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Stuart Suplick

The War Within the U.S. Army - 0 views

content.time.com/...0,9171,2155621,00.html

military foreign relations future US drones change

shared by Stuart Suplick on 28 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • Stuart Suplick on 28 Oct 13
     
    As the US armed forces have to scale back due to sequestration, the biggest problem afflicting the Army is how it will adapt--not only to budget cuts, but to a new era of warfare. Drone strikes and special operations are becoming more prominent and crucial for taking out national security threats in foreign countries, but do these smaller operations merit a downsizing of the the current active-duty troop body? Some top officials think it's important to maintain a larger army in case we need to mobilize (i.e. war with Iran or North Korea). On the other hand, other officials think a downsizing is imperative: today, the Army spends absurd amounts on health care and other benefits (52% increase since 2001), while ineffective officers remain in the army so they can receive retirement pensions. As Defense Analyst Arnold Punaro says in this article, "The Department of Defense [is going to turn] into a benefits company that occasionally kills a terrorist". In short, the US Army must change, but it's not clear how that will happen.
Hindoveeh Etheridge-Bullie

Syrian Army Kills Scores of Rebels in Ambush - NYTimes.com - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...syria.html

army kills nytimes com Syria Tragic

shared by Hindoveeh Etheridge-Bullie on 12 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • Hindoveeh Etheridge-Bullie on 12 Sep 13
     
    This article is pretty interesting, it describes how recently some rebel forces in Syria were ambushed by Assad's army. It also puts into perspective just about how many people have been killed through this whole civil war, which I had not known before.
Annie Wanless

Taming the Arab Spring - 1 views

www.todayszaman.com/07-taming-the-arab-spring.html

arab spring Egypt

shared by Annie Wanless on 09 Oct 11 - No Cached
  • It is sad to see that, decades on, many Americans still do not understand that armies cannot, by nature, be the drivers of democratization in the Middle East
  • Annie Wanless on 09 Oct 11
     
    From a Turkish newspaper about how the army is acting in Egypt. Concludes saying our analysis of Arab politics is not realistic.
  • ellie davis on 16 Oct 11
     
    I don't think that this "strategy" that the army is implementing in Egypt will work because it doesn't actually adress or fix anything. Rather, the plan to delay anything political may cause more unrest in the country.
snow2020

Could Hong Kong's economy survive army intervention by Beijing? - 5 views

Its interesting that the conflict could actually be detrimental to Hong Kong. That the protests could cause issues for the economy through foreign trade/policy and erosion of the Hong Kong independ...

started by marcusk2021 on 08 Sep 19 2 follow-ups, last by snow2020 on 10 Sep 19
caseyyamamura

Ukraine Used Cluster Bombs, Evidence Indicates - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...ster-bombs-report-charges.html

ukraine

shared by caseyyamamura on 21 Oct 14 - No Cached
  • caseyyamamura on 21 Oct 14
     
    A Ukrainian city, Donetsk, has been hit by cluster bombs, which are largely prohibited across the world. Evidence, such as the trajectory and the timing of the bombings, indicates that the Ukrainian Army was responsible. With six wounded, one dead, and the Ukrainian Army denying responsibility, this further complicates the path to a resolution.
sammy greenwall

Tunnel found from gaza into Israel - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...found-in-israel-army-says.html

shared by sammy greenwall on 14 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • sammy greenwall on 14 Oct 13
     
    This is the third tunnel found leading directly from Gaza into Israel. Two Israeli civilians have been killed in the last week in the West Bank as well as two soldiers. Although Israel has had one of the lowest causality rates it has seen in a few decades, the idea of a safe, not-threatended state is still a far fetched idea. Palestinian leaders continue to undermine the country of Israel by any means necessary.
Kay Bradley

BBC News - Pakistan country profile - 5 views

news.bbc.co.uk/...1157960.stm

Pakistan

shared by Kay Bradley on 08 Sep 10 - No Cached
  • The disputed northern territory of Kashmir has been the flashpoint for two of the three India-Pakistan wars
  • There was a further brief but bitter armed conflict after Islamic militants infiltrated Indian-administered Kashmir in 1999
  • tarnished by corruption, inefficiency and confrontations between various institutions
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • military rule
  • coup leader, General Pervez Musharraf
  • economic challenges
  • increasing polarisation between Islamist militancy and the modernising secular wing of Pakistani politics
    • Kay Bradley
      Kay Bradley on 08 Sep 10
       
      factions!
  • Mr Musharraf relinquished his army post in November 2007
  • his supporters were defeated by the opposition Pakistan People's Party and former PM Nawaz Sharif's Muslim League.
    • Kay Bradley
      Kay Bradley on 08 Sep 10
       
      Political parties: PPP, Muslim League (now in power)
  • Pakistan's place on the world stage shifted after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US. It dropped its support for the Taliban
    • Kay Bradley
      Kay Bradley on 08 Sep 10
       
      Impact of 9/11 on Pakistan's world role
  • was propelled into the frontline in the fight against terrorism
  • estive tribal regions along the Afghan border
  • forces
  • linked
  • Page last updated at 13:55 GMT, Wednesday, 18 August 2010 14:55 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version Pakistan country profile
  • ince 2009, the government has been waging a rolling military campaign to flush the militants out of the tribal areas.
  • by Pakistan's legislators
  • "Mr 10%" following allegations of corruption.
  • 2001, two years after Pervez Musharraf seized power in a military coup
  • The broadcasting regulator can order a halt to the carriage of foreign TV channels via cable, particularly Indian or Afghan ones.
    • Kay Bradley
      Kay Bradley on 08 Sep 10
       
      media censorship
Kay Bradley

Pakistan's Army Pushes Shake-Up For Government - NYTimes.com - 3 views

www.nytimes.com/...29pstan.html

Pakistan

shared by Kay Bradley on 01 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Kay Bradley on 01 Oct 10
     
    Wow!
  • Amara Plaza-Jennings on 03 Oct 10
     
    It is shocking to see the state that the government is in (especially the part about them only having two months' salary). In Pakistan's history this would have meant a military or oppositiong party takeover. However, neither general Kayani nor fromer prime minister Sharif wants to be responsible for the disaster caused by the floods. The military has been doing most of the work in flood aid. But the fact that neither group wants to take over shows just how bad Pakistan's situation is.
  • Arshia Surti on 03 Oct 10
     
    I wonder why only 2 million out of 170 million people pay taxes. It seems to be the political culture, since top government officials don't pay either. Gilani, who really runs the country, is also being blamed, instead of just Zardari. In addition, it seems that another military coup is in the near future, but how are the people going to reconcile their desire for democracy with the current government's unpopularity?
big_red

The Swiss Difference: A Gun Culture That Works - 0 views

world.time.com/...rence-a-gun-culture-that-works

shared by big_red on 19 Nov 14 - No Cached
  • big_red on 19 Nov 14
     
    An article analyzing Swiss gun culture. At first, it seems similar to the US gun culture because Swiss citizens are allowed to own select fire rifles and keep them in their homes. However, their rifle is for their country, not for themselves. The types of guns you can own isn't very restricted, but you are not allowed to have them in a vehicle unless youre going to a shooting range, and concealed carry is illegal. The Swiss own guns to quickly fight off an invading foreign army. Many Us citizens own guns to, in their mind, "keep the government in check".
Kay Bradley

Japan could change pacifist constitution after Shinzo Abe victory | World news | The Gu... - 0 views

www.theguardian.com/...ution-after-shinzo-abe-victory

the guardian japan Industrialized Democracies political groups constitution

shared by Kay Bradley on 23 Oct 17 - No Cached
  • The most controversial move would be a revision of article 9 to allow Japan’s self-defence forces to act more like a conventional army.
  • Rewriting the constitution, imposed by the US occupation authorities after the second world war, has been the ideological driving force behind Abe and other conservatives who believe it unfairly restricts Japan’s ability to respond to new threats such as international terrorism, an increasingly assertive China and a nuclear-armed North Korea.
  • However, Abe risks losing the political capital he has built over the past three and a half years if he is seen to be neglecting the economy in favour of constitutional reform.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Xinhua, China’s official news agency, described Sunday’s election result as a threat to regional stability, a
  • “With Japan’s pacifist constitution at serious stake and Abe’s power expanding, it is alarming both for Japan’s Asian neighbours, as well as for Japan itself, as Japan’s militarisation will serve to benefit neither side,” Xinhua said in a commentary.
  • An exit poll conducted by the Asahi on Sunday showed that 49% of voters supported constitutional revision, with 44% opposed
ethand2021

Biden Creates Legal War Room, Preparing for a Big Fight Over Voting - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...en-legal-challenges-trump.html

NYTimes

shared by ethand2021 on 15 Sep 20 - No Cached
  • ethand2021 on 15 Sep 20
     
    In anticipation of a legal battle as the result of mail-in voting, the Biden campaign has created an army of lawyers including two former solicitor generals.
ershai

Let's Not Pretend That the Way We Withdrew From Afghanistan Was the Problem - 4 views

www.nytimes.com/...afghanistan-us-withdrawal.html

Afghanistan NYTimes

shared by ershai on 01 Sep 21 - No Cached
  • ershai on 01 Sep 21
     
    I mentioned this op-ed in a comment on somebody else's post. I linked it in case anybody was interested.
  • ...3 more comments...
  • samuelws on 01 Sep 21
     
    I think this article is valid in its argument that the war in Afghanistan and the effort to prop up a government and resist the inevitable was the core issue. That said, it seems awfully dismissive of the horrendous logistical moves from the retreat. It does not mention the army equipment seized by the Taliban that could have easily been avoided, or the fact that many people could have been evacuated before we completely gave up all ground except that airport.
  • sidc2022 on 01 Sep 21
     
    I agree that Taliban takeover became inevitable after our involvement in Afghani affairs, a pattern in which we, the self proclaimed "most powerful" country, attempt to control other countries, however we fail to succeed flawlessly despite our military strength.
  • alexandrac22 on 01 Sep 21
     
    I think that if the United States chose to never involve themselves at all they would still be blamed for the Taliban taking over Afghanistan because of how powerful we are. I believe that there was never a right answer or right way to go about it and the United States made the best decisions they could in a complicated situation.
  • audreybandel on 01 Sep 21
     
    This is a really interesting perspective on this issue and on interventionist foreign policy as a whole. The current situation in Afghanistan is clearly reflective of a larger pattern of American foreign policy and attempted nation building.
  • Kay Bradley on 27 Sep 21
     
    Thank you for the exchange of ideas here, CoPo students. . . . it sure feels lousy to have left Afghanistan. I do wonder what the next 12 months will bring.
lauran5556555

Ex-soldiers protest in Guatemala to get a war-time bonus for service in the civil war :... - 0 views

www.npr.org/...emala-soldiers-congress-attack

shared by lauran5556555 on 26 Oct 21 - No Cached
  • lauran5556555 on 26 Oct 21
     
    This is a rather violent protest, and it definitely made an impact on the Guatemala government. The Guatemala civil war killed about 200,000 people, and according to the article "U.S.-backed army was responsible for most of the deaths".
Kay Bradley

Katharine Hayhoe - "Our future is still in our hands" | The On Being Project - The On B... - 0 views

onbeing.org/...r-future-is-still-in-our-hands

climate climate change environment faith action

shared by Kay Bradley on 15 Nov 21 - No Cached
  • I was talking with a pastor just recently, and he asked me very genuinely, he said, “How do I talk to people about climate change, when the only solutions that we are told that there are to climate change is to stop eating meat” — which is a very big deal in Texas, with those barbecues, it really is. It’s an identity issue. I’m not saying this facetiously; it is literally an identity issue — â€śand stop driving trucks, also an identity issue, stop traveling, stop having children, which is also an identity issue — basically, stop all these things that actually we often see as defining who we are?” And he said, “How am I supposed to tell people that we’re supposed to do this, when it’s as if I’m telling them, you know, we have to just” — and I think these were my words — “return to the Stone Age, unplug everything, and all the solutions are bad”?
  • And sadly, the way our human psychology is built, psychologists have shown that we, as humans, are much more averse to losing what we have than gaining something new.
  • I think there are some very smart people who have put those pieces together and deliberately communicated a message to us that we’re going to lose all we hold dear, instead of messaging the truth, which is, don’t you want to be more energy independent, rather than less? Don’t you want to have a car that is faster, that you never have to go to the gas station again — especially in the days of COVID — than the one that you have today, and that doesn’t produce air pollution that’s responsible for almost 9 million deaths a year? Don’t you want to grow food in a way that is healthy and good for the soil and for people and for the animals, too? Don’t you want to invest in nature, so it can protect us by purifying our air and our water and protecting our coastlines and providing habitat for animals and preventing zoonosis? When we actually start talking about real solutions  — and that’s the Yale survey that you referred to that I talk about in the book — when we ask people about real solutions, everybody’s on board. Everybody says, heck yes, I would love to do that. And so that is where we can directly address the fear, head-on.
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • what you’ve been saying. “What we need to fix this thing is rational hope.” How do you instill rational hope? And I mean, how do you do that, right, when you’re out there?
  • And then the second thing is recognizing that we are already moving towards a better future. Now, it might not seem like that, because all the headlines are full of doom and gloom and bad news. But when we start to look for hopeful news — and sadly, we have to go out and look for it, because if you just go — I did an experiment the other day, where I went to the website of a major news organization, and I just paged down through 35 headlines. And about seven or eight were very neutral; like, they didn’t evoke any emotion in me. They were just neutral, factual headlines. And every single other headline was negative — every one. So when we go and we look, though, for the hopeful stories of people who are making a difference, that imbues us with a sense of efficacy, that, wow, there’s somebody over there who’s doing something.
  • And you’re talking about what I refer to as a muscular hope.
  • Nobody in Texas knows that we have the biggest army base by land area, in the U.S., Fort Hood, that is 43 percent powered by clean energy.
  • Nobody knows that the Dallas Fort Worth airport was the first large carbon-neutral airport in North America.
  • Nobody knows that the city of Houston, which is home to, of course, most of the headquarters of many large, multinational oil and gas corporations, that the city of Houston has — is going to be meeting its Paris targets, in terms of reducing its carbon emissions.
  • we think of climate action as a giant boulder sitting at the bottom of an incredibly steep hill, and it’s only got a few hands on it. It’s got, you know, Al Gore’s hands are on it, and maybe Jane Goodall, and maybe a couple other hands, but nobody else. And so there’s just no way we’re going to make it up that hill. Like, just forget it. Why even waste my time? That’s sort of mentally how we think.
  • But the reality is, when we start to look around and see that 90 percent of new energy installed last year, during COVID, was clean energy, and we start to see that cities all over the world are taking action on climate change, and big businesses, like Microsoft and Apple and AT&T — you know, they’re building the biggest solar farm in the U.S., outside of Dallas, to supply major corporations with clean energy. So really, that giant boulder, it is already at the top of the hill, and it’s already rolling down the hill in the right direction, and it already has millions of hands on it. It just doesn’t have enough to get it going faster. And when we think, well, maybe I could add my hand to that, because I could get it going just a little bit faster, that’s totally different than if we think it’s at the bottom of the hill, not budging even an inch. So I find tremendous hope from that.
  • Texas, if Texas were its own country, it would be the seventh-most prolific emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, it’s the number one emitter in the U.S. — and Texas leads the nation in wind generation, for example.
  • that, honestly, and here’s the crazy thing. When you look at how the world has changed before — and it has changed. I mean, you know, 200 years ago it was somehow completely socially acceptable to have other human beings in slavery. And 150 years ago, it was entirely acceptable to say that women’s brains were too small and too fragile to be educated, because they would overheat.
  • It is the verse in Timothy where it talks about fear, where it says, “God has not given you a spirit of fear.”
  • that verse goes on to say, is a spirit of power, which is kind of an old-fashioned word, but in modern parlance it means to be empowered; to be able to act.
  • Or “agency.”
  • Yes, agency. Exactly — a spirit of agency. I like that.
  • And that’s the opposite of being paralyzed by fear. And we also have a spirit of love, which means we can be thinking of and considering others, not just ourselves and our own needs
  • So caring about this issue and acting on it is not only consistent with who we are, but it enables us to more genuinely express what we truly care about
  • It’s about acknowledging that, to care about climate change, you only have to be one thing, and that one thing is a human, living on planet Earth.
  • But talk about why it matters to you. Talk about how you both ski, or you’re both parents and you’re worried about your kids and the playground being too hot for them, or the fact that you fish and you’ve noticed that the fish populations are changing, or the fact that your basement got flooded last time it rained. Talk about something that matters to you and to the person that you’re talking with, and then do your research, to learn about what real climate solutions look like, and share that information with people.
  • do you know what our city is doing? Find out what your city’s doing. Tell people. Do you know what your state’s doing? Do you know what your church is doing? And if you don’t know, ask, and then if they’re not doing anything, say, hey, here are some things that you could be doing. And I even have a list on my website, because people often ask me that. So I’ve got a list of, you know, what could your church do, what can you do at school — all of these different things you can do.
  • hope begins with fear or despair or anxiety, it begins, as the bible says in the Book of Romans, it begins with suffering. And that suffering produces perseverance, and that perseverance produces character, and the character produces hope
  • in the middle of the century, it was somehow acceptable to say that, depending on the color of your skin, you could or couldn’t enter certain buildings or sit in a place on the bus. So the world has absolutely changed before, and how did it change? It was when ordinary people of no particular wealth or fame decided that the world could and should be different, and they decided to not only take personal action, but to use their voices to talk about why it mattered, what could be done, and to advocate for change in every sphere in which they were.
  • Kay Bradley on 15 Nov 21
     
    "Well, we live, today, in a country, the United States, that is more politically polarized than it's been in either of our lifetimes, ever. And that just seems to be getting worse by the day." What Hayhoe and others are pointing to is another way of communicating about climate change.
samuelws

'9/11 millionaires' and mass corruption: How American money helped break Afghanistan - 0 views

www.cnbc.com/...-helped-break-afghanistan.html

shared by samuelws on 12 Sep 21 - No Cached
Kay Bradley liked it
  • samuelws on 12 Sep 21
     
    People were shocked at the speed with which the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan. This speed was in large part due to the Afghan army immediately surrending to the Taliban. Why did they lack the will to fight? This article claims that huge American investment into the alliance of warlords meant that the moment the US stopped paying them, they had no care to continue to fight as they were not receiving the money they were accustomed to.
  • Kay Bradley on 27 Sep 21
     
    Sounds about right. Then again, Afghanistan still is essentially a tribal society; rule of law is fragile.
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