After witnessing commencement at Dickinson College this afternoon it was announced that a Dickinson Alum had received a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a Masters in Egypt this coming year. I'm not exactly sure how to interpret the relation between this and in February with the revolution that occurred. But I think that it is pretty amazing that a fellow Dickinsonian, not even one year after the College had to pull their two students from Cairo will be studying there in the fall.
Just felt the need to get that down and out there, maybe after this all sinks in I will re-post. Also will post once I am able to digest Obama's speech from last week in connection to the upcoming APAIC conference and its meaning etc...
Feel free to help me draw meaning.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Osama's Death
May 1st, the main face of terrorism has been killed. Osama bin Laden is dead. After a 10 year search for him through Afghanistan and Pakistan a US Navy Seal team caught up with him and it ended in a firefight inside his security compound located about 30 miles outside the capital city of Islamabad, Pakistan.
The reality of the situation is that although he is dead, it really doesn't change much in regards to the fact that terrorism is not over. In fact in the aftermath one can expect a rash of attacks in response to the death. The reason for this is that al-Qaeda is a transnational organization, and while bin Laden was the leader, he was more of a figurehead. There are various offshoot terrorist organizations and cells that operated independently of direction from bin Laden. The only real impact of Osama's death is that his image and weight can no longer used for propaganda against the US, Israel, and other western countries.
For example the NBA has increased security at their playoffs games, by adding metal detectors to games. Whether or not there is a legitimate threat of al-Qaeda attacking the Bulls-Hawks game, it is still interesting to notice the varying responses. Another response in the sports world was the outbreak of USA USA USA at the Phillies Met's game, which had gone into the 14th inning. Than probably the most covered response by the media was over the outbreak of demonstrations/celebrations/gatherings/riots (whatever you want to characterize them as) at college campuses across the country.
The analytical explanation that I can give for the outbreaks across college campuses nationally is the a sense of catharsis. This is not to say that I necessarily approve of the actions taken by some of the students at least on Dickinson's campus but it is important to put it into context. First of all what occurred at Dickinson was not a riot, there were many campuses across the country that truly had to deal with student riots. I believe it can best described as a catharsis, because members of my generation were exposed to the images of the towers falling and people jumping out of the building rather than waiting for them to fall. Those are images that are ingrained into my mind and that I can vividly recall. The person responsible for those attacks was killed by a military action that many people have been waiting for for 10 years. With that it is also important to point out that bin Laden killed thousands of people who were not Americans. And now that he has been brought to justice it is a weight off their shoulders.
The reality of the situation is that although he is dead, it really doesn't change much in regards to the fact that terrorism is not over. In fact in the aftermath one can expect a rash of attacks in response to the death. The reason for this is that al-Qaeda is a transnational organization, and while bin Laden was the leader, he was more of a figurehead. There are various offshoot terrorist organizations and cells that operated independently of direction from bin Laden. The only real impact of Osama's death is that his image and weight can no longer used for propaganda against the US, Israel, and other western countries.
For example the NBA has increased security at their playoffs games, by adding metal detectors to games. Whether or not there is a legitimate threat of al-Qaeda attacking the Bulls-Hawks game, it is still interesting to notice the varying responses. Another response in the sports world was the outbreak of USA USA USA at the Phillies Met's game, which had gone into the 14th inning. Than probably the most covered response by the media was over the outbreak of demonstrations/celebrations/gatherings/riots (whatever you want to characterize them as) at college campuses across the country.
The analytical explanation that I can give for the outbreaks across college campuses nationally is the a sense of catharsis. This is not to say that I necessarily approve of the actions taken by some of the students at least on Dickinson's campus but it is important to put it into context. First of all what occurred at Dickinson was not a riot, there were many campuses across the country that truly had to deal with student riots. I believe it can best described as a catharsis, because members of my generation were exposed to the images of the towers falling and people jumping out of the building rather than waiting for them to fall. Those are images that are ingrained into my mind and that I can vividly recall. The person responsible for those attacks was killed by a military action that many people have been waiting for for 10 years. With that it is also important to point out that bin Laden killed thousands of people who were not Americans. And now that he has been brought to justice it is a weight off their shoulders.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Peace in Palestine
So as the title suggests yes there has been peace in Palestine. However the title is not meant to imply that there has been an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict. What I am referring to is the agreement that was reached between the leaders of Fatah (West Bank) and Hamas (Gaza), which have been separate entities since the civil war in 2007 shortly following the election of Hamas.
There have been varying reactions to this agreement, Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel's PM) has come out to say that Abbas can't expect there to reach an peace agreement with Israel while associated with Hamas, which has been classified as terrorist organization by the US, Israel, and the EU. However, the Guardian article suggests that this new agreement gives the Palestinians greater bargaining power to lobby in front of the UN in September for independent declaration of statehood.
Now those are two opinions and it is way to soon to tell what the future holds. This story was just broken today, I found out about from @MJRosenberg on twitter, and I'll continue to follow it. But my opinion is that while yes Hamas is a terrorist organization that lobs rockets at Israel, there must be some sense of hope that this new alliance can be beneficial to the peace process rather than detrimental as Netanyahu suggests. Another thing to take into consideration is funding and aid, currently the US does provide aid to the West Bank, however since Hamas took control it cut off its supply to Gaza. With this in mind will the US's policy towards Palestinian territories change at all?
Please weigh in and discuss....
There have been varying reactions to this agreement, Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel's PM) has come out to say that Abbas can't expect there to reach an peace agreement with Israel while associated with Hamas, which has been classified as terrorist organization by the US, Israel, and the EU. However, the Guardian article suggests that this new agreement gives the Palestinians greater bargaining power to lobby in front of the UN in September for independent declaration of statehood.
Now those are two opinions and it is way to soon to tell what the future holds. This story was just broken today, I found out about from @MJRosenberg on twitter, and I'll continue to follow it. But my opinion is that while yes Hamas is a terrorist organization that lobs rockets at Israel, there must be some sense of hope that this new alliance can be beneficial to the peace process rather than detrimental as Netanyahu suggests. Another thing to take into consideration is funding and aid, currently the US does provide aid to the West Bank, however since Hamas took control it cut off its supply to Gaza. With this in mind will the US's policy towards Palestinian territories change at all?
Please weigh in and discuss....
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Libyan Civil War
The crisis in Libya has continued now for months with seemingly no end in sight. It has grabbed the media's and US attention while unrest continues throughout the Arab world. It seems like half of Gaddafi's government has defected while at the same time his loyalist military is still decimating the Libyan rebels.
This brings to question whether the international community is doing enough and what actually can be done by other countries. The "no-fly zone" that was imposed awhile ago has seemed to help but has not done enough to turn the tide in the favor of the rebels. Recently Obama has announced that armed predator drones will be deployed over Libya in order to aid the rebels. With the military technology today it begs the question why not just find and assassinate Gaddafi? My reasoning is that killing Gaddafi would only send the country farther into Civil War. I believe that the only option would be to somehow force Gaddafi to step down and force a transfer of power to a coalition government until a permanent solution can be agreed on.
Any thoughts? Discuss....
This brings to question whether the international community is doing enough and what actually can be done by other countries. The "no-fly zone" that was imposed awhile ago has seemed to help but has not done enough to turn the tide in the favor of the rebels. Recently Obama has announced that armed predator drones will be deployed over Libya in order to aid the rebels. With the military technology today it begs the question why not just find and assassinate Gaddafi? My reasoning is that killing Gaddafi would only send the country farther into Civil War. I believe that the only option would be to somehow force Gaddafi to step down and force a transfer of power to a coalition government until a permanent solution can be agreed on.
Any thoughts? Discuss....
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Palestinian Statehood
According to a report I first saw on Al-Jazeera the UN stated that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is capable of governing their own state, and the only thing holding them is Israeli occupation. I do not agree with this assessment, for a few reasons. My main point of contention is that the land the PA is requesting for it's new state include the Gaza strip, which it doesn't control. And in recent events it has been the actions of Hamas in Gaza that have been disrupting the peace process. Granting statehood to the PA when they don't have control of the area they are requesting is a ridiculous proposition. According to the article, Israel occupies 62% of Gaza and if there were to be a Palestinian state Israel would withdraw and the violence would likely escalate.
As I am writing this blog post I realize that there are too many problems with certifying the PA as a government ready to assert control over an autonomous state. Other problems include borders, and economic viability etc.
As I am writing this blog post I realize that there are too many problems with certifying the PA as a government ready to assert control over an autonomous state. Other problems include borders, and economic viability etc.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Israel and Gaza
Recently there has been an uptick in cross-border violence between Hamas in Gaza and Israel. Highlighted by an anti-tank rocket fired at an Israeli school bus and the subsequent (expected) heavy retaliation by the Israeli military. As of today Ehud Barak has stated that Israel would observe a truce if Hamas stops firing into southern Israel. Now at this point it is wait and see, hopefully the violence will die down and some sort of normality and calm will take its place, but one could only hope.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Framing and Censorship
Recently I came across a video that was posted on my friends Facebook with the title, "A story you won't see in Arab media". This raised the question of what would the video contain that wouldn't be shown in the Arab media. The video's caption reads "the story of a Palestinian who was brutally attacked by Hamas and was saved by Israeli Soldiers" and was posted on Youtube by the user JewishMessiah.
With all of this information with out even clicking on the link one can draw conclusions on the message that the video is trying to convey. It would be reasonable to conclude that the user is Pro-Israel, based on their user name and that they are attempting for the video to contribute to the ongoing debate on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The issue of framing and censorship come into play when considering the claim made by the user that the video would not be something viewable in the Arab media. The assumption of censorship is another thing entirely, but before watching the video the viewer is able to prejudge the content.
Friday, March 25, 2011
K'naan
In our class we talk a lot about different forms of media and how it portrays a message. One form that is personally one of my favorite is music. One of the more recent artist's that I started listening to is K'naan, many of you should recognize his song "Waving Flag", which was the song of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. However the original song, I think is much better and tells a bit of the struggle that he has gone through in his life. K'naan was born in Mogadishu, Somalia and later moved to New York and then Canada, learning English only by listening to rap music and mimicking the language.
A lot of his music is telling of the struggle of life in Somalia and truly gives a lyrical perspective what life is like in Somalia.
The video below is from the NPR Tiny Desk Concert Series and it features three of his songs along with some good commentary by K'naan and the members of NPR.
A lot of his music is telling of the struggle of life in Somalia and truly gives a lyrical perspective what life is like in Somalia.
The video below is from the NPR Tiny Desk Concert Series and it features three of his songs along with some good commentary by K'naan and the members of NPR.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Blogging on Twitter
Twitter has been something for me that has fluctuated between being a useful academic resource and another waste of time/tool for procrastination.
What category it falls under definitely depends on what you make of it. For example last night I was using Twitter to follow a Red Wings hockey game while in the Library and I used it as an escape from doing my reading for class the next day. I had become hooked on the updates from the Red Wings Twitter feed as my team mounted a comeback, which led to overtime loss.
Than there are times like this afternoon where I opened up my twitter and looked at what Marc Lynch and Andrew Carvin were saying about what is going on in Libya. This led to me reading an article by Lynch posted by Carvin on Twitter about the war that is on going in Libya, and this page included in an extended interview that Lynch gave to NPR on the issue that provided greater detail on the issue.
These are two polarized ways in which Twitter can be used.
What category it falls under definitely depends on what you make of it. For example last night I was using Twitter to follow a Red Wings hockey game while in the Library and I used it as an escape from doing my reading for class the next day. I had become hooked on the updates from the Red Wings Twitter feed as my team mounted a comeback, which led to overtime loss.
Than there are times like this afternoon where I opened up my twitter and looked at what Marc Lynch and Andrew Carvin were saying about what is going on in Libya. This led to me reading an article by Lynch posted by Carvin on Twitter about the war that is on going in Libya, and this page included in an extended interview that Lynch gave to NPR on the issue that provided greater detail on the issue.
These are two polarized ways in which Twitter can be used.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Arab Media then and Now
Over the course of this semester we have discussed the dynamic shifts and role that media has played in the Middle East and North Africa. It is interesting to consider how this shift has occurred from a strong State controlled media to a day an age where anyone with a cellphone and/or the internet can participate in the international discussion on current events. The innovations that have occurred regarding Twitter and other various websites have allowed people like me and our class to follow events as they are unfolding in real time on the other side of world.
Where as in contrast to even 20 years ago it would have been very difficult for a class like ours to follow current events. Let alone participate in the international discussion with people half way across the world.
Where as in contrast to even 20 years ago it would have been very difficult for a class like ours to follow current events. Let alone participate in the international discussion with people half way across the world.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Situation in Egypt
What is amazing to me is how the media attention has such a limited attention span. The extent of which I didn't really notice until I began looking back in my Twitter feed at links that were being posted showing all of the unrest still going on in Egypt. Naively I guess I thought that everything was beginning to work itself out. They had appointed a Prime Minister, I had watched videos of him being ushered in on a wave of applause, with him promising that things will change. But for the past days I have noticed that there are still videos of protesters clashing with the army and the army having a very difficult time maintaining the necessary amount of control of the state.
I also saw this video that was posted by Arabzy who I follow on Twitter, click CC for English subtitles. But It is a boy retelling his story of capture and torture by "security" forces. Now he was held for 22 days and I don't know when the video was shot but it was uploaded today. And I think it adds perspective on the events that are still unfolding in Egypt. I think it is important to take into account that just because the media is no longer focused on the issue, doesn't mean it's no longer worth paying attention to.
I also saw this video that was posted by Arabzy who I follow on Twitter, click CC for English subtitles. But It is a boy retelling his story of capture and torture by "security" forces. Now he was held for 22 days and I don't know when the video was shot but it was uploaded today. And I think it adds perspective on the events that are still unfolding in Egypt. I think it is important to take into account that just because the media is no longer focused on the issue, doesn't mean it's no longer worth paying attention to.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Beer Sheva Now
Last week, for those who havn't been following the news, rockets where fired from Gaza and landed in Beer Sheva. For me this hit pretty close to home because I spent last semester abroad at Ben-Gurion University, which is located in Beer Sheva. So when I found out about these events it was very unique experience for me.
Since I follow current events in the Middle East, I normally read about "incidents" that occur inside of Israel with intrigue, but a certain amount of detachment.
This time having just returned from the very city which was shelled, it hit much closer to home. However, it didn't set in until I received an email from my mom thanking God that I was at Dickinson and not at BGU. That is when it really set in, I started messaging all my friends (who are all fine) and really thinking about how I felt about it. I can't really decide where I would rather be, here detached and removed (to an extent) or back at BGU so I would know what it would be like to go through such an experience. It's still something that I will think about and something that now resonates rather stronger with me.
Since I follow current events in the Middle East, I normally read about "incidents" that occur inside of Israel with intrigue, but a certain amount of detachment.
This time having just returned from the very city which was shelled, it hit much closer to home. However, it didn't set in until I received an email from my mom thanking God that I was at Dickinson and not at BGU. That is when it really set in, I started messaging all my friends (who are all fine) and really thinking about how I felt about it. I can't really decide where I would rather be, here detached and removed (to an extent) or back at BGU so I would know what it would be like to go through such an experience. It's still something that I will think about and something that now resonates rather stronger with me.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Bill Ayers and Activism
Yesterday Bill Ayers came and spoke at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. His main point was that people should open their eyes and not ignore the injustices that are occurring in the world around them. On top of that he stressed that non-violent direct action was the only proper way to respond to injustice. The question I had hoped to ask is how would he apply his theory to a tank. Meaning how are the people that are protesting their respective governments in the Middle East. The regime that is currently in the news for taking direct violent action is Libya.
Colonel/Dictator Gaddafi has ordered tanks and fighter jets to open fire on defenseless civilians in hopes of crushing their protests that have been spreading throughout the country for days now. Although the military is split on the issue of whether or not to follow their orders given by Gaddafi, there are still members of the armed forces that have been killing civilians with million dollar war machines supplied mostly by the United States (which raises many more questions that I am not willing to address).
Discuss...
Colonel/Dictator Gaddafi has ordered tanks and fighter jets to open fire on defenseless civilians in hopes of crushing their protests that have been spreading throughout the country for days now. Although the military is split on the issue of whether or not to follow their orders given by Gaddafi, there are still members of the armed forces that have been killing civilians with million dollar war machines supplied mostly by the United States (which raises many more questions that I am not willing to address).
Discuss...
Monday, February 21, 2011
Libyan Unrest
The people of Libya have caught the revolutionary bug that has been sweeping through the Middle East. However what I think is seemingly unique to the Libyan case has been Gaddafi's response to the unrest in his country. His response has been significantly harsher that the response of his fellow leaders throughout the region. Gaddafi's violent crackdown has been highlighted with the use of live munition fired by state security forces and also by mercenaries, according to a few sources. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to Al-Jazeera English live feed that has said that there was a report of a security officer opening fire on doctors attempting to treat patients.
There has also been cases of Gaddafi authorizing the use of force on the protesters by the Air Force. So much so that there was a report earlier in the day that stated two high ranking Air Force Colonels that defected to Malta on Air Force fighter jets after being ordered to fire on protesters in the cities.
I think that it is crucial to take into account the ways in which these governments are responding to the protesters across the region. Not to say that I support the rulers of these governments, but I do respect their right to rule their countries. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "He might be a son of a bitch, but he is our son of a bitch." Although autocracy and dictatorships are not good for the human rights of the citizens living under them. The sad fact of the matter is dictatorships can brings stability and democracy does not. With our democratic system, the policy of our nation has the ability to change drastically with change of leadership every two and four years. So again in closing, its not that I don't support dictatorships in their squashing of rebellions, but the fact of the matter is there is a right and wrong way to go about things. Firing live rounds whether it be from mercenaries on the ground or pilots in the air, is the wrong way.
There has also been cases of Gaddafi authorizing the use of force on the protesters by the Air Force. So much so that there was a report earlier in the day that stated two high ranking Air Force Colonels that defected to Malta on Air Force fighter jets after being ordered to fire on protesters in the cities.
I think that it is crucial to take into account the ways in which these governments are responding to the protesters across the region. Not to say that I support the rulers of these governments, but I do respect their right to rule their countries. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "He might be a son of a bitch, but he is our son of a bitch." Although autocracy and dictatorships are not good for the human rights of the citizens living under them. The sad fact of the matter is dictatorships can brings stability and democracy does not. With our democratic system, the policy of our nation has the ability to change drastically with change of leadership every two and four years. So again in closing, its not that I don't support dictatorships in their squashing of rebellions, but the fact of the matter is there is a right and wrong way to go about things. Firing live rounds whether it be from mercenaries on the ground or pilots in the air, is the wrong way.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Democracy in the Middle East
As you all know we need to use Twitter for class, and as I was just searching some of the countries there that are currently experiencing the shock wave of revolutionary activity (read: protests) I came accross a tweet by BorowitzReport, which said "Democracy sweeping every Middle Eastern country that Bush didn't invade. #iran #Egypt #Tunisia #Yemen #Algeria". Not only is this some what ironically comical it is true. And I believe there is a reason that the Neo-Conservative Bush Doctrine didn't work in the Middle East. I think it is because he focused on the wrong countries. By wrong countries I mean countries with no history of democracy at all.
Neither Iraq or Afghanistan have any history of wanting a democracy or having reformers that have tried to bring some form of democracy to their countries. However, there are countries in the region (i.e. Turkey and Iran) that have a historical relationship with democracy. To avoid the conclusion that I came up with these ideas on my own, I read the book "Reset" by Stephen Kinzer. Kinzer goes into the historical relationships between Turkey, Iran, and democracy. Atta Turk and Reza Shah both brought reforms to their respective countries.
I will save the details of the reforms and history for another post possibly. But for now it is important to keep in mind the fact that a state can't expect to implant democracy in a country that has no history of it; and I think it is even more important to focus on a fostering democracy in states with that history.
Neither Iraq or Afghanistan have any history of wanting a democracy or having reformers that have tried to bring some form of democracy to their countries. However, there are countries in the region (i.e. Turkey and Iran) that have a historical relationship with democracy. To avoid the conclusion that I came up with these ideas on my own, I read the book "Reset" by Stephen Kinzer. Kinzer goes into the historical relationships between Turkey, Iran, and democracy. Atta Turk and Reza Shah both brought reforms to their respective countries.
I will save the details of the reforms and history for another post possibly. But for now it is important to keep in mind the fact that a state can't expect to implant democracy in a country that has no history of it; and I think it is even more important to focus on a fostering democracy in states with that history.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
What's A Blog?
I'd have to say that "the blog" is a revolution....straying from the words of Gil Scott Herson who stated the revolution will not be televised. In this day and age the revolutions are being televised. And that is stated by the events that are unfolding currently in Egypt. As I am writing this post, I am watching Al Jazeera English which is streaming a live feed of Tahrir Square; and as I looked for a clip of Herson's song I noticed in the banner on youtube.com was a link to live streaming the events going on in Egypt where everyone is waiting for President Hosni Mubarak to address Egypt.
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