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.
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