In just a few weeks, the national conventions for the US presidential elections will take place. The Republican convention will be held in Tampa, Florida while the Democratic convention will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both states are key to the November election. Recalling the electoral votes from 4 years ago, here is the 2008 Electoral Map.
As the campaign enters the final months, no doubt the political rhetoric will heat up and the candidates will make all kinds of campaign stops. The presumed nominee for the Republican Party, Mitt Romney is on an international tour. After day one, he was already stumbling. You cannot go to some one's country and criticize them. It just does not work like that, but he did. He criticized the British on their ability to host the 2012 Summer Games just days before the opening ceremony. I guess since he was the chairman of the Salt Lake City winter games, no one was in a better position to say something than he is.
Despite all of the criticism that President Obama receives, many people around the world believe that he is on their side. The other day, I came across a picture from Niger, a country in West Africa and one of the poorest in the world. There in a fishing village, a man was wearing a shirt that should bring any American to tears. Here is the picture taken by Anthony Pappone, Festival on the Niger. This man may never meet President Obama, but he knows of him and seems to believe in him. President Obama's decisions go far beyond the shores of the United States. If people in the US want the world to respect them then they need to start respecting their own president. It seems the rest of the world does, for Barack Obama is a president for all.
Showing posts with label world affairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world affairs. Show all posts
27 July 2012
23 January 2012
Political Shenanigans
It has been a long time since my last post. Where does the time go? I have not forgotten that I have a blog. I have been trying to decide which topic to hit first. I have tried to hold back from posting about the US primary elections, but I can't resist anymore. I am not very politically active, so may be I am not the correct person to write on this subject. Nevertheless, I am throwing my two cents in to the pot.
To say that I am appalled by the shenanigans of current group of Republican presidential candidates in the US is a major understatement. Being outside of the country and listening to all of the rhetoric, I can only wonder what those living in the country at this time are thinking? First, there is just outright disrespect for the current administration. This is not to say that everyone should agree with the president, but to be so boldly disrespectful is unheard of. Second, some of the campaign speeches and debates are just filled with inaccuracies. One candidate stood up and said he was the best one to protect the US in case of a nuclear attack by Iran. What? Third, each of the Republicans believes he is the best person to get the country out of the current economic quagmire. Apparently, they have forgotten that the economic situation of the US started well before 2008. And the list gone on. There is no need to beat a dead horse to death.
This passed weekend Newt Gingrich revived his campaign from the dead. But did anyone really expect that Mitt Romney was going to win the South Carolina primary other then himself? I think the only surprise there was the margin of the win. So the Republican primaries drag on until the last one standing is appointed the nominee.
The next major state is Florida. This is going to be an interesting primary as the current motley Republican crew has just about alienated many of the citizens in the state The candidates are mainly anti-immigration, and anti-government programs for seniors. Even Jeb Bush has yet to throw his support behind one of the candidates. Anyway, this farcical process will continue until June. There will be more and more negativity and false statements and allegations to come. Once November arrives, I do hope that citizens of the US will be able to put all of these political shenanigans aside and choose the person who is most capable of governing the country for the next four years.
To say that I am appalled by the shenanigans of current group of Republican presidential candidates in the US is a major understatement. Being outside of the country and listening to all of the rhetoric, I can only wonder what those living in the country at this time are thinking? First, there is just outright disrespect for the current administration. This is not to say that everyone should agree with the president, but to be so boldly disrespectful is unheard of. Second, some of the campaign speeches and debates are just filled with inaccuracies. One candidate stood up and said he was the best one to protect the US in case of a nuclear attack by Iran. What? Third, each of the Republicans believes he is the best person to get the country out of the current economic quagmire. Apparently, they have forgotten that the economic situation of the US started well before 2008. And the list gone on. There is no need to beat a dead horse to death.
This passed weekend Newt Gingrich revived his campaign from the dead. But did anyone really expect that Mitt Romney was going to win the South Carolina primary other then himself? I think the only surprise there was the margin of the win. So the Republican primaries drag on until the last one standing is appointed the nominee.
The next major state is Florida. This is going to be an interesting primary as the current motley Republican crew has just about alienated many of the citizens in the state The candidates are mainly anti-immigration, and anti-government programs for seniors. Even Jeb Bush has yet to throw his support behind one of the candidates. Anyway, this farcical process will continue until June. There will be more and more negativity and false statements and allegations to come. Once November arrives, I do hope that citizens of the US will be able to put all of these political shenanigans aside and choose the person who is most capable of governing the country for the next four years.
08 December 2011
Waka Waka
Last year "Waka Waka" (This time for Africa) was the official song for the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa. The song was sung by Shakira and Freshly Ground.
Indeed it is time for Africa. While most of the western world is mired in debt, economies across Africa are expanding. They might not have the rapid growth of China, but the average gross domestic product (GDP) rate for Africa is around 6%. Compare that to the economies in the US and Europe. In fact about a dozen countries in Africa have seen their economies grow by 6% per year for more than six years. Yet, most western newspapers only print stories about famine, aids, civil wars, etc. Very few articles are written about the successful developments across the continent. Finally, "The Economist" has dedicated an issue on Africa. "The Economist" of December 3, 2011 has several informative articles on "Rising Africa".
Last month when Greece and Italy were rattling equity markets because of their financial situations, the Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho met with Angolan President Eduardo Dos Santos. Why was the prime minister meeting with the president of a former colony? Portugal is the next country on the list of European countries going bankrupt. Forecast indicate that the Portuguese economy could contract by 2.8% in 2012, while Angola's economy is expected to grow by 12%. Angola, a country devastated by a long civil war, from 1975 to 2002, now stands ready to assist Portugal though its financial crisis. The IMF has agreed to give Portugal a $107 billion bailout on the condition that it introduces a range of economic reforms, including privatizations. Thus, Angola could buy stakes in some of the companies set for privatization. In 2009 Angolan investments in Portugal stood at $156 million compared to $2.1 million in 2002. Angolan companies owned the equivalent of 3.8% of companies listed on Portugal's stock exchange.
Not many people know the name Aliko Dangote. According to the latest Forbes Magazine table, he is ranked as the 51st richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $13.8 billion, well surpassing Oprah Winfrey as the richest person of African descent. He is from Nigeria and the owner of the Dangote Group, an industrial conglomerate in West Africa . The company has activities in cement, sugar, flour,salt, pasta, beverages and real estate. It is also developing new businesses in natural gas, telecommunications fertilizer and steel. The company has a current market capitalization of $14 billion and is listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange. For more information about the group see their website: http://www.dangote-group.com/.
Africa is home to 54 countries and more than 1 billion people, nearly 14% of the planet's population. Its population is also set to double over the next 40 years. The median age of the population is now 20, compared to 30 in Asia and 40 in Europe. Yes, it has many diverse cultures and people, but within that lies many opportunities. It is perhaps too early to say whether or not the lion economies of Africa will challenge the tiger economies of Asia, but it is time to give Africa her chance. Take time to learn more about the success stories and opportunities that are developing across Africa.
Indeed it is time for Africa. While most of the western world is mired in debt, economies across Africa are expanding. They might not have the rapid growth of China, but the average gross domestic product (GDP) rate for Africa is around 6%. Compare that to the economies in the US and Europe. In fact about a dozen countries in Africa have seen their economies grow by 6% per year for more than six years. Yet, most western newspapers only print stories about famine, aids, civil wars, etc. Very few articles are written about the successful developments across the continent. Finally, "The Economist" has dedicated an issue on Africa. "The Economist" of December 3, 2011 has several informative articles on "Rising Africa".
Last month when Greece and Italy were rattling equity markets because of their financial situations, the Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho met with Angolan President Eduardo Dos Santos. Why was the prime minister meeting with the president of a former colony? Portugal is the next country on the list of European countries going bankrupt. Forecast indicate that the Portuguese economy could contract by 2.8% in 2012, while Angola's economy is expected to grow by 12%. Angola, a country devastated by a long civil war, from 1975 to 2002, now stands ready to assist Portugal though its financial crisis. The IMF has agreed to give Portugal a $107 billion bailout on the condition that it introduces a range of economic reforms, including privatizations. Thus, Angola could buy stakes in some of the companies set for privatization. In 2009 Angolan investments in Portugal stood at $156 million compared to $2.1 million in 2002. Angolan companies owned the equivalent of 3.8% of companies listed on Portugal's stock exchange.
Not many people know the name Aliko Dangote. According to the latest Forbes Magazine table, he is ranked as the 51st richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $13.8 billion, well surpassing Oprah Winfrey as the richest person of African descent. He is from Nigeria and the owner of the Dangote Group, an industrial conglomerate in West Africa . The company has activities in cement, sugar, flour,salt, pasta, beverages and real estate. It is also developing new businesses in natural gas, telecommunications fertilizer and steel. The company has a current market capitalization of $14 billion and is listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange. For more information about the group see their website: http://www.dangote-group.com/.
Africa is home to 54 countries and more than 1 billion people, nearly 14% of the planet's population. Its population is also set to double over the next 40 years. The median age of the population is now 20, compared to 30 in Asia and 40 in Europe. Yes, it has many diverse cultures and people, but within that lies many opportunities. It is perhaps too early to say whether or not the lion economies of Africa will challenge the tiger economies of Asia, but it is time to give Africa her chance. Take time to learn more about the success stories and opportunities that are developing across Africa.
27 October 2011
Will Tunisia Follow the Turkish Model?
Nearly twenty years ago, soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall and communism, Russia's moved towards freedom and democracy seemed irreversible. At that time Russia committed itself to uphold democratic principles and to safeguard basic freedoms and the rights of its people. Today, those ideals do not appear to be true.
Democracy in Russia is in retreat. After serving two four-year terms as president Vladmir Putin selected Dmitri Medvedev as the candidate of choice as his successor. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits Putin was not able to run for a third consecutive term. In return Putin was nominated by Medevedev to be Russia's Prime Minister. In September 2011 Putin announced that he would seek a third non-consecutive term in the 2012 elections. It is expected that he will run virtually unopposed. The Russian constitution has been modified and the presidential term now is 5 years. Thus Putin could now serve two 5 year terms.
Today Tunisia is at the same turning point. The country has just held its first democratic elections in 23 years. In the recent elections the moderate Islamist party, Ennahda won the most votes. Because the party did not gain more than 50%, it will have to govern in coalition. While Ennahda is an Islamist Party, it does not seek an Islamic state. Talks are underway with secular parties. The new government will form a Constituent Assembly. The purpose of the assembly is draft a constitution. They will have one year to do this. Tunisia views Turkey as its model.
Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy and has a strong tradition of secularism. For years, Turkey has tried to have a closer relationship with Europe, even wanting to join the European Union; only to be told the discussions who come at a later date. While the European Union drags its feet, Turkey can now look to the countries in North Africa, and be a model for them, as well as a leader. While the results from the countries participating in the "Arab Spring" are still unknown, the Turkish model should be one that all consider.
Democracy in Russia is in retreat. After serving two four-year terms as president Vladmir Putin selected Dmitri Medvedev as the candidate of choice as his successor. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits Putin was not able to run for a third consecutive term. In return Putin was nominated by Medevedev to be Russia's Prime Minister. In September 2011 Putin announced that he would seek a third non-consecutive term in the 2012 elections. It is expected that he will run virtually unopposed. The Russian constitution has been modified and the presidential term now is 5 years. Thus Putin could now serve two 5 year terms.
Today Tunisia is at the same turning point. The country has just held its first democratic elections in 23 years. In the recent elections the moderate Islamist party, Ennahda won the most votes. Because the party did not gain more than 50%, it will have to govern in coalition. While Ennahda is an Islamist Party, it does not seek an Islamic state. Talks are underway with secular parties. The new government will form a Constituent Assembly. The purpose of the assembly is draft a constitution. They will have one year to do this. Tunisia views Turkey as its model.
Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy and has a strong tradition of secularism. For years, Turkey has tried to have a closer relationship with Europe, even wanting to join the European Union; only to be told the discussions who come at a later date. While the European Union drags its feet, Turkey can now look to the countries in North Africa, and be a model for them, as well as a leader. While the results from the countries participating in the "Arab Spring" are still unknown, the Turkish model should be one that all consider.
23 October 2011
The End of a Regime and the Dawn of a New Era
It is a historical day in two countries in North Africa. The Libyan government has declared national liberation and in Tunisia more than 3 million people are going to the polls to vote for a parliament which will lay the foundations for forming a new government.
Late last year a vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire. At the time no one paid much attention to this event. No one knew that it would be the start of the "Arab Spring". Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was the first to go. The former President of Tunisia fled the country for Saudi Arabia. Next protester gathered in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt to demand that Hosni Mubarak step down. Afterwards protesters took to the streets in Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and Syria. In mid-February Mubarak left and the protest gathered momentum in Libya. Muammar Gaddafi took to the airwaves in a fiery and defiant manner urging his supporters to resist the countries new leaders, the National Transitional Council (NTC). First the city of Benghazi fell to the new leaders and then movement moved eastward towards the capital Tripoli. The NTC were able to convince the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to provide military support. While NATO did not send ground troops, it did provide significant military air power. Finally, on Thursday 20 October 2011, Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed. While the exact details of his capture and death are still unknown at this point, 42 years of brutality are now hopefully over for Libya. The future of Libya is unknown. After so many years under a dictatorship, the country has no institutions, no government, and no constitution. The NTC have promised to write a constitution and hold elections by June 2012.
In Tunisia 3 million people went to the polls for the first time. This is estimated to be 90% of registered voters. Tunisians are electing a 217-seat assembly which will draft a constitution and appoint an interim government. There are more than 100 parties contesting in the elections, but Islamist Ennahda party is expected to win the most votes. The results are expected on 25 October 2011. Leaving the polling stations, voters were eager to show the dark blue ink on their fingers.
The elections in Tunisia are being watched closely around the world because the country is the first to hold elections after the fall of an authoritarian regime. The events in Tunisia may set the tone for other countries who have ousted leaders and are looking to hold elections in order to form a new government. Many voters have expressed the desire to have a government based on Islamic law, but emphasized that they want a modern Islamic society, not an ultra-conservative one. They feel it needs to be tolerant and open to in its dealings with other cultures.
The events of today will have ramifications for years to come, not only for their respective countries, but also for the global society . Therefore it is crucial that both countries make the correct decisions in these early days of democracy.
Late last year a vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire. At the time no one paid much attention to this event. No one knew that it would be the start of the "Arab Spring". Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was the first to go. The former President of Tunisia fled the country for Saudi Arabia. Next protester gathered in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt to demand that Hosni Mubarak step down. Afterwards protesters took to the streets in Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and Syria. In mid-February Mubarak left and the protest gathered momentum in Libya. Muammar Gaddafi took to the airwaves in a fiery and defiant manner urging his supporters to resist the countries new leaders, the National Transitional Council (NTC). First the city of Benghazi fell to the new leaders and then movement moved eastward towards the capital Tripoli. The NTC were able to convince the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to provide military support. While NATO did not send ground troops, it did provide significant military air power. Finally, on Thursday 20 October 2011, Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed. While the exact details of his capture and death are still unknown at this point, 42 years of brutality are now hopefully over for Libya. The future of Libya is unknown. After so many years under a dictatorship, the country has no institutions, no government, and no constitution. The NTC have promised to write a constitution and hold elections by June 2012.
In Tunisia 3 million people went to the polls for the first time. This is estimated to be 90% of registered voters. Tunisians are electing a 217-seat assembly which will draft a constitution and appoint an interim government. There are more than 100 parties contesting in the elections, but Islamist Ennahda party is expected to win the most votes. The results are expected on 25 October 2011. Leaving the polling stations, voters were eager to show the dark blue ink on their fingers.
The elections in Tunisia are being watched closely around the world because the country is the first to hold elections after the fall of an authoritarian regime. The events in Tunisia may set the tone for other countries who have ousted leaders and are looking to hold elections in order to form a new government. Many voters have expressed the desire to have a government based on Islamic law, but emphasized that they want a modern Islamic society, not an ultra-conservative one. They feel it needs to be tolerant and open to in its dealings with other cultures.
The events of today will have ramifications for years to come, not only for their respective countries, but also for the global society . Therefore it is crucial that both countries make the correct decisions in these early days of democracy.
20 October 2011
The Business of Education
Today, I read two articles on education. Now while, I am neither a parent nor a teacher, I still feel the need to comment on those articles.
The first article was from the BBC website titled "Digital textbooks open new chapter". The article stated that by 2015 South Korea plans to have all its curriculum material in a digital format. They call the project "Smart Education". Already South Korea is one of the world's highest rated education systems. The country is second in global rankings for reading, fourth for math and fifth for science. Family spending on education in South Korea is the highest in the world in proportion to family income.
According to the South Korean government, the program is not just about cost-savings. They believe this initiative will reach more students in rural areas.
At the same time as the South Korean educational system was rising in the global ranks, the US educational system was declining. President George W. Bush had a program "No Child Left Behind". The title of the program was clever, but the results have been not been satisfactory. The program required all government-run schools receiving federal funding to administer a state-wide standardized test annually to students. At the end of the day, it seems the program is only about more testing to students. The purpose of the tests is to determine whether the school has taught the students well. This is nothing about learning or helping more students to succeed. People are amazed when I tell them the statistics about the percentage of college graduates in the US. It is a cute trick that one way of presenting the numbers is to say the percentage of the adult population who attended college. This number is a far cry from those graduating from college. However, according to the census data in 1940 5% of Americans 25 and older had a bachelor's degree. In 2009 nearly 28% hold a bachelor's degree. The rate for black Americans is 17% and 13% for Hispanic Americans.
If those statistics are not dreadful enough, the next article was just shameful. The article was titled "Chinese Lose Promise for $52,000 as US Schools Exploit Need". With the economic crisis private schools, especially, are experiencing financial problems. The weak economy has reduced the number of well-off American applicants. Many private schools are using agents with misleading sales pitches to recruit students from wealthy Chinese families. The number of Chinese students attending private US high schools increased more than 100-fold to 6,725 in 2010 from 65 in the 2005-2006 school year.
It is not that I am against Chinese or any foreign students studying in the US, but using the "bait and switch" tactic is outrageous. Chinese students are interested in studying in the US to improve their English and some want to attend US universities. The article states that one school has a $55,000 fee, including $9,600 for English as a second language and $1,800 for orientation. Additionally, in some of the private high schools there are more Chinese students than American students. Chinese students traveled to the US to room with other Chinese students. This by no means will help their English. An even sadder point mentioned in the article was in some schools 70% of the American students had some type of learning difficulties, including attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or Dyslexia.
From the two articles, one can see that the two education systems are going in different directions. South Korea seems to be preparing the next generation to use the technology that will be in place when the children are adults. On the other hand, there are schools in the US which are looking to cushion the bottom line. At the end of the day, it should be about the student. It seems some have understood this point and others have different agendas.
The first article was from the BBC website titled "Digital textbooks open new chapter". The article stated that by 2015 South Korea plans to have all its curriculum material in a digital format. They call the project "Smart Education". Already South Korea is one of the world's highest rated education systems. The country is second in global rankings for reading, fourth for math and fifth for science. Family spending on education in South Korea is the highest in the world in proportion to family income.
According to the South Korean government, the program is not just about cost-savings. They believe this initiative will reach more students in rural areas.
At the same time as the South Korean educational system was rising in the global ranks, the US educational system was declining. President George W. Bush had a program "No Child Left Behind". The title of the program was clever, but the results have been not been satisfactory. The program required all government-run schools receiving federal funding to administer a state-wide standardized test annually to students. At the end of the day, it seems the program is only about more testing to students. The purpose of the tests is to determine whether the school has taught the students well. This is nothing about learning or helping more students to succeed. People are amazed when I tell them the statistics about the percentage of college graduates in the US. It is a cute trick that one way of presenting the numbers is to say the percentage of the adult population who attended college. This number is a far cry from those graduating from college. However, according to the census data in 1940 5% of Americans 25 and older had a bachelor's degree. In 2009 nearly 28% hold a bachelor's degree. The rate for black Americans is 17% and 13% for Hispanic Americans.
If those statistics are not dreadful enough, the next article was just shameful. The article was titled "Chinese Lose Promise for $52,000 as US Schools Exploit Need". With the economic crisis private schools, especially, are experiencing financial problems. The weak economy has reduced the number of well-off American applicants. Many private schools are using agents with misleading sales pitches to recruit students from wealthy Chinese families. The number of Chinese students attending private US high schools increased more than 100-fold to 6,725 in 2010 from 65 in the 2005-2006 school year.
It is not that I am against Chinese or any foreign students studying in the US, but using the "bait and switch" tactic is outrageous. Chinese students are interested in studying in the US to improve their English and some want to attend US universities. The article states that one school has a $55,000 fee, including $9,600 for English as a second language and $1,800 for orientation. Additionally, in some of the private high schools there are more Chinese students than American students. Chinese students traveled to the US to room with other Chinese students. This by no means will help their English. An even sadder point mentioned in the article was in some schools 70% of the American students had some type of learning difficulties, including attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or Dyslexia.
From the two articles, one can see that the two education systems are going in different directions. South Korea seems to be preparing the next generation to use the technology that will be in place when the children are adults. On the other hand, there are schools in the US which are looking to cushion the bottom line. At the end of the day, it should be about the student. It seems some have understood this point and others have different agendas.
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