The KGB A Historical Review

Abstract The KGB was a Russian secret police agency that played a significant role in the totalitarian Soviet Union. This paper engages in an informative discussion of the KGB to highlight the agency’s evolution and its role in Communist Russia. The paper begins by tracing the formation of the KGB to the establishment of the Extraordinary Commission to Combat Counterrevolution in 1917.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The KGB: A Historical Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It then traces the numerous evolutions of the organization; from the State Political Directorate (GPU) in 1922, the OGPU in 1923, the NKVD in 1934, and eventually the KGB in 1953. Efforts to decrease the power of the KGB after 1953 proved effective for only a short while. Under the leadership of Andropov, the agency was able to regain its previous prestige and autonomy. The discussion provided clearly reveals that the KGB was a highly penetrative agency that had vast amounts of power over the state and the society. The paper concludes by discussing the activities that led to the collapse of the powerful KGB. Introduction The Russian Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti (KGB) was the Russian secret political police that gained worldwide repute for its efficiency in covert affairs. The KGB is regarded as the â€Å"most efficient political police system in modern history† (Waller 333). Historians record that the KGB system was so effective that other totalitarian states structured their own political police systems after it in order to enhance their grasp of power. This security agency was able to survive for decades and play an instrumental part in reinforcing the position of Communism in Russia. White and Kryshtanovskaya assert that the KGB acted as a guarantor of a system of single-party dominance in Russia (170). Up until its dissolution, the KGB was used as a tool for countering internal and exte rnal threats to the state. To effectively execute its directives, the KGB possessed exceptional powers, which were often abused leading to a repression of individual freedoms and violation of human rights both in Russia and abroad. Considering the huge significance that the KGB had in Russian life for over 8 decades, this paper will endeavor to provide an informative discussion on the KGB. It will discuss the creation and evolution of these security apparatus and highlight the role that it played in Communist Russia. The paper will conclude by highlighting the downfall of this once mighty security apparatus.Advertising Looking for term paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Origins of the KGB The birth of the KGB can be traced to December 1917 when the newly empowered Bolshevik regime in Russia created a police system that was to act as the party’s machine for destroying all opposition (Waller 334). A numb er of the prominent factors in Russia at the time made the formation of a secret political police necessary. To begin with, the Bolshevik party came to power following a coup against the Tsar. During its reign, the Tsar made use of a security service that constantly infiltrated the Bolshevik Party. The Bolshevik party therefore took power in an atmosphere of conspiracy and mistrust with factions being formed and the leadership undermined by party members and non-members. A means for consolidating the Bolshevik’s supremacy was needed and the secret political police provided a solution. Thus, the KGB was founded in 1917 as the Extraordinary Commission to Combat Counterrevolution (Cheka) and the commission was required to fulfill a number of key responsibilities on behalf of the regime. The core responsibility was to stop all attempts and acts of counterrevolution in the motherland and execute judgment over any counterrevolutionary elements without involving the judicial system. The agency was also to work out ways of stopping any rebellious elements and make investigations to help in their suppression. The organization was also mandated to set up surveillance over potential saboteurs and impose sanctions against these enemies of the people. From the initial goal of suppressing the few counterrevolutionary elements in the state, the Cheka expanded its mandate and went into killing political and military opponents of the Bolshevik party. The Cheka operated with total impunity and citizens were publicly executed for minor violations of the rigid laws set in place by the Party (Waller 335). Such atrocities were allowed to happen since they assisted the Bolshevik party in its power consolidation campaign. These actions led to a popular opposition to the Bolshevik party and ordinary citizens expressed resistance to the authoritarian rule. This deep resentment to the Bolshevik party rule across the Russian society led to random attack on party officials by ordin ary citizens and counterrevolutionaries.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The KGB: A Historical Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In retaliation to such attacks, the political police apparatus engaged in mass executions and a myriad of terror tactics against innocent civilians. Under Lenin’s rule, the agency carried out executions of entire classes of the population. Population categories such as clergymen, ethnic groups, socialist rivals, and farmers were targeted and killed within a short duration (Waller 335). At the end of the Civil War, the Cheka began to be viewed as a liability. The terrorization that the commission had engaged in during the Civil War made many Russians hate the commission. In addition to his, many Bolshevik leaders were horrified by the actions of the Cheka and they sought to bind its actions in any form of legality. There was therefore an intention to reform the securit y police force and make it more agreeable to the public. The Cheka was therefore abolished and in its place, the State Political Directorate (GPU) was created. This new organization continued carrying out the work of the Cheka albeit under a different name. Knight documents that while the GPU purported to have less power than the Cheka and was actually under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the organization still answered to the Party and maintained all the powers of its predecessor, the Cheka (14). The GPU was separated from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 1923 and renamed OGPU. A year later, Lenin died and the new leader Stalin started using the OGPU as a weapon against his political rivals. The status of the agency rose with Stalin giving it power above the party apparatus. By giving the agency such great power, Stalin was able to perpetrate great terror on the citizens and an estimated 14.5 million peasants died between 1930 and 1933 (Dziak 38). Stalin continued to use the OGPU to eliminate prominent party figures and Army officials whom he perceived as threats. The OGPU was further restructured by merging it with the interior ministry to create the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD). The NKVD wielded enormous power and Stalin’s dominance of these police apparatus gave him near absolute power in Russia.Advertising Looking for term paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The KGB The death of Stalin on March 1953 necessitated a change in the security organization. The new leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, embarked on a mission to de-Stalinize the country and one of his goals was to diminish the power of the security organs. These reforms were backed by Party leaders who were keen to ensure that the security organization would never again be at the command of one man as it had been under Stalin. The political police system was therefore split and renamed the Committee for State Security (KGB) with loyal communists appointed to run it in order to bring the agency under strict party control (Sakwa 125). The Russian secret political police maintained its new name from 1954 until its final disbanding by Boris Yeltsin in 1991. The KGB was veiled in secrecy and its protocols and budget were kept secret. There was no oversight from the legislative arm of the government and control of the organization rested with top party officials. The deep rel ationship between the KGB and the Party can be seen from the fact that the heads of the KGB top organs were highly placed members of the Party. A significant difference between the KGB and its predecessor the NKVD was that the surveillance abilities of the KGB were curtailed. Specifically, the KGB was forbidden from spying on Party officers or carrying out operations against them. The Party officials enforced these restrictions since they wanted to remove the danger to themselves that the police system had presented under Stalin’s reign. The powers of the agency were also reduced and government officials such as judges and the State procurators were placed out of KGB reach. During Khrushchev’s rule, the KGB was placed under strict party control. Even so, the agency was still used as a tool by Khrushchev to gain control within the party. Without support from the KGB, Khrushchev was successfully deposed in 1964 and Brezhnev took his post as Party Secretary. After Brezhne v took over, KGB leadership was reshuffled with some of the agency’s responsibilities being given to the Party. The KGB was placed under even firmer Party control leading to a period of relative tranquility and stability for the party and the KGB. The KGB was not only responsible for domestic security intelligence but also foreign intelligence. As such, this agency was involved in numerous intelligence and counterintelligence activities. Fleron and Hoffmann contend that the KGB operated the world’s largest and most far-reaching foreign intelligence apparatus with numerous intelligence officers being placed in most Western nations (467). The KGB did not have trouble recruiting personnel for its foreign missions since the high salaries acted as adequate incentives for the vast pool of eligible Russian youths. The US was the target of most of the KGB’s intelligence gathering efforts and up to 40% of Soviet officials engage in intelligence gathering were placed in t he US (Fleron and Hoffmann 467). The Andropov Era A new era for the KGB emerged under the leadership of Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov from 1964 to 1982. Dziak documents that the agency experienced a remarkable transformation during the leadership of Andropov (52). The KGB’s power had been significantly weakened in the years following the death of Stalin. The agency no longer commanded the authority and influence that it had exerted from its formation in 1917. Albats and Fitzpatrick articulate the revolutionary nature of Andropov’s leadership by noting that â€Å"it was precisely with the coming of Andropov, that the KGB once again became the state within a state it had been in the pre-Khrushchev era† (176). Steps were taken to professionalize the KGB by raising educational standards among recruits and establishing numerous scientific and research facilities. Andropov’s era in the KGB was marked by a greater orientation towards electronic espionage. Because of this, the KGB played a role in the technological advancement of Russia’s military during the 1980s. Through its intelligence network, the agency collected significant Western military technology and this was passed on to the relevant military entities who used it to improve the soviet military. The success of these collection efforts lightened the burden on Soviet research and improved the technical performance of Soviet military equipment (Fleron and Hoffmann 469). Because of these professionalization efforts, the KGB took on additional roles within the Communist party. In addition to the security roles fulfilled by the organization, it started to perform ideological, governance, and economic roles. Intensified crackdown on dissidents was also carried out through an expansive labor camp system and increased surveillance of Soviet society (Dziak 159). The KGB developed a countrywide system of secret informants completely infiltrated the society. These informants reported i ncidents of even the slightest dissent and retaliatory action was taken against the offenders. To create an atmosphere of unease and apprehension, the KGB encouraged voluntary informers in every segment of Russian society. The voluntary informers proved to be a valuable asset since they gave the impression that the organization possessed an all-seeing eye. In this way, the KGB was able to isolate the individual to the extent that people could not trust each other. The KGB had been demoted in 1956 but through Andropov’s efforts, the KGB was once again elevated to ministry status in 1978 and this gave the agency jurisdiction all over the USSR. In addition to this, the Soviet Constitution was amended which made cooperation with the KGB a duty of all Soviet citizens. Failing to comply with the KGB was a crime against the state and severe penalties were served to offenders. These new powers allowed Andropov to instigate a highly sophisticated system of control within the USSR. And ropov was able to reinvent the KGB as an uncorrupt institution that was necessary for the stability of the state. By the late 1970s, the KGB began an intensive crackdown on corruption in the country. Many investigations were carried out and party officials were implicated in scandals. Deriabin and Bagley report that these ambitious crackdowns against corrupt party officials signaled the height of the KGB’s power with its leader, Andropov, being seen as a likely candidate for Party leadership (85). Andropov’s death in 1984 marked an end to the recreation of the counterintelligence state that Andropov had successfully achieved in less than two decades. The KGB during Gorbachev’s Leadership Following Andropov’s death, the KGB remained instrumental in Party affairs and it played a role in the appointment of Chernenko as the new General Secretary. When Chernenko died in 1985, the KGB backed Gorbachev who took the position of General Secretary. Ebon documents t hat Gorbachev came to power with KGB backing and in his first years in power, his policies were but fresh implementations of Andropov’s blueprint (39). Considering the relationship between Gorbachev and the KGB, Gorbachev tried to make use of the secret police while avoiding the danger of being used by it. Gorbachev and the KGB chief Chebriko fell out in 1988 owing to a difference in opinion between the two. Gorbachev wanted to reform the state and the KGB to adhere to liberal principles. Chebriko considered liberal principles an attack on the state and felt that authoritarian control from the top was necessary to stabilize the country (Ebon 40). Chebriko disapproved of some of Gorbachev’s actions including the freeing of the distinguished dissident Andrei Sakharov who had been under KGB house arrest. These differences led to the replacement of Chebriko by Kryuchkov who would remain hold the position of KGB chief until 1991. Kryuchkov did not hinder the political and l egal reforms that Gorbachev embarked on. Demise of the KGB The KGB’s demise was initiated by the series of changes initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev to reform the USSR. Before the creation of a standing parliament by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989, few people dared to challenge the KGB. Individuals who called for change in the KGB were mostly dissidents and the international human rights community. White and Kryshtanovskaya observe that these changes saw the KGB placed under the scrutiny of a parliamentary committee. The agency’s finances were placed under the control of the state auditor with an official budget of the KGB being made public (169). The KGB began to adopt a more public oriented approach and it even opened a public relations office in 1991. By late 1991, the surveillance capabilities of the KGB were curtailed and the agency made a public announcement that it would no longer engage in the invasive practice of monitoring conversations of private citizens. In spite of these changes to fit in with the times, the KGB was heavily implicated in the attempted coup of August 1991. The Chairman of the agency, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kryuchkov, was a prominent member of the abortive coup and he was accused of organizing a crime against the state (White and Kryshtanovskaya 170). Because of this, the KGB was placed under the jurisdiction of the Russian presidency and by October, the agency had altogether disappeared. It was replaced by a group of new security agencies that were headed by reformers. Conclusion This paper set out to provide an in-depth discussion of the infamous political enforcement system, the KGB. The paper began by providing a historical overview of the agency. It traced the agency’s history with a detailed review of the KGB’s predecessors. The paper has outlined how KGB officials on orders from party leadership engaged in the murder of innocent people, deprived citizens of basic freedoms and created a society of spies a nd informers. Through these activities, the KGB was able to play the role of guarantor of single-party dominance in Russia. In addition to the intelligence services in the country, the KGB was also reputed for its espionage abroad. The paper has also discussed how the KGB was able to engage in internal and external changes to remain important in Russian leadership. It concluded by highlighting the events that led to the eventual demise of the once powerful secret political police organization. From the discussions presented in the paper, it is clear that the KGB did not serve society; rather it served the ruling party and its leaders. The Russian leaders were able to successfully keep the KGB powerful and effective while at the same time maintaining its loyalty and subservience. Works Cited Albats, Yevgenia and Catherine A. Fitzpatrick. The state within a state: The KGB and its hold on Russia – Past, Present, and Future. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994. Print. Deria bin, Peter, and Bagley Tahid. The KGB: Masters of the Soviet Union. New York: Hippocrene Books, 1990. Print. Dziak, John. Chekistry: A history of the KGB. Lexington: Lexington Books, 1988. Print. Ebon, Martin. KGB: Death and Rebirth. NY: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994. Print. Fleron, Fredric and Erik Hoffmann. Soviet Foreign Policy, 1917-1991: Classic and Contemporary Issues. Boston: Transaction Publishers, 1991. Print. Knight, Amy. The KGB: Police and Politics in the Soviet Union. Boston: Unwin Hyman, 1990. Print. Sakwa, Richard. Soviet Politics: In Perspective. NY: Routledge, 1998. Print. Waller, Michael. â€Å"Russia: Death and Resurrection of the KGB†. Demokratizatsiya 12.3 (2004): 333-355. EBSCOHost.com. Web. White, Stephen and Ol’ga Kryshtanovskaya. â€Å"Public attitudes to the KGB: A research note†. Europe-Asia Studies 45.1 (1993): 169-176. Print. This term paper on The KGB: A Historical Review was written and submitted by user Christina Wagner to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Buying Wholesale Electronics

Buying Wholesale Electronics Free Online Research Papers Selling wholesale electronics might be a great business especially among young customers who love appliances. This is a certain fire way to earn money. Yet, you require to know how to purchase wholesale electronics inorder to raise you can get the best deal and healthy returns, so provide yourself with cognition and sense over decision making ablity for right selection . Presenting here are some useful tips for your absulote accuracy. It is favorable to buy locally in your own state than to buy overseas. Purchasing overseas has more disadvantages than benefits. For one, you require to pay for the shipping fee, which can be really huge if you purchase wholesale electronics from the overseas sides of the world. Also, other nations have their own quality and buyer regulations. You are not sure if they would meet your states own regulations. Finally, it takes a long span of time to ship products from different country than that of yours. So to save yourself from these worries, simply purchase being locally. Be suspicious of wholesalers who are dealing outdated or last years models of electronic products. Some companies sell their last year goods with old model products for a cheaper price just to dispose them because the newest and current merchandises have just been embarked to them by the producers of innovative electronics. The less told correct condition for this is closeout, not really wholesale. Closeout wares are usually less expensive than wholesale products. And unless you desire to trade old patterns of electronic appliances, you may want to bond to purchasing wholesale electronics. Acknowledge the specifications of the electronic products that you want to purchase. Wholesalers have not much cognition about this, so it all reckons on to you. Before you inspect any maker or fabricators, make sure that you have in your mind a list of goods you are looking for. Electronic gadgets must be shipped containing warranty. This way, you and your buyer are protected if the something suddenly went wrong with the product. Ask the wholesaler about warranty scheme or if they have some kind of undertakings or arrangements earlier you bargain their product Electronic gadgets must be shipped containing warranty. This way, you and your buyer are protected if the something suddenly went wrong with the product. Ask the wholesaler about warranty scheme or if they have some kind of undertakings or arrangements earlier you bargain their product Research Papers on Buying Wholesale ElectronicsRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanDefinition of Export QuotasMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaTwilight of the UAW

Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Biology - Essay Example t is taking place however, is that the overabundance of harmful gases which are a byproduct of fossil fuels, are causing a latticing effect to take place in the ozone layer. The earth’s ozone layer is necessary in order to filter out the sun’s excessive and destructive ultra violet rays. As the ozone layer becomes more and more compromised, the areas of the globe governed by cold temperatures (such as the arctic) are literally rising in temperature causing the melting of polar ice caps. As these ice caps melt and merge into the ocean, warm water oceanic areas are being cooled down to unnaturally low temperatures. This results in a drastic rise in natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. On a short term level, the animals that inhabit the arctic are finding their environment less and less suitable. Fish are dying due to the drastic oceanic temperature changes while animals like penguins and polar bears are finding less and less available fish. When discussing global warming, the topic of precautionary principle becomes extremely relevant as well. The precautionary principle is essentially a moral principle with political ramifications, which allows for necessary action in the face of possible danger to public health or the environment even without scientific confirmation or agreed substantiation of the threat from the scientific community. In other words, global warming is certainly a global issue and an obvious threat, regardless of the fact that many with conservative view points, argue its validity. Because of this, it is in the world’s best interest to act in a manner which is airing on the side of precaution, in the best interest of pandemic survival. Normal proof policies would indicate that proof rooted in scientific fact is necessary but without exiting the confines of science. The precautionary principle allows for a lack of scientific proof and more of a suspicion with some confirmation based on observati on or

Benefites and drawbacks of the internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Benefites and drawbacks of the internet - Essay Example Internet is just like an ocean of knowledge for all the people. But the problem is that this ocean consists of good and evils. Only the matured persons will be able to select and segregate good things from internet whereas immature people always fell in to this ocean as victims of the bad things. This paper briefly analyses the advantages and disadvantages of internet. â€Å"Internet can provide explicit sex and violence related materials which can harm the development of modern generation. Exhibitions of genitals, the use or sale of weapons, illegal drug sale, illegal gambling, alcohol consumption, explicit violence against people or animals including hate crimes, tobacco use etc are some of the major disadvantages of using internet. One of the major reasons for juvenile offenses is the influence of internet upon children. Segregation of good and evils is difficult for kids because of the growth of sex hormones at the adolescent period. It is easy for the juveniles to watch movies filled with violence and sexual activities using internet websites like YouTube. Internet is a paradise for gamblers and antisocial elements. Credit card forgery, phishing like internet scams are increasing day by day and even intelligent adults fall victims of such cheaters. It is easy for such tricksters to cheat the kids, if the parents fail to put an eye on their child’s activities in internet. Another major disadvantage of internet is the threat of viruses. â€Å"Over 50% of all companies report being hit by a virus each year. Over 20% of all computers are currently infected with spyware† (Computer Internet Security). In short, many companies are facing severe problems in keeping their data safe in their computers because of the virus threat from internet. Internet addiction may sometimes reduce the thinking ability of a child. Children will use internet for everything and the readily available information may result in seldom usage of their brains. The growth of mental

The Salmonella Outbreak In Usa Commerce Essay

The Salmonella Outbreak In Usa Commerce Essay The Peanut Corporation of America was formally a family-owned peanut processing business and maker of peanut butter for bulk distribution to institutions, food service industries, and private label food companies. The company was founded in 1977 by Stewart Parnell along with his father, Hugh, and two younger brothers, Hugh, Jr. and Mike (Business Yellow Page, 2009). The company was headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia, where they started the business working out of their home (Business Yellow Page, 2009). By 1994 the family turned a slow growing peanut roasting operation into a company with sales that surpassed 30 million dollars and employed over 95 permanent employees (Business Yellow Page, 2009). In 1995 the business was sold to a large commodities corporation while Parnells father, Hugh, retired from the peanut industry (Business Yellow Page, 2009). Stewart Parnell and his two brothers were kept as management consultants by the companys new corporate owner (Business Yellow Page 2009). The company manufactured roughly 2.5 percent of the nations processed peanuts (Chapman Newkirk, 2009). Stewart Parnell served as a peanut-quality adviser to the U.S. Department of Agriculture until he was removed from the board Februay of 2009 (Chapman Newkirk, 2009). PCA operated processing facilities located in Blakely, Georgia; Suffolk, Virginia; and Plainview, Texas (Business Yellow Page, 2009). As indicated by Layton and Miroff (2009), PCA supplied ingredients to some of the biggest names on supermarket shelves: Kellogg, Sara Lee, Little Debbie. The federal government was a customer, too, buying his peanuts for poor school children, disaster victims and military troops. PCAs products were not sold directly to consumers, but shipped to other manufactures that used their products as ingredients to make cookies, crackers, pet treats, energy bars, ice cream, and other products (Consumer Affairs 2009). Products ranged from peanut butter, peanut paste and peanut oil (msnbc, 2009). Peanut Corporation of Americas scandal began when the company allegedly shipped its peanut butter products knowing they could be contaminated with salmonella which resulted in the outbreak of 2008 (McCormick, 2009). According to Mundy (2009), who interviewed Ron Simon a criminal trial Lawyer for victims of PCA negligence, remarks that PCA knowingly shipped contaminated products which were positively tested for salmonella by two independent labs the company hired. These contaminated shipments were sent to nursing homes, school cafeterias, grocery stores and wholesale outlets. Since the beginning of the peanut salmonella outbreak in September 2008, more than 714 people became ill in 46 U.S. states and one Canadian province, which contributed to at least 9 deaths (Lawyers and Settlements.com, 2009). Its among the largest recalls that weve had, said Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDAs Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (msnbc, 2009). The illness was traced back to the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) processing plants in Blakely, GA and Plainview, TX according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Lawyers and Settlements.com, 2009). PCA was no stranger to of selling contaminated products; its Blakely plant was discovered with salmonella in 2006 as a possible result of imported organic peanuts from China according to a letter released by the committee on Nov. 2, 2006 (Zhang and Jargon, 2009). Mr. Parnell was also informed via letter by Darlene Cowart, President of JLA USA testing service that it was likely that the organic peanuts imported from Chinese could be a source for microbial hazards based on the type of fertilizers that was used on the organic product (Zhang and Jargon, 2009). Ms. Cowart also testified that Peanut Corp. samples were tested positive for salmonella between 2007 and 2008 (Zhang and Jargon, 2009). FDA requested a recall for all products containing peanut butter, peanut paste and peanut oil manufactured since January 1, 2007, at the Blakely, Georgia processing center (msnbc, 2009). Federal inspectors found mold, roaches and a leaking roof at the Georgia peanut factory, Dow Jones Newswires reports (Rubenstei, 2009). There are two forms of stakeholders in business ethics, specifically, primary and secondary stakeholders which the Peanut Corporation of Americas case affected. Primary stakeholders are necessary for a firms survial and include employees, customers, investors, shareholders, as well as, businesses, large or small (such as small businesses that used PCAs product as raw material to make product and later market to consumers) (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2008, p. 32). Whereas, secondary stakeholders are not essential for a companys survival; these include the media, trade association and special-interest groups (for example, the American Association of Retired People AARP) (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2008, p. 32). Two primary stakeholders at PCA were Stewart Parnell, president and CEO, and Sammy Lightsey, the plant manager of the Blakely, Georgia plant . Several email were exchanged between Parnell, Lightsey (plant manager of Blakely, GA) and Mary Wilkerson (employee at the Blakely plant) regarding batches of peanut products that tested positive for salmonella by two independent laboratories, J. Leek Associates being one company and Deibel being the other and ignored (Committee on Energy and Commerce 2009). Because of this many stakeholders, both primary and secondary were affected by Peanut Corporation of Americas unethical decision-making. The medias impact on the Peanut Corporation of America brought awareness to members of the community by revealing incidents of PCA as it become known, brought awareness to consumers about the actions of PCA. Managers should be mindful of secondary stakeholders and express thoughtfulness in making ethical decisions. In general, both primary and secondary stakeholders embrace specific values and standards which govern anything that is deemed acceptable or unacceptable corporate behaviors (Ferrell, Fraedrich Ferrell, pp.32-33). Peanut Corporation of America was sued by American Candy Company after the FDA discovered in 1990 that Peanut Corporation of Americas peanut butter exceeded the FDA tolerance level for aflatoxin, a toxic mold (Blackwell, 2009). Another lawsuit against Peanut Corporation of America was brought by Zachary Confections, Inc. of Frankfort, Indiana in 1991 after a 40,020-pound shipment of nuts from Peanut Corporation of America was found to have an unacceptably high l evel of aflatoxin (Blackwell, 2009). Because of the unethical decisions made by PCA in January of 2009, all but three of the 46 employees at the Blakely plant were laid off (wsbtv.com 2, 2009). And on February 12, 2009 the Plainview, Texas plant, which employeed approximately 30 employees, was ordered to shut down by the state health officials (Relative, 2009). These employees, because of their assocation with PCA, lost their jobs. On Janaury 10, 2009, another primary stakeholder, the Solon, OH based King Nut Company, recalled its King Nut and Parnells Pride peanut butter brands that were manufactured by PCA to a distribution chain involving institutions such as hospitals, schools, restaurants and nursing homes (Ashcraft Gerel, LLP, 2009). Now PCAs insurer, Hartford Insurance has filed a lawsuit against PCA to determine if they are responsible for claims filed by victims of this nationwide salmonella outbreak and has asked the court to determine whether the terms of the companys policy exclude coverage for salmonella c laims, along with its obligation to Peanut Corp. (Lindsey, 2009). Peanut Corporation of Americas dishonest behavior seriously affected the primary stakeholders because of the unethical decisions made by the companys leaders and partners of the corporation. The unethical decisions as stated earlier by PCA negatively affected the lives of their employees by the loss of their jobs and the disgrace of being previously employed by PCA put employees in an insecure situation with potential employers. In this situation the people that were sicken, the people that died, the states that were affected, and the companies that had to recall products were all stakeholders in one form or another. Investors and shareholders who gave out money to PCA were also affected by the indiscretions of PCAs mismanagement. Executives and managers of PCA shared in a large gamble which impacted and changed the lives of many individuals and corporations both large and small. Peanut Corporation of America, the company at the center of the nationwide salmonella scare, filed for Chapter 7 in February 2009 (Miroff and Lyndsey, 2009). The filing of bankruptcy negatively affected its investors and shareholders. Others affected by the bankruptcy are secondary stakeholders; government, management agencies and the media. The government was negatively impacted in taxation because of plant closures in the form of income tax and lost sales tax because of lost product sales. The Peanut Corporation of America had its general liability insurance with The Hartford Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut. According to Simon (2009),  PCA has $24 million dollars in insurance from The Hartford Casualty Insurance Company which is specifically dedicated to  covering  the food poisoning claims. The insurance coverage is broken up into two policy periods, 10/1/07 9/30/08 and 10/1/08 9/30/09 (Simon, 2009). The The Hartford Casualty Insurance Company rushed to court to limit what it might have to pay on lawsuits (Levick, 2009).They asked a federal court in Virginia to determine what the responsibility is on three years of policies that was issued to PCA (Levick, 2009). Legal analysis The Peanut Corporation of Americas lack of respect and nonconformity for the consumer protection laws was one of the key legal issues relating to the salmonella outbreak. That was one of the contributing factor that led them to be non-compliant with the law. Another, the corporations primary focus was that of making profit and showing complete disregard for consumers and the law thereof. According to Mundy (2009), PCA avoided taking necessary safety measures in safeguarding its facilities which resulted in leaking roofs. Not only did that PCA spend $60,000 in August 2008 to repair a leaky roof in the plant, Ron Simon a trial lawyer stated that the roof was already leaking bird feces before it was repairedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, a clear indication that PCA allegedly failed to maintain proper conditions and practices conducive for managing safety protocols at their facilities (Mundy, 2009). Consumer Protection is government regulations to protect the interests of consumers (Lawyers.com, 2009) . The law refers to state and federal consumer protection and product safety statutes and regulatons that restrict or prohibit deceptive trade practices such as the Consumer Protection Act (Lawyers.com, 2009). The Federal Trade Commission is the main agency enforcing consumer protection statutes (Lawyers.com, 2009). It was established in 1914, for the purpose of supporting consumer protection to drive and control unfair or harmful business practices; it exercises consumer rights and prevents them from being swindled and aids against fraud and deception and enables consumers to make well-informed decisions about products and how they spend their money (www.ftc.gov). The state courts (and some federal courts) in the 1930s placed restrictions on the freedom-to-contract doctrine by establishing rules of public policy and doctrines of unconscionability and fundamental breach that allow the courts to interfere in contractual relationships (Brennan, Browne Kubasek, pp.772). Likewise, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established in the 1930s, as a part of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services to regulate products which accounted for approximately 25% of the U.S gross national prod uct. As stated by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. The companys actions can only be described as reprehensible and criminal, not only did this company knowingly sell tainted products, it shopped for a laboratory that would provide the acceptable results they were seeking. This behavior represents the worst of our current food safety regulatory system (KDKA2, 2009). The company had previously told the FDA that some lots of peanut butter had initially tested positive for the bacterium, then were retested and found to be negative before they were shipped. But further investigation showed that the company actually shipped some of the lots before the second tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed even after the first one came back positive (Maugh and Engel, 2009). The company did not initially disclose that to investigators trying to solve the current salmonella outbreak (KDKA2, 2009). The FDA did not formally announce the new findings about the companys testing, but rather made small revisions Thursday to an online report about the investigation (Maugh and Engel, 2009. It was only when a Washington Post reporter discovered the changes and the news become more widely known (Maugh and Engel, 2009). Ethical Analysis The Peanut Corporation bottom line was to make a profit and not care about social responsibility to the public. The company continued to ship product they knew was contaminated. T he ethical behavior of the company and Stewart Parnell was to keep production going no matter at what cost. This transmitted a lack of morals and value by upper management by keeping their employees working and meeting their shipping demands. The company also continued to run his plants in an unclean manner which put consumer food safety at risk. There are three ethical perspectives that I will focus on as they exhibit both ethical and unethical behavior. The first being consequential theory, this theory brings out questions of moral issues. Under the consequential theory acts are judged ethically good or bad based on whether the acts have achieved their desired results and the acts are looked at as right or wrong on whether the results can be rationalized (Kubasek, Brennan Browne, 2009, p. 223). When examining the scandal of the Peanut Corporation of America the consequential utilitarianism school of thought can be applied. Stewart Parnell thought process can be viewed as being both ethical and unethical. The main issue in this case study was Parnell shipping products that were tainted. For the argument of ethics it could be assumed that Parnell was seeking the best interest of his company to obtain a profit. Parnells rational included keeping and production flowing and employees working while, the unethical can be argued that a desired outcome was not obtained as a result of the deaths and illnesses of consumers and inability for Peanut Corporation of American to remain in business. Parnell should have had a strategy in place that should have been customers first then his employees. The second ethical perspective is the deontological theory which is derived from the Greek word meaning ethics refers to moral philosophies that focus on the rights of individuals and on the intentions associated with a particular behavior rather than on its consequences (Ferrell, Fraedich, Ferrell, 2008, p.153). Deontological theory is also from the Greek word duty, in which actions can be judged ethically good or bad based on rules and principles arrived at by human reason regardless of the action and whether net happiness is reached (Kubasek, Brennan Browne, 2009, p. 225). Based on email that Mary Wilkerson sent to Stewart Parnell on June 6, 2008, Peanut Corporation of American used two outside laboratories for testing (Committee on Energy and Commerce, 2009). Because Peanut Corporation of American testested and re-tested their producted until they received the results they needed, this could be considered ethical or unethical. Ethical because Mr. Parnell needed to receive a neg ative result so that he could continue his production and shipping of his product. It also could be a means of the company double checking results for consumer protection. On the other hand because Parnell sent samples to multiple laboratories until they found their desired results of the product testing to be negative for salmnella poisioning could be considered unethical. An facet of the deontological theory is that a person should engage only in acts that he or she could see becoming a universal standard (Kubasek, Brennan Browne, 2009, p. 225). Another email sent to Sammy Lightsey from Parnell also shows Parnells unethical behavior. According to the email Parnell sent to Sammy Lightsey, he instructed Sammy to ship the tainted product by stating, okay, lets turn them loose then (Committee on Energy and Commerce, 2009). The third school of thought, humanist theory, where actions are evaluated as ethically good or bad based on whether they contribute to improving inherent human capacities as it pertains to intelligence, wisdom, and self restraint (Browne, Brennan, Kubasek, p.226). According to the USDA, Parnells previous position on the U.S. Department of Agricultures Peanut Standards Boards, which sets the quality and handling standards, intended to assure that satisfactory quality and wholesome peanuts are used in the domestic and import peanut markets (Keefe, 2009). Parnell was first appointed to the USDAs Peanut Standards Board in July 2005 and was reappointed for another term that would have expired in 2011 (Keefe, 2009). On February 5, 2009, the USDA announced that the new Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack had removed Parnell from the board (Akre, 2009). Mr. Parnells ethical behavior based on the humanist theory put him in a great position to help improve quality and handling standards for pea nuts grown and marketed domestically and imported. Parnells unethical behavior could be considered as a conflict of interest because he did not follow those standards within his own company, which caused his own plants to suffer miserably in unsanitary and unhealthy conditions. It is obvious that Parnell didnt have the understanding, Knowledge, intelligence or even discipline to run a processing plant. Contributing Factors The companys culture encouraged unethical behavior and did everything to undermine anything ethical, stemming from sanitation conditions from the beginning because of the history of the overall business operation and that of Mr. Parnells upbringing. David Brooks, a former buyer for a snack company who was familiar with the conditions of PCAs business operation (Layton Miroff, 2009, p.2). Brooks also noted that on three occasions in the mid 1980s, he inspected PCAs Gorman plant to determine whether to buy its peanut products and each time, he gave the plant a failing grade (Layton Miroff, 2009, p. 2). According to Brooks, It was just filthy; Dust was all over the beams, the braces of the building. The roofs leaked, the windows would be open, and birds would fly through the building . . . It was just a time bomb waiting to go off, and everybody in the peanut industry in Georgia, Virginia and Texas they all knew (Layton and Miroff, 2009). According to two former Blakely employees, one recalls opening a tote of peanuts at the processing plant in this small Georgia town and seeing baby mice in it. It was filthy and nasty all around the place, (Glover, 2009). Unethical behavior of upper management and Stewart Parnell were more concerned about profits instead of the lives of the consumers who were vulnerable to harm and the employees who were deliberately deceived about the true results of the contaminated products. The PCA Georgia Plant contributed to the sanitation problem. There were ethical issues throughout the plant that lead to the tainted products. There were peanuts stored next to the finished peanut butter (Smalley, 2009). The roaster they used was not calibrated to kill deadly germs (Smalley, 2009). Dispirited workers on minimum wage, supplied by temp agencies, donned their uniforms at home, potentially dragging contaminants into the plant, which also had rodents (Smalley, 2009). The roof of the PCA plant in Georgia leaked when it rained which is a big risk; given that salmonella thrives in water and the facility should have been dry (Smalley, 2009). The Federal officials in Texas did not even know PCAs Plainview facility existed until after they started investigating the Blakely plant (Layton Miroff, 2009). It was unlicensed and had been uninspected by the government for four years (Layton Miroff, 2009). This company has shown a manner of disrespect for the consumer right laws and obvious disregard for consumer safety that filtered from the top of the corporation down through management. The impatience of not waiting on the results of the test and conducting several re-test to obtain a favorable result was in poor judgment and a sure sign that problems were being ignored and standardized procedures were not being followed by these leaders. They were comfortable wallowing in filth and infestations within their food processing plants for thirty years. Thats a culture that will and did breed all types of legal and unethical problems that was bound to catch up with them. It seemed that they all lacked insight and did not think thoroughly about the results of their actions or to make ethical decisions. They may not have cared about the Consumer Protection Law but they should have been worried about Murphys Law. Ethical decision factors to consider There are three factors to be addressed relating to the ethical theories previously discussed in this case analysis. Based on perspectives of consequential theory where acts are judged as ethically good or bad based on whether the acts have achieved their desired results (Brennan, Browne, Kubasek, 2009, p. 223-224). Under the consequential theory this ethical issue reiterates Parnells actions for shipping products that he knew was contaminated, to keep production flowing and their plants making a profit. The company also had a lack of concern for the consumers health and management continued filling orders with tainted products. The golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, is the hallmark of the deontological theory (Brennan, Browne, Kubasek, 2009, p. 225). Under the deontological theory the ethical issue was lab shopping. Parnells persistence of conducting multiple tests in order to obtain results pleasing to his satisfaction without thought of the unforeseen consequences. The ethical decision factor to be considered in this situation is the need for ethical policies for quality control checking. All companies should have this process in place for products we consume. This way it wont be misinterpreted as lab shopping. And the third school of thought, humanist theory evaluated actions s good or bad depending on whether they contribute to improving inherent human capacities such as intelligence, wisdom, and self-restraint (Brennan, Brown, Kubasek, 2009, p. 226). Under the humanist theory the ethical issue was Parnells conflict of interest based on his previous held position on the U.S. Department of Agricultures Peanut Standards Boards. The ethical decision factors to be considered in this situation are showing little intelligence, wisdom or self-restrain, sitting on the board that he was clearly not qualified for. Recommended corrective action Outbreaks of salmonella are not unfamiliar to the FDA and Peanut Corporation of America was not the first company to be confronted with this issue. In 2005, a ConAgra Foods factory in Georgia was inspected by the FDA due to complaints about a salmonella contamination (Glover, 2009). Spinach contaminated with salmonella followed by peppers and tomatoes was the big scare of 2006 (Shvartsman, 2009). In June, 2009, Nestle Toll House cookie dough and 380,000 pounds of beef produced by JBS Swift Beef Company were recalled due to E. coli contamination (Shvartsman, 2009). Peanut Corporation of America filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and closed its doors and is now in legal proceedings (Miroff Layton, 2009). ConAgra can be considered the industry leader in setting examples for what should be done when product may be tainted. Therefore, there should be no reason why Peanut Corporation would not know how what to do in a situation such as this. PCA like ConAgra could have voluntarily issued recall voluntarily upon learning about the products which were tested positively for salmonella. PCA could have prevented this tragic end to its business and the lives of those lost if they had attempted to rectify the situation properly and address the root of the problems which were many. It may be too late for implementation of a corrective action for Peanut Corporation of America, but not too late for a corrective action for the remainder of the food processing industry. Food processing plants and warehouses should base their policies and procedures off the guidelines for food safety set forth by the Food and Drug Administration. As part of a new regulation, Obama administration is working on toughening food safety standards. A bill that recommends a proactive stance in preventing food contamination was approved by the House (Shvartsman, 2009). The bill will step up inspections of high risk facilities every six months, or at least once a year (Shvartsman, 2009). This change will dramatically lower food recalls. The final regulation will come in the fall when the Senate votes on the bill (Shvartsman, 2009). The House voted to empower the FDA to order recalls (Shvartsman, 2009). Food safety advocates have been lobbying Congress to give the FDA more regulatory power over the food supply, a vast and growing network crossing state lines and international borders (Shvartsman, 2009). As stated earlier PCA had plants in Georgia, Texas and Virginia. This new bill will provide the FDA the power to police companies that have locations in multiple states (Shvartsman, 2009). PCA was unlikely to remain in business given Mr. Parnells inherent behavior along with those who were a part of his management. PCA was unlikely to remain in business under the direction of Stewart Parnell. Parnells inherent behavior along with those who were a part of his management did not act in an ethical manner towards the community. Mr. Parnell consistently put profits ahead of public safety and acted in a manner that proved to be detrimental to society. Therefore, it can be concluded that PCA lacked business ethics and morals and how they portrayed the companys image and conveyed disregard for their employees and members of the community.

Tim Burton Style Analysis

Tim Burton Style Analysis Tim Burton has achieved much fame for his imaginative movies and his quirky remakes of old classics such as Alice, Batman, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is in Edward Scissorhands though, a heartfelt story about an outsider looking in, that Burton shows off his true skills as a director. Using point of view, setting, and motifs his film becomes not just a good movie, but an amazing classic. Burton uses point of view to show the characters perspective and to fill in the missing gaps in the characters history in the form of flashbacks.For example, one of the beginning scenes in the movie show that the devout woman looks out the window and sees the other woman of the neighborhood flocking together, yet not inviting her to join them. It shows that the woman is an outcast, and is not included in things. Another scene shows Edward’s dejected face and then flashes over to a scene of Kim goofing off with her boyfriend. It lets the viewer understand that Edward is interested romantically in Kim, and thus upset that she is involved with someone else. This is a more subtle technique, and makes the scene more memorable to the viewer because they didn’t come right out and say it.As opposed to telling the audience about something, Burton prefers to let them see for themselves. To show Edwards origins, Burton has Edward looking out the window and has a flashback about how he was created. Burton also uses setting to a magical extent. Burton is an admirer of over-exaggeration, and this is evident in his distinction of the neighborhood and Edwards’s castle. Whereas the community is bright a cheery, with houses of alternating color and rather small proportions, the castle is dark and opposing. All the houses in the community don’t have more than four feet between them, and even the backyards are visible from the street.Burton also exaggerates the looming castle’s isolation by putting it on a mountain. Burton purposefully designs the community to be the homey, picturesque American dream while Edward’s castle is the definition of gloom and doom. Yet when Peg first comes to the entrance of the castle, she encounters an amazing garden, much more beautiful than anything thing the people in the community could make, showing us that our perceptions aren’t always right. Burton often uses motifs in his movies and Edward Scissorhands is no different. Among many, one of the motifs Burton uses is conformity vs. ndividuality. Burton’s movies all carry common threads, and like all of Burton’s previous main characters, Edward is an outcast. He is a spark of creativity in an otherwise dull society. The citizens of the community choose to conform and the all have flat personalities. One is either a maneater or a motherly type or some other cliche, and that part seems to encompass the rest of their personality. While Edward, who is so different from the way he looks to the way he acts, seems to be the only human character. His personality possesses many layers.The citizens also dress bright and cheery is a retro-style, while Edward with his uncontrollable hair and pale skin looks like a gritty Goth. In conclusion, Burton’s skill shines throughout the entire movie. Using point of view, setting, motifs, and other style techniques, Burton makes Edward Scissorhands a true hit. Tim Burton’s unorthodox style gives new standards to the movie business, and delivers heartwarming stories about misconceptions and finding yourself. With Tim Burton’s masterful skill and playful humor, it becomes obvious why Edward Scissorhands is such a hit. Gigi Orphali 12-8-11 p. 5-6

Spanking

Spanking is a form of corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence. It is usually done in act by an adult, parent, or guardian hitting the child or students buttock. The reason this is done is in response to bad behavior. Some countries have outlawed the act of spanking in every setting, but many allow it as long as it is done by a parent or guardian. As many people think spanking is an okay discipline, this one of the most controversial methods of disciplining your child. On one side some parents think spanking should never be done, and then there are parents who believe it is okay as long as it is done for a particular reason. To some spanking a child means â€Å"slapping a child on the buttock† (Straus, 1991, pg 5) Spanking a child may stop the child from behaving for the moment but that will only last for a short period of time. An article from Mayo Clinic states, â€Å"Children learn how to act by watching their parents. The best way to show your child how to behave is to set a positive example for him or her to follow† This is saying that if you spank your child, your child will think it is okay to hurt others. Also that your children look up to you, parents are a role model for their child. There was a study released in 1991 by The Family Research Laboratory of the Univeristy of New Hampshire that was showed that the more a child is spanked, the lower that their IQ test will be in four years. The paper was described by researcher Dr. Straus at the World Congress of Sociology in Montreal. They studied 960 children who were varied between the ages of one and four between the years of 1986-1990. Thirteen percent of parents examined spanking their children seven or more time a week. The usual was 3. 6 spanking per week. The children that were physically disciplined scored a below average score of 98 on their tests. Those who were almost never disciplined scored an above average of 102 on their tests. â€Å"We know that children who are under the threat of violence or aggression develop a fight-or-flight response system that has an impact on creativity and imagination, both of which could influence their IQ†¦ Children need discipline but not hitting. (Jane Gadd, â€Å"Spanked children suffer intellectually,† The Globe and Mail, Toronto ON, 1998-JUL-30) This is stating that children do not need to be hit in order to be taught between wrong and right. Beacause spanking a child may be effective for a while it can escalade. The parent will often repeat this action every time the child misbehaves. Corporal punishment may become an â€Å"everyday† action which can lead to an increasingly normal and harsher spanking can exceed the reasonable force and later turn into abuse. 85% of all cases of physical abuse result from some form of over discipline through the use of corporal punishment† this means that 85% of cases of abuse have started from a simple spanking and escaladed. That being said, after spanking has led to more this action can unintentionally cause serious physical damage. A child that is hit can accidentally fall and injure themselves. Hitting a child’s hand can cause premature osteoarthritis, injure bones, blood vessels, joints and ligaments. Spanking a child can cause death, injure the tail bone, the sciatic nerve, and even injure muscles. Hitting the ear can burst the ear drum.