Welcome to POSC240-012!
This is where you will be posting 10 blogs throughout the semester; 4 blogs in September, 3 in October, & 3 in November. Your entries should tackle current events, reactions to lectures and readings, & comments & questions about the class.
Make sure you write substantial and thought-provoking entries & write your full name at the end of each post!
Start blogging!
Nick & Sara
Monday, August 27, 2007
Current events
This is where you can post comments, thoughts, articles, and links for any international or US foreign policy related event.
It seems as though Iran has taken another step in furthering its nuclear progress. Iran has launched more than 3,000 centrifuge machines. This has caused the U.N. Security Council to threaten a third round of sanctions against the Iran. They must freeze the uranium enrichment program or face more sanctions. This is the epitome of a security dilemma, which we discussed in class on Friday. The more nuclear power Iran obtains the less secure other countries in the world feel. Iran continues to produce only small amounts of nuclear fuel with its centrifuges. This level of nuclear fuel cannot be used for nuclear warheads. However, many believe that Iran is simply slowing down the process to overcome technical problems or more likely in order to forestall negative reactions that would lead to more sanctions by the UN Security Council.
A NYT article asks: when is it time to stop commemorating 9/11?
The answer to that question will be different for everyone. Some people quoted in the article say that they are tired of 9/11 remembrances; “grieving [has] a shelf life,” one said. Obviously the anniversary of 9/11 affects everyone differently, and people who would rather not remember are free to do so.
However, for many people, myself included, remembering is important.
Every generation has a defining moment, a tragic event that unites the country and defines the proceeding decades. Our grandparents remember hearing the news on the day that shall live in infamy, knowing that they or their husband would soon be sent to fight on foreign soil. Our parents still remember where they were on Nov. 22, 1963. For our generation, 9/11 was our defining moment.
I don’t think I could easily forget 9/11, even if I tried, just as I doubt the “Greatest Generation” has forgotten Pearl Harbor. How could I? Besides being tragic for the people who died and their families, that day ushered in the world my generation has and will grow up in. Whenever I hear the date Sept. 11, I flash back to those images seared in my mind: the Towers falling, walls lined with missing person posters, the firefighters raising the American flag amidst the rubble.
It is important to remember the victims of 9/11 because many of them, such as the firefighters who rushed into the Towers without regard to their own safety and the passengers of Flight 93, represent the best of America. However, considering the threat we still face, it is even more important that we remember the events of 9/11 and the lessons we learned by them.
In the years after the end of the Cold War, America grew complacent, believing she was safe with the Soviet threat gone. All the while, al-Qaeda strengthened and plotted its attack on America. On 9/11, we awoke to the threat and following the attacks, we stood united and dedicated to keeping America safe, without regard to politics. Now, that has been replaced by partisan bickering, and America is still at risk. It’s crucial we remember the lessons of 9/11 and get back to the bipartisan effort to keep the country safe.
Sept. 11 will be remembered in the hearts of people who lived through it for many years to come. As for the yearly public memorials, I’m sure they will diminish and eventually come to an end. But, I say, a long as even one victim’s family members want to make the pilgrimage to Ground Zero, the public memorials should continue.
My name is Ryan Adam and i am an 18 year old freshman here at UD. The size of the school is an adjustment for me but it is proving to be very interesting. I personally agree with the previous opinion in that remembering 9/11 is important. Many people gave their lives and countless others put their lives on the line. To me it is too soon (merely 6 years later) to forget the sacrifices and bravery displayed on 9/11/01. --Ryan Adam--
I feel that from the start of this war in Iraq, the motives and intentions of what exactly we went in there for are quite unclear. After 9/11 occured I was an avid believer in the fact that we needed to take action against the terrorist group that attacked us. It seems now, however, that we are fighting a war with no guidance and no real leadership. I am 100% in support of the men and woman who fight over there and dedicate there lives to the cause. In the article, Bush keeps stating that once there is stability brought into the country, we will gradually pull out. I genuinly do not feel that there is still any real plan as to what or when our next course of action will be, and I think as a country, we should not be kept in the dark about this pressing matter that affects so many families across America.
This blog is in response to the second blog, answering the question: When is it time to stop commemorating 9/11?
I am of the belief that there will never be an appropriate time to stop commemorating 9/11. I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard of the attacks..9th grade earth science, and I can remember the panic that rode through my body that September morning. My dad was working in the building directly across from tower 2. He was lucky enough to escape in time and return home safely, but the images of falling bodies and total destruction haunt him till this day. I know loved ones that lost moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and friends that day. I do not believe however, that the attack was a result of America's growing complacencty in the post cold-war era. The American government knew of Al-Queda, its mission, and its evil capabilities well before 9/11. It is my belief that it was the failure of the government to protect their citizens that resulted in this tragedy. While I still stand strong in remembering lost loved ones for however long it takes one to truly heal, I ask the question: When will it be time to START commemorating the losses of the 3000 plus and counting fallen US troops in Iraq and bring the rest of the soldiers home?
I just read this article about the three terrorists linked to al-Qaida who were arrested today for planning huge attacks against American tourists and citizens in Germany.
The statement that the terrorists shared a "profound hatred of U.S. citizens" made me feel unsettled because in this period of extreme turmoil through out the world, no one is truly safe anywhere. I am looking forward to talking about these issues more in class this semester and furthering my understanding of how the rest of the world views the United States.
There were six US troops killed and 12 more Iraqi civilians killed in a recent roadside bombing in Habibya and in a suicide car bombing in Northern Iraq. This does not make sense to me because the Iraqi people are hurting more of their own people than they are US troops. The troops and the United States are still trying to figure out exactly what happened and who detonated the bomb and also where they attained the bomb from. They suspect that Iran had supplied the bomb, but Iran of course has denied being a part of this. Hopefully they will find out more about this so that it will not happen again.
Just saw this article on the NY Times page. Here's the first couple of lines: "The dollar fell to an all-time low against the euro today and oil prices surged to a record, suggesting a weaker American economy will be accompanied by higher prices for energy and other imported goods."
Yes that article is pretty scary. This is because prices for goods oil and energy could keep continuing to rise as the American Economy continues to weaken. It also is not very settling that the Euro is up 5.4 percent to the US dollar and that oil is up 2.2 percent. I think that the United States Economy will be fine, but as of right now the American economy does seem to be weakening a little bit which is not good considering the fact that there really is no reason for it. But I guess we will have to see what happens throughout the next couple of weeks and months.
Today, monday sept. 24 2007, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University by invitation of Columbia University president Lee Bollinger. The event was surrounded by protest and was doomed before it even started. Once on stage, Ahmadinejad made many erroneous statements, including his belief that the Holocaust never happened, that there are no gays in Iran, and that women in Iran "enjoy the highest levels of freedom". He was attacked by the media and by the students and people at Columbia University. Even the University's President, Lee Bollinger said that Ahmadinejad shows "the signs of a petty and cruel dictator." Bollinger also told the president: "Today I feel the weight of all the civilized world yearning to express the revulsion at what you stand for."
While i am in agreement with Bollinger and the rest of the protestors, I can't help but wonder if all we as a people were going to do to Ahmadinejad was spew hate, why was he invited to speak at Columbia in the first place?
The frighteningly brutal actions of the Myanmar military are exhibited in their acts against these peaceful protesters. Monasteries were raided last night and the atrocities committed against the monks there seem truly outrageous. It is frightening to think that protesters, acting peacefully, are being captured and taken away in military vans to endure what may be a horrible, painful punishment. Furthermore, the fact the military is using tear gas against civilians seems unreal. Actions such as these echo back to the atrocities of World War II, a time from which the world has supposedly moved away. The article also reads, "The Burmese authorities have bowed to international pressure and agreed to let UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari visit the country." In one sense, I am happy that the UN has been able to take action, but I am also worried whether or not it will have any effect at all. From what I understand, Myanmar had to permit UN intervention. Personally, the fact that this must occur seems unfair to me, for innocent people are being beaten, gassed, and killed. Nevertheless, I hope something comes from the UN special envoy's visit.
In response to the United States labeling Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, or Quds Force, a foreign terrorist organization, the Iranian Parliament has named the CIA, the US Army and the United States itself a terrorist organization. The Iranian Parliament said their accusing the US was based on "known and accepted" standards of terrorism from international regulations, including the U.N. charter. the Iranian Parliament then went on to condemn the "aggressions by the U.S. Army, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan" and called on the United Nations to "intervene in the global problem of U.S. prisons in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and secret jails in other countries." Iran's Parliament also brought up the US bombing's of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII, US involvement in the Balkans, Vietnam and the U.S. support of Israel naming all as terrorist actions. Between the name calling, Iran's possible quest for nuclear weapons, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia University in NY, tensions are certainly high between the United States and Iran.
The events that have been occurring in Turkey and the United States' relations with the country have certainly become an important and prominent topic in the media. I believe that many of the issues involved coorespond to what we have discussed in class. For one, I think that it can be viewed as a breech on Turkish sovereignty. Does the United States have the right to define another country's history? Although I agree that what occurred in Armenia should be recognized as a genocide, does the United States have the sole power in determining the nature of this event. Furthermore, the fact that all of the blame is being forced onto Turkey seems a bit unfair. It was the Ottoman Empire that committed such an atrocity. At the time, Turkey was only a part of the region. Finally, in regards to the article above, I don't agree with Bush's condemnation of Turkish action. In Turkey, confronting and attacking the PKK rebels is the same as confronting terrorism. Such action has been and continues to be on the American agenda. Therefore, it seems to me to be a bit hypocritical. Nevertheless, I do not believe that Turkey should jump into a guerrilla war with the rebels; history (recent events as well) has shown that such moves more often than not, end tragically.
14 comments:
Hey I just read this article about Iran’s nuclear power and I thought it might be important for our class to read.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/02/iran.nuclear.ap/index.html
It seems as though Iran has taken another step in furthering its nuclear progress. Iran has launched more than 3,000 centrifuge machines. This has caused the U.N. Security Council to threaten a third round of sanctions against the Iran. They must freeze the uranium enrichment program or face more sanctions. This is the epitome of a security dilemma, which we discussed in class on Friday. The more nuclear power Iran obtains the less secure other countries in the world feel. Iran continues to produce only small amounts of nuclear fuel with its centrifuges. This level of nuclear fuel cannot be used for nuclear warheads. However, many believe that Iran is simply slowing down the process to overcome technical problems or more likely in order to forestall negative reactions that would lead to more sanctions by the UN Security Council.
Kaitlin Keelan
A NYT article asks: when is it time to stop commemorating 9/11?
The answer to that question will be different for everyone. Some people quoted in the article say that they are tired of 9/11 remembrances; “grieving [has] a shelf life,” one said. Obviously the anniversary of 9/11 affects everyone differently, and people who would rather not remember are free to do so.
However, for many people, myself included, remembering is important.
Every generation has a defining moment, a tragic event that unites the country and defines the proceeding decades. Our grandparents remember hearing the news on the day that shall live in infamy, knowing that they or their husband would soon be sent to fight on foreign soil. Our parents still remember where they were on Nov. 22, 1963. For our generation, 9/11 was our defining moment.
I don’t think I could easily forget 9/11, even if I tried, just as I doubt the “Greatest Generation” has forgotten Pearl Harbor. How could I? Besides being tragic for the people who died and their families, that day ushered in the world my generation has and will grow up in. Whenever I hear the date Sept. 11, I flash back to those images seared in my mind: the Towers falling, walls lined with missing person posters, the firefighters raising the American flag amidst the rubble.
It is important to remember the victims of 9/11 because many of them, such as the firefighters who rushed into the Towers without regard to their own safety and the passengers of Flight 93, represent the best of America. However, considering the threat we still face, it is even more important that we remember the events of 9/11 and the lessons we learned by them.
In the years after the end of the Cold War, America grew complacent, believing she was safe with the Soviet threat gone. All the while, al-Qaeda strengthened and plotted its attack on America. On 9/11, we awoke to the threat and following the attacks, we stood united and dedicated to keeping America safe, without regard to politics. Now, that has been replaced by partisan bickering, and America is still at risk. It’s crucial we remember the lessons of 9/11 and get back to the bipartisan effort to keep the country safe.
Sept. 11 will be remembered in the hearts of people who lived through it for many years to come. As for the yearly public memorials, I’m sure they will diminish and eventually come to an end. But, I say, a long as even one victim’s family members want to make the pilgrimage to Ground Zero, the public memorials should continue.
Josh Shannon
My name is Ryan Adam and i am an 18 year old freshman here at UD. The size of the school is an adjustment for me but it is proving to be very interesting. I personally agree with the previous opinion in that remembering 9/11 is important. Many people gave their lives and countless others put their lives on the line. To me it is too soon (merely 6 years later) to forget the sacrifices and bravery displayed on 9/11/01.
--Ryan Adam--
Hey everybody, I just read this article about the war and I wanted to give some input about it.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/03/bush.iraq/index.html
I feel that from the start of this war in Iraq, the motives and intentions of what exactly we went in there for are quite unclear. After 9/11 occured I was an avid believer in the fact that we needed to take action against the terrorist group that attacked us. It seems now, however, that we are fighting a war with no guidance and no real leadership. I am 100% in support of the men and woman who fight over there and dedicate there lives to the cause. In the article, Bush keeps stating that once there is stability brought into the country, we will gradually pull out. I genuinly do not feel that there is still any real plan as to what or when our next course of action will be, and I think as a country, we should not be kept in the dark about this pressing matter that affects so many families across America.
Mike Poznansky
This blog is in response to the second blog, answering the question: When is it time to stop commemorating 9/11?
I am of the belief that there will never be an appropriate time to stop commemorating 9/11. I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard of the attacks..9th grade earth science, and I can remember the panic that rode through my body that September morning. My dad was working in the building directly across from tower 2. He was lucky enough to escape in time and return home safely, but the images of falling bodies and total destruction haunt him till this day. I know loved ones that lost moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and friends that day. I do not believe however, that the attack was a result of America's growing complacencty in the post cold-war era. The American government knew of Al-Queda, its mission, and its evil capabilities well before 9/11. It is my belief that it was the failure of the government to protect their citizens that resulted in this tragedy. While I still stand strong in remembering lost loved ones for however long it takes one to truly heal, I ask the question: When will it be time to START commemorating the losses of the 3000 plus and counting fallen US troops in Iraq and bring the rest of the soldiers home?
Kevin Moreno
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070905/ap_on_re_eu/germany_terror
I just read this article about the three terrorists linked to al-Qaida who were arrested today for planning huge attacks against American tourists and citizens in Germany.
The statement that the terrorists shared a "profound hatred of U.S. citizens" made me feel unsettled because in this period of extreme turmoil through out the world, no one is truly safe anywhere. I am looking forward to talking about these issues more in class this semester and furthering my understanding of how the rest of the world views the United States.
-- Katharine Gray
i just read this article about how 6 US troops and 12 more civilians were killed recently in Iraq.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/05/iraq.main/index.html
There were six US troops killed and 12 more Iraqi civilians killed in a recent roadside bombing in Habibya and in a suicide car bombing in Northern Iraq. This does not make sense to me because the Iraqi people are hurting more of their own people than they are US troops. The troops and the United States are still trying to figure out exactly what happened and who detonated the bomb and also where they attained the bomb from. They suspect that Iran had supplied the bomb, but Iran of course has denied being a part of this. Hopefully they will find out more about this so that it will not happen again.
Robert O'Reilly
Just saw this article on the NY Times page. Here's the first couple of lines:
"The dollar fell to an all-time low against the euro today and oil prices surged to a record, suggesting a weaker American economy will be accompanied by higher prices for energy and other imported goods."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/12/business/12cnd-econ.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Does this scare anyone else?
Yes that article is pretty scary. This is because prices for goods oil and energy could keep continuing to rise as the American Economy continues to weaken. It also is not very settling that the Euro is up 5.4 percent to the US dollar and that oil is up 2.2 percent. I think that the United States Economy will be fine, but as of right now the American economy does seem to be weakening a little bit which is not good considering the fact that there really is no reason for it. But I guess we will have to see what happens throughout the next couple of weeks and months.
Robert O'Reilly
I felt it necessary to comment on Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia University in New York City and the disorder it caused.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/24/us.iran/index.html
Today, monday sept. 24 2007, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University by invitation of Columbia University president Lee Bollinger. The event was surrounded by protest and was doomed before it even started. Once on stage, Ahmadinejad made many erroneous statements, including his belief that the Holocaust never happened, that there are no gays in Iran, and that women in Iran "enjoy the highest levels of freedom". He was attacked by the media and by the students and people at Columbia University. Even the University's President, Lee Bollinger said that Ahmadinejad shows "the signs of a petty and cruel dictator." Bollinger also told the president: "Today I feel the weight of all the civilized world yearning to express the revulsion at what you stand for."
While i am in agreement with Bollinger and the rest of the protestors, I can't help but wonder if all we as a people were going to do to Ahmadinejad was spew hate, why was he invited to speak at Columbia in the first place?
The topic of the Myanmar protest has been prevalent in the media and our class, and I wanted to discuss it a bit.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7017369.stm
The frighteningly brutal actions of the Myanmar military are exhibited in their acts against these peaceful protesters. Monasteries were raided last night and the atrocities committed against the monks there seem truly outrageous. It is frightening to think that protesters, acting peacefully, are being captured and taken away in military vans to endure what may be a horrible, painful punishment. Furthermore, the fact the military is using tear gas against civilians seems unreal. Actions such as these echo back to the atrocities of World War II, a time from which the world has supposedly moved away.
The article also reads, "The Burmese authorities have bowed to international pressure and agreed to let UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari visit the country." In one sense, I am happy that the UN has been able to take action, but I am also worried whether or not it will have any effect at all. From what I understand, Myanmar had to permit UN intervention. Personally, the fact that this must occur seems unfair to me, for innocent people are being beaten, gassed, and killed. Nevertheless, I hope something comes from the UN special envoy's visit.
--Ashley Mortimer
In light of the recent news regarding Iran, i thought this article was both important and relevant.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/29/iran.parliament/index.html
In response to the United States labeling Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, or Quds Force, a foreign terrorist organization, the Iranian Parliament has named the CIA, the US Army and the United States itself a terrorist organization. The Iranian Parliament said their accusing the US was based on "known and accepted" standards of terrorism from international regulations, including the U.N. charter. the Iranian Parliament then went on to condemn the "aggressions by the U.S. Army, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan" and called on the United Nations to "intervene in the global problem of U.S. prisons in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and secret jails in other countries." Iran's Parliament also brought up the US bombing's of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII, US involvement in the Balkans, Vietnam and the U.S. support of Israel naming all as terrorist actions. Between the name calling, Iran's possible quest for nuclear weapons, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia University in NY, tensions are certainly high between the United States and Iran.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7049348.stm
The events that have been occurring in Turkey and the United States' relations with the country have certainly become an important and prominent topic in the media. I believe that many of the issues involved coorespond to what we have discussed in class. For one, I think that it can be viewed as a breech on Turkish sovereignty. Does the United States have the right to define another country's history? Although I agree that what occurred in Armenia should be recognized as a genocide, does the United States have the sole power in determining the nature of this event. Furthermore, the fact that all of the blame is being forced onto Turkey seems a bit unfair. It was the Ottoman Empire that committed such an atrocity. At the time, Turkey was only a part of the region.
Finally, in regards to the article above, I don't agree with Bush's condemnation of Turkish action. In Turkey, confronting and attacking the PKK rebels is the same as confronting terrorism. Such action has been and continues to be on the American agenda. Therefore, it seems to me to be a bit hypocritical. Nevertheless, I do not believe that Turkey should jump into a guerrilla war with the rebels; history (recent events as well) has shown that such moves more often than not, end tragically.
--Ashley Mortimer
Good analysis, Ashley. We're actually going to talk about this in class today.
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