Analysis of Articles about Political Geography Issues - Essay Example

?Pontuso, James F. "Transformation Politics: The Debate Between Vaclav Havel And Vaclav Klaus On The Free Market And Civil Society." Studies In East European Thought 54.3 (2002): 153-177. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. Vaclav Havel was the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic. He was an author, playwright and a poet. He was an outspoken critic of the Communist Regime that ruled Eastern Europe for many years. This article focuses on the differences between Vaclav Klaus, the first prime minister of the Czech Republic and Vaclav Havel. Both men were influential politicians and both had technical training that they felt would best serve the new country of the Czech Republic. In 1997, these two men conducted several debates that were very influential in the decisions undertaken by the Czech Republic after Communism fell. Vaclav Klaus was an economist, so he felt that the very best thing that could be done for the new country was economic reforms that would ease the transition from a Communist economy that was centrally planned to a free market economy. He felt that getting this transition underway quickly and with as little pain as possible would be the best way to create a stable, democratic nations. Vaclav Havel believed that creating a civil society was the most important task. He believed that just opening p the economy as a free market would not be a wise thing to do because he argued that free markets require people to act in a moral manner or corruption will drag the economy down. Vaclav Havel believed that democratic institutions should first be developed through decentralization of political power. He said that the best place to learn about democracy was at the local level. This went against Klaus because giving power to local governments could disrupt his economic reforms. The article goes on to expand on Havel’s ideas about civil society and how they will eventually result in a global culture that embraces differences without conflict. Many of his ideas have helped make the Czech Republic a successful post-Communist state. Anderson, Jon Lee. "The Implosion." New Yorker 88.2 (2012): 58-67. Military & Government Collection. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. This article is about the reign of Bashar al-Assad and his ruling party that is made up of supporters in the minority Christian and Alawite Muslims. The current situation in Syria can be traced to events that have occurred over the past 50 years in Syria. The current destruction evidenced in Homs is nothing new for the political dictatorship headed by the al-Assad family for generations. Bashar al-Assad was not the son that was to take over the rule of Syria from his father, Hafez. This was to have been done by an older brother that was killed in a car accident. The younger Assad was studious and quiet. He studied abroad and attended medical school, training as an ophthalmologist. He was never perceived as political and as such, many thought he might be a moderating influence in Syria. This has proven to be a false assumption. Bashar al-Assad has proven to be capable of crimes against his own people. He has succeeded in overcoming a revolt that began as a peaceful uprising. Many of the revolutionaries are fighting against Assad because of his regime’s oppressive rules and the fact that he is in power even though a majority of Syrians want him out. The Alewives are a minority in Syria that was once oppressed. They came to power 50 years ago through military intervention and have held power ever since. They are against democracy because the demographics of Syria would surely displace them from power. Bashar al-Assad is isolating himself from the international community through his cruelty, buy he is supported by nations such as Iran and Russia, so he will probably be able to keep his hold on power. Ehrenfeld, Rachel. "The Muslim Brotherhood Evolution: An Overview." American Foreign Policy Interests 33.2 (2011): 69-85. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. The Muslim Brotherhood has gained much recognition over the past few years as the Arab Spring has moved from one stage and state to another. The origins of the Muslim Brotherhood are found in Egypt, but the influence has spread all through Muslim Asia and even Southern Europe. The Muslim Brotherhood began in the 1920’s as a political form of Islam. It was founded to counter the increasing Western influences of democracy and humanism that were being accepted by governments in the region. Many of those early states got rid of any democratic institutions and were ruled by monarchs and dictators. This development actually suppressed the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood, because secular dictators and monarchs in the region feared the Islamist message of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood preaches a brand of political Islam that demands adherence to Sharia Law. The slogan of the Muslim Brotherhood is, “Islam is the Answer.” The workings of the Brotherhood are very secret, as is the sources of funding. The Muslim Brotherhood advocates a global revolution that will sweep away Western democratic ideals with a wave of authoritarian Islam. The Muslim Brotherhood has been especially active since the overthrow of the Egyptian dictator. Leaders that have been in exile for many years were invited to return to Egypt right away. As a result, the Muslim Brotherhood is growing as a political force in countries such as Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. They still are outlawed in these places, but still remain popular. Evans, Stephen. "‘Mother's Boy’: David Cameron And Margaret Thatcher." British Journal Of Politics & International Relations 12.3 (2010): 325-343. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. In this article, comparisons are made between two Conservative political leaders in Great Britain. Margaret Thatcher was the face of Conservatism through the 1980’s. She was a strong leader that focused on free market reforms as a way of boosting the failing British economy. She worked to rollback many of the liberal reforms that preceded her government. She wanted to get the government to spend less time interfering with the economy and more time focusing on things such as national defense and cutting taxes. David Cameron won the leadership of the Conservative Party after a long battle with other MP’s in 2005. Originally, he wanted to place distance between himself and Margaret Thatcher. The article suggests that there were probable some very good political reasons for doing this. For one, David Cameron is leading in a different age than Thatcher. Much of what Thatcher did was greatly influenced by the Cold War. All governmental regulations were weakened unless they contributed in some way to national defense. David Cameron has come to leadership in an age when Environmentalism is a stronger force than in Thatcher’s day. As a result, he has been forced to pick and choose political reforms that help him to appear as a person in step with the times and not mired in the Thatcherism of the past. David Cameron will need to spend less time focusing on free market reforms than did Margaret Thatcher and more time shielding Great Britain from the negative effects of a looming debt crisis. Meza, Ed. "German Voters Boost Pirate Party." Variety 424.8 (2011): 4. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. The Pirate Party has won 9% of the regional vote in Berlin. This is a great achievement for a political party that did not exist a few years ago. The Pirate Party began in Scandinavia in 2006 as a result of opposition from entertainment companies prosecuting individuals for downloading content for free. The Pirate Party in Scandinavia encouraged followers to break the current copyright laws by continuing to download illegal entertainment. The German Pirate Party takes a less radical stance on this subject. The German Pirate Party advocates a change in intellectual property rights. They believe that copyrights should be shortened to just a few years and that many of the laws pertaining to patents should be abolished. There are other social issues that have made them popular with some members of the population in Berlin. They advocate the legalization of marijuana and for the elimination of any laws controlling pornography or prostitution. Their stance on legalization of sharing digital files has gotten the most attention. Executives of entertainment companies are warning legislators that eliminating copyright and patent laws will have a chilling effect on creativity and productivity in their industries. MILENA VERCELLINO, et al. "The Most Important Man In Europe." Time 179.7 (2012): 28-30. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. This article is about the new Prime Minister of Italy, Mario Monti. As the title suggests, Monti is perhaps the most important man in Europe because his decisions are guiding the troubled Italian economy. The prior Prime Minister Berlisconi left under a shadow of scandal. The partisan politics that he encouraged hurt the country. Mario Monti was called in as a solution to Italy’s economic problems. Monti was educated at Yale as an economist. He says that Italy’s real problem is not the rising cost of borrowing money, but the slow growth of the economy. He says that if the economy will grow, Italy will be able to stay solvent. If Italy fails to repay bonds, the Euro zone may collapse. Italy’s economy is too big to bail out. Monti is a technocrat, not a politician. In essence, the democratic process in Italy has been suspended as all political parties back the new Prime Minister’s reforms. He has gone to work making changes to the pension system and the tax system. Austerity is the new watchword that all Italians are speaking. Social benefits for everyone are being slashed. Everyone in Europe as well as around the world are watching to see if Monti can maintain the momentum for reforms that he has established. One of the most popular yet difficult reforms Monti has put into place is the reformation of the workforce in Italy. He has argued that the long-term stability of the nation lies in making Italian workers more productive and in making Italy a more attractive place to do business. Italy’s economy is only growing at 1.5% each year, well behind the 2.2% enjoyed by other members of the Euro zone. Many watching the progress in Italy are hopeful that the example of limiting partisanship will pay off with great results for Italy and the world. Read More