Monthly Archives: December 2011

North Korea: A Very Rational Country

Posted on December 25, 2011 by

It’s popular amongst the media to characterize North Korea as an irrational state run by a madman. North Korea continuously provokes the West, it is said, for no apparent reason. Proof that it’s an unpredictable, irrational actor that could do anything. Continue reading →

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The Movie Lagaan and British Colonization

Posted on December 18, 2011 by

I recently had the pleasure of watching my first Bollywood movie, a title called Lagaan: Once upon a time in India. The movie’s plot was fairly conventional yet unconventional at the same time. India was straining under the rule of the evil British Empire. A rebellious young man with striking green eyes attempts to defy the British. How? By beating them in a cricket match! The local village quickly forms a cricket team, the British team is defeated, and the local village’s crushing tax burden is reduced for the next several years. Continue reading →

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Watching Gaddafi’s Madness

Posted on December 13, 2011 by

It’s said that power corrupts, and that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi presents an excellent example of this tendency. Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Middle East | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Gaddafi’s Fateful Speech

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

Gaddafi made a great strategic mistake when he spoke on February 22nd. For decades Gaddafi had spoke in a similar mad style, and for decades he’d gotten away with it. When he spoke on February 22nd, he was probably addressing a domestic audience and trying to frighten the opposition. But not just the opposition was listening; so was the world. Continue reading →

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Impressions of Elizabeth Warren

Posted on December 6, 2011 by

Out of curiosity, I decided to watch a few videos Elizabeth Warren and see for myself how good a politician she is. Continue reading →

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The Winds of Change in Georgia, Part 2

Posted on December 3, 2011 by

This is the second part of two posts describing a fascinating election in Georgia: the 1980 Senate election, in which Republican Mack Mattingly beat scandal-ridden Democrat Herman Talmadge. This was the first time that a Republican Senator was elected in Georgia for more than a century. Even more interestingly, the areas that the Democratic candidate won tend to vote strongly Republican today, and vice versa. Continue reading →

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Brazil and America

Posted on December 1, 2011 by

An especially interesting episode is titled Brazil: A Racial Paradise? Professor Gates explores the experience of “blacks” in Brazil, a country with the largest population of African descent outside of Brazil. Continue reading →

Posted in Blacks | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments