Understanding the US Homeland Security

On June 2002, President George Bush proposed to create the Department of Homeland Security – a move considered to be the most significant transformation of the US government whereby a single department has been tasked to protect America’s homeland from terrorist attacks. As noted in the Department’s website, the vision of the organization is to preserve the freedom of the United States and its homeland. Its mission is to lead the unified national effort to secure America. It has aimed to prevent and deter terrorist attacks and protect against and respond to threats and hazards to the US. Furthermore, the organization has vowed, as part of its mission, to safe and secure borders, welcome lawful immigrants and visitors, and to promote the free flow of commerce. (US Department of Homeland Security website, 2002) The organizational structure of the Department of Homeland Security has several components which involve resources within Federal, state and local governments. The following are the directorates and their components: Directorate for Preparedness, Directorate for Science and Technology, Directorate for Management, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Office of Operations Coordination, Directorate for Policy, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. The Directorate for Preparedness works with state, local, and private sector partners to identify threats, determine vulnerabilities, and target resources where risk is greatest, thereby safeguarding our borders, seaports, bridges and highways, and critical information systems. The Office of the Directorate for Science and Technology is the primary research and development arm of the Department. Â  It provides Federal, state and local officials with the technology and capabilities to protect the homeland. The Directorate for Management is responsible for Department budgets and appropriations, expenditure of funds, accounting and finance, procurement; human resources, information technology systems, facilities and equipment, and the identification and tracking of performance measurements. Finally, the Directorate for Policy works to enhance the nuclear detection efforts of Federal, State, territorial, tribal, and local governments, and the private sector and to ensure a coordinated response to such threats. (US Department of Homeland Security website, 2002) Aside from the Offices of the Directorates, the US Homeland Department also has independent organizations including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Borders Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Citizenship and Immigration Services, the US Coast Guard, and the US Secret Service. The functions and main responsibilities of these agencies are as follows: FEMA prepares the nation for hazards, manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, and administers the National Flood Insurance Program. TSA protects the nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce. Customs and Borders Protection is responsible for protecting America’s borders in order to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. ICE is responsible for identifying and shutting down vulnerabilities in the nation’s border, economic, transportation and infrastructure security. Federal Law Enforcement Training Center provides career-long training to law enforcement professionals to help them fulfill their responsibilities safely and proficiently. Citizenship and Immigration Services is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities. The US Coast Guard protects the public, the environment, and U.S. economic interests—in the nation’s ports and waterways, along the coast, on international waters, or in any maritime region as required to support national security. (US Department of Homeland Security website, 2002) Conclusion and analysis The aftermath of 9/11 has made America more conscious of its homeland security. And rightfully, it is so. The loss of innocent lives and the repercussions it made to the economy of the United States will serve as a reminder that we have to be on vigilant on the evil motives of some countries. The current structure of the US Department of Homeland Security has so far proven itself effective in carrying out its primary task of protecting America and its citizens against any threat to the nation’s freedom and independence. After carefully identifying and studying the organization chart of the Department of Homeland Security, I am of the opinion that everything has been placed exactly where they should be. Obviously, the move to cluster all agencies related to security and the protection of America’s homeland was carefully thought out. So far, the issue on security and preparedness in terms of calamities, whether natural or otherwise, has been properly addressed by this Department. Since America has not yet experienced another 9/11, it would seem to me that the Department of Homeland Security has been doing its job perfectly. References: The US Department of Homeland Security [online] Available at: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/ Cited on: April 30, 2006 The White House [online] Available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/homeland/index.html Cited on: April 30, 2006 ;

Enders Game Essay

â€Å"The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words. â€Å" -Philip K. Dick In the novel Enders Game the author Orson Scott Card shows us a complete different world than we are used to. Set into the future, the world has just recovered from a devastation alien war that was won by a fluke of luck by our soldiers. Although this time we will strike back, in preparation for the upcoming â€Å"Bugger† war the worlds smartest children get drafted to join the battle school program set in space to learn combat form an early age. One of these kids happened to be Andrew â€Å"Ender† Wiggin, the six year old was stripped of his childhood, taken away from his family and sent to battle school. All his life Ender has extreme pressure on him because six year old Ender was meant to save the world. Throughout the novel Orson Scott Card blurs the thin line between appearance and reality, through the concept of â€Å"games† two different examples of this are Enders stays at Battle School and then again at Command School, throughout both Ender was constantl y played and manipulated for the â€Å"greater good†. While at Battle School Ender was objected to isolation, due to the jealousy of the other children. Ender grew accustomed to the hostility and tried to not let it bother him as much as he could. In the private study time given to the child soldiers they were free to do what they wished. Not having many friends and not finding the studies overly challenging Ender would play the games on the Battles School’s program. Ender quickly became engorged in a role play game called the Giants Drink. This game was deemed impossible but Ender became obsessed with it and reached levels no one had ever seen before. Ender could not stand to lose at anything so he went to any extreme needed to further him in the game. Ender was to always remember the details of this game, because to complete the level time and time again Ender had to play maliciously and evilly, he had to play as a murderer and a cheater all the qualities reminding him of his brother, Peter who Ender despised and wished to never turn into. Later on into the novel Ender is told to search for new planets to colonize. While on his mission to find new planets to inhabit Ender stumbles upon a plant that seemed to feel a little too  familiar having an uncanny resemblance to the landscape and structure of the plant of his childhood pass time game, The Giants Drink. Only to discover this planet was created for him as a means of communication by the â€Å"Buggers†. â€Å"He had played here too many times as a child not to know this place. But it was not possible. The computer in the Battle School could not have possibly seen this place† A game form his past, what he though was mere mush of pixels and graphics turned out to become a reality. Orson Scott Card made us believe throughout the novel that The Giants Drink was just a game. Whereas it was actually always a secret place only Ender had ever visited, making it perfect to use as a secret means of communication. Orson Scott Card pushed us beyond what we thought was quite insignificant and made it more or less one of the most important event to take place in the novel. By not sticking to convention and going above and beyond making us think more about how what was just a game turned into reality. Furthermore while at Battle School all the solider had to participate in â€Å"Battles† again each other. These Battles were often the highlights of these children’s days, when Ender became a commander and got his own army to train for these pretend Battles. He quickly learned that he was never going to be treated fair and that all odd will always be stacked against him always trying to defeat him. Time and time again Ender won the Battles he took part it, having a perfect win streak. This infuriated many and Ender made many enemies, even the teachers seemed to be against Ender give him multiple battles a day and also giving him two armies as opponents instead of the usual one. All his life Ender was isolated and treated unfairly so none of this was new to Ender. Whatever situation was thrown at him Ender came out at top because of his intelligence, natural born leadership and yearning to win. Although these battles seemed to be just a game to tear apart the children the skills learned in this game could be the difference between life and death, once again confusing us about what is the illusion in it all. Ender graduated through the Battle School program faster than anyone and got transferred to the next step, Command School. The first little while in Command School was spent in complete isolation, it was more terrible than Battle School which Ender thought was not possible once again only being left with the companionship of the games they offered. After a year of complete seclusion Ender meet with his mentor, teacher, friend and enemy Mazer Rackmen, the man who was responsible for saving the human race from the second â€Å"Bugger† invasion. Mazer was the only person Ender ever got a chance to be with. Together they went through anything and everything that could possibly be an aid to Ender when the â€Å"Buggers† attack. Mazer got Ender to play the simulator games again but now in a complete different way, it was no longer a one man game, Ender verses The Computer but now it was Ender Commanding different squadron leaders. The leaders which turned out to be the small group of friends Ender had accumulated over his stay at the Battle School. Together they worked amazingly, using Enders intelligence and great leadership skills. With Enders desperation to always win they always came out of battles victorious, he may have lost his friends in the process of becoming this amazing leader but he gained their complete admiration and respect. Closer to the end of this novel, Mazer gives Ender his final examination, being sick of it all Ender just wanted to end it as soon as he could. Not into it at all Ender plays half-heartedly in the bigining, when being faced with his challenge Ender steps it up knowing he was once again set for failure. Not wanting the teachers to have the satisfaction of One Upping Ender he plays in a way he hates, as a cheat but it seems to once again be the only way to succeed in these games. After beating his final examiniation Ender finds out all of the simulations he played with his squadron leaders were not games but they were they actual â€Å"Bugger† war which Ender had fought and won without even knowing what her was doing. â€Å"You made the hard choice, boy, All or nothing. End them or end is. But heaven knows there was no other way you could have doing it. Congratulations. You beat them, and it’s all over.† â€Å"Real. Not a game. Enders mind was too tired to cope with it all.† Absent mindedly Ender has annihilated a whole species, making him a murderer. Thinking he was playing a game Ender had fought a galactic war. Once again Orson Scott Card hazes the thin line between your appearances and your realities. What Ender thought was a game was a life or death situation. If Ender would have listened to his heart and lose the last game, he could have saved an intelligent species, but we never know our outcomes until our decisions have been played out and it is too late to change our mind. Orson Scott Card highlighted the fact that every little thing in someone’s life makes a huge impact. As insignificant as it may seem everything has a purpose. If Ender had not played these games to win the â€Å"Buggers† could very well be alive and not knowing their intentions, letting them live was too big a risk. All throughout his life Ender had been played with, an object of constant manipulation and mind games. Battle and Command School were no different than Earth in this aspect. On Earth Ender was bullied and manipulate into doing what he wants by Enders evil older brother Peter, while at Battle School, Colonel Graff the head administrator never failed to lie to Ender, only tell him half the truth and additionally manipulate him, When Ender got to his last training program Command School Ender was manipulated and lied to in a way he could not even begin to imagine â€Å"Of course we tricked you into it. That’s the whole point.† At the end Colonel Graff even admits that all the manipulation, lies and hostility towards Ender was a part of his and Mazer Rackmens plan. Ender having been lied to and brought back to his murderous side, the part of him he hated the most. Ender was furious and could not bear to look at anyone and went back to his room. Orson Scott Cards showed us that it’s better to not trust anyone. What you think is really happening might just not really be happening and that you should always keep a check on your reality verses your illusions. Throughout the novel Orson Scott Card blurs the thin line between appearance and reality, through the concept of â€Å"games†. At times it is quite difficult to grasp your appearances verses your realities because you get too caught up in the little things that you forget to stop and look at the bigger picture. Only if you look at your life from a neutral perspective will you be able to tell what is really happening and what is a fragment of your  imagination. Orson Scott Card illustrated this point amazingly throughout this novel.

Discursive essay (1): a balanced argument Essay

Text-messaging is an important advance in communication – or is it? With a partner, discuss three reasons you think text messaging represents an important advance in communication and three reasons why it does not. Order them 1-3 according to their importance. b Read the model essay and see if the writer has mentioned some or all of your arguments. Does the writer put her main argument first in both paragraphs? c Look at the three introductory paragraphs below and choose which one you think is best for the essay. Compare with a partner, and discuss why you think it is the best, and why the other two are less suitable. Then do the same with the conduding paragraphs. Introductory paragraphs 1 Since the first SMS was sent in 1992, text messaging has become one of the most popular forms of communication, especially among the younger generation, with billions of messages being sent every year. But has this technology really improved interpersonal communication? 2 Text messaging clearly has important advantages and disadvantages. In this essay, I am first going to analyse the advantages of SMS technology and then I will outline some important disadvantages before finally drawing my conclusions. 3 Can you imagine life without sending and receiving SMSs? Almost certainly not, as this cheap and convenient technology has become such a vital tool for organizing our social lives and communicating instantly with our friends and family. How did we manage before it was invented? Concluding paragraphs 1 In conclusion, text messaging has important advantages and disadvantages, but on the whole, I believe that it has improved our lives in a significant way. 2 In my view, text messaging has improved communication considerably and it is highly useful, for example, if you are trying to contact someone in a very noisy place, such as a club, where it would be impossible to hear a phone call. In conclusion, it is a very vital piece of technology. Being able to send short, written messages via mobile phone has clearly advanced communication in certain respects. The greatest benefit of texting is that it allows us to communicate instantly with other people wherever they are, but without interrupting them in the way that a phone call would, and allowing them to reply whenever it is convenient for them to do so. In addition, sending a text, for example to arrange where to meet someone, is a quick, concise, and efficient way of communicating, as people normally only include the vital information. Finally, text messaging is a very cheap form of communication, which is a particular advantage for young people or for people who are travelling, when mobile phone conversations can be prohibitively expensive.

Management accounting-Bias Budgets Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management accounting-Bias Budgets - Coursework Example Question One (a): Why do managers want to manipulate their budgets? After budget approval, the company may use it to carry out budgetary actions. As a result, the managers use it to ensure they carry out the organization objectives and plans and in the end, they have to compare budget plan against the real performance. Once compared, the difference in amount is usually the budget deficient or bias which is cause by manager`s manipulation or distortion on the proposed budget. There are various reasons as to why mangers manipulate budget. Firstly, if the rewards and motivation through performance evaluation help to achieve the budget results, the managers may end up manipulating the budget to include more of rewards in order they can hit the target more easily like league table and bonuses. Besides, managers are highly involved in cases of budget slacks-where organization set their revenue to be too low and a high cost, the organization may end up losing sales since the resources requi red to raise production with the short time given have been limited. Moreover, the managers who have been promised some rewards on attaining certain goals set their target to be very low such that they easily attain them without caring whether the company looses or gains. Likewise, the senior managers dictate on a budget for performance. As a result, it forces the mangers to keep focus of resources on the performance of their department. Consequently, the mangers end up presenting a budget request biased on his department not for organization as whole. Hence, the direction of bias is downwards. Secondly, the company`s practices and norms is subtle in determining the performance of the company`s budget. Notably, prevailing work conditions help to dictate what is morally right. As a result, the management, which focuses on self-manager performances, will give incentives directed to managers alone. However, the aggregate accounting performance from his action is focusing on organizatio n as whole. On the other hand, the management focusing on others gives a hard determination of degree of performance. As a result, it reduces the aggregate performance although it induces co-operation and collaboration to other firms. Moreover, when there occurs some change in the budgetary system from being top-down or centralized, and an acceptable estimate of growth is set, with the changing budgetary system to may be bottom up, and company`s practices remaining similar, bias of unknown direction happens. Lastly, the mangers may feel insecure in their job and as a result, they are more than ready to use the budgetary trick when a chance arises. By this, it mean, the managers are quick to spend until the entire budgeted amount is consumed when the chance of buying goods occurs at a lower price. In fact, in the managers operating in the declining sales department makes use of entire budgets usage under the assumption that the future is uncertain. As a result, the budget becomes was teful at the expense of the manager approving his need of upholding the job since the amount needed by the company and the bought one is very varying. Hence, strong upward bias occurs. (b): Why are they able to do? What are the constraints on such behaviour? As a long as the departmental budget exists, some head of the department will always try to game the budget. Additionally, there are numerous reason as

Symbolic meaning creation is central for the management and Essay

Symbolic meaning creation is central for the management and consumption of brands - Essay Example products and goods started to emerge during 1950s and it essentially tried to embody the notion of buying things not based on what they do but what they actually mean to the consumer. This aspect of products and relative tendency of consumers to assign meanings to the different products therefore suggest some very interesting challenges for the overall brand management and how brand managers can create and sustain such symbolic meanings for their brands. This line of thinking therefore suggests that marketing systems are conceptualized as the culture production systems also because of their ability to create symbolic and cultural meanings for the goods and services. Issues like conspicuous consumption therefore come within the domain of how the marketing systems can be utilized as the meaning creation systems too with emphasis on the meaning creation by symbols. (Wattanasuwan, 2005) It is generally believed that the contemporary society is the society which is based upon consumerism. Different social arrangements within this society therefore crafted around the way different individuals in society consume. Consumption therefore is considered as the central to the different central practices in any given contemporary society. Thus the products which are consumed by individuals and the services enjoyed by the individuals just refer to the ways individuals associate themselves with different groups in a society. It is also argued that the consumers therefore not only consume the products and services but also the associated images with these products and services also. From the social perspective, it is therefore believed that in a fast paced society there is a greater need for having an individual meaning for the consumers also therefore consumers tends to associate themselves with different products and services and images attached to these products. Thus the overall concept is based upon the individual urge to have the sense of meanings to the self therefore

Sports and Entertainment Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sports and Entertainment Management - Essay Example This paper portrays the current situation of unemployment in the United States and the best way to handle the problem using various economic models. The paper also looks at the government and monetary policies put in place in attempt to fight against the problem. The US unemployment problem has been raising recently attracting attention to both the Federal Government and private investors. Strategies to fight the problem are currently in place to freeze the increasing percentage of unemployment rate in the global economic leader. Despite the fact that the US is the largest economy in the world, global economic pressures and bad economic policies could be the major causes of the employment problem currently facing the country. A recent household survey indicated that the unemployment condition in the United has risen by 0.1 per cent in May 2013 to 7.6 per cent. The situation was however worse in October 2009 than it is currently. Compared to the rate of unemployment in 2009, the situa tion had fallen to 2.4 per cent but it is now rising according to recent surveys (The US Department of Numbers 2013). Article tackling Unemployment Guardian News and Media Limited. 2013. US jobless claims rise modestly as economic growth revised down. Retrieved June 24, 2013, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/may/30/us-jobless-claims-economic-growth This article by the Guardian News and Media Limited points out that regardless of the US economic growth with a modest 2.4% this year, there is still a significant rise in the number of Americans seeking for jobs indicating the current unemployment increase from 338,000 five years ago to the current 354,000. The article postulates that most employers are now steadily hiring, making an average of 208,000 jobs available every month different from the previous reported statistics of 138,000 in the recent couple of months past (Guardian News and Media Limited 2013). With this statistics, it is observed as positive adjustment towar ds employment, which leaves unemployment down fall from 10% of the year 2009 to the current 7.5%. However, this decrease is as result of many people especially the youth has given up seeking for jobs and the government will count one as unemployed if he/she is actively looking for employment. Government spending continues to be the major area of weakness to US economy with also other as global weakness and higher taxes. Notably, economists assert that decline in the economy is not as severe as many people may think. Home construction is top performer in the economy growth which itself is growing at a double digit of 12.1% (Guardian News and Media Limited 2013). There is increased hiring in the private sector reduced prices in consumer goods and recorded high stock gains that maintain consumer spending high. Increased demand in consumers has prompted businesses to faster restocking rate indicating growth in business inventories. . Discussion Unemployment is normally treated as a shor t-term economic phenomenon, which affects fluctuations. The problem is often neglected in neoclassical growth models. Fiscal policies, which can be explained as an economic components initiating effect on one of the various components of aggregate demand, has a different effect on both GDP and employment. This happens when making application of the Keynesian demand-driven models or the Neo-classical supply driven models (Magnani 2013 ). Differences arise when dealing with problems associated with low economic growth and high public debts (Magnani 2013 ). The US has been working hard t ensure a minimum public debt and initiate mechanisms and strategies for job creation. Efforts of the US government to create

FA Premier League Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

FA Premier League - Research Paper Example But a saving grace for Man Utd was that, it stood tall amongst other competitor clubs as far as the responses regarding most professional clubs is concerned. 35% respondents pointed it out as the better managed clubs while the second slot went to Liverpool with 22.5%. Arsenal came at third place but Chelsa's coming even after 'other clubs' was a sad commentary on the infighting that goes on within the clubs, now a days. The battle for managing the better teams often proves to be a more competitive than even the game of football. People appeared to follow the activities of clubs and teams and their preparations for the forthcoming Premier League commencing in August 2007. Once again Man Utd appeared favorites to win the league, while surprisingly, Chelsa, which the respondents marked as the least professionally managed team emerged as the second favorite. This could be because of the inclusion of some new and promising names in the recent past. Amongst the players, Christiano Ronaldo emerged as the favorite to make a mark in the league. He might prove to be the reason for celebration for his club. These are the days of brand equity and brand building. At times players appear more busy outside the field, promoting the products and inaugurating showrooms than playing football. Clubs also try to encash this very brand equity. A 'star' player gives them a better opportunity to sell off shirts, and attracting people for watching the matches, which would eventually help in increasing the turnover of the club. Q.7 Though football fans appeared bit uncomfortable with lack of proper encouragement to football, yet most of them appeared full of enthusiasm when the game is on. There is a big number who watches more than 21 matches during the league. There are proportionately equal numbers of people who watch 11-15 matches during the tournament. But around 20% people also stated that they seldom watch the matches, that should be the cause of worry for football management in the country. Q.8 E-business seems to be the favorite of most of the football fans, because around 45% people prefer to purchase the tickets for the game though the Internet. But there are still around 25% people who prefer to take tickets from the booking offices in stadiums. This shows that people still like to feel the ambience of football even during the purchase of tickets. The managers of football must encourage more such visits and programs to the real football stadium, instead of dissuading them from such visits. At times, the visitor feels put-off by the manner in which some of the facilities are organized at the stadium. For example, if the visitor is provided with a proper parking space, with shops selling snacks etc. so that the day out proves to be very picnic like for the visitor and families. Man Utd has taken pains in organizing such facilities at the stadium managed by the company and some other location, which proved to be helpful for the company and football. Q. 10 Manchester United needs to put more emphasis on its e-marketing techniques as a good number of respondents said that they've never visited the internet site of Man Utd. Well, there were matching numbers of respondents who appreciated the efforts of Man Utd in sprucing up its online retail efforts and who visited