As the situation continues to spiral into bloody chaos in Syria, the regime of Bashar al-Assad is not the only party that is going to lose big when the state fully collapses into civil war: believe it or not, it’s Iran that stands to be the Biggest Loser, and I ain’t talkin’ about shedding pounds on network TV my friends! In this plaid-cast, the Professor points out multiple ways that Iran is currently getting squeezed by the international community, and how the loss of Syria, its only major ally in the region, is going to be a devastating blow to their power, influence, and status in the Middle East and possibly the wider world.
Keywords: Syria, Iran, Homs, Arab, Persian, Hormuz, nuclear weapon, Hezbollah, embargo, civil war
Brrrrrr…it’s getting cold out there! And for Russians, I’m not just talking about the weather! While there has been a significant cold-snap-smack-down on western Russia and Eastern Europe, this Professor rant deals more with the political, economic, and social chill that has set in on Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The western news media portray the Russian public protest against the government and upcoming elections as a simplistic anti-Putin/pro-democracy thing…but there is much more going on behind the scenes in Russia that is causing this anti-establishment chill to set in. Included in this discussion are corruption, wealth disparity, a fleeing middle class, mafia, and an un-diversified economy that together are creating a sense of hopelessness and political despondency amongst some Russian peoples. And Putin is now paying attention to the change in the Russian political climate!
Although not widely reported or known about, the awesome archipelago known as the Philippines has been battling Islamic extremists and terrorists on their southern flank for a decade, and has been covertly assisted in this mission by their staunch ally the US. This week, a strike against camps in the remote island of Jolo resulted in the deaths of some top dudes from Abu Sayyef and Jemaah Islamiyah, and possibly involved the use of drones. Dig the Professor rant about the dudes and drones and the Philippines right here!
The violence continues to escalate in Syria, where the entrenched regime of Bashar al-Assad continues a bloody repression of protestors who are trying to bring the ‘Arab Spring’ revolution to their country. In the latest news, Russia has now publicly stated that there is no way in hell they will allow any UN-sponsored and NATO-led invasion of Syria—the likes of which toppled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi last year. Say what? Why would Russia openly support a civilian-slaughtering regime? The Professor talks about some of the reasons for this Russian promise of a veto at the UN, and also why the Syrian regime has lasted longer than other Arab dictatorships which have bitten the dust much quicker.
Keywords: Syria, regime, Russia, veto, UN, Security Council, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Arab Spring, weapons, revolution
A bunch of seemingly unrelated stories are unfolding concurrently in Europe that really get at the heart of the struggle for the future of the European Union. Protests for/against states rights in Hungary; a referendum for EU membership in Croatia; and even a downgrading of credit rating to most of the Eurozone countries all play into a broader picture of where the European Union as a unit is heading. Will it become the “United States of Europe,” or will countries start bailing out of the organization altogether? Only time will tell, but get the latest lowdown on the EU from the Professor right here!
Keywords: EU, European Union, Hungary, protests, Croatia, referendum, membership, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, UK,
Are you a college professor teaching World Regions or Global Political classes? Pick up the cutting edge, most entertainly educating textbook currently on the market.
