December 31, 2009

Great editorial by Economics Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz on the lessons of the economic crisis. (Full Story)

Some highlights:

The first lesson is that markets are not self-correcting. Indeed, without adequate regulation, they are prone to excess. In 2009, we again saw why Adam Smith's invisible hand often appeared invisible: it is not there. The bankers' pursuit of self-interest (greed) did not lead to the well-being of society; it did not even serve their shareholders and bondholders well. It certainly did not serve homeowners who are losing their homes, workers who have lost their jobs, retirees who have seen their retirement funds vanish, or taxpayers who paid hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out the banks.

Under the threat of a collapse of the entire system, the safety net -- intended to help unfortunate individuals meet the exigencies of life -- was generously extended to commercial banks, then to investment banks, insurance firms, auto companies, even car-loan companies. Never has so much money been transferred from so many to so few. We are accustomed to thinking of the government transferring money from the well off to the poor. Here it was the poor and average transferring money to the rich. Already heavily burdened taxpayers saw their money -- intended to help banks lend so that the economy could be revived -- go to pay outsized bonuses and dividends.

The justification was that bailing out the banks, however messily, would enable a resumption of lending. That has not happened. All that happened was that average taxpayers gave money to the very institutions that had been gouging them for years -- through predatory lending, usurious credit-card interest rates, and non-transparent fees.

The bailout exposed deep hypocrisy all around. Those who had preached fiscal restraint when it came to small welfare programs for the poor now clamored for the world's largest welfare program...Those who had argued for "accountability" and "responsibility" now sought debt forgiveness for the financial sector.

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Thai soldiers with riot shields and clubs evicted more than 4,000 Hmong asylum seekers from a holding center and forcibly repatriated them to Laos. Thailand defied protests from the United States and the United Nations to suspend the operation. The Hmong are afraid to return to their home country because they fear they will face retribution and persecution from their government. The group of 4,371 Hmong that were repatriated included economic migrants as well as those who fit the definition of refugees with "a well-founded fear" of persecution. The Hmong are a mountain tribal group that the CIA enlisted during the "secret war" in Laos in the 1960s. They helped to fight against the Laotian communist group Pathet Lao and the North Vietnamese. The Hmong started fleeing the country after the Communist victory in 1975. The prime minister of Thailand said they had received assurances that the returnees would be well-treated and they "will have a better life" in Laos.

Critics say this forced repatriation is a violation of international humanitarian principles. At the camp, which was located in the remote hills, the military had begun rounding up Hmongs after cutting off cellphone service and restricting food and medical care to the camp for several days. Thailand has already faced criticism from human rights groups for their treatment of refugees and migrants. Thailand has restricted access to the camp -- reporters have been barred for the past three years and the United Nations were denied their requests to interview the Hmong to determine their eligibility for resettlement abroad. In May the medical group Doctors Without Borders pulled its workers out of the camp because they said there were abusive conditions, including "arbitrary detention of influential leaders to pressure refugees into a 'voluntary' return to Laos." In addition, a year ago Thailand faced criticism when it's military turned away 1,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and set them adrift at sea in boats without motors. (Full Story)

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In a similar story, Bangladesh is repatriating 9,000 Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar (Burma). Human Rights Groups say that Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar because of religious persecution, and they do not want to return to their home country. The junta in Myanmar discriminates against the Rohingya's Islamic faith, and they are deprived of free movement, education, and employment. Many have nowhere to live in Myanmar and they suffer "dire conditions" there. (Full Story)

December 30, 2009

President Obama's top aids are accusing Republicans of politicizing the failed airline bombing on Christmas Day for their own political gain (Accusing? Pointing out the obvious is more like it). Senior White House advisor David Axelrod said that Democrats did not attack President George W. Bush when he did not make a public statement for nearly a week after an attempted bombing in 2001 by "the shoe bomber". Axelrod continued, "There are those who want to solve the problem and there are those who want to exploit it." (Full Story)

Heather: How do Republicans consistently shoot themselves in the foot and yet still win elections?

Eagan: Because Americans like the idea that they own guns which Republicans prove by showing the bullet holes in their feet.

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Interesting editorial by Julianna Baggott on gender discrimination in the literary world. Publishers Weekly named the Top 100 Books of 2009, and no female writers made it in the top ten. Twenty-nine total women made the list. "I could understand Publishers Weekly's phallocratic list if women were writing only a third of the books published or if women didn't float the industry as book buyers or if the list was an anomaly." She goes on to explain that in the past 30 years, only 11 Pulitzer prizes have gone to women. With Amazon's 100 Best Books of 2009, only two women made it in the top 10; only four in the top 20. This month Poets & Writers compiled a list of the 50 Most Inspiring Authors in the World; women made up 36% of the list.

"When asked about their choices this year, Publishers Weekly said it chose books that 'stood out' and weren't trying to be 'politically correct,' as if this were the only reason female writers could have gotten on the list. Or is it that we have stamped the publishing industry post-feminist and can now slide back to comfortable stereotypes?"

She explains how throughout her education she picked up on the lesson that "if you want to be a great writer, be a man. If you can't be a man, write like one." She said she was guilty of this as well. To further her point, she argued that the books on the Publishers Weekly list "are not only written by men but also have male themes, overwhelmingly. In fact, the list flashes like a slide show of the terrain I was trying to cover with my graduate thesis, when I wrote all things manly -- war, boyhood, adventure. "

She also points to an interesting recent study that examined perceptions of male and female playwrights. Participants read the exact same play -- exact same female protagonist, same lines, same pagination. The play was rated higher when readers thought it had a male author. Another question on the survey was about the character's likability. The exact same female character when written by a man was considered likable; when written by a woman, the character was considered unlikable.

Baggott concludes the article by saying one solution to this problem is that we have to see the prejudice and stop ignoring it. Currently, the top prizes' discrimination against women has largely been ignored. However, she says there is hope, as this year's Pulitzer for fiction went to a woman who wrote about a woman (Elizabeth Strout for "Olive Kitteridge"). (Full Story)

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Newly-released government papers reveal that when Margaret Thatcher was going to Tokyo for an economic summit in 1979, a month after she won the general election, Japan was going to provide her with a security unit of 20 "karate ladies". Margaret Thatcher was completely against this idea and asked them to not do this. A letter from Thatcher's office was sent to Japan's foreign office, "The Prime Minister would like to be treated in exactly the same manner as the other visiting Heads of Delegation; it is not the degree of protection that is in question but the particular means of carrying it out. If other delegation leaders, for example are each being assigned 20 karate gentleman, the Prime Minister would have no objection to this; but she does not wish to be singled out. She has not had in the past, and does not have now, any female Special Branch officers." (Full Story)

I definitely understand Margaret Thatcher's concern of being treated differently simply because she's a woman, but...who denies something so cool like a karate entourage?!?

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Interesting article about the growing relationship between China and Bolivia. China's biggest interest in Bolivia is it's rich natural resources, specifically its lithium deposits in the Uyuni desert in the Andes mountains. Fifty percent of the world's lithium is found in Bolivia. Lithium is often used in cell phones and batteries -- especially the batteries that are used in the new generation of electric cars. Though China has its own deposits of Lithium, analysts expect that in the future China will need more. The growing push toward electric car production around the world has resulted in a mad dash to lock in lithium mining deals in Bolivia. China, Japan, France, and Korea have all expressed an interest. These countries have all been "courting" the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales.

Bolivians see that they could benefit from these deals and new relationships. It is believed that lithium will be the key to their future development. China has told Bolivia that they will construct Bolivia's first satellite and build an electric trainline for the country. They are also collaborating on mining and energy projects. Many Bolivians see the benefits of a new economic relationship with China. One Bolivian trader that sells home supplies in a stall in the commercial sector of La Paz travels to China regularly now to buy cheap products that she can then sell back home. She is even learning to speak Chinese (language classes on Chinese are growing in Bolivia). She said, "I think it would be great if we could cement our relations with China. We've seen how Peru has developed after it signed a free trade agreement with China."

Though one potential road block to these lithium deals is that President Morales is a leftist and he insists that profits and jobs from Bolivia's rich natural resources should go to Bolivians and not foreign companies. But some experts believe that Bolivia does not have the expertise to go it alone. The former mining minister of Bolivia said, "We don't have the technical know-how to work with lithium. You need hundreds of technicians and engineers and professionals. If we plan this right we will have the capacity to to get to a certain level. But after that you need investment that currently Bolivia doesn't have." (Full Story)

December 29, 2009

Two men from Argentina have become the first same-sex couple to marry legally in Latin America. They were married in Tierra del Fuego province. Gay marriage is illegal in Argentina, but the governor of Tierra del Fuego, Fabiana Rios, issued a special decree allowing them to marry there. Argentina's civil code bans gay marriage, but there is no mention in the constitution. The governor took advantage of this gray area and granted them a special decree. She said in a statement that gay marriage is "an important advance in human rights and social inclusion." Previously, a judge in Buenos Aires prevented the couple from marrying earlier this month. The Supreme Court of Argentina is expected to rule on same-sex marriage next year. (Full Story)

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A shopping center in China's Hebei province has built a parking lot for women only. This parking lot is especially designed for women and includes wider spaces (one meter wider than normal spaces). In addition, female parking attendants have been trained to help guide female drivers into their parking spaces. And on top of that, the parking lot is painted in pink and light purple to "appeal to female tastes." An official said the new parking lot was created to cater to women's "strong sense of color and different sense of distance." Wow, how insulting and sexist. Way to go! (Full Story)

P.S. The official that provided the quote is named Wang Zheng, and I could have said "He sure is a wang!" But I'm too mature for that...

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There is contention between China and the UK after China executed a British man. The man from London was convicted of drug smuggling and put to death by lethal injection. The family and UK government officials had asked China to be lenient with the man because he is mentally ill with bipolar disorder. The man's family say that he had been delusional and duped into carrying a suitcase of drugs that did not belong to him. They say that drug smugglers in Poland convinced the man that they would make him a pop star in China.

The British Foreign Office Minister said China "failed in its basic human rights responsibilities" (well, that's a completely new and unique charge). Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "appalled" at the execution. Chinese officials say that there had been no previous medical record of the man having bipolar disorder, and China's Supreme People's Court was not provided with any documentation of the man's mental illness. Gordon Brown said in a statement, "I condemn the execution of Akmal Shaikh in the strongest terms...I am particularly concerned that no mental health assessment was undertaken." I agree. If China is convicting and sentencing the man, it is their responsibility to determine his mental state. It's not like the prisoner has to come to the trial with prior documentation -- and if there was no previous documentation, then he's not really mentally ill. Plenty of mentally ill people are not diagnosed as such -- simply because they never get evaluated. China needed to take the initiative on this to give this man a fair trial. If his mental health was brought up as an issue, he should have been evaluated.

A spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry told a press briefing in Beijing that no one had the right to comment on China's judicial sovereignty (uh, yes they do; people do have the right to comment...). She continued, "We express our strong dissatisfaction and opposition to the British government's unreasonable criticism of the case. We urge [them] to correct their mistake in order to avoid harming China-UK relations." Let me get this straight...China executes a British citizen, the British government had made 27 representations to China in two years to get them to consider the man's mental illness and spare him from being executed, China ignores it, doesn't take the man's mental health seriously and does not even evaluate him...and Britain is being unreasonable? And Britain is harming China-UK relations?! (Full Story)

December 28, 2009

Human rights groups based abroad estimate that China executes more people each year than the rest of the world combined. However, there is a lot of disparity in the number of executions China has carried out. According to US-based Dui Hua Foundation, there were around 5,000 executions in 2009 and around 6,000 in 2007. Amnesty International's figures are lower. They estimate that in 2008 there were 1,700 executions. Though that still is a big number. The disparity in numbers illustrates how little is known about the death penalty in China. Reports in the Chinese media suggest that one in ten executions is for non-violent, economic crimes. The US government recently reported that China has at least 68 capital offenses in their criminal code.

There are a lot of concerns with China's handling of the death penalty. For one, there is a lot of secrecy surrounding the judicial process in China, which makes it impossible to tell whether someone got a fair trial. Also, there are objections to the method in which prisoners are executed in China. The method of capital punishment used in most of the country is a gunshot to the head. Although in the last seven years, eight provinces and municipalities have introduced lethal injection. According to a legal scholar, "[Within China] most of the public and members of the legal community basically accept and support China's current policy toward the death penalty."

However, some say China has actually made improvements in their handling of death penalty cases in recent years. The Dui Hua Foundation reported that China's secrecy in the judicial process has prevented China from getting credit for progress in its reduction of capital punishment. Two years ago, China reformed the system and gave the Supreme People's Court final say over death penalties and whether they'll be carried out or not. Before it was lower courts that had the final say. Dui Hua believes the number of people executed fell by at least a quarter in the year after the reforms were put into place. It's been reported that the court has rejected 15% of the cases it reviewed due to "unclear facts, insufficient evidence, inappropriateness of the death penalty in some cases, and inadequate trial procedures." (Full Story)

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In Iran there were protests across the country on Sunday after opposition supporters took to the streets as the Shia Muslim festival of Ashura reached it climax (in addition, an influential dissident cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri died a week ago at age 87. His funeral attracted tens of thousands of pro-reform supporters, many of whom shouted anti-government slogans). The protest turned violent when police fired tear gas and tried to break up the protest. At least eight people have died; earlier there were reports that 15 people died. This is the highest death toll since the protests in June after the election. In addition, about 300 people were detained after the protests. A number of opposition figures -- including senior aides to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi -- have been arrested.

One of the victims killed in Sunday's violence was Mousavi's nephew. He was shot in the back as security forces fired on demonstrators in Tehran. Members of the opposition believe he was deliberately targeted to intimidate Mir Hossein Mousavi. Family members say they are unable to have a funeral for him because his body was taken from the hospital. Opposition sources believe the body was taken by government agents to prevent his funeral from occurring -- which they fear could turn into a rallying point for more protests. Today a group of Mousavi supporters were demonstrating outside of the hospital and police fired teargas to disperse them.

The authorities are blaming troublemakers for the violence, and the police deny any responsibility for the deaths; instead they suggest that the protesters may have shot each other. (Full Story)

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In India, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry surveyed office employees and found that many are using social network sites like facebook at work and it is reducing productivity. Employees spent an average of one hour a day on sites like facebook, orkut, myspace, and linkedin. This results in a loss of productivity of nearly 12.5%. (Full Story)

It looks like even our procrastination can be outsourced.

Happy Holidays!

December 23, 2009

The Kremlin (the government of Russia) is pushing for internet domain names in Russia to be written in Cyrillic. They view the Internet as being Western-dominated, especially the United States, and they don't like how web addresses have to be written in Latin letters. Previously, there was a ban on using non-Latin alphabets for web addresses. Thus, The Kremlin's website had to be written as kremlin.ru, which is in English. The .ru is english as well. In Cyrillic, the suffix will be .рф, which stands for Russian Federation.

The spread of the internet from the West to the rest of the world has created a "hybrid web", in which countries with non-Latin alphabets type the domain and e-mail addresses in Latin letters and the content in native ones. This October the use of non-Latin domains was approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or Icann [what a funny organization. You learn something new every day], which is based in the United States. They said that more than half of the world's 1.6 billion internet users speak a native language that does not have a Latin alphabet. Russian president Dmitri Medvedev said the new Cyrillic domains would make the internet more accessible to Russians. It would open up the internet to those who are unfamiliar with Latin characters or are intimidated by them. Currently, internet usage in Russia is mostly confined to large cities, and some feel that Cyrillic domains would help internet usage grow in the provinces. The Cyrillic domains are likely to be activated next year.

However, there are some Russians wary of this move. Some worry that this would cut Russia off from the world. "Cut off for decades under Communism, Russians revel in the Internet's ability to connect them to the world, and they prize the freedom of the Web even as the government has tightened control over major television channels. But now, computer users are worried that Cyrillic domains will give rise to a hermetic Russian web, a sort of cyberghetto." For example, one of the busiest blogging sites in Russia is Livejournal, and they said they would not employ Cyrillic domains. Many Russians do not want to embrace another system.

Another concern is that this will lead to censorship and a restriction of access. The fear is that with Russian domains the government can control what websites are accessible. However, the director of the agency that coordinates Cyrillic domains said that the fear of censorship is unfounded. He said if the Russian government wanted to, it could censor .ru domains [uh, is that supposed to be reassuring?!], but they haven't and they will not do so with the new ones.

Others are hesitant about the Cyrillic domains because it's an inconvenience. Holders of .ru sites will have to decide if they want to establish companion sites with Cyrillic addresses and the Cyrillic suffix. Some worry that people from other countries (including clients) would not be able to access their websites since most keyboards around the world have Latin symbols. It would be difficult for those people to reach Cyrillic websites. (Full Story)

The article said "The .ru suffix will remain when Russia rolls out its Cyrillic suffix", but it is unclear from the article whether Russia will continue to have .ru sites alongside Cyrillic sites, or if they will eventually require all sites to be in Cyrillic. It will be interesting to see what develops.

December 22, 2009

City legislators in Mexico City passed a bill 39-20 that legalized gay marriage. The city's mayor is now expected to sign the bill into law. The bill calls for a change in the definition of marriage in the city's civic code. Marriage is currently defined as a union between a man and a woman; it will be changed to "the free uniting of two people." It should be of no surprise that the Catholic Church and conservative groups opposed this decision. Mexico City's legislature is dominated by the leftist Democratic Revolutionary Party, which has already legalized abortion and civil unions for same-sex couples.

The lawmakers in Mexico City have become the first in Latin America to legalize gay marriage. Some cities in Argentina, Ecuador, and Colombia permit civil unions for same-sex couples. Uruguay is the only Latin American country that legalized civil unions nationwide. They also have allowed same-sex couples to adopt children. Last month, an Argentinian court narrowly blocked what would have been the first gay marriage in Latin America (see Nov 17 entry for more background). In a last-minute challenge, a court referred the case to the Supreme Court, which should be making a ruling soon. (Full Story)

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There is such a high unemployment rate in many states that their unemployment compensation programs are dwindling. The Department of Labor projects that 40 state programs will go broke within two years and need $90 billion in loans to keep issuing the benefit checks. The budget gaps are expected to increase in the coming year. This is putting pressure on state governments to either raise taxes or reduce the payments. Currently, 25 states have run out of unemployment money and have borrowed $24 billion from the federal government to cover the gaps in their budget.

Experts say the problem is that, during the economic boom, states failed to properly prepare for a downtown. Unemployment benefits are funded by the payroll tax on employers, and it's collected at a rate that is supposed to keep the funds solvent. Companies that fire a lot of people are supposed to pay higher rates. However, over the years, the drive to minimize state taxes on employers has reduced the funds to unsustainable levels. The director of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies said the problem has been the cut in taxes, and not that the benefits are higher. He expects states will cut eligibility or benefits. An expert on unemployment insurance at the Urban Institute said that going into the recession, state programs were on average funded at only one-third the level they should have been. He said before the recession, funding guidelines "were rarely honored." He added, "If you fund a program adequately, you don't need to come to these kind of difficult decisions." (Full Story)

December 21, 2009

The humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders (or its French name Medecins San Frontieres) has released their 2009's Top Humanitarian Crises list. They have issued an annual list since 1998. They do not rank the crises by order of importance, instead they hope the list will create greater awareness of humanitarian issues around the world. Their list includes:

1. Unrelenting violence stalks civilians throughout eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Doctors Without Borders reported that civilians gathered with their children at one of their vaccination sites were attacked by government forces. The group says actions like this severely undermine the trust necessary to carry out independent medical humanitarian work.

2. Somalis endure violence and lack access to health care

The group reports that 42 relief workers have been killed in Somalia since 2008. The ongoing civil war forced 200,000 people to flee the capital, Mogadishu, in the first months of 2009.

3. Precarious situation for people in southern Sudan and Darfur

Hundreds of thousands of people still have no access to aid and health care services in Sudan, where the crisis in Darfur and decades of civil war in the South offer "no end in sight to violence and suffering." There are still escalating tensions.

4. Thousands injured during the final stage of Sri Lanka's decades-long war

The battles between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels left tens of thousands of civilians trapped with only limited medical care this spring after aid groups were banned from the conflict zone.

5. Civilians suffer from violence and neglect in Pakistan

In Pakistan's Swat Valley, MSF were forced to suspend operations due to violence that saw its hospitals struck by mortar fire and two of the group's workers killed.

6. Politics of aid leave many Afghans cut off from humanitarian assistance

Afghan civilians have endured increasing levels of violence as the war in Afghanistan escalated in 2009. The insecurity has left only a few poorly functioning hospitals and clinics. Afghan civilians have to risk traveling hundred of miles through a war zone to seek medical care. Displaced people fleeing the war in the eastern provinces often have their needs and health care neglected because it is not a priority in counter-insurgency aid policies.

7. Civilians trapped in violent war in northern Yemen

Shelling during fierce fighting between government forces and rebels forced MSF to close the only hospital serving an entire district.

8. Woefully inadequate funding undermines gains in childhood malnutrition treatment

Malnutrition causes the deaths of between 3.5 million to 5 million children a year. The group said that while the international community spends $350 million a year to fight malnutrition, an estimated $11.5 billion is needed.

9. Funding for AIDS treatment stagnating despite millions still in need

Dwindling funding for HIV/AIDS threatens to leave 10 million infected people without treatment in the developing world. Since pledging to support universal AIDS treatment coverage by 2010 at the 2005 G8 Summit, many countries announced plans to reduce or limit funding (including the U.S.)

10. Lack of research and development and scale up of treatment plagues patients with neglected diseases

The international community continues to neglect diseases such as Chagas, leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, and the Buruli ulcer that mostly affects the poor in developing countries.

Please check out MSF's website for more information on their list. (Full Story) (Full Story)

December 20, 2009

Interesting article about a growing number of mainland Chinese mothers giving birth in Hong Kong. The article told the story of one Beijing-based freelance journalist who temporarily moved to Hong Kong with her husband in June and had her child in September. She had this child in Hong Kong because she plans on having a second child; and under China's "one child" family planning policy, she wouldn't be able to give birth to two children in mainland China. As her first child was born in Hong Kong, "as far as the Chinese government is concerned, he doesn't exist -- not officially anyway." In other words, his birth doesn't count. This allows this woman and her husband to have a second child in mainland China, where they are based permanently.

This loophole has resulted in an increase of expectant mothers from mainland China heading to Hong Kong hospitals in recent years. For the first six months of the year, 44 out of every 100 babies born in Hong Kong had mainland Chinese mothers. In 2002, the figure was about 18 out of 100. The number has increased since 2002 when border controls were eased.

Many women also like to come to Hong Kong to give birth because they feel that Hong Kong has better medical facilities, which often have Western-trained doctors and nurses. Another added bonus is that their child born in Hong Kong automatically receives permanent residency status, which entitles them to benefits including free education and medical care in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the child gets a Hong Kong passport with visa-free access to more than 100 countries.

Giving birth in Hong Kong has become so popular that various "pregnancy booking services" have started up. The services include arranging the expectant mother's travel permits to Hong Kong and help finding hotel rooms. The women now choosing to give birth in Hong Kong are often affluent professionals from Beijing or Shanghai (this trend is a sign of China's growing affluence). These women fly to Hong Kong, stay in hotels or rent apartments while awaiting the delivery, and they're willing to pay for top medical care. These women have negatively been referred to as "pregnancy tourists" by those who live in Hong Kong.

As a result of this growing trend, Hong Kong authorities have tried to curb the flow of mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong. In 2007, officials implemented a new pricing scheme in public hospitals that charges mainland women far more than locals. This has caused some controversy, especially among mainland women who are married to Hong Kong men, and live in Hong Kong, but they are still charged the fee. In addition, Hong Kong authorities announced in October that they were suspending all maternity ward bookings at public hospitals for mainland mothers for the rest of the year. Hong Kong authorities want to ensure that there is enough room for Hong Kong women during the peak baby season. However, the suspension does not affect private hospitals and they are still allowing mainland mothers. These private hospitals think the trend of mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong is a good thing -- it helps them fill their maternity wards and helps to raise revenue. (Full Story)

December 19, 2009

You know things are bad in Eritrea when an entire soccer team flees the country first chance they get. The national soccer team traveled to Nairobi, Kenya for a regional tournament. After a match against Tanzania, the team plane returned to Eritrea, but none of the players were on the plane. The players went into hiding in Nairobi and then contacted the U.N. refugee agency, which directed them to file asylum applications at Kenya's Immigration Ministry. This isn't the first time players from the national team have fled Eritrea. Six players defected three years ago after a match in Tanzania.

Eritrea is the second biggest source of asylum seekers in the world; second only to the total from Zimbabwe. Eritreans are fleeing for a number of reasons including political repression, food shortages, open-ended military service, and a dying economy.

Eritrea's information minister told the BBC that the players should return home and they would get a "good welcome", despite "betraying" their country. Why do I doubt they'd get a "good welcome"?! Human rights groups have said that failed defectors and critics of the president's government are often tortured and kept in shipping-container prisons in the desert. The government denies the allegation. Natch. (Full Story)

December 18, 2009

The UN refugee agency reported that this year 74,000 Africans crossed the Gulf of Aden into Yemen as refugees or economic migrants. This a record high number. It's 50% higher than last year. Most are coming from Somalia and Ethiopia (with Ethiopians representing the largest group). Many of these migrants were fleeing war, droughts, and poverty. Many cross over to Yemen -- some hope to then move on to Saudi Arabia to look for work. Most cross the Gulf of Aden in dangerous, overcrowded boats run by smugglers. The spokesman for the UN refugee agency said, "In some cases they are beaten, raped, killed, or just thrown overboard into shark-infested waters." He reported that 309 people drowned in capsized boats or were killed by smugglers in 2009. Almost 600 died in 2008. The spokesman added that the agency was concerned that upon arrival in Yemen, many of these refugees are just put in jail or deported without an asylum hearing. (Full Story) (Full Story)

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According to a new report from the Death Penalty Information Center, this year the number of new death sentences handed down fell to a record low (the lowest total since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976). This year continued a trend of decline that's been happening over the past seven years. The number of executions this year did increase from last year, but there has been a decrease in death penalty sentencing. The sentencing drop was most evident in Texas -- in the 1990s they averaged 34 death sentences in a year, this year had 9.

Some explanations for the drop in death penalty sentencing is that there has been a decline in the murder and violent crime rates, there are growing jury concerns about executing an innocent person, and also budgetary concerns -- in the time of budget cuts, prosecutors are concerned about the expenses in pursuing a death penalty. (Full Story) (Full Story)

December 17, 2009 - BONUS EDITION!

A public health expert wrote an article for the British Medical Journal (BMJ) about how Santa should eat healthier and exercise more [yes, this super lame article was published online in the Christmas issue of an actual medical journal]. He thinks Santa eats way too many cookies and instead should eat carrot sticks, he should wear a helmet during "extreme sports such as roof surfing and chimney jumping", and he should bike or walk instead of riding in the sleigh in order to lose his "jelly belly". He also said Santa is in danger of causing an outbreak because he comes in so much close-contact with sniffling, coughing kids -- and swine flu is a big concern this season. The author also found a relationship between countries that celebrate Santa and a large number of overweight and obese children. He wrote, "Santa promotes a message that obesity is synonymous with cheerfulness and joviality." (Full Story) ...........

I don't know who they think is reading medical journals, but it's certainly not children. Who the hell is the target audience of this piece?

I also liked this gem from the article: "After conducting a literature review..." What?!? You're writing a story about a fake person. How long could that literature review possibly be? What's listed in his Works Cited section, The Night Before Christmas?!

And ok, I'll play your little game that this is supposedly real research. I get it. It's Christmas. Blah blah blah. But just because it's Christmas doesn't mean you can blur the lines between correlation and causation. In the article he was implying that Santa was responsible for children being obese -- because the countries that celebrate Santa are also the fattest, and Santa "promotes" that obesity is ok. Obviously Santa doesn't CAUSE obesity. It's more that Western countries are the ones that celebrate Santa and they're also the ones that are more obese. I can't believe I even stooped to the level of questioning the soundness of research on a fake, lame, festive research article (in an actual medical journal, no less).

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At the orders of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, a new campaign is starting against "untidy and foreign" hairstyles. Official media said last month that men should keep their hair short and women should have it tied up. (Full Story)

Well, this seems reasonable. And it definitely should be a top priority for North Korea, considering everything there is going so well already. It's not like they have more important things to worry about... And look at Kim Jong-Il's ridiculous hair! Like he has any room to talk. Besides, I don't know why he's so upset about people's hair...probably most people's hair is falling out from malnutrition anyway, so keeping the hair short is a moot point (I know... inappropriate)

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I just like the title of this article: "WHO to send swine flu vaccine to poor countries." (With WHO, of course, being the World Health Organization.)

And after seeing the headline, it should be of no surprise that this scenario played out in my mind:

Person 1: Who is sending the swine flu vaccination to poor countries?"

Person 2: WHO

Person 1: Yeah, exactly, who is sending the vaccines?

Person 2: WHO

Person 1: Yes, that's what I said. So who is it?

Person 2: WHO!!!

Person 1: Quit mocking me! You don't have to get rude!

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Sarah Palin was seen on vacation in Hawaii this week wearing an old McCain for President visor, but she blacked out the letters on the visor! Despite her efforts, you could still see the faint outline of McCain's name. Is she really that cheap that she can't just buy a new visor?! While we're on the subject of her apparel, she was also wearing a t-shirt that said: "If you don't love America..." (on the front) ,"then why don't you get the hell out" (on the back). Classy! (Full Story)

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Nice title, Washington Post...do us all a favor, and just don't even try to be funny.

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In Dallas, Texas, a four year old boy (a pre-kindergartner) was suspended for having long hair -- which the school says violates their dress code. His father said the school district is "more concerned about his hair than his education." He added, "I don't think it's right to hold a child down and force him to do something...when it's not hurting him or affecting his education." (Full Story)

Maybe people would stop messing with Texas, if Texas stopped messing with people.

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A New Zealand church created a very odd billboard that shows Mary and Joseph in bed after what seems to be a disappointing round of sex. The caption on the billboard is "Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow." (There's a picture of the billboard in the article linked below). For those keeping tabs, this church's billboard is talking about Mary and Joseph having sex, implying that god and Mary had sex, and that Joseph is sloppy seconds. The church says the billboard was aimed at "challenging stereotypes" about the birth of Jesus Christ. They said they were satirizing the literal interpretation of the Christmas conception story. The church's vicar said, "What we're trying to do is to get people to think more about what Christmas is all about. Is it about a spiritual male God sending down sperm so a child would be born, or is it about the power of love in our midst as seen in Jesus?" Um, I don't really think anyone thinks of Christmas in terms of that first option. 'Let's celebrate god sending his sperm down!' And I don't think even the most liberal translations of the bible would say that god and Mary had sex and that god literally "planted his seed" in Mary. I really don't get what the church's message is, exactly, in regards to that billboard. But what I do know...the church definitely shouldn't have been surprised that the billboard was vandalized within a few hours. (Full Story)

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More than 1,200 followers of a multi-religious sect in India have pledged to marry female sex workers who want to escape exploitation. (Full Story)

Yeah, because nothing says "I escaped exploitation" quite like marrying a cult member* you just met. I don't think this is necessarily the best way to address this issue...

*Ok, so they're not actually considered a "cult". They're just a "multi-religious sect" in which 1,200 members signed pledges to marry sex workers "following a call" from their "chief", who commands a huge "following" and has had rape and murder charges brought against him. So, you be the judge.

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This guy is known as the French Elvis?! Do French people even know what Elvis looked like? Maybe they just call him the French Elvis because he's a musician that hasn't aged terribly well...

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A Chilean Olympic weight-lifter gave birth to a baby boy during a training session, and she had no idea she was pregnant. The baby was born three months premature. A week earlier she had participated in a weight-lifting competition and had won. (Full Story)

The discussion that followed:

Heather: Well, that's going to be another episode on TLC's "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant".

Eagan: I mean, I can imagine fat people not noticing (kind of), but someone so buff...it just seems odd

Heather: Maybe she thought she was just developing a really huge six pack...

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There have been a lot of un-Canadian Canadian stories in the news lately. Canada's top soldier, the chief of the defense staff, acknowledged that the country's military had been aware that prisoners it handed over to Afghan authorities risked being abused. His acknowledgment contradicted the government's position and his own testimony that he gave the previous day. The government of Canada had used national security laws and court hearings to stall and limit an investigation into the prisoner transfers. (Full Story). It's certainly not Canadian to turn over prisoners when you know they risk getting abused and trying to cover it up. But in their defense, it certainly was Canadian of that General to come out and tell the truth.

Then there was news that Canada recalled a diplomat from Tanzania for spitting on a policeman and journalist. (Full Story)

And now the Liberal Party of Canada is having to apologize for showing a fake picture of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper being assassinated. The Liberal Party website had been hosting a photo contest where readers could create images of Harper in fictional situations. The contest had been designed to criticize the PM's reluctance to attend climate talks in Copenhagen by showing locations that he would rather be in. And someone submitted a picture of Harper's head digitally placed on Lee Harvey Oswald's body as he is shot by Jack Ruby. The Liberal Party spokesperson said they do screen the pictures, but somehow this one slipped through the cracks. (Full Story)

What has happened to you Canada? Canadians need to come together, hold hands, eat some Timbits, watch some hockey, build an inukshuk, go to the doctor for free, and then they'll start acting Canadian again.

December 17, 2009

The BBC has gotten criticism from lawmakers and others for inviting debate on their website as to whether homosexuals should face execution in Uganda. There is a proposed Ugandan law that would punish people for committing homosexual acts by life imprisonment or the death penalty. The proposed legislation would also result in family and friends facing up to seven years in jail if they fail to report the person's homosexuality to authorities.

The online debate was on BBC's website "Africa Have Your Say". They asked for people's opinions on whether Uganda has gone too far or whether there should be any laws against gays. The page's title was originally "Should homosexuals face execution?" but was later changed to "Should Uganda debate gay execution?". The forum attracted 600 comments. Critics said that the BBC should not treat the execution of gay people as a legitimate topic for discussion, and instead this proposed legislation should be condemned. The program editor defended the debate. He said they put a lot of thought into choosing this topic and thought it was a good way to reflect on the diverse views on homosexuality in Africa. (Full Story)

I think it's always good to be aware of issues throughout the world, and to have an open discussion on these issues -- the causes, their effects, and so on. However, I think BBC went about the debate in the wrong way. They shouldn't have phrased the debate as "Should homosexuals be killed?" Because that is terrible, and they shouldn't encourage comments on the side that, 'Yes, homosexuals should be killed and here's why...' They should have facilitated more of a discussion (not a debate) on how people felt about this legislation, and what the legislation says about the treatment of homosexuals in Africa.

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The Census Bureau estimates that whites will no longer make up the majority of Americans in 2050. They had to push back their estimate from last year by eight years because the recession and stricter immigration policies have slowed the flow of immigrants into the U.S. The year when minority children will become the majority was also delayed by eight years, moving from 2023 to 2031. These new estimates are based on birth rates, death rates, and immigration continuing at the slower rate that it currently is at.

They also estimate that the total population will be 399 million by 2050 (the population today is 308 million). It's projected that whites will make up 49.9% of the population (they currently make up two-thirds of the population); African-Americans will make up 12.2%, which is virtually unchanged from today; Hispanics, who are currently make up 15% of the population, are expected to rise to 28%; and Asian-Americans are expected to make up 6% (they're currently at 4.4%). Furthermore, the population of those 85 and older is projected to more than triple to 18.6 million by 2050.

"The actual shift in demographics will be influenced by a host of factors that can't be accurately forecast -- the pace of the economic recovery, cultural changes, natural or man-made disasters, as well as an overhaul of immigration law... As a result, the Census Bureau said the projections should be used mostly as a guide." (Full Story)

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A study by the Pew Research Center has found that people are restricted from practicing religion freely in a third of all countries. That amounts to 70% of the world's population (some of the most restrictive countries are very populous). These citizens are either unable to practice their religion freely because of government policies and laws or because of hostile acts (including harassment and violence) by individuals or groups. The study found that, out of the 25 most populous countries, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, and India have the most restrictions when both measures are taken into account. The United States, Brazil, Japan, Italy, South Africa, and the United Kingdom have the least amount of restrictions when both measures are taken into account. The report found that 20% of the world's countries (which amounts to 57% of the world's population) have high or very high government restrictions. These countries include Saudi Arabia, Iran, and former communist countries, such as Russia, Belarus, and Bulgaria, where state atheism has been replaced by favored religions that are given special privileges or protections.

Many countries have language in their constitutions or laws that ban religious restrictions. However, in practice, many governments place restrictions on religion. Only about a quarter of the world's countries actually implement constitutional language protecting religious freedom. (Full Story)

December 16, 2009

Human Rights Watch has reported that U.N. peacekeepers in Congo are backing Congolese troops that have deliberately killed hundreds of civilians in their effort to oust rebels in eastern Congo. HRW says the U.N. peacekeepers are violating the laws of war and should immediately stop backing these troops. They say that the soldiers being fed and supplied with ammunition by the UN have killed civilians, sexually assaulted women and girls, and other "vicious" attacks. HRW said it has documented the killings of 732 civilians between January and September by the Congolese army and the troops from Rwanda that are fighting alongside the Congolese army. That's not to say the rebels are any better -- in that same nine-month period, HRW counted 701 civilians killed by the Rwandan Hutu rebels that the U.N.-backed troops are fighting. Furthermore, during those nine months, more than 7,500 cases of sexual violence against women and girls were registered at health centers. According to Oxfam (a British-based organization), "For every rebel combatant disarmed, one civilian has been killed, seven women or girls have been raped, six houses have been burned and destroyed, and 900 people have been forced to flee their homes." The senior researcher for HRW in Congo told a news conference, "These were not civilians who got caught in the crossfire; these were not civilians who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. These were civilians who were deliberately targeted." She added that most of the victims were women, children, and the elderly.

The senior researcher said that the U.N. peacekeepers should immediately cease all support to the Congolese army, that they should arrest 15 known human rights abusers in the army, and that they should find a new approach to protect civilians. She said, "I don't think the UN is committing war crimes. But they are now in violation of the laws of war...if they knowingly continue to support operations where their partner is participating in and committing war crimes. (Full Story)

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In the Arab world many women are sexually harassed in the streets, on public transportation, at school, and at work. As a result, women are covering themselves up (i.e., wearing a full-face veil or niqab) or trying to stay at home as much as possible to avoid harassment. Recently, activists from 17 countries in the region gathered in Cairo for a two-day conference on this issue. They concluded that harassment was unchecked because often laws don't punish it, women don't report it, and authorities ignore it.

The harassment, which includes groping and verbal abuse, is a daily experience for many women in the region. It makes women hesitant to go to public spaces. Statistics on the prevalence of harassment in the region have recently started being collected. So far research has found that as many as 90% of Yemeni women say they have been harassed; 83% of Egyptian women say they have been verbally or physically abused; and a study in Lebanon reported that more than 30% of women said they had been harassed. An Egyptian activist said, "We are facing a phenomenon that is limiting women's right to move...and is threatening women's participation in all walks of life."

Experts say that in some places this harassment appears to be a result of men being unhappy that more and more women are going to school, are in the workplace, and are involved in politics. The harassment can be a form of vengeance from men who blame women for denied work opportunities. These men feel threatened by an increasingly active female labor force. While, on the other hand, conservatives say the harassment is a result of women dressing and behaving inappropriately. However, women have reported that they experience harassment regardless of what they're wearing. Even women that wear the niqab experience harassment.

Sexual harassment has long been a problem in Mideast nations, but it wasn't discussed much until three years ago. This is when blogs started talking about sexual harassment and showing amateur videos of women being harassed in public. This caused a public outcry and sparked a public acknowledgment of the problem. However, sexual harassment, including verbal and physical assault, has only been specifically criminalized in only a half a dozen Arab countries over the past five years. Most of the 22 Arab nations outlaw overtly violent acts like rape or lewd acts in public (I'm definitely concerned by that "Most"). An activist in Yemen said that if women report harassment, traditional leaders interfere to cover it up, remove the evidence, or terrorize the victim. (Full Story)

December 15, 2009

Sources have said that China has blocked the Sun TV network from being distributed on cable due to its outspoken talk shows. It's believed that Sun's broadcast rights were revoked because guests on the network's talk shows were politically outspoken and called for political reform. The government is cracking down on content they deem too sensitive or bold. An employee at Sun TV's parent company in Hong Kong, who was too afraid to give his name for fear of political repercussions, reported that since December 5, audiences in mainland China cannot receive Sun TV's signals, but their programming is still working in Hong Kong and overseas. The government ministry responsible for the media did not notify Sun TV in advance, they did not give an explanation, and they did not say how long this revocation would last.
Beijing has become even stricter in terms of regulating televised and online content over the past few years. They have restricted the "more creative" television programs; they have blocked access to overseas social sites like facebook, twitter, and youtube; they have blocked Google's new document sharing platforms; and ordered Google to change the way online searches are processed for its Chinese Google site (way to capitulate for profit, Google). Also, in the name of cracking down on pornography, file-sharing websites have been closed down. These sites allowed users to share photos, music, and videos, (and obviously ideas -- the most dangerous thing!). Also, in the name of anti-pornography campaigns, some portals that hosted blogs have been blocked. Last month, the anti-pornography campaign also was extended to WAP sites that provide content to mobile phones. (Full Story)

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Officials from Doctors Without Borders said this year the violence in southern Sudan is the worst it's been since the signing of the 2005 peace deal between south Sudan and the north, which was to end two decades of civil war (south Sudan is seeking independence). This year at least 2,000 people have reportedly died and 250,000 have fled their homes following violence in southern Sudan. The operations director for Doctors Without Borders said the 2009 killings are different from past violence in the south. Before violence was linked to land clashes and cattle rustling. This year, villages have been attacked, and raiders have been targeting and killing women and children. The group said 87% of the people they have treated this year were victims of gunshot wounds. And the number of people killed in the violence is three times higher than the number of wounded. A Doctors Without Borders report said that there were warning signs before some of the attacks, but neither the government of southern Sudan nor the U.N. mission in Sudan protected the communities. It was further added that despite the large presence of aid agencies in Sudan, only a handful of these agencies can respond to humanitarian emergencies quickly and effectively. Officials don't yet understand the underlying reasons for the attacks. Some suspect it might have something to do with the fact that the south prepares to vote for independence in early 2011. (Full Story)

December 14, 2009

A London-based think tank called the New Economics Foundation recently conducted a study on the value of various jobs. They calculated the job's total contribution to society, and the impact it has on communities and the environment. They analyzed the overall value of six different jobs: The elite banker, childcare worker, hospital cleaner, advertising executive, tax accountant, and waste recycling worker. I think this is an interesting way of looking at the value of different positions.

They found that hospital cleaners create 10 pounds (as in the English currency) of value for every one pound they are paid. They "play a vital role in the workings of healthcare facilities" and they "contribute to wider health outcomes" by keeping hospitals clean and maintaining hygiene standards.

Bankers reportedly destroy seven pounds of value for every one pound they are paid. This is because of the damage they caused to the global economy.

For childcare workers, for every pound they are paid, they produce up to 9.50 pounds worth of benefits to society. They provide a valuable service to families, which allows parents to continue working and making earnings.

Advertising executives destroy 11 pounds of value for every pound they are paid. This industry "encourages high spending and indebtedness. It can create insatiable aspirations, fueling feelings of dissatisfaction, inadequacy, and stress."

Tax accountants destroy 47 pounds in value for every pound they are paid. The researchers say they hurt the county by coming up with schemes to reduce the amount of money available to the government. "Every pound that a tax accountant saves a client is a pound which otherwise would have gone to HM Revenue."

Waste recycling workers generate 12 pounds of value for every pound they are paid. They provide benefits to society by "processing and preventing waste and promoting recycling. Carbon emissions are significantly reduced. There is a value in reusing goods."

The spokeswoman for the New Economics Foundation said, "Pay levels often don't reflect the true value that is being created. As a society, we need a pay structure which rewards those jobs that create most societal benefit rather than those that generate profits at the expense of society and the environment... There should be a relationship between what we are paid and the value our work generates for society." (Full Story)

December 13, 2009

In Ashville, North Carolina there is a newly-elected city councilman who is an atheist, and his political opponents say that makes him unworthy of office. They are threatening to take the city to court for swearing him in last week, and they say they have the North Carolina Constitution on their side. They cited an old, little-noticed quirk in the Constitution that disqualifies officeholders "who shall deny the being of Almighty God." This provision is from the 1868 Constitution, and it was not revised when North Carolina amended its Constitution in 1971. However, the councilman, Cecil Bothwell, cannot have his position taken away because he is an atheist. That is because the provision is unenforceable, according to the supremacy clause of the Constitution. In 1961, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that federal law prohibits states from requiring any kind of religious test for officeholders -- the Court ruled in favor of a Maryland atheist that wanted to be a notary public. However, the federal protections do not necessarily spare atheist public officials from spending years defending themselves in court. Cecil Bothwell said, "The question of whether or not god exists is not particularly interesting to me, and it's certainly not relevant to public office." (Full Story)

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Houston is now the largest city in the U.S. to elect an openly gay mayor. Annise Parker accepted the position with her partner of 19 years and their three adopted children by her side, "Tonight the voters of Houston have opened the door to history. I acknowledge that. I embrace that. I know what this win means to many of us who never thought we could achieve high office." (Full Story)

As a side note, looking at the picture of Annise Parker in the article, what instantly came to mind was, "So that's what happened to Haley Joel Osment. He became a lesbian and moved to Houston."

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The craziest story I read today: In Mexico, drug traffickers are now stealing oil and then selling it in the U.S. They have gotten a hold of and are using high-tech drills, miles of rubber hose, and stolen tanker trucks. They have siphoned more than $1 billion worth of oil from Mexico's pipelines over the past two years, and it's bleeding the national treasury. A portion of the stolen oil is being taken over the border and sold to US companies -- some of which knew the oil was stolen. (Full Story)

December 12, 2009

Researchers from Rutgers and Columbia have found that poor children are more likely to be prescribed antipsychotic drugs. Children covered under Medicaid are given powerful antipsychotics at a rate four times higher than children who are covered under private insurance (4% of Medicaid patients age 6 to 17 are prescribed antipsychotics compared to 1% of privately insured children and adolescents). Furthermore, children under Medicaid are more likely to receive these drugs for less severe conditions than their middle-class counterparts. The possibility of over-prescribing is a concern because these are powerful drugs which can have sever physical side effects, including causing drastic weight gain and metabolic changes resulting in lifelong physical problems.

Some experts say that one possible explanation for why low-income children are more likely to be prescribed drugs than to receive counseling or psychotherapy could be insurance reimbursements. Medicaid often pays much less for counseling and therapy than private insurers do. Drugs can be cheaper than long-term therapy. Furthermore, there are also less psychiatrists that accept Medicaid. Experts say another possible explanation is that it might be more of a challenge for low-income families to consistently attend therapy sessions.

As one psychiatrist said about prescribing antipsychotics, "It's easier for patients, it's easier for docs. But the question is, 'What are your prescribing it for?' That's were it gets a little fuzzy." There is a concern that children are given drugs when it's not necessary. As there can be long waiting lists to see psychiatrists that accept Medicaid, it is often a pediatrician or family doctor that is prescribing the antipsychotic drugs to Medicaid patients. The FDA has approved antipsychotic drugs for children specifically to treat schizophrenia, autism, and bipolar disorder. But they are more frequently prescribed to children for other, less extreme conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, aggression, persistent defiance, and other so-called disorders. Doctors can legally prescribe antipsychotics for these "off label" uses, even though there has not been long-term studies of their effects when used for such conditions. The researchers found that Medicaid children were more likely than their private insurance counterparts to be given the drugs for these off label uses. In comparison, the private insurance children were more likely to receive the drugs for FDA-approved uses like for bipolar disorder.

"Experts generally agree that some characteristics of the Medicaid population may contribute to psychological problems or psychiatric disorders. They include stresses of poverty, single-parent families, poorer schools, lack of access to preventive care, and the fact that the Medicaid rolls include many adults who are themselves mentally ill. As a result, studies have found that children in low-income families may have a higher rate of mental health problems -- perhaps two to one -- compared with children in better-off families. But that still does not explain the four to one disparity in prescribing antipsychotics. " (Full Story)

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Huge surprise: The American public doesn't know too much about the scientific community.

A Pew Research survey found that only 56% of Americans think scientists generally agree that the earth is getting warmer because of human activity. When in actuality, 84% of scientists say the earth is getting warmer because of human activity.

And only 60% of Americans think scientists generally agree that humans have evolved. When in actuality, 97% of scientists say humans have evolved. (Full Story)

December 11, 2009

The Pew Hispanic Center released a new report on the young Latino population in the United States. Overall, the report found that these young Latinos "express overall satisfaction with their lives, despite high levels of poverty and teenage pregnancy, while carving an identity based more on their parents' home country rather than labels like 'American' or 'Hispanic' or 'Latino'."

In terms of demographics, one in ever four newborns in the United States is Hispanic. One in five schoolchildren in the U.S. are Hispanic. Two-thirds of Latinos aged 16-25 are native born Americans. American-born children of immigrants make up the largest share (37%) of the Hispanic population in the U.S. (this is the first year that this is the case). An additional 29% are of third generation or higher. Just 34% of the Hispanic population are immigrants themselves.

In terms of identify, when young Latinos were asked to describe themselves, 52% said their preference was their parents' country of origin, while 24% favored "American" and 20% favored "Hispanic" or "Latino".

Young Latinos expressed high levels of satisfaction with their lives -- half said they are very satisfied and 45% said they are mostly satisfied. Furthermore, 75% expect to be better off financially than their parents.

However, this population also faces some hardships:

*Latinos have the highest rate of teen pregnancy (26%) compared to African-Americans (22%), whites (11%), or Asian-Americans (6%).

*They have the highest high school dropout rate at 17% (compared at 9% for African-Americans, 6% for whites, and 4% for Asian-Americans).

*They have the second-highest percentage of those living in poverty (23% -- compared to 28% for African-Americans, 18% for Asian-Americans, and 13% for whites).

*About three in ten (31%) of young Latinos say they have a friend of relative who is a current or former gang member.

*Nearly four in ten (38%) young Latinos say they, a relative, or a close friend has been the target of ethnic or racial discrimination.

(Full Story) (Full Story)

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EU leaders have agreed to pay $10.6 billion over the next three years to help developing nations adapt to climate change. All 27 members of the EU will contribute. The UK's contribution promise was the highest at $800 million. The money is supposed to help the poorest nations tackle problems that are developing from climate change including rising sea levels, deforestation, and water shortages. The money is also supposed to help developing countries reduce their own carbon emissions. EU leaders are hoping the deal will boost the climate talks in Copenhagen and that it could kickstart the final negotiations.

However, critics are skeptical that it will be enough money. The chairman of the Least Developed Countries bloc said that any money from the developed world given to the developing world is needed and appreciated, but the amount of aid promised by the EU is "very, very low." (Especially when you consider the EU is made up of 27 countries including big economies like the UK, France, and Germany. The amount of aid probably could be larger; but being positive, at least it's something). Moreover, some campaign groups have questioned whether this is "new" money and not just a "relabeling of existing aid commitments." A spokesperson from the group ActionAid said, "Many EU members have a track record of repackaging or re-announcing existing aid commitments. This appears to be the case here too." (Full Story)

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In Uganda, members of parliament have voted to outlaw female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation -- also known as female circumcision -- is a custom that involves cutting off the girl's clitoris. It is seen as a way to ensure virginity and to make women suitable for marriage. The dangers of the procedure can include bleeding, shock, infections, and a higher rate of death for new-born babies. Under the new law, anyone convicted of the practice will face ten years in jail or a life sentence if the person dies. According to the UN, about three million girls each year in Africa are at risk of genital mutilation, and 91 million girls and women have experienced the procedure. (Full Story)

December 10, 2009

France has Europe's largest Muslim population, estimated at well over 5 million people. As a result of this growing visibility of Muslims (as well as other immigrants from non-European backgrounds), France is facing a "national identity debate". Essentially, there is a conflict going on in France over keeping "traditional" French culture and values (i.e., white, European, Christian) and accepting multiculturalism. On one side there are those that say people that come to France should adapt French culture and values, and abandon their traditions that conflict with these French values. On the other side are those that feel these measures are seen as xenophobic and bigoted, and are leading to anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiments.

On Tuesday President Nicolas Sarkozy called on native French people to be tolerant of Muslim immigrants, but he also warned that arriving Muslims must embrace France's historical values and that they should avoid "ostentation or provocation" in the practice of their religion. Wow, is that how he views things -- that French Muslims are following their religious practices simply to provoke people? That doesn't sound very tolerant.

Sarkozy said, "I address my Muslim countrymen to say I will do everything to make them feel they are citizens like any other, enjoying the same rights as all the others to live their faith and practice their religion with the same liberty and dignity. I will combat any form of discrimination." He continued, "But I also want to tell them, that in our country, where Christian civilization has left such a deep trace, where republican values are an integral part of our national identity, everything that could be taken as a challenge to this heritage and its values would condemn to failure the necessary inauguration of a French Islam." Once again, wow. That is a very loaded statement that is quite broad and vague. What, exactly, is considered a "challenge" to French heritage and values. It sounds all very 'We'll accept you completely...if you're not too showy or flashy with your religion.'

In France, members of parliament from Sarkozy's coalition introduced a bill this month that would give mayors the authority to ban foreign flag at city hall marriages. This is aimed at Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian flags that are often present at the weddings of immigrants' children. In another incident, a mayor from the government majority complained that in his city hall, weddings more often have Arab-style ululating instead of applause. Furthermore, a parliamentary commission has been holding hearings to decide whether Muslim women will be allowed to wear veils that cover their entire face. The commission is expected to release a report next month proposing legal restrictions. Sarkozy has publicly said that "the burqa has no place in France." He says his opposition is due to women's rights. And, indeed, this is a very complex issue. Some view the veil as a form of oppression of women. Others view it as a religious choice that people have the right to make.

These kinds of issues aren't just happening in France. For example, a few weeks ago, Swiss voters supported a referendum that bans the construction of minarets in Switzerland (minarets are towers attached to a mosque, from which the faithful are called to pray). Opponents of the results say they saw no reason for the vote other than as a symbol of the anxiety Swiss people feel about growing Muslim minorities. Sarkozy said the Swiss decision arose from a Democratic vote and instead of outrage, the decision should inspire reflection on the resentment many Europeans are feeling, "including the French." Xavier Bertrand, head of Sarkozy's political coalition, seemed to indicate that a referendum like the one in Switzerland would be a good idea for France. He even questioned whether French Muslims "necessarily need" minarets for their mosques. (Full Story)

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In a related story, a Swiss businessman, who was appalled by his country's vote to ban minarets, has built a minaret on his company building in protest. He is not Muslim, and he said he built the mock minaret above his chimney to "send a message of peace." (Full Story)

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According to a new report put out by Public Agenda, a non-partisan research group, most college drop-outs leave school because they have trouble attending school while working to support themselves. While 2.8 million students enroll in some form of higher education each year, most do not go straight on to graduating. Only one in five students that enroll in a two-year school earn an associate's degree within three years. Only two in five students that enroll in a four-year school complete their degrees within six years.

The executive vice president of Public Agenda said, "The conventional wisdom is that the students leave school because they aren't willing to work hard and aren't really interested in more education. What we found was almost precisely the opposite. Most work and go to school at the same time, and most are not getting financial help from their families or the system itself."

*Among those that dropped out, almost 60% did not get any help from their parents in paying tuition. Among those that got a degree, more than 60% had tuition help from their families.

*Nearly 70% of the dropouts had no scholarship or loan aid. While those that got a degree, only about 40% went without such aid.

*Almost three-quarters of those that completed a degree had household incomes above $35,000. Among the dropouts, more than half had household incomes below $35,000.

*Among the graduates, 70% had parents who had completed at least some college work. While, for the dropouts, 40% had parents with nothing beyond a high school diploma.

"Colleges need to be aware, the report emphasized, that only about a quarter of those enrolled in higher education fit the popular image of a college student living in a dorm and attending classes full time. Almost as many have dependent children." Many dropouts said balancing work and school was more of an issue than finding money for tuition. More than a third of dropouts said that even if they got a grant that covered their books and tuition, it would be hard to go back to school because of family and work commitments. When asked to rate 12 possible changes, the dropouts' most popular solutions were allowing part-time students to qualify for financial aid, offering more courses on weekends and evenings, cutting costs, and providing child care. (Full Story)

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There is a split among developing countries on how to address climate change. Small island countries (like Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Barbados, Fiji) and poor African countries (like Sierra Leone, Senegal, Cape Verde) that are extremely vulnerable to climate changes are demanding a legally-binding agreement that is more strict than the Kyoto Protocol. These countries want the rise in global average temperature to be limited to 1.5 Celsius and greenhouse gas emissions stabilized at 350 parts per million (ppm) rather than the 450 ppm favored by developed countries and some major developing countries. However, developing countries with fast-growing economies such as China, India, and South Africa oppose the lower target of 350 ppm because they feel that meeting that requirement would slow economic growth. They also oppose the proposed new-legally binding protocol that would be in addition to the Kyoto Protocol -- they feel that the Kyoto Protocol is tough enough.

China's negotiator said that his country and other emerging economies do care about the problems of small island states, which are increasingly vulnerable to rising sea levels. However, Palau's delegate said, "We're dying here, we're drowning; and some of us know that they don't really care, because we have to beg them. Actions speak louder than words. If they really do care, please have a little listen to us. " (Full Story)

Let's see now: a country's very existence being in danger OR the possibility of somewhat slower economic growth. That's a real tough decision.

December 09, 2009

Interesting story about the violent crisis in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico that has arisen due to the drug wars. Ciudad Juarez is one of the deadliest cities in the world. There has been about 2,250 killings this year. That is a rate of 173 per 100,000 residents. In comparison, Baltimore -- the deadliest U.S. city with a population more than 500,000 -- has a rate of 37 per 100,000 residents.

The violence began in early 2008 when rival drug cartel bosses launched a feud over drug routes their organizations had previously shared. Both sides have lost many gang members and family members, and as the feud drags on, each side has adopted increasingly brutal tactics. And innocent people are getting caught in between. "'Not one person murdered yesterday,' Ciudad Juarez's leading newspaper proclaimed in a banner headline. It was big news in this border city...the first time in ten months that a day had passed without a killing. But by the end of that day, Oct. 30, nine more people were riddled with bullets...Violent death is a part of life in Ciudad Juarez...Bloodied bodies hang from overpasses, and children walking to school stumble across hit men filling targets with lead." One 17 year old interviewed said, "I've seen bodies near my house, on the way to school, outside my work. It's no longer weird to see dead people."

In response to the violence, thousands of troops and federal police came to Ciudad Juarez in May 2008 to crack down on the violence and drug dealings. A retired general took over the police force and purged the corrupt cops and doubled the police force with military-trained officers. This year the president of Mexico sent in 7,000 soldiers. The killings did begin to slow down. However, the drug seizures instituted by the government has resulted in the loss of income for traffickers -- so they have turned to kidnapping, bank robberies, and carjackings to make money.

"The city is dying," said the president of the local chapter of the National Chamber of Commerce. Steel bars cover windows, nightclubs and bars that once attracted a crowd including those from the U.S. are struggling or closing, residents are afraid to socialize outside of their homes, people run stoplights to avoid being carjacked -- even in the daytime, there have been 6,000 businesses that have closed this year, and the only businesses that are thriving are funeral homes.

Residents are fed up and feel that not enough is being done. The local Chamber of Commerce has asked the United Nations to send in peacekeepers. The president of Mexico rejects that idea and says Mexico can handle its own problems. (Full Story)

December 08, 2009

A Human Rights Watch said in a report that women in Afghanistan are among the worst off in the world, violence against them is "endemic", and the Afghan government fails to protect them against crimes like rape and murder. The report said that conditions for women are "dismal in every area" of Afghanistan. The report is based on 120 interviews from different Afghan provinces.

The report said, "Whereas the trend had clearly been positive for women's rights from 2001-2005, the trend now is negative in many areas... it is a reflection of the power of conservative leaders who want to deny women their basic rights." The author of the report said that one hindrance towards women's rights in Afghanistan is that President Karzai's has increasingly relied on support from former warlords, who are often very conservative and are fundamentalists (their views are often not that different from the Taliban). This has increasingly restricted women from making progress in Afghan society and government. When Karzai was first election president in 2004, he appointed three women ministers. Today, there is only one woman in the cabinet (and she is the minister for women's affairs).

The report gave examples of the injustices against women that have been happening in Afghanistan, including rapists that have been pardoned by the government, females being imprisoned for running away from home, rape victims being charged with adultery, and attacks on women in public life seem to be increasing. Another indicator that women's rights are declining is the introduction of the Shi'ite Personal Status Law. It caused an international outcry because some of its articles were seen as legalizing marital rape. (Full Story)

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U.S. Census data has found that nearly one in six Americans workers are foreign born. This is the highest proportion since the 1920s.

The Census Bureau also looked at immigrant families by generation. Overall, income and other measures of achievement increased from one generation to the next. Among all immigrant families, the median income increased from $50,867 in the first generation (those that just came to the United States), to $63,359 in the second generation (the children of those that first came to the U.S.; the second generation was born in the U.S.), to $65,144 in the third generation. The only group to have a decrease in median income was families headed by single mothers -- in which case, their income declined from the second generation to the third. Furthermore, the overall proportion of immigrant families living below the official poverty line declined over the generations -- from 16.5% to 14.5% to 11.5%.

With education, the proportion of high school graduates increased from one generation to the next. However, the proportion of those with Bachelor's degrees or higher declined from the second generation to the third. And the first generation has a higher proportion with doctorates (in fact, while immigrants make up 16% of the total labor force, they make up up 28% of workers with doctoral degrees. Most of the immigrants with doctoral degrees as from Asia and Europe).

A sociology professor at the University of Toronto explained why the second generation tends to do better than the first generation, she said the second generation personifies "the overachievement model, a tendency for very high achievement that seems to come as a result of immigrant parents instilling in these kids an enormous drive. Many try to instill in their kids the phrase, 'We did this all for you.'" Another sociology professor at the City University of New York reported that any decline in the third generation could be a result of "second-generation parents, themselves born in the U.S., are less optimistic and push their children less hard than their own immigrant parents who came here and struggled so their children could succeed."

Also interesting from the report, they found that noncitizens were most likely to work in agriculture, construction, and the hotel and food service industries. Citizens born abroad were most prevalent in real estate, health care, and transportation. Immigrants from Asia, Europe, and Africa were most likely to be employed in management and professional occupations. Mexican immigrants are most likely to be employed in construction and farming. (Full Story)

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According to a New York Times analysis of federal data, over the last five years more than 20% of the nation's water treatment systems did not deliver safe tap water to local residents. This is in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Violations have occurred in parts of every state. Since 2004, the water provided to more than 49 million people has contained illegal concentrations of chemicals (like arsenic and the dry cleaning solvent tetrachloroethylene), or radioactive substances (like uranium or radium), as well as dangerous bacteria often found in sewage. The majority of drinking water violations since 2004 have occurred from water systems serving fewer than 20,000 residents, where resources and managerial expertise are often lacking.

Scientific research indicates as many as 19 million Americans may become ill each year due to parasites, bacteria, and viruses in drinking water. Research also indicates that certain types of cancer -- such as breast and prostate cancer -- have risen over the past 30 years and is likely tied to pollutants found in drinking water.

Regulators were informed about each violation as they occurred, but regulatory records show that only 6% of the water treatment systems were fined or punished by the state or federal officials (including the Environmental Protection Agency, which has the ultimate responsibility for enforcing standards). In some instances, the violations were one-time events and probably posed little risk. But for hundreds of systems, contamination persisted for years. The EPA said in a statement that with a majority of these violations, state regulators used informal methods, like providing technical assistance, to help the systems. However, EPA data shows that many systems remained noncompliant, even after aid was offered.

A spokeswoman for the EPA stated, "This administration has made it clear that clean water is a top priority. The previous eight years provide a perfect example of what happens when political leadership fails to act to protect our health and the environment." That requires an "Oh snap!", as well as an "And how!" (Full Story)

December 07, 2009

Russia is considering changing some of their time zones to help manage business, communication, and other affairs. It is difficult to manage these things when certain parts of Russia are nine hours ahead of other parts. Russia has 11 time zones that stretch from the Polish border to near Alaska. The time zones were initially set up by the Soviets to showcase how big the country is, and the many time zones has been a source of national pride. The government now views the large number of time zones as a nuisance and a liability, and is now considering shedding some. Some see scaling back the time zones as a good step towards modernizing Russia's economy. One Russian politician said, "If the time differences were less, then Russia would be perceived by people as a more compact, more manageable place. It could reduce inefficiencies and minimize estrangement between parts of Russia.

The article gave the example of a man who owns a fish processing factory on the Kamchatka Peninsula (nine hours ahead of Moscow) and his office is in Vladivostok (seven hours ahead of Moscow). His business often depends on regulation and banking decisions made in the capital. He explained, "It's extremely inconvenient getting anything done through Moscow. For any activity, we often have to wait a day, wasting a whole 24 hours."

There have already been some complaints about the current time zones. One Russian in the article said he believed that the Far East (of Russia) was already two hours off "the correct biological time" -- meaning the time more appropriate for the human body's internal clock. Others say the time zones don't make much sense. For example, while it is noon in Vladivostok, it is 10:00 AM just over the border in China, and 11:00 am in Tokyo -- even though Tokyo is further east than Vladivostok.

Though not everyone is in favor of the proposal to change the time zones. Some are worried that shifting the time closer to Moscow might help with business and government but would hurt people's well-being because they would have to spend more of their waking hours in the dark. Furthermore, this proposal is being met by some suspicion, especially from those in the Far East and Siberia. People from these regions have long resented Moscow and do not trust them. Resident often complain about the lack of federal support in their region. Some residents of the Far East feel that this time zone modification is just for show. As one resident said, "They can say, 'Oh we are doing this to help the economy out there. But the reality is that if they really want to help us, there are a lot of other, more significant things they can do."

Interestingly, the article mentioned that while Russia has 11 times zones, at the other extreme is China. After Mao and the Communists seized power in 1949, they instituted one countrywide time zone as a way to control the country. Everyone in China is supposed to live on Beijing time -- even though the country is wide enough to have four or five time zones. Russia is not considering one time zone like China, they're just looking into scaling back the number of time zones. The Russian government has not made a decision on this yet; they're just considering ideas. (Full Story)

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A study by the RAND Corporation found that children in military families were more likely to report anxiety than children in the general population. In addition, the longer a parent is deployed, the more likely the children will have difficulties in school and at home. These difficulties included things like "missing school activities, feeling that people did not understand their problems, having to take care of siblings, and struggling to deal with parents returning from deployment."

The researchers found that children living on military bases tended to report fewer difficulties than children who lived off the base. The head researcher argued that one explanation could be that those on the base are more connected to support services. 70% of military children do not live on a military base.

They also reported that many families experienced difficulties adjusting to the deployed parent returning home -- a period known as reintegration. This was especially the case among those families where the non-deployed parent/caregiver worked. The head researcher said that one possibility for this is that the stress of reintegration is compounded by the stress on the family of the non-deployed parent's job. However, she added, being employed is generally considered helpful for the mental health of a caregiver during deployment.

The study also found that female children tend to have more problems than male children during reintegration. Moreover, older children had more problems during and after deployment than younger children. The researchers speculated that one reason for the difference is that there is more pressure on girls and older children to assume household responsibilities.

The researchers suggested, in light of the study, that the military should consider directing services to families during the later stage of deployment, which is when more families report problems.

The study was based on interviews of 1,500 children from ages 11 to 17, and their primary caregivers. 95% of the families had a parent deployed in the last three years. The researchers say that one potential shortcoming of the study is that the participants were selected from applicants to a free camp sponsored by the National Military Family Association -- it is possible that these families were not representative of the "average" military family. (Full Story)