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There has never been a country that should have been so rich but ended up this poor | Human Interest | Scoop.it

From www.washingtonpost.com - May 25, 2016 2:49 PM

David Stiger's curator insight, October 31, 2018 8:59 PM

Two things to take away from this well-written article. It is important for critics of the Zionist movement and of Israel (the nation-state) to always bear in mind that the Jewish people are very diverse in both their backgrounds and their views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. No single entity, specifically the Israeli government or army, speaks on behalf of all Jewish people. The second takeaway is being on the lookout for coded language that guises itself as political rhetoric leveled against Israel the state but, in reality, the subtext is covertly anti-Semitic. In place of verbally attacking "the Jews" some people may state "the Zionists" or reference a global Zionist conspiracy theory. Zionism is a specific movement within Judaism advocating for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the ancestral land of Judea/Israel/Canaan/Palestine (or as the Romans called the region, the Levant). Considering these valid points, it must be said that it is okay to criticize the state of Israel and specific actions it has taken against Palestine. But, when doing so, critics must be careful in their choice of words so as not to accidentally encourage anti-Semitic ideas. It is important to note that some Israeli Jews, and some other Arab Jews, disapprove of Israel's human rights violations but still might support having a homeland of their own. It is also worth noting that a person can be a Zionist without condoning the current government and military forces of Israel. One can be a Zionist and pro-Palestinian. In being critical, it is important to monitor the passions and anger that may arise, and not paint the world in black and white. There is always nuance. And there is enough anti-Semitism in the world without liberals who are pro-Palestinian unintentionally adding any more fan to the flames.

Kelsey McIntosh's curator insight, January 18, 2018 7:40 PM

In this article, Parag Khanna argues exactly what the title suggests, "London should secede from the United Kingdom". In light of the UK's decision to leave the European Union, Khanna discusses that "Londoners... voted by a wide majority to 'remain' in the EU" and suggests that many Londoners have lost their sense of British Pride after the secession. Though it is mentioned that the city "can't and won't" leave the country, the exit from the EU directly impacts London's economy because "immigrants are essential for the city’s financial and education sectors". Without the immigrants, the city's finances will not only be in jeopardy, but its connection between foreign places will be impacted as well.

Bridgitte's curator insight, March 2, 2016 9:24 AM

This op-ed piece is overtly pro-Catalonian independence so there is no attempt to be fair and balanced, but that bias is a strength because it so clearly frames the political and cultural issues from a Catalonian Nationalist perspective. This article is a great way to show students how some members of a particular group that is seeking greater autonomy or independence perceives the relationship between their region and the larger state.

Questions to Ponder: How might a representative of the Spanish government frame the debate differently? What are key reasons that the author does not envision full Catalonian independence soon? How would you frame the issues? What other example do you think is analogous to this political situation?

Tags: op-ed, Catalonia, Spain, political, devolution, autonomy, Europe, culture.

Matt Danielson's curator insight, October 10, 2018 7:42 PM

This brings up some good points about a commonly opposed view in Europe and America. Often times we simply put Russia as the bad guy and Putin as its evil leader, but there is more to it then this. It is tough to say Russia's involvement in Ukraine is completely unjustified. To Russia the eastern nations of Europe are their buffer zone to NATO, and would like for them to stay aligned with Russia. When the Pro Russian Ukrainian president was ousted in a popular revolution (or a coup) many in the west simply deemed this as ok because the coup was pro NATO, to Russia this was seen as a threat. Then when Russia got involved the pro Russian "uprising" in Crimea seemed like Russia meddling in other nations internal affairs. Dont forget that their are many Russians who live in Ukraine, and Russia sees these as their people who they need to protect. Either way this is a complicated situation that gets ignored all too often.

David Stiger's curator insight, October 20, 2018 11:28 PM

A good deal of Ukraine's crisis with Russia is centered around geopolitics. Russia annexed Crimea because of its seaport - a port that NATO had its eye on as a strategic position for keeping Russia in check. The territory of Ukraine as a whole serves as a buffer between Western Europe and Russia. If NATO were to incorporate and pro-Western Ukraine, Russia would feel threatened. As a major power with a history of pride, Russia would never tolerate a direct threat on its border. Making Ukraine into such a threat is not worth the potential political, economic, and military consequences from Russia. Since it is a thin place between two differing ideological powerhouses - Russia and the West - Ukraine might want to consider remaining neutral; even receiving help and assistance from the EU, the United States, and Russia. This route has not been taken because the West, specifically the U.S., has misunderstood Russia as an aging and weak country that would ultimately embrace the good-guy America as a benevolent friend. The U.S. needs to rethink its ideas about Russia and do the sensible thing of giving it a buffer zone and a little deference, just as the U.S. expects other major powers to keep away from Mexico and Central America.

Matt Danielson's curator insight, October 22, 2018 5:41 PM

This hows a different perspective than the normal western one on the crisis in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Ukraine is more culturally and traditionally connected to Russia than the rest of Europe( historically Kiev was a capital of Russian empires, specifically the "Kieven Rus"). To Russia NATO is a threat, and constantly pushing east towards Russia. Russia wants some kind of friendly buffer Zone out of fears of influence from the west, and possible invasions. Historically Ukraine has been a buffer zone, but with the overthrow of the Russian friendly Ukrainian president and his replacement by a staunch Nato and western supporter Russia feals threaten. Though they denied any involvement at first, in the very least they have been supplying material and training to Crimean and other pro Russian separatist rebels whop are fighting the Ukrainian government in hopes of maintaining some sort of buffer zone.

Douglas Vance's curator insight, February 2, 2018 4:08 PM

Venezuela has the most promise to be an economic powerhouse. Their plethora of fossil fuel resources should make them such. However, their gross abuse of power and economic mismanagement have doomed the country to devastating economic hardships. Despite the clear fact that Venezuela should be a global fossil fuel player, the blatant and indredibly brash corruption and governmental incompetence was too much for their economic potential to withstand.

David Stiger's curator insight, September 23, 2018 3:54 PM

The line "there has never been a country that should have been so rich but ended up this poor" is jarring. Venezuela has the world's largest oil supplies - a natural resource so valuable some refer to it as "black gold." But, the nation has oddly become, as the article judged, a "failed state." The nation is suffering from staggering unemployment, poverty, and economic decline. People are starving and cannot meet their basic needs. The country tried tackling poverty under a socialist system by sharing the oil wealth with its citizens. This socialist project collapsed into failure with the onset of increased government corruption.

Hugo Chavez, the country's former president, set in motion a government that was doomed to fail. Seeking to find supporters who were loyal to him, Chavez removed the economic and oil experts from power. Oil production fell drastically while government officials began engaging in drug dealing and embezzlement of public funds. The three pronged cancer has crippled an economy based on only one export - oil. If the economy had been diversified from the start, perhaps the crisis would not be so terrible.

To alleviate hyper-inflation, President Nicolas Maduro has been subsidizing certain businesses. These businesses have found that selling their capital on the black market is more profitable than restocking their shelves to sell needed products at discounted rates. The governments efforts only cause the nightmare to grow.

As people decry the deplorable acts of crony capitalism in the U.S., it would be wise to examine how sour a purely socialist system can turn. More equitable distribution of a country's wealth can be wise only if there are safeguards against corruption. Venezuela is a key example of what happens when a elite few loot and pillage an entire nation.

Human Interest

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London Should Secede From the United Kingdom

FORMER CATALAN MP: Here's why Catalonia should secede from Spain, and why it won't

Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West’s Fault

There has never been a country that should have been so rich but ended up this poor

Wall for nothing: the misjudged but growing taste for border fences