April 2009 Archives

By Tuesday, you are supposed to read Chapter 9, "This Is Not a Test." Answer one of the following questions. I'll expect a comment of one good paragraph or more. (To me, that means 5-6 sentences at a minimum.) You do not need to worry about perfect grammar, spelling and punctuation, but they should be understandable. Remember that this is a public site, and you are responsible for the content of your postings.

YOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE POSTED BEFORE CLASS TIME ON MONDAY IN ORDER TO GET FULL CREDIT.

All page references are from the paperback, "Release 3.0, edition of The World Is Flat.

1. There's a lot of comparison early in the chapter between today's challenges and the Cold War/space race. Do you think this comparison is accurate, or is this a case of Friedman trying to do too much? Explain your answer.

2. "I offer compassionate flatism. Compassionate flatism is my definition of what it means to be a progressive in a flat world." (page 378) There's something in Friedman's position from just about every political ideology across the spectrum. What do you think of this view? Is it realistic in America?

3. Friedman has written elsewhere urging President Bush to call for "a crash program for alternative energy and conservation to make America energy-independent in ten years." (page 382) He offers a litany of benefits in the following sentences. Do you think there's any real chance of a President, regardless of party, calling for this in the next decade? Why or why not?

4. "The obvious challenge, [Stanford University economist Paul] Romer added, is to make tertiary education, if not compulsory, then governemnt-subsidized for at least two years, whether it is at a state university, a community college, or a technical school." (page 387) What do you think?

5. "Let me put this as bluntly as I can: If you are not a compassionate flatist - if you are just a let 'er rip free-market flatist - you are not only cruel, you are a fool." (page 393) That's a pretty direct statement. Friedman goes on to say, "You are courting a political backlash by those who can and will get churned up by this flattening process, and that backlash could become ferocious if we hit any kind of prolonged recession." Your thoughts?

REMINDERS: Please take care of Blog Entry #8 by the end of Thursday. As far as reading goes, please get through Chapter #9, "This Is Not a Test" today. I'll post Blog Entry #9, and that should be done before Monday's class. That would also be a good time to have Chapter #10 read by.

I've posted your essay choices for Take-Home Exam #1 on a separate entry, and those are due on Friday, May 1st.

We'll do the quiz on World Organizations next Wednesday. It will be matching.

Remind me to get you some materials for the Great Decisions projects... Here are those links again.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Today, we'll continue with terrorism...

FYI: A couple of worthwhile sites to check out... Take a few minutes and look around.

Frontline (PBS) produces great web sites. The Roots of Terror has information related to a number of their television broadcasts related to terrorism.

Foreign Policy (September/October 2008) - The Terrorism Index
Notice that this was a survey of 100 foreign-policy experts from all parts of the political spectrum. We'll take a look at the data reflected in the six sidebars. First, I'll give you five minutes to browse around.

The Center for American Progress website has some additional information. You can download the "Metrics of Failure" if you'd like, but we'll give each of you a copy of one of the metrics so we can go over them together. Keep in mind that, although they claim they are "a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity for all," the Center may reflect a political perspective that you might want to take into account when drawing conclusions.

I've never seen this before, but Terrorism Research appears to be some sort of "open source" research tool on terrorism. It looks like it has a lot of features.

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TERRORISM DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• Are we winning the "War on Terror?" (I'm not asking primarily about Iraq here.)
• Are we safer than we were before 9/11?
  
  
• Other than simply working to better defend and guard possible targets, how can the US and others work to prevent terrorist attacks? Is the solution political, economic, military?
• Harvard's Dean of the Kennedy School Joseph Nye writes about "soft power" quite a bit. That refers to a state like the US working on "co-opting people, rather than coercing them" via interdependence, values, etc. Do you think this is more or less effective in combating terror than our traditional focus on "hard" power?
  
  
• Why do they hate us? (Yeah, it's cliche, but I want to know what you think.)
• Is Osama bin Laden irrelevant? Has al-Qaeda lost its bite?
  
  
• What infringements or abridgments of privacy will you accept in America today?
• Should profiling be used to identify potential threats on airlines and elsewhere?
• Is the National Security Agency's use of wiretaps justified in today's climate?
  
  
• What should be done with the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay?
  
  
• What form will future acts of terrorism against the United States take? Why?
  
  
• Ten years from now, will terrorism be a greater or lesser threat to the international community? Why?
  
  

REMINDERS: Please take care of Blog Entry #8 by the end of Thursday.  As far as reading goes, please get through Chapter #9, "This Is Not a Test," for Thursday's class. I'll post Blog Entry #9, and that should be done before Monday's class. 

We'll start with the quiz on World Leaders today.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Today's topic will be terrorism. We've touched on it before in the course, and Friedman does some of his best writing later on regarding the topic.

There are certainly many definitions offered for "terrorism." We'll work to derive a definition as well. Here, you can see what the University of Pittsburgh Law School journal had to say regarding common characteristics of definitions of terrorism.

"Prespectives on Terrorism: Defining the Line" - Christian Science Monitor
Click on "full version." We'll work through the 5 cases together to see what you think.

Here's a rather depressing list prepared by the U.S. State Department of "Significant Terrorist Incidents: 1961 - 2003."

Aon, which is some sort of insurance and risk management business, issues a 2009 Political Risk Map. You can Google it if you want to download a copy, but I'll pop mine up on the board. It's pretty detailed.

The Naval Postgraduate School has a site with the US Department of State's Terrorist Group Profiles (2005). We're not going to do the blog entry thing, but here are 13 groups we should learn at least a bit about. We'll have you work in pairs for 5 minutes on one of these and then report back...

Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade
Aum Shinrikyo (Aum)
Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)
Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA)
HAMAS
Hizballah
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
Palestine Liberation Front
Al-Qaida
Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path)
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (QJBR)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: We talked quite a bit about the whole "War on Terror" in terms of domestic safety, the war in Iraq, etc. I'll try not to go back over the same ground here...

Why do they hate us? (Yeah, it's cliche, but I want to know what you think.)

How much does it really matter whether bin Laden is dead or alive?

Ten years from now, will terrorism be a greater or lesser threat to the international community? Why?

Other than simply working to better defend and guard possible targets, how can the US and others work to prevent terrorist attacks? Is the solution political, economic, military?

Harvard's Dean of the Kennedy School Joseph Nye writes about "soft power" quite a bit. That refers to a state like the US working on "co-opting people, rather than coercing them" via interdependence, values, etc. Do you think this is more or less effective in combating terror than our traditional focus on "hard" power?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

FYI: A couple of worthwhile sites to check out...

Frontline (PBS) produces great web sites. The Roots of Terror has information related to a number of their television broadcasts related to terrorism.

I've never seen this before, but Terrorism Research appears to be some sort of "open source" research tool on terrorism. It looks like it has a lot of features.

By now, you are supposed to have read Chapter 8, "The Quiet Crisis." Answer one of the following questions. I'll expect a comment of one good paragraph or more. (To me, that means 5-6 sentences at a minimum.) You do not need to worry about perfect grammar, spelling and punctuation, but they should be understandable. Remember that this is a public site, and you are responsible for the content of your postings.

YOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE POSTED BY THURSDAY IN ORDER TO GET FULL CREDIT.

All page references are from the paperback, "Release 3.0, edition of The World Is Flat. (You subtract about 14 pages to get the corresponding stuff in the hardcover edition.)

1. (One for the jocks...) Friedman starts the chapter with a discussion of the 2004 US Olympic Men's Basketball team. To what degree do you believe globalization and similar trends explain the difficulties America has had in international athletics recently? Use specific examples.

2. Shirley Ann Jackson (page 340) - "The U.S. today is in a truly global environment, and those competitor countries are not only wide awake, they are running a marathon while we are running sprints." What can government (not private business) do to help rectify this problem?

3. Friedman had lunch with some dude named Eric Stern at Yale one day. (page 351) Pretend you were there with them and react to some of what Stern has to say.

4. Which two of the six "dirty little secrets" do you believe will most limit the United States over the next decade? Explain why.

5. "In China today, Bill Gates is Britney Spears. In America today, Britney Spears is Britney Spears - and that is our problem." (page 365) Discuss.

6. In the "real" world, what can be done to increase America's status on these international math and science exams and to increase the numbers of students studying this subjects at higher levels?

REMINDERS: You should post Blog Entry #7 by the end of today, and take care of Blog Entry #8 by the end of Thursday.  As far as reading goes, please get through Chapter #9, "This Is Not a Test," for Thursday's class.

We'll plan on doing the third quiz on World Leaders/Figures tomorrow. That one is matching. 

• Dirty Little Secret #1:  The Numbers Gap
  
• Dirty Little Secret #2:  The Education Gap at the Top
  
• Dirty Little Secret #3:  The Ambition Gap
  
• Dirty Little Secret #4:  The Education Gap at the Bottom
  
• Dirty Little Secret #5:  The Funding Gap
  
• Dirty Little Secret #6:  The Infrastructure Gap
  

Is the possession of WMDs by the government of a sovereign state immoral? Why or why not?

Is it hypocritical for nuclear states to work to prevent others from acquiring the same weapons? Why or why not?

Are nuclear weapons an effective deterrent? Why or why not? - THIS IS WHERE WE STOPPED.

Are India and Pakistan more or less stable now that they both possess nuclear weapons?

How can the international community best prevent "rogue states" from acquiring WMDs? What should be done with Iran? With North Korea?

What do you believe would happen if Israel disclosed its nuclear arsenal to the world?

Would a viable missile defense system make the world safer or more dangerous?

Will nuclear weapons be used in anger by a nation during your lifetime?

You were asked to read The Economist article, "Safe without the Bomb?," for class. Let's hear what you thought of the ideas in there.

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INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS: We've done this type of thing before. You and a partner will claim one of the agreements below, research it a bit, and post your information as a comment on today's blog entry. We'll briefly discuss these first thing tomorrow...

For each, this is what your post of perhaps one good paragraph should include:

Briefly, what is the agreement? Who are the major parties? (Not necessarily a list...) When was it created? Why? What is the position/status of the United States regarding this agreement? Finally, what is your assessment of the desirability/efficacy of this agreement in the 21st century world?

• Maastricht Treaty
• Geneva Conventions
• International Criminal Court (ICC)
• Dayton Agreement
• Oslo Accords
• Sunshine Policy
• Kyoto Protocol
• Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM)
• Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)
• Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
• Land Mine treaty
• Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
• UN Resolution 242 (and 338)

REMINDERS: You were asked to have Chapter #8 read for today. I've posted Blog Entry #7, and that should be posted by the end of Tuesday.  Tomorrow, we'll start with a look at some of the issues raised in "The Quiet Crisis." In particular, you will each look at one of the six "Dirty Little Secrets." Blog Entry #8 should go up tomorrow and will be due on Thursday.

We'll plan on doing the third quiz on World Leaders/Figures on Wednesday, April 29th. That one is matching. 

I've posted your essay choices for Take-Home Exam #1 on a separate entry, and those are due on Friday, May 1st. 

Great Decisions: Here's what I've got for groups for this so far... We can also talk a bit about expectations for these. (If you were gone that day, we'll figure out a spot for you...)

• Rising Powers - Meghan and Matt
• Afghanistan and Pakistan - Ann, Katherine, and McKenzie
• Energy and the U.S. Economy - 
• The Arctic - Jacob, Jake, and Chad
• Egypt - Dan, Lauren and John - Will and Andrew 
• Global Food Crisis - Amit, Andy and Waleed
• Cuba - Annelise, Jaya, Kelsey and Sonia
• Human Rights - Asha, Ben and Veronica

We'll have a schedule set as soon as my guest speaker dates fall into place.

I figure you'll have roughly 45-60 minutes for your group.  Anything short of 40 minutes will be viewed suspiciously...  

Here's what I want from you:

•      overview of the key issue(s) at stake
•      presentation of necessary background information
•      some sort of discussion or other activity
  

Yeah, that's pretty broad.  You're teaching, so you decide how to do it.  Remember that I have the 30-minute video excerpts on each topic available for you.  (We'll say you can use 15-20 minutes from the DVD if you want, but I won't count any more than that toward your time.)  Their website, which contains additional resources, is again linked above.

If you want to make a handout, go ahead.  Want me to put something on the blog?  Get it to me.  Need something copied?  I can do that.  Most of you will be leaving home in about four months.  I think you can figure out how to do a nice job on a presentation...

Please ask with any questions or make any suggestions.  I'll develop a more formal "score sheet" but it will be based on the comments above.

>>>>>>

Weapons of Mass Destruction and Proliferation: There's a lot we could do here, but we'll try and give you an overview, take a look at a couple of cases studies and have some discussion.

Deadly Maps: This is a collection of maps from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Global Proliferation Status - 2005
Nuclear Weapons Status - 2005
Biological Weapons Status - 2005
Chemical Weapon Status - 2005
Ballistic Missile Proliferation - 2005

CASE STUDIES: What does it look like in a country working to acquire WMDs? Here are two looks...

Iran
North Korea

NUCLEAR WEAPONS - DETERRENCE AND STRATEGY: There's a whole lexicon of terms used in the justification of nuclear weapons and the considerations for their eventual use (or non-use). Here are a few.

Doomsday Clock: This has been maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists since the end of World War Two. It shows the world how "close" they were to midnight, or a nuclear conflict, through use of a clock analogy. Scroll down to see past "times" with brief explanations.

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) - This is the belief that weapons would not be used since any use would result in the destruction of both the attacker and the nation attacked. It formed the basis of deterrence theory in the Cold War.

Prisoner's Dilemma: This explanation for the arms race is drawn from the field of game theory. (You know, the film, A Beautiful Mind, and all that.)

first strike - A nation is said to have a "first strike" capability when it can attack another nation without fear of being counterattacked. Typically, the attacker would destroy all of the other nation's WMDs in the initial attack.

Nuclear triad - This refers to the traditional "three prongs" of the US nuclear force: strategic bombers, ICBMs and missile submarines.

counterforce v. countervalue targets - Counterforce targets are those that are part of a nation's own weapons systems and the military structure that supports them. Countervalue targets refer to civilian populations and institutions.

DISCUSSION:

Is the possession of WMDs by the government of a sovereign state immoral? Why or why not?

Is it hypocritical for nuclear states to work to prevent others from acquiring the same weapons? Why or why not?

Are nuclear weapons an effective deterrent? Why or why not?

Are India and Pakistan more or less stable now that they both possess nuclear weapons?

How can the international community best prevent "rogue states" from acquiring WMDs? What should be done with Iran? With North Korea?

What do you believe would happen if Israel disclosed its nuclear arsenal to the world?

Would a viable missile defense system make the world safer or more dangerous?

Will nuclear weapons be used in anger by a nation during your lifetime?

FYI: Here's an article that has more than you'd ever need to know about the future (and past) of United States nuclear strategy in the 21st century.

What Are Nuclear Weapons For? Recommendations for Restructuring U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces Sidney D. Drell and James E. Goodby, Arms Control Association Report, April 2005

Please read this article for tomorrow:  The Economist, Safe without the Bomb?

By this time, you were supposed to have read Chapter 7, "The Right Stuff." Answer one of the following questions. I'll expect a comment of one good paragraph or more. (To me, that means 5-6 sentences at a minimum.) You do not need to worry about perfect grammar, spelling and punctuation, but they should be understandable. Remember that this is a public site, and you are responsible for the content of your postings.

YOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE POSTED BEFORE CLASS TIME ON TUESDAY TO GET FULL CREDIT.

All page references are to the paperback version (Release 3.0) of The World is Flat. I'd really recommend that you read that version if at all possible.)

1. On pages 310, Friedman tells of answering a student's question about what courses to take: "Go around to your friends and ask them just one question: 'Who are your favorite teachers?' Then make a list of those teachers and go out and take their courses - no matter what they are teaching, no matter what the subject." Is this sound advice or silly sentimentalism? Explain.

2. (I promised very little math in this class, but here's a little algebra...) On page 313, he posts an inequality (I think that's the word for those things...): CQ + PQ > IQ Using specific examples or analysis, assess the truth of this statement in our increasingly flat world.

3. I'm not usually into all the "brain" science, but I've always found the left-brain/ right-brain stuff interesting. React to what Friedman argues in this fourth theme, "The Right Brain Stuff," including at least some specific reference to your own left/right tendencies. (It's on pp. 320-323.)

4. I know we've got some band nerds in here. (You just got called out by a debate coach...) React to the message that underlies the Georgia Tech anecdote. (It begins on page 324.) In particular, I'm interested in any comparisons you see to MPA or other places you may have spent time or heard about.

5. After you sift through Chapter 7, it is time to face the big question. "Can America educate its citizens for the "flat world?" (Friedman concludes both that we have all the necessary conditions and attributes, yet we are not currently doing so.) To make it a little more specific, I want you to comment on how well you think we'll be doing a decade from now.

REMINDERS: Let's have Chapter #8 read for Monday. I've posted Blog Entry #7, and that should be posted by the end of Tuesday.

We'll plan on doing the third quiz on World Leaders/Figures on Wednesday, April 29th. That one is matching. 

I've posted your essay choices for Take-Home Exam #1 on a separate entry, and those are due on Friday, May 1st.

Great Decisions: Here's what I've got for groups for this so far... We can also talk a bit about expectations for these. (If you were gone that day, we'll figure out a spot for you...)

• Rising Powers - Meghan and Matt
• Afghanistan and Pakistan - Ann, Katherine, and McKenzie
• Energy and the U.S. Economy - 
• The Arctic - Jacob, Jake, and Chad
• Egypt - Dan, Lauren and John - Will and Andrew 
• Global Food Crisis - Amit, Andy and Waleed
• Cuba - Annelise, Jaya, Kelsey and Sonia
• Human Rights - Asha, Ben and Veronica

We'll have a schedule set as soon as my guest speaker dates fall into place.

I figure you'll have roughly 45-60 minutes for your group.  Anything short of 40 minutes will be viewed suspiciously...  

Here's what I want from you:

•      overview of the key issue(s) at stake
•      presentation of necessary background information
•      some sort of discussion or other activity
  

Yeah, that's pretty broad.  You're teaching, so you decide how to do it.  Remember that I have the 30-minute video excerpts on each topic available for you.  (We'll say you can use 15-20 minutes from the DVD if you want, but I won't count any more than that toward your time.)  Their website, which contains additional resources, is again linked above.

If you want to make a handout, go ahead.  Want me to put something on the blog?  Get it to me.  Need something copied?  I can do that.  Most of you will be leaving home in about four months.  I think you can figure out how to do a nice job on a presentation...

Please ask with any questions or make any suggestions.  I'll develop a more formal "score sheet" but it will be based on the comments above.

>>>>>>

In my mind, at least, today's topic is a natural follow-up to yesterday's focus on population and demographics. Broadly speaking, I want us to take a look at migration. (No, not birds fleeing the recent cold, but rather different migrations among peoples around the world.) The issue raises a lot of different specific and interesting questions depending on where we look.

First, some definitions are probably in order. (No, I didn't just go to Wikipedia. I sought some more academic sources...)

migration: the movement of persons from one country or locality to another (Princeton)

Illegal Immigrant: Someone present in the country without authorization. People considered illegal immigrants can enter the United States in two ways: either by sneaking across the border, or by entering the country legally under a temporary visa but then failing to leave once their visa expires. (NPR website)

Refugee: Any person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside of the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, unwilling to return to it. (Source: UN Convention Related to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol)

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or man-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border. (Source: "Guiding Principles on Internal Displacements" issued by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in 1998)

Asylum-seekers: Persons who file an application for asylum in a country other than their own. They remain in the status of asylum-seeker until their application is considered and adjudicated.

Foreign migrant workers: Foreigners admitted by the receiving State for the specific purpose of exercising an economic activity remunerated from within the receiving country. Their length of stay is usually restricted as is the type of employment they can hold.

Trafficking: When a migrant is illegally recruited, coerced and/or forcibly moved within national or across national borders. Traffickers are those who transport migrants and profit economically or otherwise from their relocation. (Source: International Organization for Migration).

WORLDWIDE:

Here's the website for Refugees International. This set of Helpful Facts & Figures is also interesting.

Here's a comprehensive site from Human Rights Watch: Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons, and Asylum Seekers

In case you were wondering, it looks like we currently make provisions for the admission of about 70,000 refugees a year into the US. Specific quotas are set for different areas of the world, and 20,000 spots are held "in reserve."

UNITED STATES:

A New Century: Immigration and the US is an extensive article that provides a good overview of new issues and challenges in immigration policy that face the United States in the 21st Century.

Most estimates place the number of "undocumented" (illegal) immigrants in the country at any one time between 10 and 12 million.

NPR: The Immigration Debate is a very thorough website covering immigration and its status as a very important issue in American politics.

ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION:

1. China is experiencing an unprecedented internal migration. Estimates are that between 300 and 500 million Chinese will leave rural areas and migrate to the cities of China. What implications will these have for China's internal stability? How should Beijing deal with this movement?

2. By many estimates, the Palestinians make up one-quarter of the world's refugees. Based on your understanding of their situation, how does it compare with what you typically think of as a refugee issue? If you see it as different, explain why. What should the international community push for if they want to settle this issue?

3. How do you view the plights of refugees in comparison with those of internally displaced peoples? Should the international community treat them differently?

4. In the post-9/11 world, the United States has significantly altered its position on many immigration issues. Which do you think is the greater fear: allowing too much legal immigration or allowing too little? Why?

5. Congress is considering some broad immigration reforms. Assume that you are in charge. What would you do? In particular, what would you do regarding the southern border and the status of the 10-12 million illegal immigrants already in the country?

REMINDERS: Blog Entry #6 is due today, and you were also asked to have Chapter #7, "The Right Stuff," from The World Is Flat read as well. Let's have Chapter #8 read for Monday.

We'll plan on doing the third quiz on World Leaders/Figures on Wednesday, April 29th. That one is matching. 

I've posted your essay choices for Take-Home Exam #1 on a separate entry, and those are due on Friday, May 1st. 

Great Decisions: Here's what I've got for groups for this so far... We can also talk a bit about expectations for these. (If you were gone that day, we'll figure out a spot for you...)

• Rising Powers - Meghan and Matt
• Afghanistan and Pakistan - Ann, Katherine, and McKenzie
• Energy and the U.S. Economy - 
• The Arctic - Jacob, Jake, and Chad
• Egypt - Dan, Lauren and John - Will and Andrew 
• Global Food Crisis - Amit, Andy and Waleed
• Cuba - Annelise, Jaya, Kelsey and Sonia
• Human Rights - Asha, Ben and Veronica

We'll have a schedule set as soon as my guest speaker dates fall into place.

I figure you'll have roughly 45-60 minutes for your group.  Anything short of 40 minutes will be viewed suspiciously...  

Here's what I want from you:

•      overview of the key issue(s) at stake
•      presentation of necessary background information
•      some sort of discussion or other activity
  

Yeah, that's pretty broad.  You're teaching, so you decide how to do it.  Remember that I have the 30-minute video excerpts on each topic available for you.  (We'll say you can use 15-20 minutes from the DVD if you want, but I won't count any more than that toward your time.)  Their website, which contains additional resources, is again linked above.

If you want to make a handout, go ahead.  Want me to put something on the blog?  Get it to me.  Need something copied?  I can do that.  Most of you will be leaving home in about four months.  I think you can figure out how to do a nice job on a presentation...

Please ask with any questions or make any suggestions.  I'll develop a more formal "score sheet" but it will be based on the comments above.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Let's start by hearing what you thought about Chapter #7, "The Right Stuff," from The World Is Flat.

As if I needed more examples to confirm my "nerd" status, I will confess that I really like today's topic. Demographics and population issues are neat. Let's see if you agree...

Here's a population clock from the Population Coalition. Watch it change. Here's one from the US Census Bureau. If you'd like to compare the current population with that estimated for any day since 1970 (like your birth), check out this World Population Applet.

Here are the US Census Bureau's world population projections through 2050.

The World's Most Populous Countries - This is a cartogram of world population. Here's another at The Population Map.

IDB Population Pyramids are a cool resource from the US Census Bureau. Look at the way they break down populations by age and gender. In addition, they project changes out through 2050. Play with these a while. Some suggestions: Gaza Strip, Germany, India, Rwanda and the United States. (Click on "dynamic" to get the graphs to move over time. Neat.)

Let's look a little closer to home at some maps and data...

Here's a look at a US population cartogram, but it's mixed in with information from the 2004 Presidential election.

This is another US Census Bureau publication, "Population Projections for States by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1995 to 2025." Scroll down to the "HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREFERRED SERIES" to find some highlights. What conclusions can we draw from these trends?

Another way to look at our world... If we have time, let's take a look at Worldmapper.  This site shows maps recently published in a book of the same name. Here's the index. (I know some of you have seen this, but the demographics information on here is pretty interesting.)

OK, that's enough high-tech nerdiness. We'll start drawing the connections from population to policy issues. (Immigration is yet to come...) I've got two articles for us to work with on population. Both are from one of my favorite new websites, The Globalist.

21st Century Demographics: Highs and Lows Let's look at these and ponder their implications for the future.

Ready for some gloom and doom? Here's an excerpt from Philip Bobbit's book, The Shield of Achilles. He projects a possible future for Africa as a result of projected population growth on the continent. Africa's Plight - The 2050 Scenario. I'm curious as to your reactions to this excerpt.

We'll plan on doing the next quiz on World Cities on Thursday, April 23rd. (You simply need to know the country in which each city is located. No word bank on this one.) 

I've posted your essay choices for Take-Home Exam #1 on a separate entry. Let's have those due on Friday, May 1st.

Great Decisions: Here's what I've got for groups for this so far... We can also talk a bit about expectations for these. (If you were gone that day, we'll figure out a spot for you...)

• Rising Powers - Meghan and Matt
• Afghanistan and Pakistan - 
• Energy and the U.S. Economy - Ann, Katherine, and McKenzie
• The Arctic - Jacob, Jake, and Chad
• Egypt - Dan, Lauren and John - Will and Andrew 
• Global Food Crisis - Amit and Waleed
• Cuba - Annelise, Jaya, Kelsey and Sonia
• Human Rights - Asha, Ben and Veronica

We'll have a schedule set as soon as my guest speaker dates fall into place.

I figure you'll have roughly 45-60 minutes for your group.  Anything short of 40 minutes will be viewed suspiciously... 

Here's what I want from you:

•      overview of the key issue(s) at stake
•      presentation of necessary background information
•      some sort of discussion or other activity
  

Yeah, that's pretty broad.  You're teaching, so you decide how to do it.  Remember that I have the 30-minute video excerpts on each topic available for you.  (We'll say you can use 15-20 minutes from the DVD if you want, but I won't count any more than that toward your time.)  Their website, which contains additional resources, is again linked above.

If you want to make a handout, go ahead.  Want me to put something on the blog?  Get it to me.  Need something copied?  I can do that.  Most of you will be leaving home in about four months.  I think you can figure out how to do a nice job on a presentation...

Please ask with any questions or make any suggestions.  I'll develop a more formal "score sheet" but it will be based on the comments above.

>>>>>>>>>

"ORGANIZING" THE 21st CENTURY WORLD: Below is the list of 25 important intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and non-governmental organizations. You will be asked to have a blog comment posted to this entry about the group you select.

You'll be asked to talk about your group briefly today, as well as to provide a brief "evaluation" of the organization. These lists and comments will form the basis for a matching quiz on these organizations in another week or two.

We'll go through these in a way that might make more sense than simply alphabetical...
United Nations General Assembly
United Nations Security Council
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
World Bank
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
World Trade Organization (WTO)
European Union (EU)
Group of 8 (G8)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Organization of American States (OAS)
Mercosur
African Union (AU)
League of Arab States
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Organization of Islamic Conferences
Commonwealth of Independent States
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Food Program (WFP)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

You can use any remaining time to touch base with your Great Decisions group...

Here are your choices for the first, take-home essay exam. You do NOT need to use any resources outside of what we've referenced in class. (You can do outside research if you'd like, and you would, of course, cite any of them appropriately.) I want you to choose 2 of these questions to answer. I'm thinking somewhere between 500-750 words on each. If you go beyond two single-spaced pages on a question, you're doing too much (or using a huge font...)

Let's have these on FRIDAY, MAY 1st.

Remember, you pick two questions from the list...

1. You're at least several hundred pages (hopefully) into Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat. Now it is your turn to "talk" to him. This is your chance to present your critique of any/all of his ideas and positions. It's your chance to articulate an alternative vision of the events and trends of the early 21st century. It's your turn. (Note that this is not intended to be an evaluation of Freidman as an author, but rather as a thinker or interpreter or whatever. And, no, you shouldn't simply rehash some blog answers here.)

2. This is your chance to show of your prognosticating abilities. Assume that you receive a copy of the 2014 Foreign Policy magazine's "Failed States Index" from me as a college graduation present. Tell me which three states you believe will lead the Index as "failing" or even "failed" states. Your answer should display both an understanding of some of the indicators of a failed state as well as some sort of explanation of what you believe will have transpired over those five years in those states.

3. It's the year 2019. You have your choice of sitting down with Samuel Huntington ("Clash of Civilizations") OR Thomas Barnett (The Pentagon's New Map) and telling him why you believe events in the world over that decade (2009-2019) have proven him to be either a prophet or a liar. Explain why.

4. Maybe you think Jared Diamond and/or Kirkpatrick Sale might be on to something, or maybe you think they are brilliant. Either way, you want to make a name for yourself. Establish your own set of 4 or 5 criteria that you believe can effectively differentiate 'civilizations' or states doomed to fail from those destined to succeed. Obviously, you should explain why you chose the criteria that you did.

5. Mr. Downs decides to take a well-deserved vacation, and he puts you in charge for the next two weeks. Assuming that you have a reasonable (not unlimited) budget, a cooperative faculty, and the power to implement changes quickly, tell me how you would change things at Mounds Park Academy to better prepare its students to succeed in the globalizing world of the 21st century. (Your answer should display an understanding of some of the issues/facts/trends discussed in "Lost in America," the Foreign Policy article reprinted on the extended entry of the Lesson #12 blog.)

By this time, you are supposed to have read Chapter 6, "The Untouchables." Answer one of the following questions. I'll expect a comment of one good paragraph or more. (To me, that means 5-6 sentences at a minimum.) You do not need to worry about perfect grammar, spelling and punctuation, but they should be understandable. Remember that this is a public site, and you are responsible for the content of your postings.

(NOTE: This chapter is significantly different in the paperback version. I'd really recommend that you read that version if at all possible.)

YOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE POSTED BY THE END OF THURSDAY, APRIL 23RD IN ORDER TO GET FULL CREDIT.

1. Assume that you are one of the following: CEO of a Fortune 500 company, US President needing to fill out your Cabinet or the head of an influential non-profit organization. (Tell us which you are pretending to be.) I want you to identify which two of the "skills" or types described by Friedman you'd be most eager to have join your organization. Be sure you explain why.

2. Is there an additional type or "skill" for the 21st century workplace that you feel Friedman has overlooked? If so, describe what that skill is, and explain why you believe it would be so useful and/or necessary.

3. Do you know of anyone who has already undergone a transition similar to that of Bill Greer? (page 304 in paperback) If so, tell us about it. (It can be a success story or just a story... You can use the real names or make the person anonymous.) Try to incorporate some of the concepts or topics that Friedman introduces into your narrative. (It's page 296 in the older, hardcover edition.)

REMINDERS: Blog Entry #6 has been posted, and we'll have it due on Thursday. Please try to read Chapter #7, "The Right Stuff," from The World Is Flat by then as well.

We'll plan on doing the next quiz on World Cities on Thursday, April 23rd. (You simply need to know the country in which each city is located. No word bank on this one.) 

I've posted your essay choices for Take-Home Exam #1 on a separate entry. Let's have those due on Friday, May 1st.

Great Decisions: Here's what I've got for groups for this so far... We can also talk a bit about expectations for these. (If you were gone that day, we'll figure out a spot for you...)

• Rising Powers - Meghan and Matt
• Afghanistan and Pakistan - 
• Energy and the U.S. Economy - Ann, Katherine, and McKenzie
• The Arctic - Jacob, Jake, and Chad
• Egypt - Dan, Lauren and John - Will and Andrew 
• Global Food Crisis - Amit and Waleed
• Cuba - Annelise, Jaya, Kelsey and Sonia
• Human Rights - Asha, Ben and Veronica
  
  

• Great collaborators and orchestrators
• Great synthesizers
• Great explainers
• Great leveragers
• Great adapters
• Green people
• Passionate personalizers
• Math Lovers
• Great localizers

21st Century "Job Fair" - I thought these were kind of neat. Joyce Gioia and Roger Herman both write for The Futurist magazine, and they composed a list of some jobs they expect to see emerging early in this century. We'll hand out the slips and you can check them out.

The 21st Century Workplace is the testimony of economist Jared Bernstein before a 2005 US Senate committee. It's quite a bit to process in class, but I'd like you to take ten minutes and browse through it before we share some impressions.

I'd like you to identify four things:

• one statistic, fact or prediction that really surprises you
• one conclusion, inference or question you draw from the graphs and/or tables
• one of his conclusions or arguments with which you strongly agree (or disagree)
• one policy recommendation (his or yours) that follows from the data and/or text

REMINDERS: You were asked to have Blog Entry #5 posted by the end of today, so try to do that. You were also asked to read Chapter 6, so be sure to do that tonight if you are behind. I'll put up Blog Entry #6 later today, and we'll have it due on Thursday.

We'll plan on doing the next quiz on World Cities on Thursday, April 23rd. (You simply need to know the country in which each city is located. No word bank on this one.) I'll have copies of the World Countries quiz available for those of you who missed it. We could do it the last few minutes of class today if you want.

Great Decisions: Here's what I've got for groups for this so far... We can also talk a bit about expectations for these. (If you were gone that day, we'll figure out a spot for you...)

• Rising Powers - Meghan and Matt
• Afghanistan and Pakistan - 
• Energy and the U.S. Economy - Ann, Katherine, and McKenzie
• The Arctic - Jacob, Jake, and Chad
• Egypt - Dan, Lauren and John - Will and Andrew 
• Global Food Crisis - Amit and Waleed
• Cuba - Annelise, Jaya, Kelsey and Sonia
• Human Rights - Asha, Ben and Veronica

The World Is Flat - Chapter 5 - "America and Free Trade" - You were asked to have this chapter read for Friday, so let's hear your impressions and/or questions. We can review some of the basics of international trade, particularly for those of you who did not take Economics class.

Education in the 21st Century: On Friday, we had about 1/3 of the class gone. We'll return to the suggestions for improving public education in the 21st century. I'm also interested in turning the conversation to MPA specifically for a while as well.

FUTURE PERSPECTIVE - A Vision of Education for the 21st Century is an interesting article that first appeared in a 2000 issue of T.H.E. Journal. Take a quick look at it and react to two questions.

• How much, if any, progress do you feel has been made toward this type of vision?
• How desirable, if at all, do you feel it would be to attain this vision?

• Great collaborators and orchestrators
• Great synthesizers
• Great explainers
• Great leveragers
• Great adapters
• Green people
• Passionate personalizers
• Math Lovers
• Great localizers

By this time, you were supposed to have read Chapter 5, "America and Free Trade." Answer one of the following questions. I'll expect a comment of one good paragraph or more. (To me, that means 5-6 sentences at a minimum.) You do not need to worry about perfect grammar, spelling and punctuation, but they should be understandable. Remember that this is a public site, and you are responsible for the content of your postings.

YOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE POSTED BEFORE CLASS TIME ON TUESDAY IN ORDER TO GET FULL CREDIT.

(Note that the page references are for the paperback "Release 3.0." "Subtract" 2 and you'll get the corresponding pages in the hardcover "Release 2.0." You're welcome.)

A. "When you lose your job, the enemplyment rate is not 5.2 percent; it's 100 percent." (Page 264) How should America balance this reality with the demands of a flat(ter) world and competition? What (if anything) do we owe workers who lose their jobs to globalization?

B. What's your take on this whole "lump of labor" theory? (page 266)

C. "There may be a limit to the number of good factory jobs in the world, but there is no limit to the number of idea-generated jobs in the world." (page 269) Is this realistic, or simply a case of optimism run wild?

D. On page 276, Friedman cites the comparison made between China and India's entry into the global economy with the coming of railroad lines across the American West. Is this an apt comparison, or another instance of "analogy overstretch?" Explain.

REMINDERS: You were asked to post on yesterday's blog your five suggestions for improving public education in the 21st century. We'll look at those in a bit.

You were also asked to have read Chapter 5 in Friedman's The World Is Flat read for today. I've posted Blog Entry #5 for that. Please try to post that by the end of Monday, and have Chapter 6, "The Untouchables," read for Monday's class as well.

We'll start out today with the quiz on the 40 countries. We'll plan on doing the next quiz on World Cities on Thursday, April 23rd. (You simply need to know the country in which each city is located. No word bank on this one.)

BACK TO GEOGRAPHY: Let's try the 2006 National Geographic - Roper Survey of Geographic Literacy. I'm hoping it will make you feel good about where you're coming from. If not, I'm sorry for getting your weekend off to a bad start...

Test yourself... We'll walk through these together.
Findings - read about what they found, conclusions they drew, etc.

Education in the 21st Century: Friedman hasn't really weighed in on this one yet very much, but I hope that the Foreign Policy article, "Lost in America," got you thinking about the way we educate in this country. I'm interested in hearing about your recommendations, as well as hearing the reactions of the rest of the group to them.

FUTURE PERSPECTIVE - A Vision of Education for the 21st Century is an interesting article that first appeared in a 2000 issue of T.H.E. Journal. Take a quick look at it and react to two questions.

• How much, if any, progress do you feel has been made toward this type of vision?
• How desirable, if at all, do you feel it would be to attain this vision?

Think of this as our final week of this first "unit." I'm not what it should be called, but I guess that's irrelevant. .. We'll post your choices for the first take-home essay exam by Monday's class. You'll get a week or so to complete them.

We'll start tomorrow with the Countries Quiz. Let's do the second quiz on World Cities next Thursday. (You simply need to know the country in which each is located.)

Remember that your Blog Entry #4 is now past due. You're asked to have Chapter #5 read for tomorrow, and Chapter #6, "The Untouchables," read for Monday's class.

Great Decisions: We'll let you request preferences in terms of groups and topics for the "Great Decisions" activity today. The Foreign Policy Association selects 8 issues a year. Later in the quarter, we'll basically spend a class period on each of the issues. Your group will "lead" us that day by providing background, introducing conflicting perspectives, leading a discussion, etc. We'll do three to a group on these, although I guess one group will need to be four. If everyone makes their requests today, these should be assigned to you tomorrow.

Jared Diamond v. Kirkpatrick Sale: We'll look at your blog entries from yesterday and hear some of your opinions as well.

Here are quick reminders of what the two established as their criteria:

Jared Diamond:
Environmental damage
Climate change
Hostile neighbors
Friendly neighbors - trade
Cultural response

Kirkpatrick Sale:
Environmental degredation
Economic meltdown
Military overstretch
Domestic dissent and upheaval

You were asked to evaluate the two views and choose the one that more closely matched your own views. Let's hear what you thought.

In addition, I want to take some time hearing your opinions on the "big" question I closed with yesterday: Is the American "Empire" in decline? (or Is the American "Empire" at risk of collapse?)

At some point in the class, we'll halt our discussions and shift gears to an activity designed to return our little journey into these nebulous forces and world views back to the safety of our classroom. Clearly, American education needs to adapt to this 21st Century World. I want you to help begin that effort today...

Lost in America is another Foreign Policy article. It is a very interesting article, and certainly one of high relevance to all of us in the room. It asks the central question of how well we are preparing American students for a globalizing world.

IT IS FOUND ON THE EXTENDED ENTRY BELOW...

Here's what I'd like you to do. (Feel free to work alone or in a group of up to 3 people.) Please use the article as a backdrop from which to make your recommendations for improving the future of American education. (For purposes of this activity, let's assume we're talking about public education as a whole, not MPA.) I'd like one member of your group to post a comment to this blog entry. Your group should propose five specific steps you believe will help address the challenges presented in the article. Please list all group members' names at the top as well. Have these posted before class time tomorrow.

We're moving toward the end of our "looks at the world as a whole" section, and we'll be getting into more specific issues next week.

REMINDERS: The quiz on the 40 countries will take place on Friday. You'll get a map with numbers in the 40 countries, and you'll have to name them.

I'd like you to chapter 5 from Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat, "America and Free Trade," for Friday's class. Remember that you should post you Blog Entry #4 sometime today. We'll get Blog Entry #5 up and it will be due by class time Monday. I'd like you to have Chapter 6, "The Untouchables," read by Monday as well.

Great Decisions: We'll let you request preferences in terms of groups and topics for the "Great Decisions" activity that we'll do later in the quarter. The Foreign Policy Association selects 8 issues a year. Later in the quarter, we'll basically spend a class period on each of the issues. Your group will "lead" us that day by providing background, introducing conflicting perspectives, leading a discussion, etc. We'll update you more on the specifics and the schedule later, but I thought I'd put at least some of the preliminary material in your hands relatively early on. We'll do three to a group on these, although I guess one group will need to be four.

The Clash of Civilizations: I wanted to spend some time with Samuel Huntington's, "The Clash of Civilizations?" article from the 1993 Foreign Affairs issue. I asked people to, in addition to forming a general position on Huntington's thesis, to identify three points of agreement and three points of disagreement with his arguments. Let's start with those.

Here's "The Clash of Ignorance," a response to Huntington from Edward Said published shortly after 9/11 in The Nation. Said, who died in 2003, was a Palestinian-American who taught at Columbia University and wrote and spoke extensively on a wide variety of issues.

"Re-Clash of Civilizations" describes a forum held in 2004 to consider Huntington's views a decade after their initial publication.

The other question for today... Is the American civilization (or, if you prefer, empire) headed for collapse? Two very interesting, and very different, takes on this one come from Jared Diamond and Kirkpatrick Sale.

Jared Diamond: Many of you have probably at least seen Jared Diamond's book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. (He's also the author of Guns, Germs and Steel.) Diamond is currently a professor of geography and environmental health sciences at UCLA.

Here's a transcript from a 2002 appearance by Diamond on Australian radio.

Kirkpatrick Sale: Sale is an author and technology critic. (He's referred to himself as a 'neo-Luddite.') You'll probably either love him or hate him, but there's no denying he makes for interesting reading.

Here's a 2005 essay by Sale on what he sees as the impending collapse of the American empire.

YOUR TASK: You can either work alone or in a pair on this one. Read the two sources, making note of the factors they each identify in the collapse of civilizations/empires. As you probably guessed, I want to know which of the two views you believe better captures where America is headed. Please post a comment to the blog below telling me with which view you more agree and why. I'd like those comments posted before class time Thursday.

REMINDERS: I've got the handout I referenced earlier for the series of quizzes you'll take this quarter. We'll take that first quiz (the 40 countries) on Friday, April 17th. Blog Entry #3 is due sometime today, and we're looking for Blog Entry #4 from you on Wednesday.

Great Decisions: After a brief introduction tomorrow, we'll let you assign yourselves to groups for the "Great Decisions" activity that we'll do later in the quarter. The Foreign Policy Association selects 8 issues a year. Later in the quarter, we'll basically spend a class period on each of the issues. Your group will "lead" us that day by providing background, introducing conflicting perspectives, leading a discussion, etc. We'll update you more on the specifics and the schedule later, but I thought I'd put the preliminary material in your hands early on. We'll do three to a group on most of these, although I guess one group will need to be four.

The Pentagon's New Map: I want to go back to a couple of the "world views" that I have mentioned. We'll look at want Thomas Barnett wants to do with The Pentagon's New Map. We'll also introduce Samuel Huntington's work, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order.

Let's turn to Barnett's "The Pentagon's New Map." I want to shift from Barnett's description of the world to his prescription for what should be done. Several concepts that you might be interested in:

• a new US military: Gap Leviathan and the System Administrator
  
• rule sets, system perturbations and rule-set resets
  
• a future worth creating - Barnett's underlying optimism is that something can be done. We'll look at 10 steps he sees as essential in creating that future. I'd like you and a small group to look at these for two purposes.

• First, rank the 10 in terms of how likely they are to come to be in your opinion.
  
• Second, rank the 10 items in terms of their desirability from your perspective.

Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" - Huntington is a Harvard Professor who authored one of the most influential and controversial articles/books of the post-Cold War era.

Here's the actual 1993 Foreign Affairs article, "A Clash of Civlizations?" that became the basis for Huntington's later book.

A Clash of Civilizations: A Reading Guide This feature at the Christian Science Monitor's website might be useful in understanding Huntington's work. Scroll down below the map.

FOR NEXT TIME: I'd like you to tackle the original Foreign Affairs article linked above. (It's better than assigning the whole book, right???) Anyway, it is challenging, but very interesting as well. I'm less concerned with you mastering every detail than with digging into the article in some places you find most interesting. Here's what I'd like you to come prepared to discuss:

• What do you see as Huntington's main thesis and/or arguments?
  
• How persuasively do you believe he proves those key points?
  
• Identify three conclusions or arguments of Huntington's that you support.
  
• Identify three conclusions or arguments of Huntington's with which you disagree.
  
• Overall, what is your reaction to the article?

I'll give you some class time to get started on this one...

By Tuesday's class time, you are supposed to have read Chapter 4, "The Great Sorting Out." Answer one of the following questions. I'll expect a comment of one good paragraph or more. (To me, that means 5-6 sentences at a minimum.) Remember that this is a public site, and you are responsible for the content of your postings. Assume that each comment is worth up to 5 points.

YOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE POSTED BEFORE CLASS TIME ON WEDNESDAY (April 15th) IN ORDER TO GET FULL CREDIT.

A. Friedman seems to be seeing Karl Marx as some sort of kindred spirit, a communist peering into his crystal ball and channeling some sort of globalization vibe. Do you think the Marx excerpt IS relevant to our 21st century world? Tell me why or why not.

B. India versus Indiana: Who is exploiting whom? Tell me. Tell me, please. Tell me, I can't take the suspense... (Oh yeah, tell me WHY as well.)

C. The chapter begins with Friedman's contention that we are moving from a vertical (command and control) to horizontal (connect and collaborate) value-creation model. Having read the chapter, tell me what you think of this claim. Do you agree? If so, will this be a positive development? Why or why not?

OOPS! Here's that elusive Blog Entry #3. Sorry about the confusion.

By this time, you were supposed to have read Chapter 3, "The Triple Convergence ." Answer one of the following two questions. I'll expect a comment of one good paragraph or more. (To me, that means 5-6 sentences at a minimum.) Remember that this is a public site, and you are responsible for the content of your postings. Assume that each comment is worth up to 5 points.

YOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE POSTED BEFORE CLASS TIME ON TUESDAY IN ORDER TO GET FULL CREDIT.

A. On pages 202 - 203, Friedman begins to get at the heart of what he means by "the triple convergence." My question is simple. Of the three, which convergence do you believe will have most profoundly influenced the world by the time you have graduated from college? Why?

B. On pages 228 - 229, Friedman begins discussing what he calls the "other" triple convergence, one that masked much of what is described earlier in the chapter. He is referring to the dot-com bust, 9/11, and the scandals in corporate governance. Do you believe these, or any other factors, can stop the continued impact of the ten flatteners and the triple convergence? Why or why not?

REMINDERS: Your Blog Entry #3 is past due as of class time. (If you've yet to get your International Relations term posted on the appropriate blog, you should do that.) You are also asked to have Chapter 4, "The Great Sorting Out," read for Tuesday. I've posted Blog Entry #4, and that will be due on Wednesday.

A couple of loose ends to wrap up:

• Here's that photo essay on the Bangladesh ship-dismantling industry... (Thanks, Jaya, for the link.)
  
  
• Here are some interesting photographs taken by a couple people traveling through North Korea. (You rarely see photographs other than those that the government allows to be taken.)
  
  
• Let's hear a bit about those different forms of government that you were asked to consider. Here's that "forms of government" map I found at Wikipedia. It's quite colorful, isn't it?

• Republic (presidential)
• Republic (parliamentary)
• Parliamentary
  
• Constitutional Monarchy
• Absolute Monarchy
• Republic (single party)
• Military Dictatorship (or those where constitutional provisions have been suspended)
  
• None of the above...

We did some thinking last time about what makes a State "strong" or viable. Today, we'll begin by considering the flip side. What happens when a state is at risk of collapse, or worse?

The Failed States Index: This is another neat tool that has been featured annually in Foreign Policy magazine. It was first used by "The Fund for Peace," a group conducting research in an attempt to prevent wars and conflict. We'll do several things with it.

First, before we look at the actual results, I want to consider the methodology they used. 12 "indicators" have been identified, and countries receive a score of up to 10 points on each of those indicators.

Here's the short list of the dozen indicators:

Social Indicators
1. Mounting Demographic Pressures
2. Massive Movement of Refugees or Internally Displaced Persons creating Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
3. Legacy of Vengeance-Seeking Group Grievance or Group Paranoia
4. Chronic and Sustained Human Flight

Economic Indicators
5. Uneven Economic Development along Group Lines
6. Sharp and/or Severe Economic Decline

Political Indicators
7. Criminalization and/or Delegitimization of the State
8. Progressive Deterioration of Public Services
9. Suspension or Arbitrary Application of the Rule of Law and Widespread Violation of Human Rights
10. Security Apparatus Operates as a "State Within a State"
11. Rise of Factionalized Elites
12. Intervention of Other States or External Political Actors

TWO TASKS: Let's cluster in groups of 4 or 5. I'll give you a handout with a bit more detail on the indicators. Use that to determine which of the indicators you feel are the strongest. In other words, "Which four indicators do you believe are the most useful in determining which states are at risk of failing?" You'll mark the numbers of your choices on the board. On the flip side, are there factors that you don't see linked to the success or failure of a state?

One more task: I want you to make a list of five states you expect to see appear high on the list. Let's put those up on the board as well.

Now that the preliminaries are out of the way, let's look at the Failed States Index 2008. The map itself might be the place to start, but let's look at the graphs, tables and additional features as well. I'll give you some time in groups, and then we'll come back together.

Feel free to ask whatever questions pop into your mind...

REMINDERS: You were asked to post your "international relations" term by now, and your blog entry #3 is due tomorrow.

You'll be asked to have read "The Great Sorting Out" by Tuesday. That's Chapter 4. I'll post Blog Entry #4 before the weekend, and we'll make that due on Wednesday (4/15).

Today's lineup:
Clarify some terms and concepts on the "state"
Discuss some questions
Show you some readings you'll probably ignore (and that's OK this time)
Stand up/ sit down to show our opinions on yet more questions
Look at various forms of government

First, we need to have at least a working definition of several terms that are often used almost interchangeably. Let's try to sort them out.

state
nation
nation-state
country

Let's see what we can figure out here... I have a series of questions.

• What is a State?
• What are the characteristics of an independent State?
• How many States are there in the world today?
• Here's the "List of Member States" of the United Nations.
• Which other term is most often used interchangeably with "State"?
• What are some geographic entities that are NOT States?
• What is a nation?
• What is a nation-state?
• Are there nations without states?

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you identify as the key functions of the State in the modern world?
• What do you believe that a State owes to its own citizens?
• What do you believe that a State owes to others in the world?

• Should Iraq be considered a State?
• Should Taiwan be considered to be a State?
• What about Palestine?

• Will the "flatteners" and the "Triple Convergence" (plus everything else that's been going on) strengthen or weaken the State in the 21st century?

• Would the world benefit more from the weakening or the strengthening of the institution of the State?

RECOMMENDED (not assigned) READING: Here's an interesting, but challenging article from The Brussels Journal - "Is the Nation State Obsolete?"

Two more for you:
The State - Its Rise and Decline by Martin van Creveld

"The Fate of the State" by Martin van Creveld

Next, let's get a bit of exercise while expressing our opinions. I'll explain what we'll do, but here are the statements we'll use.

1. A State has no higher responsibility that to protect the welfare of its own citizens.
2. A State may justifiably use all means at its disposal in self-defense against attack by another State.
3. The State has become corrupted by the influence and power of the elite.
4. The State is justified in taking preemptive action outside its borders when it fears for its own physical safety.
5. International organizations (like the UN) can effectively regulate the actions of individual States.
6. The power of international organizations to regulate individual States should be increased.
7. A viable State will emerge in Iraq within the next five years.
8. Taiwan will be recognized as an independent State within the next ten years.

Governing the State: We'll take a look at some of the various forms of government that remain in place during the 21st century. You've probably done some variation of this activity before, but we'll try to go a little deeper. Notice that we're looking at "forms" of government here, not political ideologies.

Here's a "forms of government" map found at Wikipedia. It's quite colorful, isn't it?

You'll be assigned to one of six types of government:

• Republic (presidential)
• Republic (parliamentary)
• Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
• Absolute Monarchy
• Republic (single party)
• Military Dictatorship

Here's your group's task in the last few minutes. We'll expect 2-3 minutes per group at the top of the next class. First, briefly define what this form of government is. Second, what are some examples of where we find it? Third, and most importantly, what do you see as the major advantages or strengths of this form of government for a country that practices it? Don't worry, the rest of us will take the job of trying to knock your form apart...

At the top, let's take a quick look both at what people wrote about the "flatteners" in Blog #2.5 and at the key ideas from Friedman's Chapter 3, "The Triple Convergence." Blog Entry #3 is posted, and that should be done before class begins on Thursday.

Today, we'll begin shifting our focus from globalization to the nation-states and civilizations that comprise the globe itself. We'll borrow from the fields of geography, politics and international relations for the first couple of days of our look at the international system.

First, forget just how big this world is? Here's a population clock.

Second, I think it is important to take some time to figure out (sort of) just where our own views are coming from. I assume that you are all familiar with the left-right conception of the political spectrum, but I want us to locate ourselves on something a little more complex, The Political Compass. This is one of those self-quizzes that will take a while to do, so we'll tackle it here in class. Basically, I want you to take the assessment and record your answer. (Scroll down on that last screen to the grid. You'll record two numbers: a left/right value and an authoritarian/libertarian value.) You'll plot your point on a class grid, but you can decide whether or not to identify yourself by name. You might want to read their page of analysis AFTER you take the quiz.

Next, we'll dive into a field of study most of you probably aren't really familiar with - international relations. If you want to be blown away, check out this list of IR Theory. Yes, we'll dip our toes in here with a little exercise.

Here are 25 of the terms from the list:
Balance of Power Theory
Collective Defence
Complex Interdependence Theory
Constructivism
Critical Social Theory
Dependency Theory
Deterrence Theory
Feminism
Fourth World Theory
Game Theory
Globalism
Hegemonic Stability Theory
Idealism
Imperialism
International Regime Theory
Just War Theory
Legal Positivism
Liberalism
Marxism
Neorealism
Pluralism
Postinternationalism
Postmodernism
Power Transition Theory
Realism
Transnationalism
World-Systems Analysis

You'll each sign up for one of these and post a comment below on THIS entry. (I'll give you some class time, and I want these posted before Wednesday's class...) Here's what you should have in your comment.

* NAME OF TERM IN CAPITAL LETTERS

* "Definition"/ description of the term or concept. This should be no more than 75 words, and it should be written in a way that we can all understand. (NO wholesale quoting from Wikipedia or anywhere else...)

* An example (real or hypothetical) from how this term is being used/could be used to understand something about international relations today

* Your brief assessment of whether this strikes you as a useful "tool" to use in viewing our world today and into the future (no more than 75 words here either)

Some of this is tough material, but we'll see if we can make effective use of it.

REMINDERS:

• You should have posted Blog Entry #2 by now. (If you have not yet, please do so. It will, however, be considered late. That means something like 4 out of 5 maximum...)
  
• You react to another of the "flatteners" in Blog #2.5, and that should be posted before class time on Tuesday.
  
• You were also asked to have read Chapter 3, "The Triple Convergence" for tomorrow. We'll talk about it next session, and Blog Entry #3 will be due by class time on Thursday.

Back to GLOBALIZATION today...

We'll take a look at the numbers... This is for those of you who wish you were in AP Stats and Probability right now. Actually, we'll use the most recent data I can find for something called the Globalization Index. (It's from the end of 2006, but it is free... They started making the newer releases for subscribers only, and I don't think you each want to pay $7.95 to access the newer report.) Click on this link to download the report that appeared in the November/December 2006 issue of Foreign Policy: The Globalization Index

We'll have you break up into 5-6 groups to examine the report. When we come back together, each group should turn in a page containing your names and the following:

#1 - Present 3 conclusions or inferences that your group has drawn from the data. (Don't just parrot back the ones in the article.)

#2 - Ask 3 questions that you now have as a result of the data and writing. (Note that you don't have to know the answers to the question.)

#3 - Make at least 3 foreign policy recommendations for the United States to undertake.

Beginning at 9:15, we'll spend some time talking about the report and what you've found interesting. I can also show you a couple of additional things from the 2007 issue of the report.

Choose one of the write ups on the "flatteners" that are posted as comments on Blog Entry #2. (Don't pick your own.) After reading that entry, and perhaps the Friedman section on it as well, discuss how significant (or in what ways) that "flattener" is in shaping our/your world of today and tomorrow. (That's not worded very well. Just make it clear that you're discussing/assessing/evaluating/whatever, and not just repeating.)

I'll expect a comment of one good paragraph or more. (To me, that means 5-6 sentences at a minimum.) You do not need to worry about perfect grammar, spelling and punctuation, but they should be understandable. Remember that this is a public site, and you are responsible for the content of your postings. Assume that each comment is worth 5 points.

YOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE POSTED BY CLASS TIME ON TUESDAY IN ORDER TO GET FULL CREDIT.

Our major task for today will be to share information on the 10 "flatteners" that Friedman identifies in Chapter 2. Your written summaries should appear on the blog entry below as "comments," and they will be the subject matter for your next required blog entry. I figure that we might as well go straight through the list, and we'll give each group up to maybe five minutes to share what they read as well as answer questions.

Assume that no one else has read either the section or your summary. Explain Freidman's point to us using whatever examples, anecdotes and/or facts that seem most appropriate. We'll probably have questions, but I am also interested in your own assessment of just how important you believe the flattener has been/ will be. Also, I'm curious about any ethical implications or other issues that you feel "your" flattener might raise.

The "Flatteners"
#1 - 11/9/89
#2 - 8/9/95
#3 - Work Flow Software
#4 - Uploading
#5 - Outsourcing
#6 - Off-Shoring
#7 - Supply Chaining
#8 - Insourcing
#9 - In-forming
#10 - The Steroids

READING ASSIGNMENT: Please read Chapter 3 of The World Is Flat, "The Triple Convergence." for Tuesday's class. Blog Entry 2.5 should be submitted by class time on Tuesday as well.

Here is the place to post your group's summary of the "flattener" from Chapter 2 that you read for today. I'm thinking that the range of 200 - 300 words would probably be sufficient. You need not offer an opinion on the flattener. Instead, focus on providing a summary of what Friedman is saying in this section. (You will get a chance to evaluate these ideas later.)

THIS COMMENT NEEDS TO BE POSTED BY CLASS TIME ON FRIDAY.

Please begin the post with an identification of your "flattener," both by name and by number. Second, include the names of those in the group.

For example:

Flattener #11 - %$(&%&^)
Mike V. and Kordo

"Blah, blah, blah..." 200 - 300 words of blah.

REMINDERS: Blog Entry #1 should have been posted by now. You also should have read Chapter 1. You'll be expected to post a blog entry on "your" flattener before tomorrow's class. I'd love to require you to read the rest of Chapter 2, but I know it's a long one. I'd strongly recommend reading it at some point, even if that means quasi-skimming and focusing on areas of interest.

Today's plan: We will get back to additional activities related to globalization, but we will sort of put that on hold until Monday's class. I want to turn our attention to Thomas Friedman's book, The World Is Flat and the issues it begins to raise.

I want to start by taking five minutes to have you just skim some of the entries for your required blog entry for Chapter 1 from The World Is Flat. Your task is this: Find something that interests, provokes, intrigues, irritates, confuses or "something elses" you. Talk to the author of that post about it.

Next, I wanted to carve out a few moments to talk about Chapter 1, "While I Was Sleeping." As another sign of my own nerdiness, I've come up with my ten "talking points" from the chapter, but I'd also like to know what you found most memorable.

The last 30 minutes of the period are yours to work with your "flattener" group on your write-up. Remember that I am thinking 200-300 words is about the right range. You can simply post it to the blog for us to make use of them tomorrow during class. (There is a "Blog Entry #2" created for this purpose.) Please post there and clearly identify both which "flattener" you are describing and the members of your group as well. Obviously, posts not made by class time are too late to be of much use to us.

Reminders:
Flattener #1: Veronica, Ben
Flattener #2: Annelise, Kelsey, Sonia
Flattener #3: Lauren, Will, Dan
Flattener #4: Jacob, Jake
Flattener #5: Meghan, Asha
Flattener #6: John, Andrew, Amit
Flattener #7: Jack, Waleed
Flattener #8: Kathryn, McKenzie
Flattener #9: Matt, Andy
Flattener #10: Chad

Here's how we'll do this. I'll post several questions by the time a chapter is "due" to have been read. Each of you will be expected to post a comment here before the deadline. You may respond to one or more of the questions, and you can also react to comments posted by others. I'll expect a comment of one good paragraph or more. (To me, that means 5-6 sentences at a minimum.) You do not need to worry about perfect grammar, spelling and punctuation, but they should be understandable. Remember that this is a public site, and you are responsible for the content of your postings.

I will credit people for their posts. Assume that each comment is worth 5 points. (5 points for solid or better comments, 4 for comments somewhat short of expectations, 3 or fewer for last-minute, little to no effort postings, and no points for those who have not posted by the deadline.)

So, let's get started... By today's class, you are supposed to have read Chapter 1, "While I was Sleeping." You should post a response of at least one good paragraph to one or more of these questions. (You can also react to other posts.)

YOUR COMMENT SHOULD BE POSTED BY 8:30 AM ON THURSDAY (4/2) IN ORDER TO GET FULL CREDIT.

A. "I think the world is flat." (page 5) After reading this chapter, what do you think of Friedman's choice of title and controlling idea for this book? If you agree, tell me why. If you don't, tell me why and suggest another theme or slogan that you think might have been more appropriate.

B. On pages 9 through 11, Friedman characterizes "three great eras of globalization." I'm curious as to what you think about his categorization of these eras. Draw upon what you've learned in other classes or on your own to assess the validity of his depiction of "three eras."

C. I found this book to be full of lines, facts or examples that made me think, "Wow!" I want you to identify the three most surprising, interesting or memorable things that you learned in this chapter. (In other words, what three things are you most likely to share at the dinner table when you're asked, "So, what have you learned lately at MPA?")

D. This is your chance to do some prognosticating (look it up...). Imagine that, ten years from now, you win a trip to Bangalore and Dalian. How do you think things will have changed? From a provincial perspective, will these changes have strengthened or weakened the United States of America?

E. What do you think of Friedman as a writer? Use specific examples to support your assessment of his style and/or his effectiveness as an author so far in The World is Flat.

REMINDER: You were asked to read Chapter 1, "While I Was Sleeping," for today's class. Your first blog comment is due by Thursday if you want full credit. We can talk about what you found interesting from the reading for a bit, but we'll do more with it tomorrow...

Today, we'll begin with the MPA Globalization Forum. Remember, we're asking each of you to give a brief "speech" of somewhere between 1 and 2 minutes. You can decide how much you want to get "in character, " but remember to avoid doing anything offensive... Basically, we want to know who you are and a little bit about how you are being affected by this whole globalization process. After we meet everyone, we'll throw out some questions for the group to ponder as well.

If time permits, I'd like to get back to a brainstorming activity we did not do on Tuesday where we look for the "winners" and "losers" in our globalizing world. We'll derive a couple lists on the white board.

READING ASSIGNMENT: Chapter 2, "The Ten Forces That Flattened the World," is a big one. (150 pages, to be more specific.) Yes, I think it's worth reading (or at least skimming) sometime in the near future. However, I don't want to take the week or whatever to assign the whole thing. Instead, we'll divide it up. You'll each be asked to sign up to "claim" one of the ten forces before we leave today. I'd like you to read about that "flattener" tonight. Those of you that read the same one will be responsible as a group for posting a blog entry of 250-300 words that summarizes that "flattener" for the rest of the group.  I'd like those posted by class time on Friday so that we can access them in class, and you'll get some time tomorrow to put your thoughts together.