Tattoos Essay - 989 Words

Tattoos are common place in society today. No longer are they only on bikers or bad guys; now they are on doctors, lawyers and even pastors. Tattoos no longer determine a person’s character or who they are. They are a way of expressing oneself and showing experiences in a person’s life or expressions of meaningful things. Even older people are getting ink put on them. For as much as they are accepted in society, they are also still looked down upon. Having tattoos can affect being hired for a job and that can be looked upon as discrimination. Having tattoos does change a person’s possibility of getting hired for a job, although it should not. On paper, a resume displays impeccable qualifications. However, skin tells a whole other story.†¦show more content†¦Twenty-three percent said it would depend on the number and location of the tattoos and/or the role being fulfilled (Workopolis, 2014, para. 4). Workopolis asked people â€Å"Would a candidate having tattoos affect your decision to hire that person?† and the data added up to seventy-seven percent of employers will not hire an employee with tattoos (Workopolis, 2014, para 4). This is just wrong. Whether a future employee has tattoos or not does not mean they are not an expert in their field or highly qualified for a position. As long as the tattoos are not on the head, face or throat and they are not inappropriate, having tattoos should not deter anyone from getting hired for a job. Vigeland writes, â€Å"a study conducted by careerbuilder.com found that thirty-seven percent of HR managers cite tattoos as the third physical attribute most likely to limit career potential† (Vigeland, 2012, para. 3). The key to obtaining a job when a person has tattoos is to get an impression of the workplace and to obtain information about the perspective employer on their personal policies. That way a person will know whether they should apply for the position or not. There are jobs where tattoos do not affect a person being hired. A few of those jobs are in construction, music, the automotive industry, film making, athletics, styling or the military. It appears mostShow MoreRelatedTattoo Essay712 Words   |  3 Pages Do tattoos identify a person and who they are? I myself have tattoos, many people have tattoos for all different reasons they may stand for something important in their lives could be cultural or religious people feel that tattoos are a symbol of ar t. Judging a person on his or her tattoos is like judging a book by its cover or judging a person based on their race. The number of Americians getting tattoos is growing. More than one in ten Americians now have at least one tattoo(E 2015). butRead MorePersuasive Essay On Tattoos And Tattoos869 Words   |  4 Pageswhere everyone finds out what is in style, to be like everyone else. Most people feel the need to follow others because of what they see in someone elses life such as tattoos and piercing. Just because someone has something that catches people’s attention it most likely doesn’t mean it will have the same result on you. Regarding tattoos and piercing, people need to be aware of infections, the holes they leave behind and the money invested in a change. The body design is always seen different by everyoneRead MoreTo Tattoo or Not To Tattoo Essay566 Words   |  3 Pageshave a tattoo on some part of our bodies to display for the admiration of all who see it ? Obviously tattoos are a fashion of our generation which none of us hesitates to drill their bodies for. Not only can a tattoo decorate our flesh,but it can give us a little splash of the celebrity life- for do not all celebrities have tattoos from head to foot? Gone are the days when criminals and ancient saliors were the main market for tattoos- now they are extreamly elegant. Not only this,but tattoos haveRead More The History of Tattoos Essays2153 Words   |  9 Pages A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on the skin by a process of pricking and ingraining an indelible pigment into the punctures or by raising scars. This is the definition; however, to many a tattoo has more of an abstract, personal meaning. Tattoos symbolize individuality, experiences, status, religion, and art. They come in many shapes, sizes, colors, designs, and styles. The history behind the tattoo is just as fascinating as the tattoo itself. Whether flaunted or hidden, soughtRead More The Tattoo Process and Significance Of Tattoos Essay1735 Words   |  7 PagesSignificance of Tattoos In the past, tattoos were commonly thought of as trashy or bad. One would often relate them to bikers, rock and heavy metal stars, pirates, or gangsters. That has considerably changed over the years. According to Swan, In 2003 approximately 40 million Americans reported to have at least one tattoo. Todays culture is still fascinated with tattooing. In the 1990s, tattoos were the sixth fastest growing retail behind the Internet, paging services, computer and cellRead MoreTattoos in the Workplace Essay916 Words   |  4 PagesTattoos in the Workplace Christina Responsive-Final Draft April 4, 2013 There is always a lot of controversy when it comes to tattoos. Most people instantly have an opinion of them; they are either for or against tattoos. What is not realized is the fact that there is a ton of time and effort put into the sketching and placement of a tattoo. People tattoo themselves as a way of self-expression and liberation. Unfortunately, in the business world, most executives do not believe there is suchRead MoreTattoos and Society Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pagespresent themselves to the world. Tattoos have been predominantly linked with a rebellious attitude and pictured on out of control stereotypes such as rock starts, bikers, sailors, and disobedient teenagers who want nothing more than to hack off their parents. With a new coming of age generation and a step into a more lenient and liberal society these types of patrons still participate in body art but so do doctors, lawyers, or just the run of the mill house mom. Tattoos signify religious beliefs, culturalRead MoreEssay About Tattoos960 Words   |  4 Pagesremain. For over three hundred years, tattoos have been viewed as a deviant act, one that causes individuals to associate those with tattoos with risky and foolish behavior. Despite the characteristics of tattoos being large or small, tribal or fashionable, people did not express any diffe rence in opinion toward individuals who endured the pain of tattooing. The stigmas and attitudes placed upon these individuals continue in an array of areas, as those with tattoos are judged based on personality, characterRead MoreThe Evolution Of Tattoos Essay1910 Words   |  8 PagesThe Evolution of Tattoos They’re what you see on your friends, family and people walking on the streets. This growing debate on tattoos brings me to the point of the evolution of tattoos. Tattoos were once believed to be a risky trend and are now becoming more of the norm. As we know it tattoos are not as unusual as they once were. There are many different reasons behind why people get tattoos, for example personal losses, symbolism, or just the concept of it being art. Most believe tattooing isRead MoreHistory of Tattoos Essay1965 Words   |  8 PagesMalisa Smith The History of Tattoos Axia College University of Phoenix Tattoos have been around throughout our history, from Egyptian times to the present day. Many people may say they know the history of tattoos, and where they originate from, but do they really? Does one know that there were reasons that some people had tattoos? There may be people who know the actual history of tattoos and body art and why one would decide to get one; however there are people who do not. To be able to understand

Does Smoking Cause Lung Cancer Essay - 1277 Words

INTRODUCTION nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Its a proven fact. Each year more Americans die from lung cancer and other smoking related diseases than they die from aids, drug abuse, car accidents and homicide, combined. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Cigarette smoking is a danger to our life and health. It is the leading known cause of lung cancer. Each year more than 30,000 people will die of lung cancer and 4 out of 5 of them will get it because of cigarette smoke. Studies have proven that there is no safe way to smoke. Tobacco contains many dangerous cancer causing chemicals that affects the lungs of the smoker and the nonsmoker, so smoking just a little amount can increase your chances of getting lung cancer. The Surgeon General has†¦show more content†¦Men who smoke are 22 times more likely to develop lung cancer, while women who smoke are estimated to be 12 times more likely. The earlier you start smoking and the longer you smoke increases the danger. But if you stop smoking, the risk of cancer falls each year as abnormal cells are replaced by normal cells. In ten years, the risks decreases to a level that is 30 to 50 percent of the risk for people who continue to smoke. Thats why its important for young people to never start smoking. WHAT SMOKING DOES TO YOUR LUNGS nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Cigarette smoke contains many dangerous chemicals. Carbon monoxide robs your blood of oxygen and may encourage build-up of deposits in your arteries. Nicotine is an addictive agent. Tar contains cancer causing chemicals which tend to build up in lung tissue. The Healthy Lung nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The air we inhale enters the lungs through tubes called bronchi. These branch into the smaller brochioles and finally into tiny air sacs, the aveoli. The average lung has more that 300 million of these air sacs, which provides a combined area of more than 750 square feet for oxygen to be absorbed into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide to be expelled. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;To some extent our breathing apparatus can can clean itself. Mucus produced by some cells in the bronchi traps unfamiliar material, and the movement of the cilia, tiny hair-like structures on other cells, sweeps the mucus forward the throat,Show MoreRelatedDoes Smoking Cause Lung Cancer Essay1294 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom lung cancer and other smoking related diseases than they die from aids, drug abuse, car accidents and homicide, combined. Cigarette smoking is a danger to our life and health. It is the leading known cause of lung cancer. Each year more than 30,000 people will die of lung cancer and 4 out of 5 of them will get it because of cigarette smoke. Studies have proven that there is no safe way to smoke. Tobacco contains many dangerous cancer causing chemicals that affects the lungs of theRead MoreCause And Effect Of Lung Cancer Essay1334 Words   |  6 Pages Lung cancer is one of the most lethal cancer known throughout the world. The most common suspect of that is smoking, then what happens to the people who inhales the smokers’ smoke? Are they also at risk for developing lung cancer from being a victim? The answer to that right now is that secondhand smoke alone is just a risk factor, there are no evidence right now that currently show that secondhand smoke alone can cause lung cancer by itself. This means that we need to encourage studies that areRead MoreShould Smoking Be Banned?1457 Words   |  6 PagesBan the Cancer Sticks Lung cancer has increased within the past decade; one of the biggest reasons is that more and more people smoke now than they have in the past. Smoking causes damage not only in the lungs, but also in the body, lips, or inside the mouth. Even though smoking does harm your body there are some good things that come from smoking. Like it can lower the risk of obesity, and knee replacement surgery. There are different types of lung cancer one for smoking and the other, nonsmokingRead MoreThe Effects of Smoking on the Body Essay748 Words   |  3 Pagesof Smoking on the Body Almost one third of the World’s population are smokers for one reason or another, appearance, reduce stress etc. However, I, and many others, find it very difficult to believe smoking can aid anyone’s appearance as it encourages early ageing, and I do not believe that any of the risks that smoking has is worth any amount of stress relief that it can provide. Cigarette smoking can have serious health effects on the human body. Smoking causesRead MoreLung Cancer : Causes And Effects1329 Words   |  6 PagesThe leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States and worldwide is lung cancer. Lung cancer is responsible for thirty percent of cancer deaths in the United States. The deaths caused by breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer combined do not add up to the deaths that lung cancer causes. In 2007, 158,683 people, 88,243 men and 70,354 women died from lung cancer in the United States (Eldridge, 2012). Out of the 158,683 people that died from lung cancer in 2007, 135Read MoreThe Effect of Smoking on Health Essay example670 Words   |  3 PagesThe Effect of Smoking on Health â€Å"Tobacco smoke is a complex mixture of more than 4,000 chemicals in the form of gases, particles or both. When you inhale cigarette smoke, dozens of harmful substances enter your lungs and spread through your body. They can reach your brain, heart and other organs within 10 seconds of the first puff.† (Winstanly. M et al 1995) Tobacco is a plant which has been grown over thousands of years upon which many scientific experiments haveRead MoreEffectiveness Of Models Of Health1647 Words   |  7 Pagesrelation to Smoking-related Conditions Models of health include biomedical model and social models.  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Firstly, this essay explains why as patterns of illness change over the last 150 years, social models are more relevant than biomedical model in helping us understand causes of ill health. Secondly, it discusses how social models like Biopsychosocial and Dhalgren and Whitehead’s model are effective, to a certain extent, in explaining current trends in significant health issues like smoking-related conditionsRead MoreThe Effects Of Smoking On Public Places993 Words   |  4 Pagesenvironmental tobacco smoke has been an issue. Smoking tobacco products is the leading, preventable cause of death in the United States. More than ten times of the deaths from smoking cigarettes have added up to be more deaths than all the wars fought by the United states (Jones, Page 65, 2016). There are more deaths caused each year from tobacco use than all deaths of HIV, illegal drug and alcohol use, car accidents, and murders combined (Judd, page 110, 2009). Smoking harms nearly every organ and part ofRead MoreHealth Care For Lung Cancer1224 Words   |  5 Pages2012 there was in increase in lung cancer deaths by 3.5%, this percent is still rising in women while it’s stable in men (CDC, 2014). Nowadays, about 402,324 Americans have lung cancer. In 2014, the newly diagnosed lung cancer cases are 224,210, they represent 13% of all cancer diagnosis (ACS, 2014). Lung cancer affects old people and always they diagnosed in the last five years of their life. Around 80% of people who live with lung cancer their ages more than 60 years (USNIH, 2011). In KentuckyRead MoreLung Cancer : The Most Common Types Of Cancer896 Words   |  4 PagesTitle Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, but more importantly, it has a very low survival rate. The sad truth is that nearly all cases of lung cancer could have been prevented, simply by not smoking. Mr. Ward is a perfect example of this in the case study. Having smoked for approximately 67 years, it was only a matter of time before he developed some type of cancer, in this case lung cancer. This paper will describe how lung cancer, specifically squamous cell cancer of the right

Persian Gulf War Essay Example For Students

Persian Gulf War Essay The Persian Gulf is one of the few regions whose importance to the United States is obvious. The flow of Gulf oil will continue to be crucial to the economic well-being of the industrialized world for the foreseeable future; developments in the Gulf will have a critical impact on issues ranging from Arab-Israeli relations and religious extremism to terrorism and nuclear nonproliferation. Every president since Richard Nixon has recognized that ensuring Persian Gulf security and stability is a vital U.S. interest. The Clinton administrations strategy for achieving this goal during the presidents first term was its attempted dual containment of Iraq and Iran. This is more a slogan than a strategy, however, and the policy may not be sustainable for much longer. In trying to isolate both of the Gulfs regional powers, the policy lacks strategic viability and carries a high financial and diplomatic cost. Saddam Hussein is still in power six years after his defeat at the hands of a multinational coalition, and the international consensus on continuing the containment of Iraq is fraying. The strident U.S. campaign to isolate Iran, in turn, drives Iran and Russia together and the United States and its Group of Seven allies apart. Finally, the imposing U.S. military presence that helps protect the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from external threats is being exploited by hostile elements to take advantage of internal social, political, and economic problems. The advent of the Clinton adm inistrations second term, together with the imminent inauguration of a new administration in Iran following this Mays elections, provides an opportunity to review U.S. policies toward the Gulf and consider whether midcourse corrections could improve the situation. The first step in such a reevaluation is to view the problems in the Gulf clearly and objectively. In Iraq, the United States confronts a police state led by an erratic tyrant whos limited but potentially serious capacity for regional action is currently subject to constraint. In Iran, the United States confronts a country with potentially considerable military and economic capabilities and an imperial tradition, which occupies a crucial position both for the Gulf and for future relations between the West and Central Asia. If Iraq poses a clear and relatively simple immediate threat, Iran represents a geopolitical challenge of far greater magnitude and complexity. Consultation with leaders of some Persian Gulf countries has made it plain to us that they do not share an identical view of the threat posed by Iraq and Iran. Hence no U.S. Gulf policy will satisfy everyone in every respect. That makes it all the more essential that any adjustment in U.S. policy toward Iraq and Iran be preceded by extensive consultations with friendly Gulf leaders. Inadequate dialogue and unilateral action have caused some insecurity in the region and weakened trust in U.S. steadfastness. When the British withdrew from the Persian Gulf in 1971, the United States became the principal foreign power in the region. For almost three decades it has pursued the goal of preserving regional stability, using a variety of means to that end, particularly regarding the northern Gulf powers of Iraq and Iran. At first the United States relied on Iran as its chief regional proxy, supporting the shahs regime in the hope that it would be a source of stability. This policy collapsed in 1979 with the Iranian Revolution, when Iran switched from staunch ally to implacable foe. During the 1980s, the United States strove to maintain a de facto balance of power between Iraq and Iran so that neither would be able to achieve a regional hegemony that might threaten American interests. The United States provided some help to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-88, moved in other ways to counter the spread of Iranian-backed Islamic militancy, and providedwith Israeli encouragementsome help to Iran, chiefly in the context of seeking the release of American hostages. This era ended with Iraq invading Kuwait in 1990 and the United States leading an international coalition to war to restore Kuwaiti sovereignty and defeat Iraqs bid for dominance. The Clinton administration came into office in 1993 facing the challenge of ensuring Gulf stability in a new international and regional environment. The disappearance of the Soviet Union gave the United States unprecedented freedom of action, while the Madrid Conference, sponsored by the Bush administration, inaugurated a fundamentally new phase of the Middle East peace process, offering hope that the Arab-Israeli conflict might eventually prove solvable. The Clinton teams initial Middle East policy had two aspects: continued support for the peace process and dual containment of Iraq and Iran. These strands were seen as reinforcing each other: keeping both Iraq and Iran on the sidelines of regional politics, the administration argued, would protect Saudi Arabia and the smaller Gulf monarchies and enable Israel and the moderate Arab states to move toward peace, while the burgeoning Arab-Israeli detente would demonstrate that the attitudes of the rejections front were costly and obsole te. Dual containment was envisaged not as a long-term solution to the problems of Gulf stability but as a way of temporarily isolating the two chief opponents of the American-sponsored regional order. Regarding Iraq, the policy involved maintaining the full-scale international economic sanctions and military containment the administration had inherited, including a no-fly zone in southern Iraq and a protected Kurdish enclave in the north. The Clinton administration stated that it merely sought Iraqi compliance with the post-Gulf War U.N. Security Council resolutions, particularly those mandating the termination of Iraqs weapons of mass destruction programs. In practice, the administration made it clear that it had no intention of dealing with Saddam Husseins regime, and seemed content, for lack of a better alternative, to let Iraq stew indefinitely. The administration responded to Iraqi provocations, but saw little opportunity to oust Saddam except at great cost in blood and treasure. The dual containment policy initially involved mobilizing international political opposition against Iran, together with limited unilateral economic sanctions. The Clinton administration asserted that it was not trying to change the Iranian regime per se but rather its behavior, particularly its quest for nuclear weapons, its support for terrorism and subversion in the region, and its opposition to the peace process. By early 1995, however, the U.S. attitude toward Iran began to harden. The Iranian behavior at issue had continued. But the real impetus for a shift seems to have come out of American domestic politics, in particular the administrations desire to head off a challenge on Iran policy mounted by an increasingly bellicose Republican Congress. Congressional initiatives were designed to increase pressure on so-called rogue states such as Iran and Libya, to the point of erecting secondary boycotts against all parties doing business with them, including American allies. Hoping t o deflate support for such action, in spring 1995 President Clinton announced (with an eye on domestic politics at the World Jewish Congress) that he was instituting a complete economic embargo against Iran. The move achieved its intended domestic effects in the United States, but only temporarily. Late in 1995 pressure from Congressional Republicans, led by House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), called for covert action against the Iranian regime, and last year Congress passed the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act, which the president signed. This legislation mandates U.S. sanctions against any foreign firm that invests more than $40 million in a given year in the development of energy resources in Iran or Libya. Not surprisingly, Americas allies have strenuously opposed it as an unjustifiable attempt to coerce them into following a hard-line policy. Pearl harbor EssayThe United States maintains energy sanctions against several countries, including Iran, Iraq, and Libya (an oil embargo against Serbia was lifted by President Clinton on October 12, 2000). Iraq remains under comprehensive sanctions imposed after its invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Iran and Libya are affected by the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA), passed unanimously by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in August 1996. ILSA imposes mandatory and discretionary sanctions on non-U.S. companies, which invest more than $20 million annually (lowered in August 1997 from $40 million) in the Iranian oil and gas sectors. The passage of ILSA was not the first U.S. sanction against Iran. In early 1995, President Clinton signed two Executive Orders, which prohibited U.S. companies and their foreign subsidiaries from conducting business with Iran. The Orders also banned any contract for the financing of the development of petroleum resources located i n Iran. As a result of the Executive Orders (but prior to the enactment of ILSA), U.S.-based Sonoco was obligated to abrogate a $550-million contract to develop Irans offshore Sirri A and E oil and gas fields. On August 19, 1997, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13059 reaffirming that virtually all trade and investment activities by U.S. citizens in Iran was prohibited. The threat of secondary U.S. sanctions has also deterred some multinationals from investing in Iran. A consortium led by Total (France), Gazprom (Russia), and Petronas (Malaysia) to develop Irans South Pars gas field was granted a waiver under Section 9(c) of ILSA by the United States in May 1998. U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright noted that the United States had concluded that sanctions would not prevent this project from proceeding, and stated that the waiver was also granted because of the cooperation achieved between the United States, the EU, and Russia in accomplishing ILSAs primary objectiv e of inhibiting Irans ability to develop weapons of mass destruction and support of terrorism. The United States modified its sanctions on April 28, 1999 to allow shipments of donated clothing, food and medicine for humanitarian reasons (trade in informational materials such as books and movies is also allowed). On the same day that the humanitarian exceptions were made, the U.S. denied Mobils request to swap crude oil from Kazakhstan with Iran. Recently, on March 17, 2000, Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright announced that the United States would ease sanctions on Iran, would seek to expand contacts between American and Iranian scholars, professionals, artists, athletes, and nongovernmental organizations, and would increase efforts with Iran aimed at eventually concluding a global settlement of outstanding legal claims between the countries. Attempts by the United States to implement ILSA have run into opposition from a number of foreign governments. The European Union (EU) op poses the enforcement of ILSA sanctions on its members, and on November 22, 1996 passed resolution 2271 directing EU members to not comply with ILSA. On May 18, 1998, the EU and the U.S. reached an agreement on a package of measures to resolve the ILSA dispute at the EU/U.S. Summit in London, but the Summit deal is contingent upon acceptance by the U.S. Congress before full implementation may take place. On April 5, 1999, following the Libyan handover of two suspects in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 to stand trial before a Scottish Court in the Netherlands, the United States modified its Libya sanctions on April 28, 1999 to allow shipments of donated clothing, food and medicine for humanitarian reasons (trade in informational materials such as books and movies is also allowed). However, all other U.S. sanctions against Libya remain in force. Relations between the United States and Libya have been extremely rocky for a long time. Beginning with arms embargos in the 1970s and ending recently with adoption of the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996, American policy toward Libya has been increasingly hostile. Libya has been referred to as the geopolitical outlaw of the Mediterranean and has been blasted by American bombers in 1986. When Libya tried to extend its territorial claims to 100 miles across the Gulf of Sidra, the United States conducted exercises within LibyasLine of Deathand two American F-14s shot down two Libyan fighter planes who flew out to challenge the exercise. The leader of Libya, Colonel Muarmmar Qadhafi has served as a lightning rod for American anger. Qadhafis Libya has been accused of supporting terrorist organizations responsible for several attacks against American citizens, including the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Libya has also been under intense scrutiny for the production of chemical weapons. In the mid-1980s Libya attacked neighboring Chad and Sudan, and was accused of subverting nearly a dozen other Afri can regimes. As discussed in the previous section concerning Iran, the ILSA of 1996 imposes secondary boycotts against companies who do more than $20 million in business in Libya. Senator Ted Kennedy added Libya to the Iran Sanctions Bill at the behest of the families of the victims of the Pan Am 103 bombing. In some ways, sanctions, as a part of the overall containment strategy, have moderated Libyan behavior. Threats and imposition of sanctions are credited with Libyas pull out from Chad, closure of the Rabta chemical facility, and withdrawal of an assassination team alleged to have entered the U.S. with the purpose of killing the American President. Recently the U.N. Security Council decided to extend the six-year old sanctions on Libya for their failure to extradite those accused of the Lockerbie bombing. On the other hand, unilateral sanctions have no economic effect on Libya because items can be purchased from others or sold to others, and indeed American sanctions have caused more European investment to enter Libya. That sets the stage for the American dilemma regarding enforcement of ILSA. Economic sanctions are the cornerstone of current U.S. policy toward Iran. The American government hopes that the economic cost to Iran is sufficient to induce a change in behavior. Our first task is to evaluate this policy to determine if it can be effective and, anticipating the answer to this question, to explain why it cannot. Major Economic Indicators1999 2000 2001 ForecastPopulation (million)273275278GDP (US$ billion)9,2559,963n.a. GDP per capita (US$)33,90036,200n.a. Real GDP growth (%)4.25.01.7Inflation (%)2.73.42.2Unemployment rate (%)4.24.04.2Exports (goods, US$ billion)683773n.a. Imports (goods, US$ billion)1,0301,222n.a. The performance of the US economy is uninspiring in the early part of 2001. While industrial production recorded its fifth consecutive monthly decline in February 2001, retail sales fell again in February after the rebound in the previous two months. The IMF has recently revised its US growth forecast for 2001 from 3.2% to 1.7%. Despite signs of economic weaknesses, the US employment condition remains sound and inflation is well contained. Sourceshttp://debate.uvm.edu/roguestates.htmlhttp://www.twq.com/winter01/kemp.pdf http://www.stanleyfoundation.org/reports/normalization.pdf http://www.terrorism.com/terrorism/sloan.html http://www.loc.gov/copyright/circs/circ38a.pdf http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/usa.html http://www.embeeuu.gub.uy/cusreg.htm http://www.zmag.org/zmag/articles/ShalomIranIraq.html http://bookstore.gpo.gov/sb/sb-210.html http://www.middle-east-online.com/English/Business/Feb2001/US%20may%20have%20to%20drop%20sanctions%20against%20Iran,%20Iraq,%20Libya.htm