Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Term Laws Of War Refers To The Rules Governing The Essays

The term "laws of war" refers to the rules governing the actual conduct of armed conflict. This idea that there actually exists rules that govern war is a difficult concept to understand. The simple act of war in and of itself seems to be in violation of an almost universal law prohibiting one human being from killing another. But during times of war murder of the enemy is allowed, which leads one to the question, "if murder is permissible then what possible "laws of war" could there be?" The answer to this question can be found in the Charter established at the International Military Tribunals at Nuremberg and Tokyo: Crimes against Humanity: namely, murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population, before or during the war, or persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds in execution of or in connection with any crime within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal, whether or not in violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated. Leaders, organizers, instigators, and accomplices participating in the formulation or execution of a common plan or conspiracy to commit any of the foregoing crimes are responsible for all acts performed by any persons in execution of such plan.1 The above excerpt comes form the Charter of the Tribunal Article 6 section C, which makes it quite clear that in general the "laws of war" are there to protect innocent civilians before and during war. It seems to be a fair idea to have such rules governing armed conflict in order to protect the civilians in the general location of such a conflict. But, when the conflict is over, and if war crimes have been committed, how then are criminals of war brought to justice? The International Military Tribunals held after World War II in Nuremberg on 20 November 1945 and in Tokyo on 3 May 1946 are excellent examples of how such crimes of war are dealt with. (Roberts and Guelff 153-54) But, rather than elaborate on exact details of the Tribunals of Nuremberg and Tokyo a more important matter must be dealt with. What happens when alleged criminals of war are unable to be apprehended and justly tried? Are they forgotten about, or are they sought after such as other criminals are in order to serve justice? What happens if these alleged violators are found residing somewhere other than where their pursuers want to bring them to justice? How does one go about legally obtaining the custody of one such suspect? Some of the answers to these questions can be found in an analysis of how Israel went about obtaining the custody of individuals that it thought to be guilty of Nazi War Crimes. Not only will one find some of the answers to the previously stated questions, but also one will gain an understanding of one facet of international law and how it works. Two cases in specific will be dealt with here. First, the extradition of Adolf Eichmann from Argentina, and second, the extradition of John Demjanjuk from the United States of America. These cases demonstrate two very different ways that Israel went about obtaining the custody of these alleged criminals. The cases also expose the intricacy of International Law in matters of extradition. But, before we begin to examine each of these cases we must first establish Israel's right to judicial processing of alleged Nazi war criminals. To understand the complications involved in Israel placing suspected Nazi war criminals on trial, lets review the history of Israel's situation. During World War II the Nazis were persecuting Jews in their concentration camps. At this time the state of Israel did not exist. The ending of the war meant the ending of the persecution, and when the other countries discovered what the Nazis had done Military Tribunals quickly followed. Some of the accused war criminals were tried and sentenced, but others managed to escape judgement and thus became fugitives running from international law. Israel became a state, and thus, some of the Jews that survived the concentration camps moved to the state largely populated by people of Jewish ancestry. Israel felt a moral commitment because of its large Jewish population and set about searching for the fugitive Nazi war criminals. The situation just described is only a basic overview of what happened. The state of Israel views itself as the nation with the greatest moral jurisdiction for the trial of Nazi war criminals, and other states around the Globe agree with Israel's claim. (Lubet and Reed 1) Former Israeli Attorney General Gideon Hausner was interested in confirming Israel as the place for bringing

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Healthcare Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Essays

Healthcare Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Essays Healthcare Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper Healthcare Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper Research has shown that the provision of health care services often fail because the general public is not completely aware of the kind of the services that are offered by the health care professionals. At the same time, they are not aware of the statutes that regulate the conduct of the health care providers. Due to this, the paper will seek to provide an overview of the complaint process, explore the role of healthcare regulatory agencies and will identify potential criminal liability in healthcare. Finally, the paper will provide the procedure to be followed when one is a victim of professional misconduct in the healthcare system. To be specific, the essay will focus on the criminal liability that pertains to the nurses in the United States specifically the State of Iowa. Accreditation, registration, licensing and certification Each jurisdiction has its own statutes in regards to licensing, certification and registration of nurses. For one to be registered as a nurse in the United States one must have undergone through a credible education system. For instance, it is a requirement that one should undergo a hospital based diploma program which often lasts for a period of there years. In this particular program, the students are supposed to undertake classes in areas like microbiology and nutrition before proceeding to some intensive nursing classes. However, the diploma program is considered to be an outdated method to gain access to the nursing practice. An alternative to the diploma program is to obtain an associate degree in nursing. This is normally a two year course but it has now been overtaken by the four year degree program in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). BSN is mostly preferred due to the fact that it has a more hands on approach which creates room for more research into the nursing practice (Walsh. et al, 2006). After completion of any of the above educational programs one will have to go through some licensing examination which is referenced as NCLEX-RN. This is the minimum competency that is globally acceptable. However, critics of this system feel that there is need to ensure that the BSN is the minimum competency to be a registered nurse. However, even after acquiring the minimum competency as a practicing nurse your scope of practice is normally governed by the Nurse Practice Act of the State which differ form one state to another. It is normally the obligation of the state board of nursing to come up with laws .Normally, the scope of one in the nursing practice is governed the level of education (Joseph, 2002). For instance, a registered nurse has a wider scope than that of a vocational nurse. Areas of potential criminal liability On numerous occasions registered nurses often find themselves with no option other than to walk the tight rope. This is normally the case because they are frequent victims of criminal liability. For instance, a HIV victim may claim that his or her source of infection was through a blood transfusion which was administered by a nurse. The IOWA CODE OF 2002 clearly states if the nurse does the transmission knowing that the blood is infected the she will bear the civil liability. However, the IOWA CODE provides that the complainant must provide prove of transmission and show that the nurse knew that the blood was infected (Lockwood, 2009). Another area that exposes the registered nurses to criminal liability arises when the nurses are administering the vaccines. Worth noting is the fact that, most of the vaccines have no prior prescription form the doctors. In such cases, the nurses do act against Article 28 of the Physicians act. However, this is no longer a big issue to the nurses because of the recent amendment of the Article 4 of the Communicable Disease Control Act. The act provides that registered nurses shall not be prosecuted for violation of Article 28 whenever they are administering vaccines. However, but this dose not guarantee immunity to the nurses whenever they are involved in some malicious malpractice as provided by the law. In addition, nurses can also be liable for criminal liability whenever they collaborate with a pharmacist in the substitution of generic drugs with the recommended brand name drugs. This is normally the case when the pharmacist prepares a reimbursement claim which will in turn be shared between the two. Nurses can also be liable for criminal liability whenever they deliver their duties negligently. In such cases the complainant must prove that he or she suffered loss and the nurses owed him or her duty of care.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Freeze Drying and How it Works

Freeze Drying and How it Works The basic process of freeze drying food was known to the ancient Peruvian Incas of the Andes. Freeze-drying, or lyophilization, is the sublimation/removal of water content from frozen food. The dehydration occurs under a vacuum, with the plant/animal product solidly frozen during the process. Shrinkage is eliminated or minimized, and a near-perfect preservation results. Freeze-dried food lasts longer than other preserved food and is very light, which makes it perfect for space travel. The Incas stored their potatoes and other food crops on the mountain heights above Machu Picchu. The cold mountain temperatures froze the food and the water inside slowly vaporized under the low air pressure of the high altitudes. During World War II, the freeze-dried process was developed commercially when it was used to preserve blood plasma and penicillin. Freeze drying requires the use of a special machine called a freeze dryer, which has a large chamber for freezing and a vacuum pump for removing moisture. Over 400 different types of freeze-dried foods have been commercially produced since the 1960s. Two bad candidates for freeze drying are lettuce and watermelon because they have too high a water content and freeze dry poorly. Freeze-dried coffee is the best-known freeze-dried product. The Freeze-Dryer Special thanks goes to Thomas A. Jennings, PhD, author of  for his reply to the question, Who invented the first freeze-dryer?   Lyophilization - Introduction and Basic Principles, There is no real invention of a freeze-dryer. It appears to have evolved with time from a laboratory instrument that was referred to by Benedict and Manning (1905) as a chemical pump. Shackell took the basic design of Benedict and Manning and used an electrically driven vacuum pump instead of the displacement of the air with ethyl ether to produce the necessary vacuum. It was Shackell who first realized that the material had to be frozen before commencing the drying process - hence freeze-drying. The literature does not readily reveal the person who first called the equipment used to conduct this form of drying a freeze-dryer. For more information on freeze-drying or lyophilization, one is referred to my book Lyophilization -  Introduction and Basic Principles or to the INSIGHTs that appear on our website. Thomas A. Jennings - Phase Technologies, Inc. Dr. Jennings company has developed a number of instruments that are directly applicable to the lyophilization process, including their patented D2 and DTA thermal analysis instrument. Freeze-Dried Trivia Freeze-dried  coffee  was first produced in 1938, and lead to the development of powdered food products. Nestle company invented freeze-dried coffee, after being asked by Brazil to help find a solution to their coffee surpluses. Nestles own freeze-dried coffee product was called Nescafe, and was first introduced in Switzerland. Tasters Choice Coffee, another very famous freeze-dried manufactured product, derives from a patent issued to James Mercer. From 1966 to 1971, Mercer was chief development engineer for Hills Brothers Coffee Inc. in San Francisco. During this five-year period, he was responsible for developing a continuous freeze drying capability for Hills Brothers, for which he was granted 47 U.S. and foreign patents. How Freeze Drying Works According to  Oregon Freeze Dry, the purpose of freeze drying is to remove a solvent (usually water) from dissolved or dispersed solids. Freeze drying is the  method for preserving materials which are unstable in solution. In addition, freeze drying can be used to separate and recover volatile substances, and to purify materials. The fundamental process steps are: Freezing: The product is frozen. This provides a necessary condition for low-temperature drying.Vacuum: After freezing, the product is placed under vacuum. This enables the frozen solvent in the product to vaporize without passing through the liquid phase, a process known as sublimation.Heat: Heat is applied to the frozen product to accelerate sublimation.Condensation: Low-temperature condenser plates remove the vaporized solvent from the vacuum chamber by converting it back to a solid. This completes the separation process. Applications of Freeze-Dried Fruits in Confectionery Products In freeze drying, moisture sublimes directly from the solid state to vapor, thus producing a product with controllable moisture, no need for cooking or refrigeration, and natural flavor and color.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Literary Response 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Literary Response 1 - Essay Example This does not reflect a scary concept or notion, whereas, it even seems like a near to pleasant experience for her. For her, the concept of death was intense, but lines like ‘Safe in their alabaster chambers,’ in the poem The Sleeping (Dickinson, 2005, line 1) and ‘I heard a fly buzz when I died’ (Dickinson, 2005, line 1) in the poem that goes by the same name clearly illustrate that she was fascinated with this subject. The casual tone that she uses for death by referring to it as ‘he’ or by bringing about the reference of a fly is in fact a reflection of how deeply she thought about death. Therefore, one key voice that comes out in Dickinson’s poetry is her obsession with death. Closely related with the voice of death is the tone of morbidity that one can sense in Dickinson’s poetry. Emotions like pain, separation and hunger surface often in her poetry, giving out a strong sense of morbidity (Eberwein, 1998). The line, ‘Pai n has an element of blank; It cannot recollect, When it began’ in the poem ‘Pain’ (Dickinson, 2005, line 1-3), brings about a sensation of overpowering and almost numbing pain that is experienced in extreme situations.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Indiviual Education Program (IEP) Research Paper

Indiviual Education Program (IEP) - Research Paper Example The IEP Standards document was devised by the US Ministry of Education in September 2000. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2004). It is the requirement of law in US to prepare an IEP for children suffering from one of the disabilities recognized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as per the definition of U.S. Department of Education. (Beam, 2010). Such students are largely referred to as children with â€Å"special needs†. IEP pertains to students suffering from Autism and such other disorders. IEP is basically a whole plan of education meant to address the individualistic requirements of a student that coincide with his/her natural abilities. As the name implies, one IEP can not be applicable on more than one student. Meetings are arranged in which a team that includes but is not limited to the teachers, educationalists, parents and the student himself/herself conduct a discussion upon the issues with the student’s education and formulate the IEP through mutual consensus. The plan is prepared by educational specialists at the school of the student in mutual collaboration with the parents. The plan constitutes the division of everyday routine of the student into various activities that are essential for the attainment of education in the right manner. Activities are identified by the educational specialists keeping in view the interests and disabilities of the student. Goals to be achieved by the student in particular time limits are identified by the committee, and the provision of any services or additional facilities necessary for the attainment of the defined goals is ensured. The activities are scheduled carefully and parents are advised to confirm that their child complies with the activities as stipulated in the schedule. No one individual has a right to decide for the student. All members in the team concerned with the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Logical and physical networking Essay Example for Free

Logical and physical networking Essay As used in computer world, networking is simply the connection of two or more computers in order for the computers to communicate to each other and share resources and information. This is very important for an office set up. It enables the office workers to transfer computer files without moving from their respective work stations. It also makes it possible for all the computers in an organization to be connected to one printer. This in return brings about considerable reduction of the employees movement in the office leading to reduction of wasted time due to unnecessary movement. The movement of information is also very fast. Networking of computers consists of two parts which is the physical networking and logical networking. Physical networking As depicted from the term, this is where the physical aspect of the networking is addressed. The components to be networked are listed and the exact location of these components put into consideration. The distance of the components from each other is considered as this affect the cable length to be used. If a client consults an expert to help him in networking then he/she will give more of the physical networking details. The expert in return might fine tune the details in order to come up with a drawing that represents the actual physical network. The physical layout map represents the diagram of the actual floor (the way it would appear when viewed from the ceiling). Various physical components like the, printers, fax machines and scanners are represented using the appropriate symbols. The other unique components which are useful in networking are as listed below Hub- this acts as the connecting point of the devices and is usually placed at the centre of the network. Bridges These are the devices that are incorporated in the network to improve it, though put and operated at a more intelligent level than the hubs. They are always placed between two hubs in the network. Switch This uses a bridging technology to forward traffic between ports. Routers – A router has two basic functions namely path determination using a variety of metrics and forwarding packets from one network to another [Difference between Logical and Physical Network Designs]. Logical networking Before addressing the issue of the type of cable to be used and other related components the logical design network should come first. This involves assessing the needs for network and it serves as the basis of coming up with the appropriate physical infrastructure. This design should address the basic issues such as what the users are doing on the network, and the applications in immediate and distant future. The major issue is the logical addressing used to describe the network itself or the network it connects to. It shows the different IP addresses associated with each part of the network. The class of the network is to be chosen. The logical network can be a simple class C network such as 192. 168. 0. 0 with subnet mask of 255. 255. 255. Such a network will allow a host of up to 254 computers connected to it without the necessity of routing. The future growth and expansion should be put into consideration when designing a logical networking. This is a point which many people tend to overlook only to be faced with problems such as running short of IP Addresses. It is advisable when designing a network to leave room for future expansion of up to 60% of the current size. The budget, the implementation deadline, security requirement for the network and the impact of downtime and network drag on users are the non technical consideration that should be in logical networking [Difference between Logical and Physical Network Designs]. Physical and logical diagrams When networking the network design can be represented both physically and logically. The diagrams are helpful as they act as troubleshooting tool for the IT employee when there is a problem with seeing a device on the network, adding items to the network, understanding what IP addresses are available, adding items on the network and sharing devices across the network. The physical network is more of a pictorial representation as compared to the logical diagram. For example a certain work station with three computers can be represented by one computer symbol in the logical diagram with the three computer addresses. For the physical diagram this station will be represented by the three computer symbols which will sometimes depict the actual positions of the computers in the work station [Logical and Physical Network Designs, 2005]. The physical diagrams are vital in capturing a variety of information in the network. Computers are connected to the hub and a cable line shows how they are connected. The diagram helps in visualizing how much equipment is needed and to show the contractor what the client needs. The administrator creates the physical network diagram to represent the physical layout of the network. The following are typical ways of representing the physical and the logical diagram. Physical network representation Source: http://www. edrawsoft. com/network-drawings. php Logical network diagram Source: http://www. edrawsoft. com/Logical-Network. php The logical network helps one in understanding IP addresses and also used to represent how the network connections are using the upper layer of the OSI. The logical network diagrams are created after the physical network diagrams. References Difference between Logical and Physical Network Designs. Retrieved 20 February 2009 http://www. firewall. cx/ftopict-1176. html Edraw Networks (2009). Logical network diagrams. Retrieved 20 February 2009 http://www. edrawsoft. com/Logical-Network. php Logical and Physical Network Designs (2005), Retrieved 20 February 2009 from http://www. oppapers. com/essays/Logical-Physical-Network-Design/57593

Thursday, November 14, 2019

WWI poems and information :: World War 1 I One

Siegfried Sassoon Biography With war on the horizon, a young Englishman whose life had heretofore been consumed with the protocol of fox-hunting, said goodbye to his idyllic life and rode off on his bicycle to join the Army. Siegfried Sassoon was perhaps the most innocent of the war poets. John Hildebidle has called Sassoon the "accidental hero." Born into a wealthy Jewish family in 1886, Sassoon lived the pastoral life of a young squire: fox-hunting, playing cricket, golfing and writing romantic verses. Being an innocent, Sassoon's reaction to the realities of the war were all the more bitter and violent -- both his reaction through his poetry and his reaction on the battlefield (where, after the death of fellow officer David Thomas and his brother Hamo at Gallipoli, Sassoon earned the nickname "Mad Jack" for his near-suicidal exploits against the German lines -- in the early manifestation of his grief, when he still believed that the Germans were entirely to blame). As said: "now he unleashed a talent for irony and satire and contumely that had been sleeping all during his pastoral youth." Sassoon also showed his innocence by going public with his (as he grew to see that insensitive political leadership was the greater enemy than the Germans). Luckily, his friend and fellow poet Robert Graves convinced the review board that Sassoon was suffering from shell-shock and he was sent instead to the military hospital at where he met and influenced . Sassoon is a key figure in the study of the poetry of the Great War: he brought with him to the war the idyllic pastoral background; he began by writing war poetry reminiscent of ; he mingled with such war poets as Robert Graves and Edmund Blunden; he spoke out publicly against the war (and yet returned to it); he influenced and mentored the then unknown ; he spent thirty years reflecting on the war through his memoirs; and at last he found peace in his religious faith. Some critics found his later poetry lacking in comparison to his war poems. Sassoon, identifying with Herbert and Vaughan, recognized and understood this: "my development has been entirely consistent and in character" he answered, "almost all of them have ignored the fact that I am a religious poet." Survivors No doubt they’ll soon get well; the shock and strain Have caused their stammering, disconnected talk. Of course they’re ‘longing to go out again,’ - These boys with old, scared faces, learning to walk. They’ll so forget their haunted nights; their cowed Subjection to the ghosts of friends who died, - Their dreams that drip with murder; and they’ll be proud

Monday, November 11, 2019

Western Art Discussion

Exit Through the Gift Shop is a movie directed by Banksy which is centered around Thierry Guetta – Mr. Brain Wash- a Frenchman. Guetta created exhibits of art consisting of many pre-existing prints. Using a computer, he distorted them and probably managed to sell them for some million dollars. Banksy’s film does not show much about Banksy. Rather, he filmed it in a way that takes a look at what factors make contemporary art unfit. This movie is thus not such an interesting one. t is however more educative and can enable one to enhance their artwork if they are keen with the production (Ryzik). A more disappointing aspect of this movie is that Terry seems to dominate the movie although Bankys is supposed to feature more to showcase his movement of the art. Terry must seek to show that Banksy was a London-based infamous graffiti artist who was however never known by people. This situation could thus be seen a big ridicule. Banksy tries to demonstrate that contemporary art needs people with big finances so that they can have access to a large exhibition to market their products besides gaining fame. Thierry cannot be regarded as an artist since he reproduces work which has already being done by other people. he however employs professionals to help him during his work. In conclusion Thierry’s documentary about Banky's excellence in his own career is just a contribution to the work of art especially regarding how one can come up in the art industry and finally excel.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Is Torture Reliable or Humane? Essay

Imagine being forced into confession with your head down, and blood rushing to your brain. Picture the struggle of being held down and defenseless, against your will. Imagine having a thick towel pressed firmly over your face and continuous water being poured on the towel as you helplessly gasp for air simulating the effect of drowning. Imagine being bound and thrown into the ocean with a ‘weight’ that pulls you in only one direction: down to the bottom of the ocean floor. Do you think this kind of action is right to do to a criminal or let alone a human? Torture is the action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment in order to force them to do or confess something. History has changed from uncivilized torture techniques to civilized torture and then back again. There has been crucial maltreatment on prisoners and suspected criminals. The crucifixion of Christ by the Romans is a huge example of torture. The Romans beat and whipped Christ, pinned his hands and feet with needles onto a wooden cross, and put a thorny crown around his head. Back then, even great thinkers defended torture saying it was protecting civilization, and bringing control to the people. They had no limit to who they were torturing. The Romans began to create laws allowing only certain subjects and crimes that could entail torture, but as time passed they added more subjects to the availability of torture. Christianity later became the commanding force and went against all the torture laws, and fought hard to change the way torture was executed. Once the September 11 attack happened, people forgot about human rights because they were fearful of another attack, so they continued the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. Torture was used because people believed it to be an effective way to extract information from a captive suspect. The United States police mentality and parents cause children to think that torture is justifiable. When 9/11 happened the United States became defensive and feared the thought of another terrorist attack. We were willing to do anything to find out who the culprit was. We wanted to feel like we had national security and we needed someone to blame, so if torture techniques were the solution, we were willing to do so. Blinded by the tragedy that tools place, we were not using our intelligence. The United States was taking action based on fear and revenge, torturing suspects, and affiliates. The result from this will cause the safety of the nation to be at a higher risk of an attack. The media is another factor to the use of torture. Jane Mayer wrote in her article â€Å"Whatever it Takes† about a TV show called â€Å"24†. 24 was a television show that was all about torture, but instead of showing how torture was wrong, the show glamorized it. The show displays torture as being a useful tactic to make people talk and almost all the people that watch the show get conned into thinking the same way. The sad part of the story is that even children watched the show 24: â€Å"The kids see it, any say, ‘If torture is wrong, what about 24’† (261). The show was convincing and one sided, being torture is justifiable and effective, that people believed it was true, but Jane disagreed with it. She thinks that it only works in some cases, but there are down sides to using torture, such as misguided information. Torture is displayed widely around the world in a positive way, but they do not see the negative effects of using torture techniques to solve problems. Torture can cause long term effects on torture subjects. Physical and mental actions can harm a person for the rest of there life. Most survivors of torture suffer post-traumatic stress syndrome – a severe anxiety disorder. In David Masci article â€Å"Should it be used to interrogate suspected terrorist?† he interviewed a women named Dianna Ortiz that is a survivor of torture tactics. Dianna suffered mentally from the torture experience; â€Å"nightmares, flashbacks and fear shadowed me everywhere. And I had trouble with my memory. I couldn’t recognize the people who were closest to me before my torture. I couldn’t articulate what was happening to me†¦ I thought I was going crazy†(Masci). Dianna was damaged; she could not live her normal life. The fear of being tortured taunted her. Almost all or even all suspects suffer post-traumatic stress disorder. Head injuries are also a common injury due to the different torture techniques used, as well as afflictive impairment, chronic pain, extensive sensory and memory loss. The prisoner will even be incapable of performing our daily activities: dressing, cooking, and sleeping. Torture is a dangerous, unreliable, and slow practice and can be stopped through accountability of the torturer. The torturer must provide a humane setting for the prisoner, question the prisoner with interpersonal evidence, and use his intelligence and technique to decipher the truth in an adequate way. Many people think that torture is the most effective interrogation strategy, but know very little about the torture techniques being used on prisoners. Society does not think of the inhumane violence that occurs when torturing a prisoner of war. By releasing failure torture techniques and vivid descriptions on the methods such as, water boarding, electrocuting, sleep deprivation, and solitary confinement, the society will see the truths and horrors of torture. In reference to David Masci article â€Å"Should torture be used to interrogate suspected terrorist?† he addresses different examples of terrorist techniques, one being â€Å"[Prisoners] were [being] stretched on the rack or subjected to leg or thumb screws†(Masci). What kind of treatment is this? Inhumane treatment. Prisoner’s rights are being blurred out and ignored. Animals do not even receive punishment like this, for the most part. Torture overpasses our human rights to interrogate prisoners and try to make it justifiable, but it is not. Even if the interrogator got an answer- true or false- from the prisoner, the actions the interrogator did are not right and will cause damage on not only the prisoner, but also the interrogator. This inhumane method of interrogation has been proven to work adversely in situations of torture and is unjust to do to anyone or anything. It can lead our people to realizing that torturing someone isn’t the only way to get what you want out of them. In order to coerce the prisoner to speak based on intelligence, the interrogators must have prior knowledge about him or her. When the interrogator first starts to interrogate the detainee, they must set him or her in a comfortable environment. Of course, the prisoner will have hatred and unwillingness for the United States to begin with; the United States must keep the interrogation in control. We must appeal to the prisoner, giving him hope of being free again. There was a story on Abu Jandal; Ali Soufan treated Abu Jandal with cookies when questioning him. Soufan noticed that Abu Jandal had not eaten the cookies, so he knew he had to fix something to treat Jandal. Soufan found out Abu Jandal was a diabetic, so in response to that, the next time the Americans questioned him, they brought sugar-free cookies. Giving Abu Jandal the cookies, Soufan found a change in the rest of the interrogation. Abu Jandal â€Å"could no longer think of us as evil American† as he did before he received special treatment (Tom Parker). Americans had expressed a respectful environment for Abu by providing him with sugar-free cookies that were fixed towards his health. The interrogators could have easily used his diabetic condition against him in a form of torture, but instead they chose to use a less inflicting technique, by appealing to his emotions. Abu Jandal now felt an obligation to inform the United States in turn of there kind treatment. He later â€Å"gave up a wealth of information about al-Qaeda — including the identities of seven of the 9/11 bombers†(Tom Parker). This information was vitally accountable in preventing any future attack on the United States. This interrogation technique used by the interrogator appealed to health and preference of the detainee to connect with him resulting in beneficial information. Another problem with torture is that fact that the information being given is not reliable. When a prisoner of war is being tortured and is at the point where he or she can not take any more pain, they say anything to get the interrogator to stop. The United States of America used torture techniques on al Libbi and the results from that misled our army, and potentially wasted our time and resources following a false lead, leaving leeway for Iraq to finish their attack. Torture does not yield accurate resolute. Torturing techniques fuel terrorist, put American soldiers at risk, and ruin America’s moral authority. When the prisoner of war is tortured they say anything to stop the torture from continuing, but almost always give false information, as al Libbi did. The torture technique interrogator does not have accurate information on the prisoner of war, so when the interrogators are given information they have no choice but to go with it, which can lead to even more conflicts in the process. When society turns against torture they will be open to alternative interrogation techniques that may have more effective results. Once the prisoner is in a comfortable environment, we can then start to question him or her. Prisoners are trained to resist the torturous techniques, but not trained or able to go through a questionable approach of interrogation. Prior to the interrogation, the interrogator must find valuable knowledge about the detainee to use against him or her. Mental abuse is to an extent a way of torture, but in the way the informed interrogators used the mental interrogation, it would not be considered torture. The informed interrogation approach is based on influencing our knowledge of the prisoner’s culture and mentality, combined with using known facts about the prisoner (Soufan). Having heard your child or family is captured or is at risk, is an example of mental torture. Ali Soufan, a security consultant and former investigator for the FBI, was involved in the investigation of Abu Zubaydah interrogation. Soufan discussed in his article â€Å"Is torture ever justified?† about two methods of interrogation, the informed interrogation approach and the enhanced interrogation technique. Ali Soufan asked for his name and he gave him a false name, so then Soufan used his investigation to work against Abu Zubaydah. He asked to call him by his nickname Abu’s mother used to call him, Hani (Soufan). Abu now had the thought of Americans having more information about him, so he could not give them false information. Research shows, when the United States asked him questions he started to give out answers involving KSM the mastermind of the 9/11 attack. Using this mental tactic was in no ways a type of torture because Abu Zubaydah was not harmed mentally, he just had the fear of lying and getting caught, resulting in reliable and useful information. Often times, torture techniques are slow: â€Å"preventing a detainee from sleeping for 180 hours as the memos detail, or water boarding 183 ties in the case of KSM† (Soufan). This method would not work in the â€Å"ticking time bomb† scenario because it does not get quick results. It takes time to torture a person, especially a prisoner of war. Although some people can handle pain more than others, the prisoner, if a culprit to the crime will be notably able to resist an abundant amount of pain. The prisoners go through training school that practice torture techniques. When your body gets used to pain, it can resist the pain for a longer period of time. Not only can the prisoner resist the pain longer, the torture techniques do not work quickly. For instance, sleep deprivation must take at least 24-48 hours to kick in. Sleep deprivation is also one of the first method used often times when interrogating the prison. Statistics show that when people are restless their brains do not work productively and can not think on the spot, so when being asked questions it will take the prisoner time to answer, if they are willing to answer in the first place. Therefore, getting information fast will not result from torture, but it will from the informed interrogation technique. The informed interrogation approach has work time and time again. Abu Zubaydah is a perfect example of the technique because he proved it effective. The investigators first approached him in an informative way. They used the background information they already knew about him, to make him fear giving them the wrong information and that took them about two hours to get information from him. After Soufan, the CIA took over the investigation and started to use torture tactics on Abu Zubaydah. The torture tactics did not produce any results. The CIA spent plenty of days and hours using different torture techniques to potentially obtain information, but he still would not give up any information. The investigators just hospitalized him, so once again Washington returned to the FBI agent and Soufan to continue the interrogation. Working with Abu Zubaydah’s conditions, the FBI agent and Soufan continued their questioning. They again were successful and got Abu Zubaydah to tell them more information, but once again, the CTC-Counter Terrorism Center- arrived and took over the interrogation. Harsh interrogation techniques were used one Abu Zubaydah, beginning with public nudity. The torture techniques kept making Abu Zubaydah uncomfortable, hurt, and angered. The technique was not working. The CTC used worse and worse torture technique, but still nothing came out of Abu Zubaydah because they did not treat him humanly. Washington noticed there were no results to the torture techniques, so they decided to go with the informed interrogation approach. The FBI agent and Soufan gathered more actionable intelligence from Abu Zubaydah in less then a couple hours (Soufan). This is one of the many proofs that the informed interrogation approach does result in reliable answers. Obtaining information quickly can be important when involving a â€Å"ticking time bomb† scenario, and after these studies of both techniques, you can see which one had a quicker, effective on the prisoner of war. Torture techniques are harmful, slow and unreliable. The solution to this problem is adapting the informed interrogation technique. The interrogator must do their research to have extensive knowledge about the prisoner. They must grant the prisoner a safe environment, perform civil treatment towards the prisoner of war, and question the prisoner critically and use evidence the investigator has about the prisoner to obtain information. All these steps will help prevent torture. Since there are alternative solutions that have been proven to work, then there is no need to use torture. Torture is evil; it inflicts pain on a human purposefully for questions and answers that have a high possibility of being false. Torture techniques are inhumane. We are humans and should be treated as humans.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Perspectives of Incarcerated Aboriginal Women in Canada on Personal Development Resources

The Perspectives of Incarcerated Aboriginal Women in Canada on Personal Development Resources Introduction In the Canadian population, the composition of the aboriginal people takes 4%. There has been a 90% increase in the incarceration rate of aboriginal offenders with a fast rate within a frame of 10 years.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on The Perspectives of Incarcerated Aboriginal Women in Canada on Personal Development Resources specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through the Needs Assessment of Federal Aboriginal Women Offenders – an examination of the program needs of incarcerated Aboriginal women and in their post release revealed a 69% rate of high of programming needs with a moderate 29% and a low of 2%. Security of classification of aboriginal women determines the access level for programming with aboriginal inmates having an over classification level requiring 45% for maximum security, 44% for minimum security and 18% for minimum security. The average cost of keeping inmates in Canada has ha d an increase of $88,000 in 2005-06 to over $113,000 in 2009-10 annually. The daily cost of maintaining a male inmate is around $300 with the daily maintenance cost for female inmates rising up to about $578 (Kilty, 2006). This presents the need for correctional facilities, (federal or provincial), to incorporate personal development and programming resources in the facilities to create a reduction on the level of incarceration especially for women. There needs to be incorporation of strategies of life skill management such as financial management, work programs and employment. Effective discharge of such programs can be effective within educational and vocational programs as well as in the management of aboriginal culture and spirituality (Davis, 2001). Aims of the study The aim of this study is to investigate through the development of release planning programs focusing on the possibility of the possibilities of individual tailoring, which fits in personal needs and concerns for t he integration of incarcerated aboriginal women into their communities.Advertising Looking for proposal on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It will also evaluate the connection of incarcerated aboriginal women to resources, which can help in the healing process and personal growth after release. Through the study, the focus will be on the experiences of the women in the programs and the recommendations they have for needed improvements of the facilities. Significance of the Study The relevance of this research is in its implication of the understanding of the statuses and afflictions faced by incarcerated women. The issue of incarceration of women concerning age, gender, economic level, crime, offences, length of sentence, re-offending, security classifications and identification is important for the determination of the consequences and mediatory approaches for their case. In consideration of issues such as Poverty, Unemployment, Lack of Education, Addictions, Family Violence and Mental Health (Trauma, impacts of Residential Schools), it is worth creating an understanding of these issues in regard to their influence on personal lives of people (Karlene, 2011). There are personal relationships with some sort of influences responsible for their behavior, which may lead to their incarceration. This topic is relevant to law makers and women as it will help in the development of policies and educational strategies for the support of the affected women. It will also help in the development of an understanding of the human rights of women as well as help the women in realization and recognition of their rights. Such knowledge is transferable to other members of the society in an educational manner for the protection of other women and avoidance of the possibilities of avoidance of instances of indulgence in activities, which can lead to their incarceration (Van and Schwartz, 2011).Adv ertising We will write a custom proposal sample on The Perspectives of Incarcerated Aboriginal Women in Canada on Personal Development Resources specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This study is also significant in the influencing of the activities of social workers, as it would help them in identifying the existing gaps within existing programs. The issue of incarceration of women is applicable in the consideration of feminist theory, empowerment theory and the anti-oppressive theoretical framework (Dohrn, 2004). Social workers can be advocators of the protection of the rights of vulnerable people in the society such as women as a process for development of equality and justice (Goode, 2008). With cases of incarceration of aboriginal women rising to 20% of the total population in incarceration facilities, and accounting for 32.6% of female offender population meaning that in every three women under federal incarceration one is of an ab original descent, it is just fair to investigate into the reasons for such scenarios. This study can help social workers to develop means of utilizing available resources to help women in regaining confidence and avoidance of instances, which can lead to their incarceration. The history of incarceration of aboriginal women has its influences and origins from the colonial periods in Canada. At the same time, this study is will be helpful in the development of preventive strategies for protection of aboriginal women for the protection and creation of awareness to alternatives for the management of their conditions and avoidance of incarceration (May, Brown, 2011). Literature Review Introduction The literature review section will evaluated journals and other accredited sources of information in an effort to review, analyze, critique and enumerate works of other scholars on the programs designed to assist aboriginal women who have been released from prison to transit from prison life t o the outside world.Advertising Looking for proposal on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Besides, the study will explore the OCAP principles and the facilitation of personal growth of post release. The study will as well examine the existing literature on the statistics presented by the Correctional Service Canada (CSC), articles on Federal Sentenced Women and Security Classifications as well as take an In-depth report by Federal Government (Public Safety Canada). The article on the Federal Government’s current ‘tough on crime’ agenda also contains ample information relevant to this study (Muirhead Rhodes, 1998). Problem Aboriginal Women Face after Exit from Prisons Various studies carried out in Australia as well as globally have demonstrated that after being released from prisons, women usually experience a considerably higher rate of depression, social isolation, mental illness, poor housing as well as homeless as opposed to men who have been released from prison (Baldry Maplestone, 2005). Some researches have also revealed that majority of wome n who have been released from prison and who experience difficulty in establishing constructive social link have a higher chance of suffering from mentally illness. Moreover, studies indicate that majority of ex-prisoners who losses their live due to drug overdose are homeless in most cases (Shewan et al., 2001). These problems are attributed to lack appropriate release programs for prisoners as well as lack of commitment by government to initiate such programs. Baldry et al.(2006) contends that the key reason why indigenous women who have released from prison fail to transit successful into the outside world is attributed to the fact that family support, mental health as well housing programs for this ex-prisoners. Besides, majority of women who comes out of prisons have families and children to take care of and there is absence of suitable programs to assist them address this concern. Baldry et al. (2003) opine that majority of women prisoners who have children have high probabili ty of suffering from financial, physical as well as emotional breakdown in incarceration period. Correspondingly, the same women experience difficulty establishing a reasonable home immediately after being released from prison. Studies have also indicated that women ex-prisoners who are homeless and live in parks and streets are often harassed and interfered by police and are sometime re-arrested due to being public nuisance. This situation is worsened by the fact that there is lack of appropriate pre and post programs for those indigenous women released from hospital. Release Programs As stipulated by Baldry and McCausland (2009), the post-release program for aboriginal inmate women entails assisting the released women to access health care facilities/services, to obtain employment and appropriate accommodation as well as assisting them to connect with their respective communities. Post-release programs are critical because of the disruptions caused by incarceration. When women are released from prisons, they are compelled to deal with unconstructive experience associated with imprisonment. One program that have been cited in literature and which have been designed to assist indigenous women who have just been released from prison is â€Å"Throughcare†. Walsh (2004) asserts that this program play an integral role in assisting aboriginal women to transit from prison to the outside world. It tailored to provide progressive education, support as well as treatment for indigenous women right away from the time they enter prison up to the time they exit prison and even afterwards. This program has been introduced in various countries including Canada and Australia. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the approach of this program coupled with long-term support for indigenous women after being released from hospital will be of critical importance in assisting these women transit successfully into the outside world. However, despite the fact that they are numerous benefits associated wit this program, it is critical to note that its tenets emanated from a criminal justice system that is rooted in a colonized framework. OCAP Principles The principles of OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession) are described by First Nations Centre (2007) as one of the elements of 1st nations aspirations that are geared towards self-governance as well as self-determination. The OCAP principles highlight a detailed framework created by 1st nations incorporate self-determination into IM (Information management) as well as into the research domain. These principles are employed in all information/data or research initiatives that involves 1st nation and includes the entire elements of research (review and funding included), cultural knowledge, statistics in addition to monitoring. By emphasizing the adoption of OCAP principles, 1st nation are taking control of all research regarding their respective communities. Ownership as one of the fundame ntal principles of OCAP entails the link between the community of 1at nation and its information, data as well as cultural knowledge. This principle attests that that community owns the information belonging to a particular community collectively. With respect to control principle, the rights and aspirations of first nation to take control and sustain the entire facets of their institution and lives encompassing data, information as well as research. Research Methodology Introduction The research methodology section outlines the steps that will be taken to conduct the research study. It is a critical section as it aids the researcher to focus on the research process of data collection, data analysis in order to achieve the research aims of the study. The research methodology in this research study will cover the sample size and description, data collection techniques as well as data analysis plan. Sample size and description The target population of the study will be women identifie d as aboriginal within federal correction facilities. The process will take a comparison of two correctional facilities located in different provinces to determine the differences and similarities within them. The specific respondents would be those close to the end of their sentencing while there will also be an interest on re-offenders as part of the population sample. Data Collection Methods For a better understanding of the experiences of the participants, there will be face-to-face interviews with them. This would allow for recording of their experiences and even making a recording of their recounts. It will be reasonable to make consideration to the literacy level of the participants with high possibilities of most of them being without education (Muirhead Rhodes, 1998). That makes face to face interviewing the best alternative because it would involve a communication process for creation of a comfortable environment to tell personal stories and experiences. The choice of a q ualitative and the narrative approach for the use of semi-structured interviews allows for the inclusion of a number of demographic questions regarding age, self identification as aboriginals and the relative personal classification whether First Nation Metis or Inuit. Other questions for interviewing the participants will inquire on the length of sentencing, their security classification (max, med, or min) and incase they were re-offenders (Landrine Russo, 2010) I will also look at the resources they participated in by giving them a chance to make explanations on the issues and impacts; they faced during their stay in the facilities. I will also give them the opportunity for telling their stories to understand the circumstances under, which they committed their crimes and the aspects behind the motivation to committing such crimes (Muscat, Wells, Owen, Torres Pollock, 2011). In the interviews, I will also seek to know their individual experiences with the programming to help in u nderstanding the things they considered as beneficial and the aspects they felt where of no essence to them. The questions will look for the possibilities of their thinking that the programs focused on the issues affiliated to their gender in the bid of meeting their feminine needs such as training on parenting skills (Eddy, Martinez, Schiffmann, Newton, Olin, Leve Shortt, 2008). Data Analysis Plan To create a clear understanding on the situations experienced by the participants, there will be classification of collected data for management, analysis and interpretation in accordance applicable specifications to individual participants. These will be in terms of Poverty, Unemployment, Lack of Education, Addictions, Family Violence, Mental Health (Trauma, impacts of Residential Schools). In categorization of information, their analysis and presentation, there will be a focus on the programs and personal development programs participants accessed during their stay. There will be analy sis of the recordings collected during the interviews of the participants. I will transcribe the recordings from the participants and later have the results presented in writing. References Baldry, E., Maplestone, P. (2003). Aboriginal Prison Releases in New South Wales: Preliminary Comments Based on ex-Prisoner Research. Indigenous Law Bulletin, 5(22), 7-8. Baldry, E., Maplestone, P. (2005). Women ex-prisoners post-release’ in Bridge Foundation: Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: Prose and poetry about the prison. Charnwood: Ginninderra Press Baldry, E., McCausland, R. (2009). Mother Seeking Safe Home: Aboriginal Women Post-Release. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 12(2), 288-301. Baldry, E., McDonnell, D., Maplestone, P., Peeters, M. (2006). Ex-prisoners, ccommodation and the state: post-release in Australia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 39(1), 20-34. Davis, H. C. (2001). Educating the Incarcerated Female: A Holistic Approach. Journal of Correctional Ed ucation, 52(2), 79-83. Dohrn, B. (2004). All Ellas: Girls Locked Up. Feminist Studies, 30(2), 302-324. Eddy, J., Martinez, C., Schiffmann, T., Newton, R., Olin, L., Leve, L., Shortt, J. (2008). Development of a multisystemic parent management training intervention for incarcerated parents, their children and families. Clinical Psychologist, 12(3), 86-98. First Nations Centre. (2007). OCAP: Ownership, Control, Access and Possession. Sanctioned by the First Nations Information Governance Committee, Assembly of First Nations. Ottawa: National Aboriginal Health Organization. Goode, E. (2008). Out of control: Assessing the general theory of crime. Stanford, Calif: Stanford Social Sciences. Granger-Brown, A., Buxton, J. A., Condello, L., Feder, D., Hislop, T., Martin, R., Thompson, J. (2012). Collaborative community-prison programs for incarcerated women in BC. British Columbia Medical Journal, 54(10), 509-513. Karlene, F. (2011). Unruly women: The politics of confinement and resistance . New York: Seven Stories Press. Kilty, J. M. (2006). Under The Barred Umbrella: Is There Room For A Women-Centered Self-Injury Policy In Canadian Corrections? Criminology Public Policy, 5(1), 161- 82. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2006.00107.x Landrine, H., Russo, N. F. (2010). Handbook of diversity in feminist psychology. New York: Springer. May, D. C., Brown, T. (2011). Examining the Effect of Correctional Programming on Perceptions of Likelihood of Recidivism among Incarcerated Prisoners. Journal of Social Service Research, 37(4), 353-364. doi:10.1080/01488376.2011.58202. Muirhead, J. E., Rhodes, R. (1998). Literacy Level of Canadian Federal Offenders. Journal of Correctional Education, 49(2), 59-60. Muscat, B. T., Wells, J. B., Owen, B., Torres, S., Pollock, J. (2011). Abuse on the Inside: Exploring Incarcerated Womens Experience With Intimate Partner Violence. International Perspectives in Victimology, 5(2), 63-71. doi:10.5364/ipiv.5.2.63 Van de Sande, A. and Schwartz, K. (2011 ). Research for social justice: A community based approach. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing. Walsh, T. ( 2004). INCorrections: Investigating prison release practice and policy in Queensland and its impact on community safety. INCorrections Network Coalition Queensland. Retrieved from: www.incorrections.org.au/Incorrections%20Report.htm Young, D. S., Mattucci, R. F. (2006). Enhancing the Vocational Skills of Incarcerated Women through a Plumbing Maintenance Program. Journal of Correctional Education, 57(2), 126-140.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Understanding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Understanding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) were chartered by Congress to create a secondary market for residential mortgage loans. They are considered government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) because Congress authorized their creation and established their public purposes. Together, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the largest sources of housing finance in the United States. Heres how it works: You secure a mortgage to buy a home.Your lender probably resells that mortgage to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac either hold these mortgages in their portfolios or package the loans into mortgage-backed securities (MBS) that they then sell to the public. The theory is that by providing this service, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac attract investors who might not otherwise invest funds in the mortgage market. This, theoretically, increases the pool of money available to potential homeowners.By the third quarter ​of 2007, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac held mortgages valued at $4.7 billion- about the size of the total publicly-held debt of the U.S. Treasury. By July 2008, their portfolio was called a $5 trillion mess. History of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Even though Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were Congressionally-chartered, they are also private, shareholder-owned corporations. They have been regulated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development since 1968 and 1989, respectively.However, Fannie Mae is more than 40 years old. President Franklin Delano Roosevelts New Deal created Fannie Mae in 1938 to help jump-start the national housing market after the Great Depression. And Freddie Mac was born in 1970.In 2007, EconoBrowser noted that today there is no explicit government guarantee of their debt. In September 2008, the US government seized both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Other GSEs Federal Farm Credit Banks (1916)Federal Home Loan Banks (1932)Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) (1968)Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac) (1988) Contemporary Congressional Action Regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac In 2007, the House passed H.R. 1427, a GSE regulatory reform package. Then-Comptroller General David Walker stated in Senate testimony that â€Å"[A] single housing GSE regulator could be more independent, objective, efficient and effective than separate regulatory bodies and could be more prominent than either one alone. We believe that valuable synergies could be achieved and expertise in evaluating GSE risk management could be shared more easily within one agency.† Subprime Mortgage Crisis A subprime mortgage crisis occurred in the United States between 2007–2010, in part as a result of a weakening economy but also as a housing bubble which had pushed housing prices higher and higher collapsed. Houses were large, their price tags steep, but mortgages were inexpensive and easy to get, and the prevailing real estate theory was that it was smart to buy (much) more house than you needed because it was a solid investment. If they wanted, buyers could refinance or sell the house because the price would be higher than when it was purchased.   Fannie and Freddies concentrated exposure to US residential mortgages, coupled with their high leverage, turned out to be a recipe for disaster. When the inevitable crash in home prices occurred, it created an associated spike in mortgage defaults, and Fannie and Freddie were holding hundreds of thousands of underwater home mortgages- people owed more, in some cases far more, on their houses than the houses were worth. That situation contributed greatly to the 2008 recession.   Collapse and Bailout By mid-2008, the two firms had expanded to almost $1.8 trillion in combined assets and $3.7 trillion in combined net off-balance sheet credit guarantees. Over the same period, however, they posted $14.2 billion in losses and their combined capital only amounted to about 1 percent of their exposure to mortgage risks. Despite efforts in the summer of 2008 to prop up the failing GSEs (the Housing and Economic Recovery Act on July 30 temporarily gave the US Treasury unlimited investment authority), by Sept. 6, 2008, the GSEs held or guaranteed $5.2 trillion dollars in home mortgage debt.   On Sept. 6, the Federal Housing Finance Agency placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship, taking control of the two firms, and entering into senior preferred stock purchase agreements with each institution. The U.S. taxpayer ultimately paid a $187 billion bailout to the two GSEs.  Ã‚   One stipulation to the bailout was that going forward the quality of housing loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had to improve. Investigations by economists Dongshin Kim and Abraham Park reported in 2017 indicate that the quality of post-crisis loans is indeed higher, particularly in the requirements on the levels of debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, and credit scores (FICO). At the same time, loan-to-value (LTV) requirements had been loosened since 2008, allowing a steady increase in the number of first-time home buyer loans.   Recovery By 2017, Fannie and Freddie had paid back $266 billion to the US Treasury, making their bailout a tremendous success; and the housing market has recovered. However, Kim and Park suggest that continued monitoring of the quality of the mortgages would be prudent. While FICO and DTI are indicators of the borrowers ability to pay their mortgages on time, the LTV is an indication of the borrowers willingness to pay. When the house value falls below the loan balance, people are less likely to pay on their mortgages.   Sources Boyd, Richard. Bringing the GSEs Back In? Bailouts, U.S. Housing Policy, and the Moral Case for Fannie Mae. Journal of Affordable Housing Community Development Law 23.1 (2014): 11–36. Print.Ducas, John V. Subprime Mortgage Crisis 2007–2010. Federal Reserve History. November 22, 2013.Frame, W. Scott, et al. The Rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Journal of Economic Perspectives 29.2 (2015): 25–52. Print.Kim, Dongshin, and Abraham Park. How Sound Are the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Recoveries? Are There Vulnerabilities for History to Repeat? Graziadio Business Review 20 (2017). Print.Agency/Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) Product Overview 200What Are the Origins of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae?

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Cloud Computing Security Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cloud Computing Security Policy - Essay Example The private network shall be hosted off the premises of SNPO-MC but will be managed by both the cloud vendor and IT staff from SNPO-MC. The shall effect cloud bursting between the public and private cloud. Cloud computing services comprise of an infrastructure, resources and applications that SNPO-MC can access over the Internet. Large companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon provide these resources so that they can be readily and cheaply available to people. Most of the cloud services provide support for communication, data storage, data analysis, data processing, project management, and scheduling. Cloud services will be very easy for the staff and executives of SNPO-MC to use since they are readily accessible to workstations, tablets, smartphones and laptops via the Internet. Despite the numerous advantages of the cloud, security is a primary concern especially on the public cloud where unauthorized access of organizations data can compromise the operations of an organization and bring a lot of losses. SNPO-MC should verify before entering into an agreement with the cloud vendor that it complies with standards from Federal Information Processing (FIPS) and NIST Special Publications (SP). The standards include: A chief IT manager shall be appointed and will be responsible for all cloud service negotiations with cloud vendors. The IT manager will overview the implementation of all security policies that involve both the general staff and the executive. The IT manager in consultancy with the company lawyer will monitor compliance with SNPO-MC cloud policies with the required government standards. No individual department or manager in SNPO-MC shall be allowed to procure cloud services for the daily operations of the organization. Data and information stored in the cloud databases are owned by the creator of the data. In this case SNPO-MC organization. The cloud provider shall not in any case alter,