One thing that hasn't really been addressed about our little election here in Massachusetts this week is the degree to which Scott Brown openly campaigned on his support for waterboarding, his opposition to any constitutional rights for terrorists, and his opposition to closing Guantanamo. His main campaign commercial ended with the line "I believe the constitution was designed to protect our nation and does not give rights to terrorists."...
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Online Security Jam
I know I was asked to comment here on international political economy issues, but how can I pass up the opportunity to point you all to the Online Security Jam?Yes, on February 4, you too can participate in an online discussion of important security issues. You will "help make the world a safer place...online." The Jam is being co-produced by the European Commission and NATO, who are just so..so..cutting edge, yes? Well, ok, it's actually being...
“What to Read on Gender and Foreign Policy”
Over the break, Foreign Affairs posted my picks on which gender literature the foreign policy community should take seriously. Here's how the piece begins: Feminists have long argued that it is wrong to ignore half the population when crafting policies meant to secure a stable world order. Now foreign policy experts are beginning to grasp a different point: a "gender perspective" is relevant not only to those concerned with making the world...
Politics and Infographics
Cliff Kuang at Fast Company points to a short, interesting talk by Alex Lundry of TargetPoint Consulting.Lundry quickly runs down the importance of infographics and data visualizations in the political realm. Bottom line: people are hard wired to learn through visualization, and infographics can be very powerful tools in political battles over ideas and policy:It amazes me that we haven't seen a faster uptake among professional politicians of...
Breaking News: ISA Enters 21st Century With New Powerpoint Policy
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,...
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...