IRAN

Iran has been a hectic place for a while now and it is about to get a little bit worse. This country has always had a government that focuses on gas because it is a main export and import to the country.

“Iran will start cutting petrol subsidies this week, an official said on Monday, a move that will test President Hassan Rouhani's public support as higher petrol prices add to inflation in a country already squeezed by economic sanctions”(Aljazeera). This is supposed to help the give a little extra money for the government and use it in the development of the country. “Reducing state borrowing from banks so they can lend more to the private sector and to encourage energy efficiency”. This emphasizes how much the government relies on petroleum.http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/04/iran-start-cutting-petrol-subsidies-201442118503866597.html 

The Violence: Nigeria

“Crime is astronomical in Nigeria. Even university students go into crime” (Roskin). There are serious religion problems going on in Nigeria. There was an explosion in Abuja that killed 71 people and injured more than 100 more. It is being pinned on the “Boko Haram Islamist militant group, which has staged previous attacks in Abuja” (BBC).  

                This just intensifies tensions between religious groups and the people. The explosion happened to commuters getting on the bus for work.

                “The Nigerian government had said the violence was now contained in a small area of the north-east” (BBC). Is it really? Nigeria is a fragile state and has been for a long time. Although this explosion has been contained, is that going to stop the ongoing violence in Nigeria? Probably not. The government has to contain crime and stop corruption in all level in order to have a more peaceful society. Of course this will have to start with actual democracy and a stable government in Nigeria.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27018751 

Czeck Republic SPI

The Czech Republic ranks 23^rd in the Social Progress Index. It ranks high in the water sanitation and shelter for improving people’s lives. It would be of great help for the country to invest in health and wellness. Since they rank 13^th in the SPI.

They rank low in Opportunity (29^th) especially in having access to higher education.  Their tolerance for immigrants according to the SPI illustrates that the Czech Republic is (93^rd).

Overall it looks like a decent place to live, if you’re a native, although it is very small.  They rank 31^st in personal rights and in basic human needs they are 25^th.

“Elements are highlighted where this country possesses a relative weakness or a relative strength compared to countries of similar GDP per capita: Trinidad and Tobago; Slovenia; New Zealand; Italy; Spain; Slovakia; Portugal; Greece; Israel; Saudi Arabia; Korea, Republic of; Estonia; Lithuania; Poland; France”(SPI).http://www.socialprogressimperative.org/data/spi/countries/CZE

BRAZIL

As the World Cup quickly approaches, there is little time to complete the necessary modifications.

One of the most important ones is controlling the favelas in Brazil which are run by the most notorious gangs in Brazil, like, Comando Vermelho. 

More than 6000 troops occupy these streets and things are only getting worse. “An escalation of murders, revenge killings and fire-bombings have prompted talk of a war between the police and gangsters. Favela residents and NGOs say the situation is now more tense than at any time since 2010, when the authorities began a "pacification" programme to regain control of communities from armed traffickers”. The stand-off between gang members and officers is going to erupt into a war if something is not negotiated with these gangs.

People will be flocking to Rio for the World Cup and they will be passing through these streets, on their way to and from the Brazilian International Airport. If they do not control these people soon it will need to disastrous results come June.

The Police have a role in the problems going on in Rio. Their rude treatment of the people has resulted in little faith of the peace procedures. Both parties need to get their priorities straight before something extreme happens during the World Cup.http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/24/brazil-army-rio-slums-violence-world-cup 

Mexico

It is a hectic time to live in Mexico at this point in time. There are drug lords running rampant and killing innocent people and the economy is failing as well. The government is not doing a good job of keeping their people safe. There are different levels of corruption in Mexico and they all pose a threat to the safety of Mexico’s people and its close neighbors.

                Even if the justice system has not worked out in anyone’s favor, except perhaps “El Chapo” the drug lord who was recently caught, it is safe to assume he is responsible for a lot of the body bags in Mexico. Throughout the years he has bribed policemen and government officials to work for him, and the sad part is that they do and we do not know about a lot of them. Drug trafficking is a huge problem in today’s world and it needs to end.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/mexico/10659504/Mexican-drug-lord-El-Chapo-moves-to-block-US-extradition.html  

INDIA

So the US isn’t the only one that gets attacked by terrorists?! What?! India has also been a victim to terrorist groups from Pakistan and some have recently been caught.

Roskin says that the Pakistani government is supposed to be fighting off terrorism but they hid Osama bin Laden for years. Here is another example of the Pakistani government not controlling their extremists.  The police say the capture of these four terrorists has stopped a strike upon New Delhi. Bomb making materials were also seized when capturing the 4 terrorists.

This strike against India shows just how much resentment Pakistani Nationalists have against India. Since the beginning of Indian society Islamic people in India resented rule by the Indians, they didn’t want to be overlooked in the government. They wanted their own state and so they got it. Pakistan. So why is there still that resentment against India? Why are they continuously bombing cities? 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-26711060

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303949704579457310777296546?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303949704579457310777296546.html

Russia: Putin

                The events that have been happening in the Ukraine are staggering and it is natural that world powers would want to intervene but is Russia concerned only with the independence of Crimea or looking for its own gain.

                Looking into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s past makes it unlikely that he intervened in the Ukraine for moral purposes only. Putin likes power and he has proved this time and time again when he constantly shifted the power of the Prime Minister and the President according to what benefited him. Since the year 2000 Russia has remained controlled by Putin and has increased his own power.

                When Putin entered Crimea “not merely bolstering the security of Russia’s naval base on the coast of Crimea (an autonomous republic of Ukraine that once belonged to Russia) but mobilizing 30,000 troops to occupy the entire enclave”(False Warnings). He was not looking to restore order in Crimea but rather increase the power of Russia over them. Since Russia implemented its troops in Crimea there has been talk about annexing from the Ukraine and rejoining Russia. Which would be good for Russia because they would gain land and a sea port. 

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2014/03/putin-goes-to-war-in-crimea.html

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/war_stories/2014/03/barack_obama_vladimir_putin_and_ukraine_the_president_has_bungled_his_dealings.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/03/putin-weighs-ukraine-talks-but-firm-crimea-201431044027273182.html

Japan

Like father, like son.

                During the 20^th century Japan was changing in many ways. Emperor Hirohito became a “constitutional monarch” instead of “imperial sovereign”, which now meant that he was not a descendant from a god. Roskin explains that the “emperor now has no ‘powers related to government’” and what he does is merely ritual and ceremonial. Hirohito became a symbol of the poor by spending time with his subjects and making sure they were doing well under the U.S. occupation.

                In the present day, Hirohito’s son is in power and at his now old age is still looking out for the well-being of his people. He and his wife will be going to visit the place where a typhoon struck last October. Izu Oshima, the place they will visit, has been undergoing repairs that will be checked on by the emperor when he arrives on February 28.

                The governmental role of the emperor of Japan is much like the queen of England. Both of them have ceremonial roles in their country instead of having actual power and running things however they want.http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/emperor-empress-to-visit-izu-oshima 

Germany

The German government has gone to great lengths to stop the post-World War II Nazi extremists from getting out of hand. Even if these laws are practiced, it still makes it difficult for the German officers to put a stop to neo-Nazi’s known to be part of the extreme National Democratic Part because of their right to free speech.

While some try to block out what happened in the past by throwing themselves into work, others want to revive it. Many others in secret organizations still cause havoc in Germany. “Police allegedly connected a string of bank robberies and murders to a terrorist cell that called itself the National Socialist Underground (NSU).” They were supposedly involved in a series of murders throughout the years which put an unease to the country.

Although there is no direct proof that this was because the Neo-Nazi’s were involved in any way this still leaves the sense of uncertainty for what the future holds, if Germany cannot control this extreme party.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/germany/140128/germany-neo-nazis-npd

Chapter 3: France

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/02/us-france-protests-idUSBREA110AG20140202
http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/french-government-puts-family-bill-on-ice-following-protests_315950.html
     This was something weird I stumbled upon, France's government is supporting gay rights and legalizing a gay marriage while the  people are against it.
     At first glance I got the impression that everyone was against it but further investigation made it clear that it was just the conservative party that was.
     This anti-gay rights movement reminded me of the ones we had in the US. There were hundreds of protests for the legalization of gay marriage and from those who opposed it. There still are rallies today, and each state decides whether it will be allowed or not. There are now 17 states that allow same sex marriage in the States. http://gaymarriage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004857
      Roskin talks about racial problems France has against  Muslims who are now 9 percent of France's population but in view of gay rights Muslims and  Conservative Catholics are on the same side and do not want gay marriage legalized or for the government to make it easier for homosexual couples to have children.
     Although people are changing there will still be people that do not agree because if their beliefs. in the future, hopefully France will come to an agreement so everyone is content with their county. But people don't work that way.

National Health Services

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/about/Pages/overview.aspx

National health services is a controversial topic for many countries. The US, for example, just began the National Health Care Act which allows many people a healthcare plan suitable for their income. Unlike the US Great Britain which has its Nation Health Services (NHS) that “was born out of a long-held ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth” (NHS).

The difference of the systems is that the US did not increase taxes and the people pay the amount they are allotted every month that suits their financial circumstances. While in GB taxes are high in order to provide health care to all of its people as long as you are a resident.

The problem with this is that in GB is that no matter how good the system is the “NHS cannot keep up with skyrocketing costs” (Roskin). The more science is advancing the more cost goes up for medical equipment. “When the NHS was launched in 1948 it had a budget of £437 million (roughly £9 billion at today’s value). For 2012/13 it is around £108.9 billion” (NHS). Costs are just going to keep rising and in turn raising taxes for the people of GB. Soon they will get to high and the people are going to refuse to pay them or they simply will not have the means to pay the enormous tax.

          Only the upcoming years will answer the question to whether the system will survive, who knows, maybe Britain will surprise us and come up with a way to make the system continue working, without making their people become financially instable.

The Road to Democracy

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/foreign-affairs-defense/egypt-in-crisis/timeline-whats-happened-since-egypts-revolution/
     
     Revolutions for democracy can take a turn for the worst when a country is very instable. For example, the revolutions in Egypt from 2011-2013 have proved destructive for the country.
  
    When the Egyptian government had its first democratic election, after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, it did not end the peoples protest. Mohammed Morsi won the election of 2012 but gave himself more power than the people liked, so the protests began. In these different protest there was always a few or more people who were killed by the military or injured by them. These protests eventually led to the removal of Morsi by the military. Which leads to the deaths of Morsis' loyalists.
   
     In a leap for democracy the Egyptian people have undergone great amount of deaths of the protestors and civilians who have wanted change. During their first election the people should have been more informed due to their objections to most of the new presidents' powers. Their actions were justified in the sense that they did not want another president with too much power but the people should have gone about it in a different manner. The way they went about taking Morsi out of office was not a smart move because t ultimately suspended their constitution and created chaos.

Finally figured this out :D