Bill Levitt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bill Levitt - Essay Example Unquestionably, Bill Levitt, whose family had been in the custom home building business, envisioned how this atmosphere of new found prosperity and the lack of adequate housing in the overcrowded cities of the East could pave the way for mass production home construction that would forever change the landscape of America - Suburbia was born. Prior to the post-World War II era home ownership in urban America was primarily reserved for the affluent. Custom home building was the norm and the cost was prohibitive to many people. The vast majority of the urban population lived in cramped apartments and row houses and, for the majority, home ownership was only a dream. Levitt, however, seizing on his experience and knowledge of home building understood that through streamlining the building process and standardizing the home designs, he could mass produce homes affordable to the average family. Levitt, though, went a step further by creating massive housing developments on the outskirts of urban industrial cities which offered the prospect of middle class comforts at a price almost any young family could afford (Hales 1). Levitt did not stop with merely building affordable homes; He astutely created communities within these huge developments that offered the convenience of shopping, recreation, church and schools all designed and created within the developments. Levitt sold more than homes; he sold a new way of life complete with a sense of upward mobility and community to the burgeoning young families of the early 1950's. In order to mass produce affordable homes, Levitt drew on several different sources: the efficiency of assembly line production with interchangeable parts coupled with simplistic architectural designs the emphasized open floor plans and modern conveniences. "Levitt sacrificed individuality and custom design for low-cost efficiency" ('Building' 3). To accomplish this Levitt offered only a few models of home choices in each of his developments. Additionally to save on the cost of construction these single family homes were constructed on slab foundations instead of the traditional basement. He did not skimp on quality, however. All the homes constructed used quality products in the building process and the homes offered modern conveniences that appealed to his target audience of young families looking to own their own home on the outskirts of the urban hubs. A testament to Levitt and Sons Builders was the fact that "between 1950 and 1960, 20 million people were drawn to mass housing d evelopments on the outskirts of America's cities" ('Building' 1). To facilitate the low production costs of his homes, Levitt streamlined every facet of home construction. He assembled groups of workers that performed the same tasks over and over again moving from home to home within the development. One group would prepare the building site. One group would pour concrete. One group would rough frame. One group would apply siding. In short, each and every task had specific workers to complete each specific task. This ensured efficiency, speed, unsurpassed productivity and cost containment previously unheard of in the home building industry. Additionally, as there were limited home models constructed his company saved on material cost by purchasing in bulk. His building plans were so well designed

Inter-generational equity demands that no current expenditure be Essay

Inter-generational equity demands that no current expenditure be financed by loan and that all capital expenditure be financed by loan. Explain and assess thi - Essay Example In other words those generations that take benefit from public spending should also bear the cost of such benefit. The rule of fairness matches the cost and benefits of public spending between generations. In 1997 a golden rule of public finance, that over the cycle, government borrowings should not exceed net government capital formation and hence current spending should be financed by current receipts, was adopted by the government. Application of this golden rule draws a distinction between Capital and current spending. It is clearly understood that the benefit of ‘Capital’ spending may spread over the generations, whereas ‘Current’ spending is for current consumption to be benefited only by current generation. Therefore the current consumption or expenditure must be controlled tightly so that its financial burden does not spread to next generation. This principle works only in approximation as certain overflows are not ruled out. Not all but some benefits of expenditure on infrastructural, institutional and cultural capital investments will pass on to next generation. The ‘benefiter-pays’ rationale of inter-generational equity requires that each generation should pay for the resources it uses. The principal of fairness coupled with ‘benefiter pays’ rule suggests that the entire capital expenditure should not be financed through borrowings, as some benefits of capital expenditure are also being derived by current generation. Accordingly some burden of capital expenditure should be shared by current generation in order to meet the objectives of ‘inter-generational equity’. While defining ‘Inter-generational equity’, Earth & Peace Educational Associates International (EPE) has observed that, ‘each generation has the right to inherit the same diversity in natural and cultural resources as enjoyed by previous

Kant’s Approach to Ethics and the Issue of Suicide Essay Example for Free

Kant’s Approach to Ethics and the Issue of Suicide Essay The Renowned German philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was one of the most influential philosophers of the modern age, whose thought, with its emphasis on the subject, turned the wheels of western philosophy to a new synthesis of idealism and realism in the form of transcendentalism. His ethical theory, developed in his reputed book The Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, has to be taken along with the spirit of philosophy that enshrines his three Critiques whenever one attempts a critique on ethical issues like suicide as a gesture of self-love. Body of the Essay (Can suicide be ethical? ) Kant holds the theory of intrinsic morality based on the autonomy of human will. Good is good by itself, and the right is right by itself. It doesn’t depend upon the consequences or effects of the action for a human action to be right or wrong. According to Kantian deontological theory of ethics, committing suicide is wrong and unacceptable from any perspective since it is an action that goes against the categorical imperative he proposed as the norm for ethical decisions. His Categorical Imperative runs thus: â€Å"Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. † (Wolf Robert Paul (ed) Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals: text and critical essays. 1969. p. 44). Each individual subject should decide for himself and act in such a way that he wills that his maxim should be a universal law. (Wolf, p. 21). Let us now take up the issue of suicide. Suicide may be a personally-decided act, on selfish reasons, emotions or recommendations from physical situations (as in the case of euthanasia). In whatever respects it may be, it goes against the Categorical Imperative, and hence, it is inherently or intrinsically wrong to commit it. Kant argues that committing suicide out of self-love is contrary to the categorical imperative because there is a contradiction in a system of nature, whose law would be to destroy life by the feeling whose special office is to impel the improvement of life. (Wolf, p. 45). Rather he thinks that the destruction of life is incompatible with its improvement and that nature always chooses organs adapted to their purpose (p. 13), so that nature couldnt (or wouldnt? ) allow self-love to be used in a way contrary to its purpose which is improvement and nurture of life. In accordance with Kant’s intrinsic morality, the categorical imperative also supports a Practical Imperative, that one has to act so that one treats humanity, whether in his own person or in that of another, always as an end in itself and never as a means only. (Wolf, p. 54). One has to respect and support one’s life because of the dignity implied within. By dignity, he means, unconditional and incomparable worth (Wolf, p. 61). Kant supports this theory with his theory of incommensurability, which holds that moral virtue is infinitely better than anything else. From the perspective of human dignity as well, suicide seems to be an unbecoming action for humans. Conclusion For Kant, reason holds the supreme position (as elaborated in Critique of Pure Reason), and ethics as science, is not rooted in religion or metaphysics, but rather on the inherent worth of existence. Hence, suicide is an unacceptable mode of action even from the perspective of self-love. Love nourishes and does rarely destroy. And even when a bit of destruction is involved, it is only to nurture better that it destroys. Suicide is total destruction without nurture and thus contradicts the very nature of self-love. References Gregory, Mary (ed)(1998) Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant. New York: Cambridge University Press Henson, Richards (1979). What Kant Might Have Said: Moral Worth and the Over-determination of Dutiful Action†, in Phil. Review, January, 1979, pp. 39-54). Smith, Norman Kemp (trans. ) (1965) Critique of Pure Reason. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Wolf, Robert Paul (ed. ) (1969) Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals: text and critical essays. trans. , by Lewis White Beck. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.

Why Americas Capitalist System Is Failing Essay -- Capitalism Failure

Why America's Capitalist System Is Failing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The American capitalist system works in a way that enables a small percentage of the population to live in utmost comfort with a large percentage of the country’s money and power. The majority of them get to this position through affiliation, and the lesser of them contrastingly through many years of hard work and struggle through a system that forces assimilation prior to incorporation. The majority of the population either lingers in the middle-class working for big businesses, whose ethical role in society they have no say in, or own a business that puts the responsibility of the lives of several shareholders in their hands. The remainder of society lives off of these people; cleaning, cooking, or serving for them. The only difference between this economic system and the old caste system in India is that the Americans can move between castes only by denying their moral beliefs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Take, for example, the current president George Bush; his business skills did not permit his original business endeavors to succeed. He was actually a drunken party-boy, until the expectations to live up to his family name pressed him to seek success. Despite his disqualifications, the Bush name enabled him to overcome his bad investments and eventually receive a well-paying office job that required little of him. In contrast to a man that came from a less-renowned family, this young man’s lack of characteristics that generally evoke succe...

Critical Review of Danger Boy Essay

Mark Williams’ â€Å"Danger Boy: Ancient fire† is set in 2019. It is a science fiction and time travelling novel. The text explores the effects of building a time machine. In Mark Williams’ novel, he examines the negative impact of futurist technology. Although the concept of time travelling may seem appealing at first glance, there is an ultimately destructive consequence that comes with it, like losing a love one. The novel opens with an argument between Eli’s father, Sandusky, and Mr Howe, a representative from a government department. Mr Howe persuades Sandusky to invent a machine that can slow down time in a force field. Sandusky’s wife, a scientist, assists Sandusky to invent the time travelling machine but she is sucked into the machine and travels back in time. Therefore, Sandusky is urged to produce another time machine that can slow down time with a more stable core. Upon starting up the machine, a piece of old paper emerges. Eli reaches for the newspaper and gets sucked into the year of Alexandria (415 C. E). Eli and his companion, a dinosaur and an Alexandrian, seeks to reunite Sandusky’s wife, returning to the present day life and save the world from the fatal disease that has slipped through time. The novel is structured by different narrative perspectives, in which different characters narrate the story from their personal point of view and experience. This type of structure of narrative point of views offers the reader a different perspective of the world from three characters: Eli, Clyne and Thea. The writer’s intention here may be to demonstrate the reality is never black or white, but can be interpreted and understood in different ways in different individuals. However, the one limitation to this type of structure is that the reader may experience confusion in attempting to understand the flow of the story, in which disputes the coherency of events. There are no obvious clues to indicate the change of the protagonist. The only visible clue available is the chapter title and the narrator’s name. Hence, this confuses us in terms of identifying the protagonist. As the reader continues to read, they will encounter an acronym many times before it gives its meaning. There are instances in the text when certain words such as â€Å"WHOMPEs† suddenly appear, which disrupts the flow of the story. Reading this novel for the first time will confuse the reader. As the reader progresses through the novel, Sandusky explains to Eli what a â€Å"WHOMPERs† is. It is a â€Å"Wide Orbiting Massless ParticlE Reversers. † The writers intention suggest that the scientific invention is an abstract idea which is foreign to humanity. The author uses a stream of consciousness to enable the reader to engage with the thought process of the character. When Sandusky answered Eli’s question about time, he replied ‘you go into the Fifth Dimension†¦hard to tell the difference between time and space, or when and where. Or even who and what. † This encourages the reader to think and be in the mind of the narrator. This is a really good idea for advanced readers who want to think beyond the novel. Williams’ got inspired to write the novel by his son. He got the idea when his son was running down the hallway yelling out â€Å"I’m a Danger Boy! † The novel’s setting is based on where he lives, which is LA. There could be a connection between the novel’s setting and where he lives. One connection is that LA is a place for relaxation and tourism. The main character travels to LA with his father to relax a bit after the tragic incident. One of the major themes in â€Å"Danger Boy† is time traveling. Time traveling is frequent in the novel. It happens when ever Eli puts his â€Å"WHOMPER† charged baseball cap on. Another theme them is history. History is shown in this novel from many perspectives. It is seen by going back in time to Alexandria (415 C. E). The main motif in the novel is a baseball cap. It is a motif because it’s a device that allows Eli to time travel. Without the baseball cap, Eli would just be like any other ordinary kid. This novel can be compared with Audrey Niffenegger’s â€Å"The Time Traveller’s Wife†. The two novels involve the same themes; history and time travelling. In â€Å"Danger Boy† Eli becomes a time traveller after he touches a time machine. He travels back in time to Alexandria. He can control when he wants to time travel, but can’t control on where it’ll take him. In â€Å"The Time Traveller’s Wife† Henry is born with a genetic disorder. This genetic disorder allowed him to time travel. There was one thing that he can’t control. It is where he lands from time travelling and when he time travels. Ultimately, Williams has created an adventurous and exciting novel. The book was exciting because it produced tension into whether the protagonists find Margret or not. The writer produced a text that was a bit difficult to read and establishment of the main character. The author shaped the words in the sentences really strangely which sometimes doesn’t make sense or it is not suitable, so the reader needs to re-read it to understand it. This novel should be raising questions about time travel, especially in the future.

Principles of Marketing Essay

The course content includes a study of the relationship between marketing and society, nature and functions of marketing, marketing management processes, marketing tools, the markets, and the consumers. Course Objectives The main goal of the course is to provide an overview of the basic principles underlying modern marketing theory and practice. It will provide participants with an understanding of the analysis that is necessary for taking marketing decisions, and the wide range of factors (and interactions of those factors) that need to be considered in the design of a marketing program. Students should come away with this course with an understanding of the marketing system and its role within the Malaysian economy and within an individual firm by studying how products and services are planned, priced, promoted, and distributed in order to satisfy consumers’ wants. Learning Outcomes Upon completion of the course, students should be able to: ? define and apply knowledge of the key marketing concepts. Please dress decently and appropriately (according to university’s dress codes) when attending classes. ? Group projects ; Assignments There will be group projects and assignments. For group project, work together with your group members and at the end of the project your group members will assess your contribution to the project. You are expected to do a group presentation before submission of written copy during the semester. Assignments will be uploaded in UNIEC. In class assignments must be submitted on the specified date otherwise you may be penalized for late submission. If you encounter any problem to submit assignments on the specific date, you are required to inform the lecturer within 2 days of the specified date. For any type written assignments given, the format of the paper should be as follows: ? A cover page with your details – Name, Student ID and Sections ( as registered in CMS) ? Font: Time New Roman , size 12 with 1. 5 spacing ? Include a reference page for every assignment that you submitted. ? Forums Students are required to participate in ALL 3 forums posted by the Course Leader and marks will be assigned based on the quality of the discussion. ? Accessing/ Checking UNIEC Virtual It is utmost important for students to access and check their UNIEC Virtual for any updates and information pertaining to the course regularly throughout the semester. Ignorance is NO EXCUSE. Examination Format Final examination will be a three hours-examination. The exam will evaluate your level of understanding and knowledge acquired in this course. The question formats may consist of multiple choice, true-false, short essays, and case-based problems. Week Topics Covered Overview 1 2 3 4 Topic 1: Marketing: Managing Profitable Customer Relationship Topic 2: The Marketing Environment and the Marketing Information Topic 3: Consumer Markets and Consumer Buyer Behavior Topics/Activities Remarks/ Deadlines Introduction. Class activities: – Getting to know. – Overview of course plan. Marketing: Managing Profitable Customer Relationship ? Definitions of marketing ? Basic concepts of marketing ? Evolutions of marketing ? Relationship marketing ? Marketing strategy and the marketing mix ? Marketing Challenges in the future Read: ? Kotler: Chapter 1 ? Harley-Davidson case. Chapter preview p158. Class activities: ? Discuss reading materials Topic 1 ? Discuss Harley Davidson exercise. The Marketing Environment and Marketing Information ? Company’s Microenvironments ? Company’s Macroenvironments ? Marketing research process Read: Forum 1 ? Kotler: Chapter 3 ; 4 ? Real Marketing 4. 2 ‘Tracking consumers on the Web: Smart targeting or a little creepy’. p 151 Class activities: ? Discuss reading materials Topic 2 ? Discuss ‘Prius: Leading a Wave of Hybrids’ case Consumer Markets and Business Market ? Consumer Buying Behavior ? Consumer Decision-making Process ? Factors Affecting Consumer Buying Behavior.

Gun Control vs. Gun Rights essays

Gun Control vs. Gun Rights essays Since the days of the pioneers of the United States, firearms have been part of the American tradition as protection and a means of hunting or sport. As we near the end of the 20th century the use of guns has changed significantly. Because of fast and steady increase in crime and the fight for the right to own a hand gun, the introduction of legislation for gun control, to try to reduce the crime in the United States, has been a hotly debated issue in recent years. Although many people feel that gun control violates the right of the people, given in the second amendment "the right to bear arms", controlling distribution and sales and the registration of guns and gun owners is necessary because of the homicide rate involving guns and the violence by Many people feel that gun control violates the right of the people given in the second amendment the right "to bear arms". Opponents of gun control, including the National Rifle Association, better known as the NRA, argue that the "right To bear arms" is guaranteed in the second amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America and licensing restrictions penalize law-abiding citizens while in no way preventing criminal use of handguns. It is also argued that by making it difficult for guns to be bought and registered for the American public there is a threat to the personal safety of American families everywhere. However controlling the sale and distribution of firearms is necessary because of the homicide rate involving guns. In 1988 there were 9000 handgun related murders in America. Metropolitan centers and some suburban communities of America are setting new records for homicides by handguns. Larger Metropolitan centers have ten times the murder rate of all Western Europe. For example in Washington,D.C. there was an estimated 400 In addition gun control has been seen ...