SOME RESPONSES FROM CHINA:

Sarah,

I recently started reading the China Daily; a state-controlled daily newspaper from China.  It is interesting because it states the Chinese government’s opinions about world events.  Today there was an editorial responding to criticism from America.  I’ve listed three American accusations and China’s responses:

Accusation: China engages in unfair trade practices.

Response: China buys American goods.  Last year, in 420 out of 435 US congressional districts, exports to China rose faster than exports to any other country on Earth.

 

Accusation: China is escalating conflict in Syria by blocking UN resolutions to place sanctions on the Assad regime.

Response: Proposals that would help arm the rebels will only lead to more bloodshed.  More aggressive steps in Syria will lead to invasions like the ones in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The U.S. “failed miserably” in both of those campaigns. (The editorial states that there is “conflict in Syria” but does not call it a civil war)

 

Accusation: China is a warmonger that is aggressively building its military.

Response: China has not been involved in a war since the one with Vietnam in 1979.  In contrast, America has been fighting wars continuously for the last three decades.

The rest of the article accused Republicans of trying to sow the seeds of hostility when there is no actual reason for hostility.

Source: China Daily, “An end to the revival of hostilities”, August 31, 2012

THREE RECENT EXAMPLES OF MEXICO’S POLICE FORCE COMMITTING HORRIBLE ACTS:

Sarah,

For the last 6 years Felipe Calderon, Mexico’s outgoing president, spent most of his time trying to clean up Mexico’s police force.  Unfortunately, drug cartels still pay better than the state and corruption remains omnipresent.  Here are three recent incidents in which the “Federales” have committed horrible acts:

1.  This month, an SUV with a United States diplomatic license plate was attacked by plain clothes policemen wielding machine guns.  The car was traveling to a Mexican army base south of Mexico City.  Inside the SUV were two CIA agents; both were injured but survived.  The Mexican Police maintain that the SUV did not stop at a police checkpoint.  Even if that were true, it is unclear if police procedure is to pursue the car and riddle it with bullets from an AK-47, which coincidentally, is not even the gun the Mexican Police use.  Further, ambushing cars at police checkpoints is a common gangland strategy in Mexico. Supposedly, the driver, A CIA agent, saved his passenger’s lives with impressive evasive maneuvers.

2.  Two months ago, two different groups of Mexican police officers engaged in a running shootout against each other in Mexico City’s airport.  One group of officers was trying to arrest the other group of officers for their involvement in a cocaine smuggling operation.  Three officers were killed and after a subsequent investigation revealed the level of corruption at the airport, the entire police unit attached to the airport was fired.

3.  Last September, a businessman in Ciudad Juarez accused police officers of kidnapping him and extorting money from him.  Recently, he was stabbed to death and his corpse was covered with gasoline and set aflame.

In a recent poll, only 8% of Mexicans said they felt confident in the police.

Bottom line: The airport story is blowing my mind.  I just imagine waiting for my Southwest flight and seeing a gunfight erupt between rival airport police in front of a CPK Express.

AMERICA’S WEAPONS EXPORTS ARE FALLING:

Sarah,

Let’s talk about guns.  America has the largest military on Earth.  It is also the largest exporter of weapons.  However, that title is fading.  This week, Foreign Affairs magazine gave an interesting account of why:

Background:

After the fall of the Soviet Union, America became the undisputed leader in arms exports.  This reputation was further enhanced by America’s performance during its first war against Iraq. (can you believe that war happened 22 years ago?)

Since then, America’s market share has dropped from 60% of the world’s weapons sales to 30%.

Why the Drop?

1. Our Weapons Cost Too Much:

America still produces the best weapons available.  The problem is that they are extremely expensive.  After the attacks of 9/11, Congress poured money into the military and cost efficiency went out the window.  America’s newest fighter, the F-35, costs 75% more than its original estimate.

Although some countries still pay for the best weapons money can buy, others are having second thoughts.  Recently, India decided to buy its fighter jets from France instead of America.  Asa result, American contractors lost out on a billion dollar contract.  Even our most reliable buyer, Saudi Arabia, recently chose to buy some of its planes from Great Britain.

Other countries simply can’t afford what we have to offer. 

2. The Competition Is Growing:

Other countries understand that there is a market for cheaper weapons and are cashing in.  Here are some examples of recent arms sales:

-Sweden sold fighter jets to Hungary and Thailand.

-Russia sold fighter jets to Indonesia and Malaysia.

-France sold battleships to Singapore.

Additionally, China is now Pakistan’s largest arms supplier and South Korea has transitioned away from buying our weapons and is producing more of its own. 

Does This Matter?

You could argue it.

Selling weapons to your allies is a win-win.  Your allies grow stronger and you get paid.  The American defense industry employs hundreds of thousands of Americans and more contracts means more business. 

Retaining a monopoly on arms sales also gives America a strategic edge.  Countries are more amenable to our suggestions if they rely on us for their weapons.  In 2005, America threatened to cut off Israel’s supply of jet fighters if Israel continued to sell certain aerospace parts to China.  Additionally, we have used our leverage over Spain and Brazil to stop them from selling weapons to Venezuela.

Bottom line: I’m really curious if these “cheap” but modern jet fighters that are made in Sweden could beat the “expensive” but older fighter planes made in America from Top Gun.  Leave your opinion in the comment section below.

Source: Foreign Affairs, “Arms Away”, September/ October 2012

SOME THEORIES AS TO WHY AMERICA'S CRIME RATE IS DROPPING:

Sarah,

Most of the news these days seems to be negative.  There is one big exception: crime has been steadily dropping nationwide since 1992.  This drop has continued throughout the recession.  To learn why, I read articles from The Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal, and The Economist.  The three publications offered an absurd amount of reasons but no real definitive conclusions.  Therefore, I’m just going to list every theory in no particular order because no one is really sure why the crime rate is dropping.

The Theories:

1. The police have better technology.  Computer systems organize vast amounts of data, show where crimes are concentrated and predict trends.  This has allowed police departments to allocate their resources more efficiently.  It also increases accountability because numbers do not lie. (Unless you’re a cop on The Wire)

2. Officers are working closer with the communities.  The police are more trusted than they were twenty years ago.

3.  America’s absurdly high incarceration rate, fueled by strict drug laws, has removed criminals from the street.  Evidence for this is mixed and usually depends on if your source leans conservative or liberal.  Since I lean liberal in this department, I’ll mention that New York has experienced one of the largest drops in crime but has not incarcerated nearly as many people per capita as the rest of the nation.

2.  Prescriptions of psychiatric drugs have increased.  Less crazy people commit less crime.

3.  Lead has been removed from gas.  Tests show that levels of lead in the average American’s blood dropped dramatically from 1975 to 1992.

4.  The legalization of abortion in the 1970’s reduced the amount of “unwanted children” and these children were more prone to commit crime.  (this very controversial theory is from the book Freakonomics.)

5.  America is aging and an aging population necessarily lowers the crime rate.

6.  Video games have provided young men with an alternative way to spend their time.

7.  The percentage of immigrants in cities has increased.  Studies show that cities with higher proportions of immigrants have lower crime rates.

8.  Aggressive stop and frisk strategies, such as the one employed in New York, have taken guns off the street.

9. More individuals are buying burglar alarms for their homes and LoJack for their cars.

10.  Harder economic times lead people to practice more self-control and rely on family.  The Great Depression also experienced a drop in crime, while crime grew rapidly in the strong economy of the 1960’s.

Which theory is right?  I have no idea.

CHINA AND AMERICA ARE CRASHING AN OBSCURE MEETING OF PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS:

Sarah,

The geopolitical contest over the Pacific Ocean is heating up.  Last week I wrote about China’s squabbles with its neighbors over the South China Sea.  This week, I’ll describe the politics of the Pacific a little more generally.

 

 

The Pacific Island Forum:

The Pacific Island Forum is a meeting of 16 South Pacific countries.  Other than Australia and New Zealand, almost all of the members are small island nations.  This year, the meeting will be hosted by the Cook Islands which have a population 11,000.  To put that number in perspective, Dodger Stadium holds 55,000, five times the entire population of the country.

This year, China and the United States, who are not members, have decided to crash.  Hilary Clinton, our Secretary of State, bluntly described why: “Let’s just talk, you know, realpolitik.  We are in a competition with China.”  To accommodate Clinton’s entourage, the Cook Islands will be asking individual citizens to lend their cars to her motorcade. 

Why Are They Crashing the Party?

As China grows, it is exerting is political and military influence outwards over the Pacific.  This expansion adds to the already existing disputes.  Here are some of the current flashpoints in the Pacific:

1. South China Sea: China vs. Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines:

China claims all of the South China Sea.  The other countries in the South China Sea hate this.  America is intervening against China and providing military aid to both Vietnam and the Philippines.

2. Diaoyu/ Senkaku Islands: Japan vs. China:

Although these islands are uninhabited, they are fishing grounds that may have oil and gas.  In 1895 Japan beat China in a war and took control of the area.  China still considers the islands their territory because China discovered them.  Recently, Japanese activists planted flags on the islands.  This led to waves of violent anti-Japanese protests throughout China.  Last week, Chinese activists landed on the islands and were deported by Japanese authorities.

3. Liancourt Rocks: South Korea vs. Japan

Japan conquered a large amount of area in World War II.  After it was defeated, Japan renounced claims to much of its Asian territory.  There is a dispute as to if this group of islands is included in the renunciation.  There are also a number of competing historical claims to the islands.

4. Kuril Islands: Japan vs. Russia:

In 1855 Russia gave Japan ownership of the Southern Kuril Islands.  At the end of World War II, Russia reconquered the territory and deported its Japanese citizens.  After the war, a dispute as to who owns the islands was never diplomatically resolved and as a result Russia and Japan never signed formal peace treaty to end World War II.  Technically, Russia and Japan are still at war.

5. Competition for Influence: Everyone vs. Everyone:

Almost all major powers compete for influence in the smaller countries of Asia.  Even Australia, a seemingly peaceful country, maintains a fierce rivalry with China for influence in the islands of the South Pacific.  The two countries aggressively offer loans for everything from roads to stadiums in far flung places like Tonga and Fiji.

Given the number of reasons for political instability, both China and America feel the need to compete for influence in the Pacific Ocean.

Bottom line: I can’t believe Russia and Japan never signed a peace treaty after World War II!

ANOTHER RUSSIAN ACTIVIST CONVICTED:

Sarah,

I’ve written a lot about Putin, his crackdown on dissent, and recent arrests in Russia.  The trend continued today with the sentencing of Taisiya Osipova:

-Osipova and her husband are senior members of a political party that opposes Putin.

-Her charge is possession of four grams of heroin which the opposition claim was planted by Russian police.

-Even if the small amount of heroin was hers, the sentence would be harsh.  The judge gave her 8 years; double the time sought by prosecutors.

-Human rights observers claim that this case shows a willingness by Putin to retaliate against women who oppose him.  (last week, three female members of the band Pussy Riot were sentenced for singing an offensive song in a church)

CHINESE GANGS IN AFRICA:

Sarah,

I write a lot about China, I write a lot about Africa, and I write a lot about crime.  So I definitely can’t pass up a story about Chinese gangsters in Africa.  Last week, 37 people were extradited from Angola to China to face charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, human trafficking, and extortion.  Let’s start the story with Angola:

 

Angola:

Angola lies on the Atlantic Coast in Southern Africa.  Portugal arrived in Angola as early as 1500 because Angola was on the way to India and the Portuguese were some of the first explorers.  You might remember from 4^th grade that Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese explorer, was the first to round the Cape of Africa.

Portugal ruled Angola for about 500 years and engaged in the slave trade enthusiastically.  Portugal spent most of this time near the coast, but around 1900 they attempted to consolidate their hold on the whole country.  In 1961, a war for independence broke out and lasted until 1974.  Immediately after Portugal left, a far more brutal internal civil war erupted and lasted until 2002.  So basically, the country was at war from the time of JFK’s presidency all the way to the attacks on 9/11.

Since the end of the civil war, Angola’s economy has grown incredibly fast.  This is because the country has an extraordinary amount of oil, diamonds, copper, and gold.  Almost all of Angola’s economic growth stems for the export of these commodities.

Unfortunately, the wealth from these exports has remained in the hands the elite.  A handful of powerful government officials and insiders have managed to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of the population.  As a result, Angola suffers from staggering social inequality.  The differences between the cities and the countryside are arguably more dramatic than anywhere else in the world.  This rural poverty is compounded by the fact that the countryside is still littered with landmines from 40 years of war.

China:

When peace came, the Chinese entered and brokered deals with Angola’s corrupt government.  Since 2002, China has loaned Angola billions of dollars and managed to become Angola’s main trading partner.  As a result, most of Angola’s oil, gold, and copper end up in China. 

Because of this trade, many Chinese have migrated to the country and thousands of Chinese citizens currently live there.  However, not all of these migrants are successful Chinese businessmen.  Many are poorer, uneducated Chinese citizens that have roots in Chinese gang culture.

These gangsters thrive in Africa because of a general lack of security and political instability.  It’s much easier to kidnap and ransom a wealthy businessman in Angola than in Beijing.  Accordingly, many businessmen operating in Angola are forced to hire bodyguards and buy bullet proof cars.  Some have even abandoned their businesses.  Further, the gangsters allegedly operate human trafficking schemes in which young women are promised jobs in Africa but are immediately sold into prostitution once they arrive.

Now China is taking steps to fight back and defend its image.  It sent a special police force to Angola to target 12 different gangs and rescue victims.  As a result of their efforts, 14 victims were freed and 37 Chinese gangsters are now back in China and awaiting trial.

Bottom line: Exporting crime to Africa?  That seems really messed up.  Also, I bet the officers in that special Chinese police force were total bad asses.  This story would make a great action movie.

THERE IS EXACTLY ONE NON-PARTISAN STATE IN AMERICA:

Sarah,

One could argue that partisan politics is destroying America.  Democrats and Republicans will not compromise on anything and as a result, nothing gets done.  One state out of 50 recognizes this problem and is devoted to centrist candidates.  This state is Maine:

Background:

Maine loves independent candidates.  They’ve elected two independent governors and enthusiastically supported Ross Perot’s candidacy in both 1992 and 1996.(in 1992 more people voted for Perot than Bush)

Currently, over 1/3 of voters are not registered Democrat or Republican.

Olympia Snowe:

Recently, Olympia Snowe, Maine’s Republican senator announced she will not run for reelection.  She was one of the few remaining centrist Republicans in the Senate.  This basically means that she is a Republican but supports gay rights, gun control, and legalized abortion. (it should be noted however the she voted to block the repeal of don’t ask don’t tell)  She decided to leave the Senate because “the atmosphere of polarization” has made any type of compromise impossible.  

Enter Angus:

Alright, I admit it; my motivation for writing this article was to describe Angus King.

Angus King is hoping to replace Ms. Snowe in the United States Senate.  He was Maine’s independent governor during the 1990’s and presided over a period of strong economic growth.  After he left office, he bought a motor home to travel around America with his wife.  He has been doing this since 2003.

Now he wants back in.  He is running as an independent and stresses that he has no ties to either party.  His unofficial tagline is “none of the above” and Maine’s residents refer to him by his first name, Angus.  If you were wondering, the answer is yes- he has an awesome moustache.

His platform is simple: he wants to reform Senate procedures that allow minority parties to block legislation, build bridges between the parties, and stem the flow of money into politics.

Currently, he holds a large lead, but the flow of Super Pac money has only begun.  He will be attacked vigorously by both Democrats and Republicans. 

If he does manage to get elected, he will have a fair amount of power.  This next election may result in a Senate that is split 49 – 50 between Democrats and Republicans.  This would make Angus a crucial swing vote for both parties.

Bottom line: I really want this guy to win.

IS THERE ANY NEWS STORY THAT YOU WANT SUMMARIZED?

If so, leave your suggestion in the comments below and I'll whip up a summary:

PROBLEMS FACING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN AMERICA:

Sarah,

As you may have heard, the Catholic Church in America is facing some problems.  Last week the Economist detailed some of the challenges facing the church.  Here is a quick history and a summary of the church’s problems:

Quick History:

Our founding fathers were Protestant and the Catholic population in revolutionary America was small.  Then it grew:

-In 1803, America executed the Louisiana Purchase and received 828,000 square miles (15 states) from France.  Because France was a Catholic country, many residents of France’s American colonies were Catholic.

-In 1819, America bought/ stole Florida from Spain.  Because Spain was a Catholic country, many residents of Florida were Catholic.

- In 1845, America demolished Mexico in a war and scooped up all of the Western United States for a paltry $18 million.  Because Mexico was a Catholic country, many of the area’s residents were Catholic.

-In the late-1800’s a wave of European migration brought hundreds of thousands of Catholics into America from places like Ireland and Italy.

-Since then, a solid stream of migrants from Latin America has held the proportion of Catholics in America steady.

Background:

The first thing to know about the Catholic Church in America is that it’s enormous.  Over 74 million Americans identify themselves at Catholics, making America’s Catholic Church the fourth biggest behind Mexico, the Philippines, and Brazil.  That also means about one in four Americans are Catholic. 

If you add up all the Catholic institutions in our country, they employ around one million people.  This makes the Church one of the largest employers in the country.  11 percent of America’s hospitals are Catholic and 5 percent of all private schools are Catholic.  Further, 25 out of the 100 top ranked American hospitals are Catholic. 

The church is also one of the country’s largest landowners.  Even in a secular and expensive place like Manhattan, the church is thought to own more property than any other entity in the city.

The church is also the country’s largest charity and disbursed more than $4.7 billion last year.

Lastly, the American Catholic Church is the biggest source of income for the Catholic Church internationally.  About 60% of all the Catholic Church’s funds are from America.  Therefore, when the church pays money to touch up the Sistine Chapel, there is a decent chance that money originated in Cincinnati or St. Louis.

Problems:

The Church has a lot of problems.

First, there are lawsuits and there a lot of them.  In recent years, the Catholic Church has spent over $3 billion defending against sexual abuse cases.  The average case costs the church $1 million.  With more states considering dropping the statute of limitations on sex abuse cases, this problem will not be going away.

These lawsuits contribute to the Church’s second problem: it’s broke.  Here are the other reasons the Church is in a financial mess:

-Donations have fallen 20%.  Many people are hesitant to contribute because of recent scandals and competition amongst charities has become increasingly intense. 

-With donations lagging, the church has relied on bond sales to raise money.  This has increased their debt.

-Americans have become less religious in general and this affects donations.

 -The struggling economy has affected charitable contributions generally. 

- The Church faces a labor shortage because fewer Americans are interested in becoming priests or nuns.  This drives up the price of labor because the church has to outsource jobs that were traditionally performed by clergy.

-The finances of the church are mismanaged.  Often clergy, and not trained accountants, handle funds.  Additionally, some creditors claim that the church moves money around it to shield it from litigation costs. 

-There have been several instances of fraud on the part of the clergy.  One priest in Philadelphia embezzled over $900,000.

All this has led to relative chaos in the church’s finances.  8 dioceses have gone bankrupt, including San Diego, Milwaukee, and Tucson.

Bottom Line: I am not religious, but I sincerely hope the church can recover and figure out a way to stop abuse.  Some of America’s best institutions are Catholic and the church provides critical services for thousands of Americans.  I’m hoping that things get better. 

 

Source: The Economist, “Briefing The Catholic Church in America” 8/18/2012

ETHIOPIA’S LONGTIME LEADER DIES:

Sarah,

Last week, Meles Zenawi, who has ruled Ethiopia since 1991, passed away.  Here are four interesting details about him:

 

1. He Was a Close Ally of the United States:

Ethiopia is critically important to United States foreign policy because it is located in the least stable part of Africa.  It borders Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan.  Yemen is just across the Red Sea.  All four of these countries are fighting wars in some capacity and all four are threatened by Islamic groups that the United States considers terrorists.

Accordingly, the United States has supported Zenawi since the beginning.  He came to power because he was as a U.S. supported rebel that defeated a Soviet supported communist regime.  After the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States changed its focus to fighting Islamic extremism.  Ethiopia, which is a majority Christian country, has proven to be a helpful ally.  Under Zenawi’s rule, Ethiopia invaded Somalia several times over the past decade with the purpose of dislodging Islamists from power.  Zenawi also allowed the U.S. to base its drones (robot fighter planes) in Ethiopia and to launch attacks on targets in Yemen and Somalia from Ethiopian territory.  In return, the United States gives Ethiopia billions of dollars in aid.

2.  He Was Arguably a Dictator:

When a ruler opposes the United States, he is usually called a dictator.  When a ruler supports the United States, he is called “a charismatic strongman”. (The LA Times called him a strongman)

By many definitions, Zenawi was a dictator.  It’s pretty hard to rule for 21 straight years without a degree of repression.  Zenawi killed political opponents and jailed reporters.  In a 2005 election, 195 political protesters were killed.  When the results of the election showed progress for the opposition, over 30,000 people were jailed. 

In Zenawi’s defense, he remained popular throughout his rule and may have been the legitimate winner in each presidential race.  However, this is hard to say definitively when opposition figures were jailed and killed.

3.  Ethiopia’s Economy Grew Quickly Under Zenawi’s Rule:

Dictator or not, Zenawi certainly improved Ethiopia’s economy.  Although the country remains desperately poor, Ethiopia’s economy grew at about 10% for most of the last decade. (The U.S. is currently struggling to grow above 2%.  China is growing at 7.5%) 

Much of this growth is due the Chinese and Indian investment in Ethiopia’s agriculture.  Ethiopia’s main exports of corn and coffee have grown dramatically.

4.  Zenawi Fought a Brutal War With Neighboring Eritrea:

This war will probably top the list of wars you have never heard of.  Between 1998 and 2000, these two impoverished countries fought an incredibly expensive war over a border dispute.  As many as 100,000 people were killed and hundreds of millions of dollars were spent.  The war resulted in very little change; the border moved only slightly.

Bottom line: Who won’t the United States give a couple billion dollars too?

CALIFORNIA’S METAL THIEVES OPERATE IN A GLOBAL MARKET:

Sarah,

I read something pretty ridiculous today.  Thieves in California are stealing metal.  This metal ends up being sold to factories in China.  The Chinese factories then manufacture metal products with this metal and sell it back to California.  Here is a step by step breakdown:

1. California buys metal from China.  Cities buy copper wiring.  Churches buy church bells.  Farmers buy metal pipe for their irrigation systems.

2.  Thieves steal this metal.  Last year, ¼ of all Sacramento street lights went dark as a result of thieves stealing copper wiring.  A church in Pico Rivera had to replace a 200 pound church bell and farmers throughout the state had to replace their irrigation systems.

3.  The thieves sell this metal to local scrap yards and local scrap yards sell their metal to scrap yards in Los Angeles.  These Los Angeles scrap yards are close to the port of Los Angeles and the port of Long Beach.

4.  The Los Angeles scrap yards then load the metal on ships destined for China and other Asian countries.

5.  The Chinese factories receive the metal and make copper wire, church bells, and irrigation pipes.

6.  California buys back these metal products from China.

Bottom line: Wait a second, cheap Chinese labor is causing our homeless population to steal church bells and sell them overseas?  This is getting ridiculous.

Source: Los Angeles Times, “Illegal Scrap Yards Heaping Up” 8/22/2012

PAKISTAN’S ANTI-BLASPHEMY LAWS ARE REALLY INTENSE:

Sarah,

Many Muslim countries have laws prohibiting insults against the prophet Muhammad, the Koran or Islam.  Pakistan is really taking this law to another level.  This is bad news for the country’s 1.6 million Christians.

This month, an 11 year old girl who may be disabled was imprisoned by Pakistani authorities for alleging burning pages of the Koran.  She is a Christian living in a Christian neighborhood in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.  The police arrested her after an angry mob had gathered outside her house.  Now it seems that the charges may have been fabricated and there is no hard evidence that a Koran was burned.

This is not an isolated incident:

- In July, an angry mob beat a man to death for allegedly insulting the Koran.

- Right now, a 45 year old Christian mother sits on death row for insulting the Koran.  She denies the charges.

-In March 2011, gunmen killed the only Christian member of Pakistan’s cabinet.

-In January 2011, a politician was killed by his bodyguard after he criticized the anti-blasphemy law.

Bottom line: Don’t insult Islam while in Pakistan.

WHY ARE WE STILL IN AFGHANISTAN?

Sarah,

The United States has been fighting a war in Afghanistan for over a decade.  I’m sure the question on your mind is: why can’t we just leave already?

Here’s why:

The Current State of Affairs:

The United States is in the process of handing control of the country over to the Afghan government.  The problem is that the Afghan government is totally unprepared to assume control of the country.  To understand why, let’s do a quick history and then outline Afghanistan’s main problems.

Map of Afghanistan

A Quick History:

Since people started keeping track, Afghanistan has been a war zone.  Because it is wedged between a number of more powerful countries, Afghanistan has been more or less a buffer zone for a really long time.  Here is a timeline:

- In 500 B.C. Afghanistan was conquered by the Persians.  These are the same Persians who fought and were defeated by the Ancient Greeks. (think of the legend of Marathon, the movie 300, and a ton of Greek literature)

- In 350 B.C. Afghanistan was conquered by Alexander the Great and his Macedonian (Greek) Army.

-  In 100 B.C. Afghanistan was conquered by a new Persian Empire.

- In 870 A.D. Afghanistan was conquered by Arab Muslims.

- In 1219 A.D. Afghanistan was conquered by Genghis Khan and his Mongol Horde.

- During the early 1700’s Afghanistan was briefly independent.

- By the late 1870’s, the British arrived and began to dominate Afghan politics.

- In 1919, Afghanistan briefly gained independence once more.

- After the 1950’s, the Cold War intensified, and Soviet and American influences began to compete for power in the area.

-  In 1978 the Soviet Union decided to back a socialist revolution in the country and invaded Afghanistan with 100,000 troops.  In response, the United States allied with Pakistan and supported the opposition.  The opposition was dominated by Mujahedeen, which basically means people fighting in the name of Islam.  Over one million Afghans died in this war.

- The Soviet war ended in 1990’s and Afghanistan immediately fell into a different civil war.  A new group called the Taliban, which enforced a strict version of Islam and had its roots in the U.S. supported Mujahedeen, emerged as a powerful force.

- As the Taliban consolidated control, they were joined by Al-Qaeda, fighters from Pakistan, and other Muslim extremists.  The Pakistani government provided support for the Taliban during the war.  One reason for the Pakistani support is that the Taliban are Pashtuns, an ethnic group from both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

- On 9/11/2001 Al-Qaeda destroyed the Twin Towers.  A couple months later, America and its allies invaded Afghanistan.

To recap, different groups have continually invaded and dominated Afghanistan.  Each group left a little bit of their culture.  This diversity makes any lasting peace difficult to maintain. 

It Has Been Ten Years; What Has The United States Accomplished?

Coming into the war, the United States had three main goals: destroy Al-Qaeda, neutralize the Taliban, and create a stable, secular, Afghan government.

The United States has largely dismantled Al-Qaeda.  Bin Laden is dead.  Al-Qaeda exists but is much less capable.

The Taliban is weakened but still viable.  In the southern portions of Afghanistan they run shadow governments.  The Taliban freely operate in areas of Pakistan just south of the Afghan- Pakistan border.  They routinely attack international forces and the Afghan government.

The Afghan government exists but is not stable.  Over ten years, it has extended its control and improved in some areas, but it remains very dysfunctional.

The Problems Facing the Afghan Government:

Afghanistan’s government has four main problems: The Taliban insurgency, government corruption, a weak economy, and mistrust between Afghans and international forces.

Taliban Insurgency:

The Taliban government fell shortly after the United States invaded.  However, the Taliban wasn’t completely destroyed and most didn’t surrender; they simply fled south into neighboring Pakistan.  Over the last ten years the Taliban have been launching attacks from Pakistan and remote bases in Southern Afghanistan.  These attacks target foreigners and anyone working for the Afghan government.  The attacks are also extremely brutal.  Recently, the Taliban bombed a hospital which held patients recovering from a different Taliban attack. 

Short of invading Pakistan, there is not a whole lot the Afghan government can do to stop attacks.  If the United States halts drone strikes within Afghanistan and Pakistan, their efforts to stop attacks will be further compromised.

Currently, the Afghan government is trying to negotiate a truce with the Taliban because the Taliban holds sway in Southern Afghanistan.  This is difficult because the Taliban is very fragmented.  One can never know if they are actually talking to the person in charge.  Further, the Taliban state that they will not negotiate until all foreigners have left the country.  Accordingly, negotiations have not been very successful.

This problem does not seem to be going away.

Government Corruption:

The Afghan government is insanely corrupt.  The elections that followed the fall of the Taliban were marred by fraud.  Most elected leaders use their offices to pay off the people who helped them get elected.  This is called patronage and the result of this system is that government posts are filled by people close to the elected leaders and not by people who are actually qualified.

Further, the executive branch, (the President) is absurdly strong.  This is because there is not a strong judicial branch (courts) or legislative branch (congress) that can keep the President in check.  Thus, the President can routinely engage in corruption.

The flow of billions of dollars from the American government also breeds corruption.  If you received unlimited money from someone you didn’t like, you probably wouldn’t follow that person’s exact directions either.

The courts are not transparent and are viewed as favoring the rich.  This is a huge liability because the Taliban offers a simpler religious court which is much easier for an illiterate farmer to use.  If you find American courts confusing, imagine how confusing they would be if you couldn’t read or write.

This corruption leads average Afghans to distrust the government.  Further, this plays into the Taliban’s hands because they portray themselves as the religious and therefore “moral” alternative to corrupt politicians.

There will be an election in 2014.  The results of this election will have enormous consequences for the country because 2014 is the year that Obama plans to leave Afghanistan.  However, political parties are weak and voter registration is insufficient.  The election is not expected to be smooth. 

A Weak Economy:

When the United States says it is rebuilding Afghanistan, the United States means it is starting from scratch.  War has been raging in Afghanistan for 30 years, so the U.S. is not just rebuilding from their war, they are rebuilding from the three previous wars as well.

The average Afghan is poor.  Rates of illiteracy are high and Afghanistan’s main industry is heroin production.  Afghan life expectancy hovers around 44 years old.  The corrupt policies of the Afghan government are not helping the situation.  Currently, the total budget of the country would not even support the Afghan government's army.

Mutual Mistrust:

The Afghan people are weary of American forces.  American drone strikes targeting the Taliban often result in mass civilian casualties.  The cultural differences are intense and incidents of Koran burnings at U.S. bases have made things worse.

By the same token, the Americans distrust Afghans.  In addition to suicide attacks and roadside bombs, there have been several incidents of newly trained Afghan soldiers turning their guns on the very Americans who trained them.

Basically, neither the Americans nor the Afghans are happy about the American presence in Afghanistan.

So What Now?

Clearly the United State can’t support the Afghan government forever.  However, it is equally apparent that after the United States leaves, there is a strong chance the Afghan government will fall apart.  If the government falls apart, or the Taliban regain control of the country, much of what we fought for will be for naught.

Bottom line: There does not seem any way to “win” Afghanistan.

MEXICO’S RICHEST CITY IS SUFFERING HUGE INCREASES IN CRIME:

Sarah,

Oh man, there are a lot of horrible stories about Mexico’s drug war.  This one is particularly depressing. 

The city of Monterrey is Mexico’s most successful city.  Here are some details:

- The city’s GDP per capita is $20,000 per year.  This is the highest rate in the country and is nearly double Mexico’s GDP per capita.  As a point of reference, America’s GDP per capita is $48,000 per year.  Mississippi, America’s poorest state, has a GDP per capita of about $33,000 per year

(GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product.  Gross Domestic Product means the total economic output of an area.  GDP per capita takes the total economic output of an area and divides it by the number of people in area.  Thus it is a rough calculation of an area’s standard of living.)

- Monterrey is the industrial heart of Mexico and hosts many of Mexico’s most important companies.

- Monterrey has Mexico’s second highest rate of foreign investment.  (The rate at which foreigners invest money into a certain area)

- Monterrey has a great education system and impressive infrastructure.

- Monterrey is the third largest city in the country.

What Has Happened?

Crime has exploded.  The statistics are absolutely staggering:

-From 2010 to 2011 to murder rate increased 300%.  Let’s put that number in perspective.  Last year 300 people were murdered in Los Angeles.  A 300% increase would bring L.A.’s murder rate to 900 murders in only one year.

-Media outlets that report on crime have been attacked.  Last month, drug gangs torched the offices of a Monterrey newspaper named El Norte. (More than 80 Mexican journalists have been killed this year.)

- In May, 49 bodies were dumped near a roadside on the outskirts of the city.  The heads, hands, and feet were hacked off of each body.  (As another point of reference, there were only 38 murders in the entire city in San Diego last year.)

- Last August, 52 people were killed when drug gangs attacked a crowded casino.

- The historic center of the city, which used to be a center for nightlife, has been more or less abandoned.  Only one restaurant remains open.

Why Has This Happened?

All drug cartels are bad, but the Zetas are the worst.  They are by far the most violent drug gang in Mexico and are more prone to engage in other crimes such as kidnapping and extortion.  

The Zeta’s used to be the bodyguards of the larger Gulf Cartel.  They broke away from the Gulf Cartel in 2010 and have since been fighting Mexico’s more established gangs for control of Monterrey. 

Bottom line: The crazy part is that Monterrey is not even Mexico’s most violent city.  It is merely the latest casualty in a long, tragic war.