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.