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DRAWN FROM NATURE: AUDUBON’S ARTISTIC LEGACY. Woodville, Louisa LINNAEUS: IN SEARCH OF BOTANICAL TREASURES (Humanities, Vol. 28, No. 2, March/April 2007, pp. 10-17)

Harbold, Laura — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:49:53 +0200

The work of naturalists John James Audubon (French/Haitian) and Carolus Linnaeus (Swedish) helped Americans appreciate their own native flora and fauna. Linnaeus created the two-part, Latin-based system of naming plants, animals and minerals still in use. He sent students to explore the world, including the New York-Canadian wilderness, and the specimens they brought back were part of his groundbreaking book SPECIES OF PLANTS, published in 1753. Linnaeus’ system of classifying the natural world “helped New World inhabitants establish an identity separate from their European kinfolk,” says author Woodville. Audubon is best known for his BIRDS OF AMERICA, a seven-volume set of 650 hand-colored prints published in 1840. Harbold interviews Larry Hott, director of DRAWN FROM NATURE, a documentary on Audubon funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, who sees Audubon as a man of contradictions -- a conservationist who was also an avid bird hunter, an American outdoorsman and European sophisticate, and an artist and entrepreneur. Many of the birds he painted are now extinct, along with much of the American wilderness that was their home. Audubon was “the first to sound the clarion call that there was a problem,” says Hott. The painter’s legacy lives on in the National Audubon Society and its dedication to preserving America’s natural heritage.

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“MEMORY IS A SHIELD”: A CONVERSATION WITH ELIE WIESEL (Museum News, vol. 86, no. 4, July/August 2007, pp. 36-41)

Greene, Daniel — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:49:10 +0200

Although many people have written about the Holocaust, few have done so with the poignancy of Elie Wiesel. Wiesel was fifteen years old when he was deported to Auschwitz; he survived the Holocaust to offer testimony about its horrors to a world that did not always want to remember. In 1978, Wiesel was asked by U.S. president Jimmy Carter to head his Presidential Commission on the Holocaust, a group later known as the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. The group visited former concentration camps, met with European officials to ask for records pertaining to Holocaust victims, and was responsible for the creation of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. In 1986, for his work on behalf of victims everywhere, Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. This discussion between Wiesel and Daniel Greene, historian at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), took place as part of the Museum’s podcast series “Voices on Antisemitism”, to raise public awareness about threats of prejudice and hatred. In his remarks, Wiesel talked about contemporary anti-semitism, memory and the role of museums in remembering tragedy, especially at USHMM, where Wiesel hopes that “anyone who enters the museum does not come out of it the same person.”

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SOLDIERING AHEAD (Wilson Quarterly, vol. 31, no. 3, Summer 2007, pp. 54-62)

Yeager, Holly — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:48:34 +0200

Women now make up 14.4 percent of enlisted personnel and 15.9 percent of the officer corps in the 1.4-million-strong active-duty U.S. military. They serve in more than 90 percent of military occupations, but are still barred from jobs having to do with direct ground combat. Nonetheless, they are getting shot at in Iraq, where they work as convoy drivers, military police, and a variety of other jobs having to do with supply and support. How are they doing? Admirably, says Yeager, who has covered the Pentagon for the Hearst newspaper group and Defense Daily and writes extensively about women’s issues. Contrary to expectations, most women hold up emotionally in combat, and the American public has not howled in protest over the 70 female soldiers killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The increased number of women in the military has not fundamentally changed martial culture. What has changed, however, is management style, which is geared toward more family-friendliness. And this, the author says, is a plus for attracting and retaining an all-volunteer force. Even so, more women than men leave the service because of the demands of family responsibilities. And lack of combat experience will prevent most women from advancing to the highest levels of the military hierarchy.

ABU REUTER AND THE E-JIHAD: VIRTUAL BATTLEFRONTS FROM IRAQ TO THE HORN OF AFRICA (Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, vol. 8, no. 2, Summer/Fall 2007, pp. 89-96)

Rogan, Hanna — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:47:56 +0200

Terrorists have built a pervasive media presence in print, satellite broadcasts, and the Internet. In her survey of “global jihadist” propaganda, the author, a visiting fellow at the Terrorism Research Center and a member of the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, concludes that in addition to traditional wartime roles of legitimating its actions and intimidating its foes, terrorist media is geared primarily to followers and potential recruits, facilitating operational command and control as well as inspiring individuals from a “virtual community” to stage attacks of their own. While its overall effectiveness is debatable, the author stresses the need for continued close monitoring to inform future counterterrorism policies.

TURKEY REDISCOVERS THE MIDDLE EAST (Foreign Affairs, vol. 86, no. 4, July/August 2007, pp. 103-114)

Larrabee, F. Stephen — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:47:17 +0200

In recent years, Turkey has established a new diplomatic profile in the Middle East, giving it a new opportunity to act as a bridge between the Arab world and the West. Ankara’s shift has been caused largely by rejection by Western Europe of its EU bid and diffidence toward the U.S. and its perceived lack of support for containing Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq, who are also a concern of Iran and Syria. Turkey’s Islamist conservative government has drawn closer to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and shifted away from long-standing ally Israel toward a more pro-Palestinian orientation, meeting with Hamas and criticizing Israel for its role in the August 2006 conflict in Lebanon. The author, who holds the Corporate Chair in European Security at the RAND Corporation, rejects fears of an “Islamization” of Turkish foreign policy, calling instead for Washington to accept an assertive and independent-minded Turkey and for Ankara to recognize the ultimate need for some type of accommodation with Iraqi Kurds, and citing the 2006 “Shared Vision” statement as a starting point for a new US-Turkish strategic partnership.

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IRAN’S NUCLEAR CHALLENGE (Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 122, No. 2, Summer 2007, pp. 189-205)

Dueck, Colin; Takeyh, Ray — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:46:20 +0200

Dueck, assistant professor of public and international affairs at George Mason University, and Takeyh, senior fellow in Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, write that Iran has legitimate reasons for wanting a nuclear deterrent, and the most promising route for the U.S. to take is that of containment, supplemented by direct bargaining. Iran’s regime has numerous factions, but they all agree on the need for a nuclear protection from threats they see from Israel, other neighboring countries, and the U.S. The impact of the Iran-Iraq war on Tehran’s nuclear calculations cannot be underestimated. “The international indifference to Saddam’s war crimes and Tehran’s lack of an effective response has led Iran’s war-veteran President to perceive that the security of his country cannot be predicated on global opinion and treaties,” the authors write. Iran is “not an irrational rogue state” seeking the bomb as an instrument of an aggressive foreign policy, nor is it likely to hand over an “Islamic bomb” to terrorist organizations, the authors argue, noting that Iran has long possessed chemical weapons and has yet to transfer such arms to its terrorist allies. “Since the U.S. is not about to invade and occupy Iran, an unwillingness to engage in diplomacy with its government amounts to tacit consent as Tehran develops the bomb,” the authors say, recommending containment and “direct, hard bargaining” as the only chance to prevent Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons.

BALANCING ACT: AUSTRALIA’S STRATEGIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES (Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, vol. 8, no. 2, Summer/Fall 2007, pp. 71-79)

Cobb, Adam C. — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:45:49 +0200

The U.S. must not take Australia for granted, says the author, professor at the Air War College in Alabama, who evaluates Canberra’s efforts to navigate between a long-time ally and a rising China, which is becoming a major regional strategic player and a key trading partner. While its security ties are based on its historical ties to Great Britain and the U.S., geography is shaping its economic future, where it risks increasing long-term dependence on its role as an energy and natural resources supplier to China. The author suggests that Australia consider using its energy resources as the basis for a new grand strategy, building a balance of power with China, India, and the U.S. based on a doctrine of “security through energy.” By doing so, 21st-century Australia can build a position for itself in the Pacific, similar to that of Switzerland in Western Europe.

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A NEW APPROACH: ENGAGING THE MUSLIM WORLD THROUGH PUBLIC DIPLOMACY (Harvard International Review, vol. 28, no. 4, Winter 2007, pp. 30-33)

Barron, Owen — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:44:53 +0200

Harvard International Review staff writer Owen Barron traces the history of American public diplomacy efforts. The author dwells on what is currently negative Arab public opinion of the U.S. However, although Arabs dislike American foreign policy, they affirm U.S. values. Barron offers several remedies for U.S. public diplomacy in this region of the world, including, not only explaining American values to Arabs, but, also, attempting to understand Islamic and Arabic cultures ourselves.

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TURKEY: NOT ABOUT ISLAMIC VS. WESTERN VALUES (New Perspectives Quarterly, vol. 24, no. 3, Summer 2007, pp. 24-27)

Sen, Amartya — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:44:16 +0200

The author, 1998 Nobel Price winner for economics and a Lamont University Professor at Harvard University, says it is a mistake to see the debate between secular and religious politics in Turkey as a clash between Islamic and Western (or Judeo-Christian) values. The differences, he says in this interview with NPQ, are related to views on appropriate political and public practice, not to which religion is appropriate. He notes that most of the secularists in Turkey are themselves Muslims. He cautions those who fear “universalism” not regress to the “well-frog” approach, that is, the refusal to hear about the opinions of the outside world. “For reasoned vindication of any local practice,” Sen says, “it would have to be open to further examination and arguments.”

THE PIRATE HUNTERS (Smithsonian, vol. 38, no. 5, August 2007, pp. 38-44)

Raffaele, Paul — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:43:40 +0200

Piracy on the high seas soared in the 1990s after many countries reduced the size of their navies with the end of the Cold War; as a result, maritime authorities worldwide have had to step up efforts to protect shipping and trade. About 95 percent of the world’s trade travels by water; in 2007, estimated value of such trade was at least $6 trillion. Estimates of the value of goods lost to pirates ranges into the billions annually. The foremost organization combating ocean-going piracy is the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which operates the Piracy Reporting Centre, the world’s only such operation. The shipping lanes near Somalia are considered among the most perilous in the world; other piracy “hot spots” are the waters off Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nigeria. In the Persian Gulf, authorities are concerned about terrorism as well as piracy; Coalition vessels, including those manned by the U.S. Coast Guard, patrol exclusion zones around Iraqi terminals where tankers take on millions of barrels of oil daily.

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ISLAM: REPORTING IN CONTEXT AND WITH COMPLEXITY (Nieman Reports, Vol. 61, No. 2, Summer 2007, pp. 4-62)

Ludtke, Melissa, et al. — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:42:56 +0200

Nieman Reports devotes this issue to the complexities and challenges faced by Western reporters in covering Islam, the Islamic world and the Middle East. In 22 articles, top journalists and academics such as Richard Engel, Tariq Ramadan and Robert Azzi review the work of their peers and note the ignorance, predjudice and misperceptions about Islam that are frequently repeated in the media. Other writers suggest current stories and trends, such as political developments, social change, bloggers and the economy, in the Middle East and elsewhere that are ignored in coverage. All urge their colleagues to do a better job in understanding the subtle complexities of culture and its interface with Islam as a religion. In her article, DePaul University professor Marda Dunsky sums up a consistent editorial theme of this journal: she writes that in the U.S. press, conflict in the Middle East repeatedly imparts details from a U.S. policy viewpoint, omitting key issues and leaving important contextual questions unasked and unanswered. She and other authors would like to see reporting that is more nuanced and less superficial.

BRINGING UP THE PAST (Smithsonian, vol. 38, no. 4, July 2007, pp. 80-88)

Devoss, David — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:42:16 +0200

Underwater archaeologists have only begun to search the waters of the Malacca Strait off Malaysia in recent decades, but what they’re finding is rewriting the history of the region. Devoss profiles Australian marine archaeologist Michael Fletcher, who discovered a shipwreck known as the Tang wreck because of cargo dating to China’s Tang dynasty of 618-960 A.D. The wreck reveals a level of sophistication in regional sea trade and commerce, of which researchers had been unaware. Fletcher and others like him confront not only the dangers of the work, but they race to find these submerged hulks before they are raided by pirates with no regard for preserving and recording their historical value, or destroyed by the seabed-leveling techniques used by some fishing trawlers.

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NATURAL BABY, TOXIC WORLD (E Magazine, Vol. 18, No. 3, May/June 2007, pp. 27-33)

Belli, Brita — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:41:40 +0200

Belli, managing editor of E Magazine and a new mother, reports on efforts by U.S. parents to reduce their infants’ chemical exposure and reduce landfill waste created by disposable diapers. By using “attachment parenting”, babies are carried physically close to their parents and breast-fed. Attuned parents need less baby gear, such as mattresses treated with flame retardant, do not use formula and in some cases, can give up diapers by anticipating their child’s hygiene needs. For those who cannot master diaper-free babies, several diaper products have come on the market that use fewer chemicals. There is a new diaper that is completely biodegradable. Belli notes the explosion of new organic baby foods and products designed to help parents make their own baby food. She also points out ways to remove toxins within the home. A side bar reports on the use in plastic toys of phthalates, a commonly-used group of organic compounds that are known to be carcinogenic, and some recent government efforts to regulate their use.

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INDUSTRIALISATION CANNOT WAIT (African Business, No. 333, July 2007, pp. 20-21)

Siddiqi, Moin — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:41:02 +0200

The author, an independent economist specializing in trends in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, looks at the Africa’s, especially Sub-Saharan Africa’s, lack of economic growth. South Africa remains an only exception in the SSA region with its advanced industrialization. In comparison with the growing Asian economies, the SSA economy is limited to “commodity-reliant,” involving simple labor-intensive activities. For economic growth, following the example of Asia’s recently industrialized countries, there needs to be export diversification and upgrading of manufacturing methods. There is also tremendous need for infrastructure improvement, along with regional trade, which could lead to solid industrial base, eventually expanding to larger areas. Siddiqi believes it would take a long time, more than a mere “five-year development plan,” before the desired economic growth can be achieved.

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WRITING THE RULES: THE NEED FOR STANDARDIZED REGULATION OF ISLAMIC FINANCE (Harvard International Review, vol. 29, no. 1, Spring 2007, pp. 38-42)

Modi, Vikram — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:40:06 +0200

Islamic finance fueled by petrodollars has been growing fast over the last decade, says Modi, associate editor of the Review. As Islamic and some regular banks develop Shari’ah-compliant financial products, the customer base is growing despite suspicions from some Islamic scholars. Some predominantly Muslim countries such as Libya and Morocco refuse to recognize Islamic banks, which they see as linked to Islamic parties. Others, such as Egypt and Tunisia, allow such banks to exist but impose little regulation. But there also are countries such as Bahrain and Malaysia that not only offer substantial support to Islamic banking but also cooperate on regulatory issues. The author declares that consolidation, standardized regulation, greater transparency and innovation are needed to encourage growth of Islamic financial services. He suggests that Western countries with large Muslim populations follow the lead of the U.K Financial Service Authority, which holds Islamic banks to the same standards as conventional ones, but has modified laws to accommodate them, recognizing the unique nature of Islamic financial transactions.

THE DEBT FRENZY (Foreign Policy, Issue 161, July/August 2007, pp. 36-42)

Bosco, David — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:39:26 +0200

The author, a contributing editor at Foreign Policy, discusses various aspects of the system of international government debt, with particular emphasis on “vulture funds,” investment funds which purchase government bonds from lenders at a fraction of their face value, then sue, harass, and shame the debtor governments to pay what they owe. Activists who support debt forgiveness criticize these funds for reducing the money available for humanitarian expenditures such as education and health care by the debtor governments. Where the activists see poor countries in need of relief, fund managers see the governments which refuse to pay their debts as corrupt deadbeats disregarding the rule of law. Argentina and Zambia are presented as extreme examples of a country which is shirking its obligations (Argentina) and one which is struggling to pay a debt incurred in 1979 while facing wrenching poverty and a runaway AIDS epidemic (Zambia). “What is sorely needed is ... a legal mechanism that can inject some equity into the process -- a system that will cry for Zambia but punish Argentina.”

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ENERGY ECONOMICS: A PLACE FOR ENERGY POVERTY IN THE AGENDA? (Energy Journal, Vol. 28, No. 3, 2007, pp. 1-6)

Birol, Fatih — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:38:34 +0200

The issue of energy poverty has been overshadowed by energy security and climate change, says the author, chief economist of the International Energy Agency. The lack of access to electricity and reliance on traditional biomass for cooking and heating have a number of negative consequences for the world’s poorest people, such as inadequate education and healthcare, low worker productivity and deforestation. Birol argues that, without a sharper increase in electricity rates and use of alternative fuels, eradicating extreme poverty in the next two decades will be impossible. He claims such an increase can be achieved quickly at modest short-term costs and views strong political will of the poorest country governments as necessary conditions. What he doesn’t say is that the policies aimed at mobilizing investment necessary to build energy infrastructure have rarely been pursued by governments of developing countries because they have lacked the will or resources. For the poorest countries, public-private partnerships, rather than exclusive reliance on private capital, may be one way forward, Birol says.

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THE WALL STREET SLIDE (International Economy, vol. 21, no. 2, Spring 2007, pp. 26-28)

Baker, Gerard — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:34:15 +0200

“New York is losing its mojo!” scream the financial pundits. Over-regulation is driving business away from the Big Apple to other global financial centers such as London and Hong Kong, they charge. Or is it? Gerard Baker, the U.S. editor and an assistant editor of The Times of London, challenges the notion that U.S. financial markets are losing out to more nimble, less tightly regulated markets in Europe and Asia as a result of legislation in 2002 following the Enron and other financial scandals. Nothing of the sort, he says. The rise of London and Hong Kong as financial centers is not because of regulatory differences but is simply a reflection of a more balanced global capital system, Baker writes. He says that London has emerged as the consolidated financial market for Europe, where in the first quarter of this year, the combined market capitalization of companies quoted on European exchanges exceeded that of American companies for the first time since World War One. He said the growth of Hong Kong’s equity market reflects the explosive expansion of the Chinese economy. What unites London, Hong Kong and New York is far more important than what differentiates them, and that is the prevalence of Anglo-American common law. “This Anglo-American common-law approach differs fundamentally from the legal systems of Europe and most of Asia in its flexibility and reliability. It is no accident that, as capitalism has gone truly global in the last ten years, financial centers steeped in that tradition have moved to preeminence,” he writes.

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