Last Sunday, four people were kidnapped while in Somalia. Two were journalists Amanda Lindhout and Nigel Brenan. Brenan, a photojournalist from Australia, was taken hostage with Lindhout of Canada while in the city’s capital, Mogadishu. Along with the pair were Somalian photo journalist and interpreter, Abdifatah Mohammed Elmi and the trio’s driver. According to CNN, the journalists were returning back from interviewing people at a local refugee camp. Little information has been released on why or where the four victims are being held. Officials still do not know if there is a ransom involved or the perpetrators behind the act of intolerance.
Somalia has been in weak condition since 1991 and is in continuous conflict with different ethnic groups. Dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown at this time with the aid of warlords. This act obviously caused disagreements between clans and has kept the country in a constant stage of chaos. Although transitions are taking place in order to stabilize Somalia back into a livable state, issues such as these have caused this notion to remain preventative and impossible. The only known aid to the country’s capital is Ethiopian forces, who invaded Mogadishu in December 2006. Their agenda was to establish a new government in this location due to over a ten year period of near anarchy at their homeland. This event adds to the spiral downfall of ethnic peace and harmony the country of Somalia has been experiencing for close to seventeen years.
LINK: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/08/24/somalia.kidnap/index.html?iref=newssearch
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Extra Credit Opportunity - For you tech savvy creative types
Make your own Youtube video on Global Stratification (2 mins or more). You must mention a few of the key concepts from Chapter 1 of Sernau (Class, Economy, Neoliberalism, Modernization, Dependency, etc.), look for current statistics on global inequality, and you must also mention this class UNCG Soc 202... Here's an example.
Health of Afghan children jeopardized by family behaviors, not just war
August 30, 2008 (2:48)
When I read the title of this article I was immediately interested, because I didn’t see how the issue of child health could possibly be related to family behavior, but as I read on I found that it was true and the points brought about made a lot of since. They proved a good point stating that “shortages of water, food and shelter and the forced displacement of families from their homes are all associated with the prevalence of easily preventable illnesses and indicators of chronic poor health.” The article provided an example of a study done to prove this thesis. They explained how a research team took information on the children such as height and weight, along with a few other factors. Then they asked the mothers of the children a series of questions such as education level, whether or not they themselves had access to a physician and what their level of independence they had when making the decision on health care for their child. They found a correlation between the two.
I found it appealing as well as mind boggling that something like that could affect the other. Whenever I think about child illness the first thing that comes to mind is families that don’t have the funds to support their family and can’t pay to get the proper health care that the children need. I would have never suspected something such war and family behaviors would have caused illness, not in this way at least.
http://www.newspostonline.com/world-news/health-of-afghan-children-jeopardized-by-family-behaviors-not-just-war-200808303386
Friday, August 29, 2008
How real is Mauritania's terror threat? Sarah Welch August 29,2008 @ 4:45
Mauritania's new military leader General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz overthrew the democratically elected president with his promises to end the countries "terrorist menace." However, after General Abdelaziz statement, analyists believe that the terror problem has been elevated to a significant problem rather than what some believed to be an election ploy. In addition, US government froze military funding in this region in protest to the extremists. Because of Mauritania's location, it is geographically prone to terrorism. Mauritania's poverty levels also leave it susceptible to terrorist attacks. However, many people believe that Mauritania's terror threat is not a problem.
"You can't call what has happened here a real terrorist threat," says Yahya Ould el-Bara, a university professor and specialist on the question.
US government has intervened and has been aiding with the problem of Muslim extremists and believes that the problem will increase because of the countries poverty levels and growing radicalism.
I believe there is no doubt of a growing problem of terrorism in Mauritania and if not dealt with, will be a problem for the global community.
Links cited :http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7581082.stm
"You can't call what has happened here a real terrorist threat," says Yahya Ould el-Bara, a university professor and specialist on the question.
US government has intervened and has been aiding with the problem of Muslim extremists and believes that the problem will increase because of the countries poverty levels and growing radicalism.
I believe there is no doubt of a growing problem of terrorism in Mauritania and if not dealt with, will be a problem for the global community.
Links cited :http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7581082.stm
Fighting Continues in East Congo, Despite Peace Treaty
Adriana Vaca
29-08-08
On Thursday the 28th of August there was a violent confrontation in the province of Nord-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), between Laurent Nkunda's rebels and the government's forces. This was the most violent confrontation in months, and is part of the
Despite having signed a peace treaty in January of this year, the conflict has hardly been resolved, and the government states that they'd been suspecting an attack from Nkunda for weeks.
The conflict has its roots in the Second Congo War. Nkunda fought on behalf of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (CRD), a rebel group conformed of the ethnically Tutsi Banyamulenge and backed by the Tutsi Rwandan government as well as a variety of Rwandan-allied african countries, and based in the Nord-Kivu province town of Goma. After the war, which ended in the Banyamulenge rebels being subdued, Nkunda joined the DRC's transitional government army, and was promoted to general by 2004. However, he soon reneged on the the DRC army, and with several CRD - Goma troops, fell back to Nord Kivu. The CRD troops began clashing with the DRC army, under Nkunda's command, claiming that they were defending the Banyamulenge, who were allegedly being attacked by Hutus who had escaped from Rwanda after having participated in the genocide. The United Nations rejected this claim.
The conflict has taken its toll on the civilian population as well. Civilians are being displaced from their homes, and reports of human rights violations abound, including recruitment of child soldiers, sexual abuse against women and girls, and indiscriminate slaughter of civilians who are caught between the two sides.
Although the peace accord has been in place since January, there is still continual fighting between the two sides, each of which blames the other for instigating it.
I think that the fact that this conflict is so complex in its origins makes it extremely hard to solve. The ceasefire, of course, should have done just that, only obviously no one seems to remember this, and each attack at the other side is merely a retaliation for a previous attack, to the point where it's a vicious cycle.
What surprised me was how little I had heard of all that's going on in this country. The casualties over the last decade from this conflict (together with the Second Congo War) rival those of WWII, and I feel the media attention is HAS received doesn't really do justice to the atrocities that have been committed.
At this point, I think the conflict has gone beyond Nkunda and his handful of CRD-Goma troops defending sporadic attacks against the Banyamulenge Tutsis.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080828/wl_nm/congo_democratic_fighting_dc?=&submit=Done
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/world/africa/10congo.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1 (background information)
29-08-08
On Thursday the 28th of August there was a violent confrontation in the province of Nord-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), between Laurent Nkunda's rebels and the government's forces. This was the most violent confrontation in months, and is part of the
Despite having signed a peace treaty in January of this year, the conflict has hardly been resolved, and the government states that they'd been suspecting an attack from Nkunda for weeks.
The conflict has its roots in the Second Congo War. Nkunda fought on behalf of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (CRD), a rebel group conformed of the ethnically Tutsi Banyamulenge and backed by the Tutsi Rwandan government as well as a variety of Rwandan-allied african countries, and based in the Nord-Kivu province town of Goma. After the war, which ended in the Banyamulenge rebels being subdued, Nkunda joined the DRC's transitional government army, and was promoted to general by 2004. However, he soon reneged on the the DRC army, and with several CRD - Goma troops, fell back to Nord Kivu. The CRD troops began clashing with the DRC army, under Nkunda's command, claiming that they were defending the Banyamulenge, who were allegedly being attacked by Hutus who had escaped from Rwanda after having participated in the genocide. The United Nations rejected this claim.
The conflict has taken its toll on the civilian population as well. Civilians are being displaced from their homes, and reports of human rights violations abound, including recruitment of child soldiers, sexual abuse against women and girls, and indiscriminate slaughter of civilians who are caught between the two sides.
Although the peace accord has been in place since January, there is still continual fighting between the two sides, each of which blames the other for instigating it.
I think that the fact that this conflict is so complex in its origins makes it extremely hard to solve. The ceasefire, of course, should have done just that, only obviously no one seems to remember this, and each attack at the other side is merely a retaliation for a previous attack, to the point where it's a vicious cycle.
What surprised me was how little I had heard of all that's going on in this country. The casualties over the last decade from this conflict (together with the Second Congo War) rival those of WWII, and I feel the media attention is HAS received doesn't really do justice to the atrocities that have been committed.
At this point, I think the conflict has gone beyond Nkunda and his handful of CRD-Goma troops defending sporadic attacks against the Banyamulenge Tutsis.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080828/wl_nm/congo_democratic_fighting_dc?=&submit=Done
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/world/africa/10congo.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1 (background information)
New Hacker Threat Uncovered in UK - Posted 4:56PM 8/29/09 by Nicholas Lee
According to BBC World News, a new hi-tech hacker threat is targeting self-checkout systems used by supermarkets in the United Kingdom. By using information gathered from a hacked banking line, credit card and debit card information will be used on fake cards to make withdraws and purchase high-priced items. These cards are linked to American financial institutions, posing not only a risk to the British, but also state-side. A so-called reformed hacker working for a British security company uncovered the scam on the Internet and the BBC has alerted the proper authorities to the situation.
The possible risk of an event like this happening does not have a profound effect on the world markets, but it does have the potential to be a large problem for those individuals whom the hackers stole card information. This also shows the potential risk of similar attacks across the globe, especially countries with high traffic-flow in airports , newly developed economies, and naturally those countries with the infrastructure of ATMs and self-checkout systems in place. Cybercrime and identity theft is a major technological issue of the 21st century. Hopefully the law-abiding citizens and the law enforcement agencies that serve them will be able to learn about and prevent such attacks, as the private sector was able to do this week. For those with credit and debit cards, this is a grim reminder of the price of the convenience of the modern world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7584258.stm
The possible risk of an event like this happening does not have a profound effect on the world markets, but it does have the potential to be a large problem for those individuals whom the hackers stole card information. This also shows the potential risk of similar attacks across the globe, especially countries with high traffic-flow in airports , newly developed economies, and naturally those countries with the infrastructure of ATMs and self-checkout systems in place. Cybercrime and identity theft is a major technological issue of the 21st century. Hopefully the law-abiding citizens and the law enforcement agencies that serve them will be able to learn about and prevent such attacks, as the private sector was able to do this week. For those with credit and debit cards, this is a grim reminder of the price of the convenience of the modern world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7584258.stm
Novavax Announces Favorable Results from Phase I/IIa Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Program
Kenneth Miller
08/29/08
4:35 Pm
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/health-care/novavax-announces-favorable-results-phase-iiia-pandemic-influena-vaccine/-859435485
The biotechnical vaccination company know as Novavax released Tuesday their successful clinical trial of a flue virus vaccine for the strain of Indonesian Avian
influenza that causes an 81% death ratio among infected. The unique vaccine, instead of using weakened strains of the virus to build a resistance response,
implements the use of particles that mimic the virus, and have proven to be successful while lowering infection risks. The VLP is disguised as the test disease
by coating it's surface with proteins found in avian influenza, as well as designed to be the same size and shape as the test virus thus building an efficient recognition response from the body. The study although complete is
yet pending on a full safety report. The company is thrilled with the satisfactory results and looks forward to further development with the now proven VLPs to
further produce a potent defense against future strains of influenza. The companies manufacturing process is quick enough they believe their production of
vaccinations will be helpful in halting disease before it grows to pandemic proportions. The VLPs are developed using insect cell cultures and thus
provide a disposable tools, as well as high yield in particle outputs. Also this process produces vaccines up to 50% faster than average vaccine development.
The success attached to these vaccination methods will support Novavaxs development of other vaccination possibilities soon to be in development stages.
For obvious reasons, I find this article somewhat of a breath of air, as well as an interesting outlook for future bio technical possibilities. The true interest
I found in this article came from the development of the VLPs. It truly strikes me as a remarkable feat of science that we are now able to replicate such deadly
diseases with no threat, and to harness such manipulation for the good of mankind. This milestone does help to set the outlook for the promising future of
biotechnological research, and this also being my area of study and major concentration, I can't help feel thrilled for the future of the field. Its hard to
believe that the first line of defense against pathogens is actually harvested from insect cell cultures, which sparks an interest that I would like to further
study. My only real concern, and hardly a concern at that, is the affordability of such technology. Let us hope the vaccinations of this future sort remain
at a decent price, however judging by the enthusiasm of the company, and the supposed disposability of the raw cell material, the production seems to be
affordable and thus should hardly be an issue of economics. I'm sure my relief is dwarfed by the hope this sort of development can provide for more pandemic susceptible
countries. Considering the praised yield of the cell types i also doubt availability to these countries will pose any problem.
08/29/08
4:35 Pm
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/health-care/novavax-announces-favorable-results-phase-iiia-pandemic-influena-vaccine/-859435485
The biotechnical vaccination company know as Novavax released Tuesday their successful clinical trial of a flue virus vaccine for the strain of Indonesian Avian
influenza that causes an 81% death ratio among infected. The unique vaccine, instead of using weakened strains of the virus to build a resistance response,
implements the use of particles that mimic the virus, and have proven to be successful while lowering infection risks. The VLP is disguised as the test disease
by coating it's surface with proteins found in avian influenza, as well as designed to be the same size and shape as the test virus thus building an efficient recognition response from the body. The study although complete is
yet pending on a full safety report. The company is thrilled with the satisfactory results and looks forward to further development with the now proven VLPs to
further produce a potent defense against future strains of influenza. The companies manufacturing process is quick enough they believe their production of
vaccinations will be helpful in halting disease before it grows to pandemic proportions. The VLPs are developed using insect cell cultures and thus
provide a disposable tools, as well as high yield in particle outputs. Also this process produces vaccines up to 50% faster than average vaccine development.
The success attached to these vaccination methods will support Novavaxs development of other vaccination possibilities soon to be in development stages.
For obvious reasons, I find this article somewhat of a breath of air, as well as an interesting outlook for future bio technical possibilities. The true interest
I found in this article came from the development of the VLPs. It truly strikes me as a remarkable feat of science that we are now able to replicate such deadly
diseases with no threat, and to harness such manipulation for the good of mankind. This milestone does help to set the outlook for the promising future of
biotechnological research, and this also being my area of study and major concentration, I can't help feel thrilled for the future of the field. Its hard to
believe that the first line of defense against pathogens is actually harvested from insect cell cultures, which sparks an interest that I would like to further
study. My only real concern, and hardly a concern at that, is the affordability of such technology. Let us hope the vaccinations of this future sort remain
at a decent price, however judging by the enthusiasm of the company, and the supposed disposability of the raw cell material, the production seems to be
affordable and thus should hardly be an issue of economics. I'm sure my relief is dwarfed by the hope this sort of development can provide for more pandemic susceptible
countries. Considering the praised yield of the cell types i also doubt availability to these countries will pose any problem.
Fighting HIV-AIDS One Syringe at a Time (Cara Beck August 29, 2008 @ 4:15pm) Diseass and Pandemics
Jose E. Serrano of the Washington Post reports on the banning of federal funded syringe exchange programs in the United States. This program allows used needles to be exchanged at hospitals for clean needles to prevent against the spread of HIV. The syringe exchange ban has been in place since 1988 and Congress has yet to repeal this ruling. Serrano argues that the occurrence of HIV within Latinos and African Americans in the United States is on the rise-- yet the government is not taking steps to prevent this dangerous increase. Currently, Latinos in Washington have the “highest rate of new AIDS cases in the country”.
Serrano suggests the reopening of syringe exchange programs given the fact that since 2006, more than 300,000 AIDS cases were linked to needle use. This 300,000 makes up one-third of all AIDS cases in the United States. Opponents to the program argue that syringe exchange programs would promote the use of drugs, specifically those requiring intravenous needles (cocaine, speed, or heroin for example). The word of Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health, claims that, “A number of studies conducted in the United States have shown that syringe exchange programs do no increase drug use among participants or surrounding community members and are associated with reductions in the incidence of HIV and Hepatitis B and C in the drug-using population”. Serrano is frustrated that more officials do not take Zerhouni’s assertion on this matter.
Serrano contends, also, that these programs would not only benefit the United States of America, but also “reduce infection rates around the globe”. Having said that, the spreading of HIV and attempted prevention by use of syringe exchange programs would decrease HIV and AIDS rates worldwide. Serrano’s last attempt at appealing to the audience’s sense of rationality is to compare the prices of health-care for an HIV patient over a lifetime (618,900) versus the cost of a syringe (eight cents).
It is important for the public, especially the public of America, to realize the scale of the AIDs problem, but also to see a positive solution. The leaning of the article to the liberal, democratic side is discouraging and makes the article seem less informative and almost completely persuasive. The fact that the author is of Hispanic heritage and has written his own bill on the subject proves that he is close to the issue and is almost positively knowledgeable on the subject matter. Serrano may, however, be too close and too personally invested in the topic to be as unbiased and objective as is necessary.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/28/AR2008082803109.html
Serrano suggests the reopening of syringe exchange programs given the fact that since 2006, more than 300,000 AIDS cases were linked to needle use. This 300,000 makes up one-third of all AIDS cases in the United States. Opponents to the program argue that syringe exchange programs would promote the use of drugs, specifically those requiring intravenous needles (cocaine, speed, or heroin for example). The word of Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health, claims that, “A number of studies conducted in the United States have shown that syringe exchange programs do no increase drug use among participants or surrounding community members and are associated with reductions in the incidence of HIV and Hepatitis B and C in the drug-using population”. Serrano is frustrated that more officials do not take Zerhouni’s assertion on this matter.
Serrano contends, also, that these programs would not only benefit the United States of America, but also “reduce infection rates around the globe”. Having said that, the spreading of HIV and attempted prevention by use of syringe exchange programs would decrease HIV and AIDS rates worldwide. Serrano’s last attempt at appealing to the audience’s sense of rationality is to compare the prices of health-care for an HIV patient over a lifetime (618,900) versus the cost of a syringe (eight cents).
It is important for the public, especially the public of America, to realize the scale of the AIDs problem, but also to see a positive solution. The leaning of the article to the liberal, democratic side is discouraging and makes the article seem less informative and almost completely persuasive. The fact that the author is of Hispanic heritage and has written his own bill on the subject proves that he is close to the issue and is almost positively knowledgeable on the subject matter. Serrano may, however, be too close and too personally invested in the topic to be as unbiased and objective as is necessary.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/28/AR2008082803109.html
Pakistani women begin fight back on gender inequality
Fikre Debela
08/29/08
4:06
Why are so many women fighting for rights to be treated as equally as men are? The answer is simple gender inequality is a major issue. It seems no matter where you go at some point in history men have always had an advantage over women. Well, in the country of Pakistan it is taking to an extreme, where women and children are suffering because of this devastating issue.
In Pakistan it is extremely hard for a women to get a divorce. Most of the time if the issue is ever brought up they are accused of having an affair and suffer consequences. One women, Naheed Archad, spent the last 9 months in prison after being charged for committing adultery. The burden carried on women just for having an accusation can mark her for her life.
A man in Pakistan is allowed to have up to four wives. To divorce all they have to do is say "I divorce thee" three times. Women have hardly any rights and when they want to speak up for the abuse they are receiving the men blame it on the influence of Western society.
All around the world women are discriminated against and I find it to be very discouraging. I believe women should have the same rights as men all around the world. However, when saying this I do have caution to remember that maybe some women are fine with the way their country is tolerating these situations. In taking caution I still say that their needs to be more work done globally.
Georgia to sever diplomatic ties with Russia: Matt Brown
Today, Friday, August 29, 2008 Georgia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Nato Chikovani, said that Georgia’s Parliament voted unanimously to break all ties with Russia calling it the “aggressor country.” Recently Russia has come to the aid of South Ossetia, a breakaway region in the south of Georgia, sending its military to aid the overthrow of Georgian rule in the area. Of course Georgia has taken offense at Russia’s aggressive troop deployment in the region. Meanwhile A five-day war has been raging in South Ossetia, a war that Russia has incited and continued by giving aid to the region. Allegations have surfaced that Russia plans to absorb the breakaway nation in a few years. This is the biggest crisis in Moscow’s relations with the West since the 1991 Soviet collapse.
In my opinion, Russia needs to not incite revolution and separation in former Soviet nations. Russia’s plan to absorb the province of South Ossetia is one that is close to imperialism if not actually imperialism. Russia’s aggressive stance in this conflict cannot be tolerated, but I think that Russia knows that the western nations have no military might to spare in the region, which will give Russia diplomatic confidence. If Russia is allowed to absorb regions in Georgia without any military opposition from western nations then they may not stop at just Georgia. We all know propaganda is very powerful, and Russia is no slouch at utilizing it. If any other regions of the former Soviet Union show dissatisfaction with their governments then Russia can and will act. Meanwhile, The U.S., the largest military power in the west, is already tied up in Iraq, and thus is virtually taken out of the picture if action must be taken. If Russia is allowed to continue with this trend of obtaining unsatisfied regions outside of their own territory then we might have a serious global conflict on our hands. Leave it to Russia to incite untimely, unwarranted, unnecessary unrest at a time when global conflict is so delicately balanced on the edge of a knife. I also worry that Russia’s sudden aggression is due to the policies of newly elected President Dmitry Medvedev. This may be a new age of Russian conflict using good intentions to mask greedy territorial expansion. This sounds very similar to what the U.S. is doing, but not for territorial expansion, rather economic expansion. I feel that we were mistaken in our invasion of Iraq, and Russia following suit is not what the world needs right now.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUA357W77ndvCMh32VlQqdGj53mAD92S1FE02
In my opinion, Russia needs to not incite revolution and separation in former Soviet nations. Russia’s plan to absorb the province of South Ossetia is one that is close to imperialism if not actually imperialism. Russia’s aggressive stance in this conflict cannot be tolerated, but I think that Russia knows that the western nations have no military might to spare in the region, which will give Russia diplomatic confidence. If Russia is allowed to absorb regions in Georgia without any military opposition from western nations then they may not stop at just Georgia. We all know propaganda is very powerful, and Russia is no slouch at utilizing it. If any other regions of the former Soviet Union show dissatisfaction with their governments then Russia can and will act. Meanwhile, The U.S., the largest military power in the west, is already tied up in Iraq, and thus is virtually taken out of the picture if action must be taken. If Russia is allowed to continue with this trend of obtaining unsatisfied regions outside of their own territory then we might have a serious global conflict on our hands. Leave it to Russia to incite untimely, unwarranted, unnecessary unrest at a time when global conflict is so delicately balanced on the edge of a knife. I also worry that Russia’s sudden aggression is due to the policies of newly elected President Dmitry Medvedev. This may be a new age of Russian conflict using good intentions to mask greedy territorial expansion. This sounds very similar to what the U.S. is doing, but not for territorial expansion, rather economic expansion. I feel that we were mistaken in our invasion of Iraq, and Russia following suit is not what the world needs right now.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUA357W77ndvCMh32VlQqdGj53mAD92S1FE02
August 29, 2008, Al Qaeda strikes again! Reported by: Nicole Griffin
The Taliban strikes again with plots to continue their launches of suicide bombings in North Africa. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is the suspected terrorist group lashing out on governments in Algeria and Morocco. The attacks started in Algeria in late August, with a series of suicide car bombings specifically aimed towards the government police. One attack was a suicide car bombing that ran straight into a police academy on August 22, 2008 in Issers killing almost fifty men. Al Qaeda’s attacks on the Algerian government have claimed to be attacks of “revenge” for the militants that the group lost during previous outbreaks with the government. But there is a question of why the group would continue its attacks in Morocco? As a recent report came to surface from the Moroccan government; that there was an arrest of fifteen men involved in plotting to bomb certain parts in Morocco. The men arrested were said to have explosive material on their person, though their reasoning behind such madness has still not been discovered. But reporters believe there is a direct relation with the attacks in Algeria. Though the two countries are neighbors, what could be that relationship? The answer is unknown at this point, but authorities have released information about the men naming themselves “Fath al-Andalous meaning the Conquest of Andalusia. The threat of terrorism is clearly a problem in North Africa, a problem that must be solved before an out rite war begins. There has been confirmation of the Algerian government making huge attempts to end all discrepancies with the militants, particularly offering a peace initiation of amnesty. Unfortunately the militants took advantage of their peace offerings, by pledging to stop if they won’t be penalized, but the militants continued to spread terrorism around the country. It’s a sad realization that extremist groups seem in humane by killing people who are mainly innocent by standers of their rage. Obviously terrorism is a social problem in countries such as Algeria and Morocco that needs to be investigated. The background of Al Qaeda must be of hate and anger, why would one want to commit suicide and take the lives of others. Suicide bombings are an issue within itself, but the lives of the innocent, is there no justice for such inhumane actions?
Sources:
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7573118.stm >
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7588853.stm
Sources:
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7573118.stm >
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7588853.stm
Taming Child Trafficking in Nigeria by:Jamiliah Halley posted at 3:44 pm
Prostitution, house girls, drug traffickers, combat fighting, child soldiers, and even sacrifices in rituals are just a few of the things child traffickers force young children to do. Many of these children become one of those horrible things listed because of their parents. Their parents are approached by child trafficker that feed the parent bogus stories about how they are going to take their children to the city or overseas to give them an education. Many parents go along with cause of their greed. They see there children as a way to get them wealth and riches.
Many of these children that are “harvested” are sold overseas. In traveling to these far away places the go through very harsh traveling conditions. They must travel by boat air, sea, or road and many of them lose their lives. Many of the teen aged girls that have are being trafficked have been forced into prostitution. One of the leading countries in the sex trade that trades with Nigeria is Italy. With Belgium and the Netherlands close behind.
People in Nigeria believe that the government should place laws to prevent child trafficking. The types of laws the feel that should be put into action is that people should not be allowed to have more than three children. They feel that having more than three children heightens the risk of these children being trafficked due to the fact that their parents would not be able to take care of them.
I think that many people are not aware at what some people will do to children for a dollar or how they would deceive their parents who only want a better life for their children and themselves. I also feel that the world needs to wakeup and realize that children lose their lives every day because a few people want to bring them pain and suffering.
http://www.tribune.com.ng/24082008/opinion2.html
Many of these children that are “harvested” are sold overseas. In traveling to these far away places the go through very harsh traveling conditions. They must travel by boat air, sea, or road and many of them lose their lives. Many of the teen aged girls that have are being trafficked have been forced into prostitution. One of the leading countries in the sex trade that trades with Nigeria is Italy. With Belgium and the Netherlands close behind.
People in Nigeria believe that the government should place laws to prevent child trafficking. The types of laws the feel that should be put into action is that people should not be allowed to have more than three children. They feel that having more than three children heightens the risk of these children being trafficked due to the fact that their parents would not be able to take care of them.
I think that many people are not aware at what some people will do to children for a dollar or how they would deceive their parents who only want a better life for their children and themselves. I also feel that the world needs to wakeup and realize that children lose their lives every day because a few people want to bring them pain and suffering.
http://www.tribune.com.ng/24082008/opinion2.html
Georgia: Satellite Images Show Destruction, Ethnic Attacks
There has been a lot of tension between Russia and the Democratic Republic of Georgia lately over the province of Ossetia. Georgia launched a military strike, and Russia responded by sending in tanks.
On Thursday, August 28th the Human Rights Watch said that satellite images showed that what was thought to be armed combat was in fact intentional burning and torching of Georgian villages around the Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali. The images show the destruction of five Georgian villages. Human Rights Watch researchers personally witnessed Russian tanks firing into and destroying homes and buildings. Many Ossetian militias admitted that they were torching homes and their aim was to ensure the Georgians had no home to return to. In each of these villages it was counted and discovered that the majority of homes were either destroyed or severely damaged.
One resident was quoted:“I was beaten and my house was looted by Ossetian militias three times during a single day. After they took everything and there was nothing more to loot, they brought petrol, poured it everywhere in the rooms and outside the house, and then put it on fire. They made me watch as my house was fully burned.” – Ila Chulukhadze, 84, resident of Kvemo Achabeti
I think it is terrible that these acts of war and violence are happening all over the world. Most poeple right now are aware of the violence in the middle east, but wars are developing all around us and innocent people continue to suffer from these tragedies.Brittney NicolaSOC 202Wars and Violence
http://cgi.wn.com/?action=display&article=76466838&template=worldnews/paidnews.txt&index=recent
On Thursday, August 28th the Human Rights Watch said that satellite images showed that what was thought to be armed combat was in fact intentional burning and torching of Georgian villages around the Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali. The images show the destruction of five Georgian villages. Human Rights Watch researchers personally witnessed Russian tanks firing into and destroying homes and buildings. Many Ossetian militias admitted that they were torching homes and their aim was to ensure the Georgians had no home to return to. In each of these villages it was counted and discovered that the majority of homes were either destroyed or severely damaged.
One resident was quoted:“I was beaten and my house was looted by Ossetian militias three times during a single day. After they took everything and there was nothing more to loot, they brought petrol, poured it everywhere in the rooms and outside the house, and then put it on fire. They made me watch as my house was fully burned.” – Ila Chulukhadze, 84, resident of Kvemo Achabeti
I think it is terrible that these acts of war and violence are happening all over the world. Most poeple right now are aware of the violence in the middle east, but wars are developing all around us and innocent people continue to suffer from these tragedies.Brittney NicolaSOC 202Wars and Violence
http://cgi.wn.com/?action=display&article=76466838&template=worldnews/paidnews.txt&index=recent
Cybercrime: Should you be worried?
There seems to be a new found problem in the middle east concerning this war, cyberspace. Iraqis government has been in a long standing battle with alQaeda regarding their computers systems. Before, the terrorist group mainly focused on ways to deface the government websites and spread hatred of America. But now government offices are finding there is potential for hacking to occur. Hackers in that country aren't their biggest threat so the country puts little resources into maintaining their systems. The country seems to have bigger things to worry about such as suicide bombing and explosives. They are slowly becoming more modernized but they aren't protecting what is theirs. In my opinion this is a clear example or how this war is becoming more of a problem. To stop a terrorist group ( especially a suicidal one) it calls for a 100% full proof plan to stop it. This is why I think America is so good with stopping terrorism, because of our own quest for the advancement of technology. Beforehand Saddam Hussein outlawed computers anyway so there was no need for the concern for technology. But now there is over 5,000 computers and the computers need safety. Also, the world doesn't see how this type of crime may become influential to everyone else. When it comes to money and banks, government records, and information regarding safety this should be addressed. I think over time when something big enough for the concern to take place the government might take more of an initiative to stop the crimes.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/hacking/2008-08-28-iraqhackers_N.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/hacking/2008-08-28-iraqhackers_N.htm
More Kenyans Slide Deeper into Poverty
The Asian Poverty line, also referred to as “the new benchmark”, is approximately $1.35 a day. It is estimated that 25.4 million Filipinos are living below this standard of living, reflecting the estimation of poverty in Asia and the Pacific region.
In comparison to the Philippines’s neighbors countries its 29.5 percent poverty is lower than India, Bangladesh, and Cambodia, but higher than Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Economists have often used a bench mark to determine the purchasing power of people in developing countries. The $1.35 benchmark was calculated by the PPP, Purchasing Power Parity, which compares the prices of selected products in other countries. This poverty line is used to illustrate peculiarities of consumption patterns of the poor in Asia.
In the Philippines, the poor, which consists of 30 percent of the population, generally spend about 60 percent of their income on food and nonalcoholic beverages. Therefore the goods that the poor are consuming reflect poor purchase patterns. The PPP will not give higher weights for these good, which ultimately causes an increase in poverty.
The ADB, Asian Development Bank, computes these calculations in reports that monitor where the poor shop, what and how frequently they buy, and the quality of these products. An example they illustrated was the noticeable difference between the quality and price between packaged rice, rice in a super market and “rice bought by the scoop in a wet market, which is where the poor traditionally shop”.
According to this new method the PPP has added 6.26 million more poor Filipinos to the previous estimation of 23.24 million which was based on the PPP’s traditional computation.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=129505
In comparison to the Philippines’s neighbors countries its 29.5 percent poverty is lower than India, Bangladesh, and Cambodia, but higher than Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Economists have often used a bench mark to determine the purchasing power of people in developing countries. The $1.35 benchmark was calculated by the PPP, Purchasing Power Parity, which compares the prices of selected products in other countries. This poverty line is used to illustrate peculiarities of consumption patterns of the poor in Asia.
In the Philippines, the poor, which consists of 30 percent of the population, generally spend about 60 percent of their income on food and nonalcoholic beverages. Therefore the goods that the poor are consuming reflect poor purchase patterns. The PPP will not give higher weights for these good, which ultimately causes an increase in poverty.
The ADB, Asian Development Bank, computes these calculations in reports that monitor where the poor shop, what and how frequently they buy, and the quality of these products. An example they illustrated was the noticeable difference between the quality and price between packaged rice, rice in a super market and “rice bought by the scoop in a wet market, which is where the poor traditionally shop”.
According to this new method the PPP has added 6.26 million more poor Filipinos to the previous estimation of 23.24 million which was based on the PPP’s traditional computation.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=129505
Global Labor and Production Angela Berst
August 29, 2008
3:24pm
Sociology 202
Unions: What works- and what doesn’t
International competition for customers is high so businesses need to do their best to succeed. In order to keep business running smoothly management and employees need to work together. Doing this is not easy because labor laws do not allow it. Involvement groups, where managers and employees converse together the ways to enhance business, are illegal. The National Labor Relations Act has not been updated since the 1930’s. During that time workers and business owners were against each other so workers joined unions in order to protect their interests. Employee involvement was originally banned because lawmakers thought that owners would “create employer-dominated company unions”. Now, workers are only allowed to speak to their employers through a labor union. This causes great difficulty because only twenty percent of workers want to be in a union while the other eighty percent do not. American workers right to chose to join a union is at risk because of the Employee Free Choice Act. A company would be unionized if enough workers were to publically sign a paper that says they want to join a union. Undecided workers could be pressured into joining a union which would be an unfair decision. So workers need to be able to maintain their right to vote on their decision to organize. I think that by updating the National Labor Relations Act will allow organizations of management and employees to exist. Which will then allow businesses to be better connected, initially making them more successful. The success of businesses would end up affecting the economy positively.
Feulner, Ed. "Unions: What works-and what doesn't." The News and Observer. 29 Aug. 2008. 29 Aug. 2008.
August 29, 2008
3:24pm
Sociology 202
Unions: What works- and what doesn’t
International competition for customers is high so businesses need to do their best to succeed. In order to keep business running smoothly management and employees need to work together. Doing this is not easy because labor laws do not allow it. Involvement groups, where managers and employees converse together the ways to enhance business, are illegal. The National Labor Relations Act has not been updated since the 1930’s. During that time workers and business owners were against each other so workers joined unions in order to protect their interests. Employee involvement was originally banned because lawmakers thought that owners would “create employer-dominated company unions”. Now, workers are only allowed to speak to their employers through a labor union. This causes great difficulty because only twenty percent of workers want to be in a union while the other eighty percent do not. American workers right to chose to join a union is at risk because of the Employee Free Choice Act. A company would be unionized if enough workers were to publically sign a paper that says they want to join a union. Undecided workers could be pressured into joining a union which would be an unfair decision. So workers need to be able to maintain their right to vote on their decision to organize. I think that by updating the National Labor Relations Act will allow organizations of management and employees to exist. Which will then allow businesses to be better connected, initially making them more successful. The success of businesses would end up affecting the economy positively.
Feulner, Ed. "Unions: What works-and what doesn't." The News and Observer. 29 Aug. 2008. 29 Aug. 2008
Oil Prices
Rachael Morgan
August 29th
2:00pm
Energy and oil
According to newsobserver.com in New York “Gas prices have raised for the first time in 43 days.” This is because of or extreme weather. With oil companies having their oil refineries threatened by hurricanes, corporations have nothing else to do but raise oil prices by the barrel, making it even harder for Americans to have personal vehicles and instead use mass transportation. Oil companies are afraid of yet another tragic disaster such as Hurricane Katrina.
Although gas prices are projected to go back down within the next few weeks, when the hurricane seasons have past, Americans are still worried that gas prices will reach four dollars yet again. In these hard economic times gas and oil prices seem to be the topic on every ones minds. Oil prices will never be what they once were just several months ago. But instead of having unrealistic expectations of what gas prices should be, like what they were pre-911, Americans need to understand that gas prices will never be under three dollars in our lifetime.
The only way to keep oil and energy cost at a minimum is to simply use less of it. You have heard it 100 times before but in my own experience it works, before I came to school I was spending at least sixty dollars a week in gas and since being here haven’t put gas in my car at all. Simply using the resources around you will save money, energy, and reduce air pollution.
Sources sited Newsobserver.com
August 29th
2:00pm
Energy and oil
According to newsobserver.com in New York “Gas prices have raised for the first time in 43 days.” This is because of or extreme weather. With oil companies having their oil refineries threatened by hurricanes, corporations have nothing else to do but raise oil prices by the barrel, making it even harder for Americans to have personal vehicles and instead use mass transportation. Oil companies are afraid of yet another tragic disaster such as Hurricane Katrina.
Although gas prices are projected to go back down within the next few weeks, when the hurricane seasons have past, Americans are still worried that gas prices will reach four dollars yet again. In these hard economic times gas and oil prices seem to be the topic on every ones minds. Oil prices will never be what they once were just several months ago. But instead of having unrealistic expectations of what gas prices should be, like what they were pre-911, Americans need to understand that gas prices will never be under three dollars in our lifetime.
The only way to keep oil and energy cost at a minimum is to simply use less of it. You have heard it 100 times before but in my own experience it works, before I came to school I was spending at least sixty dollars a week in gas and since being here haven’t put gas in my car at all. Simply using the resources around you will save money, energy, and reduce air pollution.
Sources sited Newsobserver.com
Iraq and China make a Deal; Rebecca Roberts; Posted August 26, 2008 2:20pm
If you think that this world is somewhat mostly controlled by the US, I think that it is possible to rethink this issue, especially when it comes to oil and their prices. This article explained the most recent talk among nations that discussed and made an agreement which could potientially change the path of many other nations on a global scale.
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein Iraq and China have come to an agreement when it comes to the oil issues that are being felt around this world. The agreement was on the terms of a $3 billion oil-service contract, this was the first of its kind since the fall of Hussein. For the first time in many years China has now beaten international oil majors, including the US. The Iraqi Oil Minister explains how he has warned numerous times to the big Western oil firms for the Iraqi contracts but now it is to late, Iraq and China have made that agreement.
Just hearing this news makes me question the intentions that the US has when it comes down to oil. What will it take for the US government to realize that such agreements that China and Iraq have made are slipping through the cracks and there will come a point where it is simply to late. There are numerous consequences that could come about and the one that is most concerning to myself is how much gas prices will skyrocket.
The article further more explains how much a need Iraq has to build back up from the overall net losses that was incurred from when Hussein. Their attempts to reaching out to surrounding nations and hopes of gaining 10 contracts have not been able to be accomplished. Iraq has high hopes for their oil industry and I believe that they are becoming successful. Just last month in July Iraq pumped around 2.4 million bpd and has the hopes of succeding in this endeavor.
The question still remains that I am left wanting to ask is, if the US is intending on helping out Iraq then why did the US not jump at the chance in signing a contract with Iraq?
http://ctv2.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080827.wiraqchina0827/business/Business/businessBN/ctv-business
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein Iraq and China have come to an agreement when it comes to the oil issues that are being felt around this world. The agreement was on the terms of a $3 billion oil-service contract, this was the first of its kind since the fall of Hussein. For the first time in many years China has now beaten international oil majors, including the US. The Iraqi Oil Minister explains how he has warned numerous times to the big Western oil firms for the Iraqi contracts but now it is to late, Iraq and China have made that agreement.
Just hearing this news makes me question the intentions that the US has when it comes down to oil. What will it take for the US government to realize that such agreements that China and Iraq have made are slipping through the cracks and there will come a point where it is simply to late. There are numerous consequences that could come about and the one that is most concerning to myself is how much gas prices will skyrocket.
The article further more explains how much a need Iraq has to build back up from the overall net losses that was incurred from when Hussein. Their attempts to reaching out to surrounding nations and hopes of gaining 10 contracts have not been able to be accomplished. Iraq has high hopes for their oil industry and I believe that they are becoming successful. Just last month in July Iraq pumped around 2.4 million bpd and has the hopes of succeding in this endeavor.
The question still remains that I am left wanting to ask is, if the US is intending on helping out Iraq then why did the US not jump at the chance in signing a contract with Iraq?
http://ctv2.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080827.wiraqchina0827/business/Business/businessBN/ctv-business
Women and Their Basic Involvement -- Its Gotta Start Somewhere
John W. Johnston
August 29, 2008; 2:45:00 PM
Women and Their Basic Involvement -- Its Gotta Start Somewhere.
Oxfam America teamed with TONUS to create an organization in Mali called Savings for Change. This program, which was implemented in 1995. This program, which is overseen by Oxfam America and run mainly by the women for the women, starts a savings type bank for the women in the country of Mali. This bank is then run by the women, mainly for the women, with the respect of the men. Not only does it allow women some type of role in the tribe/community, it allows women to congregate in groups and discuss current affairs for one of the first times in Mali's history. Women have the opportunity to talk about things they have experienced in life and share those values and lessons onto the young and the old. The men, in turn, realize that marrying a woman of this caliber has it's rewards as well. Since the women have been encouraged to speak and are somewhat educated, they can offer loving advice to their husband should he ask. Women can also contribute saved funds to the affairs of the households, as well as the lives of their children. The world is dominated by the big countries who have already moved past these hurdles in their history, but for the women of Mali, they could be eternally grateful.
------------------------
Basically, this article makes me happy. It's such a nice experience to see women actually doing something, and being allowed to do something, in tribes and countries such as the ones in Mali. In reality, they are humans too, and it's time that the men start facing up to the fact that, given the chance, women can dominate society as much as men can. The female gender is proven to study things more, give more heartfelt concern to decisions, and generally taking the time to understand situations before acting. While men encompass these traits to some degree, women biologically have the abilities to do this better than males. Sometimes, though, it is good to have men around just to back things up and watch over situations as well, regardless of who's in complete control.
Seeing something as revolutionary as this happen in my lifetime is something I should be grateful to experience. I love my country all most more than anything and, yes, while we have already went through this part in our history, it's humbling to know that people somewhere else on this big planet are experiencing the same thing we have already had the chance to do ourselves.
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/issues_we_work_on/saving_for_change/news_publications/gradual-change-in-the-status-of-women
August 29, 2008; 2:45:00 PM
Women and Their Basic Involvement -- Its Gotta Start Somewhere.
Oxfam America teamed with TONUS to create an organization in Mali called Savings for Change. This program, which was implemented in 1995. This program, which is overseen by Oxfam America and run mainly by the women for the women, starts a savings type bank for the women in the country of Mali. This bank is then run by the women, mainly for the women, with the respect of the men. Not only does it allow women some type of role in the tribe/community, it allows women to congregate in groups and discuss current affairs for one of the first times in Mali's history. Women have the opportunity to talk about things they have experienced in life and share those values and lessons onto the young and the old. The men, in turn, realize that marrying a woman of this caliber has it's rewards as well. Since the women have been encouraged to speak and are somewhat educated, they can offer loving advice to their husband should he ask. Women can also contribute saved funds to the affairs of the households, as well as the lives of their children. The world is dominated by the big countries who have already moved past these hurdles in their history, but for the women of Mali, they could be eternally grateful.
------------------------
Basically, this article makes me happy. It's such a nice experience to see women actually doing something, and being allowed to do something, in tribes and countries such as the ones in Mali. In reality, they are humans too, and it's time that the men start facing up to the fact that, given the chance, women can dominate society as much as men can. The female gender is proven to study things more, give more heartfelt concern to decisions, and generally taking the time to understand situations before acting. While men encompass these traits to some degree, women biologically have the abilities to do this better than males. Sometimes, though, it is good to have men around just to back things up and watch over situations as well, regardless of who's in complete control.
Seeing something as revolutionary as this happen in my lifetime is something I should be grateful to experience. I love my country all most more than anything and, yes, while we have already went through this part in our history, it's humbling to know that people somewhere else on this big planet are experiencing the same thing we have already had the chance to do ourselves.
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/issues_we_work_on/saving_for_change/news_publications/gradual-change-in-the-status-of-women
AIDS Cases Seenon the Rise in the Philippines
Chelsea Thompson
August 29th, 2008
AIDS Cases Seen on the Rise in the Philippines
When the topic of HIV/AIDS comes up in conversation, most people automatically begin thinking about the effects of the disease in Africa. Most people do not realize that that the illness is growing rapidly on other continents and in other countries as well. Statistics concerning positive HIV cases are definitely on the rise in the Philippines. Now that there are treatments for the disease, more and more people in the Philippines are making it known that they have contracted the virus. This is because anti-retroviral drugs are being made offered at no cost. In the year 2007, the number of Filipino AIDS cases averaged at around 7,000 and 300 new cases have developed in the past year. Even though so many new cases of the virus are being made known, the disease is still considered low prevalence in the country. Less than .01 percent of the population and less than five percent of high-risk people were infected. The low prevalence pertaining to the virus is “masking the threat” of HIV/AIDS spreading in the Philippines.
It is my opinion that if HIV/AIDS cases are on the rise, then the prevalence placed on it should also rise in order to keep the viruses from spreading even more. I feel that if people are more educated about the virus, it will help keep numbers of victims that have contracted the disease to a minimum. I do, however feel like making anti-retroviral drugs available to the public for free is a good idea because people who couldn’t normally afford treatment would be able to prolong their health.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSSP21147420080828?sp=true
August 29th, 2008
AIDS Cases Seen on the Rise in the Philippines
When the topic of HIV/AIDS comes up in conversation, most people automatically begin thinking about the effects of the disease in Africa. Most people do not realize that that the illness is growing rapidly on other continents and in other countries as well. Statistics concerning positive HIV cases are definitely on the rise in the Philippines. Now that there are treatments for the disease, more and more people in the Philippines are making it known that they have contracted the virus. This is because anti-retroviral drugs are being made offered at no cost. In the year 2007, the number of Filipino AIDS cases averaged at around 7,000 and 300 new cases have developed in the past year. Even though so many new cases of the virus are being made known, the disease is still considered low prevalence in the country. Less than .01 percent of the population and less than five percent of high-risk people were infected. The low prevalence pertaining to the virus is “masking the threat” of HIV/AIDS spreading in the Philippines.
It is my opinion that if HIV/AIDS cases are on the rise, then the prevalence placed on it should also rise in order to keep the viruses from spreading even more. I feel that if people are more educated about the virus, it will help keep numbers of victims that have contracted the disease to a minimum. I do, however feel like making anti-retroviral drugs available to the public for free is a good idea because people who couldn’t normally afford treatment would be able to prolong their health.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSSP21147420080828?sp=true
Oil and You: Personal Finance; It's all about supply and demand.
Zaki Bernoussi
August 29, 2008;
August 29, 2008;
David Bahnsen brings up a topic that we have all been aware of and all been affected by in the recent months and years; oil prices and its affect at the pump. But his focus is not on a national scale as an economic disaster, but rather at a personal level and how it will affect your financial investments in energy driven markets. The price of oil per barrel has reached an astounding mark of $ 145 this summer (July 2008) and has gone down from that today ending on Thursday at $ 115.59. Though there has been some drop this is still a far cry from the price which sat comfortably at $ 20 per barrel in 2002!
The problem of high gas prices isn’t new, the media has been all over the situation and has kept us “informed” of reasons why things are the way they are. Bahnsen argues in this article how “informed” we really are. According to him the media has tried and dump the blame on “oil speculators” for “artificially moving the price of oil up”, but in reality these speculators do nothing like that. They play the role of a betting man in Vegas, they profit off of what they think the oil price will be. A dollar put on prices going up means there’s a dollar being put on prices going down, this is the reality of the futures market in which oil speculators are the gamers simply playing an even-sum game.
Bahnsen’s argument key notes the basic ideas of supply and demand. Simply put, prices are directly set by supply and demand forces and in today’s world the demand for oil has drastically increased while supply has not increased to meet demand. This drastic increase in demand is due to the massive industrial enlightenment achieved by countries such as China and India. The rise of these nations has caused a greater worldwide demand for oil that may have not been there six or seven years ago. Much has been said through are media of our failure to catch supply up by not using off-shore drilling, bio-fuels, solar and nuclear power; Bahnsen isn’t interested on how or what is used just that it can affect the simple point of supply and demand. “If less people need oil, prices should come down and if more oil is available, we can expect a downward pressure on prices” (line 36-37).
The “You” comes into play at the end of the article when Bahnsen addresses your financial portfolio. Investments must be ready for the changing cost of world energy. Your monthly budget should reflect the parallel in the cost of world energy and your own energy consumption. Lastly he stresses the fact that one should “never presume that the way things are, is the way they will always be” (line 53).
I found some of the points that Bahnsen brought up to be somewhat refreshing. He broke down something that most of us are aware of and showed its roots. To me he was basically saying this; in today’s world of high oil prices, when you’re making an investment in the energy markets be sure to look at it in its simplest form. If you think it will increase supply or decrease demand while staying consistent with your everyday use of energy, then it is a good idea to invest. Any alternative sources of energy would preferably want to catch supply up with the high price of demand because nations such as China and India are not going to all of a sudden pack it in.
http://www.worldmag.com/articles/14358
Ethiopia: Addressing Gender Equality, a Persistent Challenge for Africa
Danielle Plesser
August 29, 2008 (1:45 PM)
Gender Inequality
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union (AU) are working together to sponsor a conference at the Addis Ababa, Ethiopia which will focus on the topic of gender inequality in Africa. The conference started on Monday August 25th, and runs through Friday August 29th. Over twenty five government ministers are expected to attend the last two days of the conference during which there will be a Ministerial segment.
Okay, so the article was kind of short, but it was the longest one I found online about this conference. Given the limited amount of information, I looked for more information about the conference and its aims, because I’m one of those people who’s usually skeptical about how a meeting of great minds ever actually changes anything, awesome though their ideas may be. I found these notes on UNECA’s page: http://www.uneca.org/eca_programmes/acgd/events/cfmGender/Conference%20of%20Ministers_doc/Concept%20note%20for%20meeting%20of%20ministers%20_2008_.pdf
I don’t know much about the issues in Africa, but this article and these notes were interesting. They brought up past data and observed that while improvements have been made, they have been minimal and that the growth of violence against women almost cancels out the progress made. Despite this concerning report, I think the aims of the conference seemed important. They make mention of the right to own property, for instance, which is something that definitely to me symbolizes independence in a lot of ways. They also showed that while the amount elementary education young girls receive is growing, the number of women furthering their studies beyond that level has not improved and until this is resolved, I don’t think any number of conferences can change much. The people inside the countries have to want the changes (it can’t be accomplished purely through the efforts of an outside or continent-wide group like AU or the UN), and these issues in particular deal with change for women. If the women of these nations aren’t educated it will be more difficult for them to confront these issues.
In the end, I’m glad that the UN is working on projects like these. I’m still not convinced that much will change, given the list of countries who still haven’t adopted the previous conference’s policies. But I would rather see people trying like this than note an absence of such efforts. I hope these changes will come swiftly, but if they can’t, I just hope they happen.
Taiwan busts hacking ring, 50 million personal records compromised
On August 27, 2008, a group of hackers were arrested. Six people, who were operating in Taiwan and China, are considered by Taiwan's Criminal Investigaiton Burea to be the responsible for the biggest theft of personal data Taiwan has ever seen with 50 million personal records stolen. Among the list of people whose personal information was stolen are former Taiwan president, Ma Ying-jeou and current Taiwan president, Wang Cho-chain. The hackers had planned to offer the information to anyone willing to pay 300 Taiwan dollars (10 U.S.) per topic via the internet. Furthermore, the hackers had been robbing victims who had online bank accounts based in Taiwan and China out of millions of Taiwan dollars. Last week, China found a well developed fake diploma scam involving ten government databases, leading them to investigate more global cyber-crimes like the hackers uncovered this week. As for the hackers operating globally, it is all too easy with the help of geolocation and botnets (internet service), allowing someone to steal data from any country of their choice.
I think that cyber-crime is appealing to criminals because it allows them to access an unlimited wealth of information or money from the safety and ease of their computer screen. The global appeal of cyber-crime allows criminals to access any place in the world via the internet. In Asian countries, cyber-crime may be more typical because it is harder for police to pinpoint hackers. It is easy for hackers to pick up their operations and start elsewhere as long as there is an internet connection.
Published by Google News
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security1?p=1814
I think that cyber-crime is appealing to criminals because it allows them to access an unlimited wealth of information or money from the safety and ease of their computer screen. The global appeal of cyber-crime allows criminals to access any place in the world via the internet. In Asian countries, cyber-crime may be more typical because it is harder for police to pinpoint hackers. It is easy for hackers to pick up their operations and start elsewhere as long as there is an internet connection.
Published by Google News
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security1?p=1814
Former Iraqi PM Al-Ja'fari discusses formation of new political trend
David Lambeth
August 29 2008
1:14pm
Dr, Ibrahim al-Ja'fari, former Iraqi prime minister and current leader of the National Reform Trend condemn s the United States efforts to pact with Iraq to better and rebuild their power in a Democratic fashion. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke of praise for a union between the two countries. Dr. al-Ja'fari opposes such an agreement because it would bind Iraq to the United States. He believes that Iraq should rise alone and less under the influence of an already enormously established nation. The United States is rushing to an agreement while the Iraqi government is looking into what the people want to do. They are taking the population’s concerns into account. They are currently working on restoring Iraq’s military forces, but will not withdraw the forces until it is certain that the army can stand alone. The training is to a point of stability, but an army must always be prepared that anything can happen. It is how to deal with the unexpected that they are working on perfecting. The Iraqi political figures that once accepted the United States and other powerful forces into the country now want them out as soon as possible. They were only meant to be temporary and have accomplished their initial purpose. Iraqi politics are on the rise and the nation is well on its way to independency. My personal opinion leans towards that of Dr. al-Ja'fari. I agree that the people of Iraq need to decide as a nation where to go from here. Now that stability has been established the need for outside protection becomes less and less. The influence of such forces may take away from what the consensus of the nation wants. Just like the forming of America happened in history, the forming of the independent nation of Iraq needs to create its own path through history. They want to be self motivated and be able to decide how to operate the country that they call home.
http://libproxy.uncg.edu:2086/us/lnacademic/search/focusSearch.do?risb=21_T4450837379&pap=results_listview_Listview&formStateKey=29_T4450837382&format=GNBLIST&returnTo=20_T4450837380
August 29 2008
1:14pm
Dr, Ibrahim al-Ja'fari, former Iraqi prime minister and current leader of the National Reform Trend condemn s the United States efforts to pact with Iraq to better and rebuild their power in a Democratic fashion. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke of praise for a union between the two countries. Dr. al-Ja'fari opposes such an agreement because it would bind Iraq to the United States. He believes that Iraq should rise alone and less under the influence of an already enormously established nation. The United States is rushing to an agreement while the Iraqi government is looking into what the people want to do. They are taking the population’s concerns into account. They are currently working on restoring Iraq’s military forces, but will not withdraw the forces until it is certain that the army can stand alone. The training is to a point of stability, but an army must always be prepared that anything can happen. It is how to deal with the unexpected that they are working on perfecting. The Iraqi political figures that once accepted the United States and other powerful forces into the country now want them out as soon as possible. They were only meant to be temporary and have accomplished their initial purpose. Iraqi politics are on the rise and the nation is well on its way to independency. My personal opinion leans towards that of Dr. al-Ja'fari. I agree that the people of Iraq need to decide as a nation where to go from here. Now that stability has been established the need for outside protection becomes less and less. The influence of such forces may take away from what the consensus of the nation wants. Just like the forming of America happened in history, the forming of the independent nation of Iraq needs to create its own path through history. They want to be self motivated and be able to decide how to operate the country that they call home.
http://libproxy.uncg.edu:2086/us/lnacademic/search/focusSearch.do?risb=21_T4450837379&pap=results_listview_Listview&formStateKey=29_T4450837382&format=GNBLIST&returnTo=20_T4450837380
Extra Credit Opportunities
-- Asian Studies Colloquia --
"Japan in the 21st Century"Friday, September 12EUC - Alexander Room3:30 pm“The China Challenge"Friday, November 14EUC - Alexander Room3:30 pm
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Asian Studes at UNCG
Beginning in fall 2008, IGS will be offering a Regional Studies Concentration in Asian Studies! Click here for more details ...
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Asian Autumn Moon FestivalSaturday, September 13Noon - 3:00 Sullivan Science Building
Light refreshments, including Moon Cakes, will be served, and entertainment will be provided by student and community groups. Cultural lectures will also be given by UNCG faculty. Please check back for more detailed information as it becomes available.
----------------------------------
FallFest 2008September 22 - 28
UNCG's Annual Homecoming Is Almost Here!Click here to learn more about one of the best attended annual Triad festivals.
"Japan in the 21st Century"Friday, September 12EUC - Alexander Room3:30 pm“The China Challenge"Friday, November 14EUC - Alexander Room3:30 pm
----------------------------------
Asian Studes at UNCG
Beginning in fall 2008, IGS will be offering a Regional Studies Concentration in Asian Studies! Click here for more details ...
----------------------------------
Asian Autumn Moon FestivalSaturday, September 13Noon - 3:00 Sullivan Science Building
Light refreshments, including Moon Cakes, will be served, and entertainment will be provided by student and community groups. Cultural lectures will also be given by UNCG faculty. Please check back for more detailed information as it becomes available.
----------------------------------
FallFest 2008September 22 - 28
UNCG's Annual Homecoming Is Almost Here!Click here to learn more about one of the best attended annual Triad festivals.
Occupation With No End in Sight: Georgians in 'Security Zone' Resigned to Russians' Presence
Krista Giles
August 29, 08; 11:10 AM
Wars and Violence
August 29, 08; 11:10 AM
Wars and Violence
When I first heard that Russia attacked Georgia, I overheard that it was the start to a cold war. After a while I heard again that it wasn’t a war just an attack, but reading this article now, I realize that the situation is much worse than people think.
Is Russia just picking on Georgia because it is a small, poor country? I suppose with Georgia being in poor shape Russia thought it would be easy to conquer, but with some of the Georgians strong will-power Russia will have some more fighting to do to win.
Georgia was poor before Russia attacked, but now they are in worse shape. For Georgians farming and marketing is how they make a living, but with Russian checkpoints and no buses to travel, there is no money being made.
As violence has decreased since the early weeks of the attack smaller attacks have been made instead of abductions and shootings, now robberies and larceny are the violent acts that may be just as devastating to this small country. Houses are being burnt to the ground because the fire station is unable to help due to the Russian checkpoints.
Some Georgians, such as Tahia Davitidze realize that it will take enormous effort to regain control of their land, but still believe that it can happen over time. Although many Georgians are positive, there is knowledge that their way of life will be different forever. For Tahia, she needs to take the bus to the market for 75 cents, but with the bus no longer traveling she needs to take a taxi for 12 dollars, which she is unable to afford.
Thus, Russian forces are more certain and confident than the Georgians that they will gain all power through their planned zoning and checkpoints, even though what they’re doing isn’t necessarily the right or fair thing.
Iraq Signs Oil Deal With China
Brittany Sturdivant
August 29, 2008; 11:00am
Energy and Oil
China and Iraq came to a three-billion dollar oil agreement on Thursday. The agreement with China is the first major oil deal that Iraq has been with a country since 2003. The agreement grants China rights to the Al-Ahdab oil field in the province of Wassit. Under the agreement the Chinese company will offer oil workers, technical advisers, and supply equipment to help with the supply of the Al-Ahdab oil field. China will receive money for the services they provide to Iraq, but they will not share in profits which is a change in the original agreement in 1997 which included the rights to production sharing. In 1997, China had a contact that permitted them to access the Al-Ahdab oil field, but the plan was suspended due to security issues and UN sanctions following the war that crushed Saddam. The deal with Iraq is not what China had in mind, but right now they’re in desperate need for energy. The agreement is waiting the approval of Iraq’ cabinet, but this agreement could be a win for both nations because it will help China with their constant demands in the oil field and will help Iraq with their nation’s economic development. I think this agreement is wonderful for China especially since they’re in a huge demand for oil. China’s population is growing rapidly and their economy is growing at double-digit pace. Since China is in a desperate need for oil I think the agreement is great because it will guarantee China’s oil supplies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29iraq.html?ref=world
August 29, 2008; 11:00am
Energy and Oil
China and Iraq came to a three-billion dollar oil agreement on Thursday. The agreement with China is the first major oil deal that Iraq has been with a country since 2003. The agreement grants China rights to the Al-Ahdab oil field in the province of Wassit. Under the agreement the Chinese company will offer oil workers, technical advisers, and supply equipment to help with the supply of the Al-Ahdab oil field. China will receive money for the services they provide to Iraq, but they will not share in profits which is a change in the original agreement in 1997 which included the rights to production sharing. In 1997, China had a contact that permitted them to access the Al-Ahdab oil field, but the plan was suspended due to security issues and UN sanctions following the war that crushed Saddam. The deal with Iraq is not what China had in mind, but right now they’re in desperate need for energy. The agreement is waiting the approval of Iraq’ cabinet, but this agreement could be a win for both nations because it will help China with their constant demands in the oil field and will help Iraq with their nation’s economic development. I think this agreement is wonderful for China especially since they’re in a huge demand for oil. China’s population is growing rapidly and their economy is growing at double-digit pace. Since China is in a desperate need for oil I think the agreement is great because it will guarantee China’s oil supplies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29iraq.html?ref=world
Rights Advocates Defy Israeli Blockade of Gaza
Alisha Casey
August 29, 2008
A dispute has occurred between Israel and about 40 international human rights advocates. After the Islamic militant group Hamas seized Gaza last year human rights advocates felt there needed to be something done. On Saturday two boats left from Cyrus and landed in Gaza and were greeted by about 2,000 residents near Gaza City. The international advocates were carrying about 200 hearing aids and thousands of balloons for the children in Gaza. This trip was a stand against the what the advocates called "immoral and illegal seize". Despite the fact that Israel did not want the activist to land in Gaza they allowed the boats in to avoid conflict. The Hamas run territory is considered to be a terrorist organization due to the fact that goods are strictly limited into the area.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/world/middleeast/24mideast.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print
August 29, 2008
A dispute has occurred between Israel and about 40 international human rights advocates. After the Islamic militant group Hamas seized Gaza last year human rights advocates felt there needed to be something done. On Saturday two boats left from Cyrus and landed in Gaza and were greeted by about 2,000 residents near Gaza City. The international advocates were carrying about 200 hearing aids and thousands of balloons for the children in Gaza. This trip was a stand against the what the advocates called "immoral and illegal seize". Despite the fact that Israel did not want the activist to land in Gaza they allowed the boats in to avoid conflict. The Hamas run territory is considered to be a terrorist organization due to the fact that goods are strictly limited into the area.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/world/middleeast/24mideast.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print
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