Write 8 page essay on the topic Requiem of the Dead Parrot: Monty Python, the Defined Benefit Company Pension System and the Government.Download file to see previous pages... In that sketch, the focus

Write 8 page essay on the topic Requiem of the Dead Parrot: Monty Python, the Defined Benefit Company Pension System and the Government.

In that sketch, the focus is made on a peeved customer of a pet store who confronts the owner of the shop due to the fact that the parrot he had just purchased is dead. The storeowner refutes such an allegation, and insists that the parrot is only asleep. He then brings focus to the beauty of the bird and the fact that it is a special breed, a rare Norwegian Blue parrot. Yet, despite attempts to entice a reaction from the parrot through calls and food, the bird remains still and lifeless.

As expected, the customer begins to lose patience, and is convinced in the fact that the parrot sold to him was indeed a worthless dead bird. A noteworthy part of the sketch is when the customer, in his attempts to disprove the contentions of the storeowner, takes the dead parrot, wallops its head on the table and then proceeds to throw the parrot into the air. The bird falls like a rock without any reaction or sign of life whatsoever, and the storeowner can only remark that the actions of the customer stunned the bird, thus the reason for the lifelessness.

To make the long discourse short, the arguments continued between the customer and storeowner, until the customer shows that the only reason the parrot was seated on the perch in the cage was because its feet were nailed onto the perch. Typically, the storeowner had an answer to every allegation, and stated that the feet were nailed to prevent the parrot from escaping. The customer, agitated and without any patience left, responds with what has now become a trademark lengthy speech, using a number of synonyms and phrases to cast into the head of the storeowner the fact that indeed the bird is dead. To this, the storeowner finally concedes, and offers to replace the dead parrot. Upon finding that he is fresh out of parrots, he offers to replace the dead parrot with of all creatures, a slug. To this proposition the customer has no choice but to inquire as to whether the slug can talk. Of course, the storeowner responds in the negative, to which the customer says, "Well, it's scarcely a replacement then, is it"

In relation to the statement we are tasked to assess, we must also explain the concept of the defined benefit company pension system. This system is one wherein a person's pension benefits are based on their final or average salary earned while employed for their company. Most commonly this type of pension provides a lump sum to be given upon attaining the retirement age, and income on instalments for the pensioner's remaining natural life.

On the basis of computation, the pension system is commonly calculated as a portion of the pensioner's final salary for every year of service with that company. This provides better security for the employee especially within the company he works for.

However, the defined benefit company pension system has increasingly declined over the past few years, not only in the UK but also in Canada, the US and in many parts of the world. This is primarily due on that feature of the system that places upon the companies the risk of the investments if the pensions fund fails to grow at the rate it is needed, thus putting strain on the company's assets to shoulder the balance.