Hiroshima, again?

Japan is closely keeping eyes on Fukushima as the leakage problems continue to rise. Earlier this week, Kazuhiko Yamashita, a senior TEPCO official, stated the water leaks were not under control (The Guardian, 2013). TEPCO has also confirmed that the amount of  highly radioactive leakage has soared to 300 tonnes of water in the past month, immensely increasing radiation levels (The Guardian, 2013). Only recently has TEPCO and the government acknowledged to the public that more radioactive water is leaking into the sea than expected.
Furthermore, Fukushima hits home, to the heart of the city of Hiroshima, where civilians are protesting against the use of nuclear power. Similar to the effects of the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, on August 6, 1945, the Fukushima Disaster unleashed radiation that has the power to affect the region's health for decades (The Washington Post, 2013). Activists are pleading the government to end the use of nuclear power in sake avoiding radiation-related sickness. In an interview at city hall, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui speaks in fear, “I oppose connecting the two simply because they both involve radiation" (The Washington Post, 2013). The fear of radiation-related illnesses is absolutely valid, considering that the Japanese government has recently detected 44 suspected and confirmed cases of thyroid cancer among 217,000 children. According to the World Health Organization, the Chernobyl incident of 1986 also struck thousands of people with thyroid cancer. There has not been a proven correlation between radiation and thyroid cancer yet, but studies show that thyroid cancer is exceptionally rare in children, and only occurs in one in a million cases.
If TEPCO and the Japanese government do not work hand in hand to decrease the radiation leakages, they will have to deal with the healthcare costs soon.

Associated Press (2013, September 25). Hiroshima Seeks to Distance Itself from Fukushima Despite Parallels of Radiation Woes in Japan. The Washington Post. Retrieved September 28, 2013, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/hiroshima-seeks-to-distance-itself-from-fukushima-despite-parallels-of-radiation-woes-in-japan/2013/09/26/420331b0-266e-11e3-9372-92606241ae9c_story.html

McCurry, J. (2013, September 19). Future of Japan Depends on Stopping Fukushima Leaks, PM Tells Workers. The Guardian. Retrieved September 28, 2013, from  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/19/future-japan-fukushima-leaks-pm

Mexican Drug War

The visit at the very end of last week (20-21 September) of US Vice-President Joseph Biden to Mexico to meet with President Pena Nieto received interesting, and contrasting, coverage in two of the major international news agencies. Associated Press (AP), American and headquartered in New York, gave a largely factual account of the visit that avoided any interpretation that would spill over into the more problematic areas of relations between the US and Mexico. [1] Such issues include of course the war on drug trafficking and use as well as quite recently the accusations coming out of several foreign capitals (in France, Germany, Brazil and also Mexico itself) alleging that the US had spied on major political figures and institutions in those countries. AP’s account noted the priorities of the Biden visit as focusing on continuing trade and mutual development and economic growth and US support for the continuing efforts of the Mexican government to institute reform in key economic and social sectors.

The darker side of the US-Mexican relationship raised it head soon enough, however, when later in the week in Cuidad Juarez, put forward as one of the models for US industrial outsourcing to Mexico but also in fact a place once qualified as one of the most dangerous and violent places on earth, ten private citizens were massacred by a gunman with possible ties to one of the rival drug cartels in the area. 

The second account of Biden’s visit, [2] this by the British international news agency Reuters, fortunately did not leave the impression of just another US official’s visit to a Banana Republic or similar Latino client state in the Americas but highlighted the demographics of the Latino population in the US as an important consideration for both major political parties in the US and how this visit could be seen as part of the Democratic Party’s strategy to hold on to the majority of Latino votes they need in any future presidential race. Perhaps the idea in mind for Mr. Biden is to contain Mexican troubles rather than seeking to enforce aggressive policies that may alienate Mexicans and other Latino voters in the US. [3]   

This kind of reporting illustrates how sometimes commercial journalism seems to serve only the moment and may neglect or minimize the historical forces at work that keep the US and Mexico locked in this awkward, uncomfortable and yet necessary relationship. If not a failed state, Mexico is a crippled one. More people have been killed in the Mexican drug war than the US lost in the whole Vietnam War, and the cultural and historical divide between the two nations remains pronounced no matter how much economic progress is being proclaimed. With all this, I suppose one should be thankful for the European news agencies, which usually can be counted upon to provide interesting and provocative, if sometimes biased, reporting on developments in the US in a way that sometimes seems more the exception than the rule in the US itself.

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[1] See article in link: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_MEXICO_US_BIDEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[2] See article in link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/20/us-for-biden-mexicos-endless-allure-idUSBRE98J0UM20130920

[3] A great book that often deals with US-Latin American relations is Peter Winn’s Americas: The Changing Face of Latin America and The Caribbean, 3^rd edition (Berkeley, California and London: University of California Press, 2006). The section covered in pages 237-244, “From Border Town to Boom City,” deals with Tijuana and is particularly relevant to an understanding of certain key aspects of the present-day Mexican-US relationship.  

The German election, the Euro and Greece

Summary
The Germans elected a new leader, but what does the people in the country hardest hit by the euro crisis and the subsequent budget cuts feel about that? Experts believe few things will be changed policy-wise, but Merkel's challenge is to gain the trust and approval of the countries that have been hardest hit by the euro crisis. 

Germany is one of the countries that have tackled the euro crisis best, and the German people recently reelected Angela Merkel's party CDU for another four-year term, meaning she will most likely remain chancellor through this term. What does this mean for the euro and particularly Greece? On an election tour last month, Dr. Merkel stated, “the crisis emerged over many years, through founding errors in the euro. For example, Greece should not have been admitted into the euro area.” [1] While this was the last of many statements that provoked the Greek, it must also be seen in the context that it was said. The German people feel that they are the ones that have to pay to bail out Greece, so the statement must also be seen as a strategic move. Either way, Dr. Merkel’s success in leading Germany through the euro crisis is a big reason why she and her party got reelected.

         So while Merkel points to Greece and its mismanagement of budgets as a big part of the reason why the euro crisis happened, the Greek sees her as a symbol of budget cuts demanded on Greece [2] and given that Merkel will remain chancellor, the German policy towards Greece will most likely remain mostly unchanged, which means that Greece is expected to keep public spending down until its economy have recovered sufficiently.

         Greeks also see Merkel as trying to conquer what was lost after World War II, which can be seen in demonstrations across the countries that have suffered most from public budget cuts such as Greece, Italy and Spain, where protesters and news media some times have used images that depicts Merkel as Hitler to show their dismay with her politics.

Analysis

The challenge for Merkel in the next four years will be to balance the fragile relationship between trying to stabilize the euro, create trust from and help the bankrupt EU countries to rebuild their economies, public sector and job markets, while at the same time, avoiding giving them too many bailouts as this angers citizens of the wealthier EU countries. 

   

Sources:

Savaricas, N. (2013, August 28). Angela Merkel says Greece should never have been allowed to join the euro - Business News - Business - The Independent. The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/angela-merkel-says-greece-should-never-have-been-allowed-to-join-the-euro-8788435.html

image: http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-protests-in-spain-and-greece-2012-9?op=1 

Interesting reading:

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/21/will-merkel-practice-what-she-preaches/

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[1] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/angela-merkel-says-greece-should-never-have-been-allowed-to-join-the-euro-8788435.html

[2] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24201522

UN Security Council Votes

              As of this morning, the United Nations has scheduled to meet to cast votes on a draft resolution on that would require Syria to destroy all chemical weapons.  The proposed U.N. resolution would "require the destruction of a category of weapons that the Syrian government has used ruthlessly and repeatedly against its own people. And this resolution will make clear that there are going to be consequences for noncompliance," according to Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.  Two aims of this council was first, to increase the pressure on Syria in allowing access to members of the Commission of Inquiring monitoring the violations of human rights to make sure that those responsible for violating those rights are brought to justice.  Another aim of the council to support international agencies that are seeking to deliver aid to more than six million people in the face of bureaucratic obstacles and restrictions on visas as well as the risk of violence from all sides.

            President Obama, ignoring the protests by citizens and military, came to the resolution that Syria’s use of chemical weapons was intolerable and could not go unnoticed.  His statement was supported by Russia, in which Syria agreed to eliminate its chemical weapons under the agreement negotiated by Russian minister Mr. Lavrov and Secretary of State, Mr. Kerry.

            As of this afternoon and after much time spent delegating the U.N. Security Council votes to adopt a resolution that requires Syria to eliminate its chemical weapons.

           

Walsh, Nick Paton, Dana Ford, Andrew Carey, and Jim Sciutto. "Security Council Could Vote Tonight on Syria Chemical Weapons Resolution." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

Cumming-Brice, Nick. "U.N. Rights Panel Increases Pressure on Syria." New York Times. N.p., 27 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

China in South America

China in South America

            China’s unyielding pursuit of natural resources has been ever infringing on the United State’s sphere of influence confirmed by its growing dominance in the global superpower’s “hemispheric backyard”, John Kerry’s unintentionally offensive label for Latin America. The Middle Kingdom’s lust for gold, soy, and oil, all of which South America has plenty, has led China to increase trade 12 fold in the past decade with its newfound partner. With trade in South America now amounting to over $240 billion, China is second only to the United States and the gap is steadily closing.

            China’s prolific growth is characterized by its aggressive investment in industry and infrastructure. With plans to build a 140-mile “dry canal” through Colombia the PRC has begun its courtship with the United States greatest ally in South America. In conjunction with the newly completed industrial port in Brazil, the Columbian railway, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, would prove a viable alternative to the Panama Canal, once again challenging the United States grip on trade in the region. With China’s power growing by leaps and bounds the West does not seem to have an answer as their influence wavers in countries where their authority was once not only beneficial, but coveted.

Cited:

Mallen, P. (2013, June 28). Latin America Increases Relations With China: What Does That Mean For The US?. International Business Times - International Business News, Financial News, Market News, Politics, Forex, Commodities. Retrieved September 26, 2013, from http://www.ibtimes.com/latin-america-increases-relations-china-what-does-mean-us-1317981

McDonnell, J. (2011, February 14). China in talks to build Colombian rail link to rival Panama Canal | Mail Online. Home | Mail Online. Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1356863/China-talks-build-Colombian-rail-link-rival-Panama-Canal.html

Phillips, T. (2010, September 15). Brazil's huge new port highlights China's drive into South America | World news | The Guardian . Latest news, world news, sport and comment from the Guardian | theguardian.com | The Guardian . Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/15/brazil-port-china-drive

Egypt Cracks-down on Media

On Tuesday the 24th of September, Egypt's military has shut down and censored various news stations. The military went so far as to arrest certain reporters and also to ban stations from every being aired in Egypt.

As a result of the medias portrayal of the raidAl-jazeera Mubaster Misr, Ahrar 25 and Al-Yarmouk fell prey to the Egyptian military for "threatening the social peace","disseminating rumors and false, misleading reports" and inciting hatred and public disorder according to the ministry of investment information and communication technology and media. Furthermore, six out of the 10 Al-Jazeera journalists-Mohamed Badr, Abdallah Al-Shami, Wayne Hay, Adil Bradlow, Russ Finn and Haher Mohamed-are currently being detained in Egypt. In addition, clashes erupted in the coastal capital of Alexandria on Tuesday the 24th during a protest in support of the Muslim Brotherhood. According to Al-Ahram, Muslim brotherhood supporters were attacked by Alexandria's El-Seyouf region.

In light of recent events, the question has to be asked if Egypt intends to return to a democratic government or if it is to remain a military regime.If so, it can then be said that the government has gone against the peoples fundamental rights to the freedom of speech, information and to assembly.  Is Assisi's current attack on the media an attempt to keep peace among protesters and protect Egypt's image or if it an attempt to further assert his dominance?

U.S. Strike on Syria is Up in the Air

            The chances of a U.S. strike on Syria have been thrown into doubt and confusion this week following the apparent compliance of President Bashar al-Assad to the international ban on chemical weapons. Following the Russian proposal, Syria acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which will require the presentation of a complete list of its chemical weapons by Saturday and the complete destruction of its stockpiles by June 30, 2014. In an interview with Fox News, Assad emphasized the technical difficulties and the $1 billion cost involved, and even Putin has said he does not have 100 percent certainty that the project will be seen through. President Obama continues to exert pressure on the situation by affirming that the U.S. will consider military options if Syria does not comply. Secretary of State John Kerry demanded that Syria have speedier compliance with the regulations and is currently in talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in order to smooth out a deal.

 At the UN General Assembly the U.S. and its allies the U.K. and France are pushing for an authorization of military force if Syria fails to follow up on its promises of chemical disarmament, while Russia and China have made it clear that they would use their veto powers against such a resolution.

            As regards the war on the ground in Syria, Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil has claimed that neither side of the fight is powerful enough to ensure a military victory and that this could lead President Assad to pursue a cease-fire. It is unclear, though, what groups could be involved in such peace talks or if Assad’s resignation would still be a possibility.

1. Wood, Paul. "Syria Crisis: Putin 'confident' on Chemical Weapons Plan." BBC News. BBC, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24166891

2. "UN Confirms Syria's Assad Signed Chemical Weapons Decree." Al Jazeera America. Al Jazeera, 11 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/9/11/syria-political-stalematelooms.html

3. Strobel, Warren. "Kerry-Lavrov Rapport Smoothed Path to Syria Deal." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 15 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/15/us-syria-crisis-kerry-lavrov-idUSBRE98E01W20130915

4. "Syrian Deputy PM Says War Has Reached Stalemate, Cease-fire an Option." Al Jazeera America. Al Jazeera, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/9/19/syrian-deputy-pmsaysceasefireapossibility.html