Investment Assignment Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Investment Assignment Report - Essay Example There are a set of rule governing how trades and investors choose the varying available security options in the stock market. Our strategy is exemplified in this paper because of the decision to apply the gainer part. For the momentum strategy, my choice was Voltari Corp. Applying the first trading principle, â€Å"avoid dealing in stocks reporting above or within the 52 week high†, the decision to invest in APC indicates that this trading principle was correctly followed. Purchasing stocks of Voltari Corp. in its 52-week high stood at $3.60. The second trading principle-choose stocks recording a minimum of 1,000,000 shares in the daily trade volumes, in addition to avoiding stocks recording daily volumes of trade below 100,000 shares-the decision to buy Voltari Corp. stocks comply with the second trading principle. Voltari Corp. stocks recorded 3 million shares in its average 3-month trading volume. The third trading principle illustrates the need to avoid mid-and-cap stocks (stocks recording values less than $5 billion). This principle does not conform well to Voltari Corp.; its stock falls in small-cap stock category with $16.91 million in market capitalization value. Finally, the fourt h trading principle indicates that an individual should choose stocks signified by analysts opinions rated closer to or above one (1). This is an indication of better performance in the future compared to opinions that are above or within the range of Five (5). The fourth rules also states that stocks recording negative trends or without significant changes in weekly consensus figures also need to be avoided. The â€Å"snapshot† tool available in Market Watch do not show the average recommendation from the analysts for Voltari Corp. generally, most stocks in the financial market have an average recommendation of ‘buy’. Consequently, the trend is projected to move towards the lower facet of the statistical ranking, with twenty-three

Market Model Patterns of Change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Market Model Patterns of Change - Research Paper Example The introduction of Pepsi and other competitors into a market changed Coca cola’s business operations. Among these was the adoption of increased advertisement to popularize the brand. In addition, it introduced new incentives to the market like sports sponsorship and holiday campaigns. The company has also introduced new products like bottled water. The company entered new markets and increased the number of outlets in the globe (Petretti, 2008). In the short run a business seeks to maximize on the profits by increasing production, decreasing production and continue producing. Coke started operating aggressively in France in 1999. Its primary concentration was customer satisfaction. This is evident through incentives offered to retailers and middlemen. This has made coke available to the customer. It has also acquired shelf spaces in areas that the customer can easily access the product. Coca cola aims to reduce it cost of production in the long run. This could be achieved thr ough the change in capacity levels in order to reach low cost, which is evident through its plan to increase production in china. It would be achieved through introduction of new production line. ... Needless to say, the company was sued by its distributors as it sought to expand its market of powdered sport drinks. This created a bad reputation to the Coca Cola Company. It however created a problem within its distribution channel. Coca cola has faced tough economic conditions. According to Gill (2008), these conditions have led to low consumption of the beverages. It has encountered high ingredients cost and a decline in sales. In countries such as India the company has received criticism from activists. It has been accused of depleting underground water where the bottling plants are located. The company has to improve on its corporate social responsibilities in order to remain competitive in the industry. Competitors are forging partnerships that are aimed at increasing their market share in certain markets (Gill, 2008). Pepsi and Tingyi holding corporation established an alliance that aims to exploit the China market. Coca cola moved in to increase its production in the market by building new production lines. On the other hand, Pepsi has been able to improve its market share to almost 20 percent as compared to coca colas’ 17 percent. Coca cola has experienced a decline in profit levels. In Europe it registered a 4 percent decline in sales. This is due to the economic crises facing the continent (Gill, 2008). Pepsi produces soft drinks as well as snacks. Coca cola has been able to improve on its products as well as come up with bottled water. This indicates that the competition is stiff. Petretti (2008) denotes that these companies are innovating new ideas to remain relevant in the market. Pepsi has been reported to have spent around 3.5 billion dollars in marketing its products. Pepsi has recently realized

Gaming Industry in Macao Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Gaming Industry in Macao - Essay Example Monopoly to Liberalisation In the year 1961, the monopoly offered to Tai Hing Company expired. As a consequence, new tenders were invited for the casino operation in Macao. In the year 1962, the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macao (STDM) was allowed to have casino concession. On the first January of the same year, STDM was able to successfully take over the gambling franchise. Since the time, gambling has established its own industry. In the process, western games like roulette, blackjack, and craps were introduced as significant games. Undoubtedly, with the passing time, Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macao (STDM) has emerged as the best known and largest business group in Macao and at the same time it has played a significant role in the territory’s development. The group was established as well as managed by Stanley Ho, who put his effort to introduce it as a mere gambling character, rather as an entity to develop tourism and the entertainment business encouragin g new prosperity for Macao by enhancement of the welfare and living standard of the common citizen of Macao (World Casino Directory Staff, 2011). The Gaming Industry: New Pattern In the month of August, 2001, the Legislative Assembly had officially established Gaming Industry Regulatory Framework. The framework had given an appropriate meaning to the ‘casino’ and ‘ gaming’. The framework had also laid out regulations for concessions system as well as introduced conditions and process for bidding. At the same time, the Casino Concessions Committee was established to be responsible for the works which are responsible to tender invitation and bidding. After a series of tender invitation and evaluation across the globe,... The gaming industry in Macao started back in the year 1934, when for the first time the government in there granted monopoly rights for casino operation. The first monopoly right or exclusive franchise went to Tai Hing Company. At the very first stage, Chinese games were played in Macao. The most ancient game played in the region was believed to be Fantan. The game was supposed to be played with buttons. In this game, the players are required to guess the number of remaining buttons in a cup of buttons with the total number of buttons being divided by four. Another Chinese domino game named as Pai Kao was also considerably popular. The recent recession has put an adverse effect on the industry. The region’s gross gambling revenue from the year 2007 to the year 2008 has increased by 31 %. However, from thereon, the gambling industry has witnessed an obvious downturn trends due to the global financial crisis. Macao is blessed with rich and contrasting cultural characteristics and can be vividly described. The place is strategically located at the Pearl River Delta at the South-eastern coast of Mainland China. This has also been significant to make it an important tourist place. Since many years, the place is known for its enriched gaming Industry. The place is exemplary in exhibiting the tuneful co-existence of both gaming and cultural attractions. Undoubtedly, the industry has been considerable contributor in the economic growth of this region. However, at the same time, it must look at the adverse impacts arising from the expansion of the gaming industry in there. The government must look into the matter carefully to enhance the positive impacts of the gaming industry by curbing out the adverse effects of the same.

The Topic is Post Merger Integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Topic is Post Merger Integration - Essay Example A merger can be seen as the coming together of two or more firms of fairly the same size following a joint decision to form an entirely new firm, sharing power equally. (Gustafsson and Hukkanen, 2002; Randeniya and Roivas, 2004). Three types of mergers can be identified: vertical integration where two firm engaged in different stages of production of the same good/service come together, horizontal mergers where two firms at the same stage of production come together and conglomerates where two firms producing unrelated goods/services come together (Gustafsson and Hukkanen, 2002; Randeniya and Roivas, 2004). Vertical can further be split into forward vertical and backward vertical mergers.(Gustafsson and Hukkanen, 2002). A merger may occur to achieve the following results. An acquisition on the other hand is a union of two firms in one of them survives while the other goes out of existence. (Gustafsson and Hukkanen, 2002). In certain occasions, the absorbed company may retain its individual identity if it is an important strategic element, for example, when Ford acquired Volvo, Volvo was still allowed to keep its brand name.(Randeniya and Roivas, 2004). ... (Gustafsson and Hukkanen, 2002; Karin and Elisabet, 2006). The distinction between mergers and acquisitions can viewed from three angles, viz: The strategic reason or purpose underlying the decision; Whether it is a friendly or hostile consolidation; The degree of integration between the firms. (Gustafsson and Hukkanen, 2002) Generally speaking, the motives for mergers and acquisitions can be broadly divided into two, viz, the financial and non-value maximizing reasons. The financial reason: This deals with the financial value of the firm as a whole and looks at aspects such as increasing overall performance and creating shareholder value. (Risberg, 2006). This is due to the gains of synergy and overcoming of information asymmetry which might have been existing in the stand alone firms. (Risberg, 2006). Also, the firm's inability to fund certain marginally profitable projects as stand alone institutions is a motivating financial factor behind mergers. There is also the non-value-maximising marginally based motive behind mergers. This arises mainly due to the manager's desires to increase power, sales or growth. This reason is also known as personal or strategic reasons. (Risberg, 2006). In a merger, the newly formed firm has a completely new name while in an acquisition, the absorbed firm may retain its name, though management is handled by the acquiring firm. (Randeniya and Roivas, 2004). Other remote reasons for mergers of acquisitions are psychological motives which is mainly fear. Thus, we find a situation where firms come together or acquire others or due to the fear of being acquired by other larger more efficient firms. (Risberg, 2006). Again, as firms grow old, they become rigid and more

Apple iphone analysis Essay Example for Free

Apple iphone analysis Essay The phone starts ringing, were going to pick it up and when we touch it, the ringer volume smartly goes down! Yes! Today a company like HTC could make this kind of cellphone. Since the launch of the IBM Simon in 1993, smartphone technology has reached levels that until recent times had only been dreamed about. Features such as wireless sharing, HD video recording and mobile internet are now commonplace and today’s average smartphone has more processing power than computers used by NASA to land a man on the moon. All over the world, the smartphone experience is being shared by more and more people every day. The convergence of mobile telephony, Internet services, and personal computing devices is resulting in the emergence of a â€Å"mobile Internet† (Ishii 2004; Funk 2001). The key devices for accessing the mobile Internet -currently dubbed â€Å"smartphones† are powerful new computing devices offering traditional wireless voice service as well as native software applications and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to connect to and run a myriad of Internet-based services including email, geo-location, streaming video, and social networking, while providing a good user experience. The business opportunities presented by this new category have attracted many of the major global information and communications technology (ICT) firms, including firms from the mobile telephony, personal computer, Internet, and personal digital assistant (PDA) industries, into a complex new landscape of competition. For many of these firms, capturing a portion of the total value created by the smartphone industry is believed to be a key to future growth and profits. The interest is understandable. Today more than 1. 3 billion mobile phone handsets are being sold annually, and in 2010 smartphones made up almost 20% of that total (Gartner, 2010; Ahonen, 2010). Sales of smartphones are increasing almost 100% per year, and total global sales volume is expected to surpass that of PCs by 2012 (Gartner, 2010). By collapsing the boundaries between previously distinct devices, smartphones are subsuming sales of mobile phones entirely and, increasingly, netbook and notebook PCs. To complicate the landscape, the smartphone is not the only device at stake, tablets and ebook readers are emerging as key components of the mobile universe. Across all devices, total mobile revenues including advertising, subscriptions, handsets, applications, and so on are forecast to surpass $1 trillion by 2014 (Gartner, 2010). Given the rate at which smartphone are penetrating the market and component prices are declining by 2015 there will be, at least, 2 billion smart mobile devices in use globally. According to the instructions we should make a report with a organizational business plan structure to depict current situations of Apple Inc. / iPhone division, and then analyze strength and weakness of the company. I will start with SWOT and PESTEL analysis. Then we review the most effective force on iPhone production with Porters 5 forces. Then we will analyze Apple iPhone Growth and market share in depth with BCG matrix. I use mostly 2012 figures to draw an up to date image from Apple iPhone production and market situation. Ansoff matrix will be the next analysis which helps us understand iPhone market penetration and how it reached diversification. Apple is a big company with several products and services that provide along with products. Each product has its own market. It is possible to use multiple factors and combine related statistics for analyzing a company with different product. But in this case we are required to analyze smartphone industry only. I use recent figures (2010 to 2013) for analyses. For brands comparisons I consider Apple, Samsung, HTC, ZTE, and RIM (BlackBerry). For set goals and making the report’s objectives we should specify what we want. It is required to indicate strength and weaknesses of smartphone section. In my opinion weaknesses are more important. They could emerge in any areas such as production lines, technological aspects or selling process and cause big failures. Prominent strength and weaknesses will be identified and then will be matched with political, social, technological and environmental factors. Industry intensity will be assessed using Porter’s 5 forces analysis. This analysis classifies strong and weak points within 5 forces: Threat of new entrants and substitute products, bargaining power of suppliers and customers, and segment rivalry. These forces analyze micro environment. For macro factors we could look into PESTEL analysis. For market share and growth analysis Growth-share matrix (BCG matrix) will be used. This method indicates a product strength using its sales cash flows. iPhone position will be determined among 4 BCG matrix’s categories: Star, Cash cow, Dog and Question mark. Apple iPhone as a new product in comparison with existing products within a new or existing market will be analyzed using Ansoff matrix. Result shows that iPhone as a new product in 2007 was magnificent. 270,000 units were sold at that time. Expanding the concept of the marketing mix is important for companies that want to adapt to new markets. For example, just placing a product in stores is not enough. A manufacturer with retail outlets also needs to think about physical environment and layout. The store should convey the right look and feel, leading consumers to build up positive associations with the brand. Products inside the store should be displayed logically and consistently, in the locations customers would check first if they were looking for specific items. Because of all these factors a complete extended marketing mix (7Ps) will be presented. Global Smartphone trend The global smartphone market has been experiencing explosive growth for the last several years. Competition has remained fierce all throughout, but the numbers dont lie. Two technology titans dominate the market, taking a whopping 92% of market share for themselves. These two companies are Google and Apple. Data regarding smartphone sales during Q4 2012 has come out during the last several days, evidencing how much people all over the globe want to get their hands on a smartphone. After a quick look at the information, it becomes evident that the high-end phone market is a one of the most extreme oligopolies of the 21st century. With the release of Blackberry 10 just two days away, investors are starting to ask if there really is any room left for Research In Motions latest offering. Smartphones are flying off the shelves. According to Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments have increased from 490. 5 million during 2011 to 700. 1 million during 2012, which is roughly 30% growth year-over-year. If anything, there is room for disruption within the industry: people will keep buying more phones. As the market grows, however, so does Androids market share: Android went from having 48. 7% of the market in 2011 to a whopping 70. 1% in Q4 2012. Apples iOS has also grown slightly, capturing 22% of the market share by the end of the same period. How much is there left for everyone else? As of Q4 2012, a meager 7. 9%. The success of the iPhone, Pre, and Blackberry shows the strength of consumer demand for an intelligent, multifunctional device. The appeal of the smartphone will create significant new revenue streams for carriers and developers, who should strive to create new service bundles that build off this mobile platform with converged video, voice, and data applications. Future Smartphone sales forecast Smartphone sales blew past the number of PCs sold last year, and theyll be nearly twice PC sales this year, analyst Alex Cocotas of BI Intelligence predicts. More startling, smartphone sales will exceed 1. 5 billion units per year by 2016. This compares to about 350 million PCs and 1. 7 billion mobile handsets sold globally last year. Smartphone sales will be driven by two main factors, BI Intelligence says: Replacement of nearly 5 billion dumbphones with smartphones (smartphones currently make up only 10% of handsets worldwide) Price declines. The average price of a smartphone will drop from about $315 last year to $200 over the next several years This will obviously have a huge impact on the mobile Internet economy, which is already exploding from the growth of smartphone penetration in the past few years. Some other highlights from the report: Smartphone unit sales will grow at nearly a 30% compound annual growth rate over the next five years Smartphones will represent about two-thirds of all mobile phone purchases by 2016, Smartphones will be a $320 billion market by 2016. These forecasts are much higher than those of other industry analysts, who generally expect smartphone unit sales to hit about 1 billion a year by 2015. Apple Mission and Vision statement Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad. Apple vision statement: Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings. Apple Background On December 2012 The Economist reported that â€Å"Apple became the most valuable company ever (in nominal terms), beating the record that Microsoft hit in December 1999. Apple’s share price peaked at $705 before entering bear territory and falling by 25%, to $510; at the start of 2012 it had been $410. † Apple Incorporated is an American corporation that designs and manufactures computer hardware, software and other consumer electronics. The company is best known for their Macintosh personal computer line, Mac OS X, extremely loyal user-base, iTunes media application and the iPod personal music player. The company headquarters is in Cupertino, California, CEO and co-founder is Steve Jobs and the company boasts 284 retail locations spanning 10 different countries. Apple Inc. was founded on April 1, 1976 in a garage by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The young entrepreneurs brought different strength to their fledgling company: Jobs had a flair for conceptualizing products, while Wozniak had the technical know-how to make them happen. Apple I was the first product that Apple Inc. produced. It was a personal computer (PC) with a MOS 6502 cpu clocked at 1 MHz and 4Kb memory. In 1977, Apple introduced Apple II which became a very successful device. After that the company began to produce Apple II series. The Apple II was followed by Apple II plus, Apple IIe, Apple IIc, Apple IIGS, Apple IIc Plus and Apple IIe Card. Apple introduced Macintosh in 1984 that became a very successful computer. It was a first computer featuring a graphical interface and a mouse for navigation. The new computer sold very well, pushing apples fiscal 1984 sales to an unprecedented 1. 5$ billion. By 1985, however Jobs and Scully began to disagree over the direction they wanted the company to take. After Jobs attempt to remove Scully failed, Jobs left Apple in May to start his own new business, NeXT Computers. In December 1996, Apple acquired NeXT, with the plan of using its technology as the basis for a new operating system. After being gone for more than a decade, Jobs returned to the company he had originally cofounded with Wozniak.. In 1998 Apple introduced the new generation of PowerMacs, PowerBooks, and the highly anticipated iMac and iBook, which were less expensive computers aimed at the how-end computer market. After an entire year without showing a profit, the first quarter of 1998 began three years of profitable quarters for Apple. Apple ventured into the market of legal downloads with the introduction of its iTunes Music Store in 2001. iTunes offers downloads at a specified price without requiring subscription or monthly fees. iTunes offers its users a selection of more than 6 million songs, with new songs continually added. For music lovers, the iPod is the greatest invention since the Walkman. With up to 160 GB of storage, it allows users to carry up to 40,000 songs or 200 hours of video wherever they go. There are currently four different iPod styles: the iPod shuffle, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod touch. Apple earned 5,615 million just from iPod in 2012 . Brief Chronology: 1976 With $1,300, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found Apple Computer, Inc. 1980 Apple converts to public ownership. 1982 Apple becomes the first personal computer company to reach $1 billion in annual sales. 1985 John Scully assumes the helm after a management shakeup that causes the departure of Jobs and several other Apple executives. 1991 PowerBook line of notebook computers is released. 1994 Power Macintosh line is released. 1996 Acquisition of NeXT brings Steve Jobs back to Apple as a special advisor. 1997 Steve Jobs is named interim chief executive officer. 1998 The all-in-one iMac is released. 2000 Jobs, firmly in command as CEO, oversees a leaner, more tightly focused Apple. 2001 The iPod is released; Apple opens its first retail store in Virginia. 2003 Apple opens its first store in Japan. 2005 The release of a video iPod, the fifth generation of the device, pushes total iPod unit sales to 30 million. In first-quarter 2007, Apple launched its revolutionary product, the iPhone. iPhone combines three concepts popular with customers: a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod, and a internet communication device. The iPhone brags an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering software. which users can control with just their fingers. The iPhone default Internet browser will be Apples own Safari **, but it is open to other software as well. The iPhone allows for 8 hours of talk time. Apple sold 1million iPhone less than three month after this product was available to customers. Apple expects this trend to continue during 2008 and to reach sales of 10 million iPhones, stealing 1 percent of the mobile phone market share. . One year following the untimely death of Steve Jobs, the company he co-founded and led for most of his adult life appears to be thriving and lacking any serious obstacles to its break-neck growth in a rapidly changing technology market. That said, Apple Inc. still has plenty of challenges ahead. Some of those stem simply from the nature of the fast-paced, hyper-competitive consumer technology business the company currently competes in — and largely dominates. Other challenges may be more unique to Apple and its singular focus on a relatively narrow line of products. And long-term, the company may still feel the loss of a leader who possessed an uncanny ability to see around corners, and bend other strong personalities to his will. â€Å"The guy who could literally pull rabbits out of his hat no longer exists,† said independent technology analyst Roger Kay. Apple’s had a phenomenally strong year since Jobs’ death from cancer last October, which left the company permanently in the hands of the senior management team he spent years cultivating, led by CEO Tim Cook. It’s also had some stumbles along the way. Some missteps with features such as Siri — the infamous personal digital assistant first embedded into last year’s iPhone 4S — and the Apple Maps tool in the latest iPhone 5 have caused some level of embarrassment. The company under Jobs’ direction was not free of slip-ups either, and some issues have spanned both periods, such as growing concerns about the treatment of workers in the massive Chinese factories that produce the company’s popular products. But if proof is in the numbers, investors may find it hard to argue against the crew running Apple now. The company is conservatively projected to report a 44% revenue gain for its just-ended fiscal year — with earnings expected to post a gain of more than 60% from the previous year. Apple’s stock is up more than 70% from the day Jobs passed away, despite the stated concerns at the time of many investors and analysts about how well the company could keep its pace of innovation without its chief visionary at the helm. The key challenge for Apple’s management team will be in keeping the company’s strongest profit engines humming. And this will involve the right mix of technological innovation and deal making. The iPhone is the most crucial element. First launched in 2007, the smartphone accounted for nearly 55% of Apple’s total revenue in the first nine months of the just-ended fiscal year. While the company does not disclosed profitability data on its product lines, analysts believe the iPhone is the major driver of operating profits, with a gross margin of well over 50% on the devices. Apple can command those high subsidies because of the strong consumer demand for the iPhone. But competitors are pushing hard into the smartphone space. Samsung has already outpaced Apple in global shipments thanks to its use of Google’s Android operating system and its wide line of phones that appeal to a broader array of markets and consumers. Apple’s old nemesis Microsoft is launching an updated Windows Phone platform this fall, with Nokia and Samsung building devices for the software. Investors will continue to watch closely for signs that Apple’s current team can not only push forward its existing product line, but add to them with new categories and innovations. Though the iPhone 5 launched a year following his death, a report by Bloomberg BusinessWeek cited unnamed sources as saying that the device received â€Å"detailed input† from Jobs prior to his death. Despite Apple’s strong run of success, it’s narrow product line and strong reliance on the iPhone makes it vulnerable to competitors who may come up with better ideas. Apple’s future success will likely hinge on its ability to maintain that posture —no matter who’s in charge. Apple SWOT Analysis: SWOT is a great indicator of an agencys strategic ineptitude. This involves you creating a two-by-two grid and then populating it with a list of incredibly obvious client strengths and weaknesses, and another list of equally palpable opportunities and threats. Then you stand back and gaze at this list of incredibly humdrum words, such as competitors and new product, and attempt to intuit a bold, new, innovative way of doing business. The table below provides information about current situation of Apple’s smartphone market position, strength and weaknesses and also its possible future situations, threats and opportunities. Table Apple Inc. Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths Weaknesses Universally accredited and well-known brand which also began kind of revolution in smartphone industry Apple is a Big name in the technology world. It brings so much responsibility and kind of obligation for company and its product. New iPhone map application problem and customer frustration would be a good example. Brand loyalty is incredible. People will line up in the freezing cold overnight just to be one of the first to get their hands on the new iPhone! From the anti-capitalism point of view devices like iPhone counts as luxuries. They think this kind of huge prices could be spend somewhere more vital. Employ high technologies. This offers unique features for at least two purposes. One, First degree price discrimination and two, luxury customer satisfactions Utilize high technology along with high quality hardware component turn Apple iPhone into very costly merchandise. Probably many people cannot afford the price. Ease of use. Apple utilizes user friendly design elements for both hardware and software parts of iPhone. 3. 5 mm audio jack would be a good example! iPhone is equipped with own Apple closed operating system, iOS. And apps which work with iOS can only be downloaded from App Store. Other rivals like Android have more distribution channels. Former CEO, Steve Jobs’ role in developing iPhone and leading Apple to the market incredibly. Steve Jobs died on Oct 2011. We can still see his works and ideas in Apple iPhone. His lost can be an excessive damage to the company. Having strategic agreements with well-known mobile carriers. like T-Mobile and ATT Apple summary of PESTEL Analysis Political factors The supply and manufacture of many critical components is performed by sole-sourced outsourcing partners in the U. S. , Asia and Europe. Outsourcing partners in Asia perform final assembly of substantially all of the company’s hardware products. Manufacturing or logistics in these locations or transit to final destinations may be disrupted for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, natural and man-made disasters, information technology system failures, military actions or economic, business, labor, environmental, public health, or Political issues. War, terrorism, geopolitical uncertainties, public health issues, and other business interruptions have caused and could cause damage or disruption to international commerce and the global economy, and thus could have a material adverse effect on the Company, its suppliers, logistics providers, manufacturing vendors and customers, including channel partners. The Company’s business operations are subject to interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, nuclear power plant accidents, terrorist attacks, and other hostile acts, labor disputes, public health issues, and other events beyond its control. Economic factors The global recession is having a serious impact on Apples retail performance The follow-on effects from global economic conditions on the Company’s suppliers could affect the Company’s ability to obtain components. Therefore, the Company remains subject to significant risks of supply shortages and price increases. The Company expects to experience decreases in its gross margin percentage in future periods, as compared to levels achieved during 2012, largely due to a higher mix of new and innovative products with flat or reduced pricing that have higher cost structures and deliver greater value to customers and anticipated component cost and other cost increases. Future strengthening of the U. S. dollar could also negatively impact gross margin. Social factors The Company’s business requires it to use and store customer, employee, and business partner personally identifiable information (â€Å"PII†). This may include names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, contact, preferences, tax identification numbers, and payment account information. Although malicious attacks to gain access to PII affect many companies across various industries, the Company may be at a relatively greater risk of being targeted because of its high profile and the amount of PII managed. Technological factors Apple RD expense is increasing year by year. $1. 8 billion for 2010, $2. 4 billion, and $3. 4 billion for 2012 which is a crucial manner in these days competition Environmental factors The Company also sells its hardware and software products to enterprise and government customers in each of its geographic segments. The Company’s products are deployed in these markets because of their performance, productivity, ease of use and seamless integration into information technology environments. The Company’s products are compatible with thousands of third-party business applications and services, and its tools enable the development and secure deployment of custom applications as well as remote device administration. Legal Factors The Company is subject to laws and regulations affecting its domestic and international operations in a number of areas. These U. S. and foreign laws and regulations affect the Company’s activities including, but not limited to, areas of labor, advertising, digital content, consumer protection, real estate, billing, e-commerce, promotions, quality of services, telecommunications, mobile communications and media, television, intellectual property ownership and infringement, tax, import and export requirements, anti-corruption, foreign exchange controls and cash repatriation restrictions, data privacy requirements, anti-competition, environmental, health, and safety.

Most Influential Socialist Thinkers Of Time

Most Influential Socialist Thinkers Of Time The philosopher, social scientist, historian and revolutionary, Karl Marx, is without a doubt the most influential socialist thinker to emerge in the 19th century. Although he was largely ignored by scholars in his own lifetime, his social, economic and political ideas gained rapid acceptance in the socialist movement after his death in 1883. Until quite recently almost half the population of the world lived under regimes that claim to be Marxist. This very success, however, has meant that the original ideas of Marx have often been modified and his meanings adapted to a great variety of political circumstances. In addition, the fact that Marx delayed publication of many of his writings meant that is been only recently that scholars had the opportunity to appreciate Marxs intellectual stature. It is difficult to know what effect this would have on his later philosophy, but we do know that Marx would be antithetical to religious belief, at one time pronouncing it, the opiate of the masses After schooling in Trier (1830-35), Marx entered Bonn University to study law. At university he spent much of his time socialising and running up large debts. His father was horrified when he discovered that Karl had been wounded in a duel. Heinrich Marx agreed to pay off his sons debts but insisted that he moved to the more sedate Berlin University. Educated in the best universities in Germany at Bonn, Berlin and Jena, he was greatly influenced by the most prominent scholar of the previous generation, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. As youth turned to middle age, Karl Marxs views became more radical and finally hardened into the body of thought we know today. His journey to this point took him out of Germany where the newspaper he edited, the Rheinische Zeitung, was suppressed by the Government. He moved to Paris in 1843 and later to Brussels in 1845. Marx himself considered his theory of surplus-value his most important contribution to the progress of economic analysis (Marx, letter to Engels of 24 August 1867). It is through this theory that the wide scope of his sociological and historical thought enables him simultaneously to place the capitalist mode of production in his historical context, and to find the root of its inner economic contradictions and its laws of motion in the specific relations of production on which it is based Marx was partial to Hegel and his theories and was influenced by Hegels views that history was a dialectical process. He did not adhere to Hegels spirituality . He was also influenced by Fuerbach, Saint-Simon, Proudhon and Bakunin. While living in Paris, he began to associate with the working clasas for the first time. He began to formulate his thought that revolution was the key to achieving balance between the upper class and the working class. He wrote and spoke on social change through revolution. He believed that there was great energy between proleterians and capitalists. Marx began to appeal to more of the common people during the early depression days. American educatin became aware of soviet education reforms during the 1920s and through George S. Counts who visited Russia and brought their educational system of reform to light in America. But only a mere 10 years later, American educators did not think societ education was good. The theory associated with Marxism was developed in mid-19th century Europe by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Although Marx and Engels did not write widely about education, they developed theoretical perspectives on modern societies that have been used to highlight the social functions of education and their concepts and methods have served to both theorize and criticize education in the reproduction of capitalist societies, and to support projects of alternative education. In this study, I will first briefly sketch the classical perspectives of Marx and Engels, highlighting the place of education in their work. Then, I lay out the way that Marxian perspectives on education were developed in the Frankfurt School critical theory, British cultural studies, and other neo- Marxian and post-Marxian approaches grouped under the label of critical pedagogy, that emerged from the work of Paulo Freire and is now global in scope. I argue that Marxism provides influential and robust perspectives on education, still of use, but that classical Marxism has certain omissions and limitations that contemporary theories of society and education need to overcome. The young Marx and Engels thus perceived that without education the working class was condemned to lives of drudgery and death, but that with education they had a chance to create a better life. In their famous 1848 Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels argued that growing economic crises would throw ever more segments of the middle classes, and the older peasant and artisan classes, into the impoverished situation of the proletariat and would thus produce a unified working class, at least one with interests in common. They declared that the bourgeois class is constantly battling against the older feudal powers, among its own segments, and against the foreign bourgeoisie, and thus enlists the proletariat as its ally. Consequently, the proletariat gains education and experience which it can use to fight the ruling class. The Marxist approach to education is broad constuctivist and emphasises activity, collaboration and critique, rather than passive absorption of knowledge, emulation of elders and conformism; it is student-centred rather than teacher centred, but recognises that education cannot transcend the problems and capabilities of the society in which it is located. The Soviet, Chinese, and other Communist states were at most only partly structured along Marxist classless lines, and while such Communist leaders as Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong staunchly claimed Marxist orthodoxy for their pronouncements, they in fact greatly stretched the doctrine in attempting to mold it to their own uses. The evolution of varied forms of welfare capitalism, the improved condition of workers in industrial societies, and the recent demise of the Communist bloc in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have tended to discredit Marxs dire and deterministic economic predictions. The Soviet and Chinese Communist regimes did not result in the disappearance of the state, but in the erection of huge, monolithic, and largely inefficient state structures. In recent years, many Western intellectuals have championed Marxism and repudiated Communism, objecting to the manner in which the two terms are often used interchangeably. A number have turned to Marxs other writings and explored the present-day value of such Marxist concepts as alienation. Among prominent Western Marxists were the Hungarian philosopher Gyà ¶rgy Lukaisand the Italian political philosopher Antonio Gramsci, both of whom viewed Marxism as a liberation from the rule of political economy and believed in its relationship to the social consciousness. Marxisms influence can be found in disciplines as diverse as economics, history, art, literary criticism, and sociology. German sociologist Max Weber, Frankfurt school theorists such as Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, British economist Joan Robinson, German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, British literary critic Frederic Jameson, and the French historians of the Annales school have all produced work drawn from Marxist perspectiv es.

History Essays Winston Churchill War

History Essays Winston Churchill War Winston Churchill War These were the words of Winston Churchill when he entered the Buckingham Palace one day, â€Å"But whether it be peace or war we must strive to frame some system of human relations in the future which will put an end to this prolonged hideous uncertainty, which will let the working and creative forces of the world get on with their job, and which will no longer leave the whole life of mankind dependent upon the virtues, the caprice, or the wickedness of a single man.† At about this same time, thousands of people almost worshipped this man, n enigmatic personality and a charismatic leader, who rose to power because of his charisma and his leadership qualities. At this point of time, this great leader was concerned more with the essentials of balancing the harmony and the eternity of his beloved country, England, and he seemed to be quite completely weary and tired of politics. However, this did not mean that the events and happenings taking place all around him did not affect him at all; in fact, it was quite the contrary. He was frankly horrified and appalled at the Fascist rabble in Italy, at the Reichweir rumored to be creating secret aerodromes in Russia, and at the haranguing of Hitler in Germany. Churchill felt that all these incidents could not be considered to be independent; they were all the frank expressions of nations that were demonstrating a certain will power and self command. This was probably the primary reason why Winston Churchill decided that he would come out of retirement from his country house and stand as an independent candidate for the by-election of 1924. Although it is true that this leader lost in this election, as he had in the past two others, it did not deter him in the least, and on the other hand, he became aware that he was an individual who had managed to gather enough support from several factions during the elections. Mr. Baldwin, at this time, offered Winston Churchill a Conservative seat at Epping, and this meant that this leader could return to Epping as a full fledged Conservative leader. It would help to get an idea about the man, and his life, before one can assess his leadership qualities. Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born in the year 1874 in Oxfordshire, to prominent Tory politician Lord Randolph Churchill. The young boy grew up under his father’s tutelage, and when he was old enough, he saw action both at India and at Sudan. He was captured during the Boer War when he was working as a journalist, and he managed to escape from prison later. In 1900, Winston Churchill was appointed the Conservative Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire, but he was apparently disillusioned by his party’s activities, and he therefore joined the Liberal Party in 1904. When in 1905 the Liberal Party won the elections, Churchill was appointed as the Under Secretary, after which he entered the Cabinet as the president of the Board of Trade. In 1910, he was appointed the Home Secretary, after which he became the Lord of Admiralty, a post that he held during the First World War. However, after the disastrous Dardanelles campaign, for which Churchill became the scapegoat, he resigned and joined the Army. From the year 1917 onwards, Winston Churchill was appointed leader of several governmental posts, until the year 1940 when the Prime Minster of England Neville Chamberlain resigned, and Winston Churchill took his place. It must be remembered that Churchill had been opposing Nazi developments in Germany for a long while now, and he took this opportunity to oppose the Nazis officially, while at the same time refusing to surrender to Germany. This act in itself served as an inspiration for the people of England at the time, and this leader worked tirelessly through the war, and built up close ties with the President of the United States of America, Roosevelt, while at the same time trying his best to maintain cordial relations with the Soviet Union. In 1945 during the elections, Churchill lost power, but he remained the leader of the opposition. At the time, he warned his people of the Cold War and tried his best to encourage European and also trans-Atlantic unity. In 1951, the charismatic Winston Churchill became the Prime Minster again, but in 1955 he resigned his post, but he remained a working and accomplished and capable Member of Parliament until his death in the year 1965. Winston Churchill has been known for his early accomplishments in life, in much the same way as other leaders like Lenin, Stalin and Hitler, but there is an intrinsic difference between him and other leaders. While the others mentioned above tried to use their victories in order to create dictatorships in their country, Winston Churchill was an individual who was affected by war, and who grabbed any opportunity he could to make use of the war to lead his own country towards an inevitable victory. Perhaps, the fact that Churchill belonged to a military family helped him a great deal in his endeavors, and when he was sent to India and Sudan on various assignments, the young man, barely twenty four at the time, wrote to his mother back in England, â€Å"I never felt the slightest nervousness, I felt as cool as I do now†. What was even more surprising was that Winston Churchill had been posted both as a war correspondent as well as a serving soldier in India and in Sudan, and it was here that the young man revealed two other aspects of his character: he had a literary bent of mind, and he also had a keen interest in public affairs. As a matter of fact, although Churchill wrote all his life, politics and public affairs almost seemed to consume him; perhaps the fact that his father Randolph Churchill had been a public failure as a politician spurred the young man on, and perhaps to, this was the reason why he was determined to succeed where his own father had failed before him. It is important to note that Randolph Churchill had despised and detested his son, and he probably saw him as a show off and a good for nothing individual. In his own words, writing to his mother the Duchess of Marlborough, he criticized his son heavily, and said that his son lacked â€Å"cleverness, knowledge and any capacity for settled work. He has a great talent for show-off, exaggeration and make-believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  However, although his father’s comments must have hurt the young Churchill, he sought to react by trying to venerate his father’s memory. This in itself shows his strength of character, wherein the young man, instead of falling prey to petty vindictiveness and nastiness and spite, sought to restore his father’s lost honor in the British parliament. In the year 1935 Winston Churchill knew enough of world affairs to warn the House of Commons of the importance of â€Å"self-preservation and also of the human and the world cause of the preservation of free governments and of Western civilization against the ever advancing sources of authority and despotism.† It must be stated that Winston Churchill was a natural born leader, who managed to accomplish a great many things during his lifetime. Take for example the time when he managed to escape imprisonment immediately after he was captured during the Boer War: he became an acknowledged and accepted national hero in his country after this fact, and at the time when Edward III was abdicated, Winston Churchill opted to show his deep support for the deposed leader, despite the government’s complete disapproval, and against popular advice. The great man chose to believe in what he felt must be done, and he bravely managed to carry this out, despite all odds. Another accomplishment was that Winston Churchill managed to lead his beloved country through the Second World War, and he also made sure that he made his opposition to Hitler and his atrocities publicly known. This was the reason why Churchill refused to make peace with Germany while Hitler was in power, and instead, he chose to consult with American President Roosevelt and with Soviet Stalin, to create and plan a victory over Germany in the immediate future. This great leader was not an individual who would bow to anyone; he would follow his instincts and act accordingly. Using his insight and intuition, he warned his country of the expansive tendencies being exhibited by the Soviet Union, and he even coined a specific term for this phenomenon: ‘Iron Curtain’. As mentioned earlier, Winston Churchill proved to be an excellent and charismatic leader when he led his country during the Second World War. Experts often state that almost the whole of Churchill’s career had been a sort of training and preparation for this event: that of leading his country during war. It would help to remember that Churchill was an intense patriot, and he loved his country more than anything else in the world. This individual was also a great believer in the greatness and immensity of his country, and he was constantly aware of the historic role that England had played in Europe, in the Empire, and also in the world in general. Churchill was an individual who thrived on challenges, and he would always rise to the occasion in any sort of crisis that his country was facing. Since he was extremely fond of politics, and the workings of his country based on the political happenings happening within his country, he became a veritable master of politics, and it had often been felt that Winston Churchill was nursing all his many faculties, and reining in his inexhaustible sense of energy for the time when he would be able to lead his country in the World war II. This was the time when the brilliant leader could showcase Britain’s values for the entire world, and he grabbed the opportunity to do just this. In was on September 3 1939 that Britain happened to finally declare war on Germany, and at the same time, the then Prime Minister of England, Chamberlain appointed Winston Churchill as the chief in charge of the Admiralty. On the fleet, there was much rejoicing and celebration: â€Å"Winston is back!† went the saying back and forth. The US President Franklin Roosevelt sent a congratulatory letter to Churchill over the appointment, and thus began a long term and memorable correspondence between the two world leaders. It is often stated that it was Winston Churchill’s leadership as the Prime Minister during the Second World War that served to help Britain, until then an isolated power, survive successfully the Battle of Britain, which ultimately led Britain to gain a tremendous victory over Nazi Germany. It is also stated that his form of generous leadership was desperately needed by his country at the time, and perhaps too, it was the man’s obstinacy and stubbornness to enter into any sort of negotiation with Germany, and the will power to adhere to his stand, no matter what, that brought victory to his country, Britain. (Del Testa; Lemoine; Strickland, 2001) In reality, Churchill’s achievements have been at times so much exaggerated that the leader has become a fictional character in several novels that deal with the World War and incidents related to the war across the world. In Winston Churchill’s own words, he led his beloved country Britain through her â€Å"walk with destiny†, and this, a destiny for which the leader had been preparing all his political life, as mentioned earlier. Churchill’s qualities of far-sightedness, his sturdiness, tenacity, stubbornness, his obstinacy in the face of much opposition, his great valor and courage and the will to win and conquer despite the odds were all the characteristics of a great world leader, and it was these qualities that helped the man garner enormous support both at home and also abroad. Furthermore, Winston Churchill was an accomplished speaker, a great politician, and he loved his country. He was also a journalist, and he knew what words would inspire and what would not. In later stages, the very sight of Churchill, with his trademark cigar perched at the corner of his mouth, his fingers raised in his characteristic ‘V’ sign for Victory would serve to inflame the masses, and at the time, the people would do anything for him, and follow him anywhere he would choose to lead them. He became known as ‘John Bull’, a British mythical character, and a symbol of victory for the common people of his country, and Churchill believed strongly that his very destiny lay in great service to his country. When he was chosen to be the Prime Minister of his country, Churchill said these immortal words, â€Å"I felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been in preparation for this hour and this trial†, and this was how this great individual and appointed leader of his country led Britain through one of the toughest wars of history. Take this fierce oratory, for example, an awe inspiring speech that inflamed the people of his country and kept them from losing heart delivered on June 4, 1940, at the time when it appeared as if all of Europe might fall soon: â€Å"†¦we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end we shall fight in the seas and oceans we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender† When his people listened to this speech, they felt inspired enough to think of never ever giving up, even though it appeared as if they may fail eventually. This was the courage and determination that Churchill displayed at every turn. In 1939, immediately after Winston Churchill was recalled to duty as the First Lord of the Admiralty, the first wave of German military power had already managed to overwhelm Poland, and immediately afterward, threatened to topple Northwestern Europe, and also to make France fall. In 1940, at the time when France had already fallen, Churchill was called to power and responsibility by a spontaneous revolt in his country carried out by the best elements in all the parties, and it was a well accepted and recognized fact that he alone, among all the other political leaders, had had no part to play in the disaster of the 1930’s, and that he was blameless. This meant that he had been chosen by the very will of the entire nation, and that he enjoyed his people’s support at every turn. It would be during the next five years, as the Prime Minister of England, and the leader who would lead and head his country in the ongoing World War that Winston Churchill’s career became almost one with that of his nation, and closely linked with its survival. It must be remembered that until the year 1941, Britain had fought all alone in the World War II. At this time, Churchill took it upon himself to inspire resistance at any cost, and to oppose Nazi Germany no matter what happened. H felt reasonably sure that Britain would be able to resist Nazi Germany eventually and that England would not fall prey to Germany any time in the near future. Churchill also started to organize the defense of his country, so that it would stand as a bastion when it would be returned to the continent of Europe. It was this charismatic and appealing leader that managed to bathe in a new life into the government, and into his beloved country and her people. In his own words, when addressing the House of Commons upon being appointed as the Prime Minister of England, he said, â€Å"I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat: You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory.† The ultimate aim was for Churchill an undisputed ‘Victory’ for his country and his people. How exactly did Winston Churchill lead his country during the Second World War? What were his actions? How did he inspire such great confidence in his abilities and performance as a leader of his country? The historian George Best describes how Winston Churchill went about protecting and defending his beloved country. As mentioned earlier, the reputation that the great leader had at this time was that of a gifted politician, who had already changed his party twice, and who could be quite an impulsive type of individual, who could at different times be susceptible to impractical enthusiasms and interests. He was also recognized as the person who felt confident enough to state boldly and in the open his real feelings about the then Prime Minister of England Neville Chamberlain, and his foreign policies. Six years later, after he had led his country successfully through the World War II, Winston Churchill became renowned throughout the world as a enigmatic person and a great statesman who was the champion of freedom and democracy and independence for his country, and who was victorious in his endeavors to guide and lead his country during the war. However, it must be noted that it was not until nine months after his appointment that there were some results. On the 10th of May 1940, the challenge that was facing the country looked very formidable indeed, but things looked even worse about six short weeks later. The British Army was almost captured at Dunkirk, but managed to escape. Although the escape was a victory in itself, it was, in military terms, a shocking setback to the ongoing campaign, and soon enough, Britain was facing an unforeseen threat, that of invasion, something that she had not faced since the year 1805! It was Churchill’s able leadership that managed to save his country from such humiliation, and it was Churchill who managed to persuade the cabinet and the parliament that Britain and its empire could survive, through his awe inspiring speeches at ever juncture. Churchill even went so far as to forbid and prohibit any type of defeatist talk within his hearing, and he also refused to be put on the defensive for any reason whatsoever. He remained firm and strong and capable, and his behavior proved to be extremely heartening to his people, who were almost on the verge of crumpling down in the face of opposition and the prospect of defeat and humiliation. This was how Winston Churchill managed to bring his people through the ‘Battle of Britain’, win the battle, and make sure that invasion was no longer imminent and looming down upon them, and teach Londoners how to survive what became known in later times as ‘the Blitz’. This victory carried him through the next battle, the Second World War, and he remained confident and positive through these difficult times, thereby leading his country through one of the biggest battles she had ever been involved in, in recent years. As mentioned earlier, Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt started to communicate with each other when Churchill was appointed as the Lord of the Admiralty by his Prime Minster. It must be mentioned here that it was this relationship of these two great leaders that managed to bridge the existing gaps between the two countries England and the United states of America, and which helped the leaders fight for their own causes, while also keeping in mind the others’, in a friendly manner. Take for example the letters that Churchill, being a journalist, wrote to Roosevelt, urging him to help the Allies in the ongoing war in Europe. It was in essence these letters that helped bridge the gap between the two countries, and which heralded the beginning of a diplomatic relationship that would help in the struggle to defeat Hitler and the Axis powers. Acting upon Churchill’s advice, Roosevelt proposed aid to Europe in the ‘Lend-Lease Act’, according to which the United States of America would supply financial and military aid to Great Britain and the Soviet Union. In return America would have a ninety nine-year lease in places that could be considered to be in threat at any time in the future. In the year 1941, the Congress approved of the Act, and this in essence could be said to have changed the very course of history, because Roosevelt’s generosity and Churchill’s grim determination to bring in a defeat to Hitler and his atrocities combined together into a potent combination, which brought an end to Hitler’s tyranny. In the words of Sir Isaiah Berlin, â€Å"Churchill’s political imagination has something of the same magical power to transform, it is a magic that belongs equally to demagogues and great democratic leaders: Franklin Roosevelt, who as much as any man altered his country’s inner image of itself, and of its character and its history, possessed it in a high degree†¦ Churchill stands at almost the opposite pole. He too does not fear the future, and no man has ever loved life more vehemently and infused so much of it into everyone and everything that he has touched. But whereas Roosevelt, like all great innovators, had a half-conscious premonitory awareness of the coming shape of a society, not wholly unlike that of an artist, Churchill, for all his extrovert air, looks within, and his strongest sense is the sense of the past.† These sentences give one a peek into the relationship that was shared by two great leaders, Churchill and Roosevelt, both of whom fought for a common cause, the welfare of their country and of her people. There are some researchers and reviewers and political analysts, however, who do feel that the relationship has been given too much importance and hype, and the truth may be quite exaggerated, and that the relationship was that of uneasy friendliness. Some others have felt that by forging such a relationship with an America President, Winston Churchill had in fact led his country into developing an unwanted alliance with America. The two leaders had different agendas, but they were united in one aspect, Hitler would have to go, and both the countries would try their very best to drive him out of power, and it was apparently Churchill’s strong hope that he would be able to utilize Roosevelt and his power to shore up the sagging British Empire. Winston Churchill, after having headed his country through turbulent and uneasy times of the Second World War, remained as the Prime Minister, and when he turned eighty in the year 1954, Anthony Eden, several members of parliament, and even his own wife urged him to give up the post, as he appeared to have aged rather rapidly over the past few years. In the year 1955, Winston Churchill resigned as the Prime Minister of England, and he held on to his post as a Member of Parliament. Writing had always been his strong point, and through his life, Churchill had penned several books and written for several journals and magazines, and had even own a Nobel Prize for his work. This served him in good stead at this time, and the great leader managed to complete his four volume work, ‘The History of the English Speaking Peoples.’ Some of the time he would spend visiting his old friends and the rest, on taking long cruises on yachts that belonged to his multi-billionaire friend Aristotle Onassis. His wife, however, did not seem to approve of this extravagant lifestyle, and this brought about a separation between the two. Soon afterwards, Winston Churchill started to suffer from symptoms of depression that he had been prone to earlier too, and he felt that his entire life had been a sheer waste. Although it was Winston Churchill who headed the country towards a victory in the war, the British Empire had in fact almost disappeared at this time, and almost half of Europe had come under the Communist regime. Churchill also feared that Socialism was threatening the England that he had loved with all his might, all his life. However, this able and wonderful leader had reached the fag end of his life, and he was tired and almost ready to give up his life. At the time, he engaged in bitter quarrels with all his children, Randolph, Mary, Diana and Sarah. He seemed to be waiting for death, and he would often remark to his daughter who would sit with him, â€Å"My life is ended, but it is not yet over†. (Hamilton, 2006) He still remained, however, a popular figure, especially within the United States of America, until in 1963, the Congress happened to vote to make him one of the first ‘honorary citizens’ of America, and life continued in the same vein. On his ninetieth birthday, Churchill was surrounded by his family: his wife, children and grandchildren. Well wishers had gathered outside his window, and a frail and weak Churchill struggled to get to the window to make his famous ‘V’ for Victory sign. Cheered by the crowds, Churchill was very happy indeed. That same evening, he suffered a stroke, and went into a coma. Two weeks later, Winston Churchill, the great leader, able administrator and excellent orator and politician, who had overcome many a handicap so that he could serve his country and his people better, breathed his last on January 24, 1965, which coincidentally, also happened to be the seventieth anniversary of his father’s death. He will always be remembered as the man, who led his country in the Second World War, and who ousted Hitler, thereby saving democracy for his country, and for the world. (Hamilton, 2006)