Rivalry and Territory in Asia

Here are a few recent articles that came up in the context of the recent ASEAN meetings. Each deals with rivalry and territory explicitly.

Himalayas (India and China)

Article on each territorial dispute

Main Time article on India and China rivalry

China vs. Nepal

Extra Credit for Fall 09

Guidelines for Extra Credit

You may choose to either write a report on a movie or a book (treat an event or lecture as a book) for extra credit. This report is due when you hand in your final paper. The movie review will be worth up to 7 points; a book/event review will be worth up to 15 points. You can do a lecture/book or lecture/movie, but not movie/book combo.

Details:
Movie: The movie must deal with international Latino issues (or international security issues) including anything we have covered in class. No movies on interpersonal relationships or tenuous connections to international events will be accepted (no Borat). The movie can come from any time period. It would be best to get the movie approved before you watch. You must write at least a 4 page paper that will include one half review of the movie and the issues it covers. The second half will consider how it is relevant to the class and what lessons we can take from it. This assignment will be graded like any other essay, 7 points are not guaranteed. I do NOT want a recap of the movie, I want a review in the style of something the New Yorker would do.

Book/Lecture Event: The book must deal with contemporary international Latino issues (or security). It should be published after 9/11. The same issues mentioned in the movie option are fair game. It would be best to get the book approved by me before attempting to write a review. Your review must be at least 7 pages. It should be completed like your normal required book report (1/3 review, 1/3 connection to international issues, and 1/3 criticisms or support). This assignment will be graded like any other essay, 15 points are not guaranteed. I do NOT want a recap of the book/event.

Star Wars Fails Again

Great article about the demise of the new Star Wars. I only wish they didn't have to use the word Realism.

Afghanistan

The case for staying in Afghanistan as presented by Biddle. In the end, there is much here that is convincing which is sad. Biddle is perhaps one of the best security specialists working today.

"Taking all this into account, advocates for withdrawal from Afghanistan certainly have a case. The stakes are not limitless, the costs of pursuing them are high, and there is no guarantee that even a high-cost counterinsurgency effort in Afghanistan will succeed. But success is possible all the same, given our strengths and our opponents’ limitations. And failure could have potentially serious consequences for U.S. security."

Non-Free Press

New York Times article on the lack of free press in Latin American states.

Russia Fail

The BBC on Russian military failings.

Cultural Rivalry

Who would have thought a dress in a beauty pageant would spark an international dispute? I would have..

Blog is Back

The return of the blog...its back. I have been posting to facebook lately since it is so easy, but will have to transition back to this blog now that classes are starting. Look forward to more posts in the coming months, I know everyone is excited.

Obama's Speech in Egypt

Video
Text

How to Stop Pirates

Apparently, you can learn all you need to learn about Pirates from a video game. And boy did I love that game when I was a kid.

Soccer and Nationalism Conference

Soccer and Nationalism
This event can be used for lecture extra credit, but you must go to the movie and corresponding panel. You also must connect the movie to IR concepts.


An Interdisciplinary Conference

Monday, April 20, 2009, 9:30– 5:00
UIC Institute for the Humanities, Lower Level, Stevenson Hall

Schedule of Events:

9:30: Opening Remarks

9:45-10:45: Film Screening: Who is Deutschland?

Who is Deutschland? focuses on the outpouring of national feeling
expressed in Germany during the 2006 World Cup tournament, and the
reactions and discussions it prompted in German society among people of
various backgrounds. Interviews with German politicians, rock stars, media
executives, museum directors and students highlight the tensions
surrounding the expressions of contemporary German patriotism. While
tracking the progress of the German team in the World Cup, the film
focuses on Markus, a leftist Berlin University student who tells his side
of the “German identity story.”

11:00-12:30: Film Screening: Goal Dreams

Founded in 1928, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) is considered
one of the oldest football associations in the Arab World. Following the
team as they prepare for the 2006 World Cup, Goal Dreams chronicles the
suspension of domestic league games after an Israeli air strike on
Palestine Stadium, while Austrian coach Alfred Riedle makes a heroic
effort to mold players from diverse countries such as the USA, Chile,
Palestine, and Lebanon into a national team like no other.

12:30-1:30: Break for Lunch

1:30-3:00: Panel Discussion with the creators of Who is Deutschland?
Boaz Beeri, Director
Jon Medow, writer/researcher
Abraham Singer, writer/researcher
Mark Webber, York University and the Canadian Center for
German and European Studies

3:00-3:15: Coffee Break

3:15-4:45: Panel Discussion on Soccer and Nationalism:
Jeffrey Saunders, writer and director of Goal Dreams
Laurent DuBois, Professor of French and History, Duke University

4:45: Concluding Remarks

Sponsored by the International Studies Program, the Departments of
Germanic Studies, History and Political Science, and the Institute for the
Humanities

Extra Credit Repost II

To Clear Up: Guidelines for Extra Credit

You may choose to either write a report on a movie or a book (treat an event or lecture as a book) for extra credit. This report is due when you take the final. The movie review will be worth up to 7 points; a book/event review will be worth up to 15 points. You can do a lecture/book or lecture/movie, but not movie/book combo.

Details:
Movie: The movie must deal with international issues (or international security issues) including anything we have covered in class. No movies on interpersonal relationships or tenuous connections to international events will be accepted (no Borat). The movie can come from any time period. It would be best to get the movie approved before you watch. You must write at least a 4 page paper that will include one half review of the movie and the issues it covers. The second half will consider how it is relevant to the class and what lessons we can take from it. This assignment will be graded like any other essay, 7 points are not guaranteed. I do NOT want a recap of the movie, I want a review in the style of something the New Yorker would do.

Book/Lecture Event: The book must deal with contemporary international issues (or security). It should be published after 9/11. The same issues mentioned in the movie option are fair game. It would be best to get the book approved by me before attempting to write a review. Your review must be at least 7 pages. It should be completed like your normal required book report (1/3 review, 1/3 connection to international issues, and 1/3 criticisms or support). This assignment will be graded like any other essay, 15 points are not guaranteed. I do NOT want a recap of the book/event.

Seminar This Week

1st Tuesday -- April 7, 2009 at 5:30 p.m.

The Iraq History Project: Why Documenting Human Rights Violation in Iraq
is Important for the American Public

Did the overthrow of Saddam Hussein have a positive or negative effect
on human rights in Iraq? Has the intervention of American military force
in Iraq and the introduction of a fledgling democracy resulted in a
reduction in human rights abuses? The answers may be surprising and
thought provoking. Our speaker, Daniel Rothenberg, has been studying
these issues for the past six years and will share his insight.

Daniel Rothenberg is the Managing Director of International Projects at
the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI) at DePaul
University College of Law where he designs and runs rule of law and
human rights projects. For the past three and a half years, he has
managed a number of projects in Iraq involving an all-Iraqi staff of as
many as 60 working throughout the country. These projects have gathered
over 8,800 personal narratives of serious human rights violations
committed during the regime of Saddam Hussein and from 2003 through
mid-2008.

Before coming to DePaul, he was a Senior Fellow at the Orville H.
Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights at Yale Law School, an
Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University
of Michigan, a Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan Law
School and a Fellow in the Michigan Society of Fellows. His research and
writing focuses on transitional justice issues, particularly truth
commissions, amnesty laws, tribunals and reparations, as well as labor
migration, moral panics, genocide and social responses to
institutionalized violence.

DePaul Club Room
11th Floor of the DePaul Center
1 E. Jackson Blvd.
April 7, 2009
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Attacking Sport

This article discusses what we over in class the other day, the fact that sport seems to be losing is privileged place in states as an untouchable target. The diplomatic externalities produced by sport are important factors in stable interstate relations. Removing this option removes a basic form of exchange between states.

"Last night New Zealand cancelled a tour to Pakistan at the end of the year. “We are not going,” said Justin Vaughan, the chief executive of the country’s cricket body. “I don’t think any international team will be going to Pakistan in the foreseeable future.”

Mexico gets an Army

I just thought this was funny, the might of the Mexican military, stuck in traffic outside of Juarez.

Careers in International Affairs

Careers in International Affairs

Brian Flora
Diplomat in Residence


Come listen to the U.S. State Department’s Diplomat in Residence discuss career opportunities in government service. Internship programs and fellowship opportunities (language programs) will be also be discussed.

March 17th
10:20-11am, BSB 140
Presented by the UIC Political Science Department

Steroids Everywhere

This Sports Illustrated article makes it clear steroids were just about everywhere in the 60s. Why is this relevant to IR? Its not but I never liked the idea that steroids are new or that only a few people ever did them, so we can call this empirical evidence.

SROP

UIC has a Student Research Opportunities program every summer. I am interested in sponsoring students. The deadline is next week so you need to act quickly if interested. Info links are here:

http://tigger.uic.edu/~bvaler/teachinfo.htm

You basically get a stipend and work intensively on a project all summer with the goal of eventual graduate school attendance. The aim is to get students into a Ph.D. program but I am sure the program would help Law Students.

Let me know if you have any questions, I have ongoing projects or you can work on whatever you wish.

Hiliary Marginalized

This article made me very happy.

"Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is finding that her job description is dissolving under her feet, leaving her with only a vestige of the power she must have thought she acquired when she signed on to be President Obama’s chief Cabinet officer."

CSTO versus NATO

The new Russian alliance. I am betting NATO would win the dance off, but you never know...Kazakhstan has Borat.

"President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia, Armenia, Belarus and four Central Asian nations — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — had reached the agreement to form a new security force during a summit of the Moscow-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization on Wednesday. The force would add a military dimension to the Moscow-dominated alliance, which so far has served mostly as a forum for consultations."

Sri Linka Civil War

Here are a few BBC summaries on the Sri Linkan conflict.

Basic summary and Q&A

Is End Near?

War and Peace

Extra Credit

Extra Credit Repost

Guidelines for Extra Credit

You may choose to either write a report on a movie or a book (treat an event or lecture as a book) for extra credit. This report is due when you take your final. The movie review will be worth up to 7 points; a book/event review will be worth up to 15 points.

You can combine a report on a lecture and book/movie but you cannot do a book and a movie report.

Details:
Movie: The movie must deal with international issues (specifically conflict if you are in the conflict class) including anything we have covered in class. No movies on interpersonal relationships or tenuous connections to international events will be accepted (Borat). The movie can come from any time period. It would be best to get the movie approved before you watch. You must write at least a 4 page paper that will include one half review of the movie and the issues it covers. The second half will consider how it is relevant to the class and what lessons we can take from it. This assignment will be graded like any other essay, 7 points are not guaranteed. I do NOT want a recap of the movie.

Book: The book must deal with contemporary international issues (see above). It should be published after 9/11. The same issues mentioned in the movie option are fair game. It would be best to get the book approved by me before attempting to write a review. Your review must be at least 7 pages. It should be completed as your normal required book report (1/3 review, 1/3 connection to international issues, and 1/3 criticisms or support). This assignment will be graded like any other essay, 15 points are not guaranteed. I do NOT want a recap of the book/event.

UIC Lecture on US-Latin American relations

Extra credit opportunity:

A conversation with Ambassador Charles S. Shapiro: A Look Into U.S. and
Latin American Foreign Relations

February 5, 2009
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Latino Cultural Center
Lecture Center B2

For more information: 312-996-3095 or lcc@uic.edu

Ambassador Charles Shapiro will be discussing challenges in Latin America
with a focus on the economy and trade.

Ambassador Shapiro is leading the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Task Force for the Free Trade Agreements with Peru, Colombia, and Panama.
He joined the Department of State in 1977. In addition to his posting as
Ambassador to Venezuela, he has served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at
the U.S. embassies in Santiago, Chile and Port of Spain, Trinidad and
Tobago.

Territory Granted by God

This article presents an interesting perspective on peace in the Middle East. While I do not agree that the conflict is religious, the follow statement is supported by my own research.

"Across the world, people believe that devotion to sacred or core values that incorporate moral beliefs — like the welfare of family and country, or commitment to religion and honor — are, or ought to be, absolute and inviolable. Our studies, carried out with the support of the National Science Foundation and the Defense Department, suggest that people will reject material compensation for dropping their commitment to sacred values and will defend those values regardless of the costs."

So when a good transcends typical values it defies rational calculations and compensation.

"Indeed, across the political spectrum, almost everyone we surveyed rejected the initial solutions we offered — ideas that are accepted as common sense among most Westerners, like simply trading land for peace or accepting shared sovereignty over Jerusalem. Why the opposition to trade-offs for peace?"

"This strongly implies that using the standard approaches of “business-like negotiations” favored by Western diplomats will only backfire."

So what is the path to peace? Its pretty simple actually. Simply apologize.

"Absolutists who violently rejected offers of money or peace for sacred land were considerably more inclined to accept deals that involved their enemies making symbolic but difficult gestures. For example, Palestinian hard-liners were more willing to consider recognizing the right of Israel to exist if the Israelis simply offered an official apology for Palestinian suffering in the 1948 war. Similarly, Israeli respondents said they could live with a partition of Jerusalem and borders very close to those that existed before the 1967 war if Hamas and the other major Palestinian groups explicitly recognized Israel’s right to exist."

Territorial Dispute between India and Pakistan

This article outlines the Sir Creek territorial dispute that has flared up between India and Pakistan.
"The narrow, 60-mile-long estuary has been a bone of contention between the two nations for decades. But the dispute has been given new urgency -- and stoked new controversy -- because it featured in the buildup to the Mumbai terrorist attacks that left 171 people dead in late November. It was in the Sir Creek area where the 10 hijackers who set sail from Karachi, Pakistan, hijacked an Indian fishing boat that provided them with the cover to reach Mumbai undetected."

Battlestar

I heard a bit of snickering when I said I watch Battlestar Galactica. I snickered too when I first heard about it and avoided the show until three months ago. Yes, I do feel like a huge dork admitting I watch this show, but its really good and probably the best study of politics and warfare on TV in recent memory. Variety backs me up here.

USC and Sanchez

Great article on Mark Sanchez of USC and his role in the Latino community.

Slumdog

Here is an interesting article that calls Slumdog Millionaire the first movie of the Obama era. I would not go so far as to say that, but it was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. As the article points out, its shows the growing city of Mumbai in all its positive and negative lights. As global cities expand, there is the good: the tech industry, expanding business, but also the bad, the pimps, gangsters, and mafia of old preying on the unsuspecting poor. It is true though that Slumdog is an example of diversity in movies. The book was changed to make the main character a Muslim which adds a few interesting wrinkles to the portrayal of modern Indian life. It also does not utilize a common white face to sanitize the film. It is all around a great movie and something I encourage everyone who wants to have a global perspective to see and enjoy.

The first striking thing about this British-made film is its even-handed, generous spirit of universality. It is set in India and it's about Indians. There is no hint of Merchant Ivory decorum, the predicaments of rich westerners far from home, nor any notion that Boyle and his team were engaged in a David Lean-style imperial adventure in what was once one of the pink regions on the globe. Refreshingly, there is also no white character to "explain" the story (which needs no explanation) to western audiences.

Gaza, Gaza, Gaza

Here is an interesting NYTimes article on the war in Gaza and the tricks of urban combat. This conflict is hard to cover since both sides are using the media to cover up their activities. While I don’t support war at all, this article at least explains why Israel would attack civilian neighborhoods and schools.
“Hamas, with training from Iran and Hezbollah, has used the last two years to turn Gaza into a deadly maze of tunnels, booby traps and sophisticated roadside bombs. Weapons are hidden in mosques, schoolyards and civilian houses, and the leadership’s war room is a bunker beneath Gaza’s largest hospital, Israeli intelligence officials say.”

Military Weary of Obama

A good percentage of those who have served in the military are pessimistic about Obama as President. They are wary of having a leader who has never served in the military, but consider that only 10 percent of the entire American population has served in the first place, and a good percetage of that number includes WWII/Korea/Vietnam vets who were drafted.

Careers in Political Science, Foreign Service Officer

I have decided to start a blog series about jobs in political science (and international relations specifically) to help out those looking for future opportunities. One option is to work for the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. Dept of State is hiring now and will be for the foreseeable future. To be competitive, you should have language aptitude and also have some experience aboard (intern, Peace Corps, military).

“So, in the last several months — with a new president on the horizon and new funding from Congress — both the State Department and Usaid, are ramping back up. A supplemental war funding bill has provided money for Foreign Service hiring. And President-elect Barack Obama “has talked explicitly about the need to increase the Foreign Service and we hope he will make that a priority,” said John Naland. The State Department has asked for funding for 1,500 new positions for the current fiscal year.”

UIC maintains an Office of International Affairs (OIA) with a career Foreign Service Officer stationed on campus. Consult him at if you wish to setup a meeting to find out about more opportunities.

Academic BCS

This annual academic BCS ranking looks at graduation rates as well as performance on the field. Some schools, ahem Texas, should be ashamed of themselves.

"Every year, college football fans get caught up in some "major" controversy with the BCS rankings. They spend hours talking about obscure statistics and cursing computer formulas. This year, it was Oklahoma and Texas fans battling it out for the right to play in the Big 12 and National Championship games. Texas fans were devastated when they lost the rankings fight.

But the real tragedy for this team is that only 40 percent of its players, and only 27 percent of its black players, will graduate. Texas' football players put the University on the national stage. And what do they get in return? Besides the precious few that will make it to the NFL, most will leave school without a degree and with few career prospects."

Change of Cuban Politics

New York Times article details the change in the wind regarding Cuban politics.

"Three generations on from the revolution, being a Democrat is no longer equated by Cuban-Americans with being a Communist. The fixation on removing Fidel, the dreams of return and the raw anger of loss have faded. “We have gone from the politics of passion to the politics of reality,”

Extra Credit Repost

Guidelines for Extra Credit

You may choose to either write a report on a movie or a book (treat an event or lecture as a book) for extra credit. This report is due when you turn in your final paper. The movie review will be worth up to 7 points; a book/event review will be worth up to 15 points.

Details:
Movie: The movie must deal with international issues (or international Latino issues if that is your class) including anything we have covered in class. No movies on interpersonal relationships or tenuous connections to international events will be accepted (Borat). The movie can come from any time period. It would be best to get the movie approved before you watch. You must write at least a 4 page paper that will include one half review of the movie and the issues it covers. The second half will consider how it is relevant to the class and what lessons we can take from it. This assignment will be graded like any other essay, 7 points are not guaranteed. I do NOT want a recap of the movie.

Book: The book must deal with contemporary international issues (see above). It should be published after 9/11. The same issues mentioned in the movie option are fair game. It would be best to get the book approved by me before attempting to write a review. Your review must be at least 7 pages. It should be completed as your normal required book report (1/3 review, 1/3 connection to international issues, and 1/3 criticisms or support). This assignment will be graded like any other essay, 15 points are not guaranteed. I do NOT want a recap of the book/event.

Changing the Game

I suggested this article to my dog park friend. I was getting annoyed at how many times I used in a NSF proposal. The word must die. Truly a game-changer

Murder Rate in Latin America

Apparently you are much more likely to die of violence in Latin American than in Africa. Who knew?
"The comparative study found that the murder rate for young people was 36.6 for every 100,000 people in Latin America while in Africa it was 16.1, North America 12, Asia 2.4, Oceania 1.6 and Europe 1.2, although there are variations within a particular region. "

Where is the change?

Where is the change? These two articles outline the problems with Obama’s choices so far. First of all, the choice of Hilary as secretary of state does not signal a departure from conventional foreign policy considerations. The retention of Gates and appointment of Clinton might in fact signal the return to the politics of the first Bush administration (not all a bad thing actually).

“Ironically, Obama is likely to show more fidelity to George H.W. Bush's approach to foreign affairs than did the former president's own son. That's change, maybe even change we can believe in, but it's not the change so many expected.”

This article also supports Richardson for secretary of state. The main argument should be, and is, that he is the most qualified to be secretary of state. He has served in a previous cabinet level post, was ambassador to the UN, served in the House, and was special envoy to many international problem spots. On top of that, the choice of Hilary over Richardson is insulting to Hispanics who choose to buck institutional leadership and go with Obama. It’s a slap in the face to so many who stuck their necks out for Obama. It is also a slap in the face to Latin America, which might have received greater engagement with Richardson had he been appointed.

“This isn't about Richardson, who might be very happy heading for ribbon cuttings in Toledo while Clinton heads for blue-ribbon summits in Tel Aviv. This is about something larger. Richardson is the nation's only Hispanic governor and the most prominent Hispanic elected official in the country. And the way he was treated doesn't say much about Obama's respect for the Hispanic community. Nor does the fact that Obama seems to have filled his top four Cabinet posts — justice, treasury, defense, and state — and couldn't find a single Hispanic to put in any of them. America's largest minority took a chance on Obama despite the fact that the president-elect had no track record in reaching out to them and didn't break a sweat trying to win their votes. They deserve better.”

Is this really what we voted for? While I support the choice of Gates on practical grounds, it will not be the choice that will push for withdrawal from Iraq like so many expected and hoped. Clinton is an effective choice for the State department if Obama wants a free hand to deal with internal economic problems, but she does not represent the choice that many of us hoped for when we were expecting a new and different vision of American external relations. So I will ask again, where is the change? Why should we have hope if things will just remain the same with the same old people in charge? Don’t go to D.C. in January 2009 to celebrate the election of our first black president, go to D.C. to celebrate the retention of the old guard and the state quo.

Environmental Conflict

Sorry for the shape of my blog, the colors have been screwy for months and I need to fix it. I am busy trying to finish a bunch of different papers before the end of the month so the blog has not been a priority.

The "Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World" is getting a lot of news coverage for the wrong reasons. Some of the prescriptions and claims the report makes are accurate, others are not. This claim identified by the NYTimes really bugs me since it is not based on facts at all.

"The new report describes a world riven by increased conflict over scarce food and water supplies and threatened by so-called rogue states and terrorists, widening gaps between rich and poor and an uneven impact of global warming."

I recently found this piece online written by Idean Salehyan and it provides a simple review of the literature on environmental conflict and the dangers of focusing on the potential of enivromental conflict rather than practical political solutions. He notes: "Additionally, focusing on climate change as a security threat that requires a military response diverts attention away from prudent adaptation mechanisms and new technologies that can prevent the worst catastrophes."

Jobs for Lawyers

Here is an article last year on the state of the market for lawyers. Things have probably gotten worse since then. Send me any other articles you would like to post so everyone can have full information.

Here is another article from last year with stats. Keep them coming

Int Latino Politics Schedule

Nov 18

Great Power Involvement (Read: Latin America’s Wars, Ch. 33, 21, 35)

Drug Wars (Read: Latin America’s Wars, Ch. 38)

Nov 25

Latin American Rivalries and the Making of a State (Read: Thies)

Test Today

Dec 2

International Migration Patterns (Read: Age of Mig. Ch 2, 3, 4)

Causes of International Migration (Read: Age of Mig. 5, 6)

Latino Immigration into the United States (Read: Latinos, Ch 8)

Final Papers Due on Dec 10th at NOON