Sunday, May 1, 2011
The real big deal.
Osama bin Laden, leader of Al Qaeda, was killed by U.S. forces in a mansion outside the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, a senior U.S. official told CNN. I definitely respect all the victims of the events that 3.519 days ago changed the US and, therefore, the entire world. At the same time I have to be really honest and say that I am completely bewildered by the popular reaction about this fact. Shocking.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Old habits die hard
Today's class discussion was quite interesting to me. Firstly because just yesterday I have posted two movie trailers to show how important is how issues are framed. For example, "Paradise Now" shows and explains how suicide bombers are the ultimate victims of an exacerbated situation, they are "already dead" people and their desperation is used as an instrument of terror by fanatic cowards. It is a quite uncommon way of framing them, but it doesn't mean it is wrong.
The Judeo-Christian cultural link has really interested me as well. It has surely shaped the Western culture and forma mentis, it's part of it, just as some other factors like Greco-Roman's cultural legacy. What edward Said calls "The Other" is a construct that has quite distant and intricate roots, specific historical reasons (for example Greco-Persian wars seen as a striking caesura) have to be combined with so many other ones. History of framing is one of them, and it's just fascinating and I think it would be really important to focus more on it.
I think that the two videos Prof. Webb suggested us to watch are quite significant to understand the importance of framing in social sciences. Check this video out, and guess who's the speaker.
The Judeo-Christian cultural link has really interested me as well. It has surely shaped the Western culture and forma mentis, it's part of it, just as some other factors like Greco-Roman's cultural legacy. What edward Said calls "The Other" is a construct that has quite distant and intricate roots, specific historical reasons (for example Greco-Persian wars seen as a striking caesura) have to be combined with so many other ones. History of framing is one of them, and it's just fascinating and I think it would be really important to focus more on it.
I think that the two videos Prof. Webb suggested us to watch are quite significant to understand the importance of framing in social sciences. Check this video out, and guess who's the speaker.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Lemon Tree + Paradise Now
Movies frame ideas and points of view. I have lately watched these two movies and both are really interesting. Everyday life issues could be really different from the ones we are used to. Check them out and comment!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Spread the Thread
Middle East Debate: Comment on Middle East and N. Africa Media and Pol...: "Middle East and N. Africa Media and Politics: Has the Middle East Gotten It Right All Along?: 'Have we (The US) been wrong in intervening in..."
David: I agree that change needs to come from the inside, and that the US shouldn't force democracy on countries. But when specifically should the US become involved? Isn't it right for us to assist the pro-democracy rebels with military aide? You said "once the protests have succeeded", but what if they aren't going to without military assistance. For example, in Libya should the US intervene militarily on behalf of the rebels, or would that be overstepping it.
CT:It is a controversial issue. The International Community, and the US as part of it, should just act and intervene through the UN because otherwise sovereignty of states like Lybia would be unlawfully unobserved. I don't think that we can name rebels as "pro-democracy", they are fighting against a regime and starting a self-determination process. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are aiming to establish democracy in Lybia. This is just the beginning. I write about democracy because I firmly believe that it is the present fairest form of government, but I also think that it has to be reached at the end of a "natural" process. We, as International Community, should just guarantee that the International Law and Human Rights are observed, promote mediation and, why not, try to discourage the "popular" idea of war as the continuation of politics (Clausewitz). International Relations are a complex field, there are so many contrasting reasons to explain what is going on. Think about the different behaviour that the US and the International Community have with Lybia and Syria. Is it just the different entity of violence? I believe that a lot of people just really want to get rid of a DESTABILIZING individual like Gaddafi. Syria is a completely different thing. In the first days of class we talked about Democracy and Stability, what is most important for the International Relations? I have some clues...REALPOLITIK? Why not.
David: I agree that change needs to come from the inside, and that the US shouldn't force democracy on countries. But when specifically should the US become involved? Isn't it right for us to assist the pro-democracy rebels with military aide? You said "once the protests have succeeded", but what if they aren't going to without military assistance. For example, in Libya should the US intervene militarily on behalf of the rebels, or would that be overstepping it.
CT:It is a controversial issue. The International Community, and the US as part of it, should just act and intervene through the UN because otherwise sovereignty of states like Lybia would be unlawfully unobserved. I don't think that we can name rebels as "pro-democracy", they are fighting against a regime and starting a self-determination process. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are aiming to establish democracy in Lybia. This is just the beginning. I write about democracy because I firmly believe that it is the present fairest form of government, but I also think that it has to be reached at the end of a "natural" process. We, as International Community, should just guarantee that the International Law and Human Rights are observed, promote mediation and, why not, try to discourage the "popular" idea of war as the continuation of politics (Clausewitz). International Relations are a complex field, there are so many contrasting reasons to explain what is going on. Think about the different behaviour that the US and the International Community have with Lybia and Syria. Is it just the different entity of violence? I believe that a lot of people just really want to get rid of a DESTABILIZING individual like Gaddafi. Syria is a completely different thing. In the first days of class we talked about Democracy and Stability, what is most important for the International Relations? I have some clues...REALPOLITIK? Why not.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Comment on Middle East and N. Africa Media and Politics: Has the Middle East Gotten It Right All Along?
Middle East and N. Africa Media and Politics: Has the Middle East Gotten It Right All Along?: "Have we (The US) been wrong in intervening into Middle Countries? Are these protests going to eventually solve the problems in the Middle Ea..."
What makes you doubt the movements that are protesting in most of the MENA countries? The protests are popular and secular, moreover they are demanding for real reforms to solve real problems. I think that there is nothing more genuine and authentic than that.
I understand the fear about democratization processes, they are not occurring automatically. The first and necessary step for a real and settled change is the self-awareness and self-determination of the people, then the process could be really hard and take so long.
I think that this is a great chance for the MENA area to develop and the Western countries HAVE to facilitate this process.
Democracy is not a good you can export. Just think about what happened first in Afghanistan and then in Iraq after the foreign military occupation, CHAOS. Hard power doesn't look to the future, it is just focused on solving very current problems. Authentic change needs to come from the inside, and now it seems to be the right time. Western countries have the resources to facilitate the change and assist the MENA countries during the process. How?
1st. Facilitation. Smart Power. Western huge Soft Power has a great influence on unwilling-to-change actors and it has to be mixed with some forms of Hard Power, if necessary (ex.No fly zones).
2nd. Assistance. Once the protests have succeeded, there would be a real need for international cooperation for the development, assistance for educational resources and knowledge exchanges.
What makes you doubt the movements that are protesting in most of the MENA countries? The protests are popular and secular, moreover they are demanding for real reforms to solve real problems. I think that there is nothing more genuine and authentic than that.
I understand the fear about democratization processes, they are not occurring automatically. The first and necessary step for a real and settled change is the self-awareness and self-determination of the people, then the process could be really hard and take so long.
I think that this is a great chance for the MENA area to develop and the Western countries HAVE to facilitate this process.
Democracy is not a good you can export. Just think about what happened first in Afghanistan and then in Iraq after the foreign military occupation, CHAOS. Hard power doesn't look to the future, it is just focused on solving very current problems. Authentic change needs to come from the inside, and now it seems to be the right time. Western countries have the resources to facilitate the change and assist the MENA countries during the process. How?
1st. Facilitation. Smart Power. Western huge Soft Power has a great influence on unwilling-to-change actors and it has to be mixed with some forms of Hard Power, if necessary (ex.No fly zones).
2nd. Assistance. Once the protests have succeeded, there would be a real need for international cooperation for the development, assistance for educational resources and knowledge exchanges.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)