AUBSpring12-MCOM251

This is a movie made and narrated by Guy Debord himself, based on his "Society of the Spectacle" - however the narration itself consists of his writings, as well as those of Marx and Hegel. It is a very critical take on Media and its effects in times of great change (ongoing industrialization and rise of consumerism). There are several parts to it, just wait till the end of the video to move on to Part 2.

Also, it brought this article to mind as a (pre-emptive) counter-argument: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/positively-media/201111/social-networks-what-maslow-misses-0 And got me to think of how critically Debord would view social media platforms' role in representation and spectacle (Facebook, Youtube, Blogger to a larger extent)

"But a law passed in 2007 that was intended to keep campaigning orderly and clean - it bans the Mexican equivalent of political action committees, limits spending, regulates language in advertisements and tightens the official campaign period to just 89 days - has been undercut by the unpredictable and uncontrollable Web."

Obama's humor once again

And this isn't the first time that a dog is the subject of the American presidential campaign trail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fala_(dog) (Scroll down to "Fala Speech")

The pattern of dysfunctional politics in Lebanon is well established. When major decisions are to be reached, everyone throws in a caveat to gain from the process. In the end a compromise is reached, so that much remains the same. The elections next year will most probably resemble those of 2009, even if the stakes are higher. Almost everything you're hearing today is the hollow echo of manipulation.

Infotainment blurs the line between politics and entertainment? - Just thought it was an interesting read.

Hussein, Dina and I are working on Proportional Representation for our final project. Watch this episode for a briefing of the proposed electoral laws. Let us know what you think. Which law would you advocate for?

"Arab Spring," Algeria style.

I beat you to it :P

Shoot I didn't even see that!! Isn't it great??

It's really close.

First time in French history that the incumbent president loses in the first round! Big blow to Sarkozy! Plus it shows how a lot of people are not voting for Hollande, but rather against Sarkozy..

18%... 18% - Sorry, still not over it! -

Editor's note: Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for The Miami Herald and World Politics Review. A former CNN producer/correspondent, she is the author of "The End of Revolution: A Changing World in the Age of Live Television."

Le Pen poured scorn on both main candidates, saying that her supporters had voted for her ideas and not out of protest or distress at the crisis. She made clear her next objective was to win seats in parliament in June and lead "the real opposition".

Interesting to check the projections at the bottom of the page

Flanby = Hollande Tomato = Melenchon Budapest = Sarkozy

Watch campaign ads in the 2012 presidential campaign and track campaign ad spending by candidates and interest groups. Super interesting site, I didn't know Romney was spending THAT much on ads (more than all the other candidates combined), it's crazy! Plus, if anyone still couldn't find ads for the position papers, there are plenty here, enjoy!

I looked into Romney's ads, and when you see his campaign strategy, it's not too surprising. He has made ads targeted at individual states (new hampshire, missouri) and is attacking candidates left and right (mainly Santorum and Obama). These are distinct from the general platform ads he has running on TV.

This video is a debate over the effects of Super PACs on the presidential race, negative ads and their impacts on candidate image (both attacker and attacked) and whether politics is financially driven or merit-based.

Obama is technically a shoe-in for the Democratic candidacy, the final vote on Tuesday will determine the end of the low-key primaries which were taking place. As the article states, it's almost "party time".

Learn the French presidential candidates' stances on everything from economy and migration to foreign policy and the EU

It is extremely helpful, sums up everything in a neatly divided table. Have a look! :D