come on switzerland, really?

read the link to the news article about the recent ban of minarets in switzerland for fear it signifies "islamisation." what do you think, right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate? does this send a wrong message? what does it do to the reputation of switzerland? let me know what you think...

minaret ban article

decline of empires

pretty cool graphic on the decline of the major empires of the world. wait for the 20th century, it's pretty crazy!

Did You Know 4.0

The latest installment of the interesting and unbelievably powerful video presentation on the world today. check it out.

powerful stuff...

Why do we need to know about the world?

so what's the point? why should we care about what goes on in the rest of the world? Do we need to be aware of what's going on? Should it only matter if it impacts America? What are the advantages of being up to date regarding world affairs? How does prior events (history) influence current events? Should we take the past into consideration when examining the present and contemplating the future? what do you think???

Misguided coverage?

why is it that there are widespread protests and chaos in Iran, an ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an economy in crisis and the top story on EVERY news outlet is Michael Jackson is dead. I am sorry for that, truly am. Loved him in the 80s. However, does it need to be covered to the extent it is? At the expense of other, more important, stories? What do you think?

In what world is this okay?

Neda Agha-Soltan, a 26 year old university student in Iran was killed during protests over the recent election. She was peacefully assembling with others in an non-violent means of protesting the harsh crackdown and initial suspicions of voting irregularities. She was shot. In the chest. Her death was captured on video and has served as a rallying cry for Iranians demanding fair and equitable treatment. My questions to you are the following: how on earth is this okay? Are we to simply excuse it since it is a different culture/country that follows a different set of laws and expectations? I am just so appalled at these events and I needed to vent. Below are links to an article and a video as well. Think about this in the context of life in general, voting in the US, universal rights and expectations, and morality.

CNN article on Neda

NY Times blog video on Neda

Torture

Is it ever appropriate to use harsh interrogation techniques in an attempt to gain information from a prisoner? In other words, is it okay to torture if the stakes are high enough? What about the information gathered, can it be considered reliable? We all see Jack Bauer on 24 doing whatever it takes to get the information, including the use of torture. Does this mean that it is okay since Bauer does it? Do shows like 24 glorify torture for the sake of the greater good and in the process do harm to the public perception of these acts? What do you think? Is it okay to torture? sometimes? never? if it's important enough? is the information reliable? are forced confessions really useful?

Think on it and let me know your thoughts.

under pressure...

so it seems as if afghanistan, under immense international condemnation and criticism, has decided to modify the controversial personal status law that targeted shia women (20% of populationis shia).

As stated in an earlier post, this proposed law essentially legalized marital rape and required women to gain permission to leave the house. The good news: after forced reflection, afghanistan reconsidered the articles in the bill that allowed this. The bad news: firstly, karzai and others in the government were unaware this provision in the bill existed. secondly, it took enormous international pressure to create this change.

ultimately something good was accomplished by changing a law that would have limited the rights of shia women. however, the fact it was done under pressure and prominent members of the government were unaware of the provisions leads many to conclude that the afghan government is, at best, inadequately connected and the multiple factions competing for control are creating an atmosphere that is far from conducive to progressive reform and change for the better.

afghanistan changes law

not the pirates with eyepatches and parrots...

Somali pirates. can't miss them in the news these days. if you somehow have, the long and short of it is that pirates hijack vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian ocean, take them to areas offshore Somalia, and hold the crew,cargo, and vessel hostage in exchange for a ransom. It is certainly indisputable that the actions of these individuals is illegal and wrong. However, let's think bigger picture...
Why are people in Somalia resorting to these acts?
Why Somalia?
How come there has been little international reaction or intervention?
How come the United States had been silent on the issue until one of its own vessels with American crew was captured?
What should be done now?
What does it say about our media that we shifted from a mere mention of piracy in the past to 24 hour coverage when it involves Americans?
What do we do about all this?
Is it our problem or someone else's?

Wikipedia entry about Somali Piracy for background knowledge

Map of Somalia Pirate Attacks since December 2007

Think about all sides involved in the issue, not this the victims. Comment respectfully...

Reaping what you sow

In 2001 the United States entered Afghanistan under the pretense of removing the Taliban from power to prevent the continued use of the country as a safe haven for terrorists, most notably, al-qaeda. Since then, a number of attempts have been made to improve life in the country, especially for women.

Undoubtedly, life has improved since the Taliban rule. However, some of the below information calls into question whether or not life has improved enough. With all of the criticism being aimed at Afghanistan from the international community, the questions becomes :

This is Democracy in action so are we hypocritical in condemning the actions of democratically elected legislators? Did Afghanistan receive what it asked for? Did the United States get what it asked for in liberating Afghanistan? Is it our business? If not, who's business is it? Is this acceptable? If not, what do we do? This is serious, think on it...

Education for Women in Afghanistan
In 2007, 236 schools teaching girls were burned down. In 2008, there were attacks on 256 schools that left 58 dead. Teachers have been killed in front of students and schoolgirls attacked with acid. Honor killings are up, burqas are back in many places. A 75-year-old woman was nailed to a tree and killed, and an Afghan member of parliament had her daughter legally taken away by a husband after he married a second wife.

Please read the following article from The Guardian about the new Personal Status Law enacted by the legislature of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Legal Status Law Article

Here is another news article about the law carried by Reuters.

Legal Status Law Article 2

When posting comments, please be respectful but feel free to voice your opinion.