Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Last Friday, as I assume everyone remembers we had David Shorr of The Stanley Foundation speaking. The topic, of course, dealt with foreign policy and the role that the US should fill in the international community. I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Shorrs' call for a new and more relevant approach to internation events, both economic and military. It seems that as a nation we seem to be stuck in the age of "might makes right" and the voice of the international community doesn't seem to be a concern.

"The real crisis we face is not one of capitalism or American decline, but of globalization itself. As the problems spill over borders, the demand for common action has gone up. But the institutions and mechanisms to make it happen are in decline."

-David Shorr

With growing globalization the world really is becoming a much smaller place, one where states much come to a consensus on many actions before following through. That's not to say that goverments shouldn't be allowed to govern themselves, simply that any action with far reaching repercussions extending outside of the state should at least to some degree be influenced by those being effected. I would love to hear anyone's opinions on the US and our future role with the globalization of the world!

Next Friday at 11:30 am the doors open at the Anchorage Hilton to our speaker Dr. Karin von Hippel who will be discussing the "Root Causes of Terrorism". Dr. von Kippel is the codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project and senior fellow with the CSIS International Security Program. Some of her more recent works include The terrorist exception: a response to Roger Scruton, A Counterradicalization Strategy for a New U.S. Administration, and Five Steps For Defeating Terrorism

Please excuse my brevity this week ladies and gentlemen, it is finals week and I have my final round of exams tomorrow. I hope to see you there this Friday!


John Darnall