Treatment of the Kurds by Saddam Hussein: History

Treatment of the Kurds by Saddam Hussein: History 1. Background Saddam Hussein was the President of Iraq for nearly a quarter of a century, from 1979 to 2003. The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 and deposed Saddam Hussein after defeating his military forces in a bloody and expensive war. The former dictator is currently in captivity and facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The country is still under the occupation of the USA and its allies and is going through very difficult times, a period of violence, political turmoil and economic deprivation. Iraq has undergone intense political turmoil, debilitating and prolonged wars, economic deprivation and internecine strife for nearly three decades. The country has an overwhelmingly Arabic Muslim population, who belong to two religious sects, the Shias and the Sunnis. In addition to these two groups, the Kurdish people, who are Shias by faith, but not Arabs, inhabit the north of the country. The Kurds have been in constant conflict with Saddam’s Ba’athist government for many years over religious and political issues. There have been numerous allegations of violent and extensive persecution of the Kurds, including the use of chemical weapons and nerve gas, by government forces. Thousands of Kurds have supposedly been killed and buried in mass graves by the army during Saddam Hussein’s regime; the atrocities against Kurds is one of the main crimes against humanity for which he is facing trial. The focus of the dissertation specified to the researcher, as part of academic course requirement, is to investigate and analyse the factors responsible for the treatment of the Kurdish population by the Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein. It is a topic of immense social and political significance and a properly thought out and well conducted research assignment might well provide a fresh perspective on the issue and be of help to social scientists and academia. 2. Definition of Research Issues The successful conduct of this research assignment and the preparation of the dissertation will be influenced by a proper appreciation and handling of the different issues needed for carrying out relevant and ethical social research. The topic under investigation is evocative and contemporaneous. It is difficult for involved people and external observers to be impartial and objective about the issue, considering the enormous amount of material generated by media and other observers. Saddam Hussein, after years of dictatorial rule, appears to be a man condemned by popular perception, his statements in court considered to be no more than the ranting of a cornered and beaten megalomaniac. A perusal of recent media reports in the western press show him in the worst possible light and very little appears on the positive sides of his character or his regime. The website â€Å"Saddam Hussein’s Philanthropy of Terror† (2004) and many similar ones refer to him as â€Å"The Butcher of Baghdad†, (Murdock, 2004) among other pejoratives. Saddam Hussein has had an extraordinarily long term as President of Iraq. The western media and the US government, especially during the term of Ronald Reagan, have supported him in his war against Iran after the deposition of the Shah. His conflict with the west commenced with his attack on Kuwait 1990 and ended with his defeat and deposition in 2003. It is of immense importance to thus define the various issues of the research assignment. These will need to deal with the political and religious affiliation of Saddam Hussein and the Ba’athist regime, the religious, political and social differences between the Iraqi regime and the Kurds, the nature of the atrocities carried out on the Kurds and the reasons for these atrocities. The research issues, framed as questions can thus be as detailed below: What were the political and religious affiliations of Saddam Hussein and the Ba’athist Party? What were the religious, social and political differences between the Iraqi regime and the Kurds of Iraq? What was the nature of atrocities carried out by the Iraqi regime on the Kurds? What were the reasons for the carrying out of these atrocities? A specific articulation of the issues will thus enable the researcher to focus on the core issues involved in the dissertation, conduct the investigation and gather evidence accordingly. Social research involved the interaction between ideas and evidence. Ideas help social researchers make sense of evidence, and researchers use evidence to extend, revise and test ideas.(Ragin, 1994) 3. Research Methodology The research methodology to be used for particular assignments depends, to a great deal on the inclination and affinity of the researche for particular techniques available within the broad framework of rules followed for social research assignments. The importance of secondary research is essential for an assignment with such a broad canvas, encompassing, inter alia, social mores, religion and politics, dominant and inferior groups, repression and atrocities. A number of books, texts, journals and magazines on Saddam Hussein, Iraq and the Kurdish issue are available in hard and electronic format, many of which are listed in the bibliography. It will be essential to peruse these texts, in reference with the research issues to arrive at findings generated from information available in secondary sources. The appropriate research methodology for the purpose of this assignment needs to take care of the discussed facts and be tailored accordingly. An article on â€Å"Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Social Research† by Nedra Kline Weinrich, first published in 1996 details a methodology, wherein a balanced and well thought out mix of quantitative and qualitative research techniques could well be the most appropriate methodology for conducting this assignment An examination of the quantitative and qualitative paradigms will help to identify their strengths and weaknesses and how their divergent approaches can complement each other. In most cases, researchers fall into one of the two camps, either relying exclusively upon objective survey questionnaires and statistical analyses and eschewing warm and fuzzy qualitative methods, or using only qualitative methodologies, rejecting the quantitative approach as decontextualizing human behaviour. However, it is widely accepted that each approach has positive attributes and that combining different methods, if handled properly, can result in the best of both techniques. (Weinrich, 1996) Research techniques used for quantitative analysis aim to achieve objective results and eschew subjective interpretation. The respondents are generally selected through random sampling in a statistical manner aimed at achieving a response from the selected sample, which will be representative of the total population. Qualitative research methods are vastly different and concentrate on working with smaller groups known as focus groups. These focus groups are selected with great care but later subjected to intensive questioning and interviewing by trained researchers who are very well versed in qualitative techniques. It is the job of these researchers to ensure that their respondents are able to provide them with subjective and interpretative data, which would have never come out with quantitative techniques. There are however some techniques wherein it is possible to integrate qualitative and quantitative methods in research. In the first approach, qualitative methods contribute to the development of quantitative instruments, such as the use of focus groups in questionnaire construction. The second model consists of a primarily quantitative study that uses qualitative results to help interpret or explain the quantitative findings. In the third approach, quantitative results help interpret predominantly qualitative findings, as when focus group participants are asked to fill out survey questionnaires at the session. In the fourth model, the two methodologies are used equally, in parallel to cross-validate, and build upon each others results. †¦ may operate under one or more of these models; the approaches are not mutually exclusive. (Weinreich, 1996) It is felt that integrating quantitative and qualitative research methods will lend depth and clarity to this research assignment. Using multiple approaches can be time-consuming, labour-intensive and expensive, but also possibly the most productive. In addition to obtaining information from primary sources like official websites and journals, the researcher also proposes to carry out a detailed questionnaire based survey of 20 Iraqis for obtaining primary information on the key issues. The respondents can be sourced with the help of the Iraqi embassy. It is anticipated that there will not be much difficulty in obtaining agreeable respondents once the purpose of the study and the research credentials are clarified. As the sample population is not very large the questionnaires will have to focus on the research issues and on obtaining a qualitative response. This could be done either by framing 20 open ended questions focusing on research issues or by using 20 questions with multiple choice answers. Multiple choice questions will allow respondents to chose their response from a set of answers and be useful in preparing a tabulated response. The researcher is in favour of using a range of leading open ended questions but will have to use excellent interviewing skills, either personal or outsourced to get authentic responses. The code of ethics will be followed strictly both during the framing of the questionnaire and the conduct of the interviews. The right of the respondents to privacy and confidentiality will be strictly observed as well as their wish to answer questions. The findings of the primary research and the findings obtained from a study of the secondary literature will need to be matched and cross tallied for support or contradiction to arrive at logical supported findings and thence to conclusions. 4. Limitations of Study A number of constraints could arise during the course of the dissertation that could in some ways affect its final quality. The researcher has already started reading the data available from secondary sources and does not anticipate any problems to arise from unavailability of secondary data. However the possibility of missing out on some important information due to lack of time or knowledge does exist. The researcher proposes to interview 20 people to obtain responses on issues relevant to the matter under investigation. This is still a grey area as no respondents have been finalised yet but the researcher does not anticipate much difficulty in obtaining these responses. The subject proposed for investigation has multiple has multiple perspectives, evidenced by the large number of theories. The study will require time and perspicacity for a proper and acceptable result. The researcher proposes to make sincere efforts to examine the issue from different perspectives. The availability of more time would have possibly thrown up more data and a larger primary information sample leading to more accurate data for analysis and solutions. Bibliography Crano, W. D., Brewer, M. B. 2002. Principles and Methods of Social Research. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Kazemzadeh, M. 1998. Thinking the Unthinkable: Solving the Problem of Saddam Hussein for Good. Middle East Policy, 1(1), 73-86. Kelsay, J. 1993. Islam and War: A Study in Comparative Ethics (1st ed.). Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press. Retrieved October 25, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=26085894 Murdock, D, 2004, â€Å"Saddam Hussein’s Philanthropy of Terror† Retrieved October 23, 2006 from www.husseinandterror.com Palys, T., Lowman, J. 2001. Social Research with Eyes Wide Shut: The Limited Confidentiality Dilemma. Canadian Journal of Criminology, 43(2), 255. Retrieved October 25, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5001041487 Ragin, C, 1994, Constructing Social Research, Pine Forge Pr, ISBN: 0803990219 Rezun, M. 1992. Saddam Husseins Gulf Wars: Ambivalent Stakes in the Middle East. Westport, CT: Praeger. Retrieved October 25, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=107022508 Simons, G. 1996. Iraq From Sumer to Saddam (Second ed.). Basingstoke: Macmillan. Retrieved October 25, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=97576434 Zinger, I., Wichmann, C., Gendreau, P. 2001. Legal and Ethical Obligations in Social Research: The Limited Confidentiality Requirement. Canadian Journal of Criminology, 43(2), 269. Weinrich, N.K., 1996 Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Social Marketing Research, Social-Marketing.com, Retrieved October 21, 2006 from www.social-marketing.com/research.html

Quality of Work Life Essay

Employees at any level many time experience a sense of frustration because low level of wages, poor working conditions, unfavourable terms of employment, inhuman treatement by their superiors & the like whereas managerial personnel feel frustrated because of alienation over their condition of employment , interpersonal conflicts, role conflicts, Job pressure , lack of freedom , absence of challenging work, etc. QWL means different things to different people, J. Richard & J. Loy define QWL as † the degree to which members of a work organization are able to satisfy mportant personnel needs through their experience in the organization. † In the search for improved productivity, manager & executives alike are discovering the important contribution of QWL. Hackman & suttle describe QWL from varied viewpoints. From a professional view point , it refers to industrial democracy, increase workewrs participation in corporate decision making , or culmination of the goals of human realations. In terms of management perspective, it relates to a variety of efforts to improve productivity through improvements in the human , rather than he capital or technological inputs of production. From standpoint of the characteristics of individual workers , it refers to the degree to which members of a work organization are able to satisfy important personal needs through their experience in the organization. From the unions, perspective , it is a more equitable sharing of the income and resources of the work of organization, and more human & healthier working conditions. DIMENSIONS OF STUDY : Quality of work life improvement are defined as any activity which takes place at very level of organization which seeks greater organizational effectiveness through enhancement of human dignity and growth a process through which the stockholders in the organization management, union and employees- learn how to work together to better to determine for themselves what actions, changes & improvements are desirable and workable in order to achive twin & simultaneous goals of an improve quality of life at work for all members of organization & greater effectiveness for the company and unions. Trade union claim that they are responsible for the improvements in various facilities to workers hereas management takes credit for improved salaries, benefits & facilities. However, HR manager has identified specific issues in QWL. Klott Mundick& Schuster suggested major QWL issues. They are: (1) Pay & Employment on permanent basis: Good pay still dominates most of the other factors in employee satisfaction. Various alternative means for providing wages should be developed in view of increase in cost of living index , increase in levels & rates of income tax & profession tax. QWL must be build around an equitable pay programs . in uture more workers may want to participate in the profits of the firm. Employment of workers on casual, temporary, probationary basis gives them sense of insecurity. On the other hand , employment on the other basis gives them security & leads to higher order QWL. (2) Occupational Stress : Stress is a condition of strain on one’s emotions, thought process ; physical condition . stress is determined by the worker’s abilities & nature and match with the Job requirements. Stress is cause due irritability, offering prestigious designation to the Jobs, providing well furnish amp; decent work places, offering membership in clubs or association , providing vehicles, offering vacation trips, or means to recognize the employees hyper- excitation or depression unstable behaviour, fatigue, stuttering, trembling psychometric pains, heavy smoking & drug abuse. Stress adversely effects on employee’s productivity. The HR manager, in order to minimize the stress has to identifiy, prevent ; tackle the problem. He may arrange the treatment of problem with the health unit or provide some stress buster activities during the hectic work schedule. 3) Organizational Health programs : Organizational health programs aim at educating employees about health problems means of maintaining ; improving health etc. These programme covers drinking and smoking cessation ( if it is affecting the productivity of employee ) , hypertension control , other forms of cardiovascular risk reduction, family planning etc. Effective implementation of these progrme results in reduction in absenteeism, hospitalization ,disability, excessive Job turnover ; premature death. It should also covers relaxation, physical exercise , diet control etc. 4) Alternative work schedule : Alternative work schedule including work at home , flexible working hours, staggered hours , and reduced work week, part time employment which may be introduced for the convenience ; comfort of the workers as the work schedule which offers the individual the leisure time , flexible hours of work is preferred. 5) Participative Management ; control of work : Trade unions and workers participation in management and decision making improves QWL . workers also feel that they have control their work, use their skills ; make a real contribution to the Job if they re allowed to participate in creative and decision making process. (6) Recognition : recognizing the employee as a human being rather than as a labourer increases the QWL . Participative management , awarding the rewarding systems , congratulating the employees for their achievement , Job enrichment, offering prestigious designation to the Jobs, providing well furnish and decent work places,offering membership in club or associations , providing vehicles , offering vacation trips, or some means to recognize the employees . (7) Congenial Worker- supervisor Relation : Harmonious supervisor- worker relations give the worker essence of social association , belongingness, achievement of worker results etc. This in turn led to better QWL. 8) Grievance procedure : workers have a sence of fair treatement when the company gives them opportunity to ventilate their grievances and represent their case succinctly rather than settling the problems arbitrarily. (9) Adequacy of resources : Resources should match with stated objective ; otherwise , employee will not be able to attain them . This results in the employee dissatisfaction and lower QWL. 10) Seniority ; meri t in promotions : seniority is generally taken as the basis of promotion in case of operating employees . Merit is considered as the basis for advancement for managerial people whereas seniority cum- merit is preferred for promotion of ministerial employees. The promotional policies ; activities should be fair 7 Just in order to ensure higher QWL. (11) Welfare Benefits : Since workers are now better organized , educated ; vociferous, they demand social security ; welfare benefits as a matter of right which were once considered a part of bargaining process.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 23

5 â€Å"Dad,† said Raych with some concern, â€Å"you look tired.† â€Å"I dare say,† said Hari Seldon, â€Å"I feel tired. But how are you?† Raych was forty-four now and his hair was beginning to show a bit of gray, but his mustache remained thick and dark and very Dahlite in appearance. Seldon wondered if he touched it up with dye, but it would have been the wrong thing to ask. Seldon said, â€Å"Are you through with your lecturing for a while?† â€Å"For a while. Not for long. And I'm glad to be home and see the baby and Manella and Wanda-and you, Dad.† â€Å"Thank you. But I have news for you, Raych. No more lecturing. I'm going to need you here.† Raych frowned. â€Å"What for?† On two different occasions he had been sent to carry out delicate missions, but those were back during the days of the Joranumite menace. As far as he knew, things were quiet now, especially with the overthrow of the junta and the reestablishment of a pale Emperor. â€Å"It's Wanda,† said Seldon. â€Å"Wanda? What's wrong with Wanda?† â€Å"Nothing's wrong with her, but we're going to have to work out a complete genome for her-and for you and Manella as well-and eventually for the new baby.† â€Å"For Bellis, too? What's going on?† Seldon hesitated. â€Å"Raych, you know that your mother and I always thought there was something lovable about you, something that inspired affection and trust.† â€Å"I know you thought so. You said so often enough when you were trying to get me to do something difficult. But I'll be honest with you. I never felt it.† â€Å"No, you won over me and†¦ and Dors.† (He had such trouble saying the name, even though four years had passed since her destruction.) â€Å"You won over Rashelle of Wye. You won over Jo-Jo Joranum. You won over Manella. How do you account for all that?† â€Å"Intelligence and charm,† said Raych, grinning. â€Å"Have you thought you might have been in touch with their-our-minds?† â€Å"No, I've never thought that. And now that you mention it, I think it's ridiculous. With all due respect, Dad, of course.† â€Å"What if I told you that Wanda seems to have read Yugo's mind during a moment of crisis?† â€Å"Coincidence or imagination, I should say.† â€Å"Raych, I knew someone once who could handle people's minds as easily as you and I handle conversation.† â€Å"Who was that?† â€Å"I can't speak of him. Take my word for it, though.† â€Å"Well-† said Raych dubiously. â€Å"I've been at the Galactic Library, checking on such matters. There is a curious story, about twenty thousand years old and therefore back to the misty origins of hyperspatial travel. It's about a young woman, not much more than Wanda's age, who could communicate with an entire planet that circled a sun called Nemesis.† â€Å"Surely a fairytale.† â€Å"Surely. And incomplete, at that. But the similarity with Wanda is astonishing.† Raych said, â€Å"Dad, what are you planning?† â€Å"I'm not sure, Raych. I need to know the genome and I have to find others like Wanda. I have a notion that youngsters are born-not often but occasionally-with such mental abilities, but that, in general, it merely gets them in trouble and they learn to mask it. And as they grow tip, their ability, their talent, is buried deep within their minds- sort of an unconscious act of self-preservation. Surely in the Empire or even just among Trantor's forty billion, there must be more of that sort, like Wanda, and if I know the genome I want, I can test those I think may be so.† â€Å"And what would you do with them if you found them, Dad?† â€Å"I have the notion that they are what I need for the further development of psychohistory.† Raych said, â€Å"And Wanda is the first of the type you know about and you intend to make a psychohistorian out of her?† â€Å"Perhaps.† â€Å"Like Yugo. Dad, no!† â€Å"Why no?† â€Å"Because I want her to grow up like a normal girl and become a normal woman. I will not have you sitting her before the Prime Radiant and make her into a living monument to psychohistorical mathematics.† Seldon said, â€Å"It may not come to that, Raych, but we must have her genome. You know that for thousands of years there have been suggestions that every human being have his genome on file. It's only the expense that's kept it from becoming standard practice; no one doubts the usefulness of it. Surely you see the advantages. If nothing else, we will know Wanda's tendencies toward a variety of physiological disorders. If we had ever had Yugo's genome, I am certain he would not now be dying. Surely we can go that far.† â€Å"Well, maybe, Dad, but no further. I'm willing to bet that Manella is going to be a lot firmer on this than I am.† Seldon said, â€Å"Very well. But remember, no more lecture tours. I need you at home.† â€Å"We'll see,† Raych said and left. Seldon sat there in a quandary. Eto Demerzel, the one person he knew who could handle minds, would have known what to do. Dors, with her nonhuman knowledge, might have known what to do. For himself, he had a dim vision of a new psychohistory-but nothing more than that. 6 It was not an easy task to obtain a complete genome of Wanda. To begin with, the number of biophysicists equipped to handle the genome was small and those that existed were always busy. Nor was it possible for Seldon to discuss his needs openly, in order to interest the biophysicists. It was absolutely essential, Seldon felt, that the true reason for his interest in Wanda's mental powers be kept secret from all the Galaxy. And if another difficulty was needed, it was the fact that the process was infernally expensive. Seldon shook his head and said to Mian Endelecki, the biophysicist he was now consulting, â€Å"Why so expensive, Dr. Endelecki? I am not an expert in the field, but it is my distinct understanding that the process is completely computerized and that, once you have a scraping of skin cells, the genome can be completely built and analyzed in a matter of days.† â€Å"That's true. But having a deoxyribonucleic acid molecule stretching out for billions of nucleotides, with every purine and pyrimidine in its place, is the least of it; the very least of it, Professor Seldon. There is then the matter of studying each one and comparing it to some standard. â€Å"Now, consider, in the first place, that although we have records of complete genomes, they represent a vanishingly small fraction of the number of genomes that exist, so that we don't really know how standard they are.† Seldon asked, â€Å"Why so few?† â€Å"A number of reasons. The expense, for one thing. Few people are willing to spend the credits on it unless they have strong reason to think there is something wrong with their genome. And if they have no strong reason, they are reluctant to undergo analysis for fear they will find something wrong. Now, then, are you sure you want your granddaughter genomed?† â€Å"Yes, I do. It is terribly important.† â€Å"Why? Does she show signs of a metabolic anomaly?† â€Å"No, she doesn't. Rather the reverse-if I knew the antonym of ‘anomaly.' I consider her a most unusual person and I want to know just what it is that makes her unusual.† â€Å"Unusual in what way?† â€Å"Mentally, but it's impossible for me to go into details, since I don't entirely understand it. Maybe I will, once she is genomed.† â€Å"How old is she?† â€Å"Twelve. She'll soon be thirteen.† â€Å"In that case, I'll need permission from her parents.† Seldon cleared his throat. â€Å"That may be difficult to get. I'm her grandfather. Wouldn't my permission be enough?† â€Å"For me, certainly. But, you know, we're talking about the law. I don't wish to lose my license to practice.† It was necessary for Seldon to approach Raych again. This, too, was difficult, as he protested once more that he and his wife, Manella, wanted Wanda to live a normal life of a normal girl. What if her genome did turn out to be abnormal? Would she be whisked away to be prodded and probed like a laboratory specimen? Would Hari, in his fanatical devotion to his Psychohistory Project, press Wanda into a life of all work and no play, shutting her off from other young people her age? But Seldon was insistent. â€Å"Trust me, Raych. I would never do anything to harm Wanda. But this must be done. I need to know Wanda's genome. If it is as I suspect it is, we may be on the verge of altering the course of psychohistory, of the future of the Galaxy itself!† And so Raych was persuaded and somehow he obtained Manella's consent, as well. And together, the three adults took Wanda to Dr. Endelecki's office. Mian Endelecki greeted them at the door. Her hair was a shining white, but her face showed no sign of age. She looked at the girl, who walked in with a look of curiosity on her face but with no signs of apprehension or fear. She then turned her gaze to the three adults who had accompanied Wanda. Dr. Endelecki said with a smile, â€Å"Mother, father, and grandfather-am I right?† Seldon answered, â€Å"Absolutely right.† Raych looked hang-dog and Manella, her face a little swollen and her eyes a little red, looked tired. â€Å"Wanda,† began the doctor. â€Å"That is your name, isn't it?† â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† said Wanda in her clear voice. â€Å"I'm going to tell you exactly what I'm going to do with you. You're right-handed, I suppose.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"Very well, then, I'll spray a little patch on your left forearm with an anesthetic. It will just feel like a cool wind. Nothing else. I'll then scrape a little skin from you just a tiny bit. There'll be no pain, no blood, no mark afterward. When I'm done, I'll spray a little disinfectant on it. The whole thing will take just a few minutes. Does that sound all right to you?† â€Å"Sure,† said Wanda, as she held out her arm. When it was over, Dr. Endelecki said, â€Å"I'll put the scraping under the microscope, choose a decent cell, and put my computerized gene analyzer to work. It will mark off every last nucleotide, but there are billions of them. It will probably take the better part of a day. It's all automatic, of course, so I won't be sitting here watching it and there's no point in your doing so, either. â€Å"Once the genome is prepared, it will take an even longer time to analyze it. If you want a complete job, it may take a couple of weeks. That is why it's so expensive a procedure. The work is hard and long. I'll call you in when I have it.† She turned away, as if she had dismissed the family, and busied herself with the gleaming apparatus on the table in front of her. Seldon said, â€Å"If you come across anything unusual, will you get in touch with me instantly? I mean, don't wait for a complete analysis if you find something in the first hour. Don't make me wait.† â€Å"The chances of finding anything in the first hour are very slim, but I promise you, Professor Seldon that I will be in touch with you at once if it seems necessary.† Manella snatched Wanda's arm and led her off triumphantly. Raych followed, feet dragging. Seldon lingered and said, â€Å"This is more important than you know, Dr. Endelecki.† Dr. Endelecki nodded as she said, â€Å"Whatever the reason, Professor, I'll do my best.† Seldon left, his lips pressed tightly together. Why he had thought that somehow the genome would be worked out in five minutes and that a glance at it in another five minutes would give him an answer, he did not know. Now he would have to wait for weeks, without knowing what would be found. He ground his teeth. Would his newest brainchild, the Second Foundation, ever be established or was it an illusion that would remain always just out of reach? 7 Hari Seldon walked into Dr. Endelecki's office, a nervous smile on his face. He said, â€Å"You said a couple of weeks, Doctor. It's been over a month mow.† Dr. Endelecki nodded. â€Å"I'm sorry, Professor Seldon but you wanted everything exact and that is what I have tried to do.† â€Å"Well?† The look of anxiety on Seldon's face did not disappear. What did you find?† â€Å"A hundred or so defective genes.† â€Å"What! Defective genes. Are you serious, Doctor?† â€Å"Quite serious. Why not? There are no genomes without at least a hundred defective genes; usually there are considerably more. It's not as bad as it sounds, you know.† â€Å"No, I don't know. You're the expert, Doctor, not I.† Dr. Endelecki sighed and stirred in her chair. â€Å"You don't know anything about genetics, do you, Professor?† â€Å"No, I don't. A man can't know everything.† â€Å"You're perfectly right. I know nothing about this-what do you call it?-this psychohistory of yours.† Dr. Endelecki shrugged, then continued. â€Å"If you wanted to explain anything about it, you would be forced to start from the beginning and I would probably not understand it even so. â€Å"Now, as to genetics-â€Å" â€Å"Well?† â€Å"An imperfect gene usually means nothing. There are imperfect genes-so imperfect and so crucial that they produce terrible disorders. These are very rare, though. Most imperfect genes simply don't work with absolute accuracy. They're like wheels that are slightly out of balance. A vehicle will move along, trembling a bit, but it will move along.† â€Å"Is that what Wanda has?† â€Å"Yes. More or less. After all, if all genes were perfect, we would all look precisely the same, we would all behave precisely the same. It's the difference in genes that makes for different people.† â€Å"But won't it get worse as we grow older?† â€Å"Yes. We all get worse as we grow older. I noticed you limping when you came in. Why is that?† â€Å"A touch of sciatica,† muttered Seldon. â€Å"Did you have it all your life?† â€Å"Of course not.† â€Å"Well, some of your genes have gotten worse with time and now you limp.† â€Å"And what will happen to Wanda with time?† â€Å"I don't know. I can't predict the future, Professor; I believe that is your province. However, if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that nothing unusual will happen to Wanda-at least, genetically-except the gathering of old age.† Seldon said, â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"You have to take my word for it. You wanted to find out about Wanda's genome and you ran the risk of discovering things perhaps it is better not to know. But I tell you that, in my opinion, I can see nothing terrible happening to her.† â€Å"The imperfect genes-should we fix them? Can we fix them?† â€Å"No. In the first place, it would be very expensive. Secondly, the chances are that they would not stay fixed. And finally, people are against it. â€Å"But why?† â€Å"Because they're against science in general. You should know this as well as anyone, Professor. I'm afraid the situation is such, especially since Cleon's death, that mysticism has been gaining ground. People don't believe in fixing genes scientifically. They would rather cure things by the laying on of hands or by mumbo-jumbo of some sort or other. Frankly it is extremely difficult for me to continue with my job. Very little funding is coming in.† Seldon nodded. â€Å"Actually I understand this situation all too well. Psychohistory explains it, but I honestly didn't think the situation was growing so bad so rapidly. I've been too involved in my own work to see the difficulties all around me.† He sighed. â€Å"I've been watching the Galactic Empire slowly fall apart for over thirty years now-and now that it's beginning to collapse much more rapidly, I don't see how we can stop it in time.† â€Å"Are you trying to?† Dr. Endelecki seemed amused. â€Å"Yes, I am.† â€Å"Lots of luck. About your sciatica. You know, fifty years ago it could have been cured. Not now, though.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Well, the devices used for it are gone; the people who could have handled them are working on other things. Medicine is declining.† â€Å"Along with everything else,† mused Seldon. â€Å"But let's get back to Wanda. I feel she is a most unusual young woman with a brain that is different from most. What do her genes tell you about her brain?† Dr. Endelecki leaned back in her chair. â€Å"Professor Seldon do you know just how many genes are involved in brain function?† â€Å"No. â€Å"I'll remind you that, of all the aspects of the human body, the brain function is the most intricate. In fact, as far as we know, there is nothing in the Universe as intricate as the human brain. So you won't be surprised when I tell you that there are thousands of genes that each play a role in brain function.† â€Å"Thousands?† â€Å"Exactly. And it is impossible to go through those genes and see anything specifically unusual. I will take your word for it, as far as Wanda is concerned. She is an unusual girl with an unusual brain, but I see nothing in her genes that can tell me anything about that brain-except, of course, that it is normal.† â€Å"Could you find other people whose genes for mental functioning are like Wanda's, that have the same brain pattern?† â€Å"I doubt it very much. Even if another brain were much like hers, there would still be enormous differences in the genes. No use looking for similarities. Tell me, Professor, just what is it about Wanda that makes you think her brain is so unusual?† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I'm sorry. It's not something I can discuss.† â€Å"In that case, I am certain that I can find out nothing for you. How did you discover that there was something unusual about her brain-this thing you can't discuss?† â€Å"Accident,† muttered Seldon. â€Å"Sheer accident.† â€Å"In that case, you're going to have to find other brains like hers-also by accident. Nothing else can be done.† Silence settled over both of them. Finally Seldon said, â€Å"Is there anything else you can tell me?† â€Å"I'm afraid not. Except that I'll send you my bill.† Seldon rose with an effort. His sciatica hurt him badly. â€Å"Well then, thank you, Doctor. Send the bill and I'll pay it.† Hari Seldon left the doctor's office, wondering just what he would do next.

Volkswagen and Porsche - 3950 Words

Volkswagen and Porsche - Corporate Finance Case study: Mergers Acquisitions of listed companies by Joachim Hà ¤cker What is the macro view of this case study? Small fish tries to eat big fish (financial figures are end of 2005 and rounded): VW: Market cap: â‚ ¬16 bn Book value: â‚ ¬24 bn Cash and cash equivalent: â‚ ¬8 bn (+â‚ ¬4 bn marketable securities) Porsche: Market cap: â‚ ¬11 bn Book value: â‚ ¬3.4 bn Cash and cash equivalent: â‚ ¬3.6 bn VW Porsche case study – by Joachim Hà ¤cker Seite 1 What is the macro view of the case study? What is the agenda of this presentation? What is the agenda of this presentation? 1. Basic understanding: Basic understanding: How did the small fish try to eat the big fish - the takeover†¦show more content†¦VW Porsche case study – by Joachim Hà ¤cker Seite 12 Phase 1: Porsche might acquire VW: What are the threats and caveats SWOT analysis, Porsche takes over VW VW Porsche case study – by Joachim Hà ¤cker Seite 13 Phase 2: Edging towards the 30% mark (November 2006) Co Coinciding with the announcement of its 18.5% minority share (September 2005), Porsche (Sep announced that the scope of its engagement with VW would not, in any case, come to require issuance of a mandatory offer to the other shareholders: Fifteen months, that very thing happened! To accomplish this, Porsche did not buy VW shares directly: Instead, it (again) acted through options. This way, Porsche effectively â€Å"sneaked† its way to the 30% mark within one year. The initial 8.5% share was increased to 21% plus, and in November 2006, the company exercised VW common stock options at around 4%, with holdings totaling more than 25%. Two days later Porsche’s share increased to 27.4%. VW Porsche case study – by Joachim Hà ¤cker Seite 14 Phase 3: Crossing the 30% hurdle According to the German Stock Corporation Act, when Porsche crossed the 30%-threshold, to the German Stock Corporation Act when Porsche crossed the 30% Porsche was bound by contract to submit a bid to the other shareholders for the remaining ordinary and preference shares. PorscheShow MoreRelatedPorsche : The Invention Of The Volkswagen Beetle Essay1787 Words   |  8 PagesPorsche was co-founded in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche, with his son and son-in-law, Anton Pià «ch, father of VW Chairman Ferdinand Pià «ch. The founder of the company is Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. He was born in Bohemia and went to school to be an engineer. 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