Income Inequality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Income Inequality - Essay Example The main reason he foresaw an evolution was due to the recurrent nature of income inequality. In an income inequality situation, the richer keep getting richer due to a better income, while the poor keep getting poorer. The gap between the top earners and the low-income earners keeps widening in an income inequality situation. In America, almost 95% of the national wealth is under 5% ownership; this situation leaves 95% of the population to scrounge for the limited 5% wealth (DeNavas et. Al, 2005). For economic inequality study, a family makes the ideal study unit. In the study, the family’s income is under analysis, and then the family members ranked from the lowest income earner to the highest income earner. After the ranking, the incomes aid in establishing a Lorenz curve that is important in analysis of income. In order for a Lorenz curve to be correct, the incomes of the family members have to be divided into fifths (Lorenz, 1905). A Lorenz curve enables analysis of data by adding the percentage value of the lowest fifth to the next higher fifth, which becomes the first point of the curve. The second point in the curve comes about through adding the first point to the middle fifth of the derived incomes. The process of plotting continues until exhaustion of all cumulative values of member incomes (Lorenz, 1905). For a perfect Lorenz curve, all members in a family would earn the same amount and the Lorenz curve would be a diagonal with the lowest point being the lower left hand corner moving progressively towards the higher right hand corner. This diagonal shows an ideal situation and it is the baseline in determining income inequality. Since not all family members receive an equal income, the Lorenz curve turns out as a curve instead of a diagonal. The area between the curve and the diagonal dictates the measure of inequality from one member of a given family to the next member (Lorenz, 1905). Income

The Main Drivers Stimulating Globalisation Essay Example for Free

The Main Drivers Stimulating Globalisation Essay The following essay looks at the main drivers stimulating globalisation and how they impact on global strategies. Globalisation is about the increased interaction and linking of world societies and there economies. The world economy is now more closely linked than ever through global markets and the global organisation of the production of goods and services. â€Å"Globalisation is a process in which the world appears to be converging economically, politically and culturally. Globalisation is seen by many as a fundamental change where national borders become irrelevant, a process accelerated by development in information and communications technology. † (Needle, 2004) The first and probably the most important driver stimulating globalisation is the triumph of economic neo-liberalism with regards to changes in government policies. Neo liberalism is a set of economic policies that have become widespread over the past 25 years or so. These economic policies have on the whole been looking at reducing barriers to the movement of goods, services and capital across national borders. Many people believe the most important being the reduction of government created barriers to trade such as tariffs and quotas(GATT/WTO) which in the past would have minimised and stifled international trade. These changes in government policy interventions saw an increase in the moving from government controlled systems/business’s to privately run business’s that are run for profit which really kick started competition within the market. Due to these reductions in barriers to trade and tariffs business’s can look at the world as one big global market, they can export and import goods for a minimum cost, they can base production at a location to optimise production and therefore lowering costs(greater economies of scale) and they also have a greater access to cheaper raw materials in order to become more cost efficient. Another driver is the vast and growing spread of international governance and regulations, this being vaster regulations across many countries . This move from shallow to deep integration has seen regulations become more standardised across a variety of countries, has lowered barriers and resulted in more cross border activity. A linked world economy has been made much easier by the agreement on global standards , there are many global and regional organisations such as the UN,WTO and the EU that have contributed to this process of standardisation. If we take the EU this is a political economic community of 27 member states located in Europe. The EU has created a single market through the standardisation of systems and laws which apply in all member states, this guarantees the freedom of movement of people, goods services and capital. These type of policies and regulations have really drove globalisation as it is now easier to trade in different countries, source materials, get funding and recruit people from these countries as workers. This can lead to companies maximising production as they have a greater amount of skilled labour to choose from. They can also cut costs as they can recruit and pay foreign workers at minimum levels. The regulation of laws on things such as product quality has also had a great effect. Organisations can now buy materials from certain countries cheaply knowing they have to be of a certain quality dictated by EU law, this makes the market more accessible and global. The emergence of worldwide financial markets and better access to external financing has had an impact on globalisation. The additional trade and investment generated by globalisation required a greater financial mobility which was helped by the removal of restrictions on the movement of capital through banking, stock markets and the WTO. This made it easier for companies to source financial backing anywhere in the world making the idea of trading internationally far more appealing to many organisations. In addition to consumer goods financial goods such as foreign exchange, shares and insurance are now also traded globally. New stock exchanges have been created and emerged around the world in order to meet this expansion of global trade in the financial sector. It has been thought that much of the cross border activity that occurs now is flows of financial capital. Although this is good for investors and means companies can get funding and investment from throughout the world so much easier now it also has its drawbacks and can lead to a crisis within economies. This was highlighted in the financial crisis that hit Asia in 1997, Asia as an economy was growing which attracted many investors to invest money within various area of the Asian economy at that time. When the economy slowed and there was rumour of a crisis many investors withdrew leaving the economy and many business’s in financial ruin. Technological advancements and innovations have effected globalisation as the world now has become a smaller place, things are now readily available and accessible throughout the world wherever you are. The world economy is now networked electronically through innovations in transport particularly in air travel and communications. People and businesses can now contact each other quickly and efficiently throughout the world through the internet, e-mail, telephones etc so wherever the company is situated they can contact each other at minimum costs. Advancements in transportation have had a major influence on companies going global. They can now transport goods and bring in raw material from all over the world quickly, efficiently and at a minimum cost. This is down to transportation speed and the ability to get access to quicker methods of transport now than in the past. Aeroplanes can now transport goods anywhere in the world quickly and cost effectively. In the past companies could only source and get goods locally as these methods of transport weren’t available or feasible. We can see that such developments in transport and communications have made the movement of people, goods, money and services much easier and have really been a major influence in globalisation and its attractiveness. The final driver of globalisation is social and cultural convergence there is now an increased circulation of people of all nations around the world due to there being fewer restrictions on travel etc. People want and will search for global products as everything is now more accessible. There has been a change in individual tastes and preferences which are in the direction of favouring greater choice in the range and origin of goods and services. This is attractive for firms as they no there are potentially profitable international markets that want there products. There has also been a change in cultures there has been a growth in cross-cultures. People have the desire to enjoy foreign products and ideas, adopt new technology and have a real desire to participate in a world culture. This has lead to a change in peoples values, collectivism is being replaced by individualism in many countries, they are changing more from traditional societies to more modern ones which increases demand for international products from other countries. There are various types of strategies that an organisation can implement that are also influenced by the main drivers stimulating globalisation. The first and most simple would be a home replication strategy this is when a firm takes the strengths of the business and looks to replicate that in the international markets that they want to move into. This strategy is usually more popular with smaller business that target a niche market, they look to expand into other markets and target niche markets within that market. The multi domestic strategy which is the strategy most firms take assumes that consumers needs and wants differ from country to country. To become competitive in these markets they tailor there product and operations to suit that country. The power within the organisation is de-centralized to strategic business units in each country and power is given within these business units to managers to make decisions in that particular country. The main driver behind this strategy is the varying cultures between countries in the world. It would not make sense to sell certain products in countries that have strong feelings against the product and will not purchase it. The best way to become competitive in these markets is to differentiate your product within that country. E. g. McDonalds not selling beef in India as they do not eat beef and selling chicken instead is a prime example of a multi-domestic strategy. The Global strategy is based upon the idea that consumers want the same things wherever they are in the world. Within this strategy the organisations products and services are the same across all markets throughout the world. This design is based upon the worldwide centralisation of decision making and control at the headquarters of the organisation. It is the head office of these companies that make all the key decisions regarding production, marketing etc and tell the head of the strategic business unit in each country what to do, the only decisions they make are with regards to the legal side of the country the company are doing business in to make sure they are working within the law. If done well this strategy can allow the organisation to achieve economies of scale. The main drawback within the strategy is it is not flexible to local markets and is very difficult to respond to changes within the local market because of how centralised it is. The transnational strategy is when the organisation tries to achieve both a global efficiency and an ability to respond to local market needs . This can be difficult to achieve because there is a real emphasis on the strong central control of the organisation as well as coordinating the activities to achieve efficiency and being responsive to the local market. An example of this local responsiveness with global efficiencies would be a car manufacturer manufacturing cars for the left hand side and right hand side drivers. They create a uniform product e. g. body of car created then tailored to specific market depending on what side of the road you drive on. As we can see there are many drivers that stimulate globalisation and also many strategies that can be taken but when going global there are also many things that need to be taken into consideration when deciding on a strategy. Trade blocs need to be considered as they influence the ease of access to particular markets and influence costs of trading in different regions of the world e. g. EU, NAFTA. This may be a hindrance due to added cost of setting up and blocs on trading but if you were to locate within a trading bloc this could help reduce long term trading costs and be a beneficial strategy e. g. Japanese companies building plants in the UK to help overcome exposure to the common external tariffs. Economic factors need to be considered such as tax systems, financial markets- can capital be raised and easily moved within that area. Prices of things such as oil and petrol will influence decisions as transportation costs will be effected by this. Interest rates and exchange rates might also play a factor in influencing strategy as they effect costs making it less or more feasible to move into that market. Social factors may also be relevant such as religious considerations and the appropriateness of selling your product in there country e. g. selling alcohol in a Muslim country may not be a good strategy. Also ethical and cultural issues should be taken into account when thinking of setting up in various countries as many cultures will not except certain products. Other factors such as capability of the workforce in certain countries will need to be considered as if the appropriate skilled labour isn’t available in that country it may not be a worthwhile option. The access to technology can have a major influence on global business strategy such as access to the internet, pc ownership, sales technology, processing payments and sales is this technology available and easy to use, compatibility of technologies used e. . accounting systems and language differences may also have an impact on strategy. From this essay we can see there are many drivers that have stimulated globalisation over past decades. These drivers have had a major impact on strategies that are taken by organisations. It is important for an organisation when going global to look at all the factors involved and imp lement the correct strategy in order for them to be successful.

Wicca the Complete Craft by D.J. Conway Essay -- Wicca the Complete Cr

Wicca the Complete Craft was written by D.J. Conway. This book was published by Crossing Press in 2001. It covers and goes through very thoroughly the many ceremonies, traditions, holidays, beliefs, and much more of the Wiccan religion. Wicca the Complete Craft was written with the intent to help someone go through the process of joining the Wiccan religion rather than a reference for someone to simply learn about the religion. Do not let me mislead you though, the book provides wonderful insight into the religion. It was just not written with that intent. It provides numerous list and step-by-step instructions but very little pictures and diagrams. The content of the book did not require a whole lot of diagrams or pictures, list and step-by-step instructions were adequate enough. I give Wicca the Complete Craft 4.7 stars on a 5.0 scale. The only thing that stopped me from giving Wicca the Complete Craft a solid 5.0 stars was that the author, D.J. Conway, came of as somewhat biased at times. It was very subtle, but he would slip in comments that the book could do without. You can tell he is very passionate and very serious about his religion, Wicca. I think that is fantastic but the comments that he slipped in every so often may turn people away or agitate them. I brushed them off and I am so glad I did because the Wiccan religion is fascinating and I learned so much from Wicca the Complete Craft. Wicca is an extremely old religion. Wiccan beliefs and views are so alien to the more modern religions like Christianity and Judaism. A major aspect of the Wiccan religion is covens. A coven is basically a group of 3 or more Witches (Witches are what people of the Wiccan religion call themselves) that gather together ... ... He touched base on everything you need to know to become a Witch. He even provided exercises to help you along with your journey to becoming a Witch. For the spell work aspect of the Wiccan religion he provided step-by-step instructions on several different spells. He thoroughly goes through all the processes to become a Witch. He made the reading easy to understand and if there is a word you do not recognize you can most likely find it in the multiple little dictionaries he has provided on words that have to do with the Wiccan religion throughout the book. When the need arises he provides pictures and charts. In the chapter on runes there is a particularly handy chart. There are a lot of lists in this book and they are a load of help. Overall Wicca The Complete Craft was an outstanding read. Works Cited Wicca the Complete Craft by D.J. Conway

TV Adverts

One of the things that annoys me most are TV adverts. Now, I think that TV adverts are a bit like marmite, you either love them or you hate them. Personally I absolutely loathe them seeing as I find them really irritating as do most people. Whenever an advert comes on the TV I usually switch the channel to another programme that’s on until my programme comes back on. Why? Because TV adverts are just ridiculously annoying and so time consuming.One of the things that annoys me the most is when you have to change the channel because you don’t want to watch the advert but then you end up completely forgetting about your first programme causing you to miss it. I mean I believe that TV adverts are basically hated by everybody. To me there is nothing worse than watching your favourite programme and having to wait about 5 minutes during adverts to find out what happens next. For example, lets’ set the scene, you’re sitting at home looking for something good to wat ch.You find a horror film that looks quite good and that has just started. You start to really enjoy the movie, you’re dying to know what’s going to happen, you’re on the edge of your seat and the rising suspense is unbearable. You’re just getting to the best bit and all is about to be revealed when suddenly the darkness from your screen is replaced by bright light. The creepy tension building music has gone and now your ears are filled by with nice calming music as the John Lewis clearance advert begins.Then you have to sit there for the next five minutes having to listen to people telling you what’s the best car insurance or the best place to shop for food and other really weird adverts. When the darkness and creepy music finally return your sense of excitement is gone and the suspense just can’t be replaced. Usually by this point I just turn off the movie and watch whatever other programmes are on at that time but if you can get straight back into the movie then I applaud you because that never happens for me. I can’t even fully express my hatred for these adverts that ruin everything at the moment.To be honest though it’s not only the fact that adverts just pop up at the worst times but also what they contain. You don’t know how many times I’ve caught myself humming the ‘go compare’ advert at the most random of times. I haven’t actually heard the ‘go compare’ advert in ages as the makers of the advert have stopped the singing, thankfully but it’s the fact that it’s so memorable that makes it annoying. Just the other day I was looking after my baby cousin and I started to hum go compare and she actually started to calm down, although my aunty saw me and looked at me as if I had two heads.Another thing is how adverts advertise so many different types of insurance you could buy, or different loan websites such as MA and quick quid. And don†™t get me started on all the different bingo and gambling adverts that annoy me so much. To be honest though it’s how they advertise them that annoy me. They advertise things in such a way that everyone feels the need to go and spend everything they have just to make their lives easier or to put them higher on the social ladder.However one thing I hate more commercials are infomercials. On those very rare occasions when I wake up too early and all that is on is teleshopping, I am literally about ready to kill myself. I then have to endure about an hour of a load of crap being advertised to me such as jewellery and vacuums. Anyway enough of my little rant against TV adverts now. I hope I have managed to persuade you to send TV adverts in to room 101 and if not then you can just send me so I can finally be away from them.

Religion †god’s Essay

There are eight dimensions of religiosity framed by Kendler which defines religiosity as a system of belief. These include general religiosity which included sensing one’s place within the universe and daily experience; social religiosity or in relation to others; involved God or the living or experiencing God’s presence; forgiveness is a virtue associated with being religious, God as judge is related to involved God but taken on the context of â€Å"God as authority† and notion of judgment and punishment which are attributions of divinity; unvengefulness is taken as the opposite of forgiveness referring to a pendulum swing from religiosity to fanaticism; finally, thankfulness is construed as coping scale reflecting the two ends of gratitude and anger at life and God (Kendler et al. , 2003). But nonetheless, the point of view used remained sociological and not religious as a mystic would for example introspect or meditate on the nature of suicidal act but the attribution of religiosity is important in understanding the class of individual and social group behavior patterns. For the purpose of this study, the mystical experience is assumed to be true but the Heisenberg’s uncertainty theory would make it impossible to fully describe the experience first hand. A conception and faith in an almighty force in the universe, thankfulness and communion with God could be taken as internal processes while forgiveness, unvengefulness and belonging to a religious group as social dimensions. Research on suicide showed importance of social networks particularly the primary groups in significantly reducing suicidal situations and hence its ideation, it would be difficult to differentiate social religiosity with other groupings, e. g. school science club. Hence, the author tends to regard religious experience in the level of personal understanding. Fear and love of God – the all powerful are still outward manifestations that is why it reflects strongly in group organizations and which have been institutionalized as in organized religions and churches. Looking at religiosity on psychological point of view symbolism and introspective evaluation techniques are relevant at least in trying to understand the internal dynamism of such an important belief. While it is not the wish of the researcher to go into theological discourse on the existence of one God almighty, it would be important in this research to have a glimpse on how such a belief is being reinforcement both at the social and individual or personal level. While there are a lot of accounts on mystical experiences, these experiences are not unique to purely religious experience but are even associated with use of hallucinogenic substances in some exotic religious rituals. Communion with nature or being one with nature is another area of vague divide between religious beliefs. We therefore view religion in two levels as a system of shared beliefs and as an experience. For the purpose, understanding suicide in the religious context, we take the personal view and relate the importance of such practice in the conception of self and in relation to other beings. Mind, body, and otherness: A tri-disciplinary approach in evaluating suicide syndrome Based from the review of the three disciplines, we can now combine the elements useful in evaluating a dangerous syndrome. From sociology we borrow the systematic approach to the study of groups while giving to value formation and its possible relationship with the notion of will. Value formation and exercise of will are considered human attributes. Is this natural or learned? This is clearly domain of psychology. Symbolic interactionism is one of the trends in thinking in sociology which parallel concerns in developmental psychology, that of the role of cognition in human behavior and how products of cognition are shared with others. Furthermore we limit the conceptualization of suicide into manageable numbers of variables including values, group organization, self perception, will and cognition, value and meaning of life. Taken together these variables could constitute what may be considered the psychosocial senses which enable us humans to relate self with the universe and in extreme cases, to severe such a psychosocial tie as in the case of suicide.

Free Essays on Assisted Suicide Bad Public Policy

Assisted Suicide: Bad Public Policy The struggle to keep assisted suicide from becoming legal has dwindled in the past years up until this year due to the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. There have been many American euthanasia movements in the past but this was a highly televised case evolving assisted suicide. There is only one state within the United States that has legalized assisted suicide and that is Oregon. There is one country that permits euthanasia and that is Holland. As a nation we need to maintain our stand against assisted suicide and not allow legalization of this movement. I do not take this subject lightly due to the fact that colon cancer runs in my family and has killed my grandmother, aunt, and uncle at an early age. Having to watch their last days of their lives in a hospital was very hard. My girlfriend of a year now is a nurse at a local hospital and so is her mom so I hear stories of suffering all the time. The issue of end-of-life care needs to be given more serious consideration by all Americ ans because we will all be affected by this unforeseen tragedy at one time or another. With new medications that help relieve intolerable suffering to terminal ill patients and with improved hospice care that should be available for all Americans, physician-assisted suicide should not be a given option. Let me first start off by distinguishing the difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia: Assisted suicide is distinguished from euthanasia in that it necessarily involves an individual who is capable physically of taking his or her own life and does so with means provided by another person. Euthanasia, on the other hand, refers to the situation where another person not only may provide the means but actually performs the specific act that causes an individual's death (for example, injecting a lethal dose of medication). Euthanasia may be voluntary (the individual has requested that another act to bring about ... Free Essays on Assisted Suicide Bad Public Policy Free Essays on Assisted Suicide Bad Public Policy Assisted Suicide: Bad Public Policy The struggle to keep assisted suicide from becoming legal has dwindled in the past years up until this year due to the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. There have been many American euthanasia movements in the past but this was a highly televised case evolving assisted suicide. There is only one state within the United States that has legalized assisted suicide and that is Oregon. There is one country that permits euthanasia and that is Holland. As a nation we need to maintain our stand against assisted suicide and not allow legalization of this movement. I do not take this subject lightly due to the fact that colon cancer runs in my family and has killed my grandmother, aunt, and uncle at an early age. Having to watch their last days of their lives in a hospital was very hard. My girlfriend of a year now is a nurse at a local hospital and so is her mom so I hear stories of suffering all the time. The issue of end-of-life care needs to be given more serious consideration by all Americ ans because we will all be affected by this unforeseen tragedy at one time or another. With new medications that help relieve intolerable suffering to terminal ill patients and with improved hospice care that should be available for all Americans, physician-assisted suicide should not be a given option. Let me first start off by distinguishing the difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia: Assisted suicide is distinguished from euthanasia in that it necessarily involves an individual who is capable physically of taking his or her own life and does so with means provided by another person. Euthanasia, on the other hand, refers to the situation where another person not only may provide the means but actually performs the specific act that causes an individual's death (for example, injecting a lethal dose of medication). Euthanasia may be voluntary (the individual has requested that another act to bring about ...

Cautionary Tales Told by Fitzgerald and Frost Professor Ramos Blog

Cautionary Tales Told by Fitzgerald and Frost America can be considered the most romanticized country in the world. Even to this day, people from other countries, especially those that are disadvantaged by poverty or war, dream of coming to America to achieve so called â€Å"greatness.† In the â€Å"roaring twenties† we saw the lavish lifestyles that could be gained by being a citizen of this great country. As depicted in many novels and movies, the nineteen-twenties were the epitome of an impulse society of instant gratification. The bustling economy allowed for a life of excess but as we learned from history this type of a lifestyle comes with a price and both F. Scott Fitzgerald and Robert Frost warn us of it’s dangers. Babylon Revisited written by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows it’s readers exactly how one’s life can be destroyed by living lavishly. Fitzgeralds young and attractive main character, Charlie Wales, life was turned upside down due to a lifestyle of formerly unrecognized alcoholism which single handedly led to his wife’s death and the loss of guardianship of his daughter. Charlie said himself, â€Å"I spoiled this city for myself. I didn’t realize it, but the days came along one after another, and then two years were gone, and everything was gone, and I was gone.†(Fitzgerald, pg. 992) Charlie takes ownership over the fact that his life of excessive nightly partying and promiscuity made it feel as though those two years disappeared from his life. This is a direct result of his instantaneous lifestyle. Although it is hard to say if Charles is to blame for his former alcoholism and unfortunate ways as he only seemed to be a product of his society and culture a t the time. Unfortunately due to his old ways Charlie must earn back respect from his dead wife’s sister, Marion, who gained guardianship of his daughter Honoria. In fact, Charles had to choose his words very carefully around Marion as she was very sensitive to his alcoholism and former lifestyle. This upset Charles because he just wanted â€Å" to jump back a whole generation and trust in character again.† It is evident that Charles only felt this way because it was his character in question. It is here the audience can see that Fitzgerald poses the age old question of whether people are truly capable of change. During the Great Depression almost everyone one was required to change in some shape or form because their resources and wealth were depleted tremendously. Charles remorse gives Fitzgerald’s readers hope that he is actually capable abandoning his old ways. When Charlie is not with his family and working to regain guardianship of his daughter he goes out on the town where he is constantly being tempted by his past’s mistakes. This causes the reader to question why the main character is constantly putting himself in this situation. Charles says himself that going to bars and eating fancy dinners is the only way he knows how to pass time and he would pay â€Å"for the privilege of slower and slower motion.† He reminisces on a time where he was incredibly frivolous with money and explained how he would hand over large tips to almost every worker he encountered. It is clear that Charlie did not know what he had until he lossed it all because it was not till then â€Å"he suddenly realized the meaning of the word ‘dissipate’.† Many people during this time did not see the loss and destruction that was to come in their lives but if they did, perhaps, they would have been more prepared. Despite at one time losing everything, Charlie is far better off than most; however, it is clear that Charlie has not learned from his former financial decisions in the past. Although he is no longer rich Charlie still wants to spoil his daughter with toys and entertainment. Honoria is aware that this is strange and responds by declining his lavish gifts and saying â€Å"we’re not rich anymore, are we?† Charles lifestyle was so over the top it was apparent to his young daughter that they were well off. Being robbed of her family’s fanciful ways and left with her aunt after the death of her mother must have left a psychological toll on Honoria. Charles lifestyle had bigger consequences that he was not able to see at the time and the well being of his daughter was the biggest one of all. Based on reading Robert Frost’s poem Directive one can surmise that the speaker of the poem knows what it is like to have everything but lose it all. The opening line states, â€Å"back out of all this now too much for us,† which can be used as a comparison of Charlie Wales the tole Great Depression took on his life. After the stock market crash Charles could only dream and reminisce on his old days of frivolity. That world is now distant and far away for Charlie. Due to his downfall, being a father figure and maintaining a healthy family was â€Å"too much† for Charlie. He was forced to â€Å"back out† of it and live a much simpler life reflecting on his past wrongdoings. The speaker in Directive also reminisces on â€Å"a house that is more a house/ upon a farm that is no more a farm/ and in a town that is no more a town,† this is representative of all the destruction that took place in Charlie’s life and much like the lives of others during the Great Depression. Charlie had all that one could dream of having in life. He had wealth, a beautiful wife and daughter, and a nice home to live in. All of that was gone in an instant after the death of his wife and the fall of the market. In much of the short story he cannot help but remember how good those days used to be. It is clear that Fitzgerald and Frost are using their works as cautionary tales to tell its readers that sometimes having it all is actually having nothing at all. Much like the roaring twenties, people today still live in a very instant access type of world. This is even more prevalent living in this age of technology. Everything Americans have today is at the touch of their fingertips and at their quickest convenience. This also allows individuals to have easier access to their vices leading to drug habits, debt, and the destruction of families. If society does not take a moment to reflect they can end up down the same path as Charlie and be forced to reminisce on what they once had much like the speaker of Directive. Unfortunately the phrase, â€Å"history repeats itself,† is truer than to be expected. Fitzgerald and Frost seemed to know this to be the case. It is clear that they wrote these pieces as a way to warn its readers of the paths that can unfold by living too car elessly.