Encore

A Final Trip around the World

Latin America: Major Issues

• Poverty– Cause of population

migrations

• Political Instability– Drug trafficking violence

• Relationship to the United States– Friendly: Free Trade

Agreements (Colombia)– Hostile: Anti-American

rhetoric (Venezuela)– Neutral: Maintain good ties

with both sides (Brazil)

Case Study: Mexico

• Review: Overthrow of the PRI

• Internal Problems– Regional tensions

(Zapatistas)– Drug wars

• Relationship with the United States– Immigration– NAFTA

Case Study: Brazil

• Review: Election of Lula in 2002

• Developing Superpower?– Good: Natural

Resources, growing economy, stable government

– Bad: Gap between rich and poor, racial tensions, local crime and violence, corruption

– Cf. India

Case Study: Cuba

• Review: Cuban Revolution

• Cuban Marxism– Good: Social Programs

(health, education)– Bad: Political Repression

(abuse of dissidents)

• New Allies?– Rise of new socialist

states in region which have filled the void left by the end of the Soviet Union

Middle East: Major Issues

• Islamism– Fundamentalism in

politics– Gender issues– Violence– Westernization

• Religious Disputes– Shia-Sunni– Israel-Palestine

• Democratic Movements– Successful? Egypt– Failed? Iran

Case Study: Israel/Palestine• Review: Camp David Accords

(1979)• Settlements

– Israel wishes to build homes in areas established as part of their nation, but claimed by Palestinians as part of 1948 UN agreement (West Bank)

• Blockade– Palestinians claim Israel prevents

basic commodities from entering Palestinian areas

– Israel claims rival nations attempt to ship dangerous arms to Palestinians hidden among humanitarian aid

Case Study: Iran

• Review: Revolution of 1979

• Theocracy and Totalitarianism– Recent challenges to rule by

the mullahs and “elections”

• Nuclear Program– Questions over intent of

Iranian nuclear ambitions

• Hostility to Israel– Evidence that Iran supports

terror groups that launch attacks on Israel

Case Study: Iraq

• Review: U.S. invasion (2003)

• Regional Divisions– North: Kurds– Central: Sunni– South: Shia

• Foreign Affairs– Balancing close ties

to both U.S. and Iran

Case Study: Egypt

• Review: Overthrow of Hosni Mubarak (2011)

• Results of the Revolution?1. Egypt establishes

secular free state2. Egypt establishes

fundamentalist state (Muslim Brotherhood)

Sub-Saharan Africa

• Political Instability– Civil Wars– Dictatorship– Weak central authority

• Poverty– Most underdeveloped

region

• Public Health– AIDS– Malaria

Case Study: Nigeria

• Review: Election of 1999• Regional Division

– North: Hausa– West: Yoruba– East: Igbo

• Military Government– Frequent disruption of

democracy due to military coups

• Niger Delta Region– Violence in valuable oil

fields

Case Study: South Africa

• Review: Election of Nelson Mandela

• After Mandela– Will new leaders be

able to cope with continuing challenges?

• Tribal conflict (Zulu and Xhosa)

• Racial tensions (White supremacist groups)

• Economic development

Case Study: Sudan

• Review: Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005)

• Regional Division– North: Arab, Islam,

Control the government– South: Nilotic, Christian

or animist, excluded from government

• Darfur– Genocide in the western

pastoral region of the country

East Asia

Japan

• Review: Asian Tigers• Good News

– Despite being passed by China, Japan is still the #3 economy in the world

• Bad News– Debt Problems– Energy Concerns– Earthquake…

North Korea (PDRK)

• Review: Korean War• Rogue State

– With the exception of its ties to China, PDRK is totalitarian state within its borders and isolated from the international community

• Nuclear Program– Like Iran, North Korea has a

nuclear program that may be trying to develop weapons capabilities

• Just for fun– http://listverse.com/2010/05/30/to

p-10-crazy-facts-about-kim-jong-il/

Europe

• European Union– Benefits of “supra-nationalism”:

currency (Euro); free trade– Problems: “Weaker” states

dragging down the system

• Debt Crisis– Governments: Rising costs of

welfare states– People: Violent protests

refusing cuts to entitlements

• Secularization of Society– Rise of secular humanism and

decline of traditional religion

UK

• Review: Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Revolution (1980s)

• EU - In or Out?– Although a full member of

the EU, retained the British pound as currency instead of adopting Euro

• 2 or 3 party system?– Tories (Conservatives) vs.

Labor– Election of 2010 - Rise of the

Liberals

Serbia

• Review: Yugoslav Civil War

• Relations with the Balkans– War Crimes trial– EU and economic

relations

• Kosovo– Ethnic Albanians

declared independence from Serbia

Coach Lerch’s Final Thoughts

• Seriously, I’m done.