It is raining man...

As the US suffers from environmental problems, so does Germany. Growing environmental problems are a global problem, undoubtable a side-effect of globalization.

As I noticed from Der Spiegel-Online, Germany has to face serious climate change, due to global warming... Thus, the German government comes up with announcing the reduction of carbon dioxide by 40%, because the German Institute for Economics warned the governtment that the losses caused by climate will rise up to 27 trillions.

We will see what the future will bring and how much of their initial ideas will be realized, but nevertheless I found it really interesting how the German government tries to divert its course...

"Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin on me"

Here is a test to see if your language marks you as a southerner. My score told me I had some of the South in me.
http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html

Here is something I found on the root of the word yankee. It was first used by the British to describe colonists around 1756.

http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0618454500&id=cZ88p_bSt1EC&pg=PA327&lpg=PA327&ots=i_ZLpk-VqH&dq=%22root%22+of+the+%22word%22+%27yankee%22&sig=01Do4K7cSdE-F8mxiMT0aeeNaGQ

Here is song by the Doobie Brothers called "Blackwater" for those of you up North. (Just joking)

Well, I built me a raft and shes ready for floatin
Ol mississippi, shes callin my name
Catfish are jumpin
That paddle wheel thumpin
Black water keeps rollin on past just the same

Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Yeah, keep on shinin your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I aint got no worries
cause I aint in no hurry at all

Well, if it rains, I dont care
Dont make no difference to me
Just take that street car thats goin up town
Yeah, Id like to hear some funky dixieland
And dance a honky tonk
And Ill be buyin evrybody drinks all roun

Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Yeah, keep on shinin your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I aint got no worries
cause I aint in no hurry at all

Id like to hear some funky dixieland
Pretty mama come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand pretty mama
Come and dance with your daddy all night long
I want to honky tonk, honky tonk, honky tonk
With you all night long

North Korea, my view amongst others

I think Julie has an interesting point that nations such as N. Korea are directing funding away from social programs in order to develop nuclear weapons. We happen to spend more on defense then any other item in our budget. Despite the rationale of Julie's statement, I think more emphasis should be put upon the fact that the US, UN, and others have failed to find a way to solve the problem. It may very well be that nuclear weapons are the best way for N. Korea to achieve security for itself when it is labeled as an axis of evil. A better way might be for the US to clarify that it has no intentions of removing the current government, but would rather find a solution that promotes security and prosperity for all; even if it means dealing with someone we do not like.
It is also interesting that the US is now a team player, using diplomacy to achieve a peaceful end to the conflict. If America is an empire, it is troubling that it cannot find a quick solution to a problem that has gone on for over a decade. It may very well be that the American Empire cannot sustain itself in the traditional military sense because the country does not have the will to make the human and monetary sacrifice necessary for a Roman type legionaire. Instead the US needs to understand how to use its collateral in the world arena to deal with problems logically instead waiting until they explode and require crisis (which may be what the world order needs to survive). Have a nice day.

After reflecting back on what we discussed in class today I decided to look further into this "extraterritorial jurisdication". I was curious to see where this has led the judicial system of today, since thus far Scully has only discussed past examples, mainly those dealing with China between 1844 and 1942.

I found an article on a foreign affairs webpage called "The Case for Universal Jurisdiction", written by Kenneth Roth. The article is a counterargument to Henry Kissinger's criticisms of this universal jurisdiction. Roth expresses a strong opposition to Kissinger's view. Roth takes several points that are emphasized by Kissinger and cleverly counters them using specific, impugning examples, based largely on actions taken by the United States in the past.

You can also read part of the Kissinger article that is subjected to Roth's disapproval. At the top of the page is a small summary to get an idea of what it is about (since the entire article is not available).

I thought it was an interesting article and one that I should share. Another related topic I found on the same webpage is a review by Ikenberry of The Pinochet Effect: Transnational Justice in the Age of Human Rights, by Naomi Roht-Arriaza. Unfortunately you have to subscribe to read the full review, however, just this first part had enough to get an idea of what the book is about.

Although I am still trying to fully grasp what Scully says in her book, Bargaining with the State from Afar: American Citizenship in Treaty Port China, I think it helps by understanding a little bit of how her ideas relate to today.

Amerikapolitik

Found another interesting (sorry folks, this time only in German) article from the German Institute forInternational and Security Affairs that dealt with Germany's position to the US. Peter Rudolf, the writer of this article called "Amerikapoltik", argues that Germany's relation to the US should be characterized by a mix of three stragies:

1. Germany should show unity whenever/whereever German coincide with American interests.

2. Germany should form a counterweight to the US whenever Germany's interests are "endangered". This counterweight should be achieved by using international institutions in order to limit American power and to deprive the US international actions of their legitimicay.

3. Germany should act upon a "conditioned cooperation", which is characterized by certain demands on the US

I argue that Rudolf does not come up with a complete new therory of how Germany/ Europe s hould take influence on the hegemonic power, the US, but he reminds us of our own, inferior position to the US and makes us aware of how we could improve our "ill" foreign relations...