First of all on this inaugural post I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Mothers' Day. The idea of this blog is to create a forum as to continue and to initiate discussion on political and social issues that we have at times taken up from time to time. As the title of the blog indicates, we are all living the chronicles of the flat world, as the distinction between the local and the global is quickly disappearing. Just looking at some of the events of this past week one can quickly conclude that these perceived international and global events have immediate and local consequences whether you live in New Orleans or in La Paz. The inability to limit the scope of the environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the failed terrorist attack at New York's Times Square, the social and political unrest in Greece, the Stock Market glitch that caused billions of dollars to be gained and lost, in a matter of 16 minutes, or the inconclusive British elections are all connected in a world that's increasingly linked though technology, economy, markets, communication, and environment.
In today's
New York Times, Thomas Friedman refers to the
Root Canal Politics as he believes that these events are not only connected, but they have deep social and generational causes. While co-columnist paul Krugman argues that in the case of the European Debt crisis things are not as interconnected as many believe
A Money Too Far
As you read these lines and you think of these issues or you want to bring up something else, whether you are in Santo Domingo or in Boston please remember to check back at 400Fenway
First of all, I want to offer congratulations to all of you who have joined the "real" flat world and thank Petros for initiating this blog as a way to keep everyone connected. It is truly a way to extend the classroom and to shrink the distance between us.
ReplyDeleteThese are truly fascinating times for students of politics and international affairs. The stories I'm following most closely:
The comparativist in me is paying close attention to the hung British Parliament; particularly with respect to the issue of electoral reform that the Liberal Democrats are undoubtedly going to continue to press in negotiations with both Labour and the Tories. Equally important, irrespective of the outcome, is going to be the concessions the Liberals demand in return for entering any coalition and the implications on British EU policy in the turmoil caused by the Greek debt crisis. All the above will certainly be covered in upcoming sessions of Intro to Comparative and European Politics at EC!
The Women and Politics scholar in me is, of course, galvinized by the Kagan nomination. Immediately,the question of whether or not a "critical mass" of female representation on the Court may be reached and what the implications of such a development might be both in terms of the direction of the Court and in the wider legal community. Secondly, the question of how the strategic choice of a nominee with no judicial record may play in a increasingly hostile and highly partisan Senate in confirmation proceedings will also be interesting to watch. Finally, from an International Law perspective, Kagan's record outlining her position with respect to legal standing of Guantanamo detainees is also likely to become a central issue in upcoming hearings.