CX and FX – Cyberwarfare

There’s a subfolder in the Extemp Files labeled US Military-Cyber; I combined the two because of the blurring of lines between business hacks and cyberwarfare – where does one end and the other begin?  (North Korea hacked Sony.) One of the results of that blurring of lines is the following article, which poses the question of how we are responding to that sort of threat. (Cyber-retaliation? Sanctions? What works?)

It involves CX to some extent because some of the industrial espionage may be a threat to U.S. security interests. If that’s the case, then counter-efforts will likely involve working with U.S. businesses – and that gets us back to the point of whether or not that allows the government access to the business’s collection of information on American citizens, and whether that could be used for domestic surveillance purposes.

Cyberthreat Posed by China and Iran Confounds White House

FX – Around the World

Syria: Cause and effect.

For Those Who Remain in Syria, Daily Life Is a Nightmare

‘Syria is emptying’

Turkey: Who started this? And why?

A Sense of Instability Settles Over Turkey as Conflict With Kurds Flares

North Korea: They do this a lot. So, is this a case of playing to the home crowd again, or is this the time we really have to worry?

North Korea says it has restarted its nuclear facilities, threatens the US

North Korea Threatens U.S. With ‘Improved’ Nuclear Program

Sri Lanka: A few years ago an assistant coach in the area told me a story about meeting another child in grade school who was also Sri Lankan. After his friend came over to play, his parents told him that the friend couldn’t come over any more. His family was Sinhalese, the friend’s family was Tamil. I’d really like to see reconciliation work in my lifetime.

Sri Lanka Lays Out Plan for Reconciliation

Thailand: When bad things happen, governments often like to blame who they want to be responsible rather than who is actually responsible. Did Thailand get it right, or is this scapegoating? (Remember, right now they’re under military rule – what serves the ruling powers?)

Thailand Blames Uighur Militants in Bombing at Bangkok Shrine

Great Britain: I think this article overstates matters; it cites sound bites without the proper context I’ve read elsewhere. The question may actually be whether or not Corbyn will ever matter enough to affect the U.S.-British relationship. (Will he?)

The threat of Jeremy Corbyn’s radically anti-American agenda

Spain: Taking a break from economic issues, Catalonian independence, and migrants.

Can Spain’s monarchy be saved – It’s up to King Felipe VI and his commoner queen

Zimbabwe: I’ve posted on Zimbabwe’s history/background earlier; it’ll give you more context for this article.

Zimbabwe seized white farmers’ land – Now some are being invited back

Guatemala: A small development in a bigger drama.

Guatemala – Former Front-Runner Drops Out of Presidential Race

FX – Asia

Thailand: From NPR.

In Thailand, Young People Push The Boundaries On Public Dissent

Burma:

Burma’s half-hearted commitment to democracy

Myanmar Democracy Icon Finds Herself Assailed as Authoritarian

North Korea: WP and NYT reports, plus middle school annoyance games played by people with nukes.

North Korean leader says his nukes, not negotiation, avoided war

Kim Jong-un Says North’s ‘Military Muscle’ Made Korean Deal Possible

To Jar North, South Korea Used a Pop-Music Barrage

Malaysia: Two looks at discrimination. The second article provides more of the backstory to what’s going on there than anything else I’ve read so far. Plus, how it’s playing out with the public.

Tash Aw – Malaysia’s Welcome Wears Thin

Chin – The Costs of Malay Supremacy

Antigovernment Protesters Gather in Malaysia, Defying Police Orders

FX – Around the world

Oil: A bit of rewording and this would make a decent FX question.

From Venezuela to Iraq to Russia, Oil Price Drops Raise Fears of Unrest

Brazil: Corruption isn’t the only reason for economic turmoil.

For Brazil’s 1 Percenters, The Land Stays In The Family Forever

This is why Brazil is worried about China’s shaky economy

North Korea: The shooting (and land mines and loudspeakers) have stopped.

Deal Between North and South Korea Defies Their Mutual Disdain

After deal, North and South Korea try to work together – but for how long

Russia: Russia gets down and, perhaps, dirty.

Russia removes Western detergents from supermarkets

India: Set-asides and the legacy of the caste system. Look up the Political Science term ‘rent-seeking’ – does that apply here?

A prosperous clan in India rallies for government aid, sparking violence

NPR’s version: Mass Rally Protesting Indian Quota System Leads To Unrest

Iran:

I’ve said before that if our hard-liners and their hard-liners think the deal is a bad one, we’ve probably reached a decent compromise. In this case, in spite of the naysayers who believe that Iran will become more oppressive, these words from their dissidents should be another reason to believe the deal is a good one.

On YouTube, Iran Activists Urge America to Back Nuclear Deal

Note that the authors of the next article are from the University of Sydney (Australia); they’re removed from our domestic Conservative-Liberal battles. I found this article to be one of the best I’ve read about our domestic conflicts over the pending deal with Iran. Does what the authors say affect your views on the subject? (If you’re going to go to college, look up “Manichean” – third paragraph, “Manichean terms” – it will come up there in some assigned reading, and understanding the phrase is necessary to understanding this article.)

Hemmer et al – Why Republicans Reject the Iran Deal – and All Diplomacy

FX – Ukraine, India, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Burma

Ukraine: A link to the original, so that the map is included. A PDF without the map will be in the Extemp files after the next update.

At Point 18 in eastern Ukraine, the war grinds on, night after night

India: Total population is in the 1.2-1.4 billion range. The article lists the Muslim population as 170 million. While a minority, do any other countries have a larger Muslim population?

Why a rising star of Muslim politics in India stirs hope and fear

Zimbabwe: A quick course on where they are and how they got there.

Life Beyond Cecil The Lion In Zimbabwe

North Korea: Adjusting to not being in the country, and adjusting to being there.

A North Korean Defector’s Regret

North Korea’s Millennials Demonstrate Entrepreneurial Spirit

Burma:

Thant Myint-U – Myanmar’s Best Hope for Peace

Military’s Win Puts Myanmar’s Transition To Democracy In Question

Bonus: A negotiator’s thoughts, from NPR. What policy – domestic and foreign – looks like on the ground.

Dealing With Tough Negotiations

FX – Take that, you foreign devils!

North Korea sets up new time zone to fight Japanese imperialism – The Australian

Russia strikes back at the West by incinerating huge mounds of pork fat

You just can’t make this stuff up.

FX – What you should be reading

Israel: The article I’ve been looking for, on recent Jewish extremist violence

Soul-Searching in Israel After Bias Attacks on Gays and Arabs

Egypt: A critical article on the nuances of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Push for Retribution in Egypt Frays Muslim Brotherhood

ISIS: From NPR

ISIS Is No Weaker Than A Year Ago, Officials Say

Turkey: A nuanced discussion of Turkey and the different Kurdish factions.

Kurdish Militias Appear To Be Sidelined By U.S.-Turkey Military Deal

Cuba: If the FX question is about change in Cuba, this article is much of the answer. There’s a quote in the middle of page 2 that just screams to be used as an intro.

Cuban Youth See New US Embassy, but Same Old Drab Life

Greece: Bank economics, and how to lock up an economy. Most of you won’t remember the 2008 US economic meltdown, but banks that couldn’t/wouldn’t act like banks were much of the initial problem.

Greece’s banks are dying, and fast

China: An interesting article, with tons of internal links for further research, on China’s currency. How wanna-be world powers try to emerge financially. Includes the difference between renminbi and yuan.

The People’s Currency

North Korea: Life before and after you leave. One of the authors mentioned has a TED talk, too.

Can we believe all the horrors described by North Korean escapees – book reviews

Zimbabwe: Keep the country’s history in mind, It used to be Rhodesia, and was white-minority-ruled from 1965 to 1980 – with all that that implies. President (apparently for life) Robert Mugabe has run the country since then. One way of retaining popular support was the taking of white-owned farms. Note the numbers in this story. If your topic isn’t on Mugabe’s rule, and more on Zimbabwe’s future, this story will help.

To Ease An Economic Meltdown, Zimbabwe Considers Returning Farmland

Global Poverty: Solutions, anyone? Gotta love the article title, too. Another one with tons of internal links for further research. What does this suggest about domestic US policies to eradicate poverty?

Don’t teach a man to fish. Just give him the goddamn fish.

FX – What you should be reading

North Korea: What level of threat does North Korea pose for the US?

The North Korean government is getting weaker and more vulnerable – That should scare you

South Korea: A critical component to understanding how South Korea works.

South Koreans Bristle At Growing Dominance Of Family-Run Conglomerates

Burma/Myanmar: From a country that appeared to be making great progress from the days of military dictatorship, this black eye really stands out right now. Back to that fundamental question – do human rights exist because you’re human, or only because a government grants them to you?

Barricaded In, Myanmar’s Rohingya Struggle To Survive In Ghettos And Camps

FX – in pictures

We read the words, but they often don’t convey the more visceral understanding of events that pictures do.

Note: the following photo galleries, mostly from The Atlantic, may contain graphic pictures (most likely in war zone area). They’re usually (but not always) blacked out and have to be specifically clicked on to be displayed. Look for the bold print warnings in the dialogue at the beginning of the gallery.

North Korea:

What life looks like inside North Korea

Yemen:

The Saudi Arabia-Yemen War of 2015

Syria: galleries from November, January, April, and June

Living in War-Torn Syria

Returning Syrian Kurds Find Recaptured Kobani in Ruins

In Syria: Four Years of War

Syrians Crash Through a Fence Between War and Refuge

EU Refugee crisis: some come by sea, some by land

The Mediterranean Migrant Crisis: Risking Everything for a Chance at a Better Life

Asylum Seekers Flood Into Hungary

China:

And Then There Was One – Nail Houses

Beijing’s Toxic Sky

Iraq:

The Battle for Tikrit

Israel:

Future Soldiers of Israel

Burma/Myanmar:

Ransoms and Reunions: The Internet Huts of Burma

Ukraine and Russia: Three from February, one from March

Caught in the Crossfire in Eastern Ukraine

Watching a Shaky Cease-Fire in Ukraine

A Year of War Completely Destroyed the Donetsk Airport

Beauty in the Ceasefire: A Pageant in Donetsk

This single shot – entitled The Face of War – is a portrait of Putin done by Ukrainian artist Dariya Marchenko. It is striking because of the medium she used – 5000 shell casings gathered from the front line in eastern Ukraine. I could see a description of this being used as a speech intro.

The Face Of War

(Once you get to the picture, you should be able to click on it to enlarge it to the original resolution.)