Managing Intelligence Activities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Managing Intelligence Activities - Essay Example According to the United States government legislative procedures, the house of Congress oversees the enactment, implementation of security funds under the National Defense Authorization Act. One of the challenges facing budget planning is information agency problem. The Department of Defense withholds the security operations accounted for every dollar allocated. As a result of an inconsistent agreement, disparity in fund allocation exists. For instance, The Black Budget revealed that Research and technology accounted for only 1% of the $52.6 billion budget proposal. The incite highlights the oblivion of facts by the Congress and security agencies on the imminence of security threats such as cyber crimes.Another challenge is the resource constraint and the unpredictable economic stability. A budget is a proposal based on historical concepts and thus provides a thin link with the unforeseen circumstances. For instance, the National Security Intelligence program has had to request for i ncreased budget allocation in order to counter security lapses in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the rising cases of cyber crimes. In another perspective, integration of all security agencies in the United States is paramount. The National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have been overlapping on their responsibilities; a factor that has resulted in the Latter’s budget exceeding the National Security Agency’s budget for the year 2013 by 50% (Miller & Gellman, 2013).

Justifying Vietnam Essay Example for Free

Justifying Vietnam Essay In chapters 3 and 4 of Robert McMahon’s Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War, there are a number of reasons given for the increased American involvement in Vietnam from the late 1940s to the mid 1950s. McMahon includes several documents in these chapters that point to three main reasons used to justify our role in Vietnam. One underlying reason for the early American presence in Vietnam is given in chapter 3, where in McMahon’s first essay Cold War Strategy and U.   S. Intervention he states that, â€Å"†¦the initial U. S. commitment to provide military assistance to the French in the context of broader American Cold War priorities† (McMahon 58). I think this means that we were justified in starting a limited war with the Vietnamese to prevent a war with a superpower such as China or Russia. The Truman administration was â€Å"convinced that Moscow and Beijing had become even more dangerously opportunistic foes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (McMahon 67). Vietnam was uniquely placed not far from these Communist countries and with our presence there we could strategically have a military presence closer to that of China and Russia than the United States is. In the Statement of U. S. Policy Toward Indochina, the State Department reviewed that, â€Å"This hatred of the Vietnamese people toward the French is keeping alive anti-western feeling among oriental peoples, to the advantage of the USSR and the detriment of the US† (McMahon 51). Our geographical position in Vietnam and subsequent relationships forged during the Vietnam War with Southeast Asian countries was a major contribution to our victory in the Cold War. The second reason justifying US presence stems from Vietnam’s weak position to fight off potential invading countries. The State Department concluded, â€Å"The countries and areas of Southeast Asia are not at present in a position to form a regional organization for self-defense nor are they capable of defending themselves against military aggressive, without the aid of the great powers† (McMahon 54). The United States had proven its military supremacy in World War II on a global scale. We had won the war and become a superpower overnight. The US was the first country to develop operational nuclear weapons and the only country to have demonstrated their use in war. We soon became the center of helping rebuild the destroyed countries by being a source of funding. All these contributed to the world power position of the United States, and now we were in a position to help countries in need. With that being said, â€Å"The State of Vietnam had a small army of 150,000 led by an inexperienced officer corps that†¦had never been allowed to have any command or staff authority. Industry had been virtually nonexistent†¦and the agricultural base of rice and rubber†¦had been wrecked by explosive landlords who had impoverished much of the peasantry† (McMahon 99). Since Vietnam was not in a state to fight without help, the United States offered our support. The third and most talked about reason discussed in the chapters is our attempt to prevent Communism spreading anywhere else. To start, document 4 conclusions state, â€Å"The whole of Southeast Asia is in danger of falling under Communist domination† (McMahon 54). It had become clear in 1954 that the French were failing to re-colonize Vietnam and without control, it would fall to Communism. The State Department concluded, â€Å"It is important to the United States security interests that all practical measures be taken to prevent further communist expansion of Southeast Asia. Indochina is a key area of Southeast Asia and is under immediate threat† (McMahon 56). In chapter 4, we learn of the domino theory as President Eisenhower explained it in 1954 and this became the most public reason shown in the media for our presence in Vietnam. It describes the fragility of Communism growing throughout the world, especially in Southeast Asia. The analogy explains dominoes set up next to each other and if one falls, the rest will quickly fall as well. This was the position of the United States that if Vietnam fell to Communism, the rest of Southeast Asia and other countries would soon follow including Burma, Thailand, the Peninsula, and Indonesia. In conclusion, the support to enhance our presence in Vietnam was one that was greatly supported in the beginning. The American people at home were afraid of Communism spreading throughout the world which would cause a bigger threat to a domestic attack. In light of the Cold War, Communism was something we were afraid of, and we did what we thought would be an intuitive move to thwart bigger ones from the USSR or China. Since we were in a position to help Vietnam, this was justification for American involvement.

The Basic Energy Sources For Electric Energy Environmental Sciences Essay

The Basic Energy Sources For Electric Energy Environmental Sciences Essay What are the basic energy sources for electric energy? Electricity is a converted energy. So its being the basic energy source for simple motor to the complex computer system. In this aspect it runs our life with efficiency and conveniently. There for it is important to aware where does it come from and how does it create. The electric energy can be generated in various ways but basically there are five different sources for electric energy. We can categorize it like as following. Hydroelectric energy In hydroelectric energy generation that electricity is generate by using water.This is a method to generate electricity from a renewable source, and generates very little pollution. Here a dam is built to trap water, usually in a valley where there is an existing lake. Because the water running through tunnels in the dam to the turbines and thus drive generators. The dam is much thicker at the bottom than the top, the pressure of the water increases with depth. Gravitational potential energy stored in the water above the dam. Due to the large amount of water, it will forward to the work under high pressure, which means we can much energy from it. The water then flows away along the river as usual. The first hydroelectric plant in history began producing electricity in 1882. It is located in the state of Wisconsin, the Fox River and is used for the generation of electricity. Hydropower in many countries throughout the world and in Sri Lanka, including Brazil, Canada, Russia, Tanzania, Iceland, North Korea and New Zealand. It seems to be a popular option in almost every area, whether political or economic differences. It has a number of advantages in relation to other electrical sources. Once the dam is built, the energy is virtually free No waste or pollution produced. Much more reliable than wind, solar or wave power. Electricity can be generated constantly. Hydro-electric power stations can increase to full power very quickly, unlike other power stations. But at the same time it has few disadvantages as the dams are very expensive to build. On the other hand building a large dam will flood very large area upstream, causing problems for animals that used to live there. Also hydroelectricity cannot fulfill todays large require consumption in world. Electricity from Coal Coal power is another major resource of electric energy which has been using many parts of the world. Coal is the solid end-product of millions of years of decomposition of organic materials. In truth, coal is stored solar energy. Plants capture the energy from sunlight through photosynthesis, which directly converts solar energy to plant matter. Animals that then eat the plants to convert that energy again, storing it in their own bodies. Over millions of years, accumulated plant and animal matter is covered by sediment and stored within the earths crust, gradually being transformed into hard black solids by the sheer weight of the earths surface. Coal, like other fossil fuel supplies, takes millions of years to create, but releases its stored energy within only a few moments when burned to generate electricity. Because coal is a finite resource, and cannot be replenished once it is extracted and burned, it cannot be considered a renewable resource. Electricity from Wind Weve used the wind as an energy source for a long time. The Babylonians and Chinese were using wind power to pump water for irrigating crops 4,000 years ago, and sailing boats were around long before that. Wind is a renewable resource because it is inexhaustible. The Sun heats our atmosphere unevenly, so some patches become warmer than others. These warm patches of air raise, other air blows in to replace them and we feel a wind blowing. We can use the energy in the wind by building a tall tower, with a large propeller on the top. The wind blows the propeller round, which turns a generator to produce electricity. When it comes to cost the current costs of wind-generated electricity at prime sites approach the costs of a new coal-fired power plant. Wind power is the lowest-cost renewable energy technology available on the market today. According to the researches, the costs of wind power are projected to continue to fall and may rank the cheapest electricity source of all options by 2020. Wind power also has both advantages and disadvantages. It produces no air pollution. They use no water, and there is no need to tear up the land to extract the wind resource that produces wind power. Nonetheless, there may be environmental problems associated with some wind plants. It generates three categories of environmental impacts: visual impacts; noise pollution; wildlife impacts. These impacts can vary immensely from site to site. Solar Electricity Solar electricity is created by using Photovoltaic (PV) technology by converting solar energy into solar electricity from sunlight. Photovoltaic systems use sunlight to power ordinary electrical equipment, for example, household appliances, computers and lighting. The photovoltaic (PV) process converts free solar energy the most abundant energy source on the planet directly into solar power. Note that this is not the familiar passive or solar electricity thermal technology used for space heating and hot water production. A PV cell consists of two or more thin layers of semiconducting material, most commonly silicon. When the silicon is posed to light, electrical charges are generated and this can be conducted away by metal contacts as direct current (DC). The electrical output from a single cell is small, so multiple cells are connected together and encapsulated (usually behind glass) to form a module (sometimes referred to as a panel). The PV module is the principle building block of a PV system and any number of modules can be connected together to give the desired electrical output. PV equipment has no moving parts and as a result requires minimal maintenance. It generates solar electricity without producing emissions of greenhouse or any other gases, and its operation is virtually silent. Sri Lanka lies between 6 and 10 degrees north of the Equator and as such will have limited seasonal variation. However, variations in cloud cover have a significant impact on output from PV. Apart from these basic methods, electricity can be generated via tidal power, wave power, geothermal power and biogas etc. But those energy sources are either in experimental stage or have been used in small scaled projects wise. Electricity from Nuclear power Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus (core) of an atom. Atoms are tiny particles that make up every object in the universe. There is enormous energy in the bonds that hold atoms together. Nuclear energy can be used to make electricity. But first the energy must be released. It can be released from atoms in two ways: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. Nuclear fusion, energy is released when atoms are combined or fused together to form a larger atom. This is how the sun produces energy. In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to produce electricity. Nuclear power plants are very clean and efficient to operate. However, nuclear power plants have some major environmental risks. Nuclear power plants produce radioactive gases. These gases are to be contained in the operation of the plant. If these gases are released into the air, major health risks can occur. Nuclear plants use uranium as a fuel to produce power. The mining and handling of uranium isvery risky and radiation leaks can occur. The third concern of nuclear power is the permanent storage of spent radioactive fuel. This fuel is toxic for centuries, handling and disposal is an ongoing environmental issue. Nuclear plants are very expensive. And also it would be dangerous for small countries like us. Because the heat from the uncontrolled reaction can melt everything it comes into contact with. Catastrophic accid ents could injure or kill thousands of people. For create nuclear plant need huge land are without living creatures (people, animals etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). We need like deserts. So we hard to going to nuclear power.

Essay --

A person that avoids any animal products, as in any meats or animal-derived foods is considered a vegetarian. This is the general classification of a vegetarian. It is a challenge to classify a vegetarian; many variations were created to suit certain diets. Lactovegetarians are vegetarians that consume milk and dairy products. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but no dairy products, and some do consume honey. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians exclude meats and seafood’s but consume dairy products and eggs. The lacto-ovo-vegetarian eating pattern also consists of legumes, seeds and nuts. Vegans are the only pure vegetarians; they exclude all animal derived foods. There are also people that classify themselves as near vegetarians, for example macrobiotic diets. The macrobiotic diet consists mostly grains, legumes and vegetables and limited amounts of fish. There is also an instance where people will adopt being a vegetarian occasionally; this is called being a flexitarian. Appropriately planned vegetarian diets can be essential to any one, in any stage of their life. Vegetarian diets are associated with lower risks of cancer, death from ischemic heart disease or any cardiovascular disease. Also lower body mass index (BMI), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, low blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension than those of which are non-vegetarians. Kidney and liver conditions can tell a person whether or not adopting a vegetarian diet can be helpful for their conditions. Those that exhibit lower levels of protein, phosphorus, sodium, manganese, and have an abundant amount of zinc and potassium are better suited to diets that focuses on meats, those that show signs of the opposite levels, are better suited to adopt vegetarianism. However it ... ...results in longer lives. There are many factors to why some want be vegetarians. Many believe that it is more ethical to become vegetarian. That warm-blooded animals being slaughtered have emotions and connections and are sacrificed to satisfy the decedent meat eating lifestyle. Or let it be that we are supporting many genetically modified crops and feeding them to the animals we eat; only supporting an artificial lifecycle. Many vegetarians are born into the lifestyle; most people from India are vegetarians because of the animals they worship. It is called the Asian –Indian diets, which is predominantly lacto-vegetarian. Many choose the lifestyle because of health concerns and concerns of the environment; that we are a product of our environment. What ever we take from the world or put into it is the reason there are so many health problems, like a circle of life.

Communication and Information Technology Essay

Technological advancement have improved and eased the communication process. With the world revolving around technology, almost all tasks have been simplified consequently reducing the number of hours that one can perform a certain task. It has helped in the organizing information, thus enabling access and retrieval of information easy. The use of technology has helped many organizations cut on costs at the same time increasing efficiency and promptness in service delivery. In the medical arena, most of the up to the standard hospitals or healthcare systems have adopted the use of technology in delivering of their services. This has brought about comfortably and the feeling of appreciation to the patient or the person who is being served as it gives an aura of value for money and the sense of embrace of technology in this technological era. Electronic Medical Records is one of these technologies (Kluge, 2001). With the capacity to hold limitless information and being able to be changed to fit the current need, this technology has helped in the healthcare practitioners to deliver services in a more organized manner and without having delays as compared to if everything was done manually. Consequentially, this reduces costs and improves the picture of the organization at the same time fostering monitoring ability of the organization of the number of clients visiting the healthcare facility. Electronic Medical Record is computerized kind of information keeping in which information is compressed as it is converted in a digital format. This allows for consumption of minimal space while keeping the office of operation clean, tidy and attractive (Fins, 2008). This creation of space enables the expansion of services offered in the healthcare facility as there is more space of operation. Access of information becomes easy and convenient thus increasing the morale of the staff in service delivery. It offsets the possibility of committing unnecessary mistakes while delivering services because of handwritten records which are not legible. This program makes it possible transfer information from one healthcare system to another thus making it possible to treat patients in the shortest time possible as their medical records are delivered in the shortest time possible electronically. By use of this technology, it is possible for parents to monitor their kids’ wellbeing without having extra cost of travelling to where they are to check on their progress. It also makes it possible for patients to assess their medical record and also get their results without much problem of waiting till they are given to them manually. Other electronic communication delivery services like the use of voice over have helped in the reduction of the amount of work that one does in calling patients manually so that they can be attended to. It is just a simple task of just announcing a patients name and they go to the corresponding room in which they will be served. This has increased efficiency and effectiveness in serving clients (Fins, 2008). This sets a kind of an order which they patients follow and allowing for easy dissemination of information, loud enough for everyone to hear, thus, patients do not have to suffer the discomfiture of not having heard their names being mentioned by a caller physically since this system is fitted with speakers loud enough to be heard clearly. Other technologies like the Practice management software ensure the smooth running of the healthcare system giving medical practitioners a humble time in their operations on a daily basis. This wads off possibilities of confusion and lets them (medical practitioners) operate in an orderly manner. The information which this software can handle is all inclusive and does not only include the client’s bio data but also other aspects of the healthcare organization like bills and transactions going on. (Klug, 2001) It works just the same way as the EMR only that it comprises of the management aspect of healthcare system in its daily operations. Apart from keeping a track on patients’ conditions and appointments, the system is used to develop bills and keep a record on the same so that thee reports can be used whenever need arises. It keeps every transaction and activity on record so that it becomes possible for any practitioner to know what was done the previous day and by who, which patient was attended to and by who so that he/she is able to know exactly where to start as concerns a specific task. This just as the EMRs has a way of cutting costs and increasing effectiveness. This is because all information as concerns any patient is stored electronically and retrieved with ease when need arises, thus avoiding the possibility of confusing one’s medical data with another persons (Fins, 2008). This enables a medical practitioner to prescribe the right medicine to the right person while at the same time allowing for generation of information about the right bills for the client in accordance to the medical procedures and medication accorded to him or her. Other systems like the electronic health systems keep a full medical history of a patient. It keeps essential information that can be used by the doctor or any medical practitioner to offer quick and effective diagnosis of a patient. All healthcare reports about a certain patient are stored in this system including drugs prescribed to the patient every time he/she attends that healthcare facility. It is also inclusive of all test results of that particular patient as well as x-rays and the response of the patient towards a certain medication. All this information is essential for up to level health care treatment of any patient. It keeps off the agony of a patient for having to answer tedious questions about their past medical history every time they visit a healthcare facility, as information about them is stored electronically and retrieved on every visit. This medical history is updated time to time on the occasions that a client visits for the purpose of seeking for treatment. The use of electronic technology in healthcare systems has more pros than cons. This is because as enumerated above, it has advantages to both the client and the healthcare facility. The fact that it increases efficiency and effectiveness can not be underscored while at the same time reducing operating costs of the facility. Clients are served to their liking and while their medical record is kept safely and is retrieved during the time of need with a lot of ease (Kluge, 2001). One of the major disadvantages is that information about a patient can be copied maliciously and tampered with. If the entire system should break down, then volumes and volumes of information are lost. It would be a good thing if all the above system could be integrated into one piece. This will ease operation even more as all the operations are under one click of a ‘mouse’. It could also be improved in such a way that clients can access their information wherever and whenever they are. Reference Fins, J. (2008). Web of Care: How Will the Electronic Medical Record Change Medicine? The Hastings Center Report, Vol. 38, pp. 67-88 Kluge, E. (2001). The Ethics of Electronic Patient Record

Letter to Congress Essay

My name is †¦ and I am writing as your constituent in the 53rd Congressional district of California. I am writing to ask you to cosponsor Rep. John Conyers’ Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act (H.R. 676). United States House of Representatives Bill Number 676 is the proposed U.S. legislation to establish single-payer health care, improved Medicare for All, in the United States. It will establish lifelong, comprehensive coverage for health care. A single-payer system would take the charge of insurance premiums off of employers and put it on the people as a nation, where it belongs. I can’t think of a more pro-business step that Congress could take at this time. It’s also the right thing to do, the humane thing to do. Obamacare doesn’t address the lack of sustainability of our healthcare system. It won’t keep insurance prices down, more than 30 million people will remain uninsured, and insurance companies will manipulate their way out of a ny imposed regulations. We will no longer be paying for a system that wastes $400 billion in excessive administrative costs, more of our health care dollars will be spent on health care, and more of the doctors and nurses time will be spent on caring for people. The result will be more time spent on prevention and wellness and the U.S. dramatically raising its life expectancy. As a Registered Nurse who has been employed at various managed care payers, I know firsthand the corruption and abuse that is typical of health insurance companies. It is political corruption that has allowed this situation to continue. Right now Congress and the President are fighting over how much to slash Medicare and Medi-Cal/Medicaid benefits. The American people don’t want to see this happen. National, single-payer healthcare (H.R. 676) is pro-business, and pro-people. Please co-sponsor today. Thank you for your time and attention.