Global Issues: Actors on the World Stage
What causes the highest number of deaths world wide
Tuberculosis
Who is the leader in arms sales in the world
U.S.
What countries posses Nuclear Weapons
U.S. North Korea France India Isreal Pakistan
Before 9/11 what attack did Al Qaeda carry out
US embassy bombings in Africa in August 1998
What countries voluntary gave up their nuclear weapon program?
Ukraine Brazil
5 permanent members of the UN Security Council are:
United Kingdom, United States, Russia, China, France
According to Rifkins video in this node:
We all descended from the same ancestors in Africa and we must broaden our identity to one human family
Example of Vertical weapons proliferation
When China increases the number of nuclear bombs and missiles in its stockpiles.
Example of Horizontal weapons proliferation
When Isreal sells American anti-tank missiles to Iran
UN Organ: Economic and Social Council
1. Is the central body for coordinating UN economic and social work 2. Coordinates the FAO, WHO, UNDP, and other specialized agencies
UN Organ: International Court of Justice
1. Settles legal disputes only between stats 2. Is the United Nation's main judicial organ
UN Organ: Trustee Council
1. Was set up after WWII to promote self-governance in colonies 2. Has suspended its operations and only meets when occasions need it
How many states signed the 2017 treaty to ban Nuclear Weapons?
122
Rifkin's video speaks to building an empathic civilization based on:
The recognition that life is fragile and the human inclination to show solidarity
State sovereignty is:
The right of states to self-government, with political leaders determining the rules, laws, and processes within their territories
A founding objective of the United Nations is to
-Promote economic development and human rights -Maintain peace and security
Nye points to the 2003 invasion of Iraq as possibly undermining the United States':
Soft Power
Examples of Social Costs of Military Spending
-According to the CIA, in 2016, the U.S. ranked first in military spending and only forty-third in life expectancy -In recent years, countries have spent a larger percentage on military spending than on social programs -As developing countries' military spending increases, their rate of economic growth declines and public debt increases
Secretariat
-Administers the programs and polices of UN organs -Has international staff that takes orders from Secretary General
Components of a modern definition of terrorism
-Attacks are concentrated against civilians and noncombatants -Attacks are intended to influence an audience -The violence is premeditated and political
Human Security
-Basic Human needs -Importance of non-state actors -Shared interests and cooperation between states -Focus on interconnection security ("security through sustainable human development")
Individuals serving as actors on the world stage include
-Celebrities such as George Clooney and Beyonce -Social activists such as Leymah Gbowee and Malala Yousafzai -Politcal leaders, such as Barack Obama and Xi Jinping
What concepts were apart of the post-WWI blueprint for international corporation
-Creation of the League of Nations -Readjustments of territories and the creation of New States -The principles of national self-determination
International Governmental Organizations (IGOs)
-Including such organizations as the United Nations and the World Bank -Are formed by countries to achieve common goals that they cannot solve on their own
Sovereignty
-Is seen when a state deports immigrants who have illegally crossed borders looking for a better life -Can be seen in a positive form when a state fairly and effectively enforces traffic laws -Can be seen in a negative form when a repressive state throws a person in jail for trumped up or fabricated reasons
A state
-Is synonymous with a country -Has roots in the Treaty of Westphalia of 1648 -Is a politcal unit that has sovereignty over a geographic area
Traditional Security
-Lack of War -Importance of hard powers (country's military and size) -Focus on a state's military preparedness ("security through armaments")
Nationalism is
-One of the most important forms of human identity -A force that arises from different sources, such as shared ethnicity, language, religion, culture, and history
Rifkin argues that:
-Our social consciousness evolves and we can extend it to the entire biosphere, allowing us to survive as a species. -Technology helps us "eliminate time and space" and build empathy beyond religious and national ties
What influenced the horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons during the Cold War
-Quest for security and prestige -Superpower rivalry -Regional competition (rivalry between neighbors)
Examples of how Vertical Proliferation can challenge security
-Spending money on stockpiling weapons diverts funds from social programs -Arms buildups provide more weapons for governments and groups to engage in conflicts
Consequences of proliferation concerns
-The Iraq war(2003) -Confrontation with North Korea -Successful UN Security Council negotiations with Iran (2015)
Nationalism as a powerful force
-The creation of the United Nations, in as much as it was meant to restrain the destructive tendencies of nationalism -The strong sense of superiority felt in Nazi Germany, leading to the death of millions -The sense of shared identity that sparked oppressed people to overthrow their colonizers from India to Africa -The ongoing struggle of the Kurds for autonomy or even their own state.
Nationalism can be seen in:
-The push by the kurdish people for self-determination -Grandhi's drive for independence from Great Britain before and after WWII
French Revolution
-Undermined the notion of the divine right of kings -Greatly strengthened the idea of popular sovereignty
Security Council
1. Includes the ability to veto resolutions 2. May impose economic sanctions or embargoes 3. Has 5 permanent members and ten non-permanent members 4. Has the main responsibility to keep peace and security in the world
When did WWI start
1914
When did the US enter WWII
1941
How many countries make up more than 75% of the global arms sales?
5
How many States possess nuclear weapons
9
What was the policy advocated by the post 9/11 Bush Administration
A call to move away from Nuclear deterrence based on mutually assured destruction in favor of preemption
What was "Operation Dessert Storm"
A large-scale air and ground operation to liberate kuwait in 1991
Who was the Pakistani nuclear scientist responsible for supplying the North Korean government with the designs and technology to produce enriched uranium
A. Q. Khan
How many people have been displaced (internally and across state borders) by the Syrian Civil War (2011 - present)
About 9 million
Using the attractiveness of a state's standing as an inducement to gain international cooperation is an example of:
Soft Power
Who was responsible for 9/11
Al Qaeda
What biological weapons agent was mailed to members of government and the press in 2001 in the US?
Anthrax
Biological Weapons
Bacteria, viruses, fungi, Anthrax, ricin botulinum toxin. Relatively simple and cheap to produce.
An organization that operates in Nigeria and has become very well-known the world over due to its mass kidnappings of high school aged girls
Boko Haram
Nationalism and Religion
Can be considered the two most powerful forms of identification in the world today
Rifkin argues families, schools, governments, and businesses:
Can both repress and foster the core empathic nature in humans
What 1996 treaty sought to halt all nuclear test explosions?
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
The text identifies which type of actors as the most salient (or prominent) global players that we "continually" read about as they try to solve global issues?
Countries (states)
Which U.S. government department maintains a list of foreign terrorist organization
Department of State
According to Jeremy Rifkin's video, humans are driven by many motivations, but the "first drive" is:
Empathy
Nuclear Weapons
Fission or fusion lead to tremendous explosive power. Based on secret Manhattan research program. Used only twice
Nations are best defined as:
Groups connected by a unique mix of shared ethnicity, language, religion, culture, history, and/or sense of civic community
Which US president authorized the dropping of atomic bombs at the end of WWII?
Harry S. Truman
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD's) seems to strengthens deterrence because they:
Increase the damages that can be inflicted on an attacker
What country was engaged in intense negotiations with the UN Security Council and the EU that led to a 2015 agreement limiting its ability to enrich uranium while reducing sanctions that had been placed on it?
Iran
General Assembly
Is the main deliberative organ; all member states are represented
An organization that has been responsible for holding territory in both Iraq and Syria and has inspired attacks in the United States and Europe?
Islamic State
Which US president negotiated a Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty with the Soviet Union?
John F. Kennedy
Created after world war I, the ----- was an attempt by states to create a collective security organization
League of Nations
Which individual actor led Liberian woman in non-violent protests against the violence in Liberia, winning the Nobel Peace Prize?
Leymah Gbowee
What is the traditional understanding of UN peacekeeping
Lightly armed and neutral UN "Blue Helmets" are stabilizing regional conflicts through the separation of conflict parties.
Which individual actor was shot in the face because of her work promoting the rights of women and girls in Pakistan, winning the Nobel Peace Prize?
Malala Yousafzai
In what region are four of the U.S. top five arms customers
Middle East
Three essential components (types) of power identified by Nye include:
Military Power, Economic Power, Attraction (Soft) Power
Chemical Weapons
Mustard gas, Sarin gas, chlorine gas. Used in both WWI and he Syrian civil war. Relatively simple and cheap to produce
What led to the official start of WWII
Nazi-Germanys invasion of Poland
Multinational Corporations (MNCs, sometimes called TNCs) are:
Non-State (non-governmental) actors, focused on profit
What country has been described as "high risk proliferator" in the 21st century
North Korea
Which treaty in 1968 sought to limit the spread of nuclear
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) has been the focus of increasing worldwide attention because of its:
Nuclear weapons development programs
Pro-state nationalism can also be considered:
Official nationalism, linking the people with their legitimate government
Soft Power:
Often comes from civil society (such as NGOs, universities, cultural institutions)
The drawing of state borders on maps during the age of exploration and colonialism:
Paved the way for rulers to exert sovereignty over specific areas, as opposed to the fuzzy boundaries found under feudalism.
Under the traditional concept of security:
Policy makers focus on protecting the state from military foreign attacks
Nation-States (one nation within one state):
Rarely exist in the strictest sense of the term, if national identity is based on ethnicity
At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. and Soviet Union had Nuclear weapon stockpiles:
Reaching close to 30,000 bombs and warheads each
Which US president negotiated the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty?
Richard Nixon
Who is the biggest customer of U.S. weapons?
Saudi Arabia
What are two reasons for why states build weapons of Mass Destruction?
Security and Prestige
What event was the catalyst for a return to a more traditional focus on military security
September 11th terrorist attacks, 2001
What is the key UN document that formulated the idea of human security?
The 1994 Human Development Report
What is "Smart Power"?
The Hard Power of coercion and payment, combined with the Soft Power of persuasion and attraction
State sovereignty started to become a cornerstone of international affairs after the signing of which treaty:
The Treaty of Westphalia
The Secretary General of the UN is:
The UN's chief bureaucrat, with some standing and diplomatic soft power. Works inside the Secretariat. 5 permanent members of the Security Council nominate someone (person cant be from one of the 5 countries of 5 permanent members) then General Assembly votes on them.
What was the reason the US decided to openly participate militarily in WWII
The attack by the Japanese against the US at Pearl Harbor
NOT an example of "Hard" Power
The capacity to work within multilateral coalitions and inspire other countries to align with a particular state
The Benefits that all International Governmental Organizations (IGOs) offer their members include:
The creation of habits of cooperation between states
What was adopted at the UN in July 2017?
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons