Amazing but true. Social scientists presenting at the International Studies Association's "Theory v. Policy" Conference this winter will be able to use Powerpoint projectors without shelling out for and packing their own. And not only will you be able to use a projector free of charge (unheard of as late as last year) but ISA will provide projectors and laptops in every room to actually make this easy! (In an exciting twist on this story,...
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Academics Probably Make Bad Spies
This is off-topic from Haiti, and while I am very much concerned about the situation there, an article in the Times of London yesterday raised an issue important enough that I thought I should blog about it. I am generally a fan of the Times, but I was very disappointed to wake-up and read this article declaring that an “Extreme preacher lectures at the LSE”.This, sadly, is not a new issue. The government and the media have been concerned about...
Unfolding Lessons of Haiti
First, as posted at LGM, I predict this book is going to sell a whole lot of copies this year. Unlike many ongoing crises that suffer from lack of aid money, in Haiti the relief lag we are seeing is due not to compassion fatigue (text message donations surpassed $10 mil today, equal to the amount pledged by Brazil or Switzerland) but rather to sheer logistical strain caused by poorly built or now-destroyed infrastructure. (You simply can't...
Haiti
If you are trying to follow the news about Haiti, I recommend reading Mark Leon Goldberg's UN Dispatch. If you are looking to donate to the relief effort, then check out The Daily Beast's rundown of NGOs operating effectively in Haiti. Goldberg and I agree that Reverend Pat Robertson is a fool. Media Matters transcribed his January 13 comments about the Haitian tragedy:PAT ROBERTSON: And, you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in...
Juggling Blog-spots
Beginning tomorrow, I'll be kicking off a blogging stint over at Lawyers, Guns and Money, where I'll post material regularly on foreign policy, pop culture and human security. My IR theory-related posts will remain exclusively at the Duck.UPDATE: OK, LFC might be onto something. From an LGM commenter:"human security?" from aliens? from TSA? ?? from politicians promising hope & change but delivering bags o'crap?Hmm, this should be fun.
How to Win the War on Terror
It's not that earth-shattering - people have been saying this for years - but I haven't seen it put this well, for mass consumption, in a long time. Phil Bobbitt writing in Newsweek:It is often asked, "How can we win a war against terror? Who would surrender? How can we make war against an emotion (terror) or a guerrilla technique (terrorism), neither of which are enemy states?" These questions assume that victory in war is simply a matter of...
The Real Climate Negotiations
Bill McKibben has a long interview on the public radio show Speaking of Faith, which you can listen to here. An insightful quote from the transcript: The negotiation that's underway, we think is between China and the U.S. and the EU. It's really not; the real negotiation underway is between human beings on the one hand and physics and chemistry on the other. We're going to have no choice but to adapt, whether it's gracefully or in violent and...
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg: “We Decided That These Would Be the Social Norms Now”
I am so prepped already for social constructivism day in my World Politics 121 class. Check out Zuckerberg's answer to the second question (about 3:00). Zuckerberg claims that the new changes to FB privacy settings - which make it impossible to protect your photos and extremely difficult to prevent "everyone" from knowing your current affiliations and other information previously shared only with those you choose - are simply FB's efforts to...
Fueling the fire in Yemen.
My friend, Stacey Philbrick Yadav, has just posted an interesting take on American policy in Yemen at Foreign Policy. She writes: I've been traveling regularly to Yemen since 2004, conducting research on the relationship between Islamists and leftists in Yemen's opposition parties. Throughout this time, I have maintained correspondence with Yemeni journalists and political activists from a wide range of ideological positions. They are united in...
Good news on Iran?
Haaretz.com is reporting that Iran is suspending its uranium enrichment program for two months. This news arrives amidst a flurry of other related reports about Iran and its nuclear program.Many political pundits have been blasting the Obama administration for its "total dud" diplomatic efforts towards Iran, noting that the U.S. deadline for Iran to make a deal about uranium enrichment elapsed in December. During the 2008 campaign,...
Sailing up stream….
Last week appeared to be Development Week at Foggy Bottom. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave her long-promised "Development" speech. The next day, Dr. Rajiv Shah was sworn in as the new administrator for USAID. In his speech, he identified four key priorities for his tenure: 1. To improve lives and fight poverty,2. To expand human rights and economic opportunities,3. To build democratic institutions and improve governance 4. To advance...
Gitmo
According to the Department of Defense, many of the captives released from the U.S. prison on Guantánamo Bay "return" to extremist activity -- and the rate is increasing. This is from the LA Times story of January 7: A new report estimates that one-fifth of the detainees who have been released from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have resumed extremist activity, a Defense Department official said Wednesday, a figure that...