Comparative Politics

Interesting how communication and getting the message outis almost as important as the science.

When I see a developing nation with an economy that is based almost entirely off of the oil industry, that is a red flag. Oil is an extremely volatile market, and it will continue to be as altrernative forms of energy are sought out and the demand for oil decreases. You can see even today that an oil-based economy has links to many failed states or authoritative governments, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Venezuela, and Iraq. This point should be especially concerning for those in Angola looking forward at their economy's future. I would like to learn more about what the government and its people hope to do to adapt to the rapidly changing world.

We'll look at the dilemma of "resource trap countries" later in this course. The basic problem is that the government is accountable (effectively) to the owners of the resource extraction process, which usually are multinational corporations. So what the majority of the population wants and needs is immaterial.

Ukrainians still celebrate independence day despite the war

Interesting how those who have the most resources can get better at their sport from a young age (club teams, private coaches, equipment), creating the best players, while those who do not have those resources are less likely to be able to excel.

Something to me that seems pretty ironic considering that the article argues that club and youth athletics are gatekept by the wealthy, is that sports used to be an opportunity for lower income youth to compete with other students for spots in good schools. It was seen in the past as a more financially viable option than hiring tutors, paying for an expensive private education, and having the resources to pay for school. That's why sports scholarships existed and persist to this day, in my opinion: the broad majority of those who receive sports scholarships are below the poverty line, even to this day.

I found it interesting and sad that wealth not only provides a significant boost in ability to excel in sports but also in the college process as a result, which doesn't seem like it been the case for an awfully long time. This made me wonder whether the ability to benefit of sports in the college process actually prompted this change.

An article about Tunisian racism, where a recent poll showed that 80% of Tunisians believe racial discrimination is an issue in their country. Tunisia also passed a law that declared discrimination on the basis of race illegal, and punishable with up to 3 years in prison or a fine. However, the president just abolished parliament, and this development could make future civil rights projects much more difficult.

A quote from the end of the article: "The scope of Law 50 is not just about tackling isolated events of racism, but also about addressing a legacy of discrimination in Tunisia. Kamal Atig Zeiri, a taxi driver, said he has faced racism all his life and wants to drop the "Atig" in his surname because of the history of the word, describing it as "embarrassing". Atig means "freed by". His ancestors were among millions of black Africans sold as slaves throughout the Arab world over the centuries. Tunisia became the first Arab country to abolish this trade in 1846. "It worries me a lot and I won't rest until I delete it from my surname," Mr Atig Zeiri told the BBC. "This word has caused me a psychological problem," he continued. In theory, Law 50 should give Mr Atig Zeiri the freedom to change his name, however, he is still waiting for the courts to approve his request. His daughter, Lena, has been able to alter her surname."

Think Differently about future transportation; Author has a podcast about transportation as well.

This article from ThoughtCo does a good job of explaining the Mercator vs. Gall-Peters projections of world maps

There is no water and constant barrage for a city of a quarter-million residents. Mykolaiv had a population of almost half a million last year, of which tens of thousands have fled west.

Seeing the images of destroyed buildings and people waiting in line for drinking water. . . for month after month. I wonder what will happen this winter?

Poor communication encryption and organization has led to Russia's control of the Black Sea being slowly torn apart and led to Russia being on the back foot for the first time in the naval war.

Global climate crisis has led to an unprecedented monsoon season. 300,000 homes destroyed. Prime minister vows to provide housing for all who lost their homes.

Same as Will, I didn't hear about this until recently and also want to know more about how they are supporting so many evacuees. Are they receiving foreign aid from other countries? And, are the evacuees all still in Pakistan, or are they getting refugee status in other countries?

Let's discuss why so many people seem to lack news on the Pakistan flooding. Any thoughts?

While Ukraine has been able to use social media to their advantage by spreading information, increasing awareness of the problems they face, and pressuring companies and governments to aid them, Russia has been fighting back with national and international and propaganda campaigns. This struggle has caused a different kind of war to rage on between them, a cyber-war.

Because of how strict much of Russia's information laws and restrictions have been even before the war, getting accurate information about the conflict from inside Russia is nearly impossible. Along with that, it is extremely easy for misinformation to spread across social media and news outlets.

Interesting observations, Subby, Juliana, Slava and Matteo. Add to this the fact that under Vladimir Putin's iron hand, censorship within Russia is intense. Opposition to Putin's government has been effectively silenced within Russia, and is being replaced by shows of strength and prosperity. Good article about this in Monday's NYT here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/06/world/europe/moscow-war-ukraine-mood.html

Monsoons in Pakistan have killed thousands of lives this past summer, so multiple neighboring nations sent aid to help those stranded. Heavy rains may be caused by climate change, and the unprecedented monsoons have washed away infrastructure/homes.

Overall, there has not been as much news coverage of this flooding as many other events going on in the world. However, I noticed that emphasis on aid to this climate catastrophe has been covered even less. What does this say about news bias and possibly even censorship?

Good questions, Subby. I think that charitable donations are down, even as intense needs are rising. see https://afpglobal.org/covid-era-fundraising-stalls-donations-soften-and-donors-retention-rates-fall-first-quarter-2022

Conflict still wages between Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine on the defensive side is still putting up a fight to reclaim parts of their stolen home against this current invasion. Kherson became the first major Ukrainian city to fall into Russian hands after troops advanced into the city from the Crimean Peninsula in the opening days of the war.

Still following this topic. . .

This is the first time shots have been fired during this most recent Taiwan-China conflict. Knowing the nature of both sides' militaries, who will know what happens after this.

I've always been reminded every now in then of the conflict between these two powers that are so close together, mostly on the internet and in school. I remember when I first learned about how Taiwan considers itself independent from China and how tension has been raising throughout the years. It's crazy to see that this tension could lead to fighting between the sides and how other world powers such as the US will respond. Especially with how big trading with China is for us.

Interesting observations, Subby, Will and Duncan! Let's also remember that Taiwan was the official stand-in for "China" in the United Nations for 26 years! (1950-1976), during which the US denied China's existence and Taiwan sat in the United Nations representing all of China). Getting Taiwan back in the communist fold would represent an important piece in President Xi's geopolitical ambitions, along with subjugating the Tibetans and the Uighurs, claiming territorial rights around the human-made islands in the South China Sea, and expanding the Belt and Road initiatives all over Asia. It's a LOT.

China has the ability to blockade trade going in and out of Taiwan. Due to Taiwan's close proximity to mainland China and most of Taiwan's ports being on the island's west coast, China has the option not necessarily to invade the island of 23 million but slowly starve them. How will the US respond?

Biden's plan to provide $10,000 of relief towards student loans for people who make less than $125,000/year, and an additional $10,000 to those who received Pell Grants (a federal tuition grant which maxes out at a little under $7,000) sparked controversy. Critics say that the plan will put yet another burden on tax payers, and raise inflation, while supporters maintain that the restart of student loan payments (which have been paused since the start of the pandemic) will essentially counteract this potential risk.

Interesting topic, lots of money involved. Do you have a stance on whether the loans are a good idea or not?

A referendum in Chile just rejected a draft of a new Constitution pushed by the new Chilean President Gabriel Boric and his extremely progressive coalition that would have replaced Augusto Pinochet's Constitution. The Constitution included the right to public health care, abortion, free speech, clean air and water, it would have given the federal government greater control over the Chilean economy, and would have officially recognized the sovereignty of Indigenous groups across the country, making it the third plurinational nation in South America. However, 61% of Chileans opposed the new Constitution, and a new assembly will have to be elected to redraft it. This rejection is interesting; does it highlight the overall mood in Latin American politics right now? Is this a rejection of liberal policies? What will the next few months have in store for Chile; bureaucratic breakdown, or unity around a new Constitution?

Really interesting article, Nick! Keep in mind that "liberal" in the international context means low government intervention and capitalism, so the correct way to phrase the question is "Is this a rejection of social democratic policies?" There was a wave of social democracy in Latin America in the 1990s and early 2000s, so I wonder if this is an effort to move that further, an effort which is contested. https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/chile-could-become-plurinational-what-does-that-mean/ As you know, there are many levels of inclusion and exclusion in different societies, and the indigenous rights movement in South America carries a dimension of racism held over from the colonial era, in addition to neocolonialism and extractive capitalism centered on banks and the owners of land.