Week 11: Thailand votes in first post coup election

Original article

Summary: 

Thailand is having its first election since the 2014 military coup which dissolved the constitution and ousted the prime minister. 7 million new voters between 18-26 are eligible to vote for their first election since the coup that occurred in 2014. During the coup, the military seized power from the ruling party led by prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Currently, Mr. Thaksin must live in a self-imposed exile in order to avoid convictions of abuse of power. He was ousted by the military due to this in 2014. However, he still holds significant influence as the only candidates for election are his allies and members of the military party. 

Previous Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

However, the elections are not entirely free. Initially, when the army seized power it said it would immediately restore freedom and democracy yet it repeatedly postponed the vote. For the past 5 years, the country has been run under a military junta. Even now the military controls the entire Senate. In this election, citizens will be able to vote for members in the 500 seats lower parliament. These members combined with the Senate will vote for the Prime Minister who will lead the country. To win the candidate will need 1 more than half of the votes in both houses giving military candidate Gen Pryuth a huge advantage as he only needs 126 votes to win. Also, elected leaders are required to follow the military's 20-year plan and there is a limit of seats that one political party can have. All in all, even with all of these negatives, this is a positive move in the direction of democracy for Thailand and voters are excited with an 80% voter turnout.

Genral Prayuth

Reaction: 

I was very interested in the irony of how the military took over to stop corruption and ended up being corrupt. I had no idea that Thailand was in the midst of a military coup and it opened my eyes to how a lot of the world does not have the freedoms that we do in America. It also surprised me how eager people were to vote even though the military controls a majority of the government. 80% voter turnout is way higher than America and our votes have much more value to how our government is shaped.

Connection to CWS:

This connects to our authoritarian leaders unit as Thailand was run under an authoritarian government for the past 5 years and still is not completely free yet. In the authoritarian unit, we learned about past examples of these leaders and governments and Thailand provides a current day example. It also connects to our study of Cuba during the cold war as the government is was a military junta similar to the Cuban government before Castro took over. 

Questions:

1.) Do you think the Thai elections are free and fair why or why not?

2.)Do you think the Thai military will ever fully restore democracy why or why not?

3.)Do you think it was fair for the military to oust PM Thaksin?

Helpful Source on the 2014 Coup

WEEK 11: Caliphate Defeated but IS Remains a Threat

original article

Summary:

The self proclaimed IS caliphate officially came to an end when US backed Syrian fighters removed militants from the last remaining IS controlled territory in Syria. At it’s peak, IS controlled large chunks of land in the north, bringing about brutal rule on about eight million people. Even though all of IS territory has been recaptured, the terrorist organization is not dead. If US pressure is not maintained in the area, it is estimated that IS can resurge in the next six to twelve months. This has prompted President Trump to not remove all 2,000 US soldiers from the country. IS is not described as a “covert network, meaning that they are in a phase of reorganization and are setting up cells. These sleeper cells are groups of terrorists spread over different locations that will hide within a population and attack when given a signal.

The prosecution of the Yazidi religious group brought the US into the war, leading to a coalition of more than 10 countries. IS counties to generate revenue and is estimated to have between 50 and 300 million dollars in cash. There are many militants tied to IS around the world, but it is difficult to find legal evidence to prosecute them. Many key cities in Syria have been recaptured through coalition air strikes, with Raqqa, Mosul, and Hajin being hit with the most. Since air strikes are not precise, almost ⅓ of all deaths (112,600 out of 371,000 total) have been civilians. About 11 million Syrians have been displaced, either going to Europe or surrounding countries. Turkey has taken the most refugees, coming in at about 4 million. Since the IS caliphate has been deteriorating for a while, about 4 million people have returned home. Sadly, because of the destruction of property and limited resources, many people still cannot go home.

Reaction:

Personally, I feel relieved that IS has lost all their territory and that people can start to move back to their homes. As cliche as it might sound, this win emphasizes the power of teamwork, as there were many groups involved into making this victory possible. Through coalitions and a mutual goal, many different countries came together to defeat the terrorist group. When I was reading this I felt a sense of pride because of the leadership role of the US, but what still worries me is the threat of sleeper cell or terror attacks in different parts of the world. Even though IS now doesn’t have land, they still have ideals that have influenced many people around the globe. But these influenced people are often very hard to find, meaning that these attacks are hard to predict and prevent.

Connections:

This connects to World War Two and the Israel/ Palestine conflict. In World War 2, ⅔ of the total deaths were by civilians, and while not that high in this conflict, ⅓ is still a very high civilian casualty rate. In both conflicts, civilians were caught in the middle and paid a huge price. Another connection to World War 2 is the alliances. In both, WW2 and this war, many countries came together to defeat the opposing side. In WW2, the allies put aside their differences and defeated Nazi Germany. Here, countries banded together through coalitions to fight and defeat a mutual enemy. This also connects to Israel/Palestine because one of the obstacles to peace was the fear of terrorist groups. If these groups can be defeated, with this victory being an example, does that mean that there is a possibility of this obstacle being removed?

Questions:

1. Do you think President Trump should remove all the US soldiers from Syria?
2. How do think that countries can combat sleeper cells?
3. What is a more precise way (not air strikes) to combat terrorist groups so the least number of civilians die?
4. Do you think it is safe and worth it for people to start returning to their homes?

Other sources:

• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47678157
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47518129

WEEK 11: Trump Acceptance Of Israeli Control of Golan Sparks Protests

Primary Article

Secondary Articles- 
Jerusalem Post
Syrian Arab News Agency

"Participants in the stand indicated that Trump’s declaration is part of the conspiracy and the hostile war wage against Syria" -Syrian Arab News Agency

Summary: 

After reversing half a century of US policy towards Israel on monday, the 25th, President Trump has sparked protests and universal international criticism from enemies and close allies of the US. Since Israel's occupation of the Golan in 1967, the EU has stood by their statement not to recognize Israeli sovereignty. It is generally agreed that this occupation is a blatant violation of international law and the UN charter that reprimands annexation of a territory by force. This decision makes the US the first country to officially recognize the Golan as Israel's; the international community regards the Golan as occupied territory.

Syrian protesters carry Palestinian flags in protest to Trump's decision on Tuesday. Photo by Syrian Arab News Agency

On Tuesday, thousands of Syrians gathered to protest Trump's decision. Syria disregarded the US decision as essentially worthless. As stated by the SANA, Trump's decision "...is null and void and it doesn’t change the fact that the occupied Golan is inseparable part of Syria’s geography and history and that it will return to the homeland...". Arab countries, organizations, and Palestinian nationalist and terrorist groups all view this move as a blatant aggression, a sure indication that this decision will bring in major setbacks to the peace process. In the words of the leader of the Hezbollah, this event proves that the United States can't sponsor the "so-called peace process", and violence is the only option left. 

Reaction:
In my opinion, this was a very poor decision on behalf of the president. US relations with Israel are in a good enough place that further negotiations such as this are unnecessary, and in this case the negotiations were at the expense of a country the US already has poor relations with. The already chaotic western Arab states are now inflamed, and for them, peaceful communication appears less and less possible, especially with a "mediator" that appears to completely disregard them. I can't foresee anything good resulting from this decision.

Connection:
Clearly this connects to our focused notes on the Golan last week as well as our entire I/P conflict unit. This event is a major setback for the peace process as a whole and possibly eliminates the US as a future mediator in the conflict. As we saw in Promises, a mediator can make all the difference in opening communication, and a mediator with a bias that will not provide for the needs of both sides further escalates the conflicts. This escalation is similar to Britain's supposed mediation in the 1900s that resulted in eventually picking the side of the zionists for the benefit of their own country rather than for peace.

Questions:
1.) Is there any possibility for the US to remain a mediator now?
2.) What steps should be taken to deescalate the anger of groups such as Hezbollah that view violence as the sole option now?
3.) Where do you predict the conflict will go from here? How drastically will this change affect it?

WEEK 11: Indonesia's Garuda is canceling its $4.9 billion order for the Boeing 737 Max

Original Article

A Boeing 737 Max 8 from Garuda Airlines being examined in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Summary:
Garuda, an Indonesian airline, wrote a letter to Boeing (BA) announcing that they are cancelling a $4.9 billion order for Boeing's 737 Max 8 jets. They have been the first airline to cancel a Boeing 737 Max 8 order. After two recent deadly crashes in less than 5 months, the bestselling aircraft has been grounded worldwide over safety concerns, which is anticipated to harm the company of billions of dollars.

The path off Boeing 737 Max 8 flights around the globe in a week. The site of the Ethiopian Airlines crash is marked above.

The first crash, in October 29, was the first fatal accident in involvement of a Boeing 737 Max 8. The flight, Lion Air flight 610, took off from Jakarta, Indonesia, but crashed only 12 minutes later into the Java Sea, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board. Then, on March 10, the same model plane used in Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed 6 minutes after takeoff, where all 157 people abroad lost their lives. The causes of both crashes are currently under investigation.

However, investigators did notice a substantial similarity between both crashes: both planes contained a newly developed automated flight control system known as The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which is a plausible cause of the accident. To increase fuel efficiency, Boeing designed new engines for the Max. The control system was then developed to point the nose of the airplane downwards when it detected stalling. Most pilots were unaware of this new system or how it operated. Additionally, the pilots on the Lion Air flight may have had as little as 40 seconds to identify and fix the aircraft's probable nosedive.

A brief explanation of how the MCAS system was to be used on the airplane. The video can also be accessed here.

The 737 Max 8 aircraft is significantly the most important product of the company, and is widely popular in airlines in North America. There are multiple major airlines such as American Airlines (AAL) and Southwest (LUV) that claimed to have no plans on changing their orders for 737 Max 8. Many orders have been placed on nearly 5,000 of these planes, which is enough to keep the aircraft production queue busy for years.

Reaction:
Technology may have occasional accidents, but both crashes could have been entirely avoided. I was very shocked to find out that most pilots did not even know about the control system. This indicates the company's insufficient training of the airline pilots and poor development of the aircraft machinery, and makes us question our safety on airplane flights, which should be the primary concern of the airline. I believe that the MCAS is definitely part of the cause of both crashes since the similarities (both having the MCAS, both pointed at close angles during impact) can't just be a coincidence. Boeing should immediately look into modifying the control system and ensuring proper training for a safer flight.

Connection:
This topic can be connected to the WWII unit because during WWII, countries were constantly developing new machinery for war. Planes were very commonly used in battles, which were very dangerous, especially since the weapons being used were new and constantly being developed. Today, although with modern technology, we still do have these risks with new machinery.

Questions:
1. Was it right for Boeing to develop the flight control system?
2. Why have some airlines cancelled all orders for the aircraft while others did not?
3. Would customers trust riding on airlines that still use Boeing 737 Max 8?

Additional Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/world/asia/indonesia-boeing-737.html
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/business/boeing-737-crashes.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEXTBZ89kyQ
https://theaircurrent.com/aviation-safety/what-is-the-boeing-737-max-maneuvering-characteristics-augmentation-system-mcas-jt610/

WEEK 10: S. Korea to investigate whether conscientious objectors played violent video games

Original article

Summary: 

After the legalization of conscientious objection in November 2018, the method to distinguish true conscientious objectors from people who just want to escape military service has been a subject of great controversy and dispute among South Koreans. But now prosecutors may have found the way to verify a conscientious objector: by checking their video game history and whether they have played violent games or not. 

Ribbons with inscriptions calling for peace and reunification near the DMZ

Because South Korea and North Korea are technically still at war, military enlistment is mandatory.  Therefore the recognition of conscientious objection has not been received by the S. Korean public and right-wing conservatives without opposition. In response to earlier rulings for objectors, the right-wing party of South Korea "put forward a bill to force objectors to perform 44 months -- double the usual length -- of service, including mine sweeping and other dangerous activities." If there is no clear way to root out men that falsely identify themselves as conscientious objectors, much harsher alternate services will be considered. 

99% of previously imprisoned conscientious objectors were Jehovah's Witnesses

An official from a prosecutors office in Jeju comments, " 'We need to verify their genuine faith. So we need to examine their personal life' ". An aspect of personal life that these prosecutors look with apparent consideration is gaming history. Not only will they check regular attendance in religious services, but will also check if the "objector" has played games that include shooting. However, this method of distinguishment is not agreed upon by human rights activists. While many assert that pacifists should not be playing and/or should not have played violent games, human-rights activists counter with the claim that violent games are a different matter from the refusal to bear arms. 

Reaction:

As a Korean-American, as a Jehovah's Witness, and as a person who has a dad that was imprisoned for being a conscientious objector in S. Korea, I feel somewhat glad but also somewhat frustrated with how things have turned out. My opinion on officials checking gaming history to verify an objector is not very solid, but I do not oppose it. I'm glad that all Jehovah's Witnesses previously imprisoned in jail are now free because I've heard of the abuse and discrimination that they face for refusing to enlist during their jail time and even when they are out. But it's nothing really to be joyful about if the alternate service is going to be 44 months of service and with the probability that it will be a dangerous activity. Also, the strong criticism from the media and South Koreans (especially men) will no doubt make this a period of great stress for conscientious objectors in general. It's a feat but not one that I am greatly happy about.

Connection:

This connects back to a lot of units that we've had in our history class. WWI, and WWII as there was compulsory military service during the two wars. But mainly the Cold War and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because the Cold War is greatly responsible for the division of North and South Korea and perhaps even S. Korea's requirement for men to serve one's country through mandatory military service. As the main topic discussed in this article was the refusal to enlist on a conscientious basis, Daniel and Yarko from "Promises" also came up in all the connections being made. Israel also has mandatory military service and once can be exempted on religious grounds. The conflict between North and South Korea is not as severe or as disheartening as the conflict between Israel and Palestine (and defensive forces are necessary for Israel because of terrorist attacks as well as other security concerns), but if Daniel and Yarko decided not to enlist, could that action in itself have impacted how Palestinians view Israelis at least in a small scale?

Questions:

1. Do you think checking an "objector's" gaming history is an effective way to distinguish bona fide objectors from people that are deceitfully trying to avoid military service?

2. What other methods do you think will be effective in resolving this issue?

3. What types of alternative services should be provided for conscientious objectors?

Additional Sources:

http://news.hankyung.com/article/201902273810i

https://www.sedaily.com/NewsView/1VFH4V57EQ

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/01/asia/south-korea-conscientious-objectors-intl/index.html

Week 10: ‘Hiding in plain sight’: In quiet New Zealand city, alleged gunman plotted carnage

Original Article

Summary:
          On March 15, 2019 there was a brutal shooting in New Zealand at 2 different mosques. The first was at the Al Noor mosque and the second was the Linwood mosque. The attack was carried out on Friday during prayer. The shooter (his name won't be mentioned because that is one of the reasons he carried out this attack-attention-he will simply be referred to as the shooter) shot 50 people to death, and wounded dozens of others. As the attacks were carried out, the shooter streamed the shootings on Facebook for other to see, thankfully these videos have been taken down by social media companies. Because the shooter was obviously trying to get attention for his actions, the New Zealand authorities have blurred out his face. The shooter's want for attention has made people so upset that the New Zealand prime minister said "You will never hear me mention his name"

          Three days before the shooter carried out this brutal attack, he had posted a 74-page manifesto on his twitter account. In preparation for the attack he trained with semiautomatic rifles, and worked out up to the point of lifting 440 lb weights. The 24-hour gym that he chose has a nice view of the day-care center for Muslims across the street. He used the internet to find inspiration by other white nationalists and to link up with a like-minded community.

          After inheriting his father's estate he traveled the world alone and visited Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, former Yugoslavia, and Western European countries. He visited the most brutal spots of the 1990's Balkan wars. It was in Western Europe when the shooter began to form his strong nationalistic views. He was unsettled when by the news of a young girl's death, because of a truck attack in Stockholm. The 2017 French elections also angered him, because of their border policies.

          A few months after the shooters return he obtained a gun license and used it at a club that boasted itself on YouTube with it's members shooting human silhouette targets. In New Zealand this type of gun range isn't very common, and the shooting community there frowns upon these types of targets, because of its implications. The main reason that the shooter used this gun range for it's human targets so he could train and prepare for the attacks on the mosques.

Reaction:
          When I actually did more research into the shooter and the attack itself, I was shocked by the amount of preparation the shooter had put into these attacks. The shooter's motives are very clear and frankly, quite frightening. These shootings are just evidence of how devastating nationalistic ideals are to a society as a whole. The amount of preparation that the shooter had put into these attacks is very frightening, because of how devastating the attacks were. I am very glad that the New Zealand government, and most of the press is keeping the shooter as anonymous as possible, and keeping his words private. Keeping the shooter's face blurred and removing the videos he took from the internet is a step in the right direction to help avoid copycats, and honestly the U.S. should follow suite and keep it's future shooters as anonymous as possible.

Connection:
          This shooting connects to nationalistic views held by both sides in the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The shooter holds very strong beliefs in his views, up to the point where he carried out two mass shootings, killing 50 civilians. Similarly, in Israel there were many terror attacks carried out by Arabs with strong nationalistic views, up to the point where they would carry out suicide bombings. As we have seen, the conflict in Israel/Palestine still hasn't been resolved, just like how xenophobia (dislike or prejudice for those from other countries) is still a major issue, which is only worsened by strong nationalistic views. Both sides of the xenophobia/anti-Muslim conflict have carried out attacks against the other because of white-nationalistic views and strong Arab views.

Questions:

1. Should countries make stricter gun regulations to avoid these types of attacks?
2. Should other countries follow New Zealand's lead in keeping the shooters as anonymous as possible?
3. Why do you think countries haven't yet adopted stricter gun laws?

Additional Sources:

           Aljazeera

           BBC

WEEK 10: Pope Francis Compares Child Sex Abuse to Human Sacrifice

Check Out the Original Article Here!

Summary

Last Tuesday there was yet another horrifying lawsuit against a Catholic bishop and diocese who have been accused of sexual abuse, more specifically involving child pedophilia. It may seem shocking that a group that prioritizes and values morality would be involved in such an alarming scandal, yet Michael J. Bransfield of West Virginia is one of many powerful religious figures that has been accused of such acts.

Bransfield, a former bishop of the Wheeling-Charleston diocese in West Virginia

How is the Catholic Church responding to these revelations of abuse that have apparently plagued the Church for years as well as have been actively covered up by powerful, participating Church members? From February 21st through 24th, heads of all national bishops' conferences (from more than 130 countries) met alongside Pope Francis at an unprecedented Roman Catholic Church summit on pedophilia- officially known as the "Protection of Minors in the Church" conference. Taking place at the world-renowned Vatican, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, the conference covered plans to handle these horrible crimes as well as covered ways to spot and end abuse for the future. Those present also heard testimonies from victims.

"Protection of Minors in the Church" Summit

Pope Francis promised to end child sexual abuse saying that guilty clergy members were "tools of Satan." He has committed to prioritizing the victims, ending cover-ups, seriously bringing all abusers to justice, and to reform and strengthen the guidelines of bishops today. Despite the Pope's forward movement, critics claim the intervention has come too late and the Church has not done enough to hold those guilty accountable after thousands of years of covering up crimes. Currently, sexual abuse survivors are asking for new protocols to protect minors and the Church itself must pick up the pieces of a crisis that has lost them all their moral authority and respect.

Connection

This certainly isn't the first, nor will it be the last, time we see leaders use their authority and respect to abuse their power and cut corners. Hitler used propaganda and his exceptional speaking skills to carry out a massive genocide. Japanese soldiers took advantage of their strength over the Chinese and brutally raped, tortured and murdered civilians during the Rape of Nanking and, like these horrifying Church scandals, history books seem to overlook the brutality of Japan's actions.

Reaction

I hope that one thing we can agree on is how absolutely horrifying these recent sexual abuse scandals are. One thing I find especially interesting regarding this topic is how many of the victims of the Church's pedophilia have actually been boys when in society we see the majority of crimes like this targeting women and girls. And while these acts are horrible, I as a follower of religion and an attendee of Church, still am trusting of the religious figures I look up to as I am unable to connect these horrible crimes to a place I find so much safety.

Questions

1. How do you think the accused bishops and priests should be punished and what can the Church do to prevent these crimes moving forward?
2. Do these scandals stain the name and legitimacy of Christianity and practiced religion as a whole? Why or why not?
3. In a "Saturday Night Live" skit, comedian Pete Davidson made a controversial joke regarding the scandal, comparing the Catholic Church to R. Kelly. The Church demanded an apology from Davidson- Did Davidson take it too far and does Church even have the right to demand such an apology?     Clip included below

Other Sources: New York Times, Washington Post

Week 10: The country where it's too dangerous to go to school

Original Article

School recently attacked at Burkina Faso

Summary:

A sudden upsurge in violence throughout Burkina Faso has caused 1,111 out of 2869 schools to be closed throughout the area, more than 1/3 of all the schools. Three regions located north of the country, the North, the Sahel, and the East make up the borders for Mali and Niger. Here, is where jihadist (Islamic military movement) militants operate. Over 150,000 children have been affected by the closure of these schools and are being forced to stay away for protection. In 2016 only a staggering 60% of students finished elementary school in Burkina Faso.

Ansaroul Islam militants in northern Burkina Faso

All of this is due to the northern and eastern borders of Burkina Faso being the operation sites of jihadist militants. Some schools are specifically targeted by Islamist militants out of hatred for western education. In other schools, the teachers are worried that they will be the targets of these spontaneous attacks. These are the main two reasons why these schools are closed. Furthermore, the teachers aren't sure if the students that left school will ever return. They claim that "if some of them come back, we'll do our best so that they can catch up on the time lost."

100,000 people forced to flee homes due to violence

As a result, thousands of families have left their villages in search of safer means of shelter. The number of displaced people more than doubled from 43,000 to 100,000 from December of 2018 to January of 2019. Yet, the issue isn't just because of the militants, but also because of inter-communal violence in Burkina Faso which caused over 1,000 people to move to the camp in Barsalogho. 600 out of the 1,000 are children, and only 100 or 1/6 attended the makeup lessons at the camp. This "emergency education" isn't available to most people living in other villages. Places where the militant operations take place barely have any children attending the schools.

The government states that they are trying to solve the ongoing conflict. In the past, Burkina Faso was little affected by infrequent attacks. Unfortunately, the number of militant attacks have quadrupled over the past few months. The increase and spread of attacks might be due to fighters in connection to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group in the Sahara, a local group called Ansarul Islam, and extremists. Also, the Burkinabe army is greatly unprepared and a deal with the government allowed terrorists to pass through Burkina Faso if they left the country unharmed. After months of being the victim to continuous attacks, Burkina Faso hopes to clear out the terrorists. In the meanwhile, parents have to avoid their own homes and the education that is so vital to the future of their children.

Reaction:
I often think of how much children dislike school. Even still, I've never thought about school being "dangerous" because all the schools I've been to in the Bay Area are extremely protected. The fact that children cannot even finish elementary school makes me feel pity for their future. It's saddening that these children are born onto corrupted societies, and unprotected. Since safety comes before education, they must make a sacrifice. I also never knew that Islamist terrorists hated education so much. Them having such a large impact on the country shouldn't be allowed by the government. I believe that other countries should help regrow the community in places like Burkina Faso because clearly, the government has their head somewhere else. They have completely disregarded the importance of education over most aspirations. Children should be able to receive education elsewhere without the fear of terrorism.

Connections:
This current event closely relates to the obstacle of terrorism pertaining to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. While terrorism towards Burkina Faso has to do with the hate of education, both cases affect specifically the youth. Terrorism causes children to live life in fear. Similarly to the documentary "Promises," many of the kids feared the opposing group because of past experiences where family members and relatives were killed. Also, families have broken apart and have to live separate lives. The attacks from Islamist militants leave the same effect on the youth just like terrorism that takes place between the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Discussion questions:
1. How can the children receive their education without having to worry about the jihadist attacks? How will this system work?
2. What should the government undertake to solve the overall conflict?
3. Why do you think that not all of the children choose to attend "emergency education?"

Week 9: Taiwan: Thousands of 'yellow vest' protesters call for tax reform

Original Article

Summary:

France's 'yellow vest' movement, which began in November of last year, is currently resonating with people around the world. Nations like the Netherlands, Egypt, Spain, Belguim, Israel, and Lebanon have developed their own versions of this protest. Inspired by French protesters' success, several thousand Taiwanese demonstrators marched on their government's Ministry of Finance at least three times this past December as a show of frustration towards tax rates and collection practices.

Turnout at the first December protest

Students and young workers, like Joanna Tai, say that high taxes have crippled Taiwanese entrepreneurship and are unfair compared to those of mainland China and Hong Kong. Other protesters claim that they've been mistakenly overtaxed, unlawfully coerced by tax collectors, and generally burdened by high tax rates. A natural extension of the peoples' dissatisfaction with Taiwanese taxation policy was the 2016 formation of the Tax and Legal Reform League, which is the group responsible for organizing the December protests. They advocate for the rights of those facing financial hardships, as well as for tax law transparency. 

March along Taiwanese road

In response to protests and Reform League statements stating the contrary, Taiwan's Finance Ministry has chosen to maintain that their taxation systems are fair, and that legal solutions to the protesters' complaints do, in fact, exist. Officially, those who earn less than 2.42 million NTD (New Taiwan Dollars) annually only pay a 20 percent (or lower) income tax; additionally, part of current president Tsai Ing-Wen's platform is devoted to improvement of Taiwanese economic welfare and wages. According to the Finance Ministry, the movement for lower taxes isn't new. Regardless of this conflict's date of origin, people are encouraged by the success of international dissent and will most likely continue to fight for their economic well-being.

Reaction:
Even at the height of the French yellow vest movement, I didn't think about it having such a global effect-- the protests were so often categorized and discussed as a strictly French issue. As someone who is most often a consumer of internationally "newsworthy" events through the media rather than one who experiences them, it is incredibly easy to be distanced from stories like this, which aren't as "life-or-death" or sensationalized by the media but still have a strong impact on human lives. I think that the disparity between protesters' experience under certain government policies and the government's generally positive views towards those same policies is a dangerous one. Governments are meant to work for the people and their welfare, and an inability to accept and adapt to criticism is a fatal flaw. I worry that the Taiwanese Finance Ministry's defensiveness in regards to this issue will lead to more tensions rather than improvements.

Connection: 
Though this movement is not one of political independence, per se, connections may be drawn between the current spread of protests and the post-WW2/Cold War spread of pro-democracy ideals and uprisings. In the late 1940s, for example, Japan experienced a move to independence from its previous state of European colonization. At the same time and soon after, nationalists from Indonesia and (formerly) French Indochina fought for their independence from Europe as well. Following this trend, though several years later, the people of the Republic of Congo also campaigned for liberty from Belgian rule. Belgium-- irony entirely unintended-- as well as many other countries are now following in France's footsteps, just as Congo and other occupied territories followed Japan's lead.

Questions:
1. Should the Taiwanese government be showing more sympathy for the plight of the protesters? Who is in the right, if anyone?

2. What kind of changes could the government make to resolve this issue?

3. Why do you think the yellow vest imagery aspect of these protests has been so widely adopted?

Additional Sources:

New York Times, AOL (Image 2), US State Dept. Office of the Historian (1), US State Dept. Office of the Historian (2)

WEEK 9: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says power recovery will come 'little by little'

Link to Original Article

Summary

A huge power outage began all throughout Venezuela last thursday, March 7th. In a televised speech
made Monday, Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, reported that there are still 16 states completely
without power, and that the country is recovering, but slowly.

View of Carcas during the partial power outage on March 9.

While the exact reason for the outage is currently unclear, Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro,
blames the US completely for the crisis. In this televised address, Maduro claimed that the
"...imperialist government of the United Sates ordered this attack...", but he failed to provide any
supporting evidence. In response to this, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo publicly refuted these
accusations by tweeting:

The power outage and the devastation hurting ordinary Venezuelans is not because of the USA. It’s not because of Colombia. It’s not Ecuador or Brazil, Europe or anywhere else. Power shortages and starvation are the result of the Maduro regime’s incompetence.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) March 8, 2019

He also announced that the US is going to withdraw all remaining personnel from the country's embassy in Caracus. In agreement with the US, the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, told CNN that Venezuela's main power plant is full of aging machinery and that "It's the product of the... corruption of a regime that doesn't care about the lives of Venezuelans." 

Guaido addresses supporters through a megaphone.

 So far, hundreds of millions of dollars have been lost, and around 15 people have died due to lack of resources in, for example, hospitals, but there is aid coming from other countries and/or organizations. At a press conference on Sunday, Guaido met with Germany, Japan, Brazil, and Colombia to seek support, and announced that there is $1.5 billion available for Venezuela from outside support. He didn't, though, explain where this money was coming from.

Reaction

I'm firstly just very surprised by the simple fact that almost all of Venezuela experienced a blackout. I find it very shocking that an entire country's electrical supply could fail all at once. I am mostly, surprised, though, that Venezuela's president put all the blame on the US, and spread false information to his people. I had no idea that Venezuela and the US had tensions before I had read this article, so learning what Maduro doing was actually a bit, in a way, funny to me.  While I do not understand this whole conflict between the US and them, I firmly believe that the US had no involvement in this.

Connection

This whole situation reminds me of learning about when Hitler was the leader of Germany. This is because Hitler lied to his people about the intentions and acts of another party (those who were Jewish), in order to get them against that group, just like Maduro is doing with his people to the US. Instead of figuring out the real reason for Venezuela's power fail, Maduro decided to put the blame onto a country he has tensions with.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you believe the electricity failed in Venezuela?

2. Should the US take further action to refute Maduro's claims? Why or why not?

Additional Source:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/11/venezuela-blackout-deaths-latest-news-caracas-opposition-claims-

Week 9: Trump signs Space Force directive

Click for original article

Summary:
      On Tuesday, February 19, president Donald Trump signed the Space Force Directive, a policy establishing Trump's ability to build the US' sixth military branch in space. Trump relies on congress to help him pass this policy, however the Democrats control the House, meaning that there is not guaranteed support for this initiative yet.

Active Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan estimates the Space Force costing less than $5 Billion, while the Air Force initially estimated $13 Billion. The cost of the Space Force is a topic of debate, especially since last June, when Trump declared the Space Force separate from the Air Force. David Goldfein, the Chief of Staff for the Air Force admits that the government has been in quite a robust debate over the details regarding this sixth military branch. Goldfein advises that the "most critical aspect that needed to be established first was a US Space Command." Evidently, there are many more decisions that need to be made if Trump wants to pass this initiative.

Meanwhile, the US Defense Intelligence Agency declared  a report that Russia and China were developing advanced space technologies. These technologies are rumored to be able to strike US satellites. Goldfein declares the US as "the best in the world in space" and that Russia and China are "investing in ways to take away that capability in crisis or conflict." This characterizes Trump's motive for the US Space Force as an attempt to defend the US from Chinese and Russian attacks on US satellites in space. However, factoring in the cost and control of this space force, there are many more decisions that need to be made if Trump's initiative gets approved.

Reaction:
When hearing news regarding defense of one's country, we usually hear about risks of nuclear warfare, etc. The idea of a Space Force takes methods of defense to another level. If the US builds a military branch in Space, what's stopping other countries? The moment nations are prepared for warfare in space, the greater the risk of advanced weaponry and attack mechanisms around the world. There are reasons countries don't attack with nuclear weapons, but merely keep them as threats- as we saw through the destructive and devastating results of World War II. Trump doesn't seem to have all the details sorted out, and there are many decisions to be made within the government, so hopefully no initiative takes place until further planning commences. Of course, the president should also consider the civil liberties of people when planning this military branch, and look out beyond just the US, since China and Russia may be underway to spark galactic warfare against the US if this initiative gets out of hand.

Connection:
As previously mentioned in my reaction, this reminds me of World War II, and the the US' bombing of Hiroshima. President Tubman approved of the nuclear bomb to return Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. This ended World War II because of it's horrific results, but other countries have since developed their own nuclear weapons, and kept them as a threat. Nations have also signed nuclear deals in attempts of preventing any nuclear warfare between them. Trump is the first to actively attempt a Space Force Initiative. This could provoke nations like China and Russia to build their own forces in space, sparking space warfare, which may lead to destructive results, paralleling the bombing of Hiroshima.

Discussion questions:
1. Do you think a US Space Force will effectively defend the country?
2. Do you believe Congress will pass Trump's Space Force initiative?
3. What are the consequences, or the benefits, of a sixth military branch in space?

Additional Sources:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/12/trumps-space-force-may-get-its-first-72-million-next-year.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44527672

WEEK 9 : Israeli police assault worshippers, close Al-Aqsa compound

Summary:

This Tuesday, tussles broke out due to an alleged "fire bomb" that was thrown at the Israeli police post  inside the Al-Aqsa holy compound. Palestinian sources inside the compound were saying that this "firebomb" may have instead been a firework. After this fire bomb or firework went off, there was was scuffle between the Palestinian worshippers and Israeli security forces.

The Israeli government has closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex due to a confrontation with Palestinian worshippers at the Mosque. According to Firas al-Dibs, spokesperson for Jerusalem's Religious Endowments Authority, a Jordan-run agency tasked with overseeing the city's Muslim and Christian sites, the director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Omar Kiswani and the acting supreme judge of Jerusalem's Islamic Courts, Sheikh Wasef al-Bakri, were also assaulted by the Israeli police.

Children stand outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque barrier as Israeli policemen block an entrance to the compound.

Al-Dibs stated that "baton-wielding police attacked dozens of Muslim worshippers near the Al-Aqsa compound, Dome of the Rock ... At least five Palestinians were arrested before being taken into custody for further investigation".

Israeli NGO Ir Amim announced that at least 10 Palestinians were injured during these "clashes", and consequently led to all worshippers being forced out of the site. In a statement Ir Amim wrote that "police used excessive force in responding, violently throwing one woman down to the ground and aggressively pushing others". The NGO has warned that using excessive force will exacerbate tensions at the site.

This brash assertion by the Israeli police over the compound, communicates a clear message of Israeli control. The Palestinian presidency has condemned the escalation at the site, but the Israeli authorities have not commented yet.

Troops outside of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Reaction:

I think it is unfair that the Palestinians are being forced out of their Mosque and are not allowed to visit the compound because of an alleged "firebomb", that may not have even been a bomb. The Muslims did not have any reason to be assaulted or attacked, or even forced into custody. If the alleged firebomb was intended to hurt the Israeli soldiers, it should not make the rest of the Muslims become oppressed from their religious duties. Israeli police and settlers should not violate the sanctity of the Mosque and provoke the sentiments of Muslims.

Connection:

This event is connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because it is directly a part of it. This is a prime example of the Israelis and the Palestinians fighting and not agreeing, heightening the tensions of the conflict and resulting in the delay of peace between both nations. Historically the conflict was due to religious differences between the Arabs and Jews and this instance is directly tied to that. The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is due to the Israelis believing that they are entitled to the land now known as Israel, while the Palestinians believe that they are entitled to the land they call Palestine. Unfortunately, both sides claim the same land. The Israeli’s and Palestinians have been fighting for over 60 years, and each war, each death, each act of terrorism, only deepens the hatred and the reluctance to give in to the other side.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you feel all worshippers should be banned from the Al-Aqsa compund?

2. Do you believe the Israelis have the right to take control and close the compound?

3. What actions do you think the international communities should take to help alleviate these tensions?

Link to original article.

WEEK 8: Risks to Mexico journalists remain despite Amlo's promises

Link to the Original Article Here

Summary:

        In hopes of solving the many problems in Mexico for citizens, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Amlo for short, was elected on December 1, 2018. A very important issue he pushed to fix if was the life-threatening dangers that local journalists faced while in Mexico. Since Amlo has taken office, at least five journalists have been murdered. Because of the deaths, many believe that murder rates for human rights activists and journalists have increased. 

      Since 2000, almost 150 journalists have been killed in Mexico

        Rafael Murúa, murdered on January 20, 2019 was one of these victims. Despite being under a government protection programme for people like him, he still wasn't safe from the dangers of his work. His relatives say that by the time of his disappearance,  after 7 years of being a part of the programme, the proper security measures still weren't in place at his home.

A grave site to remember Rafael Murúa

        On January 2, 2015, journalist and activist Moisés Sánchez Cerezo was kidnapped from his home and murdered. He was a writer for a newspaper named La Unión: La Voz de Medellín and often reported on the irregularities of his local police force. The three men convicted for a role in his murder were local police officers and a bodyguard for the towns mayor. After news of the his murder spread, the mayor of the town fled. His son says how "there has been a lack of political will from the current and previous federal governments to solve this and other cases."

Jorge Sánchez, son of Moisés Sánchez Cerezo

        Article 19, a freedom of expression pressure advocacy group, published a report stating how 99% of attacks against journalists go unpunished and half of the documents attacks agaisnt journalist in 2017, had state actors "directly or indirectly" involved.Ana Cristina Ruelas, the director of Article 19 for Mexico and Central America, believes the actions that Amlo's government has taken to face the growing problems for journalists are "symbolic" saying, "there still haven't been actions that lead us to think that things will change."

Reaction:

       After reading the article and seeing the tragedies of the murdered journalists it is obvious that significant change need to happen in Mexico. I am worried about the state of living that journalists in Mexico have to go through everyday. It is terrifying to know that the person who has sworn to protect journalists has failed and isn't even seeming to put an effort towards a solution. The murders of Rafael Murúa and Moisés Sánchez Cerezo are two cases that point out two glaring problems in the government's attempt to protect journalists. Murúa's case highlights how the government's protection programme is heavily flawed and isn't safe while Cerezo's case highlights the issue of political figures being the initiators of the murders.

Connection:

        In Mexico, journalists are being murdered by political figures in an attempt to silence the content that they publish. This heavily relates to the totalitarian eras of Italy, Russia, and Germany. In those totalitarian eras, the government wanted full control over the citizens. Figuring out that they couldn't convince everyone to be on their side, they began to mass murder anyone who opposed their ideas, media being a very large target. In both the historical and modern cases, the media is targeted by political figures and bodies in a hope to silence what they publish. More and more politically driven murders are showing up and no matter who ordered the murders, the highest government in the country isn't doing anything significant or effective toward handling the glaring issue.

Discussion Questions:

1. What can the Mexican government do to protect the lives of their journalists?
2. Is it possible for journalists in Mexico to be safe from physical and online attacks?
3. How will the current failures of the Mexican government to protect their journalist affect their international relationships?