Has Syria Crossed the "Red Line?" Should the US Intervene?

On March 21 of this year, President Obama declared that “We will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people.” Over the past week, reports are coming in that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may already have crossed this line, although there is reasonable doubt about this.

Remember, in class we discussed threats, deterrence, and how credibility is necessary for these to be successful. Read the pieces linked above and answer the following questions for participation credit:

1. Do you trust the intelligence that indicates the use of chemical weapons by Assad's government? Why or why not?
2. If so, should the US back up the threat posed by the Obama Administration? Or should we trade a bit of credibility in exchange for staying out of yet another conflict in the Middle East?

Review for Cumulative Closed-book Assessment

Well it's almost here: your IS 100 final exam. The review sheet is now available. I will be posting information about a review session shortly. I will be holding a review session from 4-5 PM on Tuesday in 105 Buckman Hall.

When taking the final, section 01 (that's 10:00 AM) meets at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, May 1. Section 02 (that's 11:00 AM) meets at 5:30 PM on Friday, May 3. You must request my permission if you want to switch sections; at the moment there is no more room in the Wednesday final.

Remember to bring a blue book. Pencil is acceptable, but I prefer you use pen. I wish you good luck, but I also wish you the foresight to put yourself in a position where good luck is unnecessary.

Current Events Reading: 4/19

Read the following articles in the Economist for Friday:

• Margaret Thatcher: Freedom Fighter
• Japan: Revolution in the Air
• Argentina's Economy: Gaucho Blues
• Nigeria: Lurching Ahead
• The Dangers of Debt: Shadows Lengthen
• Germany and the Euro: Don’t Make us Führer

Re-read (or read, if you haven't yet) the piece by Gilpin for this previous Wednesday. Identify elements in each story that reflect Gilpin's ideas of statism/mercantilism, liberalism and radicalism/Marxism.

For extra credit, share (in the comments) what the statist, liberal and radical solutions would be to the problems described in some of these stories.

Current Events Reading: 4/12

Read the following articles in the Economist for Friday:

• Coping with North Korea: Korean Roulette
• North Korean Tensions: Inside the Cult of Kim
• Sudan: Cash, Aid and Diplomacy
• Regulating the Weapons Trade: A Killer Deal

There are fewer articles due this week, so you should consider them more deeply than you normally would. As you read, take notes on how different forms of security management--Balance of Power, Deterrence, Collective Security and Disarmament--do or may apply to the conflicts inherent to each story.

For additional participation credit, share (in the comments) similarities you find between the situations in these stories and the plot lines of Charlie Wilson's War, and discuss what you think that says about either conflict.

Watch "Charlie Wilson's War" for Monday, 4/08

Charlie Wilson’s War is up and running on the class’ Moodle page. Let me know if you need help accessing it.

Note: feel free to skip over the first scene, which is about character development--not plot or politics--and includes gratuitous depictions of the female form that some might find superfluous and/or objectionable. You're all adults, so I'll let you make the call.

Consider the following—and come to class ready to discuss—as you watch:

• What examples of the exercise of power do we witness in Charlie Wilson’s War?
• What types of war take place in the film?
• What types of security management do we see in the film?
• What biases might the story be subject to, or, what might this story be leaving out?
• What questions does the movie raise for you?

Also address these questions in your critical responses. Share your responses to (some of) these questions in the comments for additional participation credit.

Current Events Reading and Exam Review: 3/22

Read the following articles in the Economist for tomorrow:

• Pope Francis: The First Southern Pope
• Israel, Palestine and America: Spell it out, Barack
• The President's Charm Offensive: Let's Do Dinner
• The Falklands Referendum: Loud and Clear
• Saving Sharks: Rays of Hope
• Maritime Security: Dragons Unite
• The War in Syria: Can Jordan Keep out of It?
• Hungary and the European Union: Viktor's Justice
• Charlemagne: A Flawed Temple
• World Trade: The Other Conclave

Identify terms from the review sheet that are relevant in each article. Prepare to come to class with a list of terms that is relevant to each article above. We will discuss the articles as they pertain to the upcoming Closed-book Assessment.

For extra participation points, share some of the terms you found in each article and explain how they are related to the story in the comments.

Review for Second Closed-book Assessment

Your second Closed-book Assessment takes place in class this Monday.

It is similar to the format of the first exam, with the caveat that you need to cite articles from the reader (maroon book) that relate to the identification term by author or title. This test is 10% of your final grade.

You may download the review sheet here. I have also scheduled a review session this Friday from 4-5 PM in Buckman 103. If you review questions but cannot make the review session, feel free to set up an appointment with me, drop by during office hours or send me an email.

Remember to bring blue exam booklets to class. If you require special accommodations, please let me know so we can make arrangements.