french essays

Communisme/french essays n jeune Karl Marx nous propose plusieurs thories entre les annes 1841 et 1849. Lune delle, qui sera plus tard lide centrale du paradigme marxiste, influencera plusieurs pays et dmarrera lEurope et lAsie en crise didentit. Ce paradigme est simplement btit sur un concept universel, oà ¹ une classe en suppose une autre : la dialectique entre la classe ouvrire et le patronat. Le communisme, selon Marx, est la cure pour ce conflit. Ceci fut en dmarche depuis la configuration de la domination dun acteur sur un autre, et qui selon lui ne sera jamais rsolu sans cet agent quilibrant. Cent ans aprs sa conception, le communisme est lobjet de critique par les pays dmocratiques et sera hai puis craint globalement par des millions de spectateurs calculateurs envers son existence dans un nouveau monde, l ge Nuclaire. Une image tnbreuse et flegmatique fut peint des pays qui adoptrent ce systme et ce paradigme marxiste. A cet gard, plusieurs perturbations majeures ont branles le communisme moderne vers la fin des annes 1980 en Europe de l'est. En pleine dtresse, le systme politique sovitique chuta. Hypnotis par des promesses dgalit et assur de retrouver une homostasie nationale, un peuple sveille dun long sommeil trs coà »teux et ce retrouve en pleine ruine. Le communisme na pu satisfaire les besoins lmentaires du tissu social russe donc les droits rudimentaires furent supprims. Dans un monde oà ¹ le droit de lhomme devient de plus en plus capital voqu, est-ce que le communisme peut subsist dans un nouveau millnaire Dans cet essaie, je vais dmontrer ...

Understanding Object Pronoun Verb Order in French

Understanding Object Pronoun Verb Order in French Mistakes will always be made in French, and now you can learn from them. There are two kinds of object pronouns, direct and indirect. Beginning students of French tend to misplace them and the result can be nonsense to the French ear. The rule of thumb: Place object pronouns before  the verb, with the indirect going before the direct object pronoun. When the verb is in the passà © composà © or another compound verb that includes an auxiliary verb, the pronoun precedes the entire verb; in other words, before the auxiliary verb, which is  the conjugated avoir  or  Ãƒ ªtre. The Correct Format Its never correct to say  Jai lui dit. The pronoun lui goes before ai, which begins the compound verb, like this: Je lui ai dit (Im telling him). The major exception is the imperative mood (limperatif), when object pronouns follow the verb: Donne-le-lui (Give it to him/her). Here are some examples of the correct format: Tu las vu? Have you seen it?Je lui ai dit la và ©rità ©. I told him/her the truth.Il  leur  achà ¨te des livres.   He buys books  for them.  Elle  ma à ©crit.   She wrote  to me.  *Je te lavais bien dit! I told you so! *In this example, there is both an indirect (te) and direct (le) object. Remember, the indirect object always comes first. The verb is still compound, but now the tense is plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) with the auxiliary verb in the imparfait (imperfect). So the object pronouns precede avais, which is the auxiliary verb here. Indirect Object Pronouns For indirect objects, the verbs action occurs to or for a person or other animate noun. Im talking to  Pierre. Je parle   Pierre.To whom  am I talking?  To Pierre. Indirect object pronouns  are the words that  replace  the name of the indirect object. They include:   Ã‚  Ã‚  me  /  m  Ã‚  Ã‚  me  Ã‚  Ã‚  te  /  t  Ã‚  Ã‚  you  Ã‚  Ã‚  lui  Ã‚  Ã‚  him, her  Ã‚  Ã‚  nous  Ã‚  Ã‚  us  Ã‚  Ã‚  vous  Ã‚  Ã‚  you  Ã‚  Ã‚  leur  Ã‚  Ã‚  them Me  and  te  change to  m  and  t, respectively, in front of a vowel or  mute H. Direct Object Pronouns Direct objects are the people or things in a sentence that receive the action of the verb. To find the direct object in a sentence, ask who or what. I see  Pierre. Je vois  Pierre.Who  do I see?  Pierre. Direct object pronouns  are the words that  replace  the direct object, so that we can avoid endlessly repeating the name of the object. They include:   Ã‚  Ã‚  me  /  m  Ã‚  Ã‚  me  Ã‚  Ã‚  te  /  t  Ã‚  Ã‚  you  Ã‚  Ã‚  le  /  l  Ã‚  Ã‚  him, it  Ã‚  Ã‚  la  /  l  Ã‚  Ã‚  her, it  Ã‚  Ã‚  nous  Ã‚  Ã‚  us  Ã‚  Ã‚  vous  Ã‚  Ã‚  you  Ã‚  Ã‚  les  Ã‚  Ã‚  them Me  and  te  change to  m  and  t, respectively, in front of a vowel or  mute H.  Le  and  la  both change to  l. Remember that both indirect object  pronouns and  direct object  pronouns precede the verb, with the indirect object pronoun going first. When deciding between direct and indirect objects, the general rule is that if the object is preceded by the  preposition  Ã‚  or  pour, that object is an indirect object. If its not preceded by a preposition, its a direct object. If its preceded by any other preposition, it cant be replaced  by an object pronoun.   If you have an indirect object thats not a person or animal, it can only be replaced with the  adverbial pronouns  y and en.  Y stands in for    a  noun  and usually means there or to it.  En  replaces  de a noun and usually means some, any, one, or of it/them.

European & Equity Law of UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European & Equity Law of UK - Essay Example The Treaty obligates UK to legislate in line with the international law in securing universal human rights it envisages. The Treaty also established the European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR) to give individual British citizens an appeal option for those who feel that their rights have been violated under the local law (Davies, & Virgo, 2013). As such, many UK citizens have filed their appeals at the Strasbourg Court, with a majority of the cases being decided in their favour and thus piling more pressure on UK government to make more liberal laws. Such EU Decisions prompted the UK parliament to pass the Human Rights Act 1998, which has been in effect since 2000. The Act is deemed as a local reflection of the human rights provisions under the EU Convention, which the Labour government promised the voters in 1997. The domestication of the EU law arguably ensures justice by limiting the cost and time of having to pursue justice at the Strasbourg Court. The HRA Act 1998 also imposed an obligation on the local UK courts to adopt the precedents set by the ECtHR when deliberating similar cases in a manner that explains the tremendous influence on local law. In the event that local courts and parliament disagree with the international law, UK would be deemed as failing to safeguard individual rights. As such, I believe UK would be at pains to fend off arguments that it is in utter violation of its international duties under the treaty. The ECtHR has in it its rulings attempted to create harmony with local state mechanisms by ensuring that its rulings are flexible under the principle of margin of appreciation. When issuing its verdicts on cases, this principle gives states some freedom in enforcing human rights based on their customized needs. Regardless, this has been insufficient on the issues where London starkly is in conflict with the ECtHR decisions. In the recent past, UK’s government has been in

Social Work Theory & Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Social Work Theory & Practice - Essay Example The concern of the State to utilize medical facilities to control bad behaviour (in the absence of formal evidence of psychosis) continued in the twentieth century (Rogers and Pilgrim, 2005). In Scotland this is a major undertaking by government. Mental health law is about securing benefits for, and protecting the rights of, people with a mental disorder. Its primary objective is to make sure people with a mental disorder can receive effective care and treatment (Scottish Executive, 2003). This highlights the fact that the government and its policies are geared towards the care for the mentally aberrant. The new legislation dealing with mental health lays the foundation for government to act in dealing with those who are mentally troubled. In fact, the new legislation is Scotland establishes principles upon which government measures are to be based on. What are unique in the current law is the new mechanisms it puts into place. These new measures better empower the state in dealing with this social concern. An example of this is when the law sets out principles relating to the way in which the function must be discharged. These require the person discharging the function to do so in a way, which involves the minimum restriction on the freedom of the patient (Scottish Executive, 2003). The current policies also clarify and refine the role and duty of government with regards to mental health. The new Mental Health law in Scotland allows for the removal to a place of safety of a person who is exposed to ill-treatment or neglect or who is unable to look after himself or his property/financial affairs. It further allows for a person to be removed from a public place to a place of safety where it is in the interests of that person or where it is necessary to protect other people (Scottish Executive, 2003). This descriptively lays down the scenario when the state should act and for what

Supervalu Company Analysis Essay Example for Free

Supervalu Company Analysis Essay One company that may provide investors such an opportunity is Supervalu, Inc. Supervalu is an Eden Prairie, Minnesota based retail supermarket chain that has experienced sharp drop in the value of their share over the past several years. The company has committed itself to a turn-around by replacing Wayne Sales with Sam Duncan as CEO. Duncan followed his appointment as CEO by shuffling the top management deck and bringing in a new president in charge of Save-A-Lot, the companies most important subsidiary. All this was done with the ultimate aim of speeding up the turnaround. The company is also trimming down with layoffs and selling some of its well known brand to investment group Cerberus Capital (Anderson, 2013). 2. Overview of Supervalu Supervalu is an American retail giant. It has been in business for more than a century. With over 130,000 employees, it is the third largest food retail company in the United States (after Kroger and Safeway), and ranks number seventy five on the 2012 Fortune 500 list of America’s largest companies (Forbes, 2012). On June 2nd 2006, the company announced the purchase of Boise, Idaho based Albertsons, Inc and all of its 1,124 stores. The Supermarket News magazine’s ranking of â€Å"Top Wholesalers for 2008† put Supervalu at the very top of the list (Supermarket News, 2008). The company has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1967. The company’s mission is served by operations consisting principally of grocery and pharmacy operations with a total of 2,432 stores with the firm also offering supply chain services for smaller retailers, serving over 4,300 retailers (Supervalu, 2012). The retail operations are supported by 22 distribution centers, and the wholesale distribution is supported by nine distribution centers, the latter of which also supply company owned stores. The company benefits from a solid level of diversification with a number of different brands targeting different markets, including Acme, Albertsons and Shop ‘n Save brands. The company owns 1,102 traditional food retail stores, as well as 397 hard discount stores trading under the Save-A-Lot brand name (Supervalu, 2012). In addition the company also licenses the Save-A-Lot brand to 935 independent operators. With what seems to be a successful operation, the company however still faces a number of uphill battles with the last three years reporting significant losses and extreme pressure from competitors. In 2012 CEO Craig Hackert in charge since 2009 was replaced by company chairman Wayne Sales. A move that saw a sharp drop in share prices was met eight months later with Sales’ own firing and replacement with newcomer Sam Duncan in January of this year with the aim of accelerating the company’s turnaround. There have been significant problems including massive losses and decline in revenue production. Measures are now being taken to limit losses, slash cost and regain sales, including the sale of non-profitable brands as well as a shakeup in top management as discussed earlier. However, issues such as high levels of debt, a low level of equity and difficult trading conditions may persist for some time. In order to assess the organization as a potential investment, it is necessary to look at the financial analysis. 3. Financial Analysis Companies produce annual reports designed with the shareholder as the primary audience. The annual reports which are published using the standard format present the performance of the organization in the preceding 12 month period. The annual reports the 10-K in the United States – are overseen by an auditor to ensure that they reflect a true and honest picture of the company and are compiled in line with the required account standards. It should however be noted that financial reports may sometimes be rife with misleading information as was the case in recent years with Enron and WorldCom. However, for the purpose of this project, it is assumed that there are no potential misstatements. 4. 1 Summary of Statements All figures presented will be in millions of US dollars when examining the different financial statements – unless otherwise specified with the exception of per-share numbers. All figures for Supervalu, Inc. , have been extracted from the 10-k for the financial year ending February 2011 and 2012. Where industry comparisons are made, these have been taken from relevant ratio pages on MSN Money. 4. 2. 1 Income Statement The income statement, which can be found in appendix 1 is also called the Consolidated Statement of Earnings and shows that the financial year which ended on February 25th 2012 (a 52-week year) saw net sales of $36,100. This represented a deep in revenues on the previous two years as the 2011 net sales was $37,534 and the 2010 net sales was $40,597. Since 2010 the company has seen an 11. 0 percentage point decline in revenues. Some downward movement in revenue was however expected as a result of the divestments that occurred in mid to late 2011. The gross profit for the year 2012 was $8,019 which is a gross profit margin of 22. 1%. However the company saw a loss in operating profit of $519, primarily the result of high cost on intangible assets. 2012’s operating profit was still a lower loss in operating profit compared to 2011 when it was $976 and a gain of $1,201 in 2010. Net earnings are shown on the income statement. For the sake of accounting, net earnings may be presente d before or after taxes. Since Supervalu is experiencing an adverse financial climate and took advantage of a negative tax payment in 2010 and 2011, this paper will utilize the definition of net earnings as being earnings after tax. After provisions for income taxes were factored in, the company showed a loss of $1,040 or -2. 88% in net earnings in 2012. It must however be noted that this number represents an improvement on the previous year when net earnings registered a -4. 02% loss at $1,510. In 2012 there was a loss of $43. 91 per share in net earnings. This number is however an improvement from 2011 when the net loss per share was $7. 13 . It should be noted that these changes are not influences by the weighted average of outstanding share which stood at 212 million (Supervalu, 2012). The income statement highlights a company in some serious difficulties; however the numbers show encouraging signs of a rebound to better times in 2010. 3. 1. 2Balance Sheet The balance sheet referenced in Appendix 2 defines the company’s position in terms of assets and liabilities. The company experienced a drop in the value of its assets in 2012, however there was also a decrease in total liabilities overall. Current assets generally calculated as having an economic shelf life of 12 months or less fell steadily from 2010 ($3,711) to 2011 ($3,420) and 2012 ($3,225). This decline can be seen across all asset categories. Long-term assets also declined to $12,053 representing a 12. 39% drop in value. Measures to cut cost and control debt are starting to take hold as the level of current liabilities has declined year to year since 2010. The long term liabilities of the companies on the other hand have seen an upward tick with total liabilities rising from $11,524 in 2011 to $12,032 in 2012. Important to investors is the decline in the level of equity within the organization. This has gone down from $2,887 in 2010 to $1,340 in 2011 and just $21 in 2012. The balance sheet continues to paint a picture of current gloom face the organization in the near term. 3. 1. 3 Cash Flow Statement The cash flow statement in Appendix 3 shows $157 in cash and cash equivalents in hand at the end of 2012. This represented a decline in the previous two years of $211 in 2010 and $172 in 2011. This represents a gradual but consistent drop in cash and cash equivalents of the company. Significant impacts are the losses carried over into cash flow which amounted to $1,040 for 2012 and $1,510 for 2011. The net effect is a reduction in the amount of cash provided for operating activities. It is important to make note of the fact that while the company has engaged in disposing of some assets, there have also been new investment resulting in overall net investing of $484 in 2012 and $227 in 2011. Cash flow from financing activities was also negative with $291 raised from the issuance of long-term debt, but this is counteracted with $798 payment of long-term debt and capital lease obligations. This results in net cash outflow from financing activities of $587. However, this is a decline on the previous year of $975. 3. 1. 4Statement of Owners Equity The consolidated statement of stockholders equity found in Appendix 4shows the balance of equity over a period of four years, 2009-2012. The statement shows that the position of common stock has not changed, with a total of $230. The capital in excess of par has only change very slightly from $2,853 in 2009 to $2,855 in 2012. The major factor of the equity level is a deficit which resulted in a negative balance of -$1,892 at the end of 2012. When added with other accumulated losses results in a total shareholder equity in the firm of $21. This is a notable change compared to 2009 when the total balance of equity was $2,581. . 1 Ratio Analysis Ratio analysis can be used here to explore the financial position of the firm and the way in which it is performing by analyzing internal performance as well as providing a benchmark for comparison with the industry. This section puts forward some ratio analysis calculations and makes comparisons with industry averages where available. 3. 2. 1 L iquidity Liquidity is an important measure companies facing hard times. It measures the firm’s ability to survive in the short term and meet its current financial obligations (Libby et al, 2010). The current ratio and the quick ratio are the two main measure of liquidity also known as the acid test. The current ratio measures the firm’s ability to use current assets to settle current liabilities. In the case of Supervalu, there are insufficient assets available to pay current liabilities. This is however not unusual as like in many industries with rapid cash flow, a relatively low current ratio may be acceptable based on expected cash flow. Supervalu is therefore not necessarily showing any signs of mounting distress with the current ratio at 0. 0 as shown in table 1. The industry average is slightly higher, however this difference may be indicative of better use of capital – although it could also indicate cash flow issues. Table [ 1 ]: Current ratio Current ratio| 2010| 2011| 2012| Industry Avg. | Current assets| 3,711| 3,420| 3,225|   | Current liabilities| 4,167| 3,786| 3,590|   | Current ratio| 0. 89| 0. 90| 0. 90| 1. 1| (Supervalu figures are extracted from Supervalu Inc. 10-K. Industry comparison figure from Microsoft Money, 2012). The quick ratio is another way to evaluate liquidity within a company. The idea behind this is that an organization may not be able to realize the full value of its inventory if they are required to liquidate inventory in order to pay current liabilities. Calculations for the quick ratio are similar to the current ratio minus inventory value which is deducted from the total current assets as can be seen in Table 2. Table 2: Quick ratio Quick ratio| 2010| 2011| 2012| Industry Avg. | Current assets| 3,711| 3,420| 3,225|   | Inventory| 2,342| 2,270| 2,150|   | Net current assets| 1,369| 1,150| 1,075|   | Current liabilities| 4,167| 3,786| 3,590|   | Quick ratio| 0. 3| 0. 30| 0. 30| 0. 7| (Supervalu figures are taken from Supervalu, Inc. 10K. Industry figures are taken from Microsoft Money, 2012) 3. 2. 2Asset Management The company’s ability to manage assets will be a key deciding factor in its return to profitability. Measures of asset management include return on assets and return on equity. For Supervalu, the return on assets shows a sligh t improvement in 2012 at -8. 06% compared to -10. 00% in 2011. Table [ 3 ]: Return on assets Return on Assets| 2010| 2011| 2012| Industry Avg. | Net income| 393| -1510| -1040|   | Total assets| 16436| 13758| 12053|   | Return on assets| 2. 31%| -10. 00%| -8. 06%| 6. 80%| (Supervalu figures taken from Supervalu Inc. 10-K, industry comparison figure from Microsoft Money, 2012) The return on equity is poor. While the actual loss has declined in 2012, the phenomenal change in the return on equity showing large losses is the results of adjustments that followed the steep decline in the level of equity. Table [ 4 ]: Return on equity Return on Equity| 2010| 2011| 2012| Industry Avg. | Net income| 393| -1,510| -1,040|   | Equity| 2,887| 1,340| 21|   | Return on equity| 13. 60%| -112. 69%| -4952. 38%| 15. 5%| (Supervalu figures taken from Supervalu Inc. 10-K, industry comparison figure from Microsoft Money, 2012) The return on equity may not be enough to make an assessment of management’s use of assets. An alternative measure will be asset turnover (Libby et al, 2010). This analyzes the way in which assets are used to generate revenue. It will show how many times assets have been turned over in a given year. Supervalu seems to be improving efficiency in terms of utilization. They turned over assets equivalent to 2. 8 times in 2012 which was an increase from the previous two years (2. 9 times in 2011 and 2. 39 times in 2010). Looking at this in terms of industry context where the average is 2. 4 times, Supervalu appears to be improving efficiency which is positive for recovery. 3. 2. 3Debt Management The company’s debt equity ratio seems to spell doom for the future. This ratio measures the proportion of debt to equity. Compared to the industry average of 1. 03 shown in table 5 Table 5: Return on equity Debt to equity ratio| 2010| 2011| 2012| Industry Avg. | Total debt|   | 11,524| 12,032|   | Total equity|   | 1,340| 21|   | Debt/Equity|   | 8. 6| 572. 95| 1. 03| Supervalu figures taken from Supervalu Inc. 10-K, industry comparison figure from Microsoft Money, 2012) Another measurement of debt management is the debt ratio. Supervalu’s debt ratio show s that it is in a delicate position with the majority of assets being funded by debt. Many companies have gone through similar issues due to losses in equity but have rebounded as was the case with auto maker General Motors. These numbers do not therefore signify an inability for Supervalu to rebound. 3. 2. 4 Profitability An important measure of viability is the profitability of the organization. There are various measures of profit, however in this report I shall focus on net profit margin. This is the level of profit that remains after all cost has been deducted. In this report, I shall utilize the measure after interest and taxes. As can be seen on table 6, the company is slowly digging itself out of a low point in 2011 when the net profit margin was negative 4. 02%. However in an industry where the average is 3. 24%, it is obvious the organization has a long way to go. Table 5: Return on equity Net profit margin| 2010| 2011| 2012| Industry Avg. | Revenue (Net sales)| 40,597| 37,534| 36,100|   | Net profit| 393| -1,510| -1,040|   | Net profit margin| 0. 96%| -4. 02%| -2. 88%| 3. 24%| (Supervalu figures taken from Supervalu Inc. 10-K, industry comparison figure from Microsoft Money, 2012) 3. 2. 5Market Value There are a number of different measures of market value, the most common of which is the price earnings ratio. This is a measure that assesses Harold company will take to earn is total capitalization. However, as Supervalu is making a loss this ratio is not relevant and cannot be calculated. To assess market value a measure which may be utilized are the earnings per share. The earnings per share are shown in table 10, and are a measure of the profit, or loss, the company makes attributed to each share outstanding. As expected, this is in line with the net profit margin in table 5, with the earnings per share being -$4. 91 in 2012 falling from -$7. 12 in 2011. Table 6: Return on equity Earnings per share| 2010| 2011| 2012| Net profit| 393| -1,510| -1,040| Average share out| 213| 212| 212| Net profit margin| 1. 84%| -7. 12%| -4. 91%| (Supervalu figures taken from Supervalu Inc. 10-K 3. Competitors Supervalu is widely considered the third largest supermarket chain in the country. Its main industry peers are  Safeway, Kroger, and  Whole Food Market. Supervalu generated a steady gross margin of 22. 21% in 2012 and 22. 41% in 2011. However, the company is a loss-maker and it produced negative earnings in the previous year. Safeway, Kroger and Whole Food Market generated operating margins of 2. 37%, 1. 61%, and 6. 36%, respectively. It is clear from these gross margin numbers that the grocery industry has very slim operating margins on sales. Table 7: Competitor Analysis Figure in Million| Net Income| Long term D/E| Operating Margin %| Supervalu| -1244| Very High| -2. 1| Kroger| 728| 1. 8| 1. 61| Whole Food Market| 465| 0. 001| 6. 36| Safeway| 523| 2. 3| 2. 37| (Competitor results taken from Finviz. com) It also seems that Supervalu continued to struggle with insufficient growth in its operating activities in the last quarter of 2012. The corporations operating income fell for fiscal 2012. Furthermore, Supervalu is susceptible to financial leverage as it took on a new $2. 5 billion of debt in the third quarter of 2012 (Boehme, 2012). Supervalu needs to continue to reduce its operational cost in order to record positive results. 4. Conclusion The shedding of 877 grocery stores in a $3. 3 billion dollar deal with Cerberus Management LP in the first quarter of this year seems to have been a sign of a new and positive beginning (Dezember, 2013). The company’s stock has been one of the top performers this year; contradictory for a company still drowning in debt and declining sales. However the market has a positive outlook on the company. Since January 1st this year, shared of the company have gained a solid 133%. Supervalu closed the first day of trading this year at $2. 60 and ended the last week trading at $5. 26. Thanks to these positive numbers, both Fitch and Moody’s have upgraded their ratings on the company from negative to stable which has been a boost to investor confidence. The reduction in non-performing assets is expected to continue to improve the stability of the company. With less exposure to market volatility, the company should be able to rebound and even thrive. Decreasing the debt level will boost the balance sheet and future net revenues. 5. Recommendation Although the bullish run of Supervalu which started early this year continues, the company still has a long way to go in its quest to recover. Therefore the subjective recommendation of this report will be to hold. Based on the company’s current trend, it is very likely that within the next year the company will show even more positive signs of improvement and therefore warrant a change to a buy recommendation. If the organization is able to make a recovery it will be in a very strong position in the market as the number three grocer that also benefits from a large wholesaler and supply chain management operation. References Anderson, Jake, (January 10th 2013), Supervalu to Sell 5 Chains in $3. 3B Deal, Replace CEO. Retrieved April 13th 2013 from http://tcbmag. om/News/Recent-News/2013/January/Supervalu-to-Sell-5-Chains-in-$3-3B-Deal,-Replace Patton, Leslie, (July 30th 2012), Supervalu Names Wayne Sales CEO Amid Strategic Review. Retrieved April 13th 2013 from http://www. bloomberg. com/news/2012-07-30/supervalu-names-sales-chief-executive-officer-to-replace-herkert. html Forbes Inc. (2012), Fortune 500 List of Best Companies (2012). Retrieved April 13th 2013 from http://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2012/full_list/ Supermarket News (2008, SN Top Wholesalers for 2008. Retrieved April 17th 2013 from http://supermarketnews. om/top-75-retailers-amp-wholesalers/sn-top-wholesalers-2008 Supervalu, (2012). About Supervalu. retrieved April 13th 2013 from http://www. supervalu. com/sv-webapp/about/about. jsp Boehme, Kate, (September 16th 2012), Can Supervalu Survive Its Debt? Retrieved April 18th 2013 from http://seekingalpha. com/article/869491-can-supervalu-survive-its-debt Dezember, Ryan and Hudson, Kris (January 10th 2012), Property Is Plum in Supervalu Deal. Retrieved April 18th 2013 from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10001424127887324581504578233411904827872. html

Adorno and Horkheimers Dialectic of Enlightenment Essay -- Mythology

Adorno and Horkheimer's Dialectic of Enlightenment 'Myth is already enlightenment; and enlightenment reverts to mythology' (Dialectic of Enlightenment XVI) Adorno and Horkheimer's obscure and nihilistic text Dialectic of Enlightenment (DoE) is an attempt to answer the question 'why mankind, instead of entering a truly human condition, is sinking into a new kind of barbarism' (DoE, p.xi). The result is a totalising critique of modernity; a diagnosis of why the Enlightenment project failed with no attempt to prescribe a cure. This is achieved by a historical-philosophical study of the mythic world-view of animism and anthropomorphism and the Enlightenment attempt to dissolve myth through objectification and instrumental reason. DoE also uses Homer's Odyssey as a metaphorical interpretation of this historical change, where Odysseus is the prototype of the bourgeois man. This study reveals for Adorno and Horkheimer the failure of the Enlightenment project. Enlightenment has no claim to being less a myth than the mythology it failed to escape. This new myth is defined for them by the drive to dominate nature at the expense of alienation of man from nature and from his own inner nature. They follow the appearance of the subject as it is objectified alongside nature, and is dominated with it. The subject becomes an object and his intellect becomes instrumental, and all instinct and sensory experience that fails to be productive in the pursuit of domination is repressed, man becomes mechanized. They also assert that class domination is a direct and inevitable consequence of the attempt to dominate nature, and is therefore inescapable. Background to the text. Adorno and Horkheimer, members of the Frankfurt school in Germany, wrote DoE (which was completed in 1944) while Fascism, a kind of barbarism never seen before, was threatening Europe. They viewed this as the epitome of the self-destructive nature of enlightenment, the final evidence that it would never result in 'a truly human condition'. They wrote in the introduction to DoE that 'the indefatigable self-destructiveness of enlightenment†¦requires philosophy to discard even the last vestiges of innocence in regard to the habits and tendencies of the spirit of the age' (p.xi), hence the intensity of their critique. Being part of the Frankfurt school, Adorno and Horkheimer were influenced... ...kfurt school, does not accept Adorno's solution. He believes Adorno is being too nihilistic in [continued next page] allowing no way to escape instrumental rationality. Habermas's main philosophical project has been to resolve this problem, to allow for the possibility of substantive rationality (i.e. rationality that is not aimed at power and domination but, rather, validity) and, thus, to save the project of the Enlightenment. The result is a theory of open communication that is aimed at an 'ideal speech situation', that is, at a discourse not tainted by instrumental aims. Bibliography: Theodor Adorno and Maw Horkheimer: The Dialectic of Enlightenment (Verso: London, 1997). Theodor Adorno: Negative Dialectics (Routledge: London, 1990)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jurgen Habermas: The Entwinement of Myth and Enlightenment: Re-reading Dialectic of Enlightenment, in Jay Bernstein (ed.): The Frankfurt School: Critical Assessments vol.3 (Routledge: London, 1994). Axel Honneth: The Critique of Power: Reflective Stages of Critical Social Theory (M.I.T: Boston, 1991). Gà ¶ran Therborn: The Frankfurt School, in New Left Review (ed.): Western Marxism: a Critical Reader (New Left Books: Norfolk, 1977).

Different Wars, Similar Outcome

Wars that lay buried in history and wars present in the world today unite through the most common and blatant reality of war: violence resulting in imminent death. Literature often presents different perspectives of these wars that ultimately tie together and bring forth the actuality of war. Timothy Findley's The Wars and Wilfred Owen's â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† present a precise example of different pieces of literature that connect through the common theme of war. The Wars and â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† offer the unconcealed and harsh violence of war and through vivid imagery, these authors depict life at war. Additionally, both of these works contain the four basic elements of life – earth, water, fire, and air – to reveal that these four basic elements can represent death as well. Moreover, the theme of appearance versus reality impacts both works profoundly through the ruthless truth of war as compared to the credulous beliefs of war. Through these ways, a novel and a poem unify to unveil the truth about war and convince audiences of the violent reality of warfare. The violent nature of war is visibly illustrated in both The Wars and â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est†.Could Cold War Have Been Avoided? Death, the impending result of such violence, is an underlying theme that highlights both literary works and assists audiences in grasping the severe veracity of war itself. In Findley's The Wars, death assists in emphasizing the overall violence imprinted by the war. â€Å"Half an hour later, Rodwell wandered into No Man's Land and put a bullet through his ears. † (Findley, 135) Similarly, Owen's â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† incorporates death to underline the extreme violence caused by war, when in line 15 and 16, the author watches in his â€Å"helpless sigh [as] he plunges at [him], guttering, choking, and drowning. (Owen, 15, 16) The presence of violence is also evident in both works between characters and victims of war. Robert Ross, the main character from The Wars, experiences this violence firsthand when, alone and defenceless, he experiences the brutality of war through rape. â€Å"His legs were forced apart so far he thought they were going to be broken. Mouths began to suck at his privates. Hands and fingers probed and poked at every part of his body. Someone struck him in the face. † (Findley, 174) In Owen's poem, this brutality is described through the â€Å"white eyes† of the â€Å"writhing† victim of the war (Owen, 19). His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; if [one] could hear, at every jolt, the blood come gargling from the forth-corrupted lungs†¦ † (Owen, 20-22) This dramatic picture painted by both authors displays the terrible and violent effects of war as well as the fatal outcome violence trails behind. The violent results of war are represented through the use of the four elements of life in both works – earth, water, fire, and air. Both Findley and Owen describe the devastating outcome that these four elements that usually symbolize life can bring. Fire implies deep suffering and overall destruction in the battlefield, and as The Wars narrates, fire can become a damaging weapon. â€Å"The nights lit up with flames of a terrible new weapon†¦ it was something called a flame thrower†¦ fire storms raged along the front. Men exploded where they stood†¦ homes fell with their bones on fire†¦ She believed her country was being destroyed by fire. † (Findley, 131-132, 136) Likewise, â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† describes fire as â€Å"haunting flares† and as damaging â€Å"like a man in fire†(Owen, 3, 12). Fire, however, differs greatly from the earth, which embodies a trap in combat that slowly confines its victims. In The Wars, earth is portrayed as a grave in which its victims â€Å"drowned in mud. Their graves, it seemed, just dug themselves and pulled down. † (Findley, 70) Correspondingly, Owen's portrayal of soldiers crossing through this earth is a picture painted with hardships, violence, and suffering. â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars undersacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through the sludge†¦ any had lost their boots, but limped on, blood-shod. † (Owen, 1-2, 5-6) Another element that forms a part of war is water and through Owen's depiction, audiences can see how this element can serve as a life-ending source. † As under a green sea, [he] saw him drowning. † (Owen, 14) The Wars also demonstrates that water can be a powerful element that is capable of engulfing completely its surroundings during times of conflict and war. â€Å"On either side, the ditches are filled with fetid water. Everything is waterlogged. Even bits of grass won't float. (Findley, 69) The final element used in both The Wars and â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† is air and in both works, this holds great value and significance. Owen illustrates that during war, air can serve as a deadly killer that tragically ends one's life. â€Å"Gas! GAS! Quick boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling fitting the clumsy helmets just in time†¦ through the misty panes†¦ I saw him drowning†¦ guttering, choking, drowning. † (Owen, 9-10, 13, 14, 16) The Wars also portrays the fatalities that the usual life-nourishing air can bring forth in times of fighting and loss. â€Å"The smoke from the brazier burned his eye s. He was fearful of the fumes from the coke. Men had died in their sleep down the line in a dugout with no ventilation. (Findley, 90) When all these four elements of life are brought together during times of tension and wars, they can slowly, painfully, and tragically end lives. As seen in The Wars and â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est†, these elements possess enough power to kill the lives of many in just an instant in the battlefield, leaving behind nothing more than fallen corpses and overall suffering. Wars and battles signify great suffering along with substantial loss. Findley and Owen successfully represent these two major themes of war and more importantly, both works are able to illustrate the most unforeseen theme of war: appearance versus reality. Owen flawlessly exemplifies this theme by revealing the cold reality of war and the violence that is â€Å"obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud. † (Owen, 23) â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† brings forth the powerful message that the realities of war are far more destructive than thought by anyone before and if people knew of the unrestrained truth, â€Å"[they] would not tell with such high zest the old lie: dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. (Owen, 26-28) This saying, that it is sweet and right to die for your own country, is viewed as a lie to the author's eyes most likely because he knows the cruel reality of war and not the much talked about and happy reality of war. This happier reality of war is portrayed in The Wars through Robert and his desire to go to war, thinking it was an e scape. â€Å"Robert envied him because he could go away when this was over and surround himself with space. † (Findley, 19) What looked like an escape from the violent death of Robert's sister, however, was in reality a doorway to a brutal path of violence resulting in his own demise. The open space this character dreamed about became his prison and later on lead to his violent death. â€Å"There were flames all around him†¦ looking down at Robert after the flames had been extinguished, he was barely able to recognize that Robert had a face† (Findley, 192). Robert as well as the character in â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† both see the charm of war melt before their eyes and both come to the realization from first-hand experience the cruel realities of war. The callous reality of war is seen throughout the world, whether it is represented through present day wars or wars that complete part of history. Literature presents diverse viewpoints of war that unite through extreme violence resulting in significant deaths. Owen's â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† and Findley's The Wars portray ideal examples of literature connected through the lucid actuality of war. Both works provide a vivid and gruesome description of the massive violence perceived in war. This immense violence carried out in war is represented through the four elements of life – earth, water, fire, and air – which are characterized in the battlefield of each literary work as elements that represent death as well. Furthermore, the theme of appearance versus reality influences both The Wars and â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† intensely through the cruel truth of war as compared to the unsuspecting and naive beliefs of war. Overall, both literary works serve their purpose in depicting the horrid reality about war and both accurately portray the war in a way that audiences can clearly see the violent actuality of war. Unknowingly, these two pieces of literature connect and foil one another in the description of wars and their violent veracity.