These were resisted by the PSC, which claimed that the government was unfairly blaming them for failures in the public service. They also questioned the introduction of private sector values into the very different ethos of the public service (Trinidad and Tobago 1995). Another was the proposal to establish human resource units in ministries which would have seriously weakened the Personnel Department. A number of ministries submitted plans but there was much delay in implementation reducing the effectiveness of the reform. Other changes in this area, such as performance appraisal, also met employee resistance, suggesting a strong cultural re sistance to change. However, on the one hand, public servants supported change which was beneficial to them  Ã¢â‚¬Å"such as training, pay increases, systems of career path planning and enhanced opportunities†. On the other, they were â€Å"afraid of change† which was in any way radical, rather than incremental, since they equated it with â€Å"retrenchment and downsizing† which would threaten their jobs and erode their tenure. In such circumstances it is not surprising that many were â€Å"openly hostile to suggestions for further reform†. In the face of such opposition, and also a lessening of commitment to micro-manage change by the political leadership, the reform programme slowly ground to a halt. The role of the state in development has come under challenge. The reasons for this include the fiscal crises that hit most developing countries in the 1980s, weakening the ability of the state to fund development programmes; the stabilisation and structural adjustment policies that followed, which imposed reductions in the role and size of government and an increase in the scope and activities of the private sector; and the elaboration, from the beginning of the 1990s, o f programmes of ‘good governance’ which aimed to build ‘an effective state’ through matching a state’s role to its capability, which required a sharper focus on fundamentals, and raising state capability by reinvigorating public institutions. In the achievement of these last set of activities sweeping public sector reform was to be encouraged. The impact of such programmes on the developing world has been the subject of much comment. In the case of small states it raised particular difficulties. The public sector tends to be proportionately bigger and its responsibility for delivering services across a wide range of activities greater than in many larger countries. There were thus serious questions about any proposal to reduce the role of the state. At the same time the need for public sector reform was acknowledged in many small states. The New Public Sector Management (NPSM) is the transfer of business and market principles and management processes from the private sector into the public service itself, or outsourcing government activities to the special purpose companies owned by a government or even to the private sector. There is or has been no empirical evidence that NPSM reforms of the public service or outsourcing have led to productivity increases or public welfare improvements even by private sector standards. Th is is because there are basic problems implicit in the NPSM model which derive from the fact that the aims of the public service differ from those of the private sector.  The private sector is about competition and maximizing profits. The proponents of NPSM seek to treat the public as though they are consuming private sector goods and services. The use of these business techniques in the delivery of public functions constricts the accomplishment of the basic tenets of the state: democracy, regularity, transparency and due process, which are surely more important than perceived efficiency and speed. With regards to its impact on the Industrial Relations System, traditionally, trade unions in the Caribbean, in negotiating wages and conditions of employment for their members, have resorted to the confrontational approach to settle outstanding issues. In the early days of trade unionism, this approach was extremely successful and was effectively used. It can be said that employers were cognizant of the close relationship that existed between the political leaders in most of the Caribbean islands and the trade union leaders. In some instances, they were one and the same person. As the countries became independent and t he impact of adverse economic circumstances began to be felt, employers in both the public sector and private sector responded by resorting to taking tough economic decisions. Invariably, these decisions focused on the way in which wage increases were negotiated, the level of these increases and the impact which they had on government finances and on profits at the level of the enterprise. As a consequence, collective bargaining took a new turn as trade unions were forced to examine seriously their approach to the preparation of proposals and the presentation of their case. At the same time, alternative approaches to confrontation were examined and in some instances adopted. Social dialogue has been developed by the ILO as one of the alternative approaches recommended to the social partners (governments, employers and trade unions). A number of studies on best practices in selected enterprises in the Caribbean are being developed to demonstrate how effective social dialogue can be in increasing productivity and in keeping with the New Public Management approaches. However, it seems to me that there has been increasingly forceful moves by trade unions in Tr inidad and Tobago over the past few years to influence national policies and issues. This may be out of frustrated expectations which originate from political and economic circumstances. Whatever the reason, it is has begun to have a negative impact on the workers they represent and the wider society. If this  situation is not addressed it may very well deteriorate and there will be unintended adverse consequences, including loss of employment opportunities and declining standards of living for those whose interests should be served by the unions. The principal stakeholders must re-examine their contributions to the current state of affairs and resolve to bring about the necessary transformation. We need to start the process of change now and even though it would be time consuming, it must be done. It requires an understanding of the realities of the global economy and the imperative for small economies such as ours to survive and in the longer term, to prosper. Trinidad and Tobago has been in a more fortunate position due to our rich hydrocarbon industry and prices being unexpectedly high. However, this should not be the basis of planning sustainable economic grow th and development. The future requires all the social partners to work together, replacing confrontation by cooperation and collaboration. This can only be accomplished if there are suitable multipartite mechanisms established by the government and adhered to by all stakeholders (government, labour, private sector and civil society) whereby meaningful consultation leads to consensus on common objectives and the strategies by which these can be achieved. There must be a major paradigm shift from dependency on oil and gas revenues to support artificially high employee compensation without regard for productivity. There can be no justification for such irrational approaches to industrial relations. It is time to adopt new methods of resolving issues and to put the issue of pay for performance and productivity on the front burner. The era of ‘might is right’ is a luxury we can no longer afford. We need to usher in a new dispensation of enlightened industrial relations to create a truly developed society. Relations between companies and unions need to shift from being adversarial to one of co-operation and it is critical for both parties, union and management to jointly address the competitive pressures and to work together to harness the skills and the commitment of the workforce. The manufacturing and public sectors in many countries have been the traditional base of support for trade unions. They are now experiencing cons iderable difficulties in maintaining and increasing membership. It is the hope of many that the Government will begin the process of getting the economy back on its feet. In doing so, there is always the potential for increased agitation by trade  unions that could ultimately lead to Industrial action where their demands for double digit wage increases cannot be met by the Government. Such a situation can also impact the industrial relations environment across the private sector where unionization is concentrated, particularly along the East-West Corridor. There is also, the perception among many in society that our industrial relations climate will become increasingly adversarial. Employers are more weary of unionization today more than ever before given the current approach to negotiations and dispute resolution by certain trade unions. This is most unfortunate since these very employers accept that trade unions have a critical role to play in shaping industrial relations in our country and facilitating an economic recovery. It goes without saying that industrial action in any form and by anyone can lead to huge disruptions, losses in production and ultimately adverse long-term economic consequences if unchecked and properly regulated. The problem is that much of the current legislation and regulation governing industrial action was formulated back in the 1960â €™s and at a time when there were no legislative safeguards and specified minimum working conditions. On the other hand, the situation is very different today. Today, most workers enjoy legislative protections  in areas ranging from unfair dismissals to minimum wages, maternity leave and severance benefits. It is important to note that in the 1960s trade union membership was more than twice as much as it is now and industrial relations was more about power relations hence the prevalence of adversarial relationships between employers and workers. Today, this too has changed somewhat and great strides have been made to encourage tripartism, social dialogue and labour management co-operation. The movement towards human capital as the major investment for competitive advantage has greatly accelerated. Improved communication of total reward packages through face-to-face meetings, total reward statements and flexible benefits have in most workplaces replaced indirect forms of communication and the significance of basic pay in the overall remuneration package. The one (1) major area that needed to be addressed was the Industrial Court, which was noted to have served the country will but has not been perfect in  its judgments. Many have questioned whether there is a need for the Industrial Court as some of its judgments have been criticized. In a report submitted to Errol McLeod, Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Development Enterprises on July 29, 2013 by the Industrial Relations Advisement Report Committee, it stated twenty-five (25) recommendations for changes needed within the Industrial Relations Sector. The report stated that there is a need to ensure that the Industrial Court is examined and brought up to a more modern constitution, since there have been no direct changes in the Labour Relations Sector for decades. There are issues with the tenure of Judges, Independence of the Court, Migrant Law, Minimum Wages, Maternity Protection, Work men’s Compensation Ordinance and Retrenchment and Severance Pay. It was also stated that the Collective Bargaining process must be done in a more timely basis. The Industrial Relations Advisement Report Committee also stressed in their extensive report that it was crucial to the Industrial Relations Sector that all twenty-five (25) recommendations made be addressed. With this in mind, it is clear that what our industrial relations system needs now is a modernized legal framework which is relevant to changes in working life, modern human resource management practices and technological advancement. It also needs a proper functioning Industrial Court to preside over all its matters. RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION While several attempts have also been made in the past to improve the operations of the Public Service of Trinidad and Tobago, the challenges associated with Human Resource Management and its evolution into New Public Management, accountability, information and technology, communication technology, leadership systems and the systems of laws and procedures continue to occur. The culture of the Public Service has been one referred to as too â€Å"laid back† and that any diversion from the â€Å"status quo† is frowned upon and resisted. There needs to be collaboration between key central agencies to facilitate their acceptance of the fact that change is needed and accept the relevant responsibilities. Governments need to properly formulate and oversee the implementation of comprehensive change management strategies and have a robust legislative analysis of these  changes. Provisions must be created to ensure effective implementation and review, communication and networking within and among various Ministries and Departments. There also needs to be a strengthening of the Civil Service and administrative components of Public Service Reform, providing them with a better frame work and indicator set. More attention must be given to the budget execution phases of Financial Management and sufficient resources must be allocated to ensure that the officers can perform at their best and with a sense of urgency. With all this in mind, it is quite obvious that any kind or nature of Reform is a work in progress. BIBLIOGRAPHY Labour Law Profile. â€Å"National Labour Profile: Trinidad and Tobago Web. 27 July 2011 http://www.ilo.org/resrch/intro Trinidad and Tobago Economic Development Web. August 2011 www.photius.com/countries/Trinidad and Tobago Bissessar, Ann-Marie. â€Å"The changing nexus of power in the New Public Sector Management of Trinidad and Tobago†. Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of the West-Indies International Journal of Public Sector Management. Web.Vol. 16ISS: No.109 Moonilal, Roodal Dr. â€Å"A note on HRM and Its Diffusion†. June 13, 2009 Sutton, Paul. â€Å"Public Sector Reform in Small States† Cases from the Commonwealth Caribbean. (2009) â€Å"Industrial Relations in Trinidad and Tobago.† Wikipidea Online. Encyclopedia Wikipedea, 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Young, Greg. Home page. Web. 13 Nov. 2013 Chamber of Commerce. â€Å"The Current Industrial Relations Climate in Trinidad and Tobago† Chamber of Commerce, 2011. Web. 10 Nov 2013

Why War Is Necessary

For as far back as mankind dates back in it's existence, there has always been and always will be war. History all throughout the world holds numerous acts of war dating all the way back to the early years of civilization, up until even today's most recent problems. I believe war is a perfectly necessary action, especially when a hostile force makes unjustifiable attacks that put the safety of our country at jeopardy. This does not mean that every issue's solution has to be war. Simply, this means you deserve to be able to protect yourself against a bully.Of course there will always be the thought of being able to live in peace and harmony, but is that a realistic goal? There will always be bad guys with guns who wont take no for an answer. When an aggressor starts a conflict, you can make the choice to either defend what is yours by fighting back or you can surrender to their demands. I have worked hard for the things I have, and if going to war means protecting what is right then b y all means, it is justified. America is the land of the free, and home of the brave.We have come a long ways to become what we are now. Our country provides everyone with freedom and equal opportunities. There is no dictator to force us into living a certain way, the people got to make the choice in who they want to lead us. Freedom is a wonderful thing to have, and there should be no reason why another country should be allowed to get in the way of that. If a hostile country starts to push us around and become a treat to our freedom, we need to push back or else they just might take it from us.Look back on what happened December 7, 1941, â€Å"Sudden and unexpected attacks on Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, and other United States possessions in the Pacific early yesterday by the Japanese air force and navy plunged the United States and Japan into active war. †(ny times article) Japan landed a surprise attack on American soil. If war is an unnecessary action then how are we suppose d to know that more attacks, just like the ones that happened at Pearl Harbor, wont continue? If we don't flex back and show our real strength and muscle of this great country then we are just sitting ducks waiting to be spotted.Nobody is going to pick on someone that they know can defend and protect themselves. A common point made by those who are against war is that it will make our bad economy even worse. I really don't see how that could become an issue taking into account that to go to war food, ammunition, weapons, gear, and a whole lot of other stuff is going to be purchased. Obviously the government is going to have to spend money to acquire these things, but in turn wont that give more job opportunities from increased production needs from all the companies that make what our soldiers need?At first a large portion of money will be used up, but when the companies begin hiring more workers, then those workers will spend there money in other places on other necessities which i n the long run starts a cycle of stimulation within our economy. If there is an adequate amount of demand in a company, then there can only be an adequate amount of employees. But if that same company keeps getting more demand of their products, then they will have to hire more people to meet those demands.Frederic Bastiat, a french economist, was very well known for introduction of this idea through the parable â€Å"The Broken Window† which is apart of his essay What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen. A part of the broken window parable includes, â€Å"It's an ill wind that blows nobody some good. Such accidents keep industry going. Everybody has to make a living. What would become of the glaziers if no one ever broke a window? †(That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen) In this, he illustrates how destruction can have a positive effect on society.In this essay, he proves a very good point that destruction might not be a good thing for whoever has to pay for the ini tial damages, but if things were to never get broken or need to be replaced, how would money be made to be spent in other places? Everyone needs to make a living somehow. Whether it happens to be your son accidentally breaking your window with a baseball or even something as bad as a hostile nation delivering a surprise attack which results in war, the unintended consequences that happen everyday are what help to create the opportunities of work that pay for us to survive.The link between war and technology has always been impeccably close. Neither of them would be successful without the support from the other. That is why if war wasn't necessary, then a lot of today's modern technology wouldn't even be invented yet. The outcome of having technology that is old and outdated, instead of having the latest technological breakthrough in your military's equipment has a high potential that could very well cost you the war. Over and over again, our history proves that the biggest advances in technological growth have been a result of warfare.A perfect example of this statement would be how the invention of the tank in the first World War helped Britain achieve victory. In this war, the introduction of the machine gun made it possible to kill large amounts of soldiers at ease which had forced combat on both sides into trench warfare. In order for either side to advance forward, their only choice was to charge straight into rows of machine guns that were just waiting to mow all of them down.In desperate need of some way to cross through the no mans land between the two sides, attention was brought to the idea of an armored vehicle with all terrain capabilities able to handle driving across the trenches. Armored vehicles had been made before but they were built only to handle normal terrain, so the British created the first armored vehicle that could handle the muddy terrain of the trenches giving them the upper hand later on that lead to their victory in WWI.This makes it very clear that war does help advance the progression of our technology, because if we didn't need a way to get through the rough terrain of the trenches, the tank wouldn't have been able to start off the mechanized warfare era. Frequently it get brought up that it is bad to use our resources to develop and test new technologies. How are we supposed to compete against other countries who are developing their technologies just as fast as us if we don't spend the money on researching and testing new materials?If you think about it though, it is worth having to pay a little extra money to keep your country as safe as possible. Change is a good thing that everyone can benefit from. In an interview with author P. W. Singer, he explains how the military's evolved technologies have changed how war is fought. After being asked how the society of mankind has been help from advancements, he answers, â€Å"No technology is â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad. † Is your toaster evil? Yo ur computer? A Predator drone? They're all technologies, and what we've seen throughout history is that war jump-starts technological growth.During wartime we see a massive investment in research and development, and a vast amount of human ingenuity applied to the creation of deadly devices. But the creation of these devices can have a ripple effect throughout society. For example, without the V-2s that devastated European cities we probably wouldn't have the Saturn V rocket that helped put humans on the moon. †(Military Analyst Interview) He proves to us just how war has given a â€Å"jump-start† in the overall growth. If it weren't for all the advances in war technologies over the years, a lot of the things we have today probably wouldn't even exist yet to us.George Washington once said, â€Å"To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace. † Putting an end to war would be a wonderful solution, but in reality, it will never happen . There is no doubt that war is evil, but it is a necessary evil. It is necessary because it defends our freedom. I love my country, I love my family, I love how my life is now and if anyone wants to try and take that away from me or change that, it gives us the right to protect ourselves.There should be no reason for us to live in fear of some dictator, we have made America what it is today and what we have, many other other countries don't. When war becomes the necessary solution to a problem, sure there will be some problems that come along with it but there will never be a perfect solution. Even an ugly thing like war can have it's beauties. It stimulates the countries economy, protects our individual freedom, and can bring with it new technologies that can help make our everyday lives easier.

The Discarded Image

The Discarded Image (Rewrite) â€Å"The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature† by C. S. Lewis is not just an introduction of the Medieval and Renaissance period, as the subtitle suggests, but rather an overview of the cultural background of that time period. C. S. Lewis describes â€Å"the model† or â€Å"the image† of the universe as it was thought to be during the Renaissance and the Middle Ages. Their way of thinking was completely different from ours in our â€Å"Modern World† point of view. Their perception of the Universe was a â€Å"single, complex, harmonious mental model† (Lewis), unlike our scientific discoveries and newly formulated theories bout the universe. Instead of theories, they believed in these principles or ideas that explained their way of viewing things. Hierarchy, ordered scale in which everything is connected but has a certain order, and Body and Soul, the idea that everything has a soul and there are three different kinds of souls, are two of these principles. Hierarchy explains the order in which everything is or should be, as well as how everything is co-related. During the middle ages, it was thought that â€Å"everything has its right place, its home, the region that suits it† (Lewis, 92). The people of medieval and Renaissance period came up with the order of the universe, â€Å"Earth, moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn†. They thought that everything revolved around the Earth; they believed that the Earth was the center of the universe, and they believed that everything was pulled towards the Earth. The â€Å"force† responsible for this attraction was the Primium Mobile or the First moveable, â€Å"everything proceeds from Him (God)† (Brand), â€Å"its existence was inferred to account for the motion of all others† (Lewis, 96). Since everything has its purpose and space, it also has its own different soul. For example, because the different things or bodies have a different place and purpose they have different souls: â€Å"Man is a rational animal†¦Rational soul, which gives man his peculiar position, is not the only kind of soul† (Lewis, 152-153). Plants have a Vegetable soul, its main purpose is to grow and spread out. Animals, not human, have a sensitive soul: has the same â€Å"powers† as the Vegetable soul but has sentience in addition. nevertheless these three, Rational, Sensitive, and Vegetable souls, portrayed the synthesis between science, imagination, and theology that was very important in the Medieval and Renaissance period: â€Å"the real of science was the real of imaginations which was the real of religion, etc. † (Brand) C. S. Lewis in his book â€Å"The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature† points out the way the universe was viewed in the middle ages. Lewis explains all the ideas and principles that made up the middle ages so different from our Modern World. During the Middle ages Hierarchy was very important; everything has its place and purpose but at the same time it was believed that everything was a unit. The idea of Body and Soul was just as important; since everything has its own purpose it must have its own soul.

Art Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art Media - Essay Example Mexican born in 1981, is digitizing archive images while at the same time creating a form of the extensive index of the associated words that eventually â€Å"mirrors† the image into the database (Inaki, 2003). The experience of interacting with this form of artwork is marvelous and very interesting. It is very interesting and enticing to learn that archive images can be subject to integrate with some words that mirror this archive images into the database. In my opinion, the purpose of this piece of art of work is to convert the past or traditional art into modern forms that would be able to attract the attention of the modern generations while at the same time be able to preserve the same archives in digital forms that would last for many years to come. Additionally, this form of digital interactive art purposes at accommodating numerous images in small space those viewers will be able to view conveniently without necessarily moving from one viewing room to the next viewing room. There is a lot that connects this form of digital artwork to the contemporary life. At first, the aspect of which archive images that could be viewed in the form of the traditional display were subject to integrate into the modern forms of digital storage connects to the contemporary life. It makes the entire process of viewing much simpler and easier through the aid of graphic designs and programming. An example of which this digital artwork compares directly to other activities one might perform on the internet in that there is a possibility of matching text and images. Additionally, it is possible to locate many images through the internet source, which compares similarly to this form of digital art whereby a set of core images are subject to locate existing in a single source of database. One thing that differentiates this site from other sources of the internet is that the images and wording contained in such databases tell of the historic activities or historic archives. Other

Dimensions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dimensions - Essay Example Furthermore, he categorizes people as monochromic or polychromic people. Monochromic people denote individuals who do one thing before another and are often not easily distractible when doing something. In addition, they are committed to work and respect deadlines. Polychromic people Finally, Hall talks about proxemics in the cultural dimensions. He insists that there exists a public space, personal space, social space, and intimate space which everyone has to aware and watch them so that one can know when to and when not to intrude ones space. Choose one or more of the cultural dimensions discussed in this week’s lecture and your reading so far (i.e., Hall, Hofstede, Trompenaars, House, Schwartz, etc.), and reflect on where you think you would place on that dimension’s continuum, and how that might impact your behaviour and attitudes working in a multicultural team where some members are quite different on that

MID-TERM ASSIGNMENT Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MID-TERM ASSIGNMENT - Article Example Generally, Chase River is situated within a narrow valley that is steep-sided, restricting the development of meandering or braided river features. What is more, the vegetation found within the Park or the Park is dominated by a coniferous forest characterized by trees such as western hemlock, western red cedar and Douglas fir (McBeath, 2011). Primary native species comprise red huckleberry, Oregon grape, salal, a wide range of mosses and sword fern. The ecosystem has been influenced by human activities in the past. For instance, the demand for water led to establishment of protected areas such as middle lake and other water reservoirs. The existence of paper mills which prompted the plantation of softwood trees. The Park has been affected negatively by some form of human activities. For instance, there are human settlements especially alone the Upper Chase River. Not enough, the ecosystem was sometime back cleared to pave way for the creation of a dual carriage way which negatively affects the Parks

American Trade and Imperialism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

American Trade and Imperialism - Research Paper Example ing this period, America started to influence the cultural, military, social, political, and economic nature of other nations that enabled America to expand its power and influence to foreign territories. Various factors led to the emergence and adoption of the American imperialism policy. These factors include the Spanish-American war where America sought the independence of Cuba by compelling Spain to withdraw from Cuba. The American need to annex Hawaii due to its immense natural resources and arable lands also fostered American imperialism. The American push for an "Open Door" trading policy in China that allowed America to have equal trading rights in China and the American quest to participate in international trade also led to American trade and imperialism. American imperialism led to various effects on America, its colonies, and other European nations. Such effects have been consistent and significant throughout the centuries. This paper addresses the political, economic, mi litary, cultural, and social influence of American trade and imperialism on America and other foreign nations. Since the early 1990s, the American economic interest had been superseding the American belief in democracy. Before the early 1990s, America had been opposing imperialism for many years. In simple terms, American imperialism relates to the political, economic, social, or cultural influence of the U.S on other foreign nations (Hobson 1). The influence emanating from this policy enabled America to participate in international trade and expand its power into powerless nations like Cuba. It is worth noting that the American need to become a dominant force in international trade and global affairs prompted America to disregard its democratic capitalism system of governance and focus on its economic interests (Hawkins 1). It is clear that the American imperialism began between 1870 and 1916 subject to distinct factors that equally led to the successful adoption of this policy. For

Homeostasis and pain management in patients with multisystem failure Research Paper

Homeostasis and pain management in patients with multisystem failure - Research Paper Example Therefore, as the number of old people suffering from chronic diseases increases; the cases related to chronic pains in hospitals also increase. In addition, several old patients in hospitals experience multi system failures. There are several measures being put in place by health organizations to manage the pain experienced by the old generation as a result of multi system failures. Pain management is the practice by medical practitioners, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists and clinical nurse practitioners to reduce the pain or totally get rid of the pain that patients go through. Pain management is always done through the administration of medicine to the sick or injured patient (Hardy & Paul, 1997). This will help in reduction of pain in the patient. Homeostasis management is the practice of maintaining a stable and constant internal environment of a patient. This may involve maintaining constant body temperatures. Geriatric patients are often old people and they also undergo p ain. This paper discusses expansively the pain management that can be administered to Mrs. Elli Baker, a 73-year-old geriatric patient who was transferred to an emergency room after collapsing. Assessment of Patient. The assessment of Mrs. Baker should include all the problems that she experienced. The assessment talks about her homeostasis, oxygenation and her level of pain. The assessment also includes the physical observations made on her, observations made through technology and in the laboratory. Mrs. Baker was on two medications: lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide. These two medications often result to the collapsing of geriatric patients. It is these two medications that led to her collapse. Mrs. Baker had problems with her oxygenation. This can be as a result of diabetes that she had experienced previously. Her oxygenation problem can be solved by introducing arterial gases into her body. Her body temperature is also an issue of concern. Mrs. Baker collapsed in her backyard may be because she was up to some difficult tasks such as physical exercises that could have led to an increase in her temperature. Mrs. Baker was also dehydrated. She had past history of diabetes and this always involves having too much sugar in the body. This can later lead to dehydration in an individual. This could be solved by administering water into the circulation system of Mrs. Baker. Mrs. Baker experienced high level of pain. This was evident because, when talking to the nurse, she had problems responding and this may have been caused by the pain she was feeling. When observed, it was evident that Mrs. Baker was undergoing pain. This was because she tended to be uncomfortable in bed, she was grunting and she showed grimace on her face. This was a clear indication of the pain that she was in. She experienced hypertension and had respiratory problems. The cause of these could be seen by introducing her to an X-ray to observe any blockages in the arteries and veins and in the respiratory system. Technological Tools. In treating Mrs. Baker’s condition, various technological tools would be used. One of the tools that would be used in treating her is a stethoscope. A stethoscope is essential and would be utilized to know the rate or speed of her heartbeats. Mrs. Baker had respiratory problems and she collapsed at her backyard. Knowing the speed of her heartbeats will be essential since this will help in knowing the kind of activity she was doing before she collapsed. In case she was doing physical exercise, the stethoscope would read her fast heartbeats and this would help the medical practitioners in solving her problem. The other technological tool that would

Based on your reading of The Death of Woman Wang,describle and analyze Essay - 1

Based on your reading of The Death of Woman Wang,describle and analyze how Confucian ideals are ever present to all levels of Chinese society,and how they affect social relations - Essay Example According to him, the women were obedient to their father in the first place, then to their husband and then to their elder son; the family’s elder son was the head of the house. According to Confucius, every relationship has a dual nature of responsibility, and accordingly the obligation. The mother is responsible for her son, Father for children, Teacher for students. However, men are superior, more powerful and intellectual as compared to women. He was not able to give a proper place to women in the society in his teachings and Confucius culture. According to Confucius, society could become stable only when the five basic relationships are being fulfilled which are, the relation of Love (among father and son), relationship of righteousness (among emperor and minister), relationship of virtuous demeanor (among husband and wife), relationship of order (among elder and younger) and relationship of faithfulness (among friends).If we closely administer these virtues, we see that out of the five, three occur in the family system. He was the great devotee of the family system and it is also the basis of today’s family system in China. The family system has an extended impact on the whole town, city and society of China. The order is strictly followed as, for instance, younger has to obey the elder whether the elder is from his family or from outside the family. Even today, Chinese people pay special respect to their elders. Confucius is also of the opinion that men should link themselves to others by humanity (Keng, 473-518). They should not select anything which they cannot select for themselves. Confucius was of the opinion that individuals need to mend their lives and acts rather than criticizing others. This idea is mutually accepted and practiced in the Chinese society. This, to a great extent, has helped in providing a level of security to Chinese women who are not criticized for working, having relationships and moving around freely today. There is a

Krause Corporation Investigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Krause Corporation Investigation - Essay Example They will take responsibility only if the system is installed exactly as per their instructions without any modifications. On the other hand, Steve is 100% sure that such an installation may create problems in future. In short, Steve will not get the proper services from the supplier in future if something goes wrong and only the mutual blaming and accusations will take place. Steve’s headaches will become doubled under such circumstances. On the other hand, if Steve fabricates the whole things in his workshop, he will definitely have the better ideas about the functioning of each part and in future also, if some problems arise they can rectify the problems easily. A little pain took before the installation will reduce larger pains after the installation. The second thing about the case is about the offered prices. It is somewhat difficult to believe that how can a supplier supply high-quality pipes for such low rates when the prices of others are 5 to 10 dollar above per linear foot. It is not evident from the case study that whether this low priced pipe has been used somewhere for a long time without any problems or not. If this supplier is able to meet all the quality requirements, it is difficult for other suppliers to exist in the market. Such huge differences in price per linear foot are definitely doubtful and Steve should consider that factor also. In short, in my opinion, Steve should not purchase the cheaper pipe from the above supplier in order to avoid future problems. It is better for Steve to fabricate the whole HVAC system in-house using their own pieces of equipment in order to avoid future  problems.  

Intercontinental Railway System - Amrak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Intercontinental Railway System - Amrak - Essay Example As an intercontinental railway system, it serves New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Sacramento, Baltimore, Albany-Rensselaer, San Diego, New Haven, Wilmington, Nelwark, Seattle, Portland, Irvine, BWI Airport, Providence, Milwaukee, Emeryville, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Boston, and Bakersfield. Thus, it caters the needs of 30.2 million people in America. Owing the expediency and high demand of its services, the company invested for projects to enhance their services and sustain the railway network (Vromans, Dekker, & Kroon, 2006). With the magnitude of services accorded to the public, it facilitated the interconnection of cities populated with diverse and multicultural communities. Amrak became instrumental too in cultural exchanges, in bridging people-to-people relations and intercultural immersion via travels, tourism, migration, and opportunities in other states which drive the influx of people from one place to another point of destination (Gapinski & T uckman, 1978). Experts opined that the contribution of this railway in shaping socio-cultural development and economic expansion in North America is more appreciable than in Europe. The railway was partly author of industrialization as this was the major transportation of business sector to-and-fro the mainland. This compelled the company to coordinate with all states served for its security as a matter of policy and as measures for public welfare. Legal coordination and networking to all states was an indispensable corporate strategy to accord passenger’s security. As a business, the railway is also one of the leading companies that are dependent on the consumption of energy and thus, also confront the challenges in the utilization of oil and gas amid call for ecological protection and regulation of pollution emission. Although it contributed much for economic advancement because it raked high revenue but there is a need to reevaluate and optimize the company’s expend itures because it has oddly spent $ 3.95 billion in 2011 when it only earned $ 2.71 billion in its operation (Dunn et, al., 1997). Cash flows need to be regulated in such measure that will not devalue the services and sacrifice its operations amid escalating cost in the market. With these stark realities, the company remained subject to the corporation, transportation, insurance, and security policies of the states served and by United States of America. If the policies are not liberally construed to also assist the condition of the company, then unsupportive policies will negatively impact to Amtrak’s operational activities, thus, may constrain its business relations with its passengers and cargo customers. Perl and Dunn (1997) pointed that Amtrak, as a quasi-public and profit –oriented corporation had some internal flaws since it dissociated itself from America's private railroads and from trust-fund financial scheme that could subsidize public transport. Perl and Du nn (1997) criticized its over dependency on political patrons and labor union for protection against executive budget cuts, thus, bleeding its operational cost too much by running the railway system with expensive contracts and services against its revenue. Although the company has undertaken serious

Marketing Concepts Essay Example for Free

Marketing Concepts Essay Therefore the customer wins and so does nokia, as nokia once again are satisfying the need of support their customers request and In Conclusion, Marketing isn’t just a posh name for selling; in fact selling is part of the marketing component. It is the process of communicating; selling is the delivery of a product to the potential customer, converting them into actual customers. Whilst it can be assumed that marketing is a posh name for selling, the difference that separates both areas is evident through simple definition and actual process. In order to sell, the consumer must want, need and afford the product, therefore without the process of research, development and catering to the consumers needs, (Marketing) Selling would not be as profitable. An organisation that fails to provide marketing will allow itself to be a business that is hoping to simply sell its products by having it available, assuming the consumers will purchase its product. Whereas an organisation that adapts the marketing concept, caters for the consumer’s wants, needs, price range, customer service, through the research of its objective and the development of these objectives, along with achieving the business goals of the calculated profit it ‘Intends’ to make prior sale. Using the example of Nokia, it is clearly evident that an organisation can only obtain worldwide success through the power of marketing. Should Nokia simply release products to a store without communicating with its consumers, the organisation would be no better off than a market stall that is ‘attempting’ to Sell its products. Instead, Nokia markets its brands and as a result has successfully pre sold its brand with complete knowledge of its consumers wants and needs. For example Nokia markets and provides products for its Personal and Business consumers where as an organisation selling phones, would simply have a range ‘for sale’. Finally, marketing is the process of identifying a need and communicating a message relating to satisfaction of the need through a product to its customer. The marketing process informs the market of who you are and what you do, whilst the sales process begins when a formal offer for services has been made, and concludes when the offer is accepted or rejected. In Conclusion, Marketing isn’t just a posh name for selling; in fact selling is part of the marketing component. An organisation can improve its marketing activities through implementing the marketing concept as this will: * Develop key competencies of knowledge, experience, commitment and communications * Develop strategies through overcoming areas of weakness or threats by competitors through understanding the needs/wants of their customers * Maintain the organisations vision, focus is crucial for the development of objectives and the achievement of these objectives * Allows an organisation to Define, Develop and Deliver Customer Value which in turn will create greater customer loyalty leading to profit creation

Ethical Arguments on Surrogacy

Ethical Arguments on Surrogacy Leticia Villalba Surrogacy – A Great Option to Infertility In today’s society, women that are unable to become pregnant naturally due to infertility are resorting to surrogacy to have their children. With surrogacy being a complex process, it involves many different moral, ethical, and legal issues that are challenging the acceptance of this assisted reproductive treatment by society. However, surrogacy should only be viewed by society as a great option to infertility based on sound moral, ethical, and legal arguments. In effect, this view will help eliminate adverse criticism against the ones resorting to this reproductive alternative to create a family and also against the child later in life. Legislators should pass laws to help and protect the rights of surrogate mothers, intended parents and children. In order to fully understand the ethical, moral, and legal arguments surrounding surrogacy it is important to understand what surrogacy is. According to the Online Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of surrogacy is â€Å"the practice of serving as a surrogate mother† (Surrogacy) and to surrogate means â€Å"to put in the place of another† (Surrogate). These two definitions put together allow surrogacy to be better defined as a process whereby a woman bears and gives birth to a child that she will not raise but will give to the intended infertile couple. There are two types of surrogacy, traditional and gestational. In both types of surrogacy, the surrogate mother can either be a close friend, a family member, or from a surrogacy agency and the assisted reproductive technology (ART) method is used to assist with the surrogacy processes. With the traditional surrogacy process, the surrogate mother becomes pregnant by being artificially inseminated with the sperm of the intended father. As the sperm is inserted into her uterus, via a simple medical procedure, when her mature egg is released by the ovary she can conceive and later give birth to a child (ACOG Committee on Ethics). Traditional surrogacy was the only process available due to technological limitations when surrogacy was first introduced. But as technology has advanced in the reproductive field allowing fertilization to happen outside the womb, infertile couples are choosing gestational surrogacy over traditional. Legal issues are greater with traditional surrogacy as the surrogate mother and the baby has a genetic link. Mark Hansen, a senior writer for the journal at the American Bar Association (a professional organization composed of lawyers and law students committed to support the legal profession while improving the administration of justice) adds tha t many lawyers hesitate when thy have to work with traditional surrogacy and some won’t even consider such an arrangement (Hansen 56). Hansen is simply reiterating the fact that legal problems are more prone to happen with traditional surrogacy due to the biological connection the baby has with the surrogate mother. Gestational surrogacy (also referred to as commercial surrogacy) is a process in which the intended parents undergo an in-vitro fertilization and an embryo transfer treatment (Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine 1838). The intended mother is prescribed medication to start development of multiple egg follicles. Once these follicles reach maturity, mature eggs are retrieved from the intended mother’s ovaries procedurally to be later fertilized with the intended father’s sperm. When fertilization in-vitro (in an artificial environment) occurs, the embryo is then transferred to the gestational surrogate’s uterus (Ziskin). The gestational surrogate (also known as gestational carrier) will then carry the couples’ biological child until birth. This is a much more complex and expensive process, but it is mostly preferred by prospective parents due to the lack of genetic bond between baby and surrogate and the increased legal benefits . Provided this information, substantial issues for and against these surrogacy procedures have arisen. Many religious institutions, feminists, ethicists, and traditionalists oppose surrogacy on moral and ethical grounds. They justify this by stating that surrogacy is just another way to do business and profit off of women and infants becoming commodities to be bought and sold, a way of commercializing humans. But in the article â€Å"Consideration of The Gestational Carrier: A Committee Opinion† the ethics committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) argues that: Payment to the gestational carriers should take into account 9 months of possible illness, risks to employment, burden on other family members, and the like, but should not, however, create undue inducement or risks of exploitation or incentivize gestational carriers to lie about their own health conditions or family history. [Therefore] compensation for gestational carriers†¦ is ethical (Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine 1839). The ASRM’s ethics committee is emphasizing in their argument that commoditization of humans doesn’t happen as payments made to the gestational carriers are a mere compensation for all the hardship they might encounter during the process. Beside the opponents’ beliefs, infertile women, infertile couples, and liberalists who represent the majority of advocates for surrogate motherhood assert that surrogacy is a way to help childless couples have their biologically related children even though they would have to pay high costs for this fertility treatment. They feel that the payment required does not relate to the child’s worthiness but relates to the medical expenses incurred, as well as the emotional and physical burdens the surrogate mother experiences throughout the pregnancy. Moreover, some feminists compare surrogacy with prostitution, alleging that women are selling their bodies and their ability to procreate for money. However, Judith Sperling-Newton, the director of the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys argues that â€Å"the vast majority of women who choose to serve as surrogates are intelligent, well-educated and financially secure; they are caring individuals who want to help others in a unique and meaningful way† (Sperling-Newton). Respectively, women that agree to carry someone else’s baby are able to give to the childless couple the greatest gift of all, a child. Furthermore, the committee on ethics at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists emphasize that â€Å"in the United States, the freedom to decide whether and when to conceive or bear a child is highly valued and protected† (ACOG Committee on Ethics 466). Therefore, the choice made by the intended parents on how they can have a child should be respected, as wells as the decision of the surrogate mothers to help barren couples. In addition to the moral and ethical issues there are also some legal issues. Helene S. Shapo, a professor of Law and the director of Legal Writing at the Northwestern University School of Law, writes that the lack of national legislation in the United States to regulate the practice of surrogacy has helped several states recognize surrogacy contracts, although current state legislations nullify them (Shapo 474). These contracts between the surrogate mothers and the intended parents are only for the purpose of establishing parental rights, payment terms, and specific conditions since they still are not enforceable by law. Rosemarie Tong, a distinguished professor of Health Care Ethics at the University of Carolina as well as a consultant to the National Advisory Board on Ethics and Reproduction, says that the â€Å"U.S. public will†¦ press federal and state authorities to pass clear legislation governing surrogacy† (Tong), to make sure the rights of couples, surrogates and the child are not abused or manipulated. As a matter of fact, advocates to surrogacy and opponents both agree that laws should be created in regards to surrogacy. However, some opponents want legislation to ban the existence of surrogacy altogether. They believe that human commoditization in the U.S. will be drastically reduced if surrogacy is banned (Tong). But Sudesh Kumar, an economist, a regulatory affairs consultant, and the author of â€Å"Surrogacy Can Be an Ethical Solution to Infertility†, argues that: In economics, a commodity is a unit that can substitute for another at all points, so each unit has no special intrinsic value. Thus, one cannot argue that the baby has become a commodity in surrogacy, as the baby is unique (Kumar). What Sudesh says simply explains that as the baby is the end product of the surrogacy process, that surrogacy should not viewed as human commoditization. Consequently, society should consider Sudesh’s analysis as it would help eliminate criticism against all the parties involved in this process. Not only the adults can suffer psychologically but also the child later in life if they don’t have any social support. In summary, traditional and gestational surrogacy are assisted reproductive treatments that can help infertile couples achieve their ultimate dream, which is to have children. But along the way, these couples may find themselves in big predicaments due to the complexity of moral, ethical, and legal dilemmas that were raised. These different aspects are now dividing society, however the pros can considerable overcome the cons of surrogacy. Like said by Mark Hansen, the author of â€Å"†¦ Baby Makes Litigation†, â€Å"Surrogacy†¦ can be a minefield. [But] done carefully and correctly, it is a wonderful thing† (qtd. In Hansen 55). Therefore, surrogacy is a great option to infertility. It helps barren couples experience the joys of parenthood regardless of the surrogacy process chosen. Legislators, advocates and opponents of surrogacy, must work together towards a greater compromise to aid the creation of legislations and thus minimize hardships to all parties inv olved. Works Cited ACOG Committee on Ethics. Surrogate Motherhood. ACOG Committe Opinion Number 397 (2008): 465-70. Web. 4 January 2014. Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Consideration of the gestational carrier: a committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility June 2013: 1838-41. Print. Hansen, Mark. and Baby makes Litigation. ABA Journal (2011): 53-57. Print. Kumar, Sudesh. Surrogacy Can Be an Ethical Solution to Infertility. 13 May 2013. Oposing Viewpoints in Context. Ed. Medical Ethics. Grenhaven Press. Web. 6 January 2014. Shapo, Helene S. Assisted Reproduction and the Law: Disharmony on a Divisive Social Issue. Northwestern University Law Review (2006): 465-79. Print. Sperling-Newton, Judith. Surrogacy Should Be Regulated, Not Banned. 29 May 2013. Web. 6 January 2014. Surrogacy. Merriam-Webster.com (n.d.). Web. 6 January 2014. Surrogate. Merriam-Webster.com (n.d.). Web. 6 January 2014. Tong, Rosemarie. Surrogate Parenting. Ed. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. n.d. Web. 6 January 2014. Ziskin, Dan. Arizona Center For Fertility Studies. n.d. Web. 6 January 2014.

How The Nuclear Agenda Influenced American Popular Culture History Essay

How The Nuclear Agenda Influenced American Popular Culture History Essay August 6th, 1945, ushered in the beginning of a new era, one to be forever known as the Atomic Age. The dropping of the worlds first atom bomb over Hiroshima signalled a defining moment in human history. From that moment on the nuclear agenda would come to influence not only international affairs, but the everyday lives of people all around the world. The 17 year period from 1945-62 saw huge changes for American society, in particular the development and expansion of popular culture. How in fact popular culture was influenced by this new nuclear agenda holds the basis for this essay. It will focus on both the direct influences of a new atomic culture, as well as the indirect influences that a new nuclear world had on the popular arts. For the purpose of this essay it is essential to have a working definition for popular culture, in this instance popular culture will be defined as a commercial culture based on popular tastes. From Hollywood movies to comic books, a new nuclear technol ogy became an important characteristic in portraying the lives of everyday Americans. Along with a new kind of nuclear diplomacy theses influences would show themselves in some of the greatest pieces of twentieth century popular culture. What this meant for a nuclear generation and how it showed the signs of a cultural revival will be additional themes to explore. The atomic bomb revolutionised American life. In all areas economic, social, political it challenged old assumptions and forced reconsideration of accepted standards (Winkler, 1999: 9). The dropping of the first atomic bomb on that historic day insured at least one thing, a changed world. Rosenblatt neatly describes it, as a moment where nothing has ever been the same since. From that moment everything changed: subsequent wars, subsequent peace, art, culture, the position of science, the role of the military, international politics, and the conduct of lives; all changed. Other ages in history were characterized by heroes or by ideas. The atomic age is characterized by a weapon and a threat. (Rosenblatt, 2005:1) The end to fighting in World War II brought a period of relative peace in which popular culture was allowed to flourish. Boyer (1985) reveals that this new popular culture encompassed most areas of recreational life, although there were many alterations in interests and tastes. During the 50s and 60s particularly, popular culture appealed to a younger generation who had become an increasingly significant social group. Rock nRoll had become the main focal point for a young generation, and the novel realization of breaking away from childhood, caused the teenagers to become a defined social group in their own right. Teenagers began to reject the old fashioned attitudes and conventions of their parents and rebel against conformity. As stated by Shapiro (2002) this new generation of teenagers started developing a culture from the American teenage way of life, and alongside the behaviour got themselves part-time jobs to help them earn money to spend on movies, fashion, music and other ent ertainment. Boyer (1985) agrees adding that teenagers could now secure a good amount of money for their wants and needs like making trips to the movies and the purchasing of commercial goods, which became big business for the advertisement and film industries, which duly swooped in on their opportunities. Films which were produced and targeted by the teenage audience solely served to unite the teenage image more extensively. With films like Rebel without a Cause (1954) and The Wild One (1953) movies presented a separate image for the teenage rebel. The indirect effect of a growing nuclear agenda, seemingly allowed a world free from direct military conflict to find its voice again. War time popular culture had been heavily centred around the war effort, yet in this brief period popular culture begun to revolutionise. It became increasingly important for a post World War II America to enjoy this time of relative peace. Subsequently this saw a huge rise in a new consumerism in which tr ends and fashions; that had seemingly been put on hold during the war years, could dominate popular culture once again. The changing dynamics of a nuclear agenda began to have a more direct influence on popular culture, this period created what Zeman and Admundson (2004) call the early atomic culture. This distinct period saw an escalation in the nuclear agendas influence on the shaping of popular culture. Both the enthusiasm and fear surrounding new nuclear weapons would be portrayed in this expansive new arena. From the secrecy of the Manhattan Project to its introduction on a world stage in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this new technology offset an atomic culture. It would be wrong to say that after its first military use the bomb became a subject for fear and anxiety. In truth the majority of Americans at that time were unaware nuclear weapons even existed. For many this was the weapon that had ended the war, saved thousands of American lives and brought forward a longed for epoch of peace. As Winkler agrees, Americans first reaction overwhelmingly was one of euphoria and the bomb became celebrated in popular culture in a well-liked country western song, When the Atom Bomb Fell, recorded in December 1945, which attested to this view as it declared the bomb the answer to our fighting prayers boys(in Zeman and Amundson, 2004:3). Many Americans set aside lurking fears of the new nuclear weapon as they contemplated the golden age of abundance that beckoned after World War II. They were further persuaded by the speeches of President Truman who hailed the atomic bomb as a god given tremendous discovery and one to bring together one human community. Others like David Lilienthal where also quick to speak out over the limitless beneficial applications of atomic energy (Winkler, 1999: 137). The atomic bomb continued throughout the period to be closely linked with its positive benefits and government programs attempted to educate the public about the science behind the bomb. An educational video produced by none other than Walt Disney was commissioned in 1957 entitled Our Friend the Atom, which attempted to demonstrate the benefits of the nuclear age and the wonder of this new technology. This film was shown in schools throughout America and became increasingly significant in showing nuclear power in a favourable lig ht. Other videos such as A is for Atom sponsored and paid for by General Electric were also produced to try and help explain the benefits of nuclear technology. This is not to say that the dropping of the bomb in Hiroshima went unnoticed. As mention by Gamson; H.V.Kaltenborn, the dean of radio news commentators, warned his NBC audience on the very same day, For all we know we have created a Frankenstein! We must assume that with the passage of only a little time, an improved form of the new weapon we use today can be turned against us. (1987:15) The continued promotion of the nuclear agenda also expanded to the American commercial markets, and the wonders of the bomb became tied in with consumerism. 1946 saw the General Mills Corporation expansion into Atomic Bomb Rings with the Kix cereal boxtop. Advertised as a gleaming aluminium warhead, see real atoms SPLIT cried the advert, and some 750,000 American children inundated General Mills for their own Atomic Bomb Ring. Boyer (1985) identifies this move from a promotional premium, to that which actually premeditated several cultural themes that would obsess America in the years ahead. Another example from Boyer reveals that only days after the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, retail shops were offering atomic sales and products offering atomic results. (1985: 9) This type of cultural consumerism seems void of the true fear that would come to surround the nuclear agenda. Instead it highlights the apparent ease into which America welcomed the birth of the atomic bomb; although this was not always the case. This period in American history coincided with attempts at a new world order and the emergence of the United States as a global superpower. Political, social, economic and ideological issues became not only domestic but international issues. The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan in particular were set up to help fund an American friendly Europe. The movement of the nuclear agenda began to change with the American foreign policy of Containment, an uneasy separation both geographically and ideological, which would see Churchill talk up fears of an Iron Curtain. These international fears would spark a concern of a superpower rivalry and after the Soviet tests of 1949; two countries with conflicting ideologies now had the most destructive weapon ever invented. Hollywood was quick in using the new found nuclear agenda for film ideas. The Manhattan project was dramatized in the 1947 film The Beginning or the End, one of the first of several films on the subject. The film tackled the creation of the atomic bomb and its subsequent use in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Filmmakers saw this new nuclear agenda, as a story waiting to be told. One of the trailers produced at the time to promote the film showed an interviewer asking movie goers for their thoughts on what theyd just seen. You cant ignore this picture one women said and the most important motion picture I have ever seen said another. These along with taglines such as the men, the magic the machines saw an increased interest in the development of the bomb. The subject matter was of course both dramatic and dangerously fascinating to a new generation. It talked about the secrecy behind the Manhattan Project and the destructive power behind the bomb. It led many to pose questions in particu lar like that within the films title; was this the beginning or the end? The film industry could now see the need and want of the people to know about the bomb. Much of the film was of course a sensationalised view, and alot of what the Manhattan Project was actually about was unknown by those making the films. Although the sentiment and an increased interest around the bomb would see that the nuclear agenda would continue to influence film. A particular genre within Hollywood that would see a rise in popularity at this time was film noir. As Kakutani identifies in the wake of World War II and with anxieties created by the dawning of the atomic age, film noir a sometimes nihilistic genre became galvanised. The likes of Kiss Me Deadly and Fallen Angel found success at the box office. The genre with its partiality to outsiders and deeply rebellious themes inevitably appeared and emblematized at a time of deep stress. (2001: 1) These kinds of Hollywood films began to show a prevailing attitude that the nuclear agenda had brought about. Hunner (in Zeman and Amundson) describes the nuclear agenda as a totally new age, one full of promise and peril. People searched for a new way of living under this new age thus creating this new culture. And the reason why the nuclear agenda began to find its way into popular culture had a lot to do with the changing nature of nuclear importance. From the creation of the atom bomb moving to the advances with the first nuclear power plant, the science behind the bomb began to spread to new technologies. Nuclear powered aeroplanes and submarines were just some of the uses that that the Unites States found for nuclear energy. Even with these new advances a key turning point for the bomb would come in 1949. Zeman and Amundson (2004) identify this development from the early atomic culture morphing into the high atomic culture of 1949 to 1963. The following years were seemingly different from the earlier phases, as one key turning point would stress. This period saw the American nuclear mo nopoly which had been expected to last until the 1960s, come to an abrupt end in August of 1949. The Soviets after Hiroshima had been working from the American design to build an atom bomb for itself, and the first Soviet test in Kazakhstan steppe signalled a build up of arms. The Soviet atomic test ensured a changing nuclear agenda from the wonder of technology to a characterization of an enemy. A two superpower world would change the very nature of popular culture. The change in nuclear agenda saw an alteration in the types of films being produced in Hollywood. In the 1950s and 1960s, a number of movies attempted to make social commentaries on the war. As Day reveals Films like On the Beach, Fail Safe and The Bedford Incident all took a grim tone about humanitys future, wagging a finger at world leaders who held the fate of the world in their hands and implying that words like democracy and communism had little meaning when the world was teetering on the brink of Armageddon. (Day, 2004: 1). The shift in agenda also introduced the introduction of the B movies which entertained the fear of mutilation. Films such as Them where giant ants mutated by atomic radiation threaten US cities in the South West, and Attack of the Crab Monster were becoming increasingly popular to an American audience. The links to events in the international community such as the nuclear accident in Castle Bravo and Chelyabinsk in 1957 brought about a sense of anxiety. The idea of being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation further influenced the idea of mutation. One of the most recognised films of this period and one that would inspire numerous re-makes was Godzilla. The original Hollywood version in 1954 is considered to be the correspondence of the nuclear weapons which were dropped in Japan. The film unlike its B movie counterparts had a bigger budget and became instantly popular. Other films such as Mickey Rooneys Atomic Kid (1954) which appeared to disassociate the potential of nuclear radiation, failed to do so well at the box office. Later films such as Dr Strangelove would also focus on the idea of a doomsday advice. Other signs that showed the increasing significance of the nuclear agenda were no more apparent than in the Laurel and Hardy motion picture Atoll K. A well loved and admire comedy duo choose for their last screen outing to portray a shipwreck on an island rich in Uranium deposits. It was a far cry from there simplistic and po pular humour which had served them well earlier in their careers. In truth Hollywood had become infiltrated by a collection of A and B movies each adding their representations to the nuclear agenda. As well as Hollywood films the American Civil Defence began producing advice videos such as Burt the Turtle and Duck for Cover. They were clearly designed to help to combat the fear of nuclear catastrophe, and were used to reassure the general public about the dangers of nuclear weapons. They would usually involve drills for mass departure to fallout shelters, and popularized the likes of Duck and Cover. The drills with their indications of dissonantly empty streets and the hiding activity from the nuclear bomb under the schoolroom desk, would later could turn into symbols of the expected inescapable and popular fate formed by those weapons. Most Americans were affected by these videos, especially amongst those in the richer classes who could afford the back-yard fallout shelters which offered a diminutive protection from the direct attack and could keep away from the wind-blown fallout, for some days or weeks. Popular culture within America increased extensively in the early 1950s and 60s, with widespread tensions growing amongst segregated groups in society. The cultural significance of such movements as the non violent rebellion 1955-60, brought the hope of peace and equality for many Americans. The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the influence of charismatic race leaders such as Martin Luther King promoted the need for non-violence; such a belief directly opposed the violent and intermediating prospect of nuclear war. As King himself was quoted in a speech denouncing atomic warfare entitled Time to Break Silence, Communism will never be defeated by the use of atomic bombs or nuclear weapons. These are days which demand wise restraint and calm reasonableness. Whilst King was a strong figure fighting for an end to segregation and civil rights the effect of the nuclear agenda was still quite evident in all aspects of American life. Fairclough points out if it were not for the nuclear agenda; th e case and call for civil rights might have been addressed a generation earlier. (2001: 249) The effect of previous atomic tests and the sight of great chemical explosions found itself positioned in kitsch art. Titus (in Zeman and Amundson) recognises how the mushroom served as symbol for weapons themselves. Pictures on the nuclear weapons never became public until 1960 and even those were only the mock-ups for the Fat Man and the Little Boy. Diagrams of the bombs interior working have been obtainable only for the last few years since design for nuclear weapons became the most strictly guarded secret. These all had an impact of fear on society has well as the nuclear diplomacy that developed between the United States and the Soviet Union. The nuclear agenda found itself quickly ingrained within American life. The nuclear agenda that followed the end of fighting in WWII took on a life of its own, and yet was not the first time popular culture had embraced nuclear technology. Ironically the first reference to the nuclear agenda comes not after its first military use but it can be traced back to 1908 in H.G Wells, The War in the Air as well as his subsequently work The World Set Free. The novels first explored the prospect of a nuclear holocaust and an atomic bomb that would be used in war. Perhaps even more telling was the influence it would have on one Leo Szilard. The nuclear agenda might have started life as science fiction but its influence would most definitely lead to science fact. At a time of a new found fascination in the science behind the bomb, it would seem inevitable that the science fiction genre would experience an increased popularity, and it did. Suddenly the question of what the future might hold, the question of what if, gained a horrible new importance. Now, instead of l ooking a thousand years ahead, humanity was looking at the hands of a Doomsday Clock that were edging closer to midnight. (Plested, 2009:1). Nuclear weapons would become a fastener element in the science fiction novels. The phrase atomic bomb predated their continuation when scientist had realized the ending of radioactivity had a potential implication of limitless energy. Until then, the word atomic had been nothing more than a convenient gimmick in science fiction, a buzzword that provided power for everything from pistols to robots to spaceships. Once the atomic bomb had been used, it proved this scientific leap forward, a leap which proved that science fiction authors were not such wild-eyed dreamers as had been thought' (Plested, 2009: 1). However, the science fiction novels began to follow and treat the threat of potential nuclear fallout and its implications for society. Newman, K. (2000) notes the various popular novels like the Babylon, Alas and On the Beach reviewed the af termath of the nuclear war. Other science fiction novels like A Canticle for Leibowitz exposed the long-standing consequences of a nuclear war. Hand in hand with the immediate perils of thermonuclear death, science fiction introduced the public to the other horsemen of the new Apocalypse: Fallout, Nuclear Winter, and Mutation. The latter provided heady fare for the filmmakers of the 1950s, with screens filled with shambling monstrosities of every shape, size and species. (Plested, 2009:1) The crisis of the Cold War coincided with the emergence of the Television, it grew in stature and with the growth of consumerism by the 1950s the TV quickly became a technological novelty an inescapable medium that quickly rivalled the power of movies, radio and mass circulation magazines (Whifield, 1991:153). In 1946 around 7000 American owned their own television set and by 1960, 50 million sets had been purchased and over 530 stations were available by 1961. Yet the reality of nuclear weapons haunted not just photographs and newsreels of Hiroshima and Nagasaki but visions of the future. In 1950 LIFE predicted the growing likelihood of World War III in the essay How U.S. Cities Cab Prepare for Atomic War. Colliers described a hypothetical atomic attack on New York in Hiroshima U.S.A: Can anything be done about it? (Boyd, 1985: 23) Nuclear anxieties boosted the popularity of psychoanalysis an probed the subconscious. Signs of the impacted nuclear agenda also found their way into the music industry. Many songs such as Skip Stanleys Satellite Baby pleaded: Nuclear baby dont fission out on mewere gonna rock it, were gonna rock it.Isotope daddys found out what you are worth. As well as the likes of Bob Dylan with his 1962 song A Hard Rains Gonna fail which was thought to have alluded to an upsurge in the possibility of a nuclear fallout. Through the progression of the nuclear period protest songs in particular became more frequent, such as 99 red balloons, and Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. These songs became opposition against a nuclear build up and warning songs while others utilized the theme like allusion to a huge destruction in general. This period also began to see the rise in the popularity of tranquillity organizations such as the CND. Newman, K. (2000) said the CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) was one of the principle organizations campaigning in opposition to the bomb. Its symbo l, a grouping of the semaphone symbols for D (disarmament) and N (nuclear) came into the modern culture as icon for peace. 1962 saw a flashpoint in the course of the Cold War, a socialist revolution in Cuba would bring the world closer to nuclear war than ever before. The Cuban Missile Crisis illustrated how fragile the balance between a nuclear war and peace had become. The period of time saw a shift in public opinion towards the bomb, how close the world had come to catastrophe had shown Americans the true terror of a nuclear attack. Popular culture moved into a new era of fear and more open criticism of the nuclear programme (Zeman and Amundson, 2004: 4) The scale of influence the nuclear agenda had on popular culture became elevated as the threat of nuclear war become more possible. The time frame saw a great deal of change within America. It becomes apparent that the early atomic culture had a huge influence on popular culture, but the ways in which it affected it were various to say the least. From civil defence videos to sci-fi b movies, the period generated a phenomenal amount of popular culture. The significance is perhaps the diversity of the materials and the changes the nuclear agenda brought into popular culture. The strength of the nuclear culture insured it was impossible for outlets to ignore, instead the bomb in sorts became commercialised and the threat of apocalypse became a somewhat side point. In truth, it would appear in an era of progression and change the nuclear agenda became quite dominant in popular culture. It affected the lives on not only Americans but those in a global community. The turning point perhaps comes at the end of this period during the 13 days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the nuclear agenda hatched up the fear and tensions of an American society who had been blissfully unaware of the true dangers happening behind closed doors.