Healthy Grief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Healthy Grief - Essay Example Kubler-Ross described grief as occurring in five stages. In the stage of denial according to Ross, the individual facing grief attempt to shut the reality of the loss incurred for a false reality that’s assuring. This stage has characteristics of isolation according to Ross. In the Bible, the depiction of Denial is absent in the account of job. Job on hearing different servants report of the loss that had befallen his house immediately gives God glory and declares that he came naked, and he will return to God naked (Mason, 2002). In Islam, the Quran commands Muslims of true faith to acknowledge that God owns it all and can call anyone home as He pleases (Irish, Lundquist, & Nelsen, 2014). From this comparison, it is clear that the denial lacks in the religious accounts. In the second stage of anger according to Ross, emotions and the masking effects that were applied in denial fade overwhelm the individual. Wailing may occur and intense anger that is directed at self, others of objects like animals around. Even though, rationally it is clear that the dead cannot feel the blame for emotional sake the grieving may do so. According to the account of the bible of job, it is clear that Job felt anger. This is manifested in Job 3; 25 when he said that his fears had come finally even though he either rested or was quiet about preventing them (Johnson, 2010). In Islam, the Quran prohibits wailing but acknowledges sadness that is a form of anger manifestation. An account of prophet Mohamed’s son talking and asking the mountain in it would not break to pieces if it had such grief as he had is a perfect example of anger (Kristiansen & Sheikh, 2012). The third stage on the account of Ross is bargaining. Here the grieving regains hope that maybe perchance the loss can be undone. At times, the grieving may offer to give any possible thing to any agency or God to restore the life of the deceased. In the

Growing Paderno Business in the U.S Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Growing Paderno Business in the U.S - Case Study Example It can help them to reduce issues to do with personnel movement into and out of the US and legal and tax issues in the US. In addition, the combination of financial and technical attributes of the two firms will improve their competitive edge, which is a fundamental advantage in a market, which is as aggressive as the US. With several types of partnerships available to Paderno, entering into a joint venture with a US company will be a good choice. They can structure the JV in two ways; either contribute resources to the creation of a new entity that will be operated in collaboration, or enter a partnership agreement allowing the entity to be run as a partnership (Yan & Luo 45). The latter will be the best choice since it will allow them to leverage their Paderno brand, as they will one of the partners. Entering such an agreement will enable Paderno to decrease their dependency on the Canadian market. This will help them in reducing risks so that if their Canadian market share suffers , they have the US market to compensate (Glover & Wasserman 28). It will also help them to extend their target market by engaging a partner to market their products in the US market under the other company’s name, while also advertising the product as being a joint venture with Paderno Canada. ... In addition, selling their cookware solutions to a US company will enable them to introduce their high quality cookware and increase profit margins. The joint venture will not have any effect on Paderno’s strategy; instead, it will affect their operational performance. This sort of partnership will be one of convenience where they will cut costs by using the facilities of their partner, while also allowing their partner to use their expertise and licenses (Wolf 61). These arrangements are also for a fixed duration, which will allow Paderno to become established in the US before maybe buying out the name of their joint venture and going into business alone. This would improve Paderno’s competitive advantage in a manner that would not have been possible if they had gone into business alone in the US. If this arrangement becomes a major contributor to the future direction of Paderno, then they could even make it a long-term initiative. By creating a new entity with the US Company and maintaining their autonomy, they will be able to use the other company’s facilities and distribution, while also maintaining their brand name, although not on the product (Wolf 62). The joint venture will also allow Paderno to achieve the minimum size they need for them to operate in the US market. The company will minimize the inherent risks of entering into a foreign market in which they have little experience (Harrigan 32). In this case, they will meet the costs of entering the US market on a joint basis, particularly in the competitive US market. Paderno must, however, ensure that they company they chose for a joint venture has complementary objectives and interests, such as improving the quality of their products. Joint ventures are cost effective ways to further development

Drugs addiction and musicians Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Drugs addiction and musicians - Research Paper Example Drug addiction among musicians of specific genres of music seems to be higher compared to some other genres of music. A recent study by the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health found out that illegal drug use in rap music has increased by six times since 1979. It is the fear of many parents and public health officials that the trajectory in rap music poses serious threat to the society particularly among the youth. Pop and rap music is very appealing to majority of young individuals, most of whom are looking up to rap, jazz and pop artists as their role models (Yang para3). This paper delves into drug addiction and musicians, particularly addressing the reasons as to why drug addiction is so omnipresent in musical circles. Drugs have often been associated with music scenes, and celebrated musicians such as Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and Keith Richards, have been addicted to drugs at one time or another. The close relationship between drug addiction and musicians is well reflected in a short fiction by James Baldwin â€Å"Sonny’s Blue†. In this story, an African American schoolteacher disagrees with his younger brother â€Å"Sonny† about his ambition of becoming a musician. Soon after Sonny is arrested for heroin use and sent to rehab. After a short while, he watches Sonny performing at a Jazz club and he feels deeply connected and enlightened with Sonny’s blues (Baldwin 21). However, what is apparent from the story is that Sonny is suffering from drug addiction and he is a musician. He displays characteristics of a drug addict such as being introspective and quiet person with tendency of withdrawing inside himself. He is also wild and behaves in a manner that is not expected of him. Nonetheless, he has passion for jazz music and he goes ahead to become a successful musician (Baldwin 42). Sonny is in a community of many other musicians who are addicted to drugs. Considering the positive and negative effe cts of drug addiction on musicians, it is critical to examine the various aspects related to these two issues. There is no doubt that drug addiction is very common in musical circles. In fact, there are numerous evidences of famous musicians who have battled alcoholism and drug addiction for better part of their music career and some have even succumbed to drug addiction. Famous politicians such as Bob Marley, Britney Spears, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, and Michael Jackson among others battled with drug addiction. So, why are drugs so omnipresent in musical circles? Many musicians use drugs largely because drugs including alcohol are extremely prevalent in the music industry (The Music of Orrin Hatch para3). Every music events, big and small, have people using harder drugs; music industry is considered a â€Å"party industry† and it is somewhat expected apart from entertainment, there should be upbeat emotions during performance. In many case s, drugs are used in the musical circles to enhance entertainment, as well as in enhancing emotions. It is for this reason that drug use has become part of music culture where famous music stars and even fans have made it a mainstay. It now appears awkward to many musicians mainly in pop, rap, and jazz music industry not to use drugs

Knight Guys Finish Last Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Knight Guys Finish Last - Essay Example The fourth wall consisted of thick, iron bars. Beyond was a hallway leading to a dark staircase. This contained the weak light source; a torch in an iron sconce, high on the wall. People panic due to shock and Tess began to feel a little hysterical herself, as she paced the cell, trying to make sense of the situation. She turned to find Daniel, opening his arms to console her, and she lost control. It was hours until they were discovered by a man wearing a chain tunic, old dented armour, and a rusty short-sword at his waist and he hurried up the stairs upon spotting them, returning soon after with another man, who possessed the haughty mannerisms of the high-born. "I am Count William the Third," he paused as if expecting applause. Receiving none, he continued, "Deegan here was most distressed to find a group of persons, occupying a cell in my dungeon which was empty. Obviously, the mystery is how they came to be here. Deegan believes that you are a group of sorcerers, though I must disagree. Why would a sorcerer transport himself into a dungeon I think you must have displeased a sorcerer, who transported you into my dungeon, expecting me to dispense justice, which I will do unless one of you can defeat my champion in the tourney on the morrow." And with that, he walked away. The next morning found Tess and her friends clamped in chains and escorted to a large ... Receiving none, he continued, "Deegan here was most distressed to find a group of persons, occupying a cell in my dungeon which was empty. Obviously, the mystery is how they came to be here. Deegan believes that you are a group of sorcerers, though I must disagree. Why would a sorcerer transport himself into a dungeon I think you must have displeased a sorcerer, who transported you into my dungeon, expecting me to dispense justice, which I will do unless one of you can defeat my champion in the tourney on the morrow." And with that, he walked away. The next morning found Tess and her friends clamped in chains and escorted to a large stadium. After the jousting, sword fighting, and jesters, Count William stood up from amongst his many attendants. He called for one of the prisoners to face his champion in a battle of blades. "I volunteer," said Daniel. The guards went forward and after unchaining Daniel, he led him past the group stopping in front of Tess. "I've never been brave enough to tell you this," he began softly, "but I suppose certain death makes heroes of us all. Ever since the first time I met you, I've been hopelessly in love with you." Then he continued on his way. Tess tried to call out to him, but the words caught in her throat as they led him into the centre of the stadium, handed him a sword and shield, and left him alone. The crowd roared as a dark figure stepped from the opposite entrance. Everything about him was menacing; the way he walked spoke of sinister grace. He approached Daniel as a lion stalking a doe. Wasting no time, the champion crouched and drove his blade towards Daniel's throat. It never found its destination as Daniel moved impossibly fast, spinning on the ball of his foot and heaving the other foot into the champion's ribs. With a

Smoking and Lung Cancer Essay Example for Free

Smoking and Lung Cancer Essay What is lung cancer? Well, lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the United States. Lung cancer has greater mortality rates than the next three most common cancers combined (colon, breast and prostate). An estimated 157,300 Americans were expected to die from lung cancer in 2010, accounting for approximately 28 percent of all cancer deaths (American Lung Association). Lung cancer is very difficult to treat, depending on the size and stage in which the cancer is detected. The earlier the cancer is discovered, the better. For example, if the cancer is found earlier than later, more types of treatment can be administered to the patient. These treatments may vary from surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Although lung cancer is rarely cured completely, if detected and treated early, survival expectancy can increase substantially. Despite the difficulties of this deadly disease, the number of cases in which people have lung cancer is unnecessary, and can be greatly lowered. The risk of developing lung cancer can be reduced by 90% in people who quit smoking before the age of 35. Smoking is greatly related to lung cancer. Smoking, a main cause of small cell lung cancer, contributes to 80 percent and 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in women and men (American Lung Association). Men that smoke are 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer than men who don’t, and women who smoke are 13 times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmoking women. The lung cancer types found in people who smoke mostly differ from those in non-smokers. Small cell lung cancers, which account for approximately 20 percent of lung cancers, occur almost always in people who smoke or have smoked in the past. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the tissues of the lungs. Inside the chest, lungs take up much of the room inside and usually are a pair of cone-shaped organs. The characteristic of this type of cancer is that it grows mor e rapidly and is more likely to spread to other organs inside your body. Starting with any one of the larger breathing tubes, small cell lung cancer grows quickly and at the time of diagnosis attains larger size. Most common cause of lung cancer is cigarette smoking. Small cell lung cancer risk factors include smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes now or in the past, exposure to second hand smoke, and exposure to asbestos or radon. Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) is the type found more commonly in non-smokers, but the majority of cases still  occur in people who have smoked in his or her lifetime. There is one broad general cause to lung cancer that is the Constant prolonged introduction and exposure of a variety of carcinogens into the lungs. A carcinogen is any ingredient that has the potential to cause cancer. One deadly carcinogen is radon gas. Exposure to radon is estimated to be the second leading cause of lung cancer, responsible for an estimated 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths every year (American Lung Association). Radon is a tasteless, colorless and odorless gas that is produced by decaying uranium and occurs naturally in soil and rocks. Lung cancer can also be caused by occupational exposures, including asbestos, uranium, and coke (an important fuel in the manufacture of iron in smelters, blast furnaces, and foundries). Amongst all of these factors that cause lung cancer, cigarette smoke, with its concoction of highly concentrated carcinogens, inhaled by both smokers and nonsmokers is the foremost cause of lung cancer. In addition to the causing of lung cancer, smoking puts a person in increased risk of the pancreas, kidney, bladder, esophagus, oral cavity, and larynx cancers. Since there is a great association between smoking and lung cancer, there is also an increased risk of developing other smoking related cancers. These types of cancers and lung cancer incidences depend initially on the overall lifetime exposure to cigarette smoke, the number of years a person has smoked cigarettes, and the age at which the individual was introduced into cigarette smoking. Now that we know the causes of lung cancer, let’s explore the contents of a cigarette. What are the ingredients and chemicals that are manufactured into cigarettes, have you ever wondered? There are approximately 600 ingredients in cigarettes (American Lung Association). When these ingredients are burned, they create more than 4,000 chemicals. At least 50 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, and many are very poisonous. A lot of these chemicals are also found in many consumer products, but these products have warning labels on them. While the public is warned and advised about the danger of the poisons in these products, there is no such warning for the toxins in cigarettes. Here are a few of the chemicals in tobacco smoke, and other places they are found in: Acetone found in nail polish remover, Ammonia a common household cleaner, Methanol – a main component in rocket fuel, Butane – used in lighter fluid, and Carbon Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes. That’s just a very short  list of extremely dangerous chemicals that are incorporated into cigarette smoke. It’s no surprise that the constant inhalation of these hazardous substances over time can result in a variety of serious health problems such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, and even chronic diseases. It is critical and essential to know how smoking causes lung cancer because there is a great relationship between smoking and lung cancer. Your lungs air passages are lined with millions of tiny hairs called cilia. The cilia act like little brooms protecting the air tubes by sweeping dusts, tar, and other foreign materials gradually upward, like escalators, until they can be spit out. Every time a blast of tobacco smoke hits these cilia, however, they slow down, and soon stop moving. As a result, the trapped tars from the tobacco smoke begin seeping into the cells lining the air tubes. Over time, this constant irritation turns some of the cells cancerous. This transformation usually takes many years. But once it begins, the cancer steadily eats its way deeper into the lung. By the time it is discovered, its usually too late. When cigarette smoke is inhaled, the tissue cells of the lungs are exposed to the host of carcinogens contained in the smoke. Carcinogens have the unique potential to damage and change the DNA of cells in the body. The DNA is responsible for functions including how fast the cells reproduce and grow. Once a cell has been exposed to carcinogens for an extended period of time and the DNA has been affected, the cell can become cancerous. A cancerous cell is defined as any cell in the body who’s DNA has been reprogrammed to grow at an accelerated and unstoppable rate. As the affected cells continue to grow, they cause the formation of blood vessels to supply the cells with the needed nutrients to continue growing. These cells grow into masses called tumors. Eventually these tumors grow to such a size that they begin to crowd out other cells in the lungs. The added mass of the tumor makes it difficult to breathe, which decreases the amount of oxygen being transported throughout the body. Eventually the tumor can become so large that the lungs can no longer function. If a small amount of the tumor manages to break off and enter the bloodstream, or lymph system, the cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Here the process continues as the cells make new homes in organ tissues, such as the heart, liver or brain. This eventually causes these organs to no longer function over time as well. If you think you’re safe just because you are not a smoker,  think again, because you’re wrong. Passive smoking, or also known as second hand smoke can also be a risk factor for lung cancer. Breathing in the smoke of others can increase your risk of developing lung cancer. A non-smoker who lives with a smoker has about a 20 percent to 30 percent greater risk of developing lung cancer. Workers who have been exposed to tobacco smoke in the workplace are also more likely to get lung cancer. Secondhand smoke involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers from other people’s cigarettes is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a known human carcinogen, responsible for approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 46,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers annually in the United States (American Lung Association). Smoking by parents is associated with a wide range of adverse effects in their children as well, including exacerbation of asthma attacks, increased frequency of colds and ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome. Secondhand smoke causes an estimated 202,000 asthma episodes, 790,000 physician visits for buildup of fluid in the middle ear (or middle ear infection), and 430 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases each year. Nicotine is a very addictive drug, and when it’s inhaled, cigarette smoke reaches the brain faster than drugs that enter the body intravenously. Smokers not only become physically addicted to nicotine; they also connect smoking with many social activities, making smoking an even more difficult habit to break. Quitting smoking often requires multiple attempts. Using counseling or medication alone increases the chance of a quit attempt being successful; the combination of both is even more effective. Perhaps the best motivation for an individual to quit smoking would be the thought of the serious health complications down the road if smoking is continued. If you stop smoking before a cancer develops, your damaged lung tissue gradually starts to repair itself. No matter what your age or how long youve smoked, quitting may lower your risk of lung cancer and help you live longer. There are some people that will try to tell you that the medical establishment is lying to you. They will argue that it’s not proven that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, that the statistics have been twisted to make the case against cigarette smoking stronger and worse than it actually is. There are a number of things that doctors and researchers don’t yet understand, such as there is no development of lung cancer in those people that can smoke for years, while  others who have never smoked do. There is one thing to keep in mind, risk of developing lung cancer increases due to smoking- this isn’t a claim, it’s a fact. Remember, it’s never too late to put down that cancer stick!

Defining Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Defining Race and Ethnicity Essay The use of the terms race and ethnicity is varied. The two terms are misused as if they are identical. The casual and common appearance of the terms side by side in the public discourse may discourage people from regarding them as distinct terms. Race is based on the premise of biological and physical differences. the concept of race included any essential zing of groups of people which held them to display inherent, heritable, persistent or predictive characteristics, and which thus had a biological or quasi-biological basis. Ethnicity is an embodiment of values, institutions, and patterns of behavior, a composite whole representing a peoples historical experience, aspirations, and worldview. Ethnic classification, either externally imposed or intrinsically engendered, often defines peoples membership to a group. Aside from social constructs, ethnicity is innately more central to human experience and identity than race. I do not believe that these concepts should be important to society. Racial and ethnic categories are neither fixed across societies nor within a society. Racial and ethnic categories are fluid and changing depending on the socio-political context of a society at any given time. Ethnic and racial differences do not inherently lead to conflict. Instead, these differences can take on a social meaning of hierarchy leading to conflict when divided groups fail to negotiate. In such cases, the imbalance of power, not the racial or ethnic differences per se, is the underlying cause of the conflict. In each of these cases, it is critical that the topic of race and ethnicity receives continual examination. The ideology and myth of racial and ethnic differences cannot be validated to support or legitimate superiority, privilege, or conflict as has often been the case in both historical and global contexts.

Analysis of Australias Economic Engagement with Asia

Analysis of Australias Economic Engagement with Asia The topic of political and economic arguments for Australia’s engagement with Asia has been discussed keenly in media over extensive period of time. However, no matter who you ask, or what article you read, it is a fact that Australia’s relations with South East Asia and Asia in general went through a significant change over past 20 years. This relationship started with a complicated and cautious view of Asia as a risk. Risk in both direct aggression and military sense, as well as a hazard to Australia’s way of life. Later on, the relationship evolved to viewing Australia as an integral part of Asian society, as a country that should position itself as a strong, reliable and vital partner in region that is able to benefit from growth in the area and, in turn, benefit the region itself. There are numerous political and economic arguments for Australia’s engagement with Asia, Australia economy is connected to economies of other countries in the world and prosperity of Australia nation depends on where Australia will position itself in future. Politics in this age a highly influenced by economic factors and are usually mended and driven by economics, hence I will start with the later. As Asia’s economy continues to expand rapidly and Asia is poised to become the powerhouse of the next century as suggested by Dr Emerson (2012), Australia will only find itself more interconnected with these economies, building its own wealth as they grow. Already, DFAT (2013) indicates Australia top 4 export partners are in Asia with China, Japan, South Korea and India accounting for 63% of Australia’s exports in FY2013. The proximity of Australia to Asia and specifics of resources we have will see the economy further integrate with that of the region. As influence of Asia grows so the political motivations to associate Australia as integral part of Asia, early examples include Prime Minister Howard’s policy to position Australia as a key player in the region. The absolute need to position Australia as a key, central and crucial regional player forced the government to work on policies that emphasise regionalism at times, or fostering bilateral agreements with others according to Capling (2008). Moreover rising dependence of Australian prosperity on growth and trade with Asian economies further stressed the need in forward looking strategy, which culminated in numerous governmental studies, with publication of the â€Å"Australia in the Asian century† white paper. The enormous growth in Asian economies has already provided Australia with extraordinary benefits, most notably in mining and energy sectors, and while growth in China seems to be slowing there is no reason why other economies, India for example, are not able to fill any void left by Australia’s main trade partner. There is absolutely no reason why Australia cannot continue monetising on the growth its neighbours are experiencing. And this incredible growth is only expected to continue, with multiple sources and studies, including The Standard (2012), indicating that by 2030 Asia will become the economic centre of the world. It is expected that closer to 2030 Asia’s GDP will exceed GDP of the United States and Europe combined. As a result of that middle-class consumers population in Asia is expected to be the largest in the world. Even as some economies in Asia start to moderate in growth, as their middle class grows so will the demand of this wealthier population for higher end goods and services. A diverse range of products can be exported, starting from education to health, organic food to wine. According to the Commonwealth (2012) the global centre for economic and wealth gravity will only continue shifting to the region. The signs are already apparent, Australian educational sector has been a net exporter to Asia, turning this country into Asia’s classroom according to Griggs (1993). Full Fee paying students are contributing over A$1.1 billion a year into Australian educational sector. As the wealth of these economies grows, we can only expect growth in demand for high quality, unbiased western education. This is reinforcing desired position of Australia being a certain bridge between the East and West, positioned in the East with a robust Western system of education, culture, economy and customs. In addition to tertiary education numerous student arrive to Australia to study English or attain vocational and school qualifications. Australia has been successful so far in its approach to internationalise education (Beazley 1992). Students from overseas are becoming not only an important source of knowledge and cultural exchange, they are also important in funding Australia’s university sy stem. The growing importance of international students, and their dollars, has resulted in a significant shift in Australian politics. As Asian wealth grows international competition for students grows as well, these resulted in need to streamline and relax requirements for entry into the country. There is a noticeable change in requirements to obtain international student visa to travel and study in Australia, a large number of requirements have been streamlined, the procedures simplified and processing times improved significantly. Politics, including such sensitive issues as entry requirements into Australia, once again have been significantly influenced by economics, according to Treasurer Swan (2012) the Asian century is the time for Australia and Australian education to shine, however further changes needed to stay competitive in international market place. The government is in continuous discussions with educational institutions on how to become more competitive and how to attract more students to Australia. Australia utilises a number of tools to be visible and attractive in this regard, including road shows and expos in Asia, significant investment in advertising overseas and direct involvement of government and relevant institutions in promoting Australia as the â€Å"place to be† to gain high quality, world class qualifications while still enjoying unique, relaxed, western and prosperous country. A simple visit to most university campuses will be enough to show tremendous success Australian Educ ational sector is enjoying. There is another sector that is already benefiting from this interaction, and is expected to grow vastly if properly marketed. Larger population and wealthier pockets means demand for more food and better nutrition. According to Cooper (2012), Australia’s proximity, vast size and smaller population means that Australia is poised to become a case of a food basket for Asia. From personal experience and news, we can see that the potential benefit for the food industry is apparent. Recent interest of international investors and conglomerates in Australian companies like Graincorp only proves the potential of wealth that can be generated by food industry here. And there is a clear push from Federal Government to boost the potential of this industry and simplify the process of investment and export. If the success of beef industry can be replicated in other sectors of food industry there is a clear potential of lucrative income stream for both the government and investors. Away from economy, moving to a purely political view, there is an argument that issue of national security is paramount, independent of economy and always comes first. My argument however is that as economical dependency grows the national security issues are softened to accommodate these new economical realities, if not adjusted entirely. It is no secret that Australia is a major beneficiary of Chinese growth. According to The Economist Intelligence Unit (2009) while growing in its dependency on China, Australia still looks to America as Asia’s sheriff. For a while, Australian government had the urgent sense of a growing problem as China is reshaping Australia’s trade and investment structure, drawing the country into a China-centred Asian orbit. This didn’t sit well with a strong historical security connection between Australia and America. The absolute need to avoid any conflict, in order to balance the relationship between two major partners, is one of the re asons of Australia’s push to build regional organisations that will include two powers. One of the possible outcomes of availability of such organisations like Asia-Pacific community is that they will act as some sort of tribunal or forum where conflicts and issues can be resolved peacefully and without major impact on economy, security and national interests. My argument here that while historically Australia had extraordinary ties with America, and will continue this relationship in foreseeable future, economic reality dictates the need to find a middle ground and move away from blindly following policies of the US (Capling 2008) to balancing its act as Asia in general, and China in particular, are not seen as an enemy, but as a vital and important partner. Over last decade, Australian Government has been implementing policies showing that Australia’s interest, wealth building and long term survival will be better served by developing and implementing a more independ ent and balanced policy from that of Washington. To further elaborate on this point, we have seen numerously how foes of yesterday became friends as economical relationships between countries increase in complexity, interdependence is established and mutual economic benefit becomes the main driver of politics. Examples abound, Germany and France as one, closer to home Australia and Japan are a great example. Not that long ago Australia and Japan were adversaries and the relationship was that of an occupier and the occupied. According to Sato (2008) Australia put forward a request for a harsher treatment to occupied Japan, demanded stricter and tougher assurances. These demands were so harsh that United States was not willing to accommodate them. While these demands were understandable due to the deep scar Australia received owing to Japanese actions in World War II, the situation started to change slowly. Economical ties grew, Japanese economy underwent a â€Å"miracle† growth and countries became closer. Australian relation ship with Japan extended to the degree that they have become undeniably some of the strongest partners in Asia-Pacific region. Japan was a strong supporter of Bob Hawke’s proposal in establishing the APEC initiative, as mentioned by Terada (2000), and arguably, the reason why this organisation managed to survive the initial resistance it received from other Asian nations. In addition, Japan put tremendous pressure to facilitate acceptance of Australia into East Asian Forums, see Marris (2005). Due to these changes very few people on either side could perceive the other party as a threat to national security, stability or way of life. The mindset has changed completely aided by recent history, political and economical dynamics between the two nations. There is no reason why Australia cannot foster similar relationships with other countries in Asia that will result, akin to Japan, in obtaining an ally, a trading partner and major supporter on international arena. Moreover, the situation is much more favourable with most of the nations in the region. Unlike Japan, with exception of Indonesia, there were no obvious or direct security confrontations with any of the nations. This provides a more favourable ground on building more robust relationships that are based on mutual trust and benefit. China is repeating the economic â€Å"miracle† of Japan, already becoming, in certain sense a prosperous, much larger, healthier and more vibrant economy. Japan has been pushed to sidelines in everything but political relations, starting with the significance of trade with Australia, to the number of international students and tourist visiting this country. There is a significant progress today compared to where we were even a decade ego, previously it was debatable if Australia will ever be considered as part of Asia, today that is not the question. However, there is still a long way to go to build mutual trust, foster common understanding and create strong, allied links. Often uniqueness of Australia hampered relations with Asia, however being different is not always bad. Australia is still and will remain very different to other Asian countries. Dissimilar attracts, and by leveraging this uniqueness Australia travel, tourism and hospitality industry flourished. We have seen increase in Japanese tourism that benefited Queensland economy enormously, and this is slowly starting to replicate with other Asian countries. Australia boasts unique natural landmarks, beautiful scenery and a very different environment to Asian countries. Australia is working hard to promote and capitalise on growing wealth of Asia. Large advertising and sponsorship campaigns are launched across Asia, with Tourism Australia taking a A$14 million campaign across four Asian markets that are most lucrative at this stage, being Hong Kong, China, Korea and Malaysia as pointed out by Sudhaman (2005). Offering a unique and compelling position, Australia is capable of benefiting signif icantly from Asian tourism. Even when taking competition of other, more traditional, tourism destination in Europe and US, Australia is able to gain an upper hand by emphasizing its Asian location, proximity, uniqueness of natural assets and friendliness of population. In addition, Australia offers significant amount of services available in tourist native languages due to true multiculturalism and multilingualism of local population. Owing to massive growth of wealth and large population in Asia, Australian Tourism industry could become the largest service export of the country. If WTTC (2013) assumptions are correct, by 2020 almost half of the travellers around the planet will originate from Asia. There is a potential for Australia to receive around $115 billion in overnight spend from tourism by 2020 if proper policies and marketing are done (Tourism Australia 2011). Conclusion: Arguably, economic benefit is the main driver behind all the politics and the main reason why governments enter into alliances or build common organisations. From analysis above Australia could benefit tremendously from repositioning itself as a strong, active and friendly Asian nation while retaining the specifics of its Western culture and way of life. Building closer relationships with Asia should prove positive on multiple vectors impacting almost every sector of national economy. Over past decades Australia has already been benefiting from the mutual relationship with Asia. Trade numbers increased dramatically with main Australian trade partners shifting from Europe and North America to Asia. Strong industry links have been built including financial, political and cultural. Tremendous number of industries benefited from this, with mining and energy historically benefiting from our proximity to Asia. And, it is expected, that they will only continue to do so in near future. Educational and Health sectors are becoming a major source of wealth locally by exporting the service overseas. Australian educational sector is already becoming one of top recipients of international student fees, and there is no reason why Australian health system cannot benefit from international clients akin to US, Canada, Switzerland and Germany. Additionally, the government along with the tourism sector are promoting Australia as a unique destination with aspects of both Europe and As ia, this is where uniqueness of Australia and its dissimilarity from Asia can be capitalised the most. Politically, as stronger economic ties are forged and trust fostered among nations, Australia is posed to reduce any risk to its national security, be that from direct aggression or passive hostility. When governments see the benefit of being with other nation, when this benefit translates in more robust trade, wealthier electorate and stronger economy, governments tend to put differences aside and look for solutions in peaceful, civilised way. And these are just few of numerous positive reasons of Australia benefiting from stronger ties with its neighbours. Bibliography: Beazley, The Hon Kim, M.P. (1992). International Education in Australia through the 1990s. Canberra. Australian Government Publishing Service. Capling A. (2008). 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