What Can We Do to Change the World

This excerpt can be found here.

November 31, 2009

Zehfuss finds flaw in the idea of changing what’s wrong in the world through political policy. For one reason, it is not always easy to determine right from wrong, so we cannot whole-heartedly advocate going the right thing to defeat a specific ‘evil’. Secondly, people often get frustrated when their cause does not succeed, when the cause is often so broad and vast an issue, that it cannot be easily solved. Ability to create change assumes we, as humans, have some kind of control over all the world’s workings. In acting on war, there is inevitably a sacrifice of some lives in order to protect others. Another issue is in which conflict should we involve ourselves, as there will always be an infinite supply of conflicts. She cites the differences between problem-solving and critical theory: the former finds solutions using the same system, while the latter tries to alter the entire system as a solution in itself. Throughout the work, her tone is very informal; she connects to her audience by inciting a personal relationship with her audience, so that they may easily relate to what she is saying and thus better comprehend what she is trying to convey.

Culture, Crisis, and America's War on Terror

This excerpt can be found here.

November 30, 2009

“The Incredibles” was an incredible box office success, something Stuart Croft admits might be due to the popularity of other family, animated movies during this time; but the author also suggests another, more political, reasoning behind the success of this movie. Mr. Incredible is a retired superhero, put out of commission after the people he once spent his days saving from certain destruction rejected him. He and his superhero family now live mundane, middle class lives. Once danger reveals itself again, the Incredibles must return to superhero status in order to save the society, once again, from inevitable devastation. The author sees that the parallels the Incredibles share with America during this time are what lend it support among many Americans. America is now living off past glory, but many are becoming tired of this empty, grandiose promise. They need a new threat, terrorism, to show that they can still do great things, and ‘save’ the world. In the end, it incites a very real fear that the current war will be brought to America, when Cyndrome brings his weapons of mass destruction over to the Incredibles’ home town.

Citing the same reasons “The Incredibles” was successful, Croft makes another argument citing why “The Last Samurai” was not. The movie is about a respected, decorated military officer who was the sole survivor in a mission to defeat the great Samurai in Japan. Captured by these people, he assimilates to their ways, which involve a kind of morality lost in American values of that time, and learns to respect them. It is believed that the failure of this movie and the brutal criticism it received directly relate to the fact that it was a criticism of popular American policies.

Can the War on Terror Be Won?

This article can be found here.

November 26, 2009

Theorist Philip Gordon finds the goal of this so called “War on Terror” to be quite unclear. What is a victory with so broad an issue, and for that matter, what is terrorism? Traditionally, victory is when one nation finally forces another to accept given political ideology; so this war implies that all terrorists across nations must be defeated and accept the ideology given by the American government. This will not happen. Gordon believes the strategy needs to be more specific to call for the elimination of terrorist threats to the degree where they no longer affect the daily lives of citizens, a much more feasible outline. It is a key characteristic of war that it must eventually end, but this new War on Terror has the capability to last forever, as there will always be an infinite supply of terrorists. Rather, it is like the Cold War; which ended only when a certain ideology lost its appeal. Trying to end terrorism is counterproductive since costs would eventually outweigh benefits, and also lends the war a Utopian visage. Gordon cites patience and resolve and the only way to win this war, while simultaneously promoting alternative hopes to enemies. To him, victory will be when al Qaeda, the international terrorist group, no longer exists; not all terrorism in general. As the atrocities incited by these terrorist groups continue to build up, the support for these jihadists will eventually erode, especially as their violent efforts continue to kill fellow Muslims. Citing Fundamentalist Islam’s failure as a political regime in all the regions its been tried in, there’s reason to believe that with economic promotion and procurement of a middle class, Islam nations will break away from terrorist ideology. The author’s fatal flaw is his belief that the War on Terror is a clone of the Cold War, and all we need to do is copy the actions taken during that period to overcome our current crisis. Not only is that highly risky, as we are dealing with a new kind of enemy willing to die for their cause, but it is also ignorant, as the situation could never possibly be replicated.

The Culture of National Security: Norms and Identity in World Politics

This article can be found here.

November 25, 2009

Martha Finnemore’s main argument is that neither liberalist nor realist perspectives can provide adequate explanations for military intervention for humanitarian causes or preventative measures, since geostrategic and economic interests are not always involved. She adopts, instead, a constructionist’s standpoint. Shifts in intervention behavior reflect changes in norms regarding moral beliefs in military intervention, such as the definition of who is ‘human’, and thus deserving of humanitarian action. Classical liberals might promote the idea that intervention in nations with insignificant value economically may indicate a desire to spread democracy, but this still doesn’t explain humanitarian efforts. Interests cannot be assumed; rather, they must be interpreted for every unique situation. Norms determine interests, and interests are what determine action of the state, but norms do not directly affect action. Justifications, or reasons for action, are indicators of existing norms, as they are used to help explain feats of the state. Institutionalization of norms, by why which norms evolve when they become integrated into systems, also account for the progression of norms. Humanitarian intervention requires exclusive interest and identification in the peoples needing help. Eventually, humanitarian interests expanded to helping victims based on a new universal belief of humanity. I found it interesting, as Finnemore pointed out, that colonialism both began and ended as a humanitarian crusade to aid the ‘primitive’ peoples. There are conflicting views between ideas of state sovereignty and human rights, and which should be held to a higher standard. Today, it is not enough to intervene solely on the idea of humanitarianism, as it is viewed with suspicion. Unilateralism (action by one state) in intervention has been viewed as very expensive compared to multilateralism, which is known for making intervention measures more difficult since there is shared power. Intervention must be multilateral to be legitimate, since that is the only way for it to gain acceptance in the UN. Multilateralism of the 19th century was not driven by norms as it is today, but through the idea that one state acting alone would encourage adventurism, so in these times interventionism was marked by competitiveness and fear.

Power in International Politics

This excerpt can be found here.

November 24, 2009

Political power is cited by E.H. Carr, the author of this article, to be divided between economic power, power of opinion, and military power. The word ‘political’ is always applied to situations concerning power. When states cooperate on matters of “controlling the spread of epidemics or “suppressing the traffic in drugs”, this is not politics, because there is no concern over power. “Politics begin where the masses are,” as Lenin said, which references the fact that power mostly exists among regions with high populations or with greater prominence in the global community. An apt example given by Carr is that one is less interested in relations between Nicaragua and Great Britain, and more interested in politics between Great Britain and Japan. Carr sees many issues with Liberalist theory, as this ideology shares the same intentions as realism, but hides this fact with more subtle political tones. After WWI with the League of Nations, there was an idea that small nations would have no voice, as the League of Nations was created mostly for the benefit of the Great Powers. Like the previous article discussed, Power Politics today have been disguised under the name of “security”, and the effort to protect one's nation using sometimes preventative measures. In reality, war is never morality versus a villainous pursuit of power, but rather two nations competing over power. The treaty resulting from the Ruhr Invasion was unfulfilled when one nation, France, felt they had greater power over the weaker one, Germany. But as Germany became more powerful, only then was France willing to begin acting on the treaty’s agreements. This was spurred by a fear of power, not a desire to create diplomatic relations as the Liberal perspective espouses. The Locarno Treaty had ultimately failed when Germany no longer feared France, and France began to fear Germany., as “effective control of any government depends on its source of power.” Treaties and their effects don’t last forever; but the new mandates system trying to internationalize the globe has the same influences and appears as if it will have more lasting effects. If different states shared power within a same territory, their efforts to exert their separate strengths would incite rivalry and lead to increasingly more devastating wars.

America's Imperial Ambition

This article can be found here.

November 23, 2009

Modern American strategy is marked by the use of "preemptive and preventative" use of force, without the consent of the international community. This political stance threatens diplomatic relations and political stability. Containment policy began in the Cold War Era, and should have ended with the collapse of the USSR. Ikenberry sees this period as the first to use nuclear arms as a potential deterrent, and also views it as productive to the creation of necessary partnerships through international organizations. When President Bush came to power, he drove these realist ideals to new heights, rejecting Clinton's policies of improving national concerns and opting for a more international focus, namely integrating Russia into western ideologies. Ikenberry also cites Liberalist persuasions in American global politics, fundamentally founded upon economic prosperity by discouraging the use of trade blocs or rivalry. Unfortunately, these institutions tended to unite only the Democratic industrialized nations, and only contributed to the prosperity of these nations at the expense of those nations that are excluded. Trade expansion was seen as conducive to fighting terrorism. But America's recent protectionist measures have presented a loss of interest in this peace-promoting trend. Before actions like this were ever promoted by US politics, the global community was willing to see them as the supreme world leader. Now, the global community is becoming concerned over how much power they have, and whether or not they are using it for the good of all. The key problem is that the US sees the responsibility as global power as including the necessity of containing aggression by exerting their superior military strength. This belief has only been encouraged by the lack of competitiveness in obtaining the status of world power, disrupting the balance of power doctrine. America has grown so ignorant to believe that if they advance so far ahead of all other powers, the other states will simply give up and allow them to remain the permanent leader of the globe. But a new type of organization, terrorist groups, act outside of these traditional values or accepted rules and will not adhere to trends; this is the key reason that the US is pushing for the total elimination of these entities. The fear today is that, while these groups are willing to die for their cause, states cannot, based on the moral codes and laws that they promote in governance, willingly allow this to occur with the people they are intended to keep safe and secure. Since the US has taken the strategy of attacking all areas under the suspicion of housing terrorist groups, and these groups lend themselves to ease in flux, there has been a lessened interest in sovereignty. Also, new US strategy exchanges isolationism for pure rejection of global action, like treaties or institutions. The US belief that they are the sole great power has driven their idea that they are also the only ones with the authority to act aggressively against suspicious nations. Until the US states what this war will contribute to international order in the end, the global community will continue to loose interest in the cause.

The interesting aspect of Ikenberry's argument is his total regard for the US as an unwaivering and permanent global power whose military and economic prowess far exceeds those of possible competitors. Many critics would probably argue that the United States is actually slipping away from that status as Asian powers gain significant promenence in economic arenas. It could be a matter of a couple decades that sees China taking the place as global leader, especially considering the astounding speed at which they advance technologically and the profound importance that plays in considering states to be top global competitors. Also, Ikenberry chooses to simultaneously expose the US distancing itself from international organizations and promoting the global community to place a larger emphasis on these groups. "The US needs cooperation from European and Asian countries..." It's hypocritical to wish the outside community to do more of something that you acnowledge your own country avoids doing itself. If you must do this, you must also recognize the need for your own nation to adopt these similar policies. It's near impossible for these states to cooperate if the United States, as the leading global power, refuses to take part in this.

Cosimo Cavallaro versus Bill Donoghue

This video can be found here.

November 19, 2009

Artist Cosmo Cavallaro was highly criticised by Bill Donoghue after showing his piece, "My Sweet Lord" at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City. The sculpture depicts an anatomically correct Christ molded from chocolate. The simple meaning of the piece is clear- Cavallaro wanted the viewer to be engulfed in the sense of sweetness, in not only sight and mind, but also in the sense of taste. While his artistic voice should be respected, one can easily speculate the connotations such a piece would present to the public. The piece may draw offense from Cavallaro's audience since there is a degredation involved in not only presenting Christ as completely nude, but displaying him as a sculpture to be eaten by the public. To some this may be quite a sacraligious act, but maybe the artist is actually making a statement on how commonly Christian images are degraded in culture on a day-to-day basis. Afterall, every Easter the stores sell chocolate crosses and profit immensely from this sacred religious holiday. But since public art, after all, is supposed to be made for the people viewing it, the piece would probably be more appropriate in a gallery where art critics would be more likely to pick up on these connotations and be less likely to grow offended, since they subjected themselves to that particular situation by willingly entering the establishment knowing the risk involved. On all counts, Bill Donoghue acted supremely immature and in effect invalidated his position's arguments. His statements were far more offensive than calm and cool Cavallaro could ever be in his artwork. I believe the line was officially and fully crossed at the point where Donoghue alienated the artist profession by professing that he had a "real job".

The Real WW IV

This article can be found here.

November 18, 2009.

To some, the war on terror is World War IV, and Bacevich admits that calling it a global war has its benefits, because it’s an easy historical analogy to place the war into in order to incite the attention of the population; but he also finds it to be misleading. One, it ignores the fact that Americans have become more fascinated with the use of military power since Vietnam. Also, calling it WW IV it erases a lot of complicated history that this analogy ignores. Modern society has created a “simplicity” of current historical understandings. For example, history leading up to this war is usually written in three parts: Cold War, Post Cold War, Post 9/11. But the real war began in 1980 under Jimmy Carter. Carter gave a series of speeches talking about what was going on in American society, problems that were much deeper than unemployment. He belived Americans had turned away from what mattered; they now worship consumption. Oil is used to create this “stuff” that we desire so much of, so we constantly want more of the oil in order to satiate this desire. The Carter Doctrine in 1980 called upon the “preservation of the American way of life”. It said we should cut down on the things we buy and go back to other values, like religion. Does “freedom” have to refer solely to economic freedom, the freedom to buy “stuff”? He examines “The Road Not Taken” when America chose the easy route by voting for Reagan over Cater. Doing so allowed them to avoiding the issue of consumerism, and ultimately militarism.
He also cites 2 competing US interests in the MidEast: our increasing oil dependence and our alliance with Israel. He found that the legacy of the 1991 Gulf War had only increased US commitments to this war. Public support for the Iraq War following 9/11 was characterized by "self-induced historical amnesia" and uncritical attitudes toward military power.

Plenary Session on the Relevance of the United Nations

This article can be found here.

November 17, 2009

This session scheduled on June 26, 2003 was called into place in order to re-evaluate the relevance of the UN in a changed world, a world characterized by increasingly aggressive acts of terrorism. There are aspects of the UN that have been undoubtedly successful, namely those that confront humanitarian causes; but their purpose of confronting threats to peace and security are lax. The UN has also successfully regulated trade between states, as there has also been much development in improving international criminal laws. Some believe that the world has forever been changed with the falling of the Twin Towers, a world that can no longer profit from the creation of international coalitions. First, the UN needs to be updated from its 1945 organization to account for a world made up of states with not only national ties, but also global ones. Second, it needs to appear more transparent, legitimate, and encouraging of participation. Third, all of its member must act selflessly, leading to a more efficient coalition. The key is creating greater accountability among member states in their local, national, and international levels. NGOs are only unsuccessful when used to make military campaigns. Mary Robinson speaks more for the importance of the UN as an enforcer of humanitarian rights, rather than one of security between nations.

U.N. Requires Fundamental Reforms

This article can be found here.

November 16, 2009

The UN had always been a major concern of the United States in terms of management issues. The US found the first loophole in the system by withholding their funding. This gave the United States a “theoretical veto” by introducing the use of consensus and results based budgeting. The one vote structure gives smaller nations way more for what they contribute to the organization. These nations are the US’s biggest opposition when it comes to efforts to create reforms. The UN’s credibility problem can only be solved by greater transparency and accountability. Only then will America begin to see the legitimacy of this organization. The questions that need to be answered in order to improve the quality of the UN include: What is the UN supposed to do? Uphold and protect the rights of people all across the globe, and all other things of humanitarian character. It is clear that the organization is not doing this, since there have been 300 wars since its founding, yet it has only been involved in preventing two of these. What must be done for the UN to return to its original intention? What means are available for accomplishing this goal and what is the best option? You can’t change the charter since that would lead to a decades-long fight. Instead, the US should withdraw from things they don’t approve and watch the UN try to change that organization to better fit the standards of the US. Democracy driven caucuses should also be created to unite countries with common interests in reform. Membership qualifications should be stricter to include only peace loving, non aggressive nations that do not continually break international law. The UN needs to “clean house”.

The Fog of War

The Fog of War: an Oscar Winning 2004 documentary.

November 13, 2009

In this spectacular documentary, Robert McNemara, the leader of the Department of Defense under Kennedy and Johnson, outlines several tips he used in dealing with war, based on the notion that the point is to learn from the acts of war, not to simply destroy nations. First, he cites empathizing with one's enemy as a way to avoid war, since you can detect the weaknesses and subtelties of another nation and find a point of common interest to build a sense of peace on. Secondly, he states that rationality will not save us, since luck is often involved in preventing wars. Third, he hopes that one can recognize that there exists something beyond one's self. Fourth, maximizing efficiency is a given when in a war environment. Fifth, proportionality should be a guideline in war. It is against some moral standard of war-making to kill over 100,000 people in one night, and that unwritten guideline should be accepted by all. Sixth, get the data, as it will save lives and prevent war. Seventh, belief and seeing are both often wrong, since we see what we want to see. Eighth, be prepared to re-examine your reasoning, as situations can change rapidly. Ninth, In order to be good, often you must engage in evil; since war is by nature, evil.

Mexico City Journal: Where the Swearing Is All About the Context

This article can be found here.

November 12, 2009

Recent studies on swearing in Mexico found several surprising facts about the prevalence of cursing in this nation. Apparently, Mexican people have a "reputation in Latin America for [their] ultrapoliteness and formality", though the article never explains why the audience should think that way, and I most certainly never knew that as a general fact. As in America, these terms have developed multiple meanings, sometimes implying endearment. The article did use a clever technique of integrating Spanish words into its format, first introducing the term "groserías", or curse words, to connect the American audience to their foreign counterparts. This allows the author to relate these notonriously bad-mouthed nations more easily. Lacey also draws on our own experience of cursing in our own culture to explain the use of such words in the Mexican culture. "Those swearing the most, not surprisingly, were the young people." Here, the author is relating American youth's practice of cursing as similar to its popularity among youth in Mexico. To further emphasize the point that geography -rather, proximity to the US- plays a major role in this trend, the author includes important data about Northern Mexico, the region closest to the US border, having the dirtiest of language in all the nation. The author also creativly ties the increasing use of profanities to the increasingly depressing economic state. The author ended well by questioning the significant of curse words at all when they are so commonly used.

Frontline: The Triumph of Evil

November 10, 2009

The triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.


(Left) During his three-hour stop in Rwanda, the President apologized for the international community's failure to stop the genocide that occurred in that country four years ago.

This Frontline Special followed up on the Rwandan genocide and the question of whether or not it is the obligation of Democratic nations to intervene in these events. Though the United States may have stated its desire to maintain their respect of state sovereignty as their reason for ignoring the events occuring in these nations, the Clinton administration simply had no interest in Rwandan affairs. There were no natural reasources they were gaining from this region that would make the country of any concern to the US, and so they allowed the genocide to occur, thinking that it would eventually sink into oblivion. But the massacre ended up being much more devastating than expected. Still, Clinton officials were too afraid to call the event a genocide, since many believed using strong words such as this may affect the outcome of upcoming congressional elections. When Clinton finally went to Rwanda to give his apologies for the lack of concern the international community had for the terror that occured in their nation, he used the word "genocide" eleven times.

Guest Speaker: Ted Spiker

November 9, 2009

Professor Ted Spiker stood at the head of the class with a carefully wrapped parcel. "A magazine cover is like wrapping paper." He carefully placed the package on the desk for the entire class to see as he began his lecture on 'Sneaky Interviewing Tactics for Great Storytelling". The goals of the interview are: gaining colorful, revealing information that gives insight into the character of the person in question. He lets you in on what this colorful information is: writing suggesting action, description, dialogue, anecdotes, emotion, things that make the story feel like real life. He then cites the basics to interviewing: being prepared, having one's tools ready, and getting ready to have a conversation, not an interview. Spiker listed ten tips to remember when conducting interviews. First, get in the game. In other words, an interview doesn't always have to be in an office setting. It's always best to observe them in their natural environment. Second, know the hot questions, or the questions that will inctie the most emotion. Third, listen and follow up. Fourth, be the bad cop in what you ask, and the good cop in how you ask it. The goal is to get knee deep in information on yor person, but not to make that person uncomfortable in doing so. Fifth, be a drummer. Be aware of everything around you and be able to multi-task. Sixth, keep your mouth shut. During uncomfortable silences, don't feel obligated to speak. Give that duty to the person you are interviewing, as that's often a way to get even more information thant the person was originally willing to give. Seventh, thank your english literature teacher for teaching you such things as personification and foreshadowing, because all are excellent tools in creating incredible stories. Eighth, always go on a second date. An interview doesn't have to be a one-time event. Ninth, think like a fighter. Distract your subject with soft jab questions, then follow it with powerful, tough questions. Tenth, leave your audience shocked and compelled. By the end of the lecture, Spiker took questions from the audience, one of which asked about the parcel that sat quaintly on the edge of the podium. "What's inside the box?" the girl asked. He threw it to her; and after several agitating minutes of trying to figure out how to open the package, she discovered that inside that box was a twenty dollar bill. Always listen and follow up, you might profit from it in the end.

Blackouts Plague Energy-Rich Venezuela

This article can be found here.

November 7, 2009

Even being one of the most energy-wealthy nations in the world, with abundant resources of oil and hydroelectic technology, will not save you from the torment of poor management. It is such poor management that has contributed to the blackouts that have characterized much of Venezuela's energy problems over the past two years. Since, six nationwide blackouts have ocurred, and water is continually decreasing in supply. The government believes that the problem will be solved by making all uses of energy more expensive to its already poor residents, rather than making their power distributors more effective. All efforts to build new plants are slow moving and the president seems to believe that mocking his citizens as obsessive consumers will dissuade further consumption of energy. Like Castro once did in Cuba, Chavez travelled around his nation condemning all signs of luxury, or oligarchs (upper class): swimming pools, obese people, gardens, etc. Renewable energy plans were halted and the president refuses to use their oil reserves, as they are difficult to extract from the Earth. This simply shows the negligence and apathy shown by the Mexican government concerning public services, which is quite odd for a Socialist nation founded upon ideas of offering uniform, equal services for all to enjoy and profit from.

The Saturday Profile: Back From the Suburbs to Run a Patch of Somalia

This article can be found here.

November 5, 2009

(Left)"It was hard for my wife and kids. But I'm doing something big here, and they know that."

The tone of the article in the introductory paragraph of this article suggests that the author, Jeffrey Gettleman, finds the fact that a man from Minnesota was asked to rule a part of Somalia to be quite comical and ridiculous. He relies on the man's appearance, "oversiz[ed]", "wearing a golf cap, huge sunglasses, baggy jeans, and an iPhone on his hip", to describe him rather than his leadership skills. Gettleman even uses the phrase "mind-boggling" when describing the expectations of this man "who dresses and talks like a rapper". But, as the article goes on, it appears that Gettleman was only using this skepticism to surprise the reader, as Mr. Aden appears to have created more peace in this war-driven nation than any previous rulers. New businesses, rules, police force, and schools have been installed under his guidance. He is a strong believer in creating government from the bottom up, something Somali elders saw in his fast efforts in aiding in the recent Somali droughts, which ultimately led them to believe he would be the perfect ruler of their small providence. His only enemy are the pirates, whom Aden seems to believe he can fend off with a little help in resources.

*“We needed a man of peace and he is from a peaceful place, Minnesota,” said one elder, Mohamed Ali Farah. *

Just how Gettleman began his article out of humor, he ends it the same way. All the middle information is employed to defy the reader's assumptions, which were originally based on the use of his humor.

Honduran Security Forces Accused of Abuse

This article can be found here.

November 4, 2009

The caption of the picture above read "A man lay wounded after a shot in the head during another rally in July." It looks more fatal to me.

The picture to the right is one of the most awkward photos I've ever seen. The guy looks like he's on the phone while everyone's getting bludgeoned and the caption reads that this was a "pro-Zelaya student demonstration", while most of these people look to be professors.

Ever since President Zelaya's exile, security forces have attempted to fend off protest by beating or arresting people found associated with any form of opposition. Eleven people have been killed since the coup took place on June 28th and how many injuries have been reported. Mr. Zelaya secretly returned to Honduras two weeks ago, taking refuge at the Brazilian Embassy.

People are fearing the upcoming elections more than ever. Will enough people vote following mass discomfort with how the last president was removed and will great powers like the United States choose to recognize the election as legitimate, or continue to support the ousted president?

Driven the Distraction: When Texting Kills, Britain Offers Path to Prison

This article can be found here.

November 2, 2009

The British government has chosen to take a tougher stance on accidents directly resulting from texting, particularly accidents that lead to casualties. 22-year-old Phillipa Curtis was the first victim of its harsh sentencing when she was given almost two years of jailtime after getting into an accident resulting in the death of 24-year-old Victoria McBryde. Since records had shown that Curtis had been texting minutes before the event and had received an unopened message only moments before, prosecutors argued that Curtis had been looking down at her phone when the accident occurred. Though this seemed to be mere interpretation, the courts had felt as if they had to prosecute Curtis in order to make an example out of her and the effects of texting while driving. Surprisingly, several of McBryde's friends had also found the decision to be harsher than deserved, as they realized how much they, too, text on their phones while driving. The victim herself had sent a message and talked on the phone during her drive. Still, chief justice Lloyd Jones found the sentencing to be quite lenient.

Deal Set to Restore Ousted Honduran President

This article can be found here.

October 31, 2009

When simply one's presence brings terror to a nation's entire government, one knows the strength of one's power. After only two days of American officials being on Honduran soil, the same government that so violently ousted President Zelaya, signed an agreement to let him back into the nation. The United States promised the de facto government that their upcoming elections would not be recognized if Zelaya was not restored his position as President until those elections took place. Neither Zelaya or the man who took his place after the coup, Micheletti, will be on the upcoming ballot. The only obstacle preventing Zelaya's return is approval from Congress, the very institution that sanctified the coup to begin with. The thousands of protestors that had been oppressed by armed forces only a month ago, were not celebrating across the capital.

The article included contributing reports from Mark Landler from Islamabad, Pakistan. The legitimacy of his report seems like it should be held under much scrutiny since he is almost 9,000 miles away from the event he is reporting on.

In a Coup in Honduras, Ghosts of Past U.S. Policies

This article can be found here.

October 30, 2009

On Sunday morning, June 28, 2009, President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras awakened to the sound of cocked guns. After a twenty minute gunfight between his guards and the Honduran army, the soldiers escorted Zelaya to the airport to be exiled in Costa Rica. All of this took place the day after the president made a spontaneous move to hold a public vote that would give the option to allow for his eligibility in the upcoming presidential election. Doing so would lengthen his 4 year term limit and question the legitimacy of the Honduran Constitution. Earlier in the week, the president had also made drastic moves to remove the leader of the armed forces and the Supreme Court had ruled Zelaya’s intention to altering the constitution as unlawful. Zelaya had been leading an effort to change the Central American nation's constitution for quite a while before he was finally ousted, and there had always been a suspicion that there would be an attempt to arrest the president. No one expected something as drastic as a violent coup d’état.

The day following the coup, President Barack Obama held a press conference condemning the act as setting a "terrible precedent" for the region. Many believe that his adament rejection of the overthrow was meant to defy the assumption of outside peoples that America may have had a hand in the aggressive maneuver. It goes back to the Cold War, a time when it was not uncommon for the United States to interfere with Latin American governments under the influence of communist governments. In Guatemala, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and many other nations, America asserted its democratic ideology by backing the party in opposition to Communism, either monetarily or with weapons. For example, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela said that the C.I.A. may have had a hand in the president’s removal. Of course, he may be drawing from his experience with the Bush administration, which in 2002 offered a rapid, tacit endorsement of a short-lived coup against Mr. Chávez.

Forty Years War: A Place Where Cancer is the Norm

This article can be found here.

October 27, 2009

Gina Kolata, the author of this article writes an emotional and inspiring article about cancer patients at MD Anderson, the nation's leading cancer research center in Houston, Texas. She uses intimate stories of cancer patients and small anecdotes to bring herself closer to the piece. For example, she alludes to Tomas Mann's "Magic Mountain", a story about a introverted sanatorium in the 'flatlands' where finding a cure for tuberculosis is the main mission of its inhabitants. After creating this personal connection to the article, Kolata then offers the reader several emotionally touching stories of cancer patients at the hospital. They are patients like 35-year-old Mindy Lanoux of San Antonio, who has melanoma that has spread to her liver and lungs, her odds of surviving in the single digits. They are patients like 35-year-old Mindy Lanoux of San Antonio, who has melanoma that has spread to her liver and lungs, her odds of surviving in the single digits. Also, a Dr. Martin Raber, an oncologist — and a cancer patient himself — at Anderson. The sources she uses are unique because they all have cancer, yet they come from all different levels of experience with the disease- from doctors to nurses to ordinary patients. This backs the author's theme of discovering the prevalence of the devastating disease in this "parallel universe, where nothing matters but cancer". She continues to tell these series of stories of cancer patients, accounting for everything from hope and hopelessness, fortune and misfortune, life and death. Kolata has created an epic out of an article. The rest of the article continues in this fashion as short, touching quotes are injected throughout the body of the work. (For example, when Mrs. Toland was speaking with her son George: “Most people lose their innocence in little doses as they go through life. You lost yours all at once.”) The article ends with the story of Dr. Raber who had the disease plague him and his once 'perfect' career, leading him to realize that cancer wasn't about curing a disease or succombing to it; it was about dealing with it for the rest of your life, because of the high risk that it with return. But he finishes on a positive note, understanding that having cancer affect his life so deeply has allowed him to better understand his patients and their own battles with cancer.

Guest Speaker: Mike Foley

October 26, 2009

Before he became the professor of the Journalism course at the University of Florida in 2001, Mike Foley had a successful newspaper career from 1970 to 1999. From 1920-1973, Foley worked at the St. Petersburg Evening Independent. From 1973 to 1999, he found his niche at Florida's largest newspaper, the St. Petersburg Times. He worked his way up the ladder from city editor, to managing editor, to executive editor, and finally to vice president. Many great writers came and went under his vigil as vice president of the St. Petersburg Times, including Rick Bragg. He recalled his greatest story, coincidentally one of the greatest disasters to ever occur in the St. Petersburg area, as the day a ship crashed into the skyway bridge. 7:38 AM, May 9, 1980, Foley received a call from one of his employees who tipped him off on the event. From there, he began to give out orders to his reporters, sending them to several different areas across the site in order to gather eye-witness reports. By the end of the day, Foley had 23 different stories to choose from. He cites that good editors are able to take a story and make it better-- even if it was good to begin with.

The hierarchy of the newspaper business is as follows: Executive Manager --> Managing Editor --> Assistant Managing Editor --> Metro Editor --> Assistant Metro Editor --> City Editor --> Assistant City Editor --> Reporter

The different types of editors can be described as: Assigning, Copy/Desk/Design, Administrative, Opinions, Online, and Photo/Illustrations