The pressure and the result Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The pressure and the result - Research Paper Example The resistance in these areas can be attributed to the rebel groups retaliating to the violence and the unfair treatment that their governments get from the US, especially in terms of the control of valuable resources such as oil deposits. Also, the passive nature of the US government in providing sanctions with regards to its own citizens in insulting and mocking other cultures caused the deaths of one of its ambassadors to Libya. This goes to show that while the US government keeps controlling the OPEC’s in a dehumanizing way bloodshed will not stop in these countries. It would be of best interest in both parties that the US government recognize the ability of these Middle Eastern countries in settling their own disputes, educate its citizens in the human rights that the Middle Eastern populations deserve, as well as not branding all Muslims as terrorists, and adjust their policies on the OPEC’s. The Results of Western Pressures on Middle Eastern Countries The US has been known to have major control over the oil-producing countries in the Middle East since around the years a bit before and after the end of the Second World War, and this control has extended even beyond the oil refineries and into the socio-political environment of these countries. Initially taking over these petroleum-producing countries started out as a task that was handed out by former European empires such as the French and the British monarchies, due to their losing ground in seizing full control of the petroleum industries of the countries that handle and export them (Huntington, 1993, p. 31). However, when the prospect of getting hold of the world’s large suppliers of petroleum and other by-products gave the policy-makers in the US ideas of having power over them, it occurred to them that it was possible not just to take hold over the flow of the petroleum products but also manipulating the leaders in these countries in creating policies that would mostly benefit t he US, but without covertly seizing hold of the countries themselves. When the US took hold of these oil refinery plants, it gave an idea to its leaders and the general public that because the country has control over these Organizations of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), they are also in control with the social and political environments in these countries, making the US their unofficial world police/peace negotiator/mediator, so far as OPEC’s are concerned. However, such views only added pressure to these countries, as well as undermining their own capacities to rule and prevent or solve conflicts within their adjacent countries and kingdoms (Forsyth, O'Boyle, & McDaniel, 2008, p. 816). In addition, through the eyes of the US citizens, the needs, ideas and traditions of the people living in these countries were deemed insignificant, making the Middle East countries seen only as a group of nations that cater to their large demand of petroleum products (Chomsky, 2004, p . 74). Dehumanizing these countries created pressure between the US and the OPEC’s, which became one of the roots of the seemingly-unending conflicts that not only affect the social and political stability in these nations, but also their moral standpoint as far as the rest of the world is concerned. The retaliation of these countries with regards to how the US maintains control over them and their natural resources became struggles that earned the reputation of Middle Eastern countries as rebels, tyrants, and even terrorists, which are in reality

The Five Forces by Michael Porter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Five Forces by Michael Porter - Essay Example This model distinguished the strength of rivalry and hence the revenues and attractiveness of an industry. Five Forces Model can be utilized as an instrument to enhance a strategic edge over the rivalry of companies inside an industry in a competitive manner. The Five Forces Model is as follow (Bowers et al, 1990): The characteristics of these forces provide the companies the appropriate framework to give them the ability to create the necessary strategies in order to be successful in the industry (Thurby, 1998). To provide an in-depth review of the industry where a company dwells, the researcher will use Porter's five forces model (Campbell et al, 2002). The model of pure competition implies that risk-adjusted rates of return should be constant across firms and industries. However, numerous economic studies have affirmed that different industries can sustain different levels of profitability; part of this difference is explained by industry structure. Michael Porter provided a framework that models an industry as being influenced by five forces (Cemal and Keskin, 2003). The strategic business manager seeking to develop an edge over rival firms can use this model to better understand the industry context in which the firm operates. The discussion will be initially covered by the description of the buyer's power over the industry followed by the depiction of the power of suppliers over the companies (David, 1999). Another attribute of the industry that will be taken into account is the intens ity of competition among companies as well as the level of potency of new companies who have recently entered the market of retail. And finally, the ability of substitute product to affect the business disposition of a company will also be taken into consideration (David, 2001). Buyer's Power Based on Porter's five forces analysis, companies in the industry sell to a few large customers/buyers (Downes, 1999). Likewise, the industry also displays an apparent impracticality for customers/buyers to switch from one source of supply to another. This is reflected by the cost of raw materials as well as the costs of operations. Moreover, the products offered by companies in the industry are essentially interchangeable and indistinguishable (Gratton, 1999). The product