How NOT to overthrow dictators....

Stratfor, if your not a member join for the free updates at least. Well worth it.

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110711-libya-and-problem-hague?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20110712&utm_term=gweekly&utm_content=readmore&elq=b4ae648d1058450394404a2fd1874416

Curse of Genghis Khan?

On Mongolia:


"Sandwiched between a rising, authoritarian China and an often pugnacious and, in these parts, still very powerful Russia, Mongolia is the only nation in the vast expanse of territory conquered by Genghis Khan in the 13th century that holds regular elections and lets power pass peacefully between rival parties."


To be fair South Korea is now a democracy as are modern Poland and Turkey, parts of which fell to the Mongols.


Read more here
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/06/20/what_can_obama_learn_from_genghis_khan

Al-Jaz on Coptic-Muslim Relations in Egypt

Good read on sectarian issues in Egypt

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/06/201163904835903.html

Nial Ferguson On Egypt's Economy

Living here in Cairo these days I'm far more worried (at present) about Egypt's economic future than its political future.

Nial Ferguson On Egypt's Economy

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-06-06/niall-ferguson-on-egypts-stock-market-plunge-the-revolution-blows-up/2/

Gen. MacArthur On Catholicism in Japan

Hilarious article on Gen. MacArthur's plan to plant religion in postwar Japan. His pick?

"Based on his experience in the Philippines, MacArthur believed the Catholic Church could find particular appeal because the tradition of seeking absolution for one's mistakes or misdeeds "appeals to the Oriental," they reported."


Read more here 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/03/japan-religion_n_871172.html

How the French Lost Africa

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/05/how-france-lost-africa-to-the-us/239646/

Currency Competition in Europe

Small town in Galacia is using the Peseta along with the Euro! I love currency competition!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12657225

Spending on eduction in America....

"As you can see, with the exception of Switzerland, the U.S. spends the most in the world on education, an average of $91,700 per student in the nine years between the ages of 6 and 15. But the results do not correlate: For instance, we spend one-third more per student than Finland, which consistently ranks near the top in science, reading, and math."


Ouch, doesn't get much better from there.

Dictators in Exile

Perhaps Ben Ali will jet down to join them?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/18/AR2011021802498.html

Quick Path to Success as an International Relations scholar

One of the shorcuts to international relations fame is to come up with some key new term that vaguely describes a clear international relations term. Even better, if you can somehow coin an alfa-numerial phrase to describe international relations like: G-77, G8, G20, G2, G0, P5+1, V4...your career as a international relations or political scientist will be fly... like a G6!

Cue music below!!!



All real terms in international relations by the way!

Revolutionary Icon?

From Eugène Delacroix’s 1830 painting "Liberty Leading The People" to Tiananmen Square’s “Tank Man” revolutions and revolts in popular conscience are often distilled to a singular iconic image.

With that in mind the Boston Globe recently published a gallery of  stirring photos of the recent popular revolt against Ben Ali in Tunisia.

The runaway favorite was this image, depicting a Tunisian man clutching a baguette and a limp cigarette in his mouth. The image became rapidly popular across the blogosphere.
Even the normally somber blog of the Middle East Institute used the image.

Weather or not this image spreads remains to be seem far to often deserving photos such as the great image of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro golfing in military uniforms (here) are thrown on the scrap heap of history.

The Female Guerrilla: Between propoganda and exploitation

A recent New York Times article profiled female PKK fighters in Northern Iraq, The images of Kurds and Kalishnikov's overflows with needless romanticism. More than anything it reminded of similar staged photos of the Eritrean female guerillas of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front.
Compare New York Times article to these

                                                               Note markings on check

Note innnovative use for Kuffieyeh scarf

Note hijabi...looks highly staged like someone just thrust the weapons into her hands

                                                Note squeaky clean AK-47...including bayonet

                                                Combination of some of the above themes