Access Control - Security Administration free essay sample

In todays world we consider access control as something that grants or denies entry to our homes and businesses using a system or device such as a key, access cards, security pins or even physical guards. Modern day systems can do much more than just restrict access to a given space, but their basic function is to do just that, restrict access. The Decision making process Do we need access control and why. Think for a moment how many buildings or facilities that you know of that don’t have at least a lock on the door. In todays civilized society we unfortunately also have crime and lots of it. Because of this, we must have access control.The main reason for controlling access is to prevent someone from entering that may want to steal and damage property or cause harm to those on the property. Why there are also many social reasons for access control, many companies also employ access control to limit liability and improve productivity by allowing people to feel safer in their workplace knowing that not just anyone can come in. We will write a custom essay sample on Access Control Security Administration or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The decision to have access control ultimately depends on the needs of the property or people being protected. Access Control Functions The basic function of all access control systems is to grant or deny access into a facility you are controlling. In order to be effective, an access control system must use certain processes, these processes are: Identification, Authentication, Authorization, and Accountability. The Identification process gathers information on the person requesting the access. Authentication is used to prove or disprove identification, this can be accomplished by several methods, but generally something like an access code along with a smart card works well (something you have and something you know) Authorization is determined by rules that determine who can enter and under what circumstances.The final process is accountability, the process of reporting and logging who has requested access and the results of those requests. Types of systems Starting with the basics, guards are a type of access control system that dates back to the medieval times. Even today, guards are still used to keep people out or at the least keep people under control. Locks and keys have also been around quite some time and are conside red to be a reasonably good access control system. However, over time, criminals have learned how to get past everyday locks and use tools of the trade to circumvent the key locking systems or simply cut padlocks.PINs (Personal Identification Numbers) are also a type of security system, but since pins are often lost and can easily be stolen, they are not widely used by themselves as a type of access control. Smart cards, which are still widely used today, offer a form of security that can require (something you have and something you know) the smart card being something you have and the pin for it something you know. Biometric access control systems are so far the best type of access control we have today. The reasoning for this is because it relies on identifying unique human characteristics such as fingerprints, retinas, hands, etc.Since these characteristics are unique to each person like DNA, biometric access control systems are considered far better than the other systems I have listed. When it comes to access control of comput er systems, many of the same types of control systems mentioned above are also used along with passwords and encryption. Uses of different systems There are many ways to use the systems I have already mentioned. Almost all buildings use keys to lock doors, but depending on the facility, they might also use smart card or proximity cards to control access into different parts of the building.By doing this they can enhance security and effectively control the access to different areas all through a computerized system. This allows them to easily grant or deny access in a very short period of time or only allow access during certain times of the day. Biometric access control systems can also be used in the same manner. Being able to control access in this manner also allows for good tracking and logging of who comes and goes. Components of an access control system Components of an access control system can be a door, turnstile, gate, elevator, or any other physical barrier where granting access can be electronically controlled. The most common access point is a door. An electronically controlled access door can contain several elements. The most basic might be just a stand-alone electric lock that is controlled by a security guard. The lock could also be automated by adding a reader that is controlled by a computer system that compares against an access list and determines who is allowed in by either entering a code, having a card or even biometrics. Most of the time due to fire regulations only the entry is controlled and the exit is uncontrolled. In cases where exit is also controlled a second card reader is simply added to the other side of the door.In cases where exit is not controlled, a device called a request-to-exit (RTE) is used. Request-to-exit devices can be as simple as a push-button or a motion detector. Access control topology Access control decisions are made by comparing the credential to an access control list. This can be accomplished by a server, an access control panel or reader. â€Å"The development of access control systems has seen a steady push of the lookup out from a central host to the edge of the system, or the reader. The predominant topology circa 2009 is hub and spoke with a control panel as the hub and the readers as the spokes.The lookup and control functions are by the control panel. The spokes communicate through a serial connection; usually RS485. Some manufactures are pushing the decision making to the edge by placing a controller at the door. The controllers are IP enabled and connect to a host and database using standard networks. † (Ref: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Access_control) Security Risks What are the risks vs. benefits Unfortunately, there are many risks, the most common of which is called piggybacking. This is when someone simply follows someone with access through the access control point. This risk can be minimized through training of staff on security awareness. Another way to mitigate this risk is to add a mantrap or security guard to the access control point, but this can be costly and should only be done in higher security areas. Another common risk is from levering or prying the door open. This is very easy to do on most doors and can be done with something as small as a screwdriver. One way to mitigate this risk is to add door monitoring alarms that sound when a door has been opened by force or notify security personnel.Access cards, specifically proximity cards are vulnerable to sophisticated attacks. Portable readers are readily available that can capture the card number from a user’s proximity card. The attacker just has to get closer enough to the card holder to read the card and can then use that information to access the secure door. Lastly, most all electric locking systems still have keys as a backup to gain entry. Mechanical key locking systems are easily picked using a method called bumping. Some of the benefits of access control are reduction in fraud. If an access card is lost or stolen, it can quickly be de-activated.Another benefit is the ability to create an audit trail. Since electronic access control systems can record who is coming and going and when, it’s easy to limit control in a very short amount of time if not instantly. It also allows administrators to quickly address security breaches. Another great benefit is cost control. Being able to control access to many different access control points from a single control center reduces overall cost and manpower needed to control access to the facility. It also reduces costs associated with having to replace locks when keys are lost.And most importantly, the ability to secure your workplace with access control systems. Conclusion Going back hundreds of years, access control systems have always been a part of our society. Modern day systems are more high tech and usually consist of electronic locks, keypads, card readers, or biometric devices. But these systems do much more than keep the wrong people out, they protect people and property. Protecting people and property are main reasons for deploying an access control system, but they also help improve productivity and limit liability.Whether an access control system is big or small or whether it is protecting a handful of people or thousands of people they all employ the same processes, just on a different scale. In the end they all serve the same purpose and that is to let the right people through the right doors at the right time. References Finger key, hand key and hand reader Retrieved October 1st , 2012 from http://www. officesecuritypro. com/office-security-articles/access-control-security-system. php Access Control Retrieved October 1st , 2012 from

Biography of California Senator Kamala Harris

Biography of California Senator Kamala Harris Kamala Harris  was born October 20, 1964, to a black Stanford University professor and a Tamil Indian physician mother. Harris became the first California attorney general with African American or South Asian ancestry after defeating Republican rival Steve Cooley in the 2010 election for the position. Harris,  formerly San Franciscos district attorney, is also the first woman to serve in the role. Kamala Harris announced she was running for president in 2020 on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 2019. Fast Facts: Kamala Harris Name: Kamala Devi HarrisBorn: October 20, 1964, in Oakland, CAKnown For: Junior Senator from California; sits on Senate Budget, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Judiciary, and Intelligence committees. First woman, African-American, and South Asian district attorney in San Francisco. First California Attorney General with African-American or South Asian ancestry.Education: Howard University, Hastings College of the LawDistinctions and Awards: Named one of Californias top 75 women litigators by the legal paper The Daily Journal and a Woman of Power by the National Urban League. Awarded Thurgood Marshall Award by National Black Prosecutors Association. Named Rodel Fellow by the Aspen Institute. On the board of the California District Attorneys Association. Early Life and Education Kamala Devi Harris was raised in San Franciscos East Bay, where she attended public schools, worshipped at black churches, and lived in predominantly African-American communities. Her immersion in African-American culture didnt prevent her from being exposed to Indian culture, however. Her mother took Harris to Hindu temples to worship. Moreover, Harris is no stranger to India, having visited the subcontinent on several occasions to see relatives. Her bicultural heritage and travels around the globe have inspired political insiders to compare her with President Barack Obama. While Obama sometimes struggled with identity issues,  as he describes in his memoir Dreams from My Father, Harris evidently didnt experience growing pains in this vein. Harris attended high school in Quebec, where she moved with her mother following her parents divorce. After graduation, Harris attended Howard University, a historically black academic institution. She earned a bachelors degree from Howard in 1986 and then returned to the bay area in northern California. Upon her return, she enrolled at Hastings College of the Law, where she earned a law degree. Following that accomplishment, Harris proceeded to leave her mark on the legal arena of San Francisco. Career Highlights Law degree in tow, Harris began prosecuting murder, robbery, and child rape cases as deputy district attorney for the Alameda County District Attorneys Office, serving as a prosecutor from 1990 to 1998. Then, as managing attorney of the Career Criminal Unit of the San Francisco District Attorneys Office, a position she filled from 1998 to 2000, Harris prosecuted cases involving serial felons. Later, she headed the San Francisco City Attorneys Division on Families and Children for three years. But it was in 2003 that Harris would make history. At the years end, she was elected as the San Francisco district attorney, becoming the first female, black, and South Asian person to achieve this feat. In November 2007, voters re-elected her to the office. During her 20 years as a prosecutor, Harris has shaped an identity for herself as being tough on crime. She prides herself on doubling trial conviction rates for gun felonies to 90 percent as San Franciscos top cop. Also, with Harris as head, the San Francisco District Attorneys office increased the percentage of dangerous criminals sentenced to prison by more than half. But serious crime wasnt Harris only focus. She also tripled the number of misdemeanor cases sent to trial  and prosecuted the parents of truant children, which helped slash the truancy rate by 23 percent. Controversy The San Francisco District Attorneys Office found itself under fire in early 2010 when it came to light that Deborah Madden, a drug lab technician for the city police, confessed to removing cocaine from evidence samples. Her admission resulted in the police labs testing unit closing and pending drug cases being dismissed. The police department also had to investigate cases already prosecuted due to Maddens admission of evidence tampering. During the scandal, it was asserted that the District Attorneys Office knew of Maddens evidence tampering. However, it remains unclear what information the district attorney knew about Madden and when Harris learned of the techs improprieties. The San Francisco Examiner has alleged that the District Attorneys Office knew of the situation months before the public was told of the controversy and before the police chief himself learned of the news. Endorsements and Honors Harris won endorsements from Californias political elite while campaigning for Attorney General, including Senator Diane Feinstein, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, California  Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. On the national stage, Harris had the backing of former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Leaders in law enforcement also endorsed Harris, including the then-police chiefs of San Diego and San Francisco. Harris has also won numerous honors, including being named one of Californias top 75 women litigators by the legal paper The Daily Journal and as a Woman of Power by the National Urban League. Additionally, the National Black Prosecutors Association gave Harris the Thurgood Marshall Award and the Aspen Institute chose her to serve as a Rodel Fellow. Lastly, the California District Attorneys Association elected her to its board. Senator Harris In January 2015, Kamala Harris announced her bid for the U.S. Senate. She defeated her opponent Loretta Sanchez to become the second woman of African or Asian descent to hold such a position. As a junior Senator from California, Harris sits on the Senate Budget, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Judiciary, and Intelligence Committees. In 2017, she introduced 13 bills and resolutions, the majority dealing with public lands and natural resources, crime and law enforcement, and immigration. Member of the Resistance Harris is an outspoken advocate for immigrant and women’s rights, and a proud member of the resistance against Donald Trumps presidency. Speaking at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., on January 21, 2017, the day after Trump was sworn into office, Harris called his inaugural address a â€Å"dark† message. Seven days later, she criticized his executive order barring citizens from terror-prone countries entry to the U.S. for 90 days, deeming it a â€Å"Muslim ban.† On June 7, 2017, during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Harris put some tough questions to Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General, over the role he played in the May 2017 firing of FBI director James Comey. As a result, Senators John McCain and Richard Burr admonished her for not being more respectful. Six days later, Harris was again taken to task by McCain and Burr for her hardline questioning of Jeff Sessions. Other Democratic members of the committee pointed out that their own questions had been similarly tough, yet Harris was the only member who received reprimands. The media got wind of the incidents and promptly leveled  accusations of sexism and racism against McCain and Burr. Sources Hafalia, Liz. Judge rips Harris office for hiding problems. San Francisco Chronicle, May 21, 2010. Herb, Jeremy. Senators try to quiet Harris, but she doesnt back down. CNN, June 7, 2017. Herndon, Astead W. Kamala Harris Declares Candidacy, Evoking King and Joining Diverse Field. The New York Times, January 21, 2019.

DIVIDEND POLICY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DIVIDEND POLICY - Essay Example The management increased both the interim and final dividend throughout the four-year period. In 2007 the company paid an interim dividend of 6.5p which increased to 6.75p in 2008, 6.9p in 2009,7.6p in 2010 and finally 7.9p in 2011. For the case of the final dividend, the amount paid in 2008 was 13.5p, which was increased to 14.1p, 16.2p, 16.85p in 2009,200 and 2011 respectively (Associated British food, 2011). This is attributed to the increasing performance and profitability together with the increase in the performance of the general economy. Since the economy recovered from the recession and the inflation rates reduced, the company realized a reduction in the cost that made it post positive performance. The improving global economic performance also resulted in the increase in the sales turnover and improvement in ABF cash flows (Associated British food, 2011). Since the payments of dividends depends on the availability of cash flows, an increase in the cash inflows would result into an increase in the dividend that can be distributed to the company. Several theories have been developed o elucidate the relevance or irrelevance of dividends decision on the value of a firm (Lease, 2000). Modigliani and Millar dividend irrelevance theory asserts that dividends have no effect on the firms value in a perfect market because dividends are paid out of earnings and therefore whether distributed or not, it does not affect the firms earnings. Dividends have no effect on both equity and cost of equity (Baker, Powell & Veit, 2002). The bird in hand theory was also developed. According to this theory, dividend payments affect the value of a firm since investors are sure about the dividend earnings than the expected capital gains, which they consider as a bird in the bush (Miller & Kevin, 1985). The tax preference theory on the contrary claims that investors will prefer capital gains to the dividend because of the tax advantage associated with the capital gain. Since divi dends attract higher taxes, investors will prefer capital gain. The signaling theory further argues that dividend payment is significant in a firm’s investment decisions because it acts as a signal to the performance of the company. A company with high dividends is said to have better future prospects hence this will attract investors; the theory is based on the assumption that capital markets are imperfect and investors have different levels of knowledge (Benartzi, Roni & Thaler,1997). Before selecting a dividend policy, company managements must take into consideration the likely impact of their dividend decisions. Dividend decisions of a firm are important, as it can be use in influencing the value to the shareholders. In paying dividend, firms will considerer several factors. First, the dividend policy can be determined by the financial requirements of a firm. A firm that has several positive investment projects may decide to increase the proportion that is retained to inv est in the positive projects (Baker, Powell & Veit, 2002). Retention in this case provides the capital required to undertake the positive projects. Secondly, the dividend policy can also be determined by the nature of the company’s earnings. A company that realizes stable income in the financial performance can decide to increase the amount of dividends paid because of stability in the earnings whereas those with fluctuating incomes may reduce the amount of dividend distributed to the shareholders (Clayman, 2012). Moreover, firms’ liquidity also affects its dividend policy. A firm with better cash flows and which is liquid has the ability to make large dividend payments than that is not liquid. This is because dividends are always distributed out of cash and is therefore determined by the

Tab M Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tab M - Essay Example The present duty of the Missouri Secretary of State includes overseeing different crucial areas, which are generally election related, business related and other government related operations. In the election related operations, the Secretary of State often play the role of the main election official during the state elections. Secretary of State also regulates the office where registration of candidate takes place. In business duties, the Secretary of State is responsible for the registration of all the profit and non-profit based organizations within the state. Additionally, the Secretary of State does have to keep an eye over the libraries and archives of the state along with handling of other operations such as issuing of automobile registrations among others (sos.mo.gov, â€Å"Publications & Forms†). The ‘Streamlined Sales and the Use of Tax Agreement (SSUTA)’ is generally a kind of agreement implemented by the government of the United States, so as to carry out the sales process and the tax administration system within the member states in a simplified and transparent manner (mobudget.org, â€Å"Streamlined Sales And 2 Use Tax Agreement†). Currently, SSUTA is implemented with the prime intention of making Missouri capable enough to adopt the definition along with the procedures of the sales tax that has been agreed upon by all the 22 member states (Blouin, â€Å"Missouri House Committee Substitute Streamlined Sales Tax Bill Contains Significant Negative Policy Consequences†). The Streamline Sales tax Project (SSTP) is highly effective in simplifying the tax regulations and the sales process. The guidelines of the SSTP have subsequently helped multiple states within US in terms of upgrading their sales and tax systems (Streamlined Sales tax Project, â€Å"Welcome to the Streamlined Sales Tax Registration System†). The archives of the Missouri

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 1 Case Assignment Essay

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 1 Case Assignment - Essay Example Davis (2013) explained that business analytics is instrument to achieve objectives which transformed information as data to leverage in business competition. Admittedly, they have spent tremendous amount of obtaining invaluable assets and in developing storage or database to save essential uncovered insights as knowledge-base that can be useful, for instance, in social network analysis and in behavioural studies at multiple levels (Davis, 2013). This may include concerns on retail pricing, portfolio analysis, risks positions, banking or finance management, and the empirical demand of the market based on considered demography and customer needs (Davis, 2013). This expertise on business analytics is also provided as consultancy service to pharmaceuticals, industries, companies and institutions seeking expert consultancy on organizational capacity management (Davis, 2013). In a cursory look into the organization’s performance, it is driven to empower clients using advanced analyt ics for organizations to make use of its internal database to improve its competence, performance, financials, and its quest for meaningful innovative information (Davis, 2013). Through this, clients are inspired to make fact-based decision-making to generate great impact (SAS Inc., 2012). The company also partner with clients in all development process to ensure that they are able to generate maximum satisfaction of relevant services (SAS Inc., 2012). Such commitment target at getting shared outcome. The organization used creative capital for high performance analytics and client empowerment. This process is undertaken by optimizing technology in resolving problems on financial services, pharmaceutical market development, nurturing retail business opportunities, valuing customer relations, business risk management, optimizing information technology networks with cross-functional solutions via information management, analytics and business intelligence (SAS Inc., 2012). SAS services are rendered to 60,000 sites over 135 countries which include 90 of top companies of on the 2011 Fortune Global 500Â ® list (SAS Inc., 2012). The company has been an avid service provider on customer intelligence, improving governance, IT performance management, retail and supply chain in the manufacturing industry, product marketing, pricing and packaging, banking, insurance, risk management, Saas, business analytics, business intelligence, performance management, communications, health and life sciences, data integration, information management, alliances and channels, and relations (SAS.com. 2013). As of these days, it has developed 903 companies in partnerships and alliances based on its online directory (SAS.com, 2013). The success of this organization is obviously attained because they have clear vision, mission, goals, and sustained good relationship with its clienteles. They see tangible results of the SAS’s software and services (SAS.com, 2013). Their systems are m atched with mixture of transformational and transactional leadership that are applied in managing in its operation, in relating to customers, and in managing its human resources. CNNMoney (2012)

User Level Rootkit: Computer Security Systems

User Level Rootkit: Computer Security Systems Hamid Tarmazdi Sohaib Irshad 1 Introduction Let us have a look at the definition of the word. The word has two components, root and kit. Root is usually a UNIX/Linux term that is used for administrators just like we do in Windows. The word kit is used to denote the programs that allow someone to gain illegal access to root/admin level of the computer by executing some programs in the kit. All of this is done without the consent or knowledge of the end-user. This document is the final report on the user level rootkit developed by our team. It contains new and updated information from previous documents. The general aspects are discussed to provide a overview on rootkits in general and specifically user level rootkits. Different features have been described with code snippets or pseudocode depending on complexity and length of the code. The aim has been to make this document as self sufficient as possible, so the reader can gain information on rootkits and user level rootkits and then proceed to details of implementing one. 2 Usage There are two primary functions for rootkit. Backdoor remote command or control of the computer Software eavesdropping. Rootkits are used to administratively control a computer, either through legitimate means or otherwise. This means that one can execute files, access logs, monitor the user activity and even able to change the computer configuration. If we consider the strict definition of rootkit, even some versions of VNC are rootkits. One example of the rootkit use was by Sony BMG’s attempt to install a software on user machines to prevent copyright violations. 3 Propagation Rootkits do not propagate by themselves. They are one single part of three part component which we call as Blended Threat. A blended threat has three snippets of code that are dropper, loader and rootkit itself. Dropper initializes the installation of the rootkit. Dropper is usually activated through human intervention (read: error) for example clicking a malicious link. After it initiates, it executes loader program and then deletes itself to avoid any detection. After the loader has been activated, it causes a buffer overflow which then loads the rootkit into the memory. One of the recent examples of such an attack are through propagation of malicious links through social media sites (Facebook and Twitter). After clicking a malicious link, the rootkit takes control of the client and then sends out messages to every contact on the list. Other example is through Rich content such as PDF files. Just opening such files will execute dropper code and the rootkit is subsequently installed, infecting the computer. 4 Types of Rootkits There are several types of rootkits that we can discuss. 4.1 User-mode rootkits Such rootkits usually run on a computer with administrative rights. This allows the usermode rootkits to change security options and hide system processes, files, system drivers, block network ports and system services. These rootkits remain on the infected computer through copying of required files on target computer’s hard drive and launch automatically with every system reboot. 4.2 Kernel-mode rootkits Because the user-mode rootkits can be found by rootkit detection software’s running in kernel mode, malware developers developed kernel mode rootkits. They placed the rootkit in the same level as operating system and rootkit detection software. In other words, the Operating system could not find the rootkit. 4.3 User-mode/kernel-mode hybrid rootkit Some malware developers designed the hybrid of both the rootkits, user-mode for higher stability and kernel mode for greater stealth ability. It is the most successful and most popular rootkit at this moment. 4.4 Firmware rootkit The next sophisticated form of rootkit is firmware rootkit. It is a very complex and harder to detect rootkit. It hides itself into the firmware of the computer and reinstall every time the PC gets rebooted. It can be installed with any firmware such as microprocessor code to PCI expansion card firmware. 4.5 Virtual rootkit These are the most new kind of rootkit in the industry and the most difficult to detect. It acts like a software implementation of a hardware set in a manner similar to used by VMware. Such rootkits are almost invisible. One of the examples of such rootkits is Blue Pill. 5 Polymorphism and Detection of Rootkits Polymorphism is one of the techniques that make us difficult to find and remove malwares such as rootkits. It is defined as the ability by the rootkit to rewrite the core assembly  code that makes antivirus pr antispyware signature based defenses useless. 6 History The term rootkit or root kit originally is attributed to maliciously modified set of admin- istrative tools in a Unix OS that is granted a †root† access. If an intruder substitutes the standard administrative tools on a system with a program such as rootkit, the intruder could gain root access over the system whilst at the same time obscuring these activities from the legitimate system administrator. These rootkits known as first generation rootkits were easy to detect using the tools such as Tripwire. First documented computer virus was discovered in 1986. It used cloaking techniques to hide itself. The Brain virus intercepted many attempts to read the boot sector and then made sure these attacks are redirected to elsewhere on the disk. These disks contained confidential data and also a copy of the original boot sector. Over time, DOS-virus cloaking methods have become more sophisti- cated, with the usage of advanced techniques including the hooking of low-level disk INT 13H BIOS interrupt calls to hide unauthorized modifications to files. 7 Features This section contains information on general functionalities of the rootkit developed by our team. Feature set is divided into small tasks and these tasks are individually completed and integrated. 7.1 Achieved functionality Following is a detailed breakdown of the feature set including implementation details. The rootkit shall be installed through modifying LD PRELOAD to pre-load our dynamic library with our functions to replace their original counterparts in standard C library. The rootkit shall hide LD PRELOAD environment variable. The rootkit shall start automatically on user login. The mechanism of the rootkit must be hidden. 7.2 Subtasks 7.2.1 req.1 To achieve req.1 we have finished following sub tasks : A sample C program which makes a call to a method from standard C library. A sample dynamic library which redefines the function called in our program. Modifying LD PRELOAD to preload our custom library. Update the modified function to also run the original function in addition to the modified code to avoid breaking functionality. Acceptance criteria req.1: After successfully executing sub-task #4 running the program created in sub-task #1 would result in execution of the modified function in our library created in sub-task #2 in addition to running the original function from standard C libraries. This gives the capability to spy on user program, modify its input/output,etc. Achieving req.1 allows us to run our code within a user program. 7.2.2 req.2 Following subtasks are finished for req.2. Identify the functions used to retrieve LD PRELOAD by programs Hook the functions to hide LD PRELOAD Acceptance criteria req.2: The function to return environment variables is â€Å"getenv†, when hooked it should not return the value for LD PRELOAD. 7.2.3 req.3 To achieve req.3 following tasks have been perused: Create a script for initiating the rootkit. We have created a pseudocode for our script which puts our preload library into â€Å"/lib†. Modify /etc/ld.so.preload to include an entry for hooking the dynamic library we have placed in â€Å"/lib†. Acceptance criteria req.3: A script which successfully copies the library and applies the changes to preload when executed. 7.2.4 req.4 To hide the rootkit, the rootkit file and entry must be hidden. For more detail on hiding please refer to Section 9. Identify the functions involved in listing files: The functions are identified in Listing 6. Hook these functions to hide our mechanism. Modified version of 6 out of 8 functions are coded. Acceptance criteria req.4: In order to hide the rootkit, the folder containing the rootkit or the rootkit files and any script must be hidden in addition to hiding LD PRELOAD(req.2). The files and folder of the rootkit shall not be visible. 8 Implementation Following we have details on implementation of the different features. 8.1 req.1 Sub-task 1: Following C program is used as a sample program to demonstrate the mechanism. Listing 1: Sample C Program #include main() { printf(This is a valid program.); } Sub-task 2: We have used printf function as an example for demonstration of this feature, modified version is compiled into a shared dynamic library using the following commands: gcc -fPIC -c -o fakeprintf.o fakeprintf.c gcc -shared -o libfakeprintf.so fakeprintf.o Argument -fPIC is for position independent code to used in dynamic linking. Listing 2: fakeprintf.c #define GNU SOURCE #include int printf(const char âˆâ€"format, ) { } Sub-task 3: To modify LD PRELOAD we can run the following command: export LD PRELOAD=$PWD/libfakeprintf.so Now when we run our sample C program there will be no output as the printf function in the modified library will get executed instead of the original printf. Sub-task 4: To run the original function in addition to the modified function, we need to obtain a pointer to the original function using â€Å"dlsym† [2] with the argument RTLD NEXT. Code in Listing 3 shows how â€Å"rmdir† has been hooked to prevent from removing the rootkit files while keeping the functionality of the said function intact everywhere else. Listing 3: fakermdir.c #define GNU SOURCE #include int rmdir(const char âˆâ€"pathname) { typeof(rmdir) âˆâ€"clean rmdir; clean rmdir = dlsym(RTLD NEXT, rmdir); /* return if pathname contains rootkit files */ return clean rmdir(pathname); } 8.2 req.2 Sub-task 1: The function to retrieve environment variables is â€Å"getenv† [1]. Sub-task 2: The modified version in Listing 4 prevents from retrieving LD PRELOAD. However this method has not been successful in hiding the environment variable. Listing 4: fakegetenv.c #define GNU SOURCE #include char âˆâ€"getenv(const char âˆâ€"name) { typeof(getenv) âˆâ€"clean getenv; clean getenv = dlsym(RTLD NEXT, getenv); /* return zero if name contains LD_PRELOAD */ return clean getenv(name); } 8.3 req.3 The script to install the rootkit follows the pseudocode 5. Listing 5: install.sh compile and copy rootkit.so to /lib remove source modify /etc/ld.so.preload to hook rootkit.so export LD PRELOAD=$PWD/rootkit.so 8.4 req.4 Sub-task 1: List of functions that need to be hooked are in Listing 6. More detail on hiding is provided in Section 9. Listing 6: functions stat, fstat, lstat Information about a file, Filter the rootkit files rmdir Prevent removal opendir, fdopendir Filter the rootkit directory readdir, readdir r Prevent reading the rootkit directory Sub-task 2: We have coded the hooked functions for stat, fstat, lstat, rmdir, readdir, readdir r. More detail on how to hide the rootkit by hooking this functions in next section. 9 Hiding Due to their importance the hiding techniques are discussed in more detail in this section. To hide the files/folders the functions which are used to access or get information on these must be hooked. To have a bash which does not show the rootkit files the LD PRELOAD for running the bash have to be hooked: LD PRELOAD=/lib/libselinux.so bash -l The list of functions to be hooked for this purpose is listed in Listing 6, the method on hiding the file/folder is similar so one example is given in Listing 7. All the functions in Listing 6 must be hooked according to the example in Listing 7. Listing 7: Hiding the rootkit #define GNU SOURCE #include int lstat(const char âˆâ€"file, struct stat âˆâ€"buffer) { if(to be hidden(file)) { errno = ENOENT; return −1; } return clean lstat(file,buffer); } The function â€Å"to be hidden† returns true for each of the files(example:rootkit.so or ld.so.preload) or folders containing files related to the rootkit. Applying this hook to functions in Listing 6 will cause them to skip any file related to the rootkit. References [1] Linux man page getenv. http://linux.die.net/man/3/getenv [2] Linux man page dlsym. http://linux.die.net/man/3/dlsym

Free Speech, Censorship, and Self Determination Issues in Protests against the Chinese Government :: China Government Research Politics Papers

Free Speech, Censorship, and Self Determination Issues in Protests against the Chinese Government Introduction As a Chinese American, I have long admired the African American culture that spawned the civil rights movement. Here was a people buffeted by a history of discrimination that asserted its equal rights as men and women. Whether advocating nonviolence and integration or separation and violence if necessary, these men and women used and asserted their freedom of speech on the streets, in writings, and on the airwaves. Today we see China growing rapidly in economic power yet shaken by protests by workers displaced by the closings of state owned enterprises and migrant workers treated as second class citizens. We see organizations, from the Chinese Democratic Foundation to the Falun Gong, advocating and asserting human rights. The Chinese government has been relentless in "nip(ing) those factors that undermine social stability in the bud, no matter where they come from."(7) Many human rights organizations and dissident organizations have turned to the Internet to protest these government actions and to communicate, inform, and advocate their message to both the Chinese people and to the rest of the world. As a believer in protests and freedom of speech and someone who wants Chinese culture to grow, I should be a staunch supporter of these organizations and their actions. Yet, I am torn. What's Happening In China China is undergoing rapid and violent change. China has the fastest growing economy in the world, growing at 9.1% clip in 2003. SFGate recently reported on Shanghai novelist Mian Mian whose tale exposing an underground of rock, drugs, and promiscuity is reminiscent of America in the 60's. The number of Chinese Internet users is estimated at close to 80 million. A new generation of artists have appeared on the scene, wryly commenting on China's rapid change. China, nominally communist, seems freer than ever before and its future looks bright. Yet, you also hear reports of corruption, of large and growing underclass, and renewed repression. It seems that partly fueling China's engine of growth is a near inexhaustible supply of cheap and desperate labor spawned by the closing of state owned enterprises (S.O.E.s) and an impoverished rural population. These hardships have spawned a migrant labor population, estimated to swell to 100 million this year, that has flooded urban centers looking for work. These workers are denied education, medical care, pensions, are locked out of most jobs, and are vulnerable to labor abuses.

Douglasian Cultural Model in Indian Context Essay

Introduction Today’s world is being dominated by daily innovations in technology and increasing globalization which helps organizations to spread and to operate globally in a successful way. Every organisation operating at a global level is trying to improve their financial profits. The success of such organizations greatly depends on their workforce and their decision-making capabilities. Many times the ethicality of such decisions have been questioned because of the profit driven strategies of these organizations. As Nobel Prize winner economist Milton Friedman quotes, â€Å"An executive’s responsibility generally will be to make as much money as possible while conforming to their basic rules of the society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical custom.† The decision-making process and hence ethicality of the decisions in such organisations is greatly influenced by the culture of the workforce. Bartels (1967) was one of the first to note the importance of the role of culture in ethical decision-making. There are different studies which discuss the diversity of ethical decision-making based on different perspective for example, Vitell, Nwachukwu and Barnes, 1993 discuss the effect of culture on ethical decision-making with the help of Hofsted’s typology while Patel and Schaefer, 2009 discuss the same with the help of Douglasian Cultural Theory (CT) perspective in the Indian context. Summary Patel and Schaefer’s article discusses the impact of culture on ethical decision-making from a Douglasian Cultural Theory (CT) perspective. It explains the dynamic ethical behaviour of the individual with four solidarities of CT. The Article also discusses the business ethics in the Indian context. Authors argue that applying static conception of culture to the process of ethical decision-making in business results in several problems. The Authors propose CT as an alternative model to these static conceptions to avoid these problems. The Article says that every social system is ethically plural because of the presence of all four solidarities together. An Individual from different solidarities may have a different perception of an issue’s moral intensity which may lead to different levels of moral awareness and hence to different moral judgements. The Article explores the dynamicity and diversity of ethical decision-making in business using the CT framework within the I ndian context with examples of Amul, SEWA, Tata Steel, ONGC and Reliance. Strengths This article offers an alternative approach of CT stating the impact of culture on ethical decision-making process in business. Authors argue that applying the static conception of culture to the business ethics results in different problems like national stereotyping, focus on only national cultural aspect ignoring the other aspects and broad generalisation of culture at national level. This article strongly supports the scholars who challenge the essentialist culture approach like Hofstedian framework. Singh (1990) and Bosland (1985a) have shown that it is possible to have different scores on the four Hofstedian dimensions within the same country. Hence there is possibility of difference in ethical behaviour within the same country. The Authors also talk about the same ethical dynamicity in behaviour. The article powerfully illustrates the diversity in business ethics within Indian context using CT model. The Article talks about the different cultural patterns existing in same corporation at same time. This article supports the argument by Sathe (1985) which says that although, the term â€Å"corporate culture† is used as if organisations have a monolithic culture, most companies have more than one set of beliefs influencing the behaviour of employees. The Article also supports the Thompson’s (1997 a-c) theory who argues that same individual could be a member of different solidarities in different contexts which explains the different ethical behaviour of an individual at a different social context. Also the article studies the ethical practices of different types of companies and business entities to understand the business ethics beyond large private corporations with respect to all the four solidarities of CT. The article debates about the dynamicity of ethical decision-making by citing the examples of all the solidarities existing in different Indian corporations. Also it talks over about the historical and philosophical background for the adoption of different ethical strategies by different corporations. Weaknesses The article explains the process of ethical decision-making in business from a ‘Douglasian Cultural Theory’ perspective only. The article does not identify many other factors beyond culture that may account for differences in work behaviour across nations. Scholars like Parboteeah and Cullen (2003) have suggested the need to include noncultural factors to isolate the influence of culture on ethical behaviour. Also many scholars have talked about the other personal characteristics like education, age, gender and religion that affect the ethical decision-making but they have not put any light on this part in the article. According to Kracher, Chatterjee and Lundquist, education plays an important and positive role in one’s ethical decision-making. Also Singhapakdi et al.: JBE (1996) talk about the relationship between ethical sensitivity and age being significantly positive. Ameen, et al., (1996) suggests that ethical judgments vary according to gender, where females have historically been more ethical compared to males. According to Singhapakdi et al :JBE (2000), there is a positive relationship between religion and perception of an ethical problem. The article has not mentioned all these perspectives while considering the process of ethical decision-making. Patel and Schaefer explained the ethical behaviour in Indian business context with the help of CT and argue that as CT is not limited in its scope of application, what is true for one country should also be true for other countries. This contradicts the findings of the researchers like Tsui which states â€Å"The major contexts that may separate one nation from another include the physical, historical, political, economic, social, and cultural.† This may cause an individual from another country to behave differently in the same context compare to individual in India. My standpoint The research article applies CT model to explain the ethical decision-making process in business within Indian context which allows us to look beyond static and limited conception of national culture. The authors have explained the ethical behaviours using examples of different Indian business entities. Since India is one of the largest growing economies, this research paper will be useful in providing the insights of the ethical practices in India. In my opinion, the authors have raised valid questions about the studies that link static conceptions of the culture to the business ethics. The authors have successfully associated dynamicity in ethical behaviours with the different cultural patterns as per CT which proves the existence of all the four solidarities in every social system. Paper also gives us insights about how all the solidarities co-exist and try to dominate each other. The Authors explain it in an Indian context citing examples for each solidarity. Moreover, authors have highlighted the important fact that managers operating under different cultural patterns may perceive and attend to information about moral issues differently which results in different ethical behaviours. The article considered the very important factors of history and politics that may have influenced while discussing dynamicity of ethical behaviours within Indian context. I am of the opinion that the Douglasian cultural theory is not sufficient to judge the ethical behaviour in business. There are many other factors like education, age, gender and religion which hold a significant role in the decision-making process. The authors have failed to consider these factors. I believe the consideration of the above mentioned factors would have made this research work more reliable. Also I disagree with the authors’ argument of what is true for India should also be true for other countries since every country has a different political, economical, cultural and physical background. Conclusion Taran Patel and Anja Schaefer have criticized the static and limited conception of culture to ethical decision-making in business. They have provided the alternative approach of Douglasian cultural theory to explain the dynamicity and diversity in ethical behaviours with the help of examples from business entities in India. The Authors advocate that the managers should be sensitive to the beliefs of all the four solidarities to be more effective. The Authors also agree that more empirical and theoretical work is needed to strengthen the relationship between the cultural patterns and business ethics. References Bartels, R.: 1967, ‘A Model for Ethics in Marketing’, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Jan., 1967), pp. 20-26 Vitell S, Nwachukwu S and Barnes J. : 1993, ‘The Effects of Culture on Ethical Decision-Making: An Application of Hofstede’s Typology’, Journal of Business Ethics,Vol. 12, No. 10 (Oct., 1993), pp. 753-760 Hofstede, G. 1980. (Revised in 1984). Culture’s Consequences – International Differences in Work-related Values. Sage Publications. Singh, J. 1990. Managing Culture and Work-related Values in India. Organization Studies, 11(1): 75-101 Bosland, N. 1985a.An evaluation of Replication Studies using the Values Survey Module.Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation, Rijks-universiteit Limburg Working Paper 85-2, Maastricht Sathe, V. (1985), Culture and Related Corporate Realities, Irwin, Homewood, IL. Thompson, M.: 1997a, ‘Rewriting the Precepts of PolicyAnalysis’, in M. Thompson and R. J. Ellis (eds.),Culture Matters: Essays in Honour of Aaron Wildavsky(Westview Press, Boulder, CO). Thompson, M.: 1997b, ‘Cultural Theory and TechnologyAssessment’, in F. Fischer and M. Hajer (eds.),Living with Nature: Environmental Discourse and Cultural Politics (Oxford University Press, Oxford). Thompson, M.: 1997c, ‘Cultural Theory and IntegratedAssessment’,Environmental Modelling and Assessment 2,139–150. Kracher, B., A. Chatterjee and A. R. Lundquist: 2002, ‘Factors Related to the Cognitive Moral Development of Business Students and Business Professionals in India and the United States: Nationality, Education, Sex and Gender’, Journal of Business Ethics 35(4), 255–268 Parboteeah, K. P., & Cullen, J. B. 2003. Social institutions and work centrality: Explorations beyond national culture. Organization Science, 14(2): 137-148. Patel, T.: 2005, Using Dynamic Cultural Theories to explain the Viability of International Strategic Alliances: A Focus on Indo-French Alliances. PhD Thesis, Open University. Milton Keynes, UK. Singhapakdi, A., S. J. Vitell and K. L Kraft: 1996, ‘Moral Intensity and Ethical Decision-Making of Marketing Professionals’, Journal of Business Research 36, 245–255. Ameen, E., Guffey, D. and J. McMillan. 1996. Gender Differences in Determining the Ethical Sensitivity of Future Accounting Professionals. Journal of Business Ethics 15: 591-597. Singhapakdi, Anusorn, Janet K. Marta, Kumar C. Rallapalli, and C.P. Rao (2000), â€Å"Toward an Understanding of Religiousness and Marketing Ethics: An Empirical Study,† Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 27, No. 4, 305-319.

Spanish development Essay Example

Spanish development Essay Example Spanish development Essay Spanish development Essay Essay Topic: The Lottery and Other Stories Special report: Brazil Grounded Having come tantalizingly close to taking off, Brazil has stalled. Helen Joyce explains what it must do to get airborne again Seep 28th 2013 | From the print edition IN JUNE THIS year Brazil was struck by an outbreak of mass protests as sudden as a tropical storm. Brutal policing of demonstrations against a rise in bus fares elicited a wave of solidarity and brought more than a million marchers to the streets on subsequent nights. It also gave vent to previously unsuspected public fury over rising inflation, high taxes, poor public services and political corruption. Even football, a Brazilian passion, became a target of the protesters ire. Many carried placards contrasting their governments lavish spending on stadiums for next years World Cup with the dire state of the rest of the countrys infrastructure. The change in political weather came after almost two decades of brightening skies. Since 1994, when hyperinflation was tamed with a new currency, the real, successive governments have pursued generally sound economic policies and adopted anti-poverty programmed. The economy grew rapidly and inequality declined. The global commodity boom eloped by sucking in Brazilian iron ore and agricultural produce, and in 2007 Brazil struck vast deposits of deep-sea oil. Being chosen to host both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics seemed due recognition that its days as a chronic underachiever were behind it. But Braziers economy did not play ball. Having grown by 7. 5% in 2010, the fastest rate for a quarter-century, it slowed to 2. 7% in 2011 and a mere 0. 9% in 2012. This year will see a tepid recovery at best. Inflation is sticking at around 6%. Pessimists recall that the one period of impressive growth within living memory, in the sass, ended in chaos and hyperinflation. In recent years Brazil has been seen as one of the leading emerging-market economies that would help drive global growth in the next half-century. But many now wonder whether it has managed nothing more than a v ¶o De galling (chicken flight), a brief, unsustainable growth spurt followed by a rapid return to earth. During Braziers economic miracle of the sass it was the rich who captured most of the gains. At the time Edema Bach, an economist, invented a new label for it, Believed?a combination of a small, rich country, like Belgium, and a large, poor one, like India. Public education, health care ND roads were provided for the Belgian part. Those living in India did without and expected nothing better. Brazil is still one of the worlds most unequal countries. Its murder rate rivals Mexico. Public health care is a lottery. Fewer than half its pupils leave school fully literate. But it is no longer Believed. In the past quarter-century a better labor market and a basic social safety net have cut poverty by two-thirds. In the past decade the income of the poorest 10% of Brazilian has almost doubled in real terms, whereas that of the richest 10% has grown by less than a fifth. Braziers Gin coefficient, a measure that expresses income inequality, is at a 50-year low. But there is a sense in which Brazil is still Believed, says Marcelo Inner, the president of PEA, a government-funded think-tank: A rich country thats growing like Belgium? population of mm now belongs to a new lower-middle class, living in households with a monthly income per person between 291 and 1,019 realms ($127-446). Most of these gains in income have come from earnings, though government transfers have made an important contribution, especially in the poor north-east. Tens of millions of Brazilian now live in more solid houses equipped with cookers, fridges and washing machines. Many own cars. Children of illiterate domestic servants have Jobs in the formal economy and study for degrees at night. But when the new middle classes step outside their doors, traces of sass Believed are still all around. The number of cars in circulation has more than doubled in a decade, but most roads are still unpaved and few new ones have been built. Public transport consists mainly of packed, decrepit buses. Air traffic has also more than doubled in the past ten years, but airports have barely been touched. Children attend school in two, sometimes three shifts a day. Two-fifths of Brazilian are not covered by local primary health care. When life was a struggle for survival, the economy and Jobs were the main concerns. Now that people are a little better off, the parlous state of infrastructure and public services is at the front of their minds. The government has tried but largely failed to respond to growing demand for public goods. Many of the big infrastructure projects included in its Growth Acceleration Programmer announced in 2007 are running years behind schedule and way above budget. Dilemma Rousseau, the president, appears at last to have accepted that Brazil will need private-sector involvement to get the roads, railways, ports and airports it needs, but her conversion has been late and grudging. Concessions to run three airports were auctioned at the beginning of 2012, but auctions for more airports, as well as ports, roads and railways, were delayed while the government quibbled over the terms. The dangers of complacency Many Brazilian politicians seem to believe that the protests were simply growing pains, but they are being unduly complacent. They should have realized that the new diddle classes would want decent public services, commutes without epic traffic jams and elected representatives who were visibly working towards these ends. Several parties have proposed electoral reforms to make politicians more responsive to voters, but they all want different things, so reaching consensus will be difficult. A less favorable economic climate is now making it even harder to meet the voters increasingly vocal demands. The slowdown in growth has caused a downturn in investment, which last year was Just 18. 4% of GAP, not enough to lead a recovery or to build the infrastructure Brazil needs. Ms Rousseau has been hectoring businessmen to invest more, ignoring the fact that it is mainly government obstructionism and heavy-handedness that hold them back. And commodity prices seem unlikely to bail out Braziers economy with another growth spurt. The country has also blown its chance to cash in on its demographic bonus. Its birth rate has declined steeply over the past few decades but it still has a young population, with many people currently of working age, and a relatively small number of defendants at either end of the age scale. Unfortunately most of this bonus is going on a crazily generous pension system. That will soon put an even bigger strain caveats, this special report will argue that, given the will, there is scope for the social and economic advances of the past two decades to continue. Braziers agribusiness has made huge productivity gains and offers opportunities for further growth. Innovative consumer firms are catering to the new middle classes and are starting to expand abroad. Braziers politicians have been put on notice that todays young adults, better educated than the previous generation, will be less willing to accept corrupt, venal politics and more insistent on getting decent public services in return for the gig taxes they pay. The way to fund such services is not to increase public spending, which at 38. % of GAP is already far higher than in comparable countries, but to get growth going again. To achieve that, the government will have to resume the reforms it dropped during the good times: trimming pension benefits, cutting red tape, lowering and simplifying taxes and updating labor laws. Successful infrastructure auctions, too, would help get investment back on track, and abandoning anti-profit rhetoric would improve business sentiment. But the most urgent problem that Brazil deeds to tackle is a sharp loss of competitiveness. Braziers future Has Brazil blown it? A stagnant economy, a bloated state and mass protests mean Dilemma Rousseau must change course Seep 28th 2013 | From the print edition FOUR years ago this newspaper put on its cover a picture of the statue of Christ the Redeemer ascending like a rocket from ROI De Jeaneries Cordovan mountain, under the rubric Brazil takes off. The economy, having stabilized under Fernando Henries Cards in the mid-sass, accelerated under Luis Len ¤CIO Lull dad Silva in the early sass. It barely stumbled after the Lehman collapse in 2008 and in 2010 grew y 7. %, its strongest performance in a quarter-century. To add to the magic, Brazil was awarded both next years football World Cup and the summer 2016 Olympics. On the strength of all that, Lull persuaded voters in the same year to choose as president his technocratic prop ©g ©e, Dilemma Rousseau. Since then the country has come back down to earth with a bump. In 2012 the economy grew by 0. 9%. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets in June in the biggest protests for a generation, complaining of high living costs, poor public services and the greed and corruption of politicians. Many have now lost faith in the idea that their country was headed for orbit and diagnosed Just another vivo De galling (chicken flight), as they dubbed previous short-lived economic spurts. There are excuses for the deceleration. All emerging economies have slowed. Some of the impulses behind Braziers previous boom?the pay-off from ending runaway inflation and opening up to trade, commodity price rises, big increases in credit and consumption?have played themselves out. And many of Lulls policies, notably the Bolas Familial that helped lift mm people out of poverty, were admirable. The worlds most burdensome tax code But Brazil has done far too little to reform its government in the boom years. It is not alone in this: India had a similar chance, and missed it. But Braziers public sector imposes a particularly heavy burden on its private sector, as our special report 58% to salaries and the government has got its spending priorities upside down. Compare pensions and infrastructure. The former are absurdly generous. The average Brazilian can look forward to a pension of 70% of final pay at 54. Despite being a young country, Brazil spends as big a share of national income on pensions s southern Europe, where the proportion of old people is three times as big. By contrast, despite the countrys continental dimensions and lousy transport links, its spending on infrastructure is as skimpy as a string bikini. It spends Just 1. 5% of GAP on infrastructure, compared with a global average of 3. 8%, even though its stock of infrastructure is valued at Just 16% of GAP, compared with 71% in other big economies. Rotten infrastructure loads unnecessary costs on businesses. In Matt Gross a soybean farmer spends 25% of the value of his product getting it to a port; the proportion in Iowa is 9%. These problems have accumulated over generations. But Ms Rousseau has been unwilling or unable to tackle them, and has created new problems by interfering far more than the pragmatic Lull. She has scared investors away from infrastructure projects and undermined Braziers hard-won reputation for macroeconomic rectitude by publicly chivvying the Central Bank chief into slashing interest rates. As a result, rates are now having to rise more than they otherwise might to curb persistent inflation. Rather than admit to missing its fiscal targets, the government has resorted to creative accounting. Gross public debt has climbed to 0-70% of GAP, depending on the definition?and the markets do not trust Ms Rousseau. Fortunately, Brazil has great strengths. Thanks to its efficient and entrepreneurial farmers, it is the worlds third-biggest food exporter. Even if the government has made the process slower and costlier than it needed to be, Brazil will be a big oil exporter by 2020. It has several manufacturing Jewels, and is developing a world-class research base in biotechnology, genetic sciences and deep- sea oil and gas technology. The consumer brands that have grown along with the countrys expanding middle class are ready to go abroad. Despite the recent protests, it does not have the social or ethnic divisions that blight other emerging economies, such as India or Turkey. An own goal for Dilemma Fernando? But if Brazil is to recover its vim, it needs to rediscover an appetite for reform. With taxes already taking 36% of GAP?the biggest proportion in the emerging world alongside Christina Fresheners chaotic Argentina?the government cannot look to taxpayers for the extra money it must spend on health care, schools and transport to satisfy the protesters. Instead, it needs to reshape public spending, especially pensions. Second, it must make Brazilian business more competitive and encourage it to invest. The way to do that is not, as the government believes, to protect firms, but to expose them to more foreign competition while moving far more swiftly to eliminate the self-inflicted obstacles they face at home. Braziers import tariffs remain high and its customs procedures are a catalogue of bloody-minded obstructionism. More dynamic Latin American economies have forged networks of bilateral trade deals. Brazil has hidden behind Numerous, a regional block that has dwindled into a leftist talking-shop, and the moribund Doth round of world-trade talks. It needs to open up. Third, Brazil urgently needs political reform. The proliferation of parties, whose only interest is pork and patronage, builds in huge waste at every level of easy: a threshold for seats in Congress and other changes to make legislators more accountable to voters. But getting those who benefit from the current system to agree to change it requires more political skill than Ms Rousseau has shown. In a years time Ms Rousseau faces an election in which she will seek a second four-year term. On her record so far, Braziers voters have little reason to give her one. But she has time to cake a start on the reforms needed, by trimming red tape, merging ministries and curbing public spending. Brazil is not doomed to flop: if Ms Rousseau puts her hand on the throttle there is still a chance that it could take off again. From the print edition: Leaders Politics A rough ride for Rousseau But much could still change in the year to the next election Seep 28th 2013 | From the print edition BEFORE THE PROTESTS June Dilemma Rousseau of the workers party (OPT) seemed a shoo-in for a second presidential term after the elections in October 2014. Back in March this year 65% of voters approved of her government, a better mid-term wowing than for either Fernando Henries Cards, the architect of the inflation- busting Real Plan in the sass, or Luis Len ¤CIO Lull dad Silva, the former trade-unionist who succeeded him as president. But Ms Resources post-protest fall has been equally striking. By June her governments approval rating had fallen to 30%, though it rebounded to 38% in September. The sagging polls suggest that Ms Resources support lacked deep roots. Propelled into the presidency by Lull, her mentor, the dour former bureaucrat has never formed a personal connection with the electorate. But mid-term unpopularity need not mean disaster at the polls. Lulls own support suffered a big blow in 2005 after revelations that his party had been buying votes in Congress. Once the ugly stories dried up, he bounced back and was re-elected the following year. Ms Resources biggest advantage is a weak and splintered opposition. A ©CIO Never, the preferred candidate of many in Mr. Cardamoms Party of Brazilian Social Democracy (SODS), can point to two successful terms as governor of Minas Geris, the countrys second most populous state, but the current anti-politics mood has not helped his standing. Joss © Sera, also of the SODS, who lost against Lull in 002 and Ms Rousseau in 2010, wants to challenge Mr. Never for the partys nomination. He is unlikely to succeed, but the attempt may weaken Mr. Never. Eduardo Campus, the business-friendly governor of the north-eastern state of Permanence, looks increasingly likely to run, but his chances are hard to gauge since he is not well known in other regions; and some in his party, which currently supports Ms Rousseau, would prefer not to gamble on a rupture. The fourth of the possible challengers is the only one who seems capable of responding to the mood of the streets, but she is not ready to seize the moment. Marina Silva, who resigned as Lulls environment minister in 2008 and left the OPT over the issue of dam-building in the Amazon, garnered nearly 20% of the vote as the Green Partys presidential candidate in 2010. The child of poor rubber-tapers who learnt to read only as a teenager and put herself through university by working as a maid, she is admired like usual. The latest polls give her 22%. If she did that well in the election, she would force Ms Rousted a run-off. But without backing from a big, established party, she will find it hard to get airtime on television and to run an effective campaign. More worrying for Ms Rousseau than the opposition is friendly fire. Most of the parties in her unwieldy coalition Just want to stay in power. Since taking office she has managed them badly, displaying a mixture of arrogance, inexperience and a perhaps understandable distaste for the unsanitary bargains required to govern Brazil. If her candidacy looks like sinking, those allies will Jump ship without hesitation. Nor is her own partys loyalty guaranteed. It accepted her because she was Lulls choice?and because all the obvious candidates were struck by scandal. Many in the party would eke to see Lull return. He would probably garner more votes than Ms Rousseau. But since stepping down he has said many times that he does not want to run again. Only a total collapse in Ms Resources popularity would change his mind. That still looks unlikely?but it is no longer unimaginable. From the print edition: Special report The economy The price is wrong Why Brazil offers appalling value for money Seep 28th 2013 | From the print edition FROM $30 CHEESE pizzas in S ¤o Paulo to $250-a-night windowless, smelly hotel rooms in ROI, the lasting memory from a visit to Brazil in recent years has been shock t how expensive it is. When Lull came to office in 2003 a dollar bought 3. 5 realms; by mid-2011 it bought Just 1. 53 realms, barely a third of the 2003 figure in real terms, because inflation in Brazil during the period was much higher than in the United States. Since then the exchange rate has fallen to 2. 3 realms to the dollar, but that has undone little more than half the past decades gains. In any case, the causes of Braziers competitiveness problem go far deeper than the exchange rate. The strong real actually helped keep prices down by making imports cheaper. It did, however, give foreign visitors a chance to experience something the locals know so well that they have a name for it: the custom Brasilia (Brazil cost). Compared with other middle- income countries, Brazil is astonishingly poor value for money. Large domestic appliances and cars cost at least 50% more than in most other countries. For everyday items such as toothbrushes and childrens toys the difference is often a lot more. Among the 48 countries tracked by the Big Mac index, The Economists lighthearted currency-comparison tool, a burger in Brazil costs more than in only a mindful that are much richer (Norway, Sweden, Switzerland) and one that is dysfunctional (Venezuela). Burgers should be cheaper in poorer places because wages are lower: in Brazil, less than a quarter of European or North American levels. Allowing for that, a Brazilian Big Mac costs an indigestible 72% more than it should do, and the real remains one of the worlds more overvalued currencies. Special The Miffs broader cost-of-living figures show that Braziers high prices are no mere quirk of overgenerous. In most less well-off countries people find their money goes Averaged across all goods and services, a Mexicans spending power, for example, is 45% higher at home than if he bought dollars and shopped across the border. But a Brazilian can buy little more at home than he can in the United States. The causes of Braziers cost problem are legion. Start with taxes. At 36% of GAP, the total tax burden is far heavier than in other developing countries. Payroll taxes, at 58% of salary, are higher than in any other big economy. Consumption, too, is heavily taxed, which explains why a Brazilian-made car costs up to 45% less in Mexico than it does in Brazil itself. High tariffs push up the price of imports even more. A smartened costs about 50% more than in the United States. Most cars imported from outside the Numerous trade block and Mexico attract not only a 35% tariff but an extra 30% on top of the normal sales tax. The complexity of the tax code also raises compliance costs. A mid-sized Brazilian firm takes 2,600 hours to prepare its annual tax return, almost ten times the global average. Rigid labor laws make it hard to deploy workers efficiently and lead to costly court cases, 3. Mm last year alone. Many businesses prefer to hide in the informal sector. A 2006 McKinney report estimated that by remaining in the shadows a retailer could more than triple its profit margin, but at the cost of forgoing investment and economies of scale. A simplified regime for small firms introduced since then has persuaded many to register, but the resulting efficiency gains are limited by a new problem: too many Peter Pan firms unwilling to grow up and lose their privileges. A plethora of other costs help drive up prices. Poor roads and a limited rail network make for high freight charges. High crime rates have bred a private army of 650,000 security guards. Prime office rents in big cities are vertiginous; Iriss are the highest in the Americas, north or south. A low savings rate, high bank-reserve requirements and the governments considerable funding needs (it runs a budget deficit each year, despite that 36% tax burden) make credit expensive. FIEFS, S ¤o Paulos association of industrialists, says firms financing costs make up 5% of the end price of manufactured goods. Retailers manage to keep selling by accepting payment in installments. The hyperinflation years taught Brazilian consumers not to worry about the total cost, Just whether they can afford he monthly payments. But the effect is to push up the sticker price, since the cost of waiting for full payment and the risk of default has to be built in. Corners are also being cut on quality. In Mexico the bottom-of-the-range Golf, made in Brazil, is a 1 . 6-liter, four-door affair with air-conditioning. In Brazil it has a I-liter engine and two doors, with air-conditioning extra. Shopping around Brazilian respond to whopping price differences by going on foreign shopping sprees. Brazilian tourists spent $22. 2 billion abroad last year, a record, and seem set to go even higher this year. Direct Luxury Group, a consultancy, estimates that four- fifths of Brazilian spending on market goods takes place abroad. Miami has been getting so many Brazilian shoppers in recent years that many stores there have hired Portuguese-speaking staff. TAM, a Brazilian airline, says it takes on extra fuel on the return leg of that route to allow for excess baggage. The story of the custom Brasilia is decades old. Now soaring pay is adding a new chapter to it. Since 2003 the countrys have trebled, thanks to currency appreciation. One reason is the scarcity of well- educated workers. Manpower Group, an employment agency, says Brazil is the worlds second-hardest place for firms to find the skills they need, behind only ageing Japan. At the top end, headhunters say multinationals often have to pay their Brazilian executives more than their bosses in London or New York earn. But the main reason is a decade of big increases in the minimum wage, which sets a trend for all pay negotiations. At the start of 2003 it was 200 realms a month; now it is 678 realms, almost twice as much in real terms (see chart 2). The government is committed to above-inflation increases until 2015. Raising the minimum wage had its merits at iris, says Gray Newman of Morgan Stanley. In the years before Lull took office its value had eroded, creating room to shift profits from capital to labor. High interest rates kept inflation in check, and the weak currency ensured that exports remained competitive even if prices did rise a bit. Higher incomes, helped by somewhat more accessible consumer credit, boosted consumption, creating more Jobs in a virtuous cycle. Large domestic appliances and cars cost at least 50% more than in most other countries But the policy has now pushed costs beyond what either the foreign or the domestic market is willing to bear. Household consumption, one of the economys few bright spots in the past two years, has leveled off. Consumers are overstretched, with 21. 5% of household income going to service debts. Despite some of the worlds highest tariffs, imports are taking a bigger share of the manufactured products Brazilian buy. Exports of manufactured goods are slipping. After several years of price rises close to 10%, demand for services is losing steam. After a long boom driven by credit and consumption, Brazil has ended up looking in some ways like southern Europe, says Tony Pylon of Norma Securities, a broker. Only the rising value of its commodity exports saved it from ballooning current-account deficits. In the short term a weaker currency will help, as long as tight fiscal and monetary policy prevent it from fuelling inflation. The real is now 11% lower than at the start of this year, having touched 20% in August, though after taking inflation into account it is still well above its long-run average. A cheaper real will make Brazilian poorer by lowering their wages in foreign-currency terms and do nothing to get to the roots of the custom Brasilia. But it will protect Jobs by making exports cheaper and imports ricer, and by reducing the price of services compared with treatable goods. In the longer term Brazil needs to boost its productivity. A recent study by the Boston Consulting Group estimated that three-quarters of Braziers growth in the past decade has come from adding more workers and only a quarter from productivity gains. Since there is little room for the workforce to grow further, that needs to change. Other developing countries, and plenty of rich ones too, are doing far better. Regis Bonneville and Julia Fonts of the Fund#o Getting Barras, a university, calculate that in 000 Brazil achieved 19% of United States productivity levels, but by 2012 this had dropped to 18%. Over the same period the Chinese figure leapt from 6% of that in the United States to 17%. A closer look at the productivity figures points to some explanations. In the past two decades total factor productivity?the part left over after accounting for growth in in most other countries: in China by 2. 8% annually, in India by 2. 3%. That suggests Brazil missed out on gains other countries saw from investments in both human and physical capital, or that other improvements that generally come with such investments somehow failed to materialism. The World Banks annual report on doing business in various countries reads like a productivity to-do list for Brazil: make it simpler to start up and wind up companies; cut and streamline taxes; increase domestic savings and investment. For more hints, the country might turn to one of the few sectors where productivity has grown steadily in recent years: agriculture. From the print edition: Special report Agriculture v industry Leave well alone Braziers agriculture has benefited from government neglect. Its car industry has had too much attention Seep 28th 2013 | From the print edition Cottoning on to more productive farming IN 1984 WALTER HORRID, the youngest of three sons of a Japanese immigrant who farmed 500 hectares (1,240 acres) in the southern state of Prang, headed north in search of land. Matt Gross do Soul and Matt Gross, colonized by GAchose from southern states in the previous two decades, were too expensive for him. Eventually he settled on western Bah (see map below), where he bought 1,210 hectares, paying four sacks of soybeans per hectare. There was nothing, he says. No roads, no schools, no health care, no electricity, no water supply, no phone. He got digging. By 1999 the farm was so successful that his brothers in Para ¤ sold up and Joined him. Today the Horrid brothers own 150,000 hectares in western Bah, growing mostly Soya, cotton and corn. The story of how Braziers vast central and north-eastern crop belt was won starts in 1973, when Braziers military regime decided to centralist agronomy research and set up the Brazilian agricultural research corporation, Embrace. It sent 1,200 bright young scientists abroad to study. When they returned and were set to work, they achieved something of a miracle: they made the charade bloom. Until then, Braziers Savannah with its acid, nutrient-poor soil had been thought impossible to cultivate. It turned out that deep tilling, huge quantities of lime and fertilizer and fast-growing crops bred to suit the local conditions could coax a rich harvest from it. Go north, young man The new crops and techniques were adopted by GAchoc sons lured to the charade by the promise of virgin lands. They pushed northwards through Braziers central states, eventually arriving in the region now nicknamed Ambition: the cultivable parts of Marina ¤o, APIPA, Toscanini and Bah. Not only vast farms but prosperous new towns prang up as a result. When Mr. Horrid arrived in western Bah, Luis Eduardo Magical ¤sees (known as ELM) was Just a petrol station. In 2000, when it had 18,000 residents, it split away from Barriers, the regions only sizeable municipality at the time. ELM now has a population of 70,000 and is one of Braziers fastest-growing towns. The mayor says his biggest problem is finding 2,000 new school places each year. The John Deere concession run from ELM by Chic Lovelier, another GAchoc pioneer, is one of the American farm-equipment makers biggest worldwide. Around 40% of the 6. M hectares planted with grains and oilseeds in planted and harvested in the same year. Where rain is too sparse, millet replaces the cotton or corn. Marcos Junk of Agricultural, a Brazilian consultancy, reckons that another mm hectares in Brazil could be transformed in the same way without further advances in crops and technology. A further mm hectares currently under pasture could be turned over to high-productivity crop farming. The transformation of the charade is often dismissed as Braziers belated discovery of a competitive advantage. That leaves out a lot, and not Just Embarrass role and the argue of the GAchoc pioneers. Farming in the tropics is in many ways more difficult than in a temperate climate. Without cold winters, pests and crop diseases are harder to control. Intensive soil preparation and large amounts of lime and fertilizer require scale and capital. According to Roding Rodriguez of Agrarian, a company that buys and farms virgin charade, preparing land for its first crop?deep-tilling, root-picking, liming and so on?means passing over it 1 5 times, which costs as much as the land itself. The 1,300 members of AIBO, Biass farmers association, on average farm 1,269 hectares each. The average American farm is 170 hectares. Other obstacles in the way of Braziers frontier farmers include murky land titles. Bah is better in this respect than other bits of Ambition, and an electronic rural-land register will eventually bring a big improvement, but for now every purchase requires expensive due diligence. Braziers Forest Code requires some land to be set aside on every farm nationwide, no matter how far from the rainforests. Getting the environment agency to agree on set-aside and grant a license to start clearing can take years. Petty bureaucracy is a problem too. After buying a farm in western Bah in 2009, Agrarian built a km power line at a cost of 460,000 realms to connect it to the national grid. The power line has been finished since March, but the company is still waiting for permission to hook it up. Survival of the fittest On the wall of the Horrid brothers office in Barriers hangs the framed root of a drought-resistant cotton plant. It is 3. Mm long, a reminder of the power of natural selection in a harsh environment. Julio Boast, AlBAs president, says such forces have shaped the region too. One reason its farms are so big is that only the best made the grade, and they bought out the losers. Muff dont hear those stories so often, he says, but lots of people came and lost everything, and now theyre, say, driving a truck. It was the opening up of Braziers economy that enabled Embarrass tropical-farming technology to be taken up so widely, says Joss © Garcia Queues of the agriculture ministry. Until a couple of decades ago farmers were being supported by means of minimum prices, government-purchase schemes and trade controls, and agricultural output was growing only because extra land was being added. But in 1990 Braziers then president, Fernando Color, slashed tariffs and dismantled many import and export controls. Since then the total area under crop cultivation in Brazil has increased by 38% and production has more than trebled. Total factor productivity has been growing by 4. 6% a year. In these new areas [such as Ambition] they rarely even mention the government, says Mr. Queues. Theres no culture of subsidies; it was broken 20 years ago. In the past decade, propelled by the commodity boom, Brazil has become one of the worlds largest agricultural

Boy Scouts of America vs. Dale essays

Boy Scouts of America vs. Dale essays Boy Scouts of America et al. v. Dale No. 99-699 Argued April 26, 200- Decided June 28, 2000 In order to explain this court case and why it is so important, it is necessary to look at the history behind it. In July of 1990 James Dale an assistant scoutmaster, and Boy Scout since age eight, was informed that his adult membership to the Boy Scouts of America had been revoked. He was working with Troop 73 in New Jersey in addition to attending Rutgers University. This revocation was a direct result of his involvement with the Rutgers University Lesbian/ Gay alliance, after Dales words of support and representation for this group were published in a newspaper in early June of 1990. The case as it was argued had one main concern. Lawyers for the Scouts told the court that the Boy Scouts, as a private organization like churches or other religious groups, has the constitutional protection to dictate the standards for its leaders and members. But the lawyer for James Dale, the former Scout leader, says the Boy Scouts is a public accommodation group with large support from governmental agencies, and as such cannot discriminate on the basis of a person's sexual orientation. "When the Boy Scouts says 'We are open to all, all means all, and all means both gay and straight," said Dale's lawyer, Evan Wolfson. Dale sued, and after a lengthy legal battle the New Jersey Supreme Court agreed that the Boy Scouts had violated the state's anti-discrimination law. After this judgment, the Boy Scouts of America decided to take this case to the US Supreme court on grounds of the majority placed the Scouts' First Amendment right to express their "moral" rejection of homosexuality over New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination. The majority opinion concluded that forcing the Scouts to accept a gay leader placed an unconstitutional burden on the organization's "expressive purpose." In its arguments, the Boy Scouts of America claimed that being...

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