Tuesday, November 8, 2016
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?
Monday, November 7, 2016
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?
What changes since the beginning of the European Union have led Great Britain to leave the union?
Friday, November 4, 2016
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
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.
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.
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