CONTEMPORARY WORLD POLITICS IULIIA STEPANETS 14.04.2015.

CONTEMPORARY WORLD POLITICS

IULIIA STEPANETS

14.04.2015

TODAY…

1. Previous class revision

2. News

3. GPS April 5

4. Debate

PREVIOUS CLASSWe have discussed:

1. War in Yemen

2. Iran nuclear deal

3. Islam

YEMEN 1. There are two principal Islamic religious groups in Yemen - Sunni and

Shi’a, which are constantly hostile to each other. But religion was not the only aspect in division of the country into two camps.

2. The recent crisis in Yemen has been in the making for decades. The origin of present day Houthi movement goes back three decades in the form of ethno-religious organization named Shabab-al-Momin.

3. The conflict has taken on the features of a regional proxy war, between the country’s Houthi rebels, seen as backed by Shii Iran, and a coalition of mainly Sunni Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, supporting the ousted President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

4. The US Should not interfere in Yemen. The best way to resolve the conflict – negotiations.

5. Yemen have been divided before (until 1990). So, it is quite possible that the state will be split again.

IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL

• We cannot predict whether new deal with Iran and Six major powers can stop Iran from developing the nuclear deal.

• Israel and Saudi Arabia are very skeptical about this deal.

• Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu holds that international sanctions on Iran should remain in place.

• But, the deal is better, than no deal.

• Obama: “Iran has chance to get right with the world”!

• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will provide inspection activities, including reports, statements and media coverage in relation to the application of IAEA safeguards in Iran.

ISLAM• Radical Islam is a growing world menace. It not the only root of all

evils and conflicts in North Africa and Middle East, but rather one of the main reasons.

• The Qur'an contains many contradictions (calls for peace / contains some cruel or violent passages).

• So, Islam needs reformation, as it was done with Christianity (the Protestant Reformation in 16th-century Europe).

• Why? In order to counter the fundamentalism of Islamic extremists, strengthen religious freedom, and lead to something like the separation of church and state.

• Islam is able to develop democratic values, but it is not ready for democracy. First of all, it ‘s due to inequality between men and women.

NEWS

1. Sogang IR Party, April 10th

HILLARY CLINTON LAUNCHES SECOND PRESIDENTIAL BID

U.S. TO FILE COMPLAINT OVER 'UNSAFE' INTERCEPT BY RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET

MALAYSIA ARMY AND ISIS: 70 SOLDIERS HAVE JOINED ISLAMIC STATE, OFFICIALS SAY

GPS – APRIL O5

DEBATE

Iran deal

1. Republicans in Congress remain skeptical about Iran nuclear deal. What are the reasons for this skepticism?

2. Can the US Congress sabotage the deal? If yes, then what will be the reaction of International community?

3. Or will the deal go through? What is your anticipation?

4. If members of Congress managed to override the president's veto and impose harsher sanctions, what will be the consequences? Will the path to conflict be widen?

DEBATE

Middle East  

1. Saudi Arabia is said to be the world's largest source of funds and promoter of Salafist jihadism, which forms the ideological basis of terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda, Taliban, ISIS and others. So, why Saudis support terrorism? What are the objectives?

2. Saudi Arabia is exporting extremist interpretation of Islam, how to deal with it?

3. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov compared the Yemeni crisis to the state coup in Ukraine in 2014; he says that the US policy towards Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych underscore its double standards. Do you agree with that?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/top-saudi-sheikh-issues-bizarre-5491142

DEBATERussia

1.Has a new Cold war between the US and Russia started?

2.What is the possibility of Russian isolation?

3.Putin’s political strength at home has been enhanced tremendously. Should Russian support his policy?

4.Will it lead to a new dictatorship?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C66mAkS1ZfM

DEBATE

United States presidential election, 2016Democrats and Republicans started presidential primaries election campaigns. A large crowd of candidates will likely compete for the Democratic and Republican nominations. However, Hillary Clinton (Democratic Party) is the overwhelming favorite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uY7gLZDmn4

1. Do you believe that the next President of the US can be a woman?

There is a tendency that each term presidents are chosen from different parties (they alternate):

George Herbert Walker Bush 1989 –1993; (Republican party);

Bill Clinton 1993-2001; (Democratic party);

George Walker Bush 2001-2009; (Republican party);

Barack Obama 2008--2016; (Democratic party);

2. So should the next President be from the Republican Party?

3. If the majority of the Congress and the President will be from the same party, what consequences it may have?

DEBATE

America's criminal justice system.

1. Is the Norway’s gentler prison system of “restorative justice” really able to reduce the crime?

2. Would it be better if your country accepted the same system?

3.Is it acceptable that Anders Breivik, the notorious gunman who killed 77 people in 2011 got only 21 years in prison?

THE END