Saturday, January 25, 2020

Apply Smart Sanctions and Remove Saddam Essay -- September 11 Terroris

Apply Smart Sanctions and Remove Saddam    In light of our recent success in Afghanistan, the administration now has "Iraq on the radar screen," according to National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice. Hopefully, increased attention on Iraq will reveal that the economic sanctions aimed at bringing down Saddam Hussein hurt vital U.S. national interests and seriously undermine our legitimacy abroad-all while doing little to achieve their original purpose. In the Nov. 28 Time Magazine article "Weapons of Mass Distraction,"   Eric Brown condemns Saddam Hussein-not economic sanctions-for the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. While Wang acknowledges that Osama bin Laden and Saddam have used these sanctions as an excuse for Iraqi poverty and as evidence that the U.S. is the "world's greatest terrorist and sponsor of terror," Wang rejects modifying the sanctions in their current form to avoid being influenced by such "pernicious propaganda." He argues that Western policymakers should instead worry about the "enormous threat" Saddam Hussein poses "to the sovereignty and stability of every country in the region."   Regrettably, the current sanctions on Iraq have been ineffective. The starkest indication came on September 11. Strong evidence suggests Iraq supported terrorist activities related to the attacks on that infamous day, sanctions notwithstanding.   Sanctions have also been ineffective in preventing Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programs. He has repeatedly obstructed U.N. weapons inspections with few consequences. Since the Shi'ite uprising at the end of the Gulf War in southern Iraq, there have been few domestic threats to Saddam's power. In fact, the tribal divisions and demographics of Iraq-Kur... ...nt "smart sanctions" on Iraq to target Saddam and his military and WMD programs directly. This would involve unprecedented intellectual creativity on the part of policy makers, bureaucratic efficiency and coordination among parties, and, most of all, strong leadership on the part of the U.S. Second, we need to remove Saddam from power through external force. This was an option immediately after the Gulf War, and the international community missed their chance. However, in the aftermath of September 11, there exists another opportunity to form a coalition against the immoral Iraqi regime. There have been strong indications from ranking members of the Bush administration that this is their next preferred course of action. Such a move depends on the right mix of careful diplomacy and public relations, both of which would be well served by restructuring the sanctions.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Strengths of the Event Essay

The group found the event informative. In the feedback forms, they showed that the groups did enjoy some activities more than others but they said that they will that for a Another strength of the event was that all members of the group turned up on time with enough time for us to set up and plan for the event. The meeting one hour before the event meant that the group was able to organise and iron out any flaws in the planning of the event. So we were able to look at any equipment problems and set up of any resources and tables etc, beforehand and make sure we were prepared for the learners to arrive. Everyone was assigned specific tasks and kept up to date with each other’s roles in the class. This meant that everyone was aware of what everyone else was doing, so just in case on the day, or during the planning of the event someone was absent, we could fill their shoes relatively easily by stepping in for them. Everyone wore uniform. Looked professional and the learners were able to see this as something that made our group stand out from the learners. I think this helped them see a level of professionalism and made them want to listen to us as a group and take us seriously. The event was planned but the timings hadn’t been specified in a way that would work well for all the groups. For example, we started off the event with the plan to move groups on every 10 minutes onto the next activity, however the needed more time than just the hour we had to be able to move through and do an activity in every group and then we also needed time to go through prizes and certificates at the end. Another weakness of the event was that the classrooms were quite far apart. This meant that groups were having to spend time walking around the building.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Political Rhetoric Vs. Foreign Policy - 838 Words

It is no longer appropriate to say, â€Å"China is quickly emerging as a global superpower.† The fact is China is just that. Realizing this the United States of America has attempted to once again turn its focus eastward. Continuing problems at home and in the Middle East however have made doing so difficult. Additionally more and more frequently attempts at influencing the ongoing narrative in the Asia- Pacific region have been rebuffed. Even allies have found strength in the emergence of a system that fails to conform to previously prescribed methods and ideals. This leads to a fundamental question America must answer quickly. Has the growing hypocrisy of idealistic political rhetoric versus actual foreign policy finally undermined American credibility with developing nations, or for the purposes of this paper more specifically China? The answer is yes. In a world made much smaller by the instantaneous connections of digital communications a state such as America cannot hope to proclaim its own brainchild the internet open to all while at the same time subtly manipulating its use via the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or ICANN. Neither can America lend its support to the growing consensus that Climate Change is one of the most perilous natural uncertainties to face humanity in recorded history without leading the way in dramatically reducing its contributions to CO2 emissions. In such a world it is impossible to court brutal, authoritarianShow MoreRelatedPresident Reagan And The Soviet Union1249 Words   |  5 PagesUnion (Fisher, p 303). He believed that their foreign policy enabled the Soviet Union to view the United States in a weak and vulnerable state. President Reagan s staunch opposition to communism and his willingness to confront the Soviet Union during a time when it was not popular, played a key ro le in the failure of the Soviet Union. Aiding him in his lone stand against tyranny was his rhetoric style of ideological and moral clarity. A rhetoric style that he utilized to demonstrate a strongRead MoreThe Middle East, And America s Imperial Ambitions1177 Words   |  5 PagesWestern foreign policies. Because the Western influence – in the case of this paper, the United States – is partially responsible for the instability the Middle East. Yet the United States has not taken any accountability for past policies that negatively affected the social, economic and political conditions in this region - hence has become the product of ISIS. This paper will adopt two theoretical frameworks to explore the topic. First, postcolonial studies, and second, the theory of political violenceRead MoreImmigration : A Concept At Odds American Culture998 Words   |  4 Pagesnumerous views and commentaries on the immigration debate. On this Saturday morning, the 30th of January 2016, a perusal of CNN main homepage leads to 6 direct or indirect (political due to the upcoming election) references to the immigration debate. It is a hot topic in the media and it is a source of constant argument and rhetoric for and against with very little resolution or decisional procedure ever finalized. In my opinion the real debate comes down to the base concept of legal immigration versusRead MoreThe Concept Of Banal Nationalism For Debates Around The Relevance Of National Identity1526 Words   |  7 Pagesnationalism’ for debates around the relevance of national identity in social and political contexts Introduction The concept of ‘banal nationalism’ The concept of ‘banal nationalism’ was introduced by Michael Billig (1995) as a term for describing the everyday, unconscious occurrences which that allow a national identity to reproduce itself. Examples of this might be the types of coin used, flags being displayed, or certain rhetoric from politicians (Billig, 2005). Billig (1995) points out that commonly nationalismRead MoreAmerican Neo Orientalism And The Justification For The War On Terror 1426 Words   |  6 Pagesdrastically changed and the perception of the classical â€Å"Orient†Ã¢â‚¬â€traditionally denoting â€Å"Arabs, Turks, and Indians†Ã¢â‚¬â€has changed right alongside them. The term â€Å"Orient† has seen considerable revision as a result of the ever-shifting political relationships and attendant political interests. The 9/11 attacks have become a symbolic event marked by the American military retaliation and changing East-West relationship, the result being the materialization of neo-Orientalist academia wherein the Arab world isRead MoreEssay Electable or Not, Trump is Good for America834 Words   |  4 Pagesif not polarizing response quite like â€Å"The Donald.† It is early yet, but the only Republican hopeful who has broken from the reserved, almost polite rhetoric of the early stump speeches in Iowa and New Hampshire, and the government-as-usual policy discussions on the Sunday media carousel, has been Donald Trump. By removing the shackles of political correctness and â€Å"media-speak,† Mr. Trump tossed a few verbal hand grenades into the throng of Obama-friendly, group-think media sycophants, who wereRead MoreStrengths And Weaknesses Of Postmodernism713 Words   |  3 Pagescharacteristic of essentialism. Where postmodernism offers value from this perspective is in its treatment of events such as the â€Å"war on terror†. As discussed in Week 6’s PowerPoint presentation, Shapiro and Campbell describe foreign policy a s a process that â€Å"makes ‘foreign’ certain political events and actors†. â€Å"People go to war because of how they see, perceive, picture, imagine and speak of others: that is, how they construct the difference of others as well as the sameness of themselves through representationsRead MoreThe Americanization of Religions1232 Words   |  5 Pagesinherently American and as such, portray uniquely American ideals. The first amendment allowed a spiritual philosophy like Transcendentalism to arise, but it has also had a key part in allowing cults to emerge and to flourish. The 1944 United States vs. Ballard case marked a significant change in legal approaches towards dealing with cults. The original decision found the leaders of the â€Å"I AM† Movement guilty of fraud for collecting funds for a religious cause in which neither believed. The chargesRead MoreThe Involvement of the United States in Vietnam Essays1217 Words   |  5 Pagesthe communist movement as a whole. This paranoia has its roots in the depression of the nineteen thirties and was fueled by the exploits of men like MacCarthy and other politicians who saw this as an opportunity to further their careers or push policies. This paranoia was the most important factor in the entrance of the US into the conflict in Southeast Asia. During the years proceeding World War II the United States found itself one of the two most powerful nations in the world. This positionRead MoreTrumpism Essay1627 Words   |  7 PagesI.D. restrictions were all speculated as the reason for this plot twist of politics, but in the end the new era of Trumpism was fueled by economic troubles of the middle class, past administrations neglect of the everyday American to focus on foreign policy and refugees, and the racist ideology that is still engraved in the United States’ core. The Middle Class is shrinking, and has been over the past decade. As the rich get richer their wealth is slowly siphoned away from the middle class and