Analytical Essay Sample on Nike Workers #8220;We Are Not Machines#8221;

Analytical Essay Sample on Nike Workers #8220;We Are Not Machines#8221; Most people are familiar with the Nike logo. Most people also know that Nike is a multi-million dollar company that sells name brand shoes worldwide. Millions of pairs of Nike shoes are sold daily, but what people don’t know about Nike shoes is how and where they are made, who makes them, and how Nike spends its money in this process. According to the â€Å"Sweatshop Fact Sheet,† Tiger Woods is paid over fifty five thousand dollars a day to be their spokesman. Another famous person that is a spokesman for Nike is Michael Jordan. According to the article â€Å"Running Away With the Profits,† (Environmental Action, Academic Search Elite), Michael Jordan is paid twenty million dollars in endorsement fees. Big name sport teams advertise Nike to appeal to the common person. Indonesia is one of many countries around the world that is home to numerous Nike factories. Indonesia is a third world country of 214 million people. The main part of the economy is farmers, with half of these being the labor force. This happens to be an ideal country of choice for Nike to set up their factories for manufacturing their shoes. It allows Nike to take advantage of the local people. These people need to work in these factories to make a living, and they are stuck with the poor working conditions that Nike has provided. One way in which Nike is taking advantage of their workers is through long and hard work hours. According to the article: â€Å"We are not machines,† the Nike’s code of conduct states that the employees in their factories can only work sixty hours a week, and it’s mandatory to have one day off per seven days worked. The task force in the article went in and interviewed the workers at the Nike factory in early 2001 and found that workers’ weeks consisted of seventy hours and more. This depended on the seasonal orders that the workers were obligated to fill. The top worker was working 84 hours a week. When asked if this worker wanted to work this amount of hours, his reply was no. Another worker stated, â€Å"Although overtime is voluntary in my factory, it is forced by nature, since we cannot survive without it.† (â€Å"We are not machines† article) He has to work this amount of hours or he can’t afford anything for his family. Another thing that you might not know about Nike workers is the low pay they receive. The same report, â€Å"We are not machines,† also found that the average monthly range of pay was from $37 to $44. This averages out to 25 cents per hour. They are stuck working the long hours that Nike demands, or they loose their jobs. Nike says that they are meeting minimum wage standard, which is $2.28 per day, but the workers are working many more hours than required to earn this wage. They are not paying them for their overtime. It takes the average worker one hour of wages to be able to buy 1 kilogram of rice. The average farmer makes about a dollar a day, where the average factory worker makes about two dollars a day. Sure this is more money, but there is a catch 22. The catch 22 is that the factory worker puts in double plus hours each day, in poor working conditions, with no rights. They aren’t learning any basic skills for survival in their country, such as farming. Their ch ildren aren’t learning any basic skills either, because they send them away to live in another village with a relative. They basically can’t afford to provide day care while they work, nor the food to feed their children or themselves. The shoes that these workers are making cost Nike about five dollars per shoe, and on an average, they sell for one hundred dollars or more depending on the shoe. The Nike workers also have to go through the workday in unhealthy work conditions. The process of making shoes involves many chemicals, and if these chemicals aren’t properly managed, the worker’s health is at risk. Dara O’Rourke, a trained health and safety specialist, was allowed in to inspect the Nike factories in Indonesia. He found excessive noise and heat. Levels of toxic chemicals were still present, but reduced. He found misuse of equipment and poor tracking of worker illness. Because of this investigation, Nike went ahead and introduced water based chemicals, which reduced the level of toxic chemicals. When they interviewed some more workers after this, they found that they still had health issues that were unresolved. Another issue that these workers face is not having the right to form unions. According to the article, â€Å"We are not machines,† the workers not only fear for their jobs, but also for their lives, if they even talk about unions. There have been many cases in which workers have been threatened and fired. There was even a case where there was a murder attempt on a worker’s life related to the union. I think it’s pathetic that Nike, which is an American founded company, will not support union activities in their own factories. Many people would ask the question: why is Nike hardly concerned about the welfare of its workers? This can be easily answered by looking at the global economy. The global economy consisted of many companies using third world countries as their base for their factories that make their products. All these companies are backed by the WTO. According to the article: â€Å"Ten Arguments against the WTO,† the WTO is not concerned with where a company manufactures its products or the conditions that it takes place in. The reason that Nike gets away with having factories as such in Indonesia, is that they are backed by the a very powerful world organization, the WTO, thus allowing Nike to make huge profits. Now I am not saying that Nike is free to do what they want. They have been pressured by many independent organizations, which fight for the rights of the factory workers, and the types of conditions described in this article. Because of this, Nike has made some changes throughout t he years that benefit the workers, but it is still not enough. In conclusion, it seems that Nike is making a huge profit at the cost of human live and dignity. Instead of spending millions of dollars on their workers, who are the backbones of making the actual shoes, they are spending it on their advertisements to promote their company. I realize that advertisement is essential to the success of a product, but it should not be at the cost of another human being to make a profit. I know that Nike is just one of thousands of companies that have taken their labor overseas, so that the product can be made at a fraction of its cost. Unfortunately the public sees Nike as a company whose product is worn by the rich and famous, therefore it is something that they would want for themselves. We the consumer enable them to continue this kind of business, because we buy the product. Through global media, we the public are becoming more aware of this kind of exploitation of workers. Overall, I think there is no pride to be found in companies that exploit the ir employees at the cost of a better profit for themselves. Awareness is going to be the key to hopefully fix it in the near future.

Too Much French Vocabulary Is the Haute of Hauteur

Too Much French Vocabulary Is the Haute of Hauteur Too Much French Vocabulary Is the Haute of Hauteur Too Much French Vocabulary Is the Haute of Hauteur By Mark Nichol Thanks to the longstanding political and social influence of France on what is now the United Kingdom, French and its dialects have had a significant impact on the English language. Linguists estimate that nearly one-third of English words are derived from French, and though some are more efficient or evocative in meaning than words that evolved from Old English, terms that ostentatiously signal their place of origin should be used in moderation. Many words we take for granted stem from French, among them some of the terms most closely associated with the United States, such as equality, justice, and liberty. However, Gallicisms, expressions and idioms clearly identifiable as French (though they often have become naturalized citizens in English), are also numerous. For example, many speakers of American English use one or more phrases beginning with the French word for good: â€Å"bon appetit† (literally â€Å"good appetite,† meaning â€Å"enjoy your meal†), â€Å"bon mot† (literally â€Å"good piece,† meaning â€Å"witty remark†), â€Å"bon vivant† (literally â€Å"good liver,† meaning â€Å"one who lives well†), and â€Å"bon voyage† (literally, â€Å"good journey,† meaning â€Å"enjoy your trip†). The first and last are universally familiar, but â€Å"bon mot† and â€Å"bon vivant† are less widely known. And although most well-educated people understand what a coup de grace is, it would be considered pretentious to write of a coup de foudre (literally, â€Å"strike of thunder,† meaning â€Å"love at first sight†), a coup de maitre (literally, â€Å"stroke of the master,† meaning â€Å"masterstroke†), a coup de theatre (literally, â€Å"stroke of theater,† meaning â€Å"dramatic turn of events†), or a coup d’oeil (literally, â€Å"strike of the eye,† meaning â€Å"glance†). Likewise, many other French terms may be at best vaguely familiar to readers, and though readers may not mind going to the dictionary once or twice, writers should be cautious about annoying them by lacing their work with too many words or phrases such as habituà © (â€Å"one who frequents a place†), â€Å"idà ©e fixe† (â€Å"obsession†), louche (â€Å"questionable, or arousing suspicion†), and manque (â€Å"failure†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before Words8 Writing Tips for Beginners5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences

The Portinari Altarpiece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Portinari Altarpiece - Essay Example There are various subjects in the painting as on the left is Tommaso Partinari, Saint Thomas, and Anthony Abbot, while the two sons of Tomasso, Pigello, and Antonio are kneeling down. The right panel holds the images of Maria Maddalena Portinari, the wife of Tomasso and their eldest child, Margherita and alongside them is Saint Margaret of Antioch and Mary Magdalene. At the center of the art piece, Jesus is laying on the ground while shepherds and angels are kneeling before Him (Levy, Macy & Van, 2012). At the center of the art piece, there are various objects and elements with symbolic importance as well as emblematic figures. The central panel represents the Adoration of Christ as it depicts Mary in a deep prayer showing her acceptance of what her child will persevere as the savior of humanity. Consequently, the Holy Family is revealed in Bethlehem in a manger with shepherds, animals, and angels as Baby Jesus lies on the ground surrounded by an array of golden light. In the foreground, there are two urns of flowers and wheat that represent the Passion and Eucharist (Ridderbos, Hagopian, & McCormick, 2005). The wheat represents the Last Supper where Jesus severed the bread. The white lilies characterizing the smaller vase embody the immaculate and purity conception of Christ while the orange ones represent Christ’s â€Å"Passion† in his later life. Consequently, the second vase holds columbine and purple flowers that correspond to the â€Å"Seven Sorrows of the Virg in.† In the backdrop of the left pane, Joseph and pregnant Mary are seen escaping to Egypt, while the background in central panel; angels visit the Shepherds and on the right, the Three Magi are on their way to Bethlehem (Kleiner, 2012).

Current Issues Assignment( change another topic about this) Essay - 1

Current Issues Assignment( change another topic about this) - Essay Example Civil societies have always been staunch defenders of human rights in autocratic systems an example is Liu Xiaobo who was given an 11-year sentence for subversion of state power. Li et al (104) acknowledges by asserting that the â€Å"demand for human rights in china today is actually an indispensable step in the country’s modernization plans† The Chinese economy has been growing rapidly and that the pace of human rights reforms have been picking up and that it should be noted that political reforms should not be equated to legal reforms, they be correlated but not synonymous Political reforms should set the tone for legal reforms; adoption of democratic principles in governance ultimately has a bearing on the justice system of a nation. For BeÃŒ ja et al (158) a â€Å"harmonious society should feature democracy, the rule of law, equity, justice, sincerity, amity and

Bonnie Lyons Essay Example for Free

Bonnie Lyons Essay The critic, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, considers The Handmaids Tale to be far more than a political tract deploring nuclear energy, environmental waste and antifeminist attitudes. Which features of Atwoods novel do you believe have contributed to its readability and secured its reputation as a piece of classic modern fiction? In the novel, The Handmaids Tale, it is my opinion that the principal aspect of Atwoods writing style is the depth and intensity with which she approaches her subject matter; she consistently shows that she has researched her material and is able to show relatively potential alternate futures at the time of the early 80s it is not inconceivable to imagine certain turns of events happening as they did in the narrative. In the 1980s, the political climate globally seemed to be turning toward economic restraint and conservatism. In general, this shift was a response to the liberalism and unchecked social spending that occurred in the 1970s, which were in turn the extended results of the freedoms won by the worldwide social revolutions of the 1960s. This conservative trend appeared in different forms in different countries. In Margaret Atwoods home country of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, the Liberal Party leader resigned in 1984, and the voters replaced him with Progressive Conservative Brian Mulroney. Margaret Thatcher, who was elected Prime Minister of England in 1979, reversed decades of socialism by selling government-run industries to private owners. In the United States, the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan created such a turbulent reversal of previous social policy that the changes sweeping through the government during the first half of the decade came to be referred to as the Reagan Revolution. The extreme shift toward conservatism in the United States at that time is significant to the social change that created the Republic of Gilead in Atwoods imagination. After the novel was published, she told an American interviewer that she had tried originally to set the novel in Canada, but that it just would not fit the Canadian culture. Its not a Canadian sort of thing to do, she told Bonnie Lyons in 1987. Canadians might do it after the United States did it, in some sort of watered-down version. Our television evangelists are paltrier than yours. The States are more extreme in everything. The Republic of Gilead is characterised as a dystopia; a dystopia is any society considered to be undesirable, for any of a number of reasons. The term was coined as a converse to a utopia, and is most usually used to refer to a fictional society where current social trends are taken to nightmarish extremes. One of The Handmaids Tales successful aspects concerns the skilful portrayal of a state that in theory claims to be founded on Christian principles, yet in practice miserably lacks spirituality and benevolence. The state in Gilead prescribes a pattern of life based on abstinence, conformity, censorship, corruption, fear, and terror-in short, the usual terms of existence enforced by totalitarian states, instance of which can be found in such dystopian works as Orwells 1984. The novels thematics operate by speculating upon conflicting extremes: a decadent present, which Aunt Lydia cynically describes as a society dying of too much choice, and a totalitarian future that prohibits choice. Naturally, while rejecting the indulgent decadence and chaos of an anarchic society, the reader condemns the Gilead regime for its intolerant, prescriptive set of values that projects a tunnel vision on reality and eliminates human free will. There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Dont underrate it.

The Crazy Horse Electric Game :: essays research papers

The Crazy Horse Electric Game The story starts of while they are playing their first baseball game of the season against the Crazy Horse Electrics. They decide to put beer in the opposition team's water bottles as a prank, so that they could win. After that Willie decides to go fishing with his dad. They have deep conversations, and they start talking about why Willie's mom does not fish like she used too. Then they get into talking about Missy, Willie's little sister who died of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). After that the book cuts into another baseball game, they are playing against the Crazy Horse Electrics. Sal, a big guy on the Crazy Horse, and Johnny get into a verbal argument, and then Johnny says something personal about him and he wound up and decked Johnny one. They break it up and continue the game. When Willie was about to pitch he looses his balance and Sal hits a good pitch. Then out of pure luck and talent, Willie stretches himself out and robs Sal of a sure triple. Willie becomes a min or legend. On their way home from school Jenny and Willie hook up. Then on the weekend, Jenny, Johnny, Willie and his family decide to go to the lake. Willie and Jenny set the table for a picnic when Johnny is out skiing. Willies mom complains about him never being safe enough. Next it is Willie's turn to water-ski. As Willie was doing a 360Â ° turn, he caught the tips of his skis under the water and he crashed. Willies dad was in shock, Jenny had to give Willie mouth to mouth, and save his life. The left the boat, got into the vehicle, and drove to the hospital. Willie ends up with a speech impediment, and problems walking. He ends up doing crazy things, like acid, and drinking. He talks to a counselor whom he really likes. Willie does not want to go into a Special Ed class that the school is referring him to. He feels hopeless, and even jealous of his girlfriend for her athletics. He tries to play racquetball, but his dad gets frustrated with him. That night he hears his parents arguing over him. He hears his dad say that he thinks it would have been easier if Willie had died in the accident. From there he suspects Jenny and Petey of getting together, and finds out that they are.

An Inspector Calls & play Essay

Written by J. B. Priestley in 1945, An Inspector Calls is a play that follows the story of the Birling Family and their dealings with a woman, Eva Smith. The Birlings are a wealthy family and are happily celebrating an engagement when their evening is rudely interrupted by a police Inspector investigating the death of a working class girl. Throughout the course of the evening, the Inspector deftly uncovers their dirty little secrets and each of their involvements in the girl’s death. The play is set in an industrial town in the Midlands called Brumley. During 1912 in the Edwardian era, when the play was set, life was hard for the poor and even harder for women. There was very little help available for people and only the very desperate were given aid and even then they were sometimes not given enough. The local workhouse was available for the sick, old or handicapped but this was an unpleasant place. Women in 1912 were treated as inferior and they could not often do what men could; they were not allowed to vote, they were unlikely to go to university and get decent job and they were expected to give up their jobs once they were married. They did not have the same rights as men. The play starts with a long set of stage directions from which we learn a lot about the Birling family. They are wealthy as they employ a maid. It is also suggests that they are strongly ruled by their social duties and roles because it is said that Mrs Birling is ‘socially superior’ to Mr Birling suggesting that society plays a big role in the family’s life. This is further suggested by the fact that the men wear ‘tails and white ties’ to a family dinner signifying that the family are very proper and must be formal at all times – even in an informal setting. Even though it is quite formal, they are quite happy and cheerful as they have been celebrating a special occasion. The atmosphere is shown by the lighting which should be ‘pink and intimate’ hinting at a happy care-free family feel. However, when the Inspector comes in, the lighting should be harsher as the entrance of the Inspector destroys the family atmosphere and creates a harsh atmosphere.