The System of Inquiry Essay Example for Free

The System of Inquiry Essay The basic framework of the system of inquiry is to eliminate bias in determining the appropriateness of the actions and decisions of social workers in NASW. It also includes the consideration for the welfare of the people to whom the services of the social workers are rendered without prejudicing the welfare of the social workers at the same time. In essence, the basic framework revolves around the idea of withholding judgment until all the pertinent facts are considered and the natures of the ethical situations are analyzed. This basic framework will be used because social workers oftentimes deal with ethical dilemmas where the ethically sound and valid decisions are difficult to identify. In some cases, the options available for social workers are ethically permissible and yet they are required to choose only one option. It is therefore imperative to choose the most suitable option with the least corresponding harmful consequences possible. Otherwise, the prudent act of choosing carefully from the possible ethical options becomes a futile undertaking. The system of inquiry will be applied only after the facts of the case are identified. Thereafter, the applicable sections of the NASW Code of Ethics will be used as bases for determining the ethical worth of the actions or decisions of the social workers under study. A selected panel will head the investigations of the cases, the results of which are still subject to appeal, after which the decision will be considered final and irrevocable. Thus, the NASW Code of Ethics will not only serve as an immediate guide for the members of the organization. It will also function as an objective â€Å"arbiter† during investigations of ethical complaints or breaches in the proposed ethical conduct of social workers. The System of Inquiry As far as the NASW Code of Ethics is concerned, the primary role of social workers is â€Å"to promote the wellbeing of clients† because â€Å"client’s interests are primary† (Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers). Thus, social workers are expected to set aside their personal bias and other personal concerns when professionally dealing with their clients. Senior leaders in the profession are likewise expected to secure the professionalism of the social workers because these senior leaders â€Å"can create, maintain, or change culture† (Managing Business Ethics Chapter09, p. 230). In other words, the observation that senior leaders can influence the outlook of the organization and its members implies the responsibility to make sure that direction of the actions and decisions of the members are aligned with the policies of the organization including the NASW Code of Ethics. There are instances when social workers face the dilemma of whether or not to allow the request of their clients which social workers know are harmful or do not provide any benefits to their clients. As an example, some social workers in the health profession may face the situation where their patient requests that his life support system should be cut for personal or family reasons. It may be that the patient’s family can no longer shoulder the expenses of providing a life support system to their patient-relative. A variation of this situation is when the terminally-ill patient is no longer capable of making an informed decision on what he wants to be done as far as his medical needs are concerned. As a result, the relatives of the patients are prompted to act or decide on behalf of their terminally-ill family member. In such cases, there arises a conflict in the interests of the patient and the social worker. On one hand, the interest of the social worker is to promote the welfare of the client at all times as a primary concern and as far as the NASW Code of Ethics is concerned, specifically section 1. 01 otherwise known as â€Å"Commitment to Clients†. On the other hand, the interest of the patient or the relatives is to cease the life-support system of their relative who is terminally ill. Most often than not, the attending physician is prompted by the circumstances to consult with his immediate superiors. In this case, the superior of the attending physician will have to use the NASW Code of Ethics as basis for the decision. Section 1. 02 of the NASW Code of Ethics states that social workers should not only respect but also promote their clients’ rights to self-determination and assist their clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals† (Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers). Taking into account this section of the Code, it is apparent that the superior should respect the decision of the patient or the relatives of the patient to cut-off the life-support of the terminally-ill patient. It is suggested that it is not within the boundaries of either the attending physician or the superior of the physician to force their clients to follow the decision of the social worker. Since it is the primary obligation of the social worker to promote the welfare of the client, it follows that the social worker should not insist to sustain the life of the patient. It is this instance that shows how the right to self-determination of the patient may override the duty of the social worker.

Different users of financial statements have different informational needs

Different users of financial statements have different informational needs Financial statements form the backbone of communicating the information about the company to the members within and outside the organization. According to International Accounting Standards (IAS 1.9) The objective of general purpose financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, financial performance, and cash flows of an entity that is useful to a wide range of users in making economic decisions. (Deloitte Global Services Limited, 2010).Owing to the wide variety of users of this information and that of the structure of business entities, there are different types of financial statements. Users refer to them from time to time in order to make correct economic decisions. Depending upon the type of information provided by them, financial statements are categorized in 4 types viz. balance sheets, income statement, statement of cash flow and the statement of equity. A Balance Sheet gives the financial position of the entity by considering its assets, liabilities and equity at a given time. It follows the accounting equation where assets equal capital plus liabilities. An Income Statement, also known as the Profit Loss account of an entity, reports the income, expenses and profits of the entity over a period of time. Statement of Cash flow reports the changes in cash position. It informs about the operating activities like money received from customers or paid to suppliers, investment activities that include acquiring or selling different long-term assets that are not considered to be cash, interests or dividends that are paid or received or financial activities which change the capital of an entity. (Deloitte Global Services Limited, 2010).The Statemen t of Equity gives information about the total comprehensive income of the entity over a period while separately stating the amount attributable to the owner (Wheetman P, 2006). For large organizations, such statements are quite complex and it may be necessary to provide notes that explain the items on the financial statement. They also provide information about the basis on which financial statements are prepared and any other information that may be relevant but cannot be stated in the financial statements directly. Such notes form an integral part of the statement. According to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Financial reports are prepared for users who have a reasonable knowledge of business and economic activities and who review and analyse the information with diligence.(Deloitte Global Services Limited, 2010).Depending upon their role in the organization, different type of information is used by different users. The users of financial statements include a wide range of people including owners, investors, creditors, management, employees, vendors, public as well as institutions like banks, government organizations etc. They can be briefly classified into two categories namely the Internal Users and External Users. The employees along with the managers and the owners form the Internal User group. Owners use financial statements to access the performance, efficiency of the management, also to measure the performance of the business entity. Management, being directly related with the day to day working of the business ent ity, enjoys unrestricted access to the wide range of information (much of which is confidential in nature). It is then utilised by managers to make analysis, judgements and decisions pertaining to their responsibilities. It makes proper utilization of resources in order to meet the objectives of the entity. A separate form of accounting called Management Accounting has come into existence due to broad nature of this group of users and the high quality of information that is available to them. Employees form the other part of this group. They use the information from financial statements to determine their job security. It is also helpful in analysing the ability of their employers to provide remunerations, pay rise, pension funds and retirement benefits etc to the employees. This information is sometimes provided in form of special reports to employees as the annual reports are published late. However such information provided may be verified by the employees using the financial sta tements. The External Users of financial statements consist of investors, trade creditors, Government, financial institutions like Banks, customers etc. The financial statements are used by the existing investors to access the financial strength of the company, its economic stability, to make decisions whether to buy, sell or hold the stock depending upon the ability of the entity to pay dividends in future, to compare the performance of the entity over a period of time or with other entities in order to make investment decisions etc. It also helps investors to determine the risk factor and the investment returns over a particular period and compare the same with other entities. Institutional investors, for e.g. Insurance companies, pension funds or equity analysts that guide private investors make use of this information to ascertain the liquidity of the business and its ability to pay future dividends. Prospective investors may use the information to make valuable economic investment decisi ons. Financial institutions like Banks make use cash flow statements to determine whether to help them with working capital by issuing loans or if their loans would be paid along with the interest. Financial lenders use this information to determine the economic vulnerability of the business and its results. They may impose restrictions to limit overall borrowing limits called loan covenants. These are then verified through financial statements. Trade creditors provide services or goods on credit. They are called as unsecured creditors as they come last in the payments in case of failure of the business. They therefore make use of the information to ensure the repayment of services and calculate the non-payment risks. Government makes use of the financial statements to keep a tab on the taxes paid by the business entity and make sure that they are in accordance with the profits earned. They have a right to demand more information than that which appears in public statements. Other governm ent agencies also use accounting information to ascertain that the consumers are charged properly by organizations for their services.eg: OFGEM (the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets).Customers need information about the current and future supply of goods and services. Financial statements in form of fixed assets, working capital confirm the ability of the business to meet the current and future obligations like guarantees or warrantees. (Weetman P, 2006). Accounting statements provide financial information for the user which is to be used for decision making. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Framework identifies comparability, verifiability, timeliness and understandability as the qualitative characteristics that enhance the usefulness of information provided in the financial statements. (Deloitte Global Services Limited, 2010). According to this Framework general purpose financial statements are prepared which can help all users. However it is evident that different users require different kind of information to make decisions. Also the general financial statements and reports are prepared keeping in focus the interests of the owners or investors. Moreover management tends to modify the information keeping in mind the behaviour of the investors. This often results in the entity being over or under-priced and thus information loses its reliability and trustworthiness. To increase the decision useful financial information, the International Accounting Standards Board and the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (hereafter the Boards) are undertaking a joint project to develop a common conceptual framework with new and revised accounting standards that both the boards can use. The Boards have proposed to reconfigure the financial statements by partitioning each financial statement in five categories viz. business activities, financing activities, income taxes, discontinued operations, and equity. The allocations of these transactions would be done by management. They propose that the objective of financial reporting should be on decision useful information. The management approach would then subsume stewardship. The allocation of the transaction within the above stated partitions would be based on the assessment of the management. There is no doubt that objective of segregating the financial statement would help the investors and creditors in jud gements and decision making. (Bradshaw, M., Callahan, C. et al June 2010).However the objective of a financial statement should not be merely influencing the buying, selling and holding companys securities. The role of stewardship also has to be considered as it informs about the financial positions of the past and the current dates. It would not only keep the performance of management under vigil but the past records would also help in identifying the similar re-occurrences of such circumstances. Also importance is given to management approach whereas the very same managers are believed to report biased accruals. (Bradshaw, M., Callahan, C. et al June 2010). Hence financial reporting should not only be done with the management approach but also keeping in mind the importance of the objective of stewardship. Also guidance is to be specified about the level of details to be given in financial statements which would unlikely be provided by the managers. The framework and standards should be based to provide unbiased, faithful information to the users in order to make cost-effective economic decisions. REFERENCES Bradshaw, M., Callahan, C. et al (June 2010). The American Accounting Associations Financial Reporting Policy Committees Response to the Preliminary Views on Financial Statement Presentation. Accounting Horizons. 24 (2), pp 279-296. Business Source Premier. Available at http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=buhAN=51362791site=bsi-live (Accessed: 11 November 2010). Deloitte Global Services Limited. (2010). Summaries of International Financial Reporting Standards. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR FINANCIAL REPORTING Available: http://www.iasplus.com/standard/framewk.htm. (Accessed: 11 November 2010). Deloitte Global Services Limited. (2010). Summaries of International Financial Reporting Standards.IAS 7 STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS. Available at http://www.iasplus.com/standard/ias07.htm. (Accessed: 14 November, 2010). Weetman, P (2006). Financial and Management Accounting-An Introduction. 4th ed. Harlow: Prentice Hall. 12-16.

Easy Rider :: essays research papers

Numerous works of art have been produced by great American artist. "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller and Edith Wharton’s "Roman Fever" are two stories that can easily be compared and contrasted to the movie Easy Rider. Easy Rider is the 1960’s "Road Film" tale of a search for freedom in a corrupt and conformist America. "The Crucible" can relate to the world seen in Easy Rider. Unlike "The Crucible" Edith Wharton’s "Roman Fever" would not understand the world represented in Easy Rider. In the movie Easy Rider Jack Nicholoson’s character George Hanson comes in contact with two long-haired social misfits Wyatt and Billy. Wyatt and Billy are different from George and are accustomed to an alternative lifestyle. This alternative lifestyle is appealing to George and he decides to travel with his new friends as they journey to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Along the way the trio run in to trouble. They travel through a small American town and the local townspeople who do no like them because of their appearance. Later on, the three men are attacked by the townspeople and George is brutally beaten to death. This is very similar to the executions that took place in The Crucible. In The Crucible, many people were accused of being witches and worshipping the devil even though they were not. An example of this would be John Proctor. He was accused of devil worship because he was singled out by his peers who were looking for someone to blame. Much like George, John was an innocent man who died because an enraged group of people let there emotions get the best of them. John could sympathize with George because of the similarity of the injustice done to both of them. In the short story "Roman Fever," the characters Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade are two wealthy widows that are reflecting on their lives together. We see that they are people of a high social standing. They talk about their pampered lifestyles and plan for their daughters futures. These woman would not understand the life of a "hippie" living in 1960’s America, nor would they approve. Wyatt and Billy were used to living on the open road and going where the wind takes them. They were rebellious and completely carefree. Mrs. Ansley and Mrs.

Acting Career :: essays research papers fc

Works Cited â€Å"An Acting Career.† â€Å"Actors.† Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-2005 Edition. 27 January 2005. . â€Å"Careers in Acting† 1 February 2005. . Moore, Dick. Opportunities in Acting Careers. Chicago: Career Horizons, 1999. 6-7. Yehling, Carol. Careers in Focus: Performing Arts. Chicago: Ferguson, 2003. 5-13. â€Å"OPENING NIGHT†¦ †¦IT’S OPENING NIGHT! IT’S MAX BIALYSTOCK’S LATEST SHOW. WILL IT FLOP OR WILL IT GO? THE HOUSE LIGHTS ARE DIMMING, THE FOOTLIGHTS ARE BRIGHT, THE TOAST OF SOCIETY’S BURNING TONIGHT! WE’RE SO EXCITED WE CAN’T SIT DOWN†¦,† the Usherettes sing in the Broadway Musical, The Producers, written by Mel Brooks and Tom Meehan. With every new show, there is always competition to be the best show. Since the tender age of six-years-old, I have performed in over fifty stage productions. Out of those productions, I have done a New York City World Premier, tours, regional theatre and many other types of theatrical demonstrations. I would like to continue my hobby as an occupation. To continue with my thespian career, what do I need to make this goal come true?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An actor is a person who performs on a stage or on the screen. To be a thespian takes time, patience and talent.(Actors; Yehling)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Several people believe the misconception that acting is not a respectable profession. Where in fact, apart of being a thespian is understanding that people won’t give them the full respect they deserve. Another important part of being an actor is to feel good about what their doing. In addition, to feeling good about yourself you need to, â€Å"interpret life through the window of your own life experiences.† (Yehling) Although jobs are very scarce, it helps to do a show that has good material. To increase the chances of getting employed professional training is imperative. According to Careers in Acting eighty-six percent of non-equity actors receive training of some kind. Before a production begins, an actor must memorize all lines and cues for the first rehearsal. Once in rehearsal for a show, it is now even more critical to spend numerous hours on their own time to go over blocking and songs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS ONLY FOR NOW.† (Avenue Q) Unlike regular jobs that you can stay in for a lifetime, acting jobs are usually short-term. The average chorus job could last for around five months. Lead roles however could last for sometimes years. For most jobs you go to interviews for the job, for acting you attend an audition in a very nerve-racking environment.

Moving Towards Totalitarianism in Our Pursuit of Social Justice Essay

Moving Towards Totalitarianism in Our Pursuit of Social Justice Pursuit of various visions of social justice probably accounts for most human misery. What's more, the historical pattern that has emerged has been one whereby one form of injustice is replaced by one that is far worse. Russia's 1917 revolution expelling the Czars, and their injustices, ushered in Lenin, Stalin and a succession of brutal dictators who murdered tens of millions in the name of the proletariat revolution. The injustices of Chiang Kai-shek were replaced with those of Mao Tse-tung; Castro's ousting of Batista or Ayatollah Khomeini's toppling of the Shah of Iran produced regimes far more brutal. In Africa, after independence, the injustices of colonial powers were replaced with those of brutal dictators. The slaughter of nearly 200 million poor souls, not including war deaths, during the 20th century, was a direct result of pursuit of visions of social justice such as income equality, promoting the common good and fighting the so-called evils of capitalism. As if by design , measures taken to produce what was seen as the good society lowered both the common man's human rights protections and his standard of living. By contrast, after the American revolution, we laid the groundwork that produced the world's freest people. However, for most of the 20th century, we have been losing ground. If you ask the question which way are we heading - away from totalitarianism or towards it - there is no question that, by tiny steps at a time, we are heading towards totalitarianism and arbitrary governmental abuse and control. Some Americans are naive enough to think that the oppression seen in other countries can't happen here. But let's not forget that the countr... ...t determine what is or is not moral conduct. In Nazi-Germany, there were laws that required the reporting of a person hiding a Jew. In our country, the Fugitive Slave Act made assisting runaway slaves a crime. In apartheid South Africa, hiring blacks for certain work was illegal. In the former East Germany, assisting people in their efforts to escape to the West was illegal. Would any decent person demand that any of these laws be obeyed? Decent people must always ask: Does the law have a moral basis? Liberty is not mankind's normal state of affairs. Liberty is fragile. Our liberties are under siege because most Americans are ignorant about our Constitution and its philosophical underpinnigs. Thus, we fall easy prey to political charlatans and quacks all too ready to exploit this ignorance in their quest for power and to satisfy popular visions of social justice.

Monogamy

In this society, it is usually assumed that one is either single or in some form of monogamous relationship. At best, it is sometimes considered acceptable to play the field if one is not in a committed relationship. If one is in a committed relationship, it is with one person only, and any sexual and/or romantic involvement outside the relationship is cheating. Both of these situations, playing the field and cheating are still often subject to the classic double standard of being more acceptable for men and women. Long before written history, primitive clans and tribes were living within small, highly inter-dependent social structures. Many of these groups had some type of ceremony marking the forming of a union or marriage between two opposite sex partners. It appears that since we began living in structured social groups, humans have adhered to the belief that formal unions of two people work best for maintaining a healthy, functioning society. Within different societies, independent unions of two people were considered the best way to secure food and shelter, defend against outside aggressors, and raise offspring. As societies evolved, the marriage bond took on increased significance within each culture. One of the most universal aspects of the marriage union to be perpetuated cross-culturally was monogamy. Yet despite this proclivity towards marriage, and insistence that the marriage partners remain monogamous, human beings have been engaging in non-monogamous activities throughout history. We know that â€Å"extramarital affairs† have been going on since the advent of the socially sanctioned union. Our historical concern about affairs is evident in the inclusion of extramarital affairs as one of the sins mentioned in the Ten Commandants. The fact that affairs are wrong, even considered to be a sin has been ingrained into us through our social, cultural and religious upbringing. Yet despite the social and religious disapproval of them, they have been an ever present phenomenon for us to deal with. So why are so many people having affairs despite such powerful social and religious doctrines against them The fact is that there have been as many reasons given for affairs as there are people engaging in them. Some of these include dissatisfaction with the marital relationship, emotional emptiness, need for sexual variety, inability to resist new sexual opportunity, anger at a partner, no longer being â€Å"in love†, alcohol or drug addiction, growing apart, desire to get a partner jealous. Some people have even said that human beings simply can’t maintain monogamous sexual relationships over long periods of time because it â€Å"isn’t natural†. If this is true, if there is a biological reason preventing us from accomplishing our goal of remaining in a monogamous relationship, than we are condemning ourselves to continued personal and social failure by continuing to pursue these types of relationships. On the other hand, despite the fact that affairs have been a problem for married couples throughout history, and that there appears to be an increasing number of affairs at this time, we probably know that human nature is not to blame. At least not in the traditional sense. Maybe our liking towards affairs is more a symptom of our inability to find satisfaction in our long-term relationships because of the expectations we place on them in the first place, then any biological drive towards multiple sexual partners. Possibly our inability to remain â€Å"in love† with our partners as we grow and mature and our life circumstances change is what drives us to look for another intimate relationship. The loss of that high level of passion and desire that existed in the beginning of the relationship may result in boredom or develop into a feeling of apathy towards the partner. Combined with all of the other stresses and complexities of long term relationships, such as financial problems, raising children, job changes, death of family members, change in status, etc. , the loss of passion may lead to a desire to rediscover it in a new relationship. So it may not be the desire to experience the new or forbidden sexual relationship, but rather the need to re-experience the intense level of passion and the feeling of being in love which leads to affairs. Therefore, extramarital affairs may be the result of an inability to maintain a satisfying emotional relationship with a partner over a long period of time, and not due to a need for sexual variety. Possibly our need for intense emotional experiences leads to a desire to rediscover the feelings that come at the start of a new love relationship. Whether it is our expectation that passion remain or our inability to maintain passion easily in long term relationships, the loss of it appears to be a major factor in the initiation of affairs. Once initiated, the high level of passion experienced in affairs appears to be a powerful component in the maintaining them. If the interpersonal relationship was satisfying for both partners, and passion was still an integral part of the relationship, the need to experience diversified or new sexual partners may not exist. Some people feel that their diminished â€Å"feelings† for their partner led them to become involved in the extramarital relationship. Specifically, many people in marriages unappreciated ignored, sexually frustrated and no longer desirable to their partners. They almost invariably say that they are no longer â€Å"in love† with their partners and lack the level of intimacy that they once had. In almost all marriages the member of an affair says that they feel â€Å"more alive†, â€Å"more sexually appealing† and â€Å"more appreciated† by their lovers than by their spouses. Extramarital affairs based solely on desire for a new sexual partner is a very small percentage of the total number of affairs. ( ) Majority of extramarital affairs are based emotional needs not being met within the marital relationship, and not sexually motivated reasons. Therefore, it appears that the allure of extramarital affairs is not new sexual experiences, nor are they due to any biological inability to remain monogamous, but rather what drives many individuals is a lack of emotional fulfillment within the existing relationship. The indication is that the desire for a new sexual experience is not the initial motive for looking outside the marriage, but rather comes after the breakdown of the emotional relationship. Only then, after there has been an eroding of the interpersonal relationship, including a loss of passion, lack of intimacy, and loss of emotional and sexual satisfaction, the dissatisfied partner looks for a new lover to fulfill their needs. This does not mean that the sexual passion experienced within an affair is not part of the driving force that maintains affairs. It is possible that the patterns of behavior that lead to affairs may be very different than the patterns that maintain them. There are several factors that may be responsible for the maintenance of extramarital affairs that were never considered before. These factors may be responsible for the high level of arousal experienced by people involved in affairs, the obsessive pre-occupation that many individuals in affairs report experiencing, and the inability to end an affair even when confronted with negative or devastating personal and social consequences. The extramarital affair is a far more complex relationship than the media often portrays it. Unlike Hollywood’s portrayal of affairs, real â€Å"triangles† involve a great deal of guilt, confusion, anxiety, and pain. In the end all members of the triangle are affected, for better or worse. Whether the marriage survives or the lovers form a new couple, everyone involved in the â€Å"triangle† will have been dramatically and permanently affected by the extramarital experience. Monogamy has become such a popular topic in society today. There are so many books that are being published about monogamy so married couples can somehow deal with it. â€Å"The Monogamy Myth†, which was published as a handbook for recovering from affairs, provides a step-by-step process for dealing with suspicion and confrontation. This book also mentions the pain of knowing, rebuilding self-esteem, rebuilding trust based on honesty, getting help, facing marriage/divorce dilemma, and living with the decision. The Monogamy Myth is the belief that monogamy is the norm in our society and that it is supported by society as a whole. The reality is that monogamy is not the norm, not by todays standards, anyway. Most of us expect monogamy to be a normal part of marriage (or any committed relationship). This was certainly my assumption through my childhood. I grew up with no first-hand knowledge of affairs and no idea that it would be a subject of my concern. Monogamy is still something most people say they believe in and want for themselves. I still believe in monogamy and think its attainable. But achieving it calls for making some drastic changes in everyones thinking.

An Unpredicted New kind Of Warfare Essay

World war one continued for four years across a vast and stretching from the English Channel to the northern Swiss border. In 1914 the prediction was that the war would be over by Christmas. At the beginning of the war, The Germans thought they could capture France before invading Russia therefore preventing a war on two fronts. But because of the failure of tactics they couldn’t succeed, and this was one of the main reasons the war lasted for such a long period. It was no longer each side trying to capture the other in the war but stopping the enemies movements in trench warfare and using new technology to soften up enemy, if it didn’t back fire. Defense was now the key to winning the war and was far superior than the offensive. The trenches were hard to capture by advancing troops because of increasing firepower from machine guns. Crossing no-mans land was committing suicide for the troops as machine guns could inflict enormous damage on advancing infantry. The realization of the advantage of defense resulted in the enhanced rate of advancing technology. This was one of the core reasons for stalemate upon the Western Front because technology was advancing at such a rapid rate and new inventions were being introduced in a hasty manner. Many of the new inventions were not sufficiently tested and many of the ideas were not thoroughly thought through which resulted in unnecessary delays. Aircraft at the start of the war was used primarily for reconnaissance work, spotting enemy trenches and movements before a possible attack. But this alerted the enemy’s attention and gave them time to prepare resulting in the attacker’s job being more costly and difficult to undertake. Barbed wire was massed produced on an industrial scale by both sides as barbed wire entanglements were unbreakable for troops, stopped cavalry in their tracks, and slowed troops down completely. Attempts were made to destroy barbed wire with shellfire but the barbed wire is just lifted and often ends up in a bigger mess than before. Chlorine gas was first introduced in April 1915 by the German army against the French army. Chlorine gas destroyed your respiratory organs and you had a long slow death. But poisonous gas was an extremely unreliable method of attack as the direction of the wind may change at any time and return the poison in the direction of the attacker killing your own troops. Also, as with many other weapons that were developed it can only be used once to an advantage, as their element of surprise is lost. Gas masks were quickly distributed to both sides and gas was not such a great fear as it was first thought Tanks were invented to be the technical solution to the major problem of both barbed wire and machine guns. They had an armour plate to protect troops whilst attacking and caterpillar traction to allow them to cross-hilly and muddy ground. But the first Mark I tank was a weak and variable weapon. It was used at the Somme in 1916 but neither their performance nor numbers could help win the battle. It was not until Cambrai in 1917 that tanks were used on a large scale. They crunched their way over the barbed wire and German trenches creating a huge hole in the German defenses. A General on horseback commanded his armies in battle up until 1914. After 1914 telephones were working. Battles could be safely won from far away behind a desk. But though this development in communications may seem a great success, but telephones in reality were useless in attack, because the commanders didn’t have a good perspective of the war and didn’t know everything as they would be if they were sitting on horse and overlooking the battle which led to troops often pulling back because of lack of communications and broad view of the battle. In 1914 neither the French nor the British armies were trained for trench warfare. They had to adapt which took them several years and accounted for several of their failures and delays. French generals felt infantry charges were a necessity to win the war despite the huge advances in technology. And Germen generals thought that with enough ammunition and man power and gradually wearing down the enemy they would win the war. Eventually in 1917 the French army refused to attack any more, only to defend because of the horrific numbers of casualties lost for only a few miles gained. A term to explain this was the cannon fodder. The battle of Somme in 1916 is a good example for a shocking case of awful miscalculations by the leadership of both sides; Britain lost around 419,000 men for only a strip of land about 25 km long and 6km wide. These huge loses were due to bad planning. The men were untrained and advanced towards the enemy walking and carrying heavy packs on their backs. These â€Å"big pushes† which was a belief shared by British Kitchener and Haig were mere execution of side’s troops as they were walking straight into machine gun fire. The first World War was the first war between two vastly industrialized economies and factories on both sides mass-produced inconceivable amounts of artillery and ammunition. Industry was under an incredible amount of strain and it was not until 1917 that the munitions industry was able to produce adequate quantities of ammunitions. Railways played a major part in the transportation of troops form one area of the western front to the next along with food and other supplies. Both sides were also both able to keep going because of the huge numbers of men and supplies continuously brought by trains and trucks. Basically both the central powers and allies were never in a drought of resources. At the outbreak of war on the Western Front, the Allies and the Germans were relatively equal in their strengths and weaknesses. Bad leadership held up many of the British and French attacks resulting in unnecessary numbers of casualties. Germany spread its men out over many of the fronts not only in the eastern front, but also in the Western Front. One argument is that if perhaps they had concentrated on only one front they may have had a chance of success as opposed to spreading out the troops over a large area. The deadlock ended in 1918 when it was broken by eventual collapse of the central powers. It was ultimately attrition that proved the crucial decider but it was a series of events and inventions that had not happened before which gave way to the end result. The submarine campaign was important as it brought America into the war with fresh troops and much needed resources and resulted in a huge blow to the German morale. In conclusion, there was no one true reason for deadlock on the western front, but that it was due to several problems. Technology advanced too rapidly, generals were not adequately trained for trench warfare. As one quote would say â€Å"The great war was fought with 20th century weapons and 19th century tactics†. The war was able to be kept going due to the fact they were both vastly industrialized economies and neither side was able to eliminate the other since and the governments of both sides directed the industries towards mass production of uniforms, ammunitions, ships, explosives etc†¦