The first article under consideration is about the gender inequality in science. There is the bias that women scientists are worse than men scientists, and there have been some research conducted among the U.S. and French students that proves that. The study shows that randomly assigned to male and female instructors male French students rated the male teachers higher than female ones. But the final exam resulted in worse grades of the male instructors’ students than those of female.
The study conducted among the American students was carried out in a bit different way. The instructors, both male and female, virtually changed their names. The men got female names and vice versa. Now it was female students who rated the instructors they believed were male highly in all respects.
I think, this problem is really relevant to our society and time. Discrimination is most often seen in occupational segregation, i.e., the unequal allocation of women and men in economy, steep demands, unfair employment practice or while service promotion, the difference in pay, non-permanent or part-time employment of women, harassment at the workplace, dual employment (work - home), prejudice, etc.
Women in politics is a rare phenomenon. Society still hardly leaves the idea that the politics is male domain, and there are no women's interests in politics, but universal values that must be defended. We know the representatives of "weaker sex", who successfully implemented the politics in the interests of their states. Among the most prominent are Margaret Thatcher, Madeleine Albright, Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, Princess Diana, Angela Merkel and many others.
It’s interesting to know that many famous women (singer Beyonce, actress Jennifer Garner, the former secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice) took part in the creation of video in support of women's rights called ‘Ban Bossy’, dedicated to March 8, 2014, and directed against the verbal discrimination against women in business - namely, against the humiliating forms of ‘bossy’, which is used in relation to the successful women leaders as a diminutive word for "boss" [Youtube.com].
The second article is about difficult situations in which some Americans have got in. More than 4000 people had to renounce their US citizenship in 2015. This is 20 % more than in 2010. One of the main reasons is Fatca - the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act which was adopted in 2012 to target overseas bank accounts of wealthy Americans.
The United States together with Eritrea are only two countries in the world with a citizenship-based taxation. That means that it’s no matter whether you’re rich or poor American citizen – you must pay double taxes any way if you live in another country and not in the USA.
I think, this law really goes against the American people. It’s really unfair to do this. It’s interesting why at first the law was directed only to rich Americans and recently it’s been focused on every American citizen – no matter rich or poor? Does that mean that the government doesn’t have enough money? On my opinion, if you have lots of money somewhere outside the country, then ok, pay taxes. But if you’re not that rich, then what?
It concerns not only the US, but other countries, too. In Europe the taxation system is also not so convenient for each EU citizen, but there are countries with quite simple taxation system. For example, Maldives where a businessman needs to pay only one tax per year and to spend less than an hour for this [Slate.com]. The second country with convenient taxation system is Belarus. In Russia it’s no matter rich or poor you’re – the taxation rate is the same for everyone which makes this country one of the most perspective for rich citizens from other countries to move.
All I want to say is that not only in the US, but also in other countries the governments not always and not often follow their citizens’ interests and adopt the laws which can change people’s life for better. Politicians often use their official positions in their own (and not so good) interests.
References
LeanIn.org. 9 March, 2014. Ban Bossy – I’m Not Bossy. I’m the Boss. Youtube.com. Retrieved ˂from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dynbzMlCcw˃
Singer-Vine, Jeremy. The Turbo-est Taxes. Which country has the simplest taxation system? Slate.com, 2011. Retrieved from ˂http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2011/01/the_turboest_taxes.html˃
