Your Thoughts and Feeback Are Appreciated!

Another quarter has almost passed.  What a long, crazy winter this has been!  I'm so glad that we are ending with what I'm hoping will be warmer temperatures and a little bit of sunshine! It’s been a pleasure getting to know all of you this quarter and I hope that you stay in touch, and continue to post on the blog whenever you want.

With that being said, my final question to you is, “What did you like or dislike about the class?  What could I do to make the class better?”  Answers are due no later than Sunday, March 23rd, 2014  After that, the blog will be down until class resumes next quarter.

Crimea and Punishment

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Many of you have heard about the crisis going on in Crimea, Ukraine, which is shaping up to be the biggest crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.  The crisis began when 11,000 soldiers loyal to Russia took control of the Crimean peninsula and blockaded Ukrainian bases. 

Crimea, which is legally part of the Ukraine, is an autonomous republic, meaning they elect their own parliament.  Historically, Russia has been a dominant power there, but in 1954 it was transferred by Moscow to Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union.  Did you get all that?  It kind of makes our own history seem relatively simple.

Troops loyal to Russia have taken control of the region and a pro-Russian parliament has voted to join the Russian Federation.  Since the end of February, thousands of pro-Russian and pro-Ukraine protesters have clashed in the streets.  Those in power have asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to help ensure peace, a move the United States vehemently opposes.  The United States and the European Union are considering economic sanctions against Russia, meaning they will deny imports, exports and financial assistance to Russia in an effort to get Putin to change his behavior.

This week in class we will learn about several foreign policy theories, including internationalism and the Bush doctrine, which state the United States has a responsibility to work together with other countries to ensure peace and promote democracy.  We will also study isolationism, a belief the United States should stay out of international affairs unless another country directly threatens us.  So my question to you this week is, “What do you think the United States’ response should be towards Russia regarding Crimea?  Should we employ economic sanctions, begin military action, or just stay out of it?”  Please explain your answer, which is due no later than Sunday, March 16^th, 2014.

Who Runs The World?

This Saturday, March 8th, is International Women's Day.  It's a day set aside to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women.  Those of you who know me, know that I am a big supporter of my fellow sisters.  It's disappointing to me when women hate on other women.  How can we ever expect better treatment from our male counterparts, if we constantly try and bring each other down?

Despite all of our achievements, women still lag behind men in several key areas:

• In 2012, women working full-time made an average of $37,791 annually, compared to $49,398 for men.
• Although women are now earning more Bachelor degree's than men, women with a four-year degree make an average of $930/week, while men with the same degree make an average of $1,199.
• only 4.6% of Fortune 500 companies have a female CEO.

We are also bombarded with society's expectations of how a woman should look, think and act.  Beauty advertisements tell us we are too wrinkly, our hair is too dull and lifeless, and our bodies are just too fat.  Television commercials say we should be focused on what detergent gets our whites cleaner, what diapers keep our kids cleaner, and what we should make for dinner tonight.  We are taught from a young age that we need to aspire to be someone else.  To hear more on this topic, stated in a better way than I could ever say it, check out this speech by activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3umXU_qWc

So my question to you this week is two-fold.  First, ladies - I would like to know "How were you affected by society's standards for women growing up"  Guys - This isn't just a female issue.  You all have mothers, some have sisters, and many of you will have daughters one day.  So for the men, I would like to know "How you think men contribute to these standards for women?"  Second, it's possible that Hillary Clinton will decide to run for President again in 2016.  In fact, we could possibly have several female candidates running for President in the next election.  So for everyone, I would like to know, "Do you think America could handle a female President?"  Answers are due no later than Sunday, March 9th.