Sectionalism in Nigeria

As addressed in Nigeria's last current event, the country's efforts to establish a stable democratic rule have been in many ways futile due to sectionalism and division throughout the country by race, culture, and religion. Recent fighting in Northeast Nigeria resulted in upwards of ten deaths including two unarmed civilians, caused by continued warring between radical Islamic sects such as the Boko Haram and the national police. Boko Haram is waging an increasingly violent campaign against Nigeria’s weak central government in its quest to enact strict Shariah law, free its detained members and avenge Muslim deaths in the nation. Eruptions of violence over the past year have resulted in nearly 300 deaths, with the sect primarily targeting Christians, who comprise much of the country's southern territory. Such attacks further solidify the Islamic-Christian division that has plagued Nigeria's attempts to achieve a true democracy. Some Nigerian politicians have even proposed sectionalism in opposition to national elections, though a majority of head politicians continue to support further efforts to establish the country's unity.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/explosions-gun-battles-rage-in-northeast-nigeria-city-thats-home-to-radical-islamist-sect/2012/02/20/gIQActxIPR_story.html

Military Contractors Turn Eyes to Mexico

Given my father's position as chief engineer at a local (though Israeli-owned) military technology firm, the international roles of weapon and technology distributors have always been of great interest to me. With military presence in the Middle East and Afghanistan gradually deteriorating, the lucrative American market of military technology distribution needs to feed from a new source of international conflict, and the spreading criminal violence and rising power of drug cartels in Mexico may be the perfect way to reinvigorate an industry. The State Department has pledged nearly $2 billion in drug war aid to Mexico since 2008, much of it available to U.S. companies that can provide equipment or services to the besieged Mexican state. With Mexico's more aggressive response to drug lords following the election of President Felipe Calderon, the state is very appealing to domestic distributors, though many argue it could never match what US companies faced in the Middle East. Mexico's stern anti-gun legislation makes it increasingly difficult for military contractors to be stationed there. Thus, contractors with notable military skill are of less value, while strategists prove a great asset despite being unarmed. Facing continued hostility within Mexico and limited carrying laws, Mexico may never prove as lucrative a battleground, but may quite likely become the hotspot for military contractors in the years to come.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/security-contractors-see-new-opportunities-in-mexico/2012/01/03/gIQAUj3wSQ_story_1.html

Russians Protest Against Putin (Shocking, I Know)

Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister of Russia, has caused a great deal of controversy in recent years. Even following two terms of Presidency, he remains the primary governing force in Russian politics. Following numerous elections of speculation and potential corruption, protesters in Moscow have staged a significant movement against Putin's regime, advocating honest elections and fair government. Significant disconnect remains between police and protest members regarding the protest's size, though it may be upwards of 100,000 people. While hostility remains between the country's political allegiances, groups including the liberal democrats, nationalists, and communists all came together against the Putin regime. Videos showing election fraud have caused uproar in Russia, and the government has responded in charging the United States with disseminating the videos. Protest members demonstrate great vigor given the climate in Russia this time of the year. A pro-Putin rally was also staged in response, and Putin himself offered to personally pay for the fine charged due to exceeding the permit.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russians-give-putin-cold-shoulder/2012/02/04/gIQAW47DpQ_story.html

Political Cartoon #Last

1. This cartoon was drawn by Taylor Jones for Cagle Cartoons.
2. The cartoon is certainly an eye-catcher, depicting Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich as birds over a sprawl of cold hard cash. Each bird seems to represent the figure of the candidate, caricaturing Newt's girth, Romney's more slender character, and Paul's, erm.....seemingly (and unfairly) unelectable aging figure.
3. As stated, the cartoonist uses caricature to depict the candidates in a humorous fashion that ties into the drawing's primary purpose.
4. The cartoon depicts the three birds standing over a swath of dollars, representing both their incredibly costly campaigns and questionable financial background. Especially with Romney, business practice has become an incredibly important factor in the election, and Newt hopes to capitalize on a few financial idiosyncrasies of Romney's in the South Carolina race. If all is right in the world they'll both implode and Paul will come out with a shocking victory.
5. The GOP nomination's core candidates have helmed incredibly costly campaigns, coupled with questionable financial backgrounds.
6. The cartoonist appears to be quite disapproving of the candidates, given their humorous depiction.

Reflections

Senior year has been met with an extensive list of regrets, coupled with some of my life's greatest experiences. Beginning the year with a mop upon my chin was pretty reassuring, and I feel I've had some marginal development socially. When it comes to courses, my six (or eight) advanced placement classes have been, while informative and rewarding, incredibly stressful and occasionally infuriating. This is primarily a result of taking AP Computer Science with absolutely no prior experience though, which I'm certainly to blame for. Symphonic Orchestra is as monotonous as always, though second chair in districts was a nice experience, despite my potential butchering of the Bach Fugue. Sigh. Graduation is irrelevant to me really, my past four years of work will hopefully be capitalized on come college acceptances in April. Gah, I forgot to enter credits when filling out my schedule on the common app, still quite frightened about that. I'll try to take a break from all the pessimism though. My applications were at least finished on time, and I was very happy with the essays. AP Physics and Econ have been interesting, though I'm missing Mr. Gannon. Government has actually been one of my least stressful classes, excluding a recent quiz that shall not be named. SALT II, grrr! Robotics has started, resulting in 20 fewer hours a week, so I'm eagerly awaiting the end of the semester. Following the robotics build season and rejection letters, I aspire to sleep over six hours a night and speak over twelve words to those outside my tightly-knit circle of friends and acquaintances.Though honestly, I'm incredibly excited for graduation itself, quite the experience. Only a few months more!

If there was still any doubt....

The GOP Nomination: I'm Serious-ish

Ron Paul. An established Representative of Texas with a largely untarnished voting record and unquestioned integrity, a strict constitutionalist and libertarian, a purveyor and advocate of extensive civil liberties, a reliable source in re-establishing American economic independence, and a logical choice for the next president of the United States. Having been purposely underrepresented by the media for over half a decade in presidential elections, Ron Paul holds an incredibly devout voting base that largely consists of frequent internet readers. While occasionally misinterpreted as a quasi-anarchist, Paul is a employer of logic who could benefit the nation through admittedly radical departures from our current direction. As for why I believe Paul remains a potential nominee, he accumulated over 340,000 twitter mentions over the past week, belittling Romney, holding 154,000 and president Obama with 120,000. Such statistics may appear arbitrary, but I feel they're indicative of the educated public's dissatisfaction with news favoritism and gradual realization of how Paul's supposedly ridiculous policies and theories have been proven correct numerous times in the past years. Paul faces numerous hindrances, including his aged appearance, uncommanding voice and projection and differentiation from other candidates. But with Jon Stewart and a majority of the internet on his side, Paul remains a potential frontrunner. He may have underperformed in Iowa, but Paul has not fallen victim to the brief bursts of media coverage and eventual undermining that have plagued Perry, Gingrich, and eventually Santorum. Charting a steady second in New Hampshire pollings and potentially showing an impressive Virginia performance, it's certainly not over yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QuLZ1FSnzc
No idea why V for Vendetta's in here, but it serves its purpose.