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Get Used to the Orange Jumpsuit

December 27, 2011 by Patrick McDermott 2 Comments

The date is Tuesday, September 11th, 2012. I had just gotten back from seeing my family for the Christmas holiday. I’m sitting in the living room of my apartment, and I’m on my computer getting ready to write a critique of US foreign policy 11 years after 9/11. But just when I’m about to begin, there’s a knock on my door. I’m wasn't accustomed to getting knocks on my door, as I lived in an apartment complex and visitors were few and far between. In looking through the peephole, I realized there were two police officers standing outside my door. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: Afghanistan, aid, China, climate change, Congress, democracy, education, foreign policy, global warming, Iran, Iraq, law, Libya, military, nuclear weapons, Obama, poverty, Somalia, terrorism, war, Yemen

Qaddafi Out, US In

August 25, 2011 by Patrick McDermott Leave a Comment

There have been a lot of news stories that have dominated the headlines this week. An East Coast Earthquake that shook all of DC and went as far north as Toronto, Steve Jobs resigning as CEO of Apple (particularly sad for an Apple geek like me), and the anticipation about where Hurricane Irene will make landfall. However, the one headline I believe has the most impact of all of them is how the Libyan rebellion forced Muammar al-Qaddafi out of Tripoli. The rebellion hasn't found him yet, but they believe he is hiding in his hometown of Sirte. And if the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: Bahrain, Egypt, foreign policy, Government, Iraq, Libya, NATO, Syria, United States

The Drone War

August 19, 2011 by Scott 1 Comment

Drones are becoming more frequently used by the US military and are often times the weapon of choice. These drones tote cameras and missiles that allow for a human being far out of harms way to operate the drone with the utmost precision. Drones have recently been used in Libya, Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Although I do agree with the general idea behind drones, they can’t always be used to solve problems when a more diplomatic solution is necessary. I like the idea of using unmanned vehicles in the sense that it helps protect the lives of our … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: Afghanistan, foreign policy, Libya, Pakistan

No ramadan in Syria

August 16, 2011 by Anton 2 Comments

August is the Holy month of Ramadan. However, in some places across the world, it is not being celebrated. Instead, in places like Syria and Libya, they are still fighting for their leaders to leave office and for the system to be reformed. In other places like Somalia, people are dying from a man-made drought, of which Al-Shabab, the militant affiliate of Al-Qaeda, is primarily responsible. However, I want to focus on Syria in particular. Syria has been under the rule of Bashar Al- Assad. The US was trying to improve ties with this crucial Middle … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: aid, Europe, Government, Islam, Libya, Middle East, Somalia, South Africa, Syria, travel, Turkey

Dictators and Democracies for Health

May 17, 2011 by Alex B. Hill

Politics can have serious consequences for health. We need look no further than the US legislature for examples of the politics of health. The recent deeply partisan budget cuts threatened women's health across the country and debates over the Health Care Bill easily demonstrates a democracy's inability to provide basic health for everyone in its population. Other examples come from the USDA's support for corporate farms over the population's health needs amidst the growing obesity epidemic. Some of the best examples of health being politicized come from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Sex and Justice Tagged With: Bahrain, Libya, Nigeria, Syria

Deficits and the Future of American Defense

May 10, 2011 by Richard Lim

The Obama Administration, as part of its efforts to address America’s long-term fiscal woes, has proposed a plan to reduce defense spending by $400 billion by 2023. The plan builds upon the $78 billion in cuts proposed by Secretary Gates in January and would target major procurement items, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Administration has, in effect, sought to curb what has been a doubling of the defense budget since September 11, 2001, which, at $700 billion, is the highest in adjusted dollars since the Korean War. That number exceeds … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: Barack Obama, federal budget, Libya, US foreign policy

Americans Cautiously Supportive of Arab Spring

May 4, 2011 by Richard Lim

According to a poll released by the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, an overwhelming majority of Americans (65%) believe that the rising tide of democracy in the Middle East would be a positive development for America. Additionally, a majority (57%) believe that this would be beneficial even if it resulted in countries being more likely to oppose American policies. At the same time, Americans are less confident that the uprisings will actually produce more … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: Barack Obama, Egypt, Islam, Libya, US-Muslim World Relations

When Conflict Health Becomes A Military Tactic

April 12, 2011 by Alex B. Hill

From developing refugee situations to border disputes, health crises that arise as a result of conflict are unfortunately quite common. Conflict health disrupts the ways that people access resources like food, water, and medicine. On the other hand, conflict health also creates the circumstances where diseases spread, people are needlessly killed, and others are critically injured. These horrible results of conflict health are compounded by the destruction of infrastructure: roads, hospitals, etc. So, what happens when conflict health becomes a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Hunger, Sex and Justice Tagged With: conflict, Gadhafi, health, Libya

When Will the International Community Take Rape Seriously?

April 8, 2011 by Katherine Williams

Throughout the history of conflict, rape has been seen as an inevitable ‘spoil of war’. How is it that an international community so dedicated to responding quickly to situations of humanitarian crises still neglect those civilians so often affected most by outbreaks of civil conflict? The examples from the Economist listed below highlight the sheer scale of sexual violence in war time, acts that have occurred within living memory, and whose effects still resonate today. Naturally, this is not an extensive list. -The Japanese capture of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: Bosnia, conflict, DRC, ICC, Japan, Libya, war, women

US Intervention in Libya: An Exercise in Hypocrisy?

April 4, 2011 by Patrick McDermott

I don't believe anyone can deny, nor has denied, that Col. Gaddafi would have without doubt committed mass atrocities against the Libyan opposition if it were not for military intervention in the form of an imposition of a no-fly zone over the country. It would have been a horrific humanitarian disaster and although I advocate for the use of non-violence even amidst violent conflict, I can't necessarily argue that preventing such an event from taking place is entirely unjustified. As the President stated in his speech last Monday night, the United … [Read more...]