Furthermore, boy-bands such as the ‘Backstreet Boys’, ‘Boyzone’ and A1 were simply commercial brands that exploited the stereotypical ‘boy-pop’ market rather than producing a political statement incorporating diversity of the genders. Famed political correspondent and historian Andrew Marr supports this theory by suggesting that the concept of commercialization was purely a “capitalist, market-driven competition”, this exploiting the labelled markets of 8-13 year old girls that happened to listen to a rendition of the ‘Spice Girls’ with subtly lyrics “if you want to be my lover” – signifying the conscience of a commercial drive than appeasing the political demands of pressure.

The 1960s were known as the era of political deference, the swinging sixties, focusing on a general anti-war, pro-peace movement stance, that was supplemented by hippie driven forces such as ‘The Beatles’ and ‘Wainwright’ – parent of famed artist ‘Rufus Wainwright’. The 1970s followed on from the 60s, producing sounds that would shock Britain to the core. Punk bands such as The Clash and the Sex Pistols challenged the very core values of the British – defying allegiance to the monarchy with “God Save the Queen, God save her fascist regime” as it claimed to be the “street that reflected the actual  Britain” whilst provocating it. Pop music had not quite been created and was still politically motivated – however it began to display traits of pop music that was “created with the intention of making them commercially attractive.”

The mid-90s were known as the “kind of music that people listened to give an indication about their politics and outlook”. Suggestively the quote implies that British culture was influenced by pop – thus through commercialisation had already created a by-product of political ambition or allegiance to the very least.

Conclusively, with pop phenomenon such as politically charged Live Aid in 1985. The treatment by the media has become more commercialised whilst “popular music has been reduced to a conveyor of light entertainment” – through bands such as Duran Duran and Lulu. The political plights of Bob Geldof are simply stamped down as no more politically driven than U2 attempting to end world poverty. Music has been created to lead political desire – but has resulted as a profit making cash cow through the simple world of ‘corporate’.

“The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations. “[1] The concept of sustainable development itself is to ensure that future development is not binded by current usage. In other words, to ensure that technological advances are not hindered by a current policy that places restrictions. The issue surrounding MNCs and sustainable development is that the policies of MNCs can have a range of effects – however most significantly it has been argued by economists that the ‘multiplier effect’ developed through fiscal policies of economies can stimulate economic growth.

MNCs are in a stronger position to influence governments and are in a more dominant position than domestic markets to use bribery through lobbyists to take advantage of corrupt business practices.

Globalisation can be summed up as ‘the development of the world into one marketplace’. The advantages of globalisation have spilled over into the MNC models.

• There has been improved communication that reduces market failure
• Reduced transportation costs have been presented through the concept of economies of scale as MNCs can produce more in a foreign country at a cheaper rate through improved machinery and labour force.
• The liberalisation of trade through the removal of EU trade barriers has allowed for MNCs to enter the EU trade market by basing operations in an EU state.
• There has also been a rise in skill levels through specialisation for example as the French market specialises in agriculture and the Chinese market specialises in mass production of low cheap items – MNCs can take advantage of this.

Economist Galbraith claimed that the increased growth of US corporations has led to a breakdown in the traditional relationship between ownership and control of firms.
This grounds the basis that logically sole proprietors and partnerships require funds. On the other hand, MNCs can improve infrastructures particularly transport; improving the social benefit to local industries and the economy – a form of sustainable development.

The growth of MNCs has required additional funds. In the UK, the stock markets is an importance source of finance as it is through sold shares that capital is raised as shareholders are created. Marks and Spencer’s an MNC is an example of a PLC which is owned by thousands of shareholders. Galbraith argued that that because of the concept of dividends – a ‘passive resistance’ is created – shareholders receive their dividends as decisions are made in the higher executive chain and pass up the chance of responsibility delegation. It is through this theory that Galbraith argues that status of earnings is motivation to achieve greater market control and expand to foreign markets.

Historically British businesses are “too short-termist” as economist Will Hutton disputes. A culture of “quick returns and profits” rather than long-term investments has led to the generalisation that businesses are being concentrated in the hands of fewer corporations that become transnational as demonstrated by the growth of MNC Tesco. Major supermarkets are said to be able to compel prospective suppliers of foodstuffs to accept ever-lower prices whilst maintain ever-higher standards. Highlighting the prospectivity of sustainable development as Tesco’s aims to reduce packaging as part of promoting an environmental concern.

The increased growth and higher revenues created by MNCs can allow more investment in research and development. This demonstrates particular importance when considering international industries of rapid change such as electronics and pharmaceuticals. However MNCs of such economics tend to dominate as such GlaxoSmithKline and Microsoft do with their distinctive market monopolises. The growth created conventionally leads to increased research efforts, which leads to the development of improved products and established new sources. Honda a pioneer in research and development has done exactly this by focusing on more environmentally friendly fuels which promote sustainable development whilst maximising profits.

In contrast, many MNCs are known for their illegal or unbeneficial actions; avoidance of taxes and the use of tax concessions. By doing so the exports of profits do very little for a country’s economic growth.

Many MNCs have expanded their operations overseas to take advantage of new markets, cheaper raw materials or have even colonised new territories. ‘Reliance Industries’ a steal manufacturer has done exactly the latter by exploiting cheap labour in colonised territories in rural parts of India whilst basing their operations in Switzerland and New York.

In the mid 1990s, 7.3 million people were employed by 37000 MNCs. Of these 37000 people – 66% were employed in the domestic markets with only 1% of the world’s workforce employed by foreign companies. However the top 100 MNCs now control over 60% of these 37000 company’s assets. The wealth generated by such corporations often exceeds the wealth or GDP of the world’s smaller countries. For example, Exxon and General Motors have sales similar in size to the GDP of Switzerland.

Economist Chris Vidler argues that “the transfer of information and product between plants generates income, taxes and duties for the host nations.” This can be interpreted as an effective solution towards sustainable development as LEDCs are given the opportunity to develop their industrial base. Employment also generates income and taxes for the host which then creates an indirect effect of increasing the political influence of the MNC as economist Susan Grant elaborates that “however this can only be prevalent in countries that the MNC can then exploit” because of this many LEDCs will therefore remain underdeveloped unless “international trade of aid comes to their assistance”. This consolidates the view that MNCs are unlikely to promote sustainable development due to conflict with their aims to maximise profits. However as MNCs introduce new capital; they are also introducing new technology, expertises and skills to the county, it can be argued that they are actually promoting sustainable development through their actions. This point is validated by the fact that new industries would then benefit as the host countries may originally not have had the capital or technology to develop it industries.

Parents are evil. That’s all I can really say. To suggestively place a saucy meatball, potato and rice dish in front of vunerable young man is like offering a sexy woman in a sandwich. Any normal fool would succumb to the temptation.

Alas! I am determined however. I resolve to cooking fresh kidney beans, throwing some pasta on, a little fresh salad and stealing that oh how sinful rice and ridiculing it as the ‘Seventh Dinner’.

Mother asks how will I survive in Spain. I simply response to a Muslim mother “No worries, I’ll feast on kosher beef and wine!” The look on her face was simply ‘priceless’. I presume I will be able to find salad dishes around somewhere… I remember my trip in Valencia last year where I mixed up red onions with ham – now I knew what it finally tasted like by accident – I can safely say it is the worst thing alongside fresh ginger that I ever tasted!

I do not lie. It takes a determined person to turn down meat. And it has been a huge change even if only for a week on my mentality and body. I instinctively feel healthier and spiritually at peace (and no I’m not referring to the Dalai Lama), I am merely suggesting that the happy fluffy sheep can roam free and know that I won’t stab them with a pitchfork or stun them with a taser.

Happy, Long, Animal-Product-Free Days!

http://library.thinkquest.org/20922/works_cited.htm

Got some sushi for me and Nanar – he wasn’t all that impressed by the Sushi when I offered it lol. Threw some vegetable stuff in for all the guys…. funny seeing they’re reactions when I said there was no meat in the house and that alcohol was banned LOL.

Guitar Hero continued into the late hours of the morning with baked beans spilt on the bed….. had to open the window to full length with Motorhead and Interpol blaring angering the neighbours! Fun stuff with whole clumps of rice gulped down at the same time…

Probably spent more time on my phone then the actual guitar cos of a certain someone, but the whole night was awesome. I do miss meat though – to have a real party you need massive burgers and kebabs really.

Wondering how I’ll fare tomorrow. Spoke to the texter about possibly learning new things to cook. Never really taken ownership of cooking so I guess tomorrow is implementing D-Day.

There was no way I was giving this up. I took the vegetables.

It’s starting to hit me though, I just feel like my body is missing its food.

I’m hungry right now even – its been 4 days since I ate any chicken or meat. It’s been constant vegetables. Heck I’ve even laid off meat flavoured junk food and unhealthy crap just for the sake of it.

I’ve noticed cycling helps take your mind off of things.

Went to Chinatown today. Visited a chinese buffet. Here begin the problems.

A chinese resturant with immigrant workers who don’t speak L’anglais – Brilliant!

So I ask them if they offer Halal meat. Stupidly, I reason with myself that this will be my final time with my darling meat. I spend a good 5 minutes with the waiter trying to ask if they serve Halal. Following this I spend a further few minutes attempting to plea if they offer Kosher meat. (I’m getting really desperate now). I eventually go up to the buffet with the spatual prodding the trays of food using the process of elimination to distinguish what could be an animal and what could be farm grown.

Behold! In vain I ask another wait *sigh* “Dude… I’m tired, I’m hungry – whats vege?”. He responds “ooooh vegeeee?” (typically like a stereotypical comic cartoon charecter). Eventually we work out what is vege but he still can’t figure out what halal means except that his chicken is made by a ‘harem’. So let me get this right…. his chicken is prepared by his multiple wives???
An adultering bigamist waiter – thats a first! LOL

Eventually I succumb to the vegetables and live another day – proud that even through the simplest things a Human can show compassion for not eating a living animal.

God what have I done to myself? I have resorted to lunch and dinner of bowls of pasta. It began plain and simple so I took it and garnished it with whatever vegetarian crap I could find that would season it with some “supposed flavour.”

How I will get through tomorrow I do not know. I have the will. Just think of the poor little crying lamb!

2003 debuted high-speed wireless networks, but it also introduced the concept of global social-networking. This concept not only allowed global interaction and increased communication but it also led to reacquaintance of ‘lost-family’. In 1945 global interaction was ‘dead-as-a-duck’ with instant communication a ‘far-off dream’ – in the age of technology we have improved efficiency from a spectative few weeks to instant nano-second communication broadcasted over the internet.

The concept of promotional democracy in 2003 has greatly benefited society through ‘blogging’ whether written or video; citizens around the world are broadcasting their voices around the world to be heard and seen. Democracy in 1945 was a distant thought with war-mongering, power crazy dictators such as Stalin running amok.

However the concept of the internet has not always been bright and beautiful – it has led to an invasion of privacy notably the Saddam Hussein execution but more importantly our own privacy; educational and work details are now posted on the internet – our friends and what groups/societies we belong to even our sexual orientation to our marital/relationship status is now posted online.

To be granted civil liberties and equal opportunities it is better to live in 2003 rather than 1945. Now in the twenty-first century America is contemplating the first African-American president in history. A history turning point – that society in 1945 would not have been able to comprehend.

Sociologist Arthur Young suggests that society was more religiously and morally conscious with further emphasis placed upon moral principles when contrasted with the 2003 Iraq War and Britain’s apparent lack of morally supported evidence to invade countries whilst it goes to war with no real faith in any matter except the term ‘oil’ – for the reasons alone of global modern-day warfare I would live in 1945 than 2003 despite the global recessions and World Wars taking place. Abortion was illegal in 1945 as was suicide – surely it is a person’s choice to do what they wish with their body – even if it is the wrong decision it is a decision they have made and will contest with themselves. In 2003 abortions may not be wise – but the introduction of contraception has combated this to allow engagement between couples without the increased dangers of unwanted pregnancies and terminations.

Contrasting the option of rationed chocolate on a bi-weekly basis in 1945 and the rising inflation rates of 2003 is a contradictory suggestion on the basis that it is better to live in 1945 if you choose to be healthy and not eat junk food – but then it is better to live in 2003 on the theory that you cannot afford to indulge in chocolate. However with more selection in 2003 in choice and growing consumer demand compared to 1945; 2003 is the year to choose.

From the ‘wireless radio’ to ‘digital radio’ is a huge advancement in technology. In 1945, the wireless offered little selection and was the only form of diversion compared to the broad variety of choice and superior quality radio offered by the digital radio in 2003. Society was restricted and censored during 1945 – offering improved programmes but in the age of democracy this would not bode well with my principle of freedom.

Scientific reports have suggested that in 2003 was polluting greenhouse gases with more transportation in society compared to 1945 – in 2003 we could afford more cars with improved safety recommendations compared to the ‘death-traps’ sold in 1945. Road safety has greatly improved over the past 50 years allowing improved transportation and efficiency of citizens.

The model of ‘make do and mend’ should be cherished and reconstituted into the recycling campaigns of modern day society – 1945 may have been ‘times of yore’ with its strict conservative values and orderly fashions, but it also instituted policies that benefited society rather than wastefully inefficiently binning resources that may be needed later. In 1945 the economic problem affected society with the issue prevalent with the rationing model as Britain’s unlimited wants and limited resources went unsatisfied. In 2003 we no longer have this issue but instead we waste food and resources on an incredible scale – however this amount of choice draws me to live in 2003 rather than 1945 simply due to the advancements in technology, promoted democracy and freedom of trade and thought.