International Politics

Instructor: Karl Rahder Syllabus and tentative class schedule In recent years, the very nature of international relations has seemingly been in a state of profound transformation. The United States appeared to be, at the end of the Cold War, a hegemonic power in a uni-polar world. But today, the American empire may be in decline while new regional powers and alliances are emerging which include China, Russia and India. Even the nation-state itself is under siege, competing for influence and legitimacy with IGOs (such as the WTO and the UN), and transnational corporations. And one of the oldest social forces of allhypernationalismis once again a powerful and explosive influence that threatens to tear apart states in the former USSR, sub-Saharan Africa, and elsewhere. We will examine the forces and events that define international politics in the modern world. In addition to pertinent reading material, we will look at maps, documentary films, and satellite imagery to help us understand how the geo-political world works. Students are expected to do the following Participate in class: This is a seminar-format course. That means that we all discuss the materials and the topics you and me. We treat each other in a courteous manner, but we dont hesitate to take a stand and examine each others arguments. And if you think I am wrong about something, say so! Op-ed paper: You will write a short Op-ed paper. Op-eds (opinion editorials) are guest pieces in newspapers by significant thinkers and experts who write on a topic of importance. We will read Op-eds in the New York Times virtually every day, and will become familiar with the format of these articles. You will write one Op-Ed (and turn in a first draft and final draft) in order to craft a focused argument on some topic that matters to you. Your topic for the Op-Ed must be approved by me. Present a topic in class: You and one or two partners will pick a topic and give a presentation to the class. The topic should correspond with a subject or region we are covering the day you make your presentation. (Thus, if we are covering globalization issues on a particular day and you have a presentation due, you and your partner might talk to us about sweat-shop labor in Asia.) Your presentation should last about five or six minutes, after which we will all question you in a friendly but informed manner for about ten minutes.

We will use the following books: 1. 2. 3. 4. Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War (Penguin Classic edition) Readings from Annual Editions, World Politics Robert Kaplan, The Coming Anarchy Samuel Huntington, Clash of Civilizations, The Debate

Also, consult the class blog for the latest news, research sites and assignments: http://ctypoly.blogspot.com/ Additional reading will be assigned every day. The syllabus below indicates what is likely or possible, but should not be considered absolutely reliable. I will give reading assignments during class.

Day 1: Intro, concepts, history of International relations 1815-2006

Discussion of actors (institutions, NGOs, IGOs, etc)

Day 2: Balance of Power, Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism

Required Thucydides' Funeral Oration of Pericles Then read the Melian Dialogue (by Thucydides) Richard Haass, "The Age of Nonpolarity," to be distributed, and Annual Editions articles 1 and 2 Mearsheimer, "Anarchy and the Struggle for Power" in Art and Jervis Mearsheimer, Why We Will Soon Miss the Cold War at http://mearsheimer.uchicago.edu/pdfs/A0014.pdf Steve Walt, "Alliances..." (to be handed out) OPTIONAL Annual Editions on Samantha Power, Article 16

Day 3: Russia today and Vladimir Putin

We will talk about Russia - its domestic and strategic challenges and opportunities. See these two articles from the American Enterprise Institute (a conservative think

tank) on Vladimir Putin and Russia: Required: read the "Putin Restoration" This article is at http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.20360/pub_detail.asp Optional: read "Putin's Risks" It is here: http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.21807,filter.all/pub_detail.asp Assigned reading on the state of journalism in Russia. Film: Czar Putin (CNN) Some western analysts have dubbed Putins control of Russias political hierarchy as the Power Vertical a reference to Putins top-down ruling style. For a frequentlyupdated column by Brian Whitmore at Radio Free Europe, go here: http://www.rferl.org/archive/the_power_vertical/latest/884/884.html We will discuss Color Revolutions tomorrow. Apart from Color Revolutions, we will continue to discuss the Near Abroad, ethnicity, and weak states on Russia's periphery.

Day 4: Color revolutions

We will ask why Azerbaijan's Color Revolution failed when the Ukrainian and Georgian revolutions succeeded. Lots of reading, much of it optional. Will let you know what is required. On Ukraine: Required Go here for Time magazine's overview: http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/printout/0,13155,832153,00.html By 2010, President Yushchenko's coalition had splintered, with Yulia Tymoshenko calling for Yushchenkos impeachment. Go here for the first phase of the dissolution of the Orange Revolution: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4393178.stm By 2012, Yulia was in prison and Ukraines Orange Revolution was a bitter memory: In prison since 2011, Yulia faces more charges: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-tymoshenko-criminalprobes/24599504.html

 Here is something from the Financial Times published on June 3 of this year on the fractured politics in Ukraine: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/7c7f15d8ab19-11e1-b875-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1wlpEMuHm Optional: If you are interested in the Orange Revolution and why the secret police did not shoot the revolutionaries, read this article by Chris Chivers, Moscow correspondent for the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/17/international/europe/17ukraine.html? ei=5089&en=f80a12ac328ce09a&ex=1263618000&pagewanted=print&position= If you are curious, you might want to read about Gene Sharpe (who ''wrote the book' on Color Revolutions). He is referred to in the article above. Go here for an analysis of the Color Revolution phenomenon in Azerbaijan: http://jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2370416 And this article from the St Petersburg Times is very astute: http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=15672 Optional background piece on Azerbaijan: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1235976.stm For first-hand reports on how Azerbaijans Color Revolution was planned and failed, see some of these articles: Baku police crush opposition rally with force http://129.132.112.230/news/sw/details.cfm?id=13639 Baku Opposition Plans New Strategy http://129.132.112.230/news/sw/details.cfm?id=13494 Azerbaijan Poll Marred by Arrests, Fraud Charges http://129.132.112.230/news/sw/details.cfm?id=13405 Baku Opposition Prepares for Color Revolution http://129.132.112.230/news/sw/details.cfm?id=13326 We will also see the documentary How to Plan a Revolution

Day 5: Clash of Civilizations

Required: Read Samuel Huntington, Clash of Civilizations What is Samuel Huntingtons hypothesis? How does he support his argument? What

evidence does he use? Do you agree with him, or are there flaws? Read the following short but devastating critique of Huntington: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20011022/said The author is Edward Said, the late and erudite English literature scholar and social critic. We want to ask, among other things: What is Huntington's hypothesis? What evidence does he present? Did September 11 strengthen or weaken his theory? What weaknesses do you detect? I will ask about your views. Don't worry about this - it's not so much a matter of having the "right" answer. I'm more interested in hearing your take on Huntington's ideas.

Day 6: Hyper-nationalism in Russia and elsewhere

We will talk about hyper-nationalism (and its complement, religious zealotry) as a force that threatens Russia's security, as well as a force that unites by examining the struggle in Chechnya. We will discuss Wahaabi'ism in Chechnya, terrorism, the Russian-Chechen relations, and then see an amazing film, "Greetings from Grozny." Required reading Here is the BBC's Chechnya profile (with a number of links to related topics on the page): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/2565049.stm And here is a brief profile on Chechnya at the Council on Foreign Relations site: http://www.cfr.org/publication/9181/ Here are three New York Times articles by Chris Chivers on recent history in Chechnya: From Warlord to Premier, a Chechen Transformation http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/15/world/europe/15ramzan.html? ex=1310616000&en=3b5946bff73f15b6&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Caucasus Renegade Dies, and His Cause May Die, Too

By CJ Chivers, NY Times, July 10, 2006 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html? res=9D04E0DD1130F932A25754C0A9609C8B63 In Chechen's Humiliation, Questions on Rule of Law http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/30/world/europe/30chechnya.html? ex=1314590400&en=a381ae015710fb2d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Video of the Chechen woman's humiliation can be accessed by clicking on the left part of the screen. But be warned that it is graphic and disturbing. I am not recommending that you look, although it is one example of how the new Chechen government is, in many respects, just as oppressive as a Wahaabi regime might be.

Day 7: Region in depth Israel and Palestine

Today we will begin our discussion of the Middle East. First, familiarize yourself with the background - especially the Israel/Palestinian situation. Go here for a timeline with maps: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/v3_israel_palestinians/maps/ht ml/default.stm Click on the various time periods to familiarize yourself with the chronology and how Israel and the region have changed. You must be familiar with the key UN resolutions. So go to the link below and navigate around to explore the main issues. Then go to "key documents" on the page above and look at the Balfour Declaration and UN 242: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2001/israel_and_the_palestinians/d efault.stm I WILL ask you about UN 242. Count on it! Go here for a profile of Israel: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/803257.stm The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has a website here: http://www.nadplo.org/ They have a number of fact sheets here: http://www.nad-plo.org/listing.php? view=facts

On the status of Jerusalem, read Karl Rahder, Jerusalem Should Be a Free City, Vancouver Sun, July 30, 2002, page A13 Israel's recent solution to the constant terrorist incidents has been to build a wall separating itself from the Palestinian areas in the West Bank. Go here for a very instructive introduction to "the wall": http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456944/html/nn1page1.stm Like it says on the page, click on the tabs (on top of the page) to find out more about the wall. Here is some background on the various peace plans from the Council on Foreign Relations: http://www.cfr.org/publication/7736/middle_east.html In June of this year, the Israeli government announced its intention to build an additional 300 settlements in the West Bank: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldmiddle-east-18344116 Iran: If we have time today or during the next session, well get to Iran, especially in the context of a possible looming war with Israel. Here is a very useful BBC overview of Iran: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/790877.stm BBC background on President Ahmadinejad http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4107270.stm President Ahmadinejad has a blog here: http://www.ahmadinejad.ir/en/ and as of June 2012, its back on line (after being repeatedly hacked) One of the best-known Iranian pro-democracy blogs is 'Regime Change in Iran.' This is not a blog that originates in Iran, however. It is the work of an American blogger. Go here: http://www.regimechangeiran.com/ Here is s huge list of Iranian-oriented blogs, current as of May 2011: http://www.iraniansblogs.com/ This guy has an interesting blog for Iranians in North America. It covers art, culture, politics - whatever: http://www.iranian.com/ Irans nuclear program is a huge topic. See me for sources. But here is a recent

(June 2012) study from the Center for a New American Security that argues that a nuclear Iran could be deterred (click on the pdf report): http://www.cnas.org/riskandrivalry And here is a Q&A from the BBC on Irans nuclear program: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11709428 Will the US support Israel if it attacks Iran? Well, the Obama administration may have deliberately scuttled a secret arrangement between Israel and Azerbaijan, which is a convenient place to refuel if you just attacked Iran: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/03/28/israel_s_secret_staging_ground http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2012/0329/Attacking-Iran-Did-USjust-torpedo-Israeli-deal-for-a-base-in-Azerbaijan But the Obama administration has apparently been reassuring Israel recently: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/07/world/middleeast/us-continues-to-assure-israelabout-efforts-on-iran.html?ref=middleeast

Day 8: Region in depth - the Middle East and the Arab Spring
Now that we have had a year to reflect on the Arab Spring and its consequences, there are some insightful articles and other sources that we can use to wade through the thicket of ideologies, personalities and ethnicities in Egypt, Libya and elsewhere in the Middle East. Required reading: Lets start with Unit 2 in the Annual Editions book by reading Articles 7, 8, and 10. Here is a very useful country-by-country guide to the Arab Spring and its aftermath from the Council on Foreign Relations: http://www.cfr.org/middle-east/issue-guideone-year-arab-spring-upheavals/p26764?cid=rss-analysisbriefissue_guide__one_year_of__arab121211&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed %3A+publication%2Fdaily_analysis+%28CFR.org+-+Publications+-+Analysis+Brief %29 This timeline from the Wall Street Journal is amazing: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703989504576127643959647716.h tml#project%3DMIDEASTUPRISE110128%26articleTabs%3Dinteractive And here is an equally remarkable interactive map from the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12482679

On Egypt, see Article 7 in Annual Editions, plus any other reading to be assigned. Here is a thought piece from the BBC on whether Egypts liberals really want democracy: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14112032 The Coptic Christians, had, as of April of this year, quit the consultations on the new constitution over fears that it was being written in a way as to favor Islamists: http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2012/04/02/egypts-coptic-christians-quitconstitution-talks-over-islamist-domination/ But in June, it looked like an agreement was reached over who the delegates would be: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18360403 We will also look at how Libya is building a viable society now that the war is over. Readings to be assigned on Libya as well as the ongoing crisis in Syria.

Day 9: Region in depth Afghanistan and part 1 on Terrorism

Assigned reading to be announced on Afghanistan, including Annual Editions, Article 20 Good background: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7741767.stm Who are the Taliban? CSM: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-SouthCentral/2009/0416/p06s10-wosc.html BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11451718 NYT, Sabrina Tavernise: http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/who-arethe-taliban/ PBS, from Afghanistan, the Other War: http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/afghanistan604/who.html 8 percent of Afghans between the ages of 15 and 64 are drug addicts, twice the world average. http://www.rferl.org/content/kabul_addicts_under_the_bridge/24215844.htm l the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found that the number of regular opium users has jumped 53 percent since the last such survey was done five years ago. At the same time, the number of heroin users has increased by 140 percent. http://www.rferl.org/content/Why_Has_Drug_Use_Increased_So_Dramaticall

y_In_Afghanistan/2079443.html Poppy production skyrocketing, especially in Taliban controlled provinces: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26heroin.html Taliban had eradicated poppy production by 2001, but now they use the proceeds to buy weapons to fight ISAF and the Karzai government. Amazing NPR story on female addiction: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102984398 When farmers cannot pay their debts incurred for fertilizer and poppy seeds, they sometimes barter or sell their young daughters as payment. These girls are known as opium brides: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/02/afghanistansopium-child-brides/252638/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/opium-brides/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/afghanistan-pakistan/opiumbrides/afghanistans-opium-brides-who-is-working-on-the-issue/ Elections in Afghanistan why bother? NYT on 2010 elections: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/25/world/asia/25afghan.html? pagewanted=all Ben Skinner on elections: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/09/20/the_vote_comes_to_afgha nistans_peaceful_heartland War shifting eastward: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/focus-ofafghan-war-is-shifting-eastward/2011/06/09/AGvC4KUH_story.html What should the US strategy be? Overview of the issues: http://www.cfr.org/afghanistan/debatingafghan-mission/p25256 Several articles from Foreign Affairs on Afghanistan and US foreign policy: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/features/collections/the-future-ofafghanistan-and-us-foreign-policy including the following piece by a former US ambassador: The Three Futures for Afghanistan: http://cpost.uchicago.edu/blog/2011/12/15/zalmay-khalilzad-the-

three-futures-for-afghanistan-why-the-country-needs-a-long-termcommitment-from-the-united-states/ Steeper drawdown discussed in White House: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/06/world/asia/06gates.html? _r=2&pagewanted=1&hp Withdrawal would be a mistake, say Kagans: http://www.understandingwar.org/otherwork/we-have-momentumafghanistan-wall-street-journal US speeds up talks with Taliban: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-speedsup-direct-talks-with-taliban/2011/05/16/AFh1AE5G_story.html `

NATO has announced that it will cease leading combat operations in 2013 and its forces will be withdrawn the following year. That begs a huge question of what awaits Afghanistan. Will it devolve into a huge, messy internecine war or will the Karzai administration manage to govern? One hope is that India will exert its influence in Afghanistan as NATO withdraws. This recent article in the New York Times examines Indias role: http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/07/can-india-fix-afghanistan/

Day 10: Terrorism part 2 and Weapons of Mass Destruction

Below are some articles of interest. (Some required, some optional. I will let you know.) Here is a short background piece on Hezbollah, the terrorist group that virtually runs southern Lebanon: http://www.cfr.org/publication/9155/ Read this background piece on the relationship between (Sunni) al Qaeda and (Shiite) Hezbollah: http://www.cfr.org/publication/11275/ Here is a Boston Globe piece on the Tamil Tigers: http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2006/08/20/suicide_bombers____w eapon_of_choice_for_sri_lanka_rebels/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News Here is a BBC piece on the Tigers: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/526407.stm OK, what about empirical studies on terrorism? There is a huge literature. The most definitive recent empirical study of suicide bombing is by Robert Pape.

Bob compiled data from many years of suicide bombing to arrive at some startling conclusions. His article, The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism, can be found here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22466440/Pape-Terror (Do you believe that Bobs conclusions are correct? Think about this for our discussion.) REQUIRED: The guy who wrote the book on how we conceive of terror is Brian Jenkins. Here is an Op-Ed of his in the renowned international newspaper, the Christian Science Monitor: http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/terrorism/lite/expert.html OTHER RESOURCES IF YOU ARE INTERESTED: The MIPT terrorist database is a thorough and vast source for information on terrorism. The home page is here: http://www.tkb.org/Home.jsp Their article on Hezbollah is here: http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=3101 WMD: In particular, we will talk about nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence. We will also discuss CBW (chemical and biological warfare) - a particularly apropos subject in view of the ambitions of groups such as al Qaeda. We will start by discussing nuclear weapons and deterrence. Then we will move on to CBW tomorrow. So start reading the nuclear stuff now, and fit in any CBW material you have time for... 1. Nuclear weapons - our first topic PBS (Public Broadcasting System in the US) does a good job with interactive tutorials on WMD. Go here, for instance, and navigate around the site to learn all sorts of information: http://www.pbs.org/avoidingarmageddon/learnTheFacts/learn_02.html This is a useful primer on nuclear weapons. Dont read the whole thing, but click on links such as 'What are nuclear weapons' etc in order to familiarize yourself with nukes. http://www.isanw.org/facts/toc.html Here is a useful article by Bernard Lewis that neatly sums up the essence of nuclear deterrence, but asks if these lessons are relevant to an actor such as Iran: http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110008768

Here is an article dealing with a CIA report on al Qaeda's nuclear intentions: http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030603-122052-2698r.htm OPTIONAL: Good article for skimming, but is also a sophisticated analysis of nuclear deterrence during the Cold War and today: http://www.policyreview.org/dec02/goure.html And this is a useful, readable BBC article on Becoming a Nuclear Superpower in Ten Steps: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120607-nuclear-weapons-in-ten-steps 2. CBW: chemical and biological weapons Go to this PBS site and check out the 'Global Guide to Bioweapons': http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bioterror/global.html And this PBS site is a very good primer: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/plague/ At the site above you can find a helpful FAQ section: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/plague/etc/faqs.html For general information (it's optional, but a great resource), go to the UCLA bioterrorism web page: http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/bioterrorism.html The following article is an excellent and disturbing overview on the Soviet (and Russian) bioweapons program, one that continued long after the US and the USSR signed an arms control treaty that banned such weapons. WARNING: Some of the narrative in this article is VERY graphic, describing in detail the symptoms of smallpox. The article is here: http://cryptome.org/smallpox-wmd.htm A 2003 assessment of al Qaeda's CBW expertise: http://www.anthraxinvestigation.com/wp030322.html We will see the film Bioweapons

Day 11: Globalization

Globalization is a huge topic, and we can only scratch the surface. What follows is a guide for what we will discuss. Much of our examination will consist of the race to the bottom for resources, including labor and raw materials. REQUIRED READING: There is a large section devoted to IPE and globalization in the Art and Jervis book, chapters of which I might make available. The most readable and rewarding are pp

347-367, in which the pros and cons of globalization are discussed. Read the following on the use of cheap labor, including sweatshops and child labor: REQUIRED: Nicholas Kristof has written about Asian sweatshop labor - one controversial aspect of globalization. Go here for his appraisal that maybe this kind of labor has its virtues: http://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000924mag-sweatshops.html ALSO REQUIRED: read this BBC article on child labor and sweatshops: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/archive/970385.stm And read this on Nike's use of child labor: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1020-01.htm OPTIONAL: Among the many analysts (in addition to Thomas Friedman) to make globalization their cause clbre is Naomi Klein, who wrote the influential anti-globalization book No Logo. If you are at all suspicious of the (deleterious) effects that multinational corporations have on local politics and culture, you should read her stuff. Here is an interview with her: http://newleftreview.org/A2323 FOR YOUR OP-EDS AND GENERAL REFERENCE: Here is a resource for Thomas Friedman's columns: http://www.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/thomaslfried man/index.htm Here are some of his Pulitzer Prize-winning articles: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/08/nyregion/_08commentary.1.htm? ex=1162702800&en=123c4911cffd3e26&ei=5070

Day 12: Globalization continued and environmental issues

Much of our discussion will consider resource curses, including oil, diamonds, coltan, and other minerals. For a stunning glimpse into the coltan wars, read this article: "The Dirt in the New Machine" by Blaine Harden in the NY Times Magazine, Aug 12, 2001.

And read about the Aral Sea. Search in Harper's Monthly. The article is called "Eternal Winter" and was written by Tom Bissell, and appeared in the April 2002 issue. The resource conflict monitor is a searchable database that purports to examine the dynamic between natural resources and violent conflict and can be found here: http://www.bicc.de/rcm/index.php We also will discuss oil. Is the world's oil supply running out? Many think so, including some analysts in the oil industry. This is the so-called 'oil peak' or sometimes referred to as 'Hubbert's Peak' after the man who first predicted the exhaustion of US domestic crude oil. Go here for one of hundreds of articles: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3623549.stm And go here for speculation that the world's oil supply has already peaked: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5305950.stm Recent news stories are throwing cold water on the theory of diminishing oil supplies: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? AID=/20061115/BUSINESS07/611150388/1020 Many political scientists are studying the link between resource curses and authoritarianism. Thomas Friedman takes some of these insights and puts them in a very provocative, readable essay here: Thomas Friedman, 'The First Law of Petropolitcs,' Foreign Policy, May/Jun2006 Issue 154, p28-36 Its available on scribd at http://www.scribd.com/doc/22570185/The-First-Law-ofPetropolitics

Day 13: Region in depth - East and South Asia

Lots of material on Chinas emergence as a major power as well as human rights and democratization in Southeast Asia. Ill assign readings, but definitely read the following: Annual Editions articles 3, 4, 5 Also readings from Robert Kaplans new book, Monsoon to be assigned.

The US announced in June that by 2020, the majority of Americas naval assets will be stationed in the Pacific, an obvious message to China. But James Holmes asks if the US is pivoting toward Asia fast enough here: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/06/04/is_america_pivoting_to_asia_fast_ enough India, meanwhile, is not so eager to join a formal anti-Chinese alliance with the US, balancing out China, at least according to this article written during Defense Secretary Panettas visit to India in June of 2012: http://india.nydailynews.com/newsarticle/4fd0c8ddb1e35d940c000001/india-notsold-on-closer-military-ties-with-u-s

Day 14: the future of democracy

Annual Editions, Article 9 by Graeme Robertson on the persistence of autocratic regimes and whether democracy is really a trend. Robert Kaplan, 'Was Democracy Just a Moment?' in his book The Coming Anarchy as well as 'Idealism Won't Stop Mass Murder' The Dangers of Peace.