Off Topic Post

I just read an article on Slate that I found quite interesting.

Usually the choice is to go Dutch or Old-School. The problem with the modern Dutch style has some serious problems in the mind of the Old-Schoolers. It can be cold and unfeeling. There's nobody giving in the relationship or really anything that separates things from simple friendship. Not that I'm dating much, but I think I have another option.

The problem with Dutch is the lack of any giving. The problem with Old-School is that it is only the man that is giving, or "providing". People do like to give, and just splitting the bill doesn't make things feel like you're a team. Instead, why not have the woman take the whole bill some of the time, and the man take the whole bill at other times. Don't plan it out or go every other time. That is just as bad.

Chivalry isn't just for men anyways.

Star Gate & The American Century

Ok, so the GRE is over, so my free time just went up considerably. I've started writing up some stuff for the next podcast, and it should come out soon.

While I'm doing that I figured I could comment on something that I've really always found interesting: Stargate. If you don't know what Stargate is, you really need to check it out. It is a good show. The premise of the show is that they find a mystical gate that goes to different worlds. The US military sends out teams of explorers to establish relations with other worlds. It slowly develops from a show about little adventures into a vast political and social network, as Earth struggles to fight evil empires, little spider robots, and more.

When you involve politics in a show, it invariably begins to speak to the particular time we live in. As time goes on, you can see a culture's concept of the outside world begin to develop through the evolution of the show. Foreign adventures became large wars, and then they began to launch spin-off series.

The first spin-off was Stargate Atlantis. Atlantis was arguably a better show, but the foes were arguably scarier. The world wasn't all that bright and shiny. The world of the first series, Stargate SG-1, was quite rosy. Things became even worse in the next series: Stargate Universe. In Universe the main characters are trapped and trying to get home. Some of the episodes are pretty good, but the series was cancelled after a bit.

The world of Stargate quite closely follows the post-Soviet American world. Stargate SG-1 corresponds to the initial wave of pride and possibilities after winning the Cold War. The world slowly becomes more complicated, a mortal foe emerges (radical Islamists for the US), and then suddenly the world traps them in a complicated situation that won't let them come home (Afghanistan and Iraq). If you've watched the show you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, go watch the show. It's a good one.

Obama is Checking Your Email

Hilarious new meme called "Obama is checking your Email"

I made my own:

My personal opinion is that there really are two things at play here, and each should be discussed separately: "telephony metadata" and internet metadata . The Verizon thing is A-Ok for me. I could see someone making an effective case for the internet metadata. I almost wish that the administration would put out a Coursera set of lectures where they go through the oversight process. Oversight and separation of powers are what separate us from the rest. From what I've seen they are there, but I could always use more information.

Oil is a Global Market, People don't "Win" these things.

In a newish story by the NYT, the story revolves around China being the biggest winner in the Iraq War. What they ignore is the fact that the oil market is a GLOBAL market. If Iraq wasn't providing China this oil, they would get the oil somewhere else, and compete with others for higher prices. In reality, more oil means cheaper oil, and cheaper oil means a win for most......maybe not those who get pollution....but most. As long as China can't get in a position to choke off oil to the USA through embargoes, I think we're fine. Jon Stewart also has an interesting opinion on the issue, but ultimately ignores the point just as much.

Another NSA Post

A few links on the NSA leak with the last one being Obama himself.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/06/06/why_the_nsa_needs_your_phone_calls

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/frame_game/2013/06/stop_the_nsa_surveillance_hysteria_the_government_s_scrutiny_of_verizon.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-defends-sweeping-surveillance-efforts/2013/06/07/2002290a-cf88-11e2-9f1a-1a7cdee20287_story.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrbHvNDwExYA

If you disagree with the act, read one of the first two very thoroughly, and then tell me if you still feel the system is unconstitutional. Personally, I feel the FP article does the best job looking at the situation.

China's Weird Investments

Interesting story about Chinese investment in the Caribbean. I honestly wonder what China hopes to get. Trade deals? Military bases? UN support? I honestly have no idea what China hope it could get from its relationship with Latin America. Its ability to project naval power that far in the case of a war is unlikely.

Trust, We Do it Every Day

Foreign Policy Magazine posted one of the best poorly titled pieces in my opinion recently. The author explains how your calls will not be monitored, recorded, or viewed unless you happen to fall into a very suspect group of people, so the title may be a little sensationalist. The idea that who we call is our own information obviously has never watched The Wire by HBO, and if you're shocked by this, go watch the The Wire....it's really really good. Drop phones, layers of knowledge, and more are present in the show, and you have to wonder how much of that is present in terrorist networks.

On a side note, I always wonder about those people who say, "I can't trust the government". Well, I do trust this government to follow the rules, and when it does break them, it'll be stupid enough to get caught. Trust is an important part of our everyday lives. When I merge onto the interstate I trust I won't get hit; when I was young my parents trusted the neighborhood boy down the street to babysit me; I trust Facebook to keep a lot of my photos. In this globalized world that we live in we can't fear or distrust everyone irrationally. Car accidents happen, kids get hurt, and servers crash. It doesn't mean that I trust completely, but rather I try to know what I can, and trust to fate I'll get home safe every day. With the thousands of journalists who monitor the government for any little wrong it's not surprising that any wrong move the government makes gets jumped on by big organizations like the NYT.

Next Saga

In Iraq there is a unicameral legislature. In Germany, Britain, and America there are bicameral legislatures. Why is that? If you look up unicameral legislature on Wikipedia you find it say that:

“Unicameral legislatures typically exist in small and homogeneous unitary states, where a second  chamber is considered unnecessary.”

            Iraq, it seems to me, is not a country that is a homogeneous society. In fact, history has shown it is the exact opposite of that as Shia and Sunni bash each other to bits. I’ve decided to start looking into and writing up some stuff for a series on comparative government. I have already started reading papers, and I’m pulling out stuff I’ve already read. 

Comedy in Germany.

Schroeder's policies did not get complete support from within Germany and his own party. This is one video that was on the Gerd Show mocking Schroeder. See the video link provided below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=mPC0wBy-Pf0

Puppet Version:


And Schroeder in real life:

Eurozone Blues

The European Union is, in my humble opinion, a very poor political system. This is surprising, because European stats usually have a political system that makes me drool at the mouth. Of course it varies from country to country, but the time that I’ve spent studying the German political system has left me impressed.

                In nearly every realm the European Union is a failure. The one exception that I would point out is that it has stabilized relations in the area and made a European war an impossible notion to consider. For this reason it does deserve its Nobel Peace Prize. Not even I would want to take that away. However, in the areas of foreign policy and economics, the EU has fallen short of its mighty goals.

                I don’t need to give examples to have you believe me that the past few years have been a rollercoaster for the Eurozone. Everything that happened here in the US was worse here in Europe. Banking crises in Ireland and Britain (including the run on Northern Rock, something that didn’t happen in the US), debt crises in Greece, crazy national elections in Greece and Italy, sinking economic growth even in the core countries, and more have led the European project on a detour nobody wanted it to go down.

                The problem with the Euro is that every country has their finger on the button to blow the whole system sky-high. This button can be pressed by incompetency, voters who decide to elect someone radical, or a naughty banking sector. If a nation is going to be a part of a wider currency union, there needs to be a strong federal government. The EU certainly does have power, but its power is mostly in regulations. National politicians like Merkel, Hollande, and Cameron hold the real power in the system. Just look at the President of the Council of the European Union. Don’t know who it is? I don’t blame you. The reason is that a person doesn’t hold the position, but rather a country – currently Ireland. The President of the European Council might have some power in the system, but he’s chosen by heads of national governments. Can you see why all the power hasn’t moved into the EU?

                The EU needs a new system of government. I’m not saying the United States is a perfect example, not even close. The two party system we have here in the US chokes off cooperation, conversation, and creates a rigid line in the sand. Whichever side you’re on is filled with angels, and the other side is filled with villains. Switch sides and you’ll find the same thing. The EU is still young, and there’s still time for a makeover.

                This new EU should have an expanded role and an expanded budget. It should be responsible for defense, welfare, and health care. If it can take these big issues it won’t be such a big deal if the government defaults. It won’t leave pensioners out in the cold or crash the banking system (because it will be smaller). The federal fiscal policy will be matched with a federal monetary policy instead of many national fiscal policies matched with a federal fiscal policy. The way the system is now, the small countries that find themselves in trouble are unable to do much but cut spending and let their economy bathe in the waters of reverse stimulus spending. 

Is There Something Wrong With the Foreign Service?

           I enjoy blogs by good authors. Honestly, if more famous intellectuals and theorists maintained blogs they would be a whole lot more interesting. Luckily there are a few who do, and I enjoy much of what they write. Paul Krugman, Thomas Ricks, and Stephan Walt are some of my favorites. One recent post by the IR theorist Stephan Walt included a mention about the US Foreign Service, and I disagreed with most of what he said.

“We are so afraid that our career diplomats will "go native" or develop "localitis," that we discourage them from developing deep regional expertise and instead rotate them around the globe on a frequent basis. There is something to be said for gaining a global perspective, of course, but it also means that unlike some of our rivals, we won't have many diplomats with deep linguistic expertise or lots of in-depth experience in the societies in which they are operating. Yet we then expect them to hold their own against their local counterparts, or against diplomats from other countries whose knowledge and training in particular areas is more extensive.”[1]

First, it is important to remember that Foreign Service Officers are not simply responsible for their own country, but also that country’s relations with the entire world. Most Foreign Service Officers know multiple languages not because they are constantly moved around, but rather because they are responsible for more than just their own country.

            Beyond that, from my experience in the Department of State, I have not found his views to be correct. The men and women of the Foreign Service are experts, and while they might move around every three years, they often stay in the same region and build expertise. Many in Germany have never been stationed outside of Europe, and the Foreign Service uses its employees where it needs them.  If someone doesn’t speak the language or know the culture, it is unlikely they will be stationed there.

            The biggest impression my time at the Embassy is how much each person knows and has done. Each person has stories that could easily fill a book. Sadly, public relations miss out on some of these stories due to the nature of the job. They are all amazing, fun, brilliant people whom I have been given the honor to serve with. While I look forward to going home and having all the benefits that come with it, I will be sad when I leave.

---

[1] http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/03/04/is_this_any_way_to_run_us_foreign_policy

Alternative Politics - German Democracy in the US

Coalitions in Germany
In Germany there is a very different system from the one we have in America. In Germany there are more than two parties and coalitions govern together. There has only been one point in modern German history where one party won without a coalition partner. Each voter get two votes. One vote goes for your local representative. There are 299 electoral districts in Germany and 598+ members in parliament. The other 299 come from the second vote. This vote goes toward a party. The 299 members for the second vote are broken up proportionally by party so that if you won 5% in the vote you'll get 5% of the TOTAL Bundestag seats. Sometimes the number of wins for a party in the first vote and the number they deserve from the second vote don't line up. This means there can be more than 598 members of the Bundestag. A recent electoral reform has changed the system, so the number of seats, despite the size of the Bundestag, will always be proportional to the second vote.


Here's how the seats were distributed in 2009. The next German election will be in 2013.



Let's break this down then shall we?

1st - the CDU and the CSU are really one party. The CSU is simply the local version of the CDU in Bavaria. It's like how the Democratic party in Minnesota is the Democratic Farm and Labor Party, and not simply the Democratic Party.

2nd - The SPD and the CDU are known as the Volksparteien, or "people's parties". These two parties have a wide appeal and have traditionally commanded a large swath of the electorate. In 1976 they had over 90%, leading some to believe that the Germans had created a two party system like America. Things certainly have changed since then. The SPD is expected to recover in 2013.

3rd - The FDP is the liberal party in the traditional sense, and stands for free market principles. It, and the two Volksparteien, were the only three parties for a long time. The FDP might have been small, but it could be a kingmaker, choosing which party would rule. Since then the Greens, a party concerned with minority rights and the environment, and the Left Party part of the old Communist Party in East Germany, and most recently the Pirates, a party that wants to decriminalize internet piracy and create government transparency, have emerged as important parties as well.

4th - The Pirates are relatively tiny and their proverbial ship is sinking, and the Left Party is nobody's friend when it comes to building coalitions. This has led to a sort of alliance between the four remaining parties. The FDP and the CDU stand on one side against the SPD and the Greens. This means that while your party might be doing very well, you still have to pay attention to your preferred coalition partner. The CDU is polling around 40%, but its ally, the FDP, is only polling 4%. That's a problem because you have to get above 5% in the second vote to even get a slice of the pie that way. The 5% hurdle will be a major obstacle for the FDP in the coming election.

Coalitions in America

What would America look like if it had the German system? What would the American coalition system look like? I'm guessing the first vote would look very much like the house of representatives map for the US currently looks. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party would not go away. There would most likely still be Volksparteien in the United States. However, these parties would have factions that may break off and form their own parties, even if they would still want to be in coalitions with the Republicans or the Democrats.

The above diagram represents what I feel could be the American political system at its most diverse. More likely than not, I feel that America would develop a system with SEVEN major political parties. On the Left there would be the Democrats, with two parties spliting off: The Progressive Party and the American Far Left Party (communist or socialist they would stand for nationalizations).  Meanwhile, the Progressive Party would act as the junior partner to the Democrats, using their coalition partner status to make sure that progressives as a whole are represented in the government in key positions. Imagine if Obama had to pick someone radical to be a major member of his cabinet. That's the power of the minor party in a coalition.

The Far left would be like The Left Party in Germany, get a small percent of the vote, and not do all that much. The Pirate Party would also probably not be a good coalition member unless it was able to develop mainstream issues beyond internet piracy decriminalization.

On the right, I feel the Libertarian Party would certainly split off with Ron (or Rand) Paul leading the way.  From there I feel that the Republican party would either break down into several groups or stay together. The most likely scenario is that the Tea Party Conservatives and the Religious Conservatives would maintain the core of the Republican party while the Business Republicans would split off into their own party.

It's easy to see this system starting to mix and match coalitions. Depending on the numbers, there could be quite a few combinations available. For instance, it might be possible to form a Democrat-Business Republican coalition. Other parties that I might not be thinking about which could upset everything(one that comes to mind are local parties that represent a region......*cough* *cough* Texas). One thing for sure is that American elections would become a good deal more interesting.....Who would you vote for?

Week 5

This week I have done some fun stuff. John Kerry visited Berlin yesterday, and today he did a little "meet and greet" with the Embassy staff. Within that 24 hour period I shook his hand, went to a conference/speech with the German Defense Minister, and went to an art exhibit at the Hungarian Embassy. Twas indeed quite fun.

British Meme

Made this one myself

Day 21

So, I haven’t done one of these blog posts in a while, but I’m getting on it now. This is the beginning of my third week here at the embassy and things are beginning to develop a rhythm. I like when things have a rhythm. It doesn’t need to be the same thing day after day, but I enjoy knowing what’s going on. I feel like I’m getting used to things here.

The first thing that I’ve had difficulty with is how to write up my homework assignments. I can’t talk about what I’m doing, who I’m doing it with, or where I’m doing it. This makes any assignment about my duties (which I can’t talk about) or my experiences (which I also can’t talk about) difficult. Luckily, my professor that handles the internship courses back in the US was flexible, and I’ll be writing papers on international relations theories, German-US relations, EU and German politics, and more. I feel like I have enough to write about. If I want to write about Foreign Service life I can use several books that I purchased. Basically, I can write about other experiences, but not my own.

I’ve been expanding my German by talking to people, and reading some German books that I’ve picked up here. The first book I got is Der Kleine Hobbit. It’s a classic that I’ve read numerous times in English, so I can work on the vocab. The other book that I bought is a Cajun Cookbook auf deutsch. I’ve found a few recipes I want to try, as well as some fun things with rice that they advise. Moreover, I now know how to say frog legs and catfish in German.

My other intern in the political section arrived yesterday. He’s from Wisconsin, and actually knew some people from my High School. Small World…..

One of the things I’ve found to be quite tasty here is the currywurst. I will certainly be making it when I get back to the US. Basically, you fry sausages, and then cover them with ketchup and curry powder. It’s actually quite tasty. You can eat it with fires, some sort of spicy sauce, and mayo. It’s a heart attack on a plate, therefore I love it.

Most of my day is work, but this upcoming weekend I’m going on a museum binge. That should be a blast. 

Day 4

                Over the past two days I’ve spent most of my times nailing down the necessities I’m going to need for my time in the city such as the nearest grocery store, coffee shop with wifi, a cell phone, and subway line. Basically, I searched for food, fun, communication equipment, and travel arrangements. I still have yet to find the nearest Laundromat, but that’s for the weekend when I actually will need to do some laundry.  The grocery store that I first walked into confused me for a few minutes. In the US there’s a sort of....pattern that all grocery stores follow. You’ll have shelves that go across the store, with milk products and meat along the back. At the three stores I’ve visited so far there is no pattern; a little un-German, if I might say so. I guess it’s because space is at a premium here, so they optimize every inch.

                So far I’ve visited Potsdamer Platz and the Brandenburg Tor. Potsdamer Platz is quite amazing, and is filled with malls office buildings, and fantastic architecture. Supposedly there is some controversy over how it was designed and built, but I was blown away.

                The Brandenburg Tor (Gate in English) was also amazing. A block from it is the Reichstag. Another direction and you’ll be in the Tiergarten. Another few blocks in a different direction you’ll find yourself at a prominent university. I’ll be working right in the center of all of that.

Day 1

I'm in Berlin!

             Berlin, or rather Wedding, a region of Berlin where my apartment is located, has too much graffiti. Back in Rochester, or even in Minneapolis, there is nowhere close to this much graffiti. It’s on the trash cans, the walls, and many other little nooks and crannies. Beyond that, I find the area to be quite pleasant. There were cobblestone paths, nice people, and an assortment of interesting and old buildings. My apartment doesn’t have a connection to the internet, but I assume that’ll only make me more productive, and I like productive. I can get internet, but I’m going to see if I can live without it. Probably not, but like the mighty King of Rohan before the Pelennor fields I say why not and plunge into things wholeheartedly. Hopefully the metaphor will stop there.

                One thing I was quite surprised about is the lack of English. I remember going through Germany and finding only one person who did not speak English, and she was off the beaten path. Here, my taxi driver did not speak English, the pharmacist at a small pharmacy didn’t speak English, and quite a few other people did not speak what I assumed was the lingua franca. Actually, it has been nice, because my German has been more than sufficient for the task at hand. I always say my German is not so good, but I’ve received compliments on it (which made me quite happy inside). I assume when I go to the inner city around the Tiergarten I will find a lot more English speaker.

                The plan for tomorrow is to go to the Tiergarten and find a few things I need. First, I need to find an internet cafe to get on the internet and post some things, send in homework, etc. I don’t know how long a walk it will be, but I do know the direction. That’s good? Right? I assume it will be a few miles that I’ll walk every day. God bless the U of M. It has toughened me up for long treks through the barren tundra.

                My flight into Berlin was like all flights: long and cramped. My flight to Berlin was rescheduled, and nobody told me, so I arrived in Dublin thirty minutes before my flight to Berlin had set sail. Well, if one is to be stuck in a foreign country, it is a good thing that they at least they speak English. After arriving in Berlin I decided to take the train as I’d probably do a good bit of that while in Berlin. Unfortunately, I took one going the wrong way. Ultimately, I still had to take a taxi, and it was about the same cost as it would have been at the airport. Well, the ticket was only three Euros....oh well. I assumed that B3 meant platform 3...wrong.

                My apartment is nice. It came with a little water heater for making tea, and that made me quite happy. It also included cups, plates, a blanket, a pot, a pan, and some toilet paper. Thank God there was some toilet paper.

                Well, tomorrow will bring adventure and fun. Hopefully, the effects of jetlag will have worn off, and I will be able to truly fanboy out when I see the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Tor, and get my phone to work. That last one won’t be a fanboy moment, but it will be nice.