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A Brief Analysis of Iranian Global Relations Part II: China, India, IAEA

April 20, 2012 by Emily Leave a Comment

In my previous post, I discussed two groups dealing with the Iranian nuclear problem: that which actively supports sanctions and that which objects to them. The issue, however, is not black and white: between the countries that actively support unilateral and multilateral sanctions and those that staunchly condemn them lies a third group of quasi-supporters that privately limit their financial interaction with Iran, despite public condemnations of Western sanctions. China and India (two of the five BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: Brazil, China, EU, Government, human rights, India, Iran, nuclear, nuclear weapons, oil, reform, Russia, sanctions, South Africa, trade

A Brief Analysis of Iranian Global Relations Part I: EU, Brazil, Russia, South Africa

April 12, 2012 by Emily Leave a Comment

America’s recent responses to Iran’s nuclear program have stirred debate in the international community. Some condone America’s struggle with the Islamic Republic by supporting sanctions and oil embargoes; others denounce American imperialism and refuse to support sanctions. The European Union countries and, surprisingly, the previously Iran-backing countries of Brazil and South Africa, belong to the first group that condemns Iran’s nuclear program. In an April 6, 2012 Al Arabiya article, “Iran’s Moment of Truth,” Hassan Barari discussed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, economy, EU, Europe, foreign policy, Greece, human rights violations, Iran, Latin America, Mexico, nuclear, oil, Russia, sanctions, security, South Africa, trade

Iraq War: A successful business trip

January 24, 2012 by Usman Shabbir 4 Comments

Sun Tzu said “all war is deception". The last convoy of US troops to leave Iraq has entered Kuwait, nearly nine years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, BBC reports. The aura of victory spread over the Pentagon and the White house as the last remaining war heroes returned. This was after paying an opportunity cost of 4,487 US and 97,461 Iraqi causalities and a net investment of $801.98 billion (cost of the Iraq war). President Obama claimed that the US military was the “finest fighting force” further extending the claim of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: BBC, Corruption, democracy, economy, Iran, Iraq, military, Obama, oil, President Bush, privatization, US military, war, war on terror

U.S. Foreign Policy Alternatives in Iran Part 1: From Carter to Obama

January 8, 2012 by Emily 1 Comment

On New Year’s Eve, President Obama enacted new sanctions against Iran in a repeated effort to halt the growth of Iran’s nuclear program. The imposition of sanctions, however, has long fueled controversy among American foreign policy officials. Recent failures, combined with the Carter administration’s failed attempt to resolve the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979 and the subsequent failure of the Reagan administration to restore diplomatic relations with Iran, have cast a shadow over American foreign policy in regard to the nuclear crisis. Some … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: diplomacy, economy, EU, Europe, foreign policy, Government, human rights, India, Iran, military, nuclear, Obama, oil, sanctions, technology, United States

The Keystone XL Pipeline debate: a case study in the rhetoric of fear

September 19, 2011 by AIDemocracy 2 Comments

By Jeff Reamer. The global energy and financial crises have profoundly influenced the way American domestic decisions are shaped. Daily headlines and media commentators blare loaded jargon like “energy security” and “financial meltdown” into the perpetually-panicked minds of worried Americans. While these apocalyptic prophesies are certainly troubling, more problematic is the fact that interest groups have come to rely on this climate of fear, rather than reasoned dialogue, to sway public opinion and win voter support. With environmental and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less Tagged With: oil

Dispatches From Peru: Adventures in the Amazon, Oil Companies, and Indigenous Amazonian Communities

April 26, 2011 by Alma Raymer

Hey AIDemocracy network! I am writing you from Cusco again, after having had pretty crazy adventures in Iquitos and the northern Amazonian region of Peru. I guess I’ll just sort of give a run down and then some thoughts on the whole experience… So our group of students had been invited to visit a native Amazonian community outside of Iquitos the second full day we were in Iquitos. This meant that we had breakfast around five in the morning and were headed out on our bus to another town by quarter of six. We had a two hour bus ride ahead of us … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less, Hunger, Sex and Justice Tagged With: Amazon, indigenous communities, Latin America, mining, oil, Peru, water

Facing ‘difficulties’ after brutalizing a population? Obama and David Cameron could learn a lesson from their North African and Arab counterparts

March 18, 2011 by Gillian Rollason

After decades of brutalizing the population, political leaders shouldn’t be surprised to find their authority challenged by violent uprisings. But this plight is not only of political elites in North Africa and the Middle East - European and American leaders face serious dilemmas at the United Nations, after years of ignoring the human consequences of their foreign policy abroad. It is hardly surprising that Gaddafi is able to use mercenaries to suppress a popular uprising, despite outrage from the international community at the (continued) … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Less, Security Tagged With: Africa, Barack Obama, Britain, capitalism, conflict, diplomacy, economic growth, economy, EU, globalization, Government, government shutdown, human rights, Human Rights and Social Justice, Libya, Middle East, Middle East Democracy, military, national security, NATO, North Africa, oil, poverty, social justice, United Nations, US foreign policy

The Inevitability of Water Depletion

November 15, 2010 by David Klayton

By David Klayton, Environment Issue Analyst You’ve probably heard the phrase “resource wars,” and you probably usually think of wars over oil that dominated the 20th century. But have you ever stopped to take the time to think about what the phrase really means, and how it pertains to the future of the planet? As much as we may like to think they are, resources on this planet are not infinite. In fact, we will start to run low on many elements and minerals like copper and aluminum within the next century. Expect a skyrocket in the cost of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Climate Change Tagged With: Africa, China, Climate Change, conflict, oil, security, water

What youth can do about climate change

October 10, 2010 by Nadia Elkaddi

By Nadia Elkaddi Nadia is one of AIDemocracy’s 2010-2011 Issue Analysts. Find out more about Nadia below or take a look at the Student Issue Analysts. Dick York: Betty, the next time you remove the pages from my calendar, don’t throw them away. Betty: What should I do with them? Dick York: Use them. [showing a calendar page]. See makes perfectly good scratch paper. [Laughter] Betty: No! I won’t cry. He’ll say I’m wasting water! For those who were never informed by their baby-boomer parents, Dick York was stars of the hit show … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change Tagged With: Climate Change, climate change, oil, youth

Middle East Entanglements – Why We're Stuck

April 13, 2010 by Erick Ford

This post continues the conversation in response to my post "Offshore Oil Drilling, Energy Independence, and America's Security" from April 7th, 2010. Now let’s set the record straight. While it may be true that Canada and Mexico are the top exporters of oil to the US (when it is broken down by nation), these nations are insignificant when it comes to regions and the greater oil market. Canada and Mexico together are insignificant to the oil market because they do not affect the price of the oil market. This market is what affects our own economy and … [Read more...]