PDP 7- The Vietnamese Declaration of Independence

                                  PDP 7- The Vietnamese Declaration of Independence

Author Bio- The author of the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence is Ho Chi Ninh, who was born on 1890 and died on 1969. He is the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party and was also the leader of the Vietnamese nationalist movement. He is very biased towards what he believes in and is particularly biased against France, who he describes is violent and wants to take over Vietnam with no regard to the people and their lives. In other words, he is biased towards France and uses this bias to help support his argument of independence for Vietnam.

Date/Context- This declaration was created before the Cold War and was primarily drafted before World War II. At this time, Vietnam was part of the French Indochina and had been treated poorly by France during the time period, which lasted from 1881 until WWI. Some of the ways France treated Vietnam during this time period is how they built more prisons than schools and how they led to the decline of the economy.

Summary- This article mainly details how much the Vietnamese people wanted independence, and how they were tired of French rule in their lands. One of the things the author emphasized was what the French did to their country, and the negative effects that they brought with them. These include how the French took away "democratic liberty" from their people, which he says is stated as very important in the rights of man and citizen document. Ninh also stated that the French capitalized on the resources located in Vietnam, took away the Vietnamese peoples rights, led to the decline of the economy and destroyed the Middle class, or bourgeoisie in Vietnam. This shows just how important independence was to the Vietnamese people. Ninh also ended the Declaration praising how strong the vietnamese people were during this "French Domination" and called for the independence of Vietnam and support for their cause.

Key Quotation- "The entire Vietnamese people are determined to mobilize all their physical and mental strength, to sacrifice their lives and property in order to safeguard their independence and liberty."

SJS2- "India's Baby Boomers: Dividend or Disaster?"

Source: Bloom, David E. “India’s Baby Boomers: Dividend or Disaster?” Current History, vol. 110, no. 735, Apr. 2011, pp. 143-49.
Author Credentials: The author of this article, David E. Bloom is very experienced in this field. He is a Professor of Economics and Demography at the Harvard School of Public Health. In addition, he is the director of the Global Demography of Aging. On top of having significant experience in the field of Economics and Demography, Bloom has published numerous book on topics ranging from finances, languages, and technology.
Summary: This article addressed India's sudden growth and then slight decline in population growth over the past few decades. The article suggests that even with the slight decline, India will surpass China as the most highly populated country by the year 2027. This article also talks about the beneficial impacts that the large growth has on the population such as a growth in India's economy. On the other hand, the article addresses how once those of the "baby boom" time period reach working age, there will not be enough jobs for them. In addition, the article discusses the increase in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, cancer, and strokes as the population ages. At the end of the article, a possible solution to the problems facing India are suggested such as making health care more accessible, improving education, and supplying the necessities for the aging India population.
Analysis: Overall, I believe that this is a very good article. It provides significant information that proves the author's point and does not solely rely on the opinions of the author. The author is very experienced in this field of study and proves to have a vast knowledge of this area through the numerous statistics and impressive analyzation of facts. Overall, this is a very reliable and interesting source.

PDP6- Sermons and Teachings

PDP6- Sermons and Teachings

Author Bio: The students of Buddha recorded the sermons and teachings of Buddha, yet, the author of this excerpt from Sermon of Benares is Siddhartha Guatama. Guatama was prophesied to be a great monarch or great Buddha, so he was brought up in great luxury. After having a vision about suffering, Guatama went out into the world to achieve the highest truth, which he was finally able to do once he learned about his past and future lives. He then gathered followers and spread his teachings which later on became one of the world's greatest religions.

Date/Context: This article takes place in the 6th century, although it may have been revised in more recent dates. These teachings took place during the Axic Age. Buddhism was created around 500 B.C.E. as an opposing viewpoint of Hinduism.

Summary: This excerpt discusses what Buddha thinks is the correct way to live life. He says that it is not right to indulge in worldly pleasures nor have many things in life. Buddha teaches his followers about the middle path of life; a path that will eventually lead to enlightenment or Nirvana. He discusses the importance of suffering and recognizing suffering in order to abstain from unhealthy lusts, but he also lets his disciples understand the importance of taking care of one's body  since it is one's job to do so. Buddha describes the many ways in which the most painful things in life will emerge from bodily attachments to things. The second portion of this article is about a student talking to his teacher about Nirvana. The teacher helps to show the student that Nirvana is not a material thing, that it cannot be touched or grasped. He explains that although Nirvana cannot be seen, like wind, it's presence can be felt almost all of the time.

Key Quotation: "'By the practice of lovingkindness I have attained liberation of heart, and thus I am assured that I shall never returned in renewed births. I have even now attained Nirvana.'"

PDP6 - The Azamgarh Proclamation

PDP6 - The Azamgarh Proclamation

Author Bio: This is written by the rebels in India who were rebelling against the British imperialist rule. They are very biased toward their cause and every event they speak of is based on the idea that what the British are doing is wrong and they are right. They violently opposed the English and are therefore very biased against them.

Date/Context: This document comes at a time when the English had invaded India and were the ruling government through the East India Company. They had taken power from the Mughals and ruled through sepoys which were native troops. The Indians were beginning to realize that the British were ruling to benefit themselves and that they wanted to get rid of them. They felt they needed to protect their culture and right to rule themselves so they used violence to try to oppose the English rule. This document shows the ideals of the rebels and what they thought each group of people in society should do about it.

Summary: In this proclamation the rebels are arguing that Hindoos and Mohammedans should join together against the common enemy, the British, to rebel in the name of the descendant of the last Mughal emperor and reestablish a Badshahi Government. The rebels claim they may soon get support from the west. They also claim that the fortune-tellers of each religion predict the British will lose their footing in India. They reaffirm that despite minor inconveniences these will not be indicators of how they will rule. The rebels call upon the landholders, merchants, public servants, artisans and learned persons to support the cause. The rebels rant about the high taxes, unfair arrests, monopolies on goods, low standing of the soldiers, and unemployment of artisans. After listing the faults of the British they go on to issue their own promises. They promise low taxes, fair judicial dealing, help for native merchants who wish to sell their goods, heaven for those that fight for the cause, pay for the soldiers, and employment by the wealthy for native artisans; all in order to appeal to the afore mentioned groups. The final thought in the proclamation is a threat to those that stand against their cause.

Key Quotation: “...it is the imperative duty of all to take [the proclamation] into their careful consideration, and abide by it.”

TS-Brexit EU- Megan Gatchel

The EU formed in the 1970's for trade purposes, however dramatic changes have transformed it into more of a controlling government body, and restrictive legislation caused the people of Great Britain to hold a referendum to decide whether to leave or remain, but differing opinions on how to proceed have led to a divided nation.


This is Megan Gatchel's Thesis Statement

TS - Globalization

Globalization, a controversial topic which has shaped the world in differing ways in recent history and has helped to undermine geography, has supported many global phenomena that otherwise would not have occurred, such as developing countries having economical relevance on the world stage, culture and ethnic background being far less relevant to determine success, and people around the world being able to experience a variety of lifestyles and cultures with just the touch of a button. On the other hand, globalization has, in many cases, only bolstered the wealth of those who are already rich, been used to exploit the resources of developing countries, and fractured the opportunities for a vanishing middle class in developed countries.

TS-The Cuban Revolution's Affect on U.S. and Cuban Political Relationships

The alternating political relationship between the United States of America and Cuba consistently fluctuates between periods of tense peace and periods of unrest, as the 1960 trade embargo, the Cuban revolution, and the leadership of the two states, have severely influenced these relations.

TS- Origin and Stance of the Kurds

The position of the Kurds is greatly influenced by the geo-political and socioeconomic factors in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey.

TS - The French Revolution's Impact on the Haitian Revolution

The French Revolution caused many political and social changes that impacted the Haitian Revolution.

TS: Instability in the Middle East's effect on the rise of ISIS

In recent years, the Middle East has been riddled with civil wars, coupes and riots, and because of this instability, terrorist groups such as ISIS have risen and used this as a chance to spread terrorism and fear.

TS - Migration's Effect on ISIS

The mass migration of people from the Middle East has allowed ISIS to gain better control of that region because some refugees have joined ISIS, can be a means for ISIS to attack other countries, and this migration crisis takes focus of many other foreign powers away from combating ISIS and to dealing with the exodus from the Middle East.

TS-Cuban Missile Crisis

TS-Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis had many negative effects upon the world in political, social, and economic areas of interest.

TS: Syrian Civil War

The Civil War in Syria has lead to a collapsing society due to the rise of food prices, rise of strict governmental rules, and psychological factors impacting citizens.

TS- The Creation and Achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Developmental Goals

The Sustainable Developmental Goals were created in order to focus the efforts of the United Nations, and while the goal is to achieve them all, the goal of eradicating poverty will be the hardest to achieve because of individual ideals, governments and the definition of poverty, whereas the goal to accomplish the ending of climate change will be the simplest to achieve because of existing technologies, current efforts, and necessity.

TS: Rwandan and Bosnian Genocides

The Rwandan and Bosnian Genocides contain similarities and differences through their political, economic, and social onsets and impacts.

SJS5-The Roots of China's Ethnic Conflicts

SJS5-The Roots of China's Ethnic Conflicts

Source: Sun, Yan. "The Roots of China's Ethnic Conflicts." Current History, vol. 113, no. 764, Sept. 2014, pp. 231-37.

Author: Yan Sun works at the City University of New York as a professor of political science. Her studies focus mainly on the domestic, political, and ethnic politics of China. She has written two books about corruption and socialism in China and she has been published in many scholarly journals as well. 

Summary: China is undergoing many ethnic tensions and clashes which is a result of a combination of sticks and carrots, sticks being limited autonomy and carrots being excessive ethnic prerogatives in this case. Xinjiang is a secular state, yet the revival of private madrassas led to exceedingly violent backlashes and restrictions. Wahhabism spread in Xinjiang and resulted in stricter government religious policies because of the violence that came along with the new religion. The frustrations emerging in the Uighur society also escalated into one of the worst ethnic rioting in the history of the People's Republic of China with 197 people dead. Issues in the economy and migration also resulted in many violent clashes between groups of people. However, there are promising signs that the violence is dwindling; China is beginning to understand the basis of their ethnic problems and the flaws in their ethnic policies. Policies are now being made or amended in China to create interethnic peace and equality in minority and majority groups.

Analysis: Yan Sun did a great job explaining the various types of violent clashes within China in an organized fashion. She begins the article with background information and presents questions that she will address throughout the rest of the piece. She then breaks down each backlash into categories and gives thorough information about individual topics. Sun stays consistently unbiased throughout the piece, though she sometimes favors the side of China and shows it as the group that deserves the most sympathy.

PDP5 - The People's Democratic Dictatorship

Author Bio: Mao Zedong (or Mao Tse-Tung), the newly declared leader of the Chinese Communist Party, had working class roots and experienced China's recent struggles firsthand. This chaotic path of his life almost certainly led to his pursuit of political power, and his "understanding" for the working people drove his political leanings, which veered significantly to the left. He regarded Stalin and Lenin, and the systems that they created, very highly, and he saw himself in them.

Historical Context: Post WWII, the world began to see a steady rise and distinction between the west and the east; the capitalists and the communists. There had been many important communist figures who had shaped the landscape of Asia, which led to China's working class growing desperate for communism. They were unaware of what they might have been getting themselves into, but this didn't stop radical leaders, and in this case, Mao Zedong, from coming into power and establishing a system to modernize their countries at the expense of the workers.

Summary: The information presented here was originally spoken by Mao Zedong on June 30th, 1949, to celebrate the 28th anniversairy of the Chinese Communist Party. right away, Mao rushes to alienate those who oppose China and their working class; particularly the "imperialists", and specifically the U.S. & Britain. He mentions that, while he understands that the country wants democracy, that it is simply not possible and that a strict authoritarian state is required to maintain control of themselves and not succumb to the imperialists. Mao also details the responsibility that comes with being a member of Communist China; he seeks to remove anybody who does not show upmodt loyalty to their system from their society, indicating that the state could be afraid of rebellious information reaching the common people. Additionally, Mao makes a strong attempt to appeal to the working class; he notes their selflessness and willingness to be revolutionaries, and their ability to lead their country to great prosperity. Despite this, he refers to the working class as petty and needing of government control in other parts of his speech. Lastly, going against what one would think he would say, he mentions that true progress/"victory" is not possible without international unity, which seemed to be him calling to the "imperialists" to abolish their ways of life and to assume theirs.

Key Quotation: "The Communist Party of the Soviet Union is our best teacher and we must learn from it. The situation both at home and abroad is in our favor, we can rely fully on the weapon of the people's democratic dictatorship, unite the people throughout the country, the reactionaries excepted, and advance steadily to our goal."

PDP Unit 5 - "The Constitution of the Empire of Japan"

Author bio: The Constitution of the Empire of Japan was written by the new leaders of Japan in 1889.
Historical context: The Constitution was written in 1889, this was after the Land Tax Reform and the numerous rebellions. It was before the the Sino-Japanese War.
Summary: The constitution outline the way the government will be run. It's main points include the system of government, and Emperor who is in charge and two houses, one that is elected, and one that is passed down the family and nobility. The Emperor has similar powers to the US president, he is in charge of the navy and army, and has executive powers. The people in Japan are subject, but they do hold some rights and responsibilities. The subjects are allowed to live freely unless they break a law, and are responsible to pay taxes to the government. Overall, the government system in Japan is very similar to the American government.

PDP5 - Analects

Author Bio: Confucius created the most influential philosophy in world history, Confucianism. He lived from 551 B.C.E. to 479 B.C.E., and his family was most likely of the knight class. Not much is known about Confucius's life, although he taught the sons of the nobility his own philosophy. Many of his students went on to have distinguished careers in government. During his life, Confucius created the Analects which are his teachings of Confucianism, which is more of a moral rather than religious philosophy. Confucius believed that people should respect their elders and try to possess Goodness. When Confucius died, he was elevated to the status of Divine Sage. 

Date/Context: The Analects were created around 500 B.C.E., and emerged around a time in China when many religions, like Buddhism and Daoism, began to be practiced. The Analects are the teachings of Confucius, and demonstrate his morals and philosophies. They demonstrated the most influential philosophy in history, so people use them to create morals to follow. The Analects are very important to how people want to behave and live.

Summary: The Analects say that people should look up to their elders and be respectful to them, and possess Goodness in their life. The teachings say that one who rules with moral force is respected and followed by others. The "Master" starting at age fifteen started learning and by age seventy could follow his heart. People are supposed to never disobey their parents and never cause them to have anxiety. A gentleman should practice something himself before demonstrating to others. One should try to possess Goodness, but no man has learned to be completely good. No man has been completely wicked either. Wealth and rank are desired by all men, but should only be received through work. One should look to a good man, and turn from a wicked man. Moral is never alone and will always be accompanied by friends. People should demonstrate Goodness, respect their parents, and be gentlemen/gentlewomen.

Key Quotation: "One who really cared for Goodness would never let any other consideration come first. One who abhorred wickedness would be so constantly doing Good that wickedness would never have a chance to get at him."

PDP5: Te-Tao Ching

Author Bio: There is much discrepancy over who was the author of the Te-Tao Ching although many believe that it was Lao-Tzu. Lao-Tzu was an ancient philosopher and author. He lived in China during 500 B.C.E. and is noted for founding Daoism.

Date/Context: The exact date of when this passage was written is unknown although one can presume that it was in between the dates 570-490 B.C.E. This time was around the founding of Daoism and this passage contains significant information in correlation with this belief system. In addition, during this time many different religions circulated around Eastern Asia and the world which no doubt made the publication of this passage at least slightly controversial.

Summary: In summation, this passage describes the beliefs of those following the faith of Daoism and what they must do in order to achieve happiness. To begin, the passage describes that "the way" as being how one will live their life and the outcome of it in the end. The passage described that "the way" is not something that is easily grasped nor should it be questioned. Followers of this faith must trust their life to "the way" even though "the way" may not be the best for them in the end. The passage also describes finding a constant within your life. One can presume that a constant is the tranquility and peace that one finds which, those of this faith believe, will fulfill their lives. In addition, the passage describes a supernatural being whom they do not believe themselves worth of giving a name and so call "mother of Heaven and Earth." Finally, the passage describes that if one is to fulfill their true plan then they must not become too much like worldly things or they will be punished.

Key Quotation: "If you use the rays to return to the bright light, You'll not abandon your life to peril. This is called Following the Constant."

Rq- Eritrean–Ethiopia War

How does the Eritrean–Ethiopia War continue to affect the World today. (Include events that led to this event, what happened during the event, and what problems still linger after the event.)

RQ - Globalism

How has globalism shaped both developed and developing countries across the world, and how should it be managed in the future to ensure that everybody affected by it prospers?

RQ-Cuban Missile Crisis

What political and social concerns did the Cuban Missile Crisis pose on the world

RQ - The French Revolution's Impact on the Haitian Revolution

What social and political changes occurred during the French Revolution that caused the Haitian Revolution?

RQ - The French Revolution's Impact on the Haitian Revolution

What economic, social, and political changes occurred during the French Revolution that caused the Haitian Revolution?

RQ - Migration's effect on ISIS and Syria

Consider "The Rise of ISIS" in the context of "International Migration." Is the mass flight of civilians helping ISIS consolidate its hold over Syria?

RQ- Origin and Stance of the Kurds

How do the geo-political and socioeconomic factors of Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey influence the origin and stance of the Kurds?

RQ- Migration of Syrian Refugees and their relationship to terrorism in Europe

How has the migration of Syrian refugees affected the spread of ISIS ideology and terrorism throughout parts of Europe?

RQ - Accomplishing the United Nation's Sustainable Developmental Goals

Why would the international community have the easiest time achieving Goal 13(taking action to stop climate change) of the Sustainable Developmental Goals and why would Goal 1(ending poverty in all forms) be the hardest to achieve?

RQ- Social and humanitarian impact of the Syrian Civil War

How does the Syrian Civil War impact the society and the lifestyles of those living in various parts of the country

RQ-The Cuban Revolution's affect on U.S. and Cuban Political Relationships

How has the Cuban Revolution and specifically the 1960 U.S. trade embargo affected U.S. and Cuban political relationships in both the past and present? *I switched the question from Social to Political*

RQ-Rwandan and Armenian Genocide

What are the similarities and differences of the impacts of the Rwandan and Armenian Genocides on their societies, economies, and politics?

RQ - What is the EU and why has Great Britain decided to leave?

Why was the European Union originally created? What changes and events led to Great Britain's decision to leave the EU, and how will Great Britain leaving change the EU?

What changes since the beginning of the European Union have led Great Britain to leave the union?

SJS4 - Can Italy's Monti Save the Euro?

Source: Hopkin, Jonathan. "Can Italy's Monti Save the Euro?" Current History, vol. 111, no. 743, Mar. 2012, pp. 94-100.

Author's Credentials: Jonathan Hopkin, the author of this article, "Can Italy's Monti Save the Euro?", studies comparative politics at the London School of Economics, and works with others to learn more about international economies at the Bologna Institute for Policy Research at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. Based on his vast experience/knowledge on economies and politics, he is very well versed on how to discuss the Euro and its current state in Italy, as well as Europe as a whole.

Summary: Jonathan Hopkin's primary focus when discussing the current situation of Italy's economy is evaluating the European economy's recent history, Italy's particular economic misfortune and its political shifts in struggle, and what must be done to maintain peace and order in their contention on the world market. Over the past several years, unlike other countries which have had tough economic times like Ireland, Greece, Spain, and Portugal, Italy has not had any "booms" of improvement. Rather, they have been on a constant small decline. While their situation may not seem as dire compared to Greece, who have had to borrow much more money, it is in fact much worse for the Italians that it seems, as they have the 3rd greatest GDP in the area, making their lack of success particularly important to the relevance of the region as a whole. In recent years, despite the stagnation, the Italians have continued to spend an excessive amount of money, which has led to no growth, which makes their stagnation even worse. Italians then made the mistake of electing highly fiscally conservative prime minister Berlusconi, who promised lowered taxes for everybody. This proved to be disastrous, as they continued to spend, and spend, and spend, with less money coming in from ordinary people to fund this spending. The country needed a new leader, and Mario Monti proved to be the answer. A popular technocrat, (supporter of those with knowledge/technological prowess to have decision making powers), he promised to increase taxes and decrease government spending, so as not to lead to further economic catastrophe. His entry into power has been largely accepted by the Italians, as they have become aware of just how crucial their lack of economic success actually is. At that point, the Italians were forced to wait and see if this attempt to reverse the stagnation will succeed. Otherwise, Italy may have to rely on what so many of their neighbors have had to, which is desperately requiring the help of those countries around them which may also experience economic stagnation due to a snowball effect caused by the Italians.

Analysis: Most of the author's points made throughout the article are fairly straightforward, but I do have some concerns with the way that he thinks. Obviously he is more well versed on the topic than I am, but I question the effectiveness of high taxes and low government spending during a time of economic stagnation. Based on my knowledge of economies, to be able to recover from such a deficit, Italy would have to actually make actual positive moves in terms of the global economy, which would certainly require increased government spending. Going into debt is manageable, as long as they are able to recover from it. The author's discussion of the topic, however, is fairly accurate, because in all actuality, given the information available to him, the success of the Italians under Mario Monti is a toss up. The author also adds his own personal idea on how Italy should go about reforming their economic process, but his ideas do not stray too far from what Mario Monti has in mind for the country.

SJS4- The Euro's Never-Ending Crisis

Source: Eichengreen, Barry. “The Euro’s Never-Ending Crisis.” Current History, vol. 110, no. 734, Mar. 2011, pp. 91-96. 

Author's Credentials: Barry Eichengreen, the author of "The Euro's Never-Ending Crisis", is an economist, author, and professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in globalization and thoroughly describes the euro crisis in his novel "The European Economy Since 1945" and in his novel "Capital Flows and Crises." He graduated from Yale University and was a senior policy advisor to the International Monetary Fund in 1997 and 1998.

Summary: In summation, the author believes that the EU has created an impossible situation. To begin, the idea of implementing the euro was very profound and beneficial, at first, due to it's equality across Europe and the improved investment opportunities. The author also touches on the fact that former "book-keeping" errors and exchange problems are now resolved due to the general currency. However, the author then addresses the problems formed through this idea. Greece and Ireland are the two primary countries that have experienced hardship with the new currency. When the currency was switched, Greece went through economic hardships which caused the lack of investment in Greece's banking system and merchandise which, in turn, caused Greece to go into debt. Greece then began to borrow money from European countries and then the EU. Ireland was also addressed throughout the article. The change in currency illustrated to Ireland's banking systems their large budget deficit which they found themselves in need of filling. Instead of borrowing money from other countries, like Greece had, they tried to draw from their depositors which caused the depositors to be frightened for their own financial situations and so to withdraw their money. This caused Ireland to be in a desperate financial situation and to raise taxes in order to pay off their debt. Near the end of the article the author describes how the EU had created an impossible situation through creating the euro. The EU recognizes that it is impossible for a country to pay back the debt that it owes in full, which creates the question of whether countries in Europe should be more like Greece and borrow freely from systems such as the ESM, or whether they should be more like Ireland and try to get out of their financial situation on their own. Both scenarios will cause problems either presently or in the future which causes the future need for great discernment.

Analysis: The author creates a very valid argument, one that many had not considered in the past. Not only does the change to the euro surface unacknowledged problems, but it also creates the need for decision making. The author provides impressive evidence in addition to the acknowledgement of former fiscal problems such as those in Greece and Ireland. On top of that, the author illustrates his own opinion throughout the article and makes a clear case on top of that provided in factual evidence of Greece and Ireland. This source is very credible based on the accuracy of the information presented and the thorough background that Berry Eichengreen has in this field.

SJS4-An East-West Split in the EU?

SJS4-An East-West Split in the EU?

Source: Grzymala-Busse, Anna. "An East-West Split in the EU?" Current History, vol. 115, 

     no. 779, Mar. 2016, pp. 89-94. 

Author: Anna Grzymala-Busse is a professor of political science at Stanford University. There is not much of a bias towards one side or the other because she does not have a tie to either side of the argument. 

Summary: There are several areas where many countries and Europe do not agree on. Many countries do not take refugees from other countries. Many refugees are against having other refugees come into the country that they are currently in. Some only take refugees of a certain religion. The difference in generosity of some nations is vastly different. During World War II the European countries were divided up in to spheres of influence. Many countries were left impoverished in Central Europe following the Cold War. There is a large problem between the leaders of the countries and the people who perceive the achievements made by the leaders a failure. 

Analysis: Grzymala-Busse did a good job describing the problems between the East and West of the EU. . She discusses the main causes of the problems that have occurred. She tries to make an understanding of why the issues are occurring. She attempts to stay unbiased and does well in doing so. There are some opinions that are present in the article. 

Unit 4- Declaration of the Rights of Man

PDP4- Declaration of the Rights of Man

Author Bio: The authors in this primary document are stated as the "representatives of the French people," but the main drafts and ideas of this document were set forth by Gilbert Lafayette. Lafayette was one of the main military officers fighting during the french revolution, and was recognized as one of the most important figures in this revolution. He was friends with Thomas Jefferson and was inspired by the Declaration of Independence. There is not much bias that can be seen in this declaration by Lafayette, mainly because of how he is talking and representing the french people as whole.

Date/Context: At the time this declaration was being written, one of the main events to have occurred was the independence that the United States had gained. As stated earlier, the Declaration of Independence, written mainly by Thomas Jefferson, was used to convey a sense of freedom and independence that inspired many people, including the french. This shows that the Decalartion of the Rights of Man was inspired by the events happening around the world at that time, mainly in the United States, and helped push the revolution of the French and the publication of this document.

Summary: The main reason this declaration was created was to identify and remind the public of the indispensable rights that the citizens had, and that corruption of governments and tragedies occurred because of the lack of recognition and recognition of these rights. The main details and rights that are mentioned in this declaration include the idea of everyone being born equal, and born with equal rights, the preservation of the main rights that include liberty prosperity and security, the idea that individual liberty can be exercised as long as it doesn't hurt others, that no one can be arrested for no important reason, that punishment should be sensible and legal, that freedom of speech is protected and that everyone should have the right to own property, among others. All these helped support the main idea, which was that citizens had certain "unalienable" rights that can never be taken away by the government.

Key Quotation: "To set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties"

PDP4 - Magna Carta

PDP4 - Magna Carta

Author Bio: The document had been created by the barons of England. There was a bias towards their cause because it was made to prevent a Civil War and to control the King. They were opposed to the king and were in favor of the king being monitored and restricted in some areas. 

Historical Context: This document comes at a time when England was at the brink of war with the barons in that country. This was to be a peace treaty between the barons and the King. It is important because it states that every man shall be free. It also states that no man shall be sold or denied Liberty. 

Summary: The purpose of the document was to describe the importance of the Magna Carta. This occurred when several of the Barons of England confronted the king when there was the impending threat of a civil war occurring. This however did not stop the civil war when the pope invalidated the agreement. Although it did not prevent the civil war, there had been several other copies of the document that was made. The Magna Carta had been made to restrict the king from controlling the land ruled under the baron. It was also to protect their rights. The people would have to be judged before they were prosecuted and the people could not be sold or denied rights. The Americans took the Magna Carta into mind as they were creating the Declaration of Independence. Some of the rights mentioned in the document were included in the bill of rights. 

Important Quote: "'No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.'" 

SJS3: "Syria in the Abyss"

SJS3- "Syria in the Abyss"

Source: Weiss, Max. "Syria in the Abyss." Current History, vol. 113, no. 767, Dec. 2014,
     pp. 372-73.

Author: Max Weiss is the author of In The Shadow of Sectarianism: Law, Shiism, and the Making of Modern Lebanon. He is also the current associate professor of History and Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University.

Summary: This article examines the uprising in Syria and analyzes how an American journalist, Reese Erlich, voices their opinion on the situation. Since 2011, more than 200,000 people have died during this war, and more than nine millions have been forced to relocate, mostly in refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. Many citizens took matters into their own hands and tried to attack the Assad government. He also touches on how Syria is not all to blame for the outbreak of war. The author being examined, Erlich, claims that tries to understand Syria's perspective and view on the uprising and rebellion. The article also voices that there are double standards when dealing with Syria. According to Weiss, Erlich feels that Israel is being hypocrites, in the fact that they are promoting bombing because they do not like Assad. In addition, he states that the United States and other countries do have an effect on Syria. According to the author, Syria has the best location that will be able to work effectively with the United States. Weiss then ends with saying that although very insightful, no person with power will see and evaluate what Erlich claims is right for the country of Syria.

Analysis: Although Weiss included some ideas of his own, he mainly focused on examining what the author of Inside Syria, Reese Erlich had to say about the civil war going on in Syria. However, Weiss does put forth a concise, well written analysis of what Elrich stated in his writing.

SJS3- After Mubarak, Mubarak?

Source: Shehata, Samer. "'After Mubarak, Mubarak?'" Current History, vol. 107, no. 713, Dec. 2008, pp. 418-24.

Author: Samer Sheheta is an Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Politics at the University of Oklahoma. He has taught at Colombia University, Georgetown University and the American University of Cairo. His research interests include U.S foreign policy with the Middle East and Egyptian politics, which shows his qualifications on the topic of Egypt and its politics.

Summary: This article mainly examines what is going to happen after Hosni Mumbaraks presidency ends. Shehata explains that Mubarak is close to the end of his fifth term, and that he is close to eighty years old, signaling the end of his close to three-decade presidency, and because of this, debate over who might succeed him has been constantly discussed any time he has had a health issues or problems. What Shehata discusses in depth in this article is the different scenarios that may transpire after Mobaraks death or end of presidency. The main candidates he talks about are Gamal Mubarak (Hosni’s son) and different military leaders. He says that Gamal has had political experience in Youth and Development Comitee and the National Democratic Party, which have made him a viable candidate. The only things that hold him back are his lack of experience with the military and his father being the president. The other candidate he discusses is Omar Suleiman, who is the director of intelligence for Egypt. He has strong ties to the military and is well liked by the public, making him a possible candidate too. Shehata also discusses the major obstacles the president after Mubarak is going to face, which include amending ant-terrorist laws, enhancing and reforming the economy and creating more jobs, all of which have been constantly proven as very hard things to accomplish. Shehata believes that whoever does become president is going to be faced with a multitiude of problems facing Egypt.

Analysis: Shehata makes a very strong argument that helps us understand the problems that Egypt and the future president are going to have. He adequately discusses why there is debate on who should be the next president and gives us likely candidates that can be future presidents. He also talks about the experiences of the candidates and the ways they can win the election. He provides a sufficient amount of evidence that helps us understand more about the candidates and their qualifications. He does distinguish between fact opinion by giving us the actual numbers, at the same time giving his take on the issue. He is a reliable source because of the experience he has and because of the different colleges he has taught at.

SJS3- How Syria Fell to Pieces

Source: Abboud, Samer. “How Syria Fell to Pieces.” Current History, vol. 114, no. 776, Dec. 2015, pp. 337-42.


Author: Samer Abboud is an associate professor of international studies at Arcadia University. He is also the author of Syria. He has a doctorate in Arab and Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter.

Summary: Arab uprisings, socioeconomic decline, and political restraint in Syria all lead to an uprising in Syria. This uprising started in Daraa, Syria and within five years of 2011, when it started, the uprising turned into a civil war. Before this developed into a civil war however, it started with protestors in Daraa. These protests against the Syrian's government and its regimes. These quickly spread throughout the country, including to the capital city, Damascus. Protestors started to organize in Local Coordination Committees and The Syrian National Council which brought the uprising to the international level. These protesting group even pushed back regime forces by the pressure of the uprising. The SNC and LCC faced internal crisis though, one example being that the leaders of these groups being exiled out of the country. Despite some international moral support, little was done to help maintain the pressure put on the regimes. This made room for groups like the Islamic Front. The regime in turn started fighting back with local military groups, this eventually formed National Defense Forces. Outside military forces from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq also helped aid Syrian's regime forces. Syria was then split into areas of different control. This split of power has created insecurity and fighting throughout Syria. More than half of Syrians have been killed, displaced, or injured by the fighting. The economy has basically fallen apart because of all the fighting. Although this uprising has made some progress, there is little plan for the future and post-conflict Syria with the protesting groups having power.


Analysis: The author presents all his opinions as facts, and always provides backup facts as well. I agree with everything he says. His main theme throughout the article is that Syria is going through a major conflict that many groups, internal and external are trying to take advantage of.

SJS3- The Fragmentation of Palestine

Source: Robinson, Glenn E. "The Fragmentation of Palestine." Current History, vol. 106, no. 704, Dec. 2007, pp. 421-26.

Author: Glenn E. Robinson is an associate professor and worked for the Center of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of California at Berkeley. His work has been published in many scholarly journals, mostly focusing on the Middle East. He has also worked extremely diligently with the U.S. Agency for International Development to help design and implement developmental projects in the West Bank and Gaza.

Summary: This article is about the divide in Palestine between the Hamas and the Fatah. Fatah has usually been the dominant political party but in recent decades, Hamas have gotten more involved in politics. Hamas’s candidate won the election in 2006 which spurred many difficult times in the Palestinian society. Fatah did not agree with this and attempted to take action which resulted in a back and forth match between the Hamas and Fatah. The West Bank was then divided and it has become seemingly impossible for Palestinians to travel from village to village. The Israeli colonies in the West Bank region are essential to the reasoning for the fragmentation of Palestinian lands. Most people feel that to form a stable Palestinian society, in the future they are going to have to form a union from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and form a binational state. No one really wants this to occur; Israelis prefer the idea of the Jewish state and Palestinians support the illiberal version of a binational state.

Analysis: The author does make a strong argument because he backs up all of his information with examples. With every argument and opposing viewpoint that the author brings up, he does provide factual and historical evidence to verify his statement. I do not believe that the author used much opinion in this piece, yet if he did, it was quite obvious when and where he was using it in the text. I do believe that the author is a reliable source because he seems to be in the right state of mind and he presents his information objectively in the article.

SJS3 - Storms of the Arab Spring

SJS3 - Storms of the Arab Spring

Source: Dunne, Michele. “Storms of the Arab Spring.” Current History, vol. 112, no. 758, Dec. 2013, pp. 364-65.

Author Credentials: Michele Dunne is a contributing editor to the Current History magazine, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and she was the founding director of the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East from 2011 to 2013. Dunne has been to the Middle East multiple times, and she had friends from Palestine to help explain occurrences to her. Clearly, Dunne has much experience with the Middle East, since she has been there many times, and has many accomplishments.

Summary: In the Middle East, much violence and political/social polarization has occurred recently in Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, Syria, and Egypt causing the Arab Spring. Egypt elected its first president freely, and the president put the country in a coup and violence. Libya was in a situation of chaotic security. Yemenis negotiated a transition and were wondering whether it would lead to real reform or just perpetuate mechanisms of state capture. Tunisia is carefully trying to build a democratic order, but Salafist groups are assassinating and causing violence.Syria is focused on a regime determined to fight change and go with their interests. These issues came up around 2011, and there has been little progress in the demands, all outside countries trying to help have barely done anything. Some progress has been made in freedom; elections have become free and fair, and there are many gains in free media and civil society. The fewest gains have occurred in social justice and economic inequality. Going back to the peace before the Arab Spring is basically impossible for the countries involved. The Middle East is in a state of turmoil due to violence and recent changes, putting certain countries into the Arab Spring.

Analysis: The author, Michele Dunne, provides a very thorough argument with many specific details to each individual country. Dunne breaks down every country involved in the Arab Spring, and provides details on the problems in each. The author provides his thoughts, and clearly demonstrates opinions and facts, making sure to set them apart. At the end of the journal, Dunne states her opinion on the outcome of the Arab Spring, while the rest of the article contains facts about the Arab Spring. The author is a very reliable source, since she has been to the Middle East multiple times, and she has many qualifications and lofty achievements.

SJS3- "ISIS and the Third Wave of Jihadism"

Source: Gerges, Fawaz A. "ISIS and the Third Wave of Jihadism." Current History, vol. 113, no. 767, Dec. 2014, pp. 339-43.

Author Credentials: Fawaz A. Gerges is a professor of Middle Eastern politics and international relations in London. Gerges has written several books on Jihadism and the Middle East. Gerges is qualified to discuss ISIS and Jihadism because of his extensive research on these topics.

Summary:  The author argues that ISIS is an Islamist terrorist group that has asserted their dominance in the Middle East, and is a wide-spread group that will continue to inflict terror upon the world if nothing is done. With the involvement of the U.S. in Iraq in the early 2000s, terrorists groups formed, as Saddam Hussein's government was overthrown, and Iraq remained in a fragile position. When ISIS formed in Iraq, it was formed through a mixture of Iraq-based al Queda members and members from Saddam Hussein's government. This meant that experienced terrorists and government officials that were used to dictatorship were joining forces. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is considered the leader of ISIS in Syria and Iraq.  ISIS formed after the Taliban and al Queda, but it has more similarities to the Taliban than al-Queda. It is a Sunni majority extremist group that managed to use the fragile environment of Iraq to assert dominance. It started out only targeting Shiite Muslims, and not Western powers which caused the leaders of al-Queda and the Taliban to not support ISIS. However, ISIS has at least 30,000 fighters and several thousand other supporters throughout the world. It does not use theology or the holy word of the Quran to explain it's violence, and because it only participated in violence in the Middle East at first, it managed to gather supporters. Baghdadi's slogan is "victory through fear and terrorism," and those are the exact ways ISIS has become powerful. They do not target anywhere in particular, but instead target everywhere and work to instill fear. When ISIS first came about leaders in the Middle East were not concerned with ISIS and believed it would fall apart. However ,with growing numbers of recruits and increasing attacks, Gerges believes the only way to destroy ISIS is to get Sunni muslims to disown ISIS, and fight against it, so that ISIS no longer has an immense number of supporters. ISIS is a very powerful extremist group that continues to become stronger.

Analysis: Gerges makes a strong argument for why ISIS is so dangerous, and how they must be stopped. He discusses how ISIS gathered supporters when Iraq was unstable, and how many leaders in the Middle East disregarded them at first, which allowed ISIS to grow and expand. Gerges does an excellent job of focusing on the facts, and trying to avoid opinions. He is a reliable source because of his research and knowledge on jihadists and the Middle East.