Class Summary 11/17
On Friday we took notes on the last part of the note for Chapter 7. We started to watch the movie
A Short History of the Middle East and filled out a study guide along with it. There is a test on Monday!! Make sure to study! Senior to Sophomore people your second paper is due this next Wednesday.
*The Geography of fossil Fuels*
-oil is unevenly distributed in the area
-Saudi Arabia, Iran, U.A.E., Libya, & Algeria contribute significantly in oil production while Morocco and Sudan have few developed petroleum reserves
-this region has 7% of the world's population, holds 68% of the world's proven petroleum reserves
*Higher-Income Oil Exporters*
-Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, U.A.E. benefit greatly
-cultural landscapes reshaped because of oil wealth
-not all benefits rural Shiite Muslims and foreign workers
*Lower-Income Oil Exporters*
-Algeria oil and natural gas are its top exports, but political instability remains a problem
-Iran has huge oil reserves but long war with Iraq (1980-90) and withdrawal from world trade under fundamentalist, have lower living status
*Prospering Without Oil*
-Israel has highest living standard in the region
-Turkey has a diversified economy, has seen growth
-economic reform in Tunisia
-Lebanon ha potential for prosperity through tourism and telecommunications
*Regional Economic Patterns*
-Sudan's economy ruined by civil war
-Morocco is poorer than Algeria or Tunisia and suffers from brain drain
Brain Drain- migration of the best-educated people from developing countries to nation where economic opportunities are greater
-Egypts prospects unclear, with growth in the 1990's, but large gaps between the rich and poor
-Yemen is the poorest country in the Arabian Penisula
*Varied Regional Patterns*
-Israel has high living standard; but Jewish majority doing much better than Muslim minority
-Saudi Arabia has lower figures of social well-being the might be expected
*A Women's Changing World*
-worlds lowest female workforce participation
-in some countries of the regions, women are not allowed to work outside of the home or drive
-Libya sees modernizing women's role as a high priority
*Changing Global Linkage*
-oil is the major export of the region
-oil makes up 70% of the regions exports
-OPEC still influences cost and availability of petroleum
-Turkey exports textiles, food products & manufactured goods
-Israeli exports include cut diamonds, electronics, machinery parts
-tourism includes religious and historical sites, other activities
*Regional Connections*
-relationships with the EU are critical, Turkey asks to join EU
-Arab League formed in 1945
-Arab Free-Trade Area 1998
*The Geography of Tourism*
-Ancient historical sites and globally significant religious localities are a large draw
-Tourist hotels and condos on Mediterranean
-Tourism is a large part of the regional economy in Turkey, Israel, and Egypt
-Impact to visual landscape, physical environment and archeologist sites
As the title says, the Dutch government is considering a law that would ban the wearing of the burqa, a sort of head to toe garment, and other clothing that hides the entire face in public. Naturally, the Muslim community within the Netherlands is startled and, while not enraged, are frustrated by the new law, which could be interpreted to be unconstitutional, as it discriminates against a specific religion. The underlying issue is security, which seems to be the cookie cutter excuse for every new law nowadays, even if the "security hole" it plugs up seems to be quite small. The Dutch Muslim organization CMO has stated that the ban is "an overreaction to a very marginal problem". that "it's just ridiculous," as said by Ayhan Tonca, a member of the organization. She estimates that a staggering 30 people wear a burqa in all of Netherlands. Generally, most of Europe seems to be heading in this kind of direction, but most are more...lax than the Dutch. Case in point: Germany. Germany has outlawed teachers to wear head scarves in public schools, but that's it.
Seriously, just because you find a handful of Muslim terrorists with plans to blow-up airplanes bound for the US doesn't mean that every Muslim has ambitions to bring the Western world down. Yes, the plan was twisted and scary, but every region, every country, every religion has its' share of nut jobs that take the interpretations of their holy text too far. Its almost trivial how the Dutch seem to think that they will stay on top of security with this new law. News flash: people with malignant intentions disguise themselves as average people. OK...ranting over...
Class summary 11/15 (a little late)
On wednesday we went to the Lab and worked on our GIS project. That is about all that we did.
Recently in the United Nations there has been division on what actions to take in response to Iran’s continuing nuclear program. Certain countries such as China and Russia are arguing that the option of military action should be completely eliminated. While other countries mainly the Unites States claim that military action is our greatest threat against Iran and if we don’t have that option than Iran will not take the U.N. seriously. I can see why countries fear using a military invasion especially if Iran does develop nuclear warheads. But I do believe that taking a passive approach would not likely change Iran’s current actions. If the U.N. security counsel completely eliminated the option of military force no good will result. The government of Iran would likely see this as a sign of weakness and dissention in the U.N. They would continue their program as long as nobody took a serious stand against them. I also think that if we were to threaten them with military action they would likely submit to the U.N.’s wishes. I also believe that this decision might set a precedent for future actions the U.N. Security Counsel will take. Such as the nuclear program in North Korea. If we go soft on Iran that will send the signal to North Korea that the U.N. is afraid to back its words and they will continue to defy and ignore the U.N.’s orders.
Fourteen contractors in Iraq were abducted today. Some of which were Americans. It all started a standard military truck stop where they were abducted. As well as those individuals being abducted we have sent even MORE troops to Anbar, a providence of Iraq to fight over there. There were also fifteen people killed in an insurgent attack on a backery as well. There were also bodies found as well as 70 hostages taken were still missing. Ones that returned reported events of individuals being tortured.
In the day the total amount of individuals killed is 17 and 55 bodies were found. To the date the U.S. deaths rose to 2,857 along with seven military contractors.
I have done many posts on the war and thought that the violence would gradually decline but obviously I was wrong. This is just one example of a horrible day in Iraq and this still should not be happening. I don't believe we are pulling out anytime soon because we sent 2,000 more troops into the war. How can we pull some out when we are still sending in? I think this is ridiculous and we need to get out of Iraq now so they can learn how to lead their own government. I say give it two more months and then we start pulling out. We can't keep risking our soldiers lives for a better life over there.
For more information on the torturing and hostage situation here is the link.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/16/iraq.kidnappings/index.html
Violence makes living 'a nightmare' in Iraq, says Caritas official.
Today in Iraq, there are many conflicts and violent acts that are affecting many people every single day. The newspaper article that I recently read describes the hardships they have suffered due to these issues and wars. Since the US-led invasion in Iraq the increase in malnutrition and poverty had increased enormously. Many people lack the food and resources to go throughout a day with ease. They rarely have more than a few hours of entertainment a day and many don't get the minimal level of nourishment they need.
They often suffer from increased mortality during the war. Such moralities are physical trauma with gun shots, bombs, etc. Also from infectious diseases from landmines and bombs which are effecting their respiratory systems. Another issue is morbidity and the wide range causes that causing it. Diseases, injuries, nutrition and health, and mental stability are all reasons for morbidity in the area. Mental status is a long term effect from the war and is hurting many people. The trauma and issues they receive may not seem like a big deal at the time but effect people for such a long time after it.
100,000 excess deaths have been reported since the 2003 invasion. The risk of violence in the past months after the invasion has more than double due to violence in Iraq. They lack the unity and patriotism for their own country and for ours. The issue among peace has been a large problem.
I think the issues in Iraq need to become less occurring or improved. I think the US can help with this. We need to help enable them more and not give them exactly what they need. By doing the work for them it doesn't strengthen them or even help them out for futuristic times. Our country is one of the wealthiest countries and more technologically advanced then Iraq and many other countries. Humanitarian aid and relief efforts from our country and others surrounding Iraq would make a large difference. I think if we help the Iraqis and give them support than this can be changed.
Violence in Iraq
Does the US Allow Torture?
Browsing BBC.com for the first time in a couple of weeks showed me many new and interesting articles, and an article that I found very alluring told about how Dick Cheney seemed to condone the use of torture on suspected terrorists. In an interview, Cheney was quoted saying “a dunk in the water" for terrorism suspects during questioning in order to save American lives was a "no-brainer". Several groups against torture were outraged that someone as high up as the vice president would say such a thing, and President Bush was reported to say that the United States government does not torture, and will not. After facing ridicule about the statement he made, Cheney claimed that what he meant was that it was a no-brainer for him and that he was not in favor of torture after all.
Now, the United States government may or may not approve of the torture of suspected terrorists. Regular citizens don’t really have a way of knowing whether or not torture is used during questioning, because of course the government will deny it if asked. What I think is that during extreme forms of interrogation, torture probably is a common practice. I also think that the methods used aren’t as severe as the ones depicted in movies and the likes, but still most likely effective.
To a certain extent, I’m okay with the use of torture to interrogate suspected terrorists when they refuse to talk. If they have information on future terrorist attacks on America, then we should be able to get that information any way we can. And I can almost guarantee that if America uses torture to interrogate, regular citizens won’t ever hear about it. What does everyone else think? Yes or no for the use of torture and does anyone think the US uses it?
Link to Article
16 Nov, 2006
Today's classtime was spent in the computer lab, working on Community Atlas projects. The census data from the school files was on the fritz, but there was time to search the web for any maps and information from other sources. Mrs. Hartman demonstrated how to request data from certain sites and have it emailed to you, which should be helpful for the projects.
Upcoming Due Dates:
Article on a conflict (other than the Palestinian-Israeli conflict) in North Africa & Southwest Asia and personal reflection on a quote from that article-- Due tomorrow, Friday Nov. 17.
Blogs
Senior to Sophomore students' paper #2-- Due next Wednesday. Remember to get them in to turnitin.com as well.
Community Atlas Projects-- Due at the end of the quarter.
I just read an exciting article on c|net news. Now with the democratic majority, the Net Neutrality act is likely to pass. For those of you who don't know what Net Neutrality is (which is far too many, unfortunately. Since it affects us teens, as well as global interconnectedness) it's the idea to keep the internet how it is. By that I mean everyone has a voice. Your small blog will load at the same rate that the McDonald's site will. However most republicans were against net neutrality. The idea was bigger sites that pay more will get more bandwidth, and smaller sites will get less if any. This means the big company pages will load fastest, but small blogs and webpages will load slower, if at all. This saves money for ISPs who have to pay large ammounts of money to keep up with server demands and bandwidth limitations. Not passing Net Neutrality allows the ISPs to decide who gets the faster connections, allowing them to make more money.
The internet has connected the world and many more things are possible. I was very scared the it would not pass because that would change everything that has made the internet so important and powerful. However, this article reassures me.
For more information on net neutrality, visit www.moveon.org
November 14th
This is a recap of class for today November 14th. We started by drawing trivia, and then we took notes. After concluding note taking we watched an informative video on the Israel/Palestine conflict, and completed a corresponding worksheet. Here are the notes for today:
-Colonial Legacy
European colonizing came late to the region.
The Ottoman Empire dominated.
Widespread European colonialism after WWI.
Political boundaries set by colonial powers.
-Imposing European Powers
French in Algeria since 1800 later in Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, and Lebanon.
British on the Arabian Peninsula, and the Persian Gulf by 1900.
Suez Canal was British engineered the canal links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea in 1869.
European banks influenced Egyptian economy.
British were instrumental in establishing Saudi Arabia.
Italians in Libya, Spanish in Morocco.
Turkey, Iran(Persia) never occupied.
-Decolonizing/independence
Europe began to withdraw before WWII.
Algeria became independent in 1962.
By 1950 most countries were independent.
-Modern Geopolitical Issues
Arab-Israeli conflict.
Creation of Israel in 1948.
Three Wars 1956, 1967(Irael gained most land), 1973.
Intifada 1987, Palestine uprising protesting Jewish settlement.
Ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
-Trouble In Iraq
Born in colonial era carved from British Empire in 1932.
Many different groups, Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Marsh Arabs.
US has troops in Iraq conflict continues.
-Politics Of Fundamentalism
Originated in Iran 1978-1979.
Shiites clerics (Khomeni) overthrew the Shah.
Sudanese fundamentalists overthrew democracy in 1989.
-Conflicts within States
Lebanon conflict among Sunnis and Shiites and Christians.
Results of spread of Palestine refugees to region.
Cyprus conflicts between Greeks and Turks.
Green Line= demarcation set up by UN peacekeepers that divided the capital of Nicosia in Cyprus.
-Uncertain Political Future
International political relations remain complex.
Israel and Turkey are US allies.
Iran and Syria oppose the United States.
Oil plays a role.
I think it’s kind of exciting to realize that we are part of history in the making. After all, come January 2007, when Congress reconvenes, Nancy Pelosi, will be the first woman to lead a major political party in either house of Congress, and also the first Italian American, and California to serve as speaker. I think that’s pretty neat. Ms. Pelosi will also be second in line to the president behind the vice president! She will be the most powerful woman ever to sit in Congress. Sounds rather neat to say, Ms. Speaker versus Mr. Speaker. Also, next year there will be 16 women in the senate with her.
http://select.nytimes.com/2006/11/09/opinion/09herbert.html CNN.Com published an article, “Beijing casts wary eye at Pelosi” I thought, “Way to Go, Nancy!” She has publicly stood up for the human mistreatment and labor abuses happening in China and was against trade relations in the 90’s. She was also against Beijing hosting the 2008 Olympics because of these wrong doings. China doesn’t like public statements against them, so I credit her for speaking up. Foreign Ministry officials in China have also been questioning American officials about her becoming speaker. I think this is also good. John Kamm, a human rights lobbyist in WA and Beijing said, “She sets the agenda. It’s her agenda.” He also said, “China’s starting to pay attention to her.” The article also mentioned that one indicator of how Pelosi will treat China, is if she decides to appoint another Californian who is critical of China, to lead the House International Relations Committee.
So in the months ahead I think it will be interesting to see what develops and how other countries around the world view her. I think change can be good and change can open doors to provide solutions in our country and in the world. Will she have any impact on the war in Iraq? It may take lots of cooperation from all parties to make this happen. What are your thoughts on Nancy Pelosi?
http://cnn.worldnews.printthis
A rather disturbing article appeared on MSNBC.com (Newsweek) in the Nov. 17th issue. It stated, “Globalization, post-Soviet poverty, and the European Union’s newly porous borders have made child trafficking the world’s fastest-growing branch of organized crime.” Stories of children being sold into prostitution/slavery aren’t uncommon and the problem seems to be growing. The United Nations estimated that worldwide the number of children trafficked was at 1.2 million. The European Union (EU) also mentioned that 120,000 women and children were affected. This article specifically focused on Europe.
Mentioned were illegal adoptions with gang involvement, girls in Eastern Europe forced into the sex-industry as well as boys as male prostitutes or involved in petty crimes, and Chinese kids working in sweatshops. West Africa kids were being sneaked into Europe to work as servants, but more disgustingly these kids are being used as sacrifices for tribes and their rituals. I knew that happened in early civilizations with the Aztec cultures, but c’mon this is 2006!
Europe’s broken legal system seems to be a big problem. “Laws on trafficking and migration vary enormously among The EU’s 15 member countries.” There will be 10 new members joining the union like Hungary where it was stated that women and children are at great risk. The United States has pressured Greece with sanctions if it didn’t improve, so Greece has set up a program to help victims. Europe is trying to develop a counter trafficking program but sounds very lax and mentioned that “success is a relative short term.” I thought this comment hit the nail on the head: “If a government can say, ‘We’ve raided 150 brothels and pulled out 300 women without passports,’ they can show a concrete, measurable response to the problem,”
Once again traffickers will prey on children in poverty, those with a lack of knowledge and education, and those where the legal systems won’t matter any way. With the poor economy in West Africa, “Families that don’t have anything are the most vulnerable.”
http://msnbc.com/id/3403542/
Today in class....
Today in class we took notes on religion, mostly Islamic. We learned that the Five Pillars of the religion are; to repeat the basic creed of acceptance, pray five times a day facing the Makkah, give charitable contributions, fast during the month of Ramadan and to make atleast one pilgrimage to the Mecca.We also discussed the difference between the Shiites and the Sunnis. The end of our notes was on the languages spoken in this region. We watched a video on Muslim women in the United States and discussed the religious rules they follow. A few points we discussed about the women included their traditional clothing and why it is worn. The movie pointed out it is used so that men are not attracted to the womens hair or face and give the women unwanted attention. We then read a paper on Women in the Middle East and completed a work sheet. Well thats about all for todays class.
As I'm sure all of you know, Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to death due to his role in the 1982 crackdown. Many Iraqis rejoiced but some responded by acting in protests. The Iraqi Ministry shut down two television stations that were accused of promoting violent acts.Not only that but curfews were also placed on all citizens and vehicles trying to make sure peace is kept in order.
I thought it was interesting since we just talked about it is that Shiites are jubilant about the sentence but ones in Hussein's own hometown are angry. I thought it was interesting as well that Hussein brought a Quran into the court room and shouted "Allahu Akhbar" or God is great. He was quite angry and yelled at the judge . President Bush believed this to be a great day for Iraqis and somewhere where they can move forward from.
The execution will be appealed and if it stands it will have to occur within 30 days. We do not know for sure how long it will take.
I thought this was quite interesting just because of the links to our classroom and the connections to religious origins. I personally am happy about the sentence because it takes away a horrible ruler that made the world a worse place. How does everyone else feel about the sentence? Sounds like the Iraq people are quite split.
Another link is here on the world's reaction-
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/05/hussein.world.reax/index.htmlAs well as a story on the time matter-
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/05/hussein.next/index.html
