With the Boston Marathon bombers having brought attention to Chechnya it might
be a good time for AP Comparative students to revisit the area since it is
certainly fair game for the AP exam on the 14th of May and the interest in the
bombing make make it easier to remember. Here
is a NYTimes article by Peter Baker who used to be stationed in Russia.
Old Media vs. New Media (Youdia) in Boston Marathon Bombing
Before Bono started the ONE campaign in
the United States, the oranization formed was called DATA:
DD ebt Aids/hiv Trade Aid effectiveness, development
assistance https://www.one.org/us/issues/ In your
group, you will take ONE of these issues a prepare a short presentation on why
this is the number ONE issue facing Sub-Saharan Africa.
On his blog, Ken Wedding found this clip from the Onion News Network in 2007.
I'm posting it here for any of you who feel unsure about anything about Nigeria
before we get started next week, know that you are not alone.
I hope you
enjoy the humor, and understand that you will be more knowledgeable than most
Americans -- at least about one topic by the time we get done
It's a
satire of Sunday morning panel discussion shows where the panelists who have no
idea what's going on in Nigeria, are expected to carry on a discussion anyway.
One of the panelists quickly looks up Niger on his Blackberry and proceeds to
describe Nigeria as a country whose economy is dependent on cattle exports.
Later, panelists begin to argue about the merits of Nigerian leaders they've
never heard of. (The moderator isn't always much more knowledgeable than the
panelists.)
As Reuters reports there is a political cleavage leading up to the Iranian presidential election in June. But it's coming from the inside of the political elites, not the reformist movement candidates. "Reformists are unlikely to get a look in. Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi
Karoubi, who ran against Ahmadinejad in a 2009 election they denounced as
rigged, languish under house arrest."
Also, from last year a post on the IMF urging sanctions against Iran to be lifted. Do you agree?
Despite Western sanctions that have been leveled on Iran as far back as the
Islamic Revolution of 1979 and increasingly due to the recent lack of
transparency of its nuclear program, the International Monetary Fund and the
World Bank still subsidize the Iranian economy. And prior to the IMF's spring
meetings in Washington, the head of the IMF praised Iranian economic reforms and
expressed hope that Western sanctions would be lifted.
(From Press TV
and The Economist)
Managing director of International Monetary Fund
(IMF) says the economic reforms carried out by the Iranian government in recent
years, especially the Subsidy Reform Plan, have been positive and constructive.
In a meeting with Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Mahmoud
Bahmani on the sidelines of semiannual meetings of the International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank in Washington, Christine Lagarde expressed hope that
Western sanctions against Iran's central bank would be lifted.
Lagarde
also indicated her concern about the fluctuations in global oil prices and their
impact on the world economic growth, Fars News Agency reported on Sunday.
Bahmani,
for his part, pointed to the most important economic developments resulting from
fluctuation in oil prices which have affected oil consumer countries.
He
also discussed the implementation of the Subsidy Reforms Plan in Iran,
value-added tax, structural reforms in the banking system, and the impact of oil
price fluctuations on global economy with Lagarde.
Bahmani said Iran, as a founding member of both the IMF and World Bank, has
had good financial and monetary relations with these international bodies and
expects IMF to continue its support for all member states, especially founding
members.
Bahmani also pointed to the destructive impact of Iran oil
sanctions on the world economy and explained its effect on global economic
growth and inflation, especially in view of the ongoing financial crisis in
Europe.
Iranian authorities have begun police patrols in the capital to arrest women
wearing clothes deemed improper. The campaign against loose-fitting veils and
other signs of modernism comes as government opponents are calling for rallies
to mark the anniversary of the disputed presidential election, and critics of
the crackdown say it is stoking feelings of discontent.
But hard-liners
say that improper veiling is a "security issue" and that "loose morality"
threatens the core of the Islamic republic.
Iran's interior minister has
promised a "chastity plan" to promote the proper covering "from kindergarten to
families," though the details are unclear. Tehran police have been arresting
women for wearing short coats or improper veils and even for being too
suntanned. Witnesses report fines up to $800 for dress considered
immodest…
When seminary student Fatemeh Delvari, 24, moved to Tehran from
a provincial town eight months ago, she was shocked to see how some women
dressed.
"My own veil oppresses my feminine side, so I can be free and
active," she said of her black chador, a garment that covers the entire body
except the face and hands. "But some women seem to be only interested in looking
beautiful."
"They are trampling on social boundaries," Delvari said.
"Violence is not good, but they should be
punished."…
_______________
Thanks to Armeeta (Class of 2010) for
sending this piece on Banned Barbies in Iran. Basically it talks about the Iranian
government's attempts to deter American and Western values in Iran and the
effects of this on the younger generation:
"In an attempt to deter the
influence of Western culture in their country, Iranian government officials have
banned the import of Barbie dolls and several other American-branded toys.
Adeline Masquelier, professor of anthropology at Tulane, understands the
government’s reasoning behind the ban, but says it may result in unintended
consequences. ...
Masquelier says the “over-sexed image resulting from Barbie’s exposed hair,
bright lipstick and non-traditional career roles played a significant role in
the government’s decision.” Barbie’s rack of clothing, which includes mini
skirts and midriff-baring tops, also is an affront to officials who enforce the
wearing of traditional garments such as the hijab or chador by Muslim women.
“In places like Iran where these dress codes are enforced, people are living
two lives — the life the government wants them to live and a life that includes
other things like watching banned shows via satellite,” Masquelier says. “There
are actually more bloggers per capita in Iran because it’s a way to escape
reading only what the government releases in its news.”
As we hit the home stretch to the May 14 high stakes tests, the first one to
answer in the comment section on this post the answer to the question: "What is Horse Race
Journalism?" will win a prize to be presented on Monday.
You should watch to the two posted flipped videos here. Above, Imam Khomeini - The Man Who Changed The World | Iran & The West. Also, extra credit available for watching ARGO and writting a summary that ties the film to our current study of Iran. Below, Griding Poverty in Oil-Rich Niger Delta. Given the country's vast oil reserves, Nigerians should theoretically be among the wealthiest populations in the world. But for the people of the Niger Delta poverty, conflict and corruption are a daily reality.
You will have a take-home exam on Iran, Nigeria and other second semester
final given on 5/1, due on 5/6. You may want to check out the College Board
Briefing papers on Nigeria and Iran.
We mentioned the other day, that it had appeared there was a "breakthrough" in the Senate that there would be able to be debate and an up or down vote on the gun control bill and its nine amendments. But the reporting on the vote of cloture was not that simple.
The gun amendments needed 60 votes to pass. But why?
But, why does the background check amendment — and the other eight amendments that will be offered — need 60 votes rather than a simple majority? The answer is a combination of Senate procedure and the complex politics of guns.
The vote on the so-called Manchin-Toomey amendment was 54 in favor, 46 against — failing to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to move ahead. Four Republicans supported it, and four Democrats voted no.
A controversial Democratic plan to ban dozens of military-style assault weapons was also defeated by a vote of 40 to 60.
The votes were a setback for President Obama, who angrily blasted Republicans for defeating the background check compromise, saying, “The gun lobby and its allies willfully lied about the bill.”
“All in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington,” Obama said, promising that “this effort is not over.”
A number of other amendments also failed to earn the 60 votes necessary to pass: A GOP proposal including a number of changes, 52 to 48; a bipartisan amendment to stiffen penalties for “straw purchasers,” 58 to 42; a GOP-backed amendment that would have permitted “national reciprocity” of state-issued concealed carry permits, 57 to 43; a GOP plan to extend gun rights for veterans, including those deemed unable to manage their financial affairs, 56-44; and a Democratic amendment to limit the size of ammunition magazines, 54-46.
The raw emotion of the background check amendment defeat played out in the Senate gallery just after Vice President Biden read the vote count in his capacity as Senate president.
“Shame on you!” at least two women were heard shouting.
As they were escorted from the Capitol, Patricia Maisch and Lori Haas said they shouted in anger. Maisch successfully knocked a large ammunition magazine out of the hands of Jared Loughner in Jan. 2011 after he shot former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and other bystanders.
“They are an embarrassment to this country, that they don’t have any compassion or care for people who have been taken brutally from their families,” Maisch said as officers attempted to remove her from the building. “I hate them,” she said of the senators.
“We’re sick and tired of the death in this country and these legislators stand up there and think it’s a bunch of numbers,” said Haas, whose daughter, Emily, was wounded in the April 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech.
“It’s a shame, it’s appalling, it’s disgusting,” she added.
U.S. Capitol police also arrested a protester for carrying a loaded gun on the Capitol grounds hours before the vote. Police identified the man as Alan Hoyle, 52, of North Carolina and recommended that he be charged with carrying a pistol without a license and possession of an unregistered firearm and ammunition, said Officer Shennell S. Antrobus, a spokesman.
The chief architects of the plan to expand the national gun background check system, Sens. Joe Manchin III (D-W. Va.) and Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.), acknowledged in interviews early Wednesday that their proposal lacked sufficient support.
In a fired-up Rose Garden speech, President Obama, who tried to use his Bully Pulpit to lead to the bi-partisan compromise of Sen. Manchin (D) and Toomey (R), shared with the American people his frustration with the fact that the necessity of compromise and majority vote in the U.S. Senate seem to be losing positions.
Remember "Thatcherism" led to a privitazation of many aspects of the UK Welfare State.
That legacy has been remembered in the past few days, in much less flattering terms by protests and music played on BBC 1: As Teaching Comparative posted on Friday:
While many people have been making a point of saying nice, or at least kind
things about Margaret Thatcher, others have been working to point out how
divisive she was as a political leader.
There's an organized attempt to
get enough people to buy the song, "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead," so it will be
played on the BBC radio Top 40 countdown.
Will anyone in Russia do
anything similar when Gorbachev dies? Was there any protest when Mao Zedong
died?
BBC Radio 1 is planning to play "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead," the Wizard of
Oz track being bought by anti-Thatcher protesters in the wake of the former
prime minister's death, on its chart show on Sunday.
However, in what is
thought to be a first for the BBC chart show, the corporation is considering
having a Newsbeat reporter explain why a song from the 30s is charting to Radio
1's target audience of 16- to 24-year-olds – none of whom will remember Margaret
Thatcher's controversial premiership…
The Official Charts Company said
on Thursday morning that "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" was on course to reach
number four, up from 10 the previous day…
Radio 1 insiders said if the
song does make it to the top five, there would be no reason not to play the
track.
However, it is understood The Official
Chart Show presenter Jameela Jamil might have to invite a reporter from Radio
1's Newsbeat to explain to listeners why a track they are unlikely to be
familiar with has charted.
"Among the 16- to 24-year-olds, a lot of
people are saying they are not 100% sure who Thatcher is. Even though this seems
extraordinary, they may not understand who that song would chart," said a BBC
source…
(From CitizenU)
Do you want to MASTER American Government and Politics? Look no further. Your perfect course is here. The APGA MASTER Tournament is here for you. Check out our 2013 preview and consider how you might overcome another major tournament. FOUR! With a little more practice try yelling FIVE!
We will watch more about Neda in class on Monday. The song is called Neda by Airborne Toxic Event. If you're interested in learning more about Neda, HBO Films produced a documentary called For Neda. Its available on Netflix.
Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BCE). Persepolis is situated 70 km northeast of the modern city of Shiraz in the Fars Province of modern Iran. The earliest remains of Persepolis date from around 515 BCE. UNESCO declared the citadel of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979.
Persepolis 2.0 is about the 2009 election. Persepolis was a graphic novel and film about the 1979 Revolution.
Comment here on what you know, and what you want to know about our study of Iran, or Persia.
Officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: جمهوری اسلامی ایران, Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān), is a country in Western Asia.[10][11][12] The name "Iran", which in Persian means "Land of the Aryans", has been in native use since the Sassanian era, in antiquity. It came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia (pron.: /ˈpɜrʒə/ or /ˈpɜrʃə/).[9][13] Both "Persia" and "Iran" are used interchangeably in cultural contexts; however, "Iran" is the name used officially in political contexts.
____________________
Even in our advanced, liberal democracy however, there is suppression of words and thought. But one where "We the People" using political efficacy can get the upper hand. Read here what happened last month when the Marjane Satrapi 2003 graphic novel about the Iranian Revolution removed from some Chicago public schools over concerns of the depiction of torture.
So in China, they eat more KFC than we do here, but we eat more Chinese than they do.
Typically, we say, "as American as Apple Pie." Jennifer Lee asks the question, "Do you eat Chinese food or Apple Pie more often?"
Another gem in this TED talk, Fortune Cookies, invented by the Japanese, popularized by the Chinese, perfected by the Americans. Globalization at work.
Focus at 1:45 mark to see Chinese people trying to figure out what a Fortune Cookie is.
I usually try to avoid getting on my political Soap Box here. But it may be the only way to move this F-Word (filibuster) Senate to do something on common sense gun control. Critics of President Obama sometimes say he leads from behind. I might say he has the "bully pulpit" to help "We the 90% of American People," to force the Congress to pass a law that can help stop the madness. Would the Senate have voted for cloture (60 votes needed) to end the filibuster (minority side members block of debate or vote on a piece of legislation, if these citizens didn't come to Washington to personally read off 3300 names of people killed by gun violence since Sandy Hook?
There still has been no legislation passed by either the Senate or the House, but it is time for regular citizens to use political efficacy to make sure something gets done.
From my friend and colleaque Andy Conneen at Stevenson High School -- one of the 2 teachers that provide excellent AP gov video reviews.
Who said anything about legislative gridlock?!?
Yesterday we filed
Suffrage @ 17 language on HB226. Now we have 7 co-sponsors (5 Dems and 2 GOP)
and are told that we need to testify for the House's Executive Committee by
Monday (4/15) afternoon.
The great news is that you and/or your students
can do this easily online by simply indicating that you support HFA1 (our
Suffrage @ 17 amendment on HB226) on the IL General Assembly website. Here's the GA site
Section I: The system requires an entry for Firm, Business or Agency. Then a
title.
Your school name and reference as a teacher or student would be
appropriate here.
Section II Representation: This section does not need
to be completed.
Section III: You'll be asked to take a position.
Indicate "No position on Merits" for Original Bill.
Indicate
"Proponent" for HFA1
IV Testimony: Select "Record of Appearance Only." This means your names will be
read to the committee as proponents of the amendment that contains the Suffrage
@ 17 language.
The form then just has to be completed with the
passwords provided and the standards box checked. Then click "Create
(Slip)"
It's that simple, but it needs to be done by Monday
afternoon.
The above video (2010) highlights the federal state, and judicial review in
Mexico, upholding same-sex marriage in Mexico City. As in the US, in Mexico, the
upper level courts are primarily appellette courts. The Supreme Court (11
justices) can declare laws and governmental actions unconstitutional by a vote
of eight or more of the judges. The high court also upheld a state law (only
seven rulled against) in the state of Baja California that says life begins at
connception.
Wednesday's multiple choice test will
cover Ch.11 and 16 in Hauss, packet readings and power point notes (which can be
accessed on the Google Docs page)
Terms to KnowPresidente Fox/President Bush on boarder
policy
LDC/NICs compare and contrast
WTO/NAFTA effects on Mexico Mexican
independence Constitution of 1917 – similarities differences with U.S.
Constitution Presidents and Generals of Mexico till mid-20th
Century Mexican legislature – format and characteristics Political Parties
– PAN, PRI, PRD place on political spectrum Sexenio presidency Federal
Election Commission Political Efficacy in
Mexico Technicos Politicos Mestizos Maquiladoras Patron-client
relations (camarillas) Corruption Para-statal sector compressed
modernityPEMEX Mexico’s policy of structural adjustment under
Fox/Calderon Economy/Immigration as a political issue Narco War as a
political issue Mexican trade with U.S./U.S. Trade with Mexico Mexican
civil service
Charicteristics of Mexican civil society, political culutre and beauracracy Mexico by comparative economic sectors Camarillas Politcal
cleavages in Mexico Judicial Review in Mexico? Narco War and the
legitimacy of the State Mexicans living in the U.S. and the effects on both
countries Presidente Calderon on private investment of state
oil/electricity 2012 Presidential candidate positions
Listen to the media conference call linked above from the Council on Foreign Relations and comment here on what you learned, plus who wins our debate similation and why. I will collect all written material from debate on Monday, when we will finish the simulation -- after a slow start, a solid effort on Friday.
Compare the murder rate and body count of each Mexican state against entire countries with our interactive equivalents map(from The Economist)
To
prepare for next week (test on Mexico 4/10), you will need to use the Youdia.....But no
"Mexting" as the Onion News Network satirically hightlighted above.
Wed. 4/3 -- Get assigned candidates/party for group debate. Go over Mexico 2013 notes. Power Point posted on Google Docs page.
Thur. 4/4 -- Quiz on terms from Mexico 2013 power point and "Mexico is Making It" article. Bring
in notecards and prepare researched talking points promoting your candidate/party. Sometime between Now and Wed. 4/10 -- Flipped dual video lesson. We started "Maquila: A Tale of Two Mexicos" in c lass on Monday, finish viewing along with BBC's 2010 Mexico's Drug War and complete film guide.
Thanks to Nadia, John and Dale for leading the book discussions today. Your 3-point blog post reflection on what you learned from the chat needs to be posted here in the comment section.
Chris Wolak
