The U.S. police force - 825 Words

The U.S. police force (Essay Sample) Content: The U.S Law Enforcers as the Policemen of the World HIS105 11/22/15 The U.S Law Enforcers as the Policemen of the World Introduction The United States is termed as the world's superpower. While there are many factors that have contributed to the country having the title, its high level of military and policing capabilities is the main issue that has also seen the country earning the title "policemen of the world." As a result, the US has been involved in many military and policing issues outside of its borders. The main purpose of this paper is to review events and situations that led to the US being termed as the policemen of the world as well as some incidences within the last five years when the US used military action abroad. Two International Events from the Past Five Years that Can Be Traced back to a Foreign Policy Created after the Civil War The US Military Involvement in Afghanistan Combat Mission in 2011 After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S sent its troops to Afghanistan in an attempt to eliminate possible Taliban targets in the country; it was an activity that lasted till the year 2011. Besides, the U.S Army was to aid the training of the Afghan National Army in the fight against the same group (Tardelli, 2014). The US Military Involvement in Iraq in 2008- 2012 The U.S soldiers invaded Iraq to end Saddam Hussein's regime that was suspected of allowing the construction of WMD's used in terrorism activities. This move also aimed at driving terrorists out of Iraq and free the Iraq people from oppressive leadership. Once the weapons were discovered, they were destroyed by the U.S. troops (Tardelli, 2014). Three Factors in the U.S. History since 1865 that Have Led to the Rise of the U.S. Police Force to Become a World's Superpower The US citizens control high levels of economy, thus providing stability. Therefore, they are in control a greater percentage of investments in the US, thus reducing the level of interference of US decisions. With a stable economic base, the U.S government can invest heavily in different military and police agencies. The force has the ability to financially aid all its activities without external intervention. Dependency on other bodies for aid would lead to interference of these agencies' operations; other countries would like to impose their ideas about how the agencies' are supposed to operate (Sargent, 2015). The US has over the time built and developed strong partnership relationships and friendship with other countries which invite the US military to get involved in their security and anti-terrorism affairs. The U.S has been supportive to many countries with regards to economic development, finance and security issues. It has improved the relationship between the U.S and other countries who invite it to form military bases in their countries (Sargent, 2015). This way, it has been able to develop a wide military basein many world countries. The US has developed an extremely skilled, resourceful and wealthy military and police agency than anyone else in the whole world. The U.S governments set aside ample revenue for financing the policing activities. The recruitment procedures are outlined in a manner that the police are adequately trained for the task force ahead of them. With adequate resources and the needed skills, the U.S has continued to produce a strong army compared to other countries in the world (Sargent, 2015). Five International Events that Have Occurred after World War II in which the U.S has Undertaken Policing Roles The US Policing Role in Korea, 1946 In the year 1945, the Soviet Union invaded Korea with an aim of seizing some of its regions and also spread communism. The U.S intervened to stop the spread of communism and also defend Korea from external aggression. The former wanted to defend Korea since it was a sovereign state, and it wanted to aid it in reunification using its formulated rules. The US Policing Role in Lebanon, 1958 The U.S military invaded Lebanon due to political upheavals that had been caused by religious and political tension. The U.S played a crucial diplomatic part by encouraging discussions between these aggressive adversaries. Besides, the presence of the U.S army in the region hindered political upheavals. This way, a likely civil war was avoided in Lebanon between Christian, Muslim and political activists. The US Policing Role in Panama Canal, 1978 During the cold war era, there was tension that communist ideas would spread at Panama, which was previously under the U.S control. In 1978, treaties were signed between the U.S and Panama to pass the autonomy of the canal to Panama (Smith, 2010). The U.S army ensured that this was peacefully executed and defended the region against external aggression. The US Policing Role in Somalia, 1990 Following the political turmoil that was present in Somalia caused by rebel groups, the U.S forces moved to the country in 1990. The police led operations to offer humanitarian assistance, secure all relief centers and provide political effort to end the wars. The U.S police secured many civilians from the political wars and offered them the necessary aid (Smith, 2010). The US Policing Role in Libya, 2011 Libya citizens' demonstrated for democracy, after what the government reacted by attacking them. The U.S termed these acts to be a crime against humanity. The U.S deployed its forces to Libya in 2011 to protect the citizens (Tardelli, 2014). Besides, the U.S police tried to advocate for democracy in the re...

Navigating 529 Plans Through a Rough Market

Financial Professional Content The stock market certainly hasn't been kind to investors so far this year. In fact, U.S. stocks broke a record for biggest fall during the first five days of January, and experts predict we can expect more volatility to come. So what does that mean for your clients with long-term investments like retirement and college savings plans? How you can you provide proper guidance to families who are tempted to make a drastic change based on fear? We asked three experts from the college savings industry about how their customers have been reacting when they saw their 529 plan balances drop, and the approach they recommend for this type of environment. Here's what they had to say: Reactions to volatility What types of reactions has the industry been seeing from families saving for college? According to Keith Bernhardt, Vice President of College Planning at Fidelity Investments, "Fidelity's call volumes have been up modestly during the past few weeks. When the markets are volatile and dropping, investors call seeking answers. They express concern, but not panic, and most are checking their account balances and seeking guidance, but they remain invested," he said. "During the last bout of market volatility back in August, we saw a slight uptick in customers reaching out to discuss their overall financial plans. Market disruption often reminds consumers to take action, and to put a plan in place to achieve their financial goals, including saving for college," he commented. Daniel Reyes, Principal, Advised Portfolio Solutions at Vanguard, and his team recognize that market volatility is on the minds of investors and are thinking of ways to provide guidance to college savers. What's more, volatility can be surprising for families saving for college, especially if they've chosen an age-based option within a 529 plan. "What's interesting about this particular spurt of volatility in the markets is that we've come off of a stretch over the last several years of relatively tame, relatively placid markets, and so the volatility that they're seeing right now relative to what their experience was over the last five years or so seems magnified," he says. David Malone, Director of Investment Management at Ascensus, the leading administrator of 529 college savings plans, points out that some investors may even be tempted to make changes in their portfolio based on fear. "Some market participants, compelled by fear, sell risky assets during times of trouble. Should 529 plan participants sell when market indices precipitously slide, or should they use periods of market volatility to re-evaluate circumstances before making any significant changes to their child's portfolio?" he asks. RELATED: When should you switch 529 plans? Recommendations That being said, what should you recommend to clients to ease their minds during market uncertainty? Malone suggests that investors should start by jotting down answers to a few key questions: How long has it been since you evaluated your college planning? How old is your child now? Have college plans changed? Have income, assets, or gifts to your children changed significantly? With how much turbulence can you, as a parent, stomach? "Relying on the realities of your situation instead of financial news cyclesï ¿ ½whether positive or negativeï ¿ ½can keep you grounded and focused when considering portfolio changes. It can also help you avoid making rash decisions that are based on your personal perceptions of the market's behavior," he recommends. "If your child has aged by more than a couple of years, a prudent and reasonable plan of action is to reassess your level of risk." Malone also notes that it's also important to reassess the entire family's college plan, especially if family dynamics have changed. "Consider updating all beneficiaries in all accounts to align your expected college needs with expected college needs. If this change is viable, adjustments to the portfolio should match the profile of the new beneficiary," he says. RELATED: A shortcut to comparing 529 investment option details "If your static allocation options have existed without review for a long period, then this market turbulence should give reason for you to review its appropriateness. During this review, you may consider evaluating where you are today, versus when you first invested. If your child is approaching or in college, then 529 plan assets should shift from risky assets to safer assets." Reyes advises investors to try and remain calm this year, and to try and accept that volatility is a normal part of investing. "We're always trying to tell our investors, as much as they possibly can, to tune out as much noise as they can, and try to separate the emotional part of investing," he says. According to recent analysis from Vanguard, since 1980 equity markets have seen on average a correction or bear market every two years. Global stock prices (January 1, 1980ï ¿ ½January 22, 2016) Declines Number Average return Average time from peak to trough Average time from trough to recovery Correction 12 ï ¿ ½13.7% 87 days 121 days Bear market 7 ï ¿ ½33.4% 373 days 798 days Source: Vanguard.com Reyes also reminds investors to stay focused on things they can really control, like the asset allocation in their college savings plan. "Make sure your allocations are appropriate for your time horizon and the amount of risk you're willing to take on," he says. That's easy to do if the investor is using an age-based option within a 529 plan, since an asset allocation strategy is built into the design. But for those managing their own investments who aren't sure where to start, Reyes recommends looking at the age-based options for a beneficiary of the same age as a reference point. Bernhardt also notes the benefits of investing in an age-based option during a volatile market. "Investors in target date strategies like Fidelity Freedom Funds (targeting retirement) and college 529 age-based portfolios tend to worry less about the fluctuations in the market and focus more on maintaining regular contributions. Because target date strategies are designed to get more conservative as the goal approaches, the investor can rely upon the fund manager and the design of the plan to reduce risk and equity exposure as the target date nears ï ¿ ½ in the case of 529 plans, as their child, or other beneficiary, gets closer to college age," he says. RELATED: Savingforcollege.com age-based asset allocation study Closing thoughts To reduce the amount of investment changes clients make within their college savings plans, Bernhardt suggests recommending age-based investment options. "By contributing regularly to a target date strategy, investors can remove some of the emotion that frequently paralyzes those who don't have a well thought out plan," he says. Malone also points out that change isn't always a bad thing. "In some cases, revamping 529 assets during a period of negative returns may very well be the right path. My suggestion is to let factsï ¿ ½not fearsï ¿ ½help you find the right solution. Keeping a balanced investment outlook is hard. Maintaining a prudent 529 plan does not need to be," he says. Reyes stresses the importance of discipline in a shaky market. He tells families to "resist the urge to make a dramatic change to their asst allocation," adding that this is one of the most important decisions investors can make. What's more, investors need to maintain their contributions amounts to take advantage of Dollar-Cost Averaging, which can help dampen the volatility over time. RELATED: How satisfied are consumers with their 529 plans? Financial Professional Content The stock market certainly hasn't been kind to investors so far this year. In fact, U.S. stocks broke a record for biggest fall during the first five days of January, and experts predict we can expect more volatility to come. So what does that mean for your clients with long-term investments like retirement and college savings plans? How you can you provide proper guidance to families who are tempted to make a drastic change based on fear? We asked three experts from the college savings industry about how their customers have been reacting when they saw their 529 plan balances drop, and the approach they recommend for this type of environment. Here's what they had to say: Reactions to volatility What types of reactions has the industry been seeing from families saving for college? According to Keith Bernhardt, Vice President of College Planning at Fidelity Investments, "Fidelity's call volumes have been up modestly during the past few weeks. When the markets are volatile and dropping, investors call seeking answers. They express concern, but not panic, and most are checking their account balances and seeking guidance, but they remain invested," he said. "During the last bout of market volatility back in August, we saw a slight uptick in customers reaching out to discuss their overall financial plans. Market disruption often reminds consumers to take action, and to put a plan in place to achieve their financial goals, including saving for college," he commented. Daniel Reyes, Principal, Advised Portfolio Solutions at Vanguard, and his team recognize that market volatility is on the minds of investors and are thinking of ways to provide guidance to college savers. What's more, volatility can be surprising for families saving for college, especially if they've chosen an age-based option within a 529 plan. "What's interesting about this particular spurt of volatility in the markets is that we've come off of a stretch over the last several years of relatively tame, relatively placid markets, and so the volatility that they're seeing right now relative to what their experience was over the last five years or so seems magnified," he says. David Malone, Director of Investment Management at Ascensus, the leading administrator of 529 college savings plans, points out that some investors may even be tempted to make changes in their portfolio based on fear. "Some market participants, compelled by fear, sell risky assets during times of trouble. Should 529 plan participants sell when market indices precipitously slide, or should they use periods of market volatility to re-evaluate circumstances before making any significant changes to their child's portfolio?" he asks. RELATED: When should you switch 529 plans? Recommendations That being said, what should you recommend to clients to ease their minds during market uncertainty? Malone suggests that investors should start by jotting down answers to a few key questions: How long has it been since you evaluated your college planning? How old is your child now? Have college plans changed? Have income, assets, or gifts to your children changed significantly? With how much turbulence can you, as a parent, stomach? "Relying on the realities of your situation instead of financial news cyclesï ¿ ½whether positive or negativeï ¿ ½can keep you grounded and focused when considering portfolio changes. It can also help you avoid making rash decisions that are based on your personal perceptions of the market's behavior," he recommends. "If your child has aged by more than a couple of years, a prudent and reasonable plan of action is to reassess your level of risk." Malone also notes that it's also important to reassess the entire family's college plan, especially if family dynamics have changed. "Consider updating all beneficiaries in all accounts to align your expected college needs with expected college needs. If this change is viable, adjustments to the portfolio should match the profile of the new beneficiary," he says. RELATED: A shortcut to comparing 529 investment option details "If your static allocation options have existed without review for a long period, then this market turbulence should give reason for you to review its appropriateness. During this review, you may consider evaluating where you are today, versus when you first invested. If your child is approaching or in college, then 529 plan assets should shift from risky assets to safer assets." Reyes advises investors to try and remain calm this year, and to try and accept that volatility is a normal part of investing. "We're always trying to tell our investors, as much as they possibly can, to tune out as much noise as they can, and try to separate the emotional part of investing," he says. According to recent analysis from Vanguard, since 1980 equity markets have seen on average a correction or bear market every two years. Global stock prices (January 1, 1980ï ¿ ½January 22, 2016) Declines Number Average return Average time from peak to trough Average time from trough to recovery Correction 12 ï ¿ ½13.7% 87 days 121 days Bear market 7 ï ¿ ½33.4% 373 days 798 days Source: Vanguard.com Reyes also reminds investors to stay focused on things they can really control, like the asset allocation in their college savings plan. "Make sure your allocations are appropriate for your time horizon and the amount of risk you're willing to take on," he says. That's easy to do if the investor is using an age-based option within a 529 plan, since an asset allocation strategy is built into the design. But for those managing their own investments who aren't sure where to start, Reyes recommends looking at the age-based options for a beneficiary of the same age as a reference point. Bernhardt also notes the benefits of investing in an age-based option during a volatile market. "Investors in target date strategies like Fidelity Freedom Funds (targeting retirement) and college 529 age-based portfolios tend to worry less about the fluctuations in the market and focus more on maintaining regular contributions. Because target date strategies are designed to get more conservative as the goal approaches, the investor can rely upon the fund manager and the design of the plan to reduce risk and equity exposure as the target date nears ï ¿ ½ in the case of 529 plans, as their child, or other beneficiary, gets closer to college age," he says. RELATED: Savingforcollege.com age-based asset allocation study Closing thoughts To reduce the amount of investment changes clients make within their college savings plans, Bernhardt suggests recommending age-based investment options. "By contributing regularly to a target date strategy, investors can remove some of the emotion that frequently paralyzes those who don't have a well thought out plan," he says. Malone also points out that change isn't always a bad thing. "In some cases, revamping 529 assets during a period of negative returns may very well be the right path. My suggestion is to let factsï ¿ ½not fearsï ¿ ½help you find the right solution. Keeping a balanced investment outlook is hard. Maintaining a prudent 529 plan does not need to be," he says. Reyes stresses the importance of discipline in a shaky market. He tells families to "resist the urge to make a dramatic change to their asst allocation," adding that this is one of the most important decisions investors can make. What's more, investors need to maintain their contributions amounts to take advantage of Dollar-Cost Averaging, which can help dampen the volatility over time. RELATED: How satisfied are consumers with their 529 plans?