19
November
2009
Make no mistake about it, Obama’s visit not only marks America’s belated acknowledgement of China as a world power, perhaps the world power unless India catches up (a debatable point), but also that the two countries are showing early, hopeful signs that they realize that their interests are and must continue to be aligned enough to cooperate. The topics they discussed– climate change, the global economy, Asian and Middle Eastern security risks– are no doubt very important to them and world, but perhaps not as important as the very meeting itself. Now Obama’s half-brother (he does have a name, it’s Mark Ndesandjo) is another story…
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Culture, Current Events, History, International, Obama, Peace, Politics, Asia, Books, Travel, U.S., Americas 
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10
November
2009
Where is a Third World War most likely to be sparked? For at least a decade before World War One began, those most concerned knew that the ongoing arms race was leading to disaster, as did those who sat on the sidelines and watched Germany and Japan build up to World War Two. World policy wonks have taken a long sigh of relief after the Cold War ended some twenty years ago yesterday, but in so doing have been all too lax at identifying– and diffusing– actual “hotspots” that are likely to trigger a global conflict on the scale of the World Wars, or bigger if you consider the nuclear capabilities of the countries involved. Here are three possibilities…
oneworldmanypeaces Culture, Current Events, Economics, History, International, Middle East, Obama, Peace, Politics, War, Asia, Europe, Africa, Law, Travel, U.S., Americas Comments (0) » |
5
November
2009
When an insect only seven people have ever seen goes extinct in a place you need a government grant to get to, more than just environmentalists feel a part of our world has gone forever. Understandably so. But what about when a language once used by thousands is down to its last speaker, and the universe of relations and ideas that language conveys will not survive them? Who protests, who runs worldwide campaigns or passes legislation against hazardous, toxic notions like “official languages” and “world languages” that creep onto and kill ways of understanding what it means to be human? A group of fifty linguists meeting at the first-ever Endangered Languages Information and Infrastructure Workshop, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, realize the tragedy but aren’t superheroes…
oneworldmanypeaces Culture, Critical Theory, Current Events, History, International, Middle East, Asia, Environment, Europe, Africa, Multilingualism, Science, U.S., Americas 2 Comments » |
3
November
2009
“Loss” is a word commonly heard when someone dies, as in “a loss to us” or “the world’s loss.” But what about what we and the world have gained because someone has lived? This may be the more inspiring and pragmatic question to ask of everyone, but especially in noting the passing of two of the great 20th century intellectuals today as centenarians: Claude Levis-Strauss at 100, the French anthropologist and a founder of the widely influential structuralist school of critical analysis; and Ayala at 103, the paradigmatic anti-fascists sociologist and novelist. The following is less of a tribute than a well-deserved acknowledgment…
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30
October
2009
Improving your social life and gaining immunity from Swine Flu at the same time? This sounds too good to be true because it is, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the CM (common sense). Believe it or not, people around the U.S. have been hosting– and attending– what the CDC calls “Swine Flu Parties.” A CDC document I received from the human resources department at a college where I teach this week had, mixed in with a lot of scare tactics and practical information, the following strange passage that Halloween party and zombie movie aficionados should keep in mind…
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27
October
2009
Asian states have united to officially oppose the Euro-American formula for global dominance emphasizing “peace and security” with one based on “peace and prosperity” instead, and which has a much better track record historically. The two focal points of their meeting in Hua Hin, Thailand, was on reducing China-India tensions over a dispute about commercial projects in Kashmir and capitalizing on Asia’s relative and growing economic strength worldwide compared to others, like the U.S. and U.K., who continue to struggle with the financial crisis and downturn. This meeting marks a watershed moment in world power politics and world history that should not be underestimated…
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21
October
2009
Halloween seems to be coming early to the largest and most powerful military alliance in existence anywhere today, if not ever. The former head of Canada’s armed forces, a longtime member of NATO command whose soldiers are still at the front line in Afghanistan, characterizes the organization as “a corpse decomposing and somebody’s going to have to perform a Frankenstein-like life-giving act by breathing some lifesaving air through those rotten lips into those putrescent lungs or the alliance will be done.” This is also a clear indication of more fundamental and yet unaddressed issues about NATO…
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20
October
2009
The “comprehensive strategy to confront the serious and urgent situation in Sudan” President Obama outlined yesterday was far from anything new in American diplomatic affairs, which is not to say ineffective. Actually, the shift in policy marks a sharp return to diplomatic tactics the U.S. perfected during its expansionist phase in the 19th and early 20th centuries: ‘big stick’ and ‘dollar’ diplomacy. Here is how the two policies worked then and are intended to now…
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12
October
2009
President Obama has now reached a pinnacle of global popularity cults matched only by Che Guevara. Cults of personality are a constant throughout human history, but in recent times they have been primarily based on nationality, race and/or ideology, a powerful propaganda machine and a perception of merit (think Nelson Mandela, Adolf Hitler, George Washington and Mao Zedong). Obama has now earned himself a place among them and others, and has bettered them in certain respects…
oneworldmanypeaces Culture, Critical Theory, Current Events, History, International, Obama, Peace, Politics, Asia, Books, Europe, Africa, Religion, U.S., Americas Comments (0) » |
8
October
2009
Bringing together scholars, activists, educators and leaders of many top local, national and international organizations, the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) conference starts today at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (October 8-10, 2009). This year’s topic is “Exploring the Power of Nonviolence,” honoring Gandhi’s 140th anniversary. For live coverage follow @AntonyAdolf on Twitter…
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