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Laurel Ackerman

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Effects on Israel - 0 views

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Israel Decline Society

shared by Laurel Ackerman on 16 Feb 11 - No Cached
  • Avoidable because there was a reasonable chance that the conflict might have been resolved long ago, had the Israelis acknowledged the inevitable harms done to the Palestinians by the creation of Israel as well as the subsequent expulsion of some 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and villages, and resolved to do everything possible to make up for these injustices in any manner possible, short of abandoning the Jewish state in one part of the land of Palestine
  • he real goal of Israeli policy has been, at a minimum, to unilaterally annex some 40 percent of the West Bank, including the most productive lands and most of the water resources of the area. Beyond that, Olmert is continuing the process of what Reinhart openly calls "ethnic cleansing" that began with the expulsion of some 750,000 Palestinians in 1948.
  • The tactics used to achieve this goal include the killing of more than two thousand innocent Palestinians as the result of Israel's indiscriminate attacks on "militants" or "terrorists" via bombs, missiles, artillery fire, and the like.
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  • Beyond even that, other measures seek to destroy the Palestinian economy and ordinary life, including the destruction of Gaza's main electrical power plant; the severe restrictions placed on Palestinian drinking and agricultural water; the daily humiliations and often severe hardships imposed by draconic Israeli laws against the free movement of Palestinians throughout the West Bank; the disruption of the private and public health systems--and more.
  • Reinhart focuses primarily on the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians. She might well have added that the Occupation and repression have had devastating direct and indirect effects on Israeli institutions, society, and quality of life.
  • The judiciary in general, and the Supreme Court in particular, have largely abandoned their imperative role of upholding law and human rights against widespread governmental abuses, so long as the government cites "security needs" as its justification. Not surprisingly, the power of the military and security services in Israel are greater than in any other Western democracy.
  • There are many Israeli commentaries about the radical decline of values and ordinary moral norms and constraints. Among the consequences are the growth of (1) class and intra-Jewish ethnic and religious conflict; (2) organized and unorganized crime, including routine intra-Jewish violence; (3) anti-Arab sentiments and other forms of racism; and (4) the abuse of women, including white slavery. As academics like Aviad Klein-berg and journalists such as Tom Segev have concluded, "interest in human rights has never been so negligible," and Israeli society, gripped by "moral and political paralysis," is "gradually coming undone."
  • Israel has completely abandoned its earlier goal of creating a democratic socialism in favor of "rampant capitalism." Consequently, while some Israelis grow fabulously wealthy, other sectors of the society suffer through high unemployment rates, high inflation, and continuously widening income inequalities.
  • Sharon and his successors has created an environment in which academic freedom is under severe attack, Israel's intellectuals are increasingly regarded with scorn, and the education system as a whole has radically declined, becoming increasingly government-controlled, politicized, and ineffective
  • As Rein-hart puts it, Israel is a "small Jewish state ... surrounded by two hundred million Arabs," and it "is making itself the enemy of the whole Muslim world. There is no guarantee that such a state can survive. Saving the Palestinians also means saving Israel." Sooner or later the most fanatical of the Islamic fundamentalists by one means or another are likely to acquire nuclear weapons--and they may very well use them against Israeli cities, regardless of the obvious consequences to the Muslim world from Israeli retaliation. And that will be the end of Israel, and much of the Middle East.
  • Laurel Ackerman on 16 Feb 11
     
    How does the conflict in Israel affect the futures of Palestinian children compared to Israeli children? Slater, Jerome. "The need not to know: the American Jewish community and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.(The Road Map to Nowhere: Israel/Palestine since 2003)(Book review)." Tikkun Jan.-Feb. 2007: 65+. Student Edition. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. Student Edition Infotrack searched "Israel Palestine Conflict" http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=STOM&docId=A156555584&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary: The conflict between Israel and Palestine does not only negatively affect the Palestinians, but it also negatively affects the Israelis. The Israeli Democracy, Human Rights, Economic Justice, Education, and Culture are all declining leading Israel to a future where it is the enemy of the whole Muslim world. This may lead to some cities being blown up and the future for the Israelis is very grim if things do not change.  Reflection: What we've been learning in class is all about how the Palestinians have no future, but here, it actually talks about how the Israelis also do not have too much of a future. More research on each thing that Slater says needs to be furthered in my research because we could use them as negative aspects of the Israeli children's futures.  Questions: What are specific things that are on the decline for the Israeli children's future? What are positive things? Do the Israeli negatives affect the Palestinians?
Laurel Ackerman

Psychological Burden of Palestine - 0 views

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Mental Effects Israel Palestine Psychological Effects

shared by Laurel Ackerman on 08 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • While the Gaza Strip and West Bank areas have long witnessed the political ramifications of arms conflict, government controls, and economic sanctions, there is another deeper, though less tangible implication of these developments: the Israeli occupation has taken a costly toll on the mental health of the Palestinian population.
  • The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has thus been a product of religious strife as well as nationalistic aggression.
  • As of now, Hamas still controls the area of Gaza while the economic blockade from Israel and Egypt remains in effect.
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  • In addition to the political and military effects of the occupation, there have also been significant health consequences, particularly psychological health. The occupation forces severe limits on the Palestinians, geographically as well as socially. There is a loss of any sense of achievement, since there are not many chances for growth economically and politically. Even more importantly, there is a pervading sense of homelessness, despite the fact that family homes were uprooted generations ago. This sense of homelessness also contributes to their reduced aspirations and growing depression.
  • the trauma and pain of the displacement of Palestinians in 1948 has not left the minds of the community today, but rather remains imprinted in their "collective consciousness." This idea of a "collective consciousness" goes hand in hand with the idea presented by Arthur Kleinman, Veena Das, and Margaret Lock that social suffering is an interpersonal and social experience that occurs due to a range of factors that vary across political, economic, and cultural areas.
  • the violence that inhabitants of the occupied regions of the Gaza Strip and West Bank witness has an impact on mental health
  • Gaza Mental Health Program has reported that the sonic booms caused by low-flying Israeli air force jets caused fear in children, with long-term effects ranging from headaches to shortness of breath, among other emotional disorders. The mental health of the inhabitants of the occupied regions must also be affected by the lack of control in their life. As the UNCTAD study states, access to water and electricity is often a political reward rather than a guaranteed service.
  • Until Palestine can find a solution for its psychological pain, it may have to continue to bear the burden of "collective consciousness."
  • Laurel Ackerman on 08 Mar 11
     
    How does the conflict in Israel affect the futures of Palestinian children compared to Israeli children?  Seth, Divya. "A costly diagnosis: the psychological burden of Palestine." Harvard International Review 32.4 (2011): 11. Academic OneFile. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. http://0-find.galegroup.com.elibrary.mel.org/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=AONE&docId=A250216066&source=gale&srcprod=AONE&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary: Although the political and military effects of the Israeli occupation in Israeli are very severe, the emotional, health, and psychological effects are very prominent as well. Depression, a sense of homelessness, and a loss of any achievement is infecting the Palestinian population and their health is declining as a result. 
Brielle DeFrell

The Delta-our abused, neglected child: the troubled Niger Delta is the linchipin of Nig... - 0 views

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shared by Brielle DeFrell on 14 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • t is because of the Delta that Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa and the sixth largest in the world. Oil accounts for 40% of its GDP.
  • looking at our recent his-tory, Nigeria has suffered particularly badly from a form of Dutch Disease'. This term, coined by The Economist to define the relationship between the exploitation of natural resources and a decline in other sectors of the economy, also implies a decline in moral backbone.
  • Owing to the overweening importance of oil, the body politic has succumbed to temptation to greed
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  • The formerly vibrant agricultural sector, which still employs 60% of the national workforce, used to grow its own food and was a net exporter. Now the very crops that once built Nigeria's reputation as the largest sub-regional exporter, are being imported. Despite the mining sector's huge potential, its story is also largely one of neglect: as well as coal and tin, there is iron ore, limestone, niobium, lead and zinc.
  • Asian governments tried juggling fuel subsidies to keep businesses alive and Americans started leaving their cars at home. In a global economy, our crisis in the Niger Delta can have a terrifying impact on all of us.
  • Brielle DeFrell on 14 Apr 11
     
    Research Question: What are the effects of the oil competition in Nigeria? Okhomina, Osamede. "The Delta-our abused, neglected child: the troubled Niger Delta is the linchpin of Nigeria's economy and one of the world's most important sources of oil and gas. But the troubles continue to rumble on with no real solution in sight. Oilman Osamede Okhomina * warns of the dire consequences of a failure to find answers." African Business July 2008: 62+. Student Edition. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. Reflection: It's really hard to realize that the oil competition has actually brought down the morality of people that they can leave a girl with polio laying in a puddle.  Summary: The author of this article was in a taxi in Lagos during a rainy day. As he was being drove around he saw a girl submerged in water that was crippled from polio, no one stopping to help but splashing up the water on her. He believes that since the oil has become such a big part of Nigeria's economy that the morality of people has gone down.The people are getting more greedy. Nigeria also used to be a big agricultural sector, but since the oil growth the same crops they once exported are now being imported because they don't do it themselves. It's also causing the rest of the world to worry because if any crisis hits the Niger Delta, it will have an impact on the entire world. Questions: Is there a way to create a moral backbone again for Nigeria? Should we feel partially responsible for the loss of morals since they are supporting us with so much oil?
Troy Rietsma

Shrinking Lake Chad turning farmland into desert - CNN.com - 0 views

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shrinking chad lake Nigeria

shared by Troy Rietsma on 10 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • Lake Chad is shrinking rapidly, threatening the millions of people who depend on it for their survival. But some locals are fighting back in a bid to preserve their way of life.
  • STORY HIGHLIGHTSLake Chad is just a twentieth of the size it was 50 years ago The lake feeds between 20 million people in Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger Local fishermen say they are catching fewer, and smaller, fish in the lake Some people are planting trees to stop desertification of the surrounding land
  • From droughts causing bad harvests, to floods destroying farms and homes, life in Africa's Sahel belt can be a constant struggle.
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  • . More than 20 million people depend on the freshwater lake for their survival.
  • But it's been shrinking over the past 50 years and satellite images show it is now just a twentieth of its former size.
  • Huge expanses of water are now nothing more than a series of ponds and islands, and the once-fertile land that surrounds the lake is now dusty and barren.
  • "The lake is in the process of disappearing and the lake feeds many people, not just here but in other countries like Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger," he continued. "They are all people who live on Lake Chad."
  • Locals report that they are catching less fish and the ones that they do catch are smaller than they used to be.
  • A declining stock could have devastating consequences far beyond the water's edge, says Yakowra Mallom, from UNICEF.
  • There are no more fish. There's no more milk, no maize, no vegetables or cereal."
  • Local communities say the changing weather is the biggest reason for the shrinking of the lakes shores. The necessary irrigation of farming land has also been a factor.
  • A small local group is trying to save the surrounding land by planting trees in the villages that have been worst affected by desertification. If they cannot bring back the lake, they hope there will at least be workable land.
  • Troy Rietsma on 10 Mar 11
     
    RESEARCH QUESTION: How does the Nigerian blood oil effect the people of Nigeria? Sessay, Isha. "Shrinking Lake Chad turning farmland into desert." CNN.com. N.p., 2 Mar. 2011. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. . 1. Summary Lake Chad is drying up. This is a really bad thing, you could almost consider it like us with Lake Michigan. The people of Nigeria, Niger, and Chad depend on this lake to survive. Local fisherman even say that they are catching fewer and smaller fish in the lake. Satellite images show that the lake is a twentieth the size it was 50 years ago. 2. Reflection. This poses a huge threat to Nigerians. As if all the turmoil with the Libyans and their oil wasn't enough, the lake is also needed to keep the economy strong. This could change the lives of many Nigerians and how they need to survive. 3. Questions: What else can be done to save the lake besides the planting of trees? Will the planting of the trees help? How important is the fishing industry to Nigeria? Are there other sources of freshwater that will be sufficient for the needs of the Nigerians?
Leah Hop

How Mexico Can Stop Losing The Drug War - 0 views

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Mexico drug war

shared by Leah Hop on 09 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • Mexican President Felipe Calderon is losing his war on the drug cartels.
  • More than 35,000 people have died in the conflict - 15,000 in 2010 alone - and drug-related violence continues to spiral to new, horrifying levels.
  • Mexican production of marijuana, heroin and meth continues to ramp up.
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  • Mexico cannot win its war against the cartels unless the U.S. does more to curb insatiable American demand
  • Weak democratic institutions, a corrupt and ineffective judicial system and underdeveloped infrastructure have made it virtually impossible for the Mexican government to break up the country’s vast and flexible criminal networks.
  • Calderon would be better advised to focus on more attainable goals; like implementing judicial reforms, expanding access to credit, growing the middle class, and promoting government accountability and transparency.
  • Restoring a semblance of order to Mexico’s civil and political society would be a good first step toward reversing the country’s slow economic growth and declining global competitiveness.
  • most of Mexico’s major cartels do not have a political or social agenda
  • Calderon could recall the 45,000 troops he sent to fight the drug war and call for a ceasefire between the Mexican army and the cartels
  • escalating violence and terror is endangering business growth and fledgling civic networks.
  • using the Mexican military to fight the drug war point to the army’s success capturing drug kingpins and cartel cell leaders
  • drug war has destabilized the cartel leadership and led to the atomization of powerful criminal organizations into smaller, more regionalized gangs.
  • If left alone, these weaker organizations will wield considerably less influence over local governments and law enforcement than their predecessors. Stronger democratic institutions and a reformed criminal justice system would further marginalize and weaken these gangs.
  • The fight against drug traffickers - and the militarization of domestic security - is eroding Mexico’s democracy
  • Money, not power, is the goal for the vast majority of Mexican traffickers. The cost of fighting a multi-front war seriously cuts into profits.
  • As long as American demand exists, the drug trade will thrive south of the border. But as the cost of doing business in Mexico increases, the nexus of power will shift to other Latin American countries.
  • Leah Hop on 09 Mar 11
     
    Research Question: How does the Mexican drug war affect the government and people of Mexico? Source: Wyler, Grace. "How Mexico Can Stop Losing The Drug War." Politix. Business Insider, 5 Mar. 2011. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. Summary: Mexico is losing the war on the drug cartels and can't win its war unless the U.S does more to stop our drug addiction. More than 35,000 people have died due to drug related violence and this fight against drug traffickers is eroding Mexico's democracy. In the last decade, Mexico has made steps to fix their slow economic growth but still have a long, long way to go. Also, the Mexican military has captured drug kings and cartel cell leaders, which has helped destabilize cartel leadership and create smaller/regional gangs. Having smaller/weaker organizations will have less of an influence over local governments. Reflection: I agree with this article in the fact that the U.S needs to lose our greedy demand for drugs in order to help stop the drug war. The corrupt and ineffective judicial system as well as the underdeveloped infrastructure has made it basically impossible for the Mexican government to stop these drug gangs. I think if Mexico really wants this drug war to end, then they need to iron out their government so that they can become stronger on a democratic and judicial level.. Questions:  1) Is there any way the U.S can decrease their demand for drugs? 2) Can Calderon do anything to rebuild the corrupt government? 3) If Mexico's government was less corrupt, would their still be a drug war?
Ryan Wassink

Who is winning Afghanistan war? US officials increasingly disagree. - CSMonitor.com - 0 views

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shared by Ryan Wassink on 12 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • nearly two-thirds of Americans no longer believe that the Afghanistan war “has been worth fighting,”
  • Although the Taliban have taken “tactical losses, they continue to maintain influence over much of the local population, particularly outside urban areas,” he told the committee.
  • had some tactical victories in the east and removed “several key leaders from the battlefield … this does not appear to have affected their operational capacity
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  • Burgess, however, had another take on Taliban finances. He attributed the drop in poppy yield to a disease in the south, and he suggested that farmers made up the difference by charging more for poppy to make up for the decline in opium yields
  • “Alternative livelihood programs designed to encourage Afghan farmers to end poppy cultivation will not significantly discourage farmers from planting poppy in 2011,” he told the Senate committee, “primarily because a lack of security impedes their implementation on a large scale.”
  • Ryan Wassink on 12 Apr 11
     
    Source: Christian Science Monitor: Who is winning Afghanistan war? US officials increasingly disagree. Summary: This article does not exactly relate to my research question but it is a little bit about how we as a country are involved in afghanistan and how it is going. This article thinks that we are really not making much progress in the war. We have taken out quite a few high officials but it really isnt helping our case very much. Then at the end it mentions opium a little bit. It says that they realize there was a decrease in opium this year so what they did is raise the price on it. It also says despite all the hinting at stopping opium farmers will still plant in 2011. Reflection: Although this was not the most helpful article I have found I still got some use out of it. I also thought it was just interesting to see our progress in the war and be able to read up on it. Questions: What are we doing about our status in the war? Do we have any affect on poppy production?
Andrew Kuper

Wong Sees 'Tough Budget' for Australia on Floods, Currency - Businessweek - 0 views

www.businessweek.com/...tralia-on-floods-currency.html

Australia Flood Economy Financial

shared by Andrew Kuper on 15 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • We got some short term softness -- that’s as a result of a number of factors, the floods, the cyclone, but also a cautious consumer and a strong Aussie dollar
  • The Australian dollar has risen to a record versus its U.S. counterpart
  • The government expects a A$3 billion decline in company tax revenue and a drop of A$1 billion in income tax intake, Wong said today.
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  • Economists have estimated the damage from the floods may reach $20 billion, or about 1.5 percent of Australia’s $1.3 trillion economy, while the cost of rebuilding after Cyclone Yasi may be more than A$2 billion.
  • In addition, Japan’s strongest earthquake in history on March 11 is estimated to have dented demand for Australia’s bulk commodities by almost A$2 billion in this fiscal year, shaving less than one-fourth of a percentage point from GDP, according to the Treasury.
  • Andrew Kuper on 15 Apr 11
     
    What are the effects of the Australian Floods? Citation:"Wong Sees 'Tough Budget' for Australia on Floods, Currency" http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-04-09/wong-sees-tough-budget-for-australia-on-floods-currency.html Summary: This article talks about how Australia will be affected financially following the floods. It mentioned that the total cost of the damages are equal to roughly 1.5% of the country's A$1.3 trillion economy. It also talked about how Japan's earthquake affected Australia, because they receive many Japanese imports.Questions:1. What exactly does Japan have to do with this?2. How will the people rebuild and finance all this damage? 3. Are these figures in American dollars or Australian dollars? *Edit: Reposting because I forgot to share to WC group. Old post deleted.
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