some preliminary thoughts on water usage

Brewing beer uses lots of water....

Are all politics Local?

The Middle East has been going through a turbulent time since the beginning of the Arab Spring. Revolutions have overthrown governments and have rallied the younger generations of citizens of these countries. The protesters have multiple grievances against the old political system and they seek reforms. However, some protests have been put down by the governments and some countries haven't had anything that resembles a revolution like Egypt or Tunisia. My question to answer is are all politics local? The countries that make up the Middle East vary greatly from one another and although dictatorships and monarchies are the norm, a history of foreign involvement in the Middle East has structured the setting and environment that many of these countries have. I do believe that politics are both local and international and have a structure that resembles a chain of command. Local politics can grow to national politics and effect international politics as did the Arab Spring. However it is crucial to understand each individual country's past in order to understand the protests.  The issues of Yemen are not the same issues of Tunisia. Both countries had revolutions but the local environments where the revolutions where very different.

The Tunisian revolution started when Mohamed Bouazizi  light himself on fire out of frustration with the government. This happened in the back country of Tunisia, not in the capital. Using social media, cell phones, and video recordings citizens in the interior region were able to express there anger with the government to other parts of the small country. Tunisia's revolution spread to all the local levels before reaching the capital of Tunis where it started the Arab Spring. It its important to note that the Tunisian revolution was most non-violent and the military was viewed as protecting the people.

Yemen on the other hand started started on a local level but the protests against the government were defined by previous inter-tribal conflict in the region. Yemen is a totally different example from Tunisia because it faces insurgencies from Zeydi Shi'ites in the North, Seperatists, in the South, and a presence of Al-Qaeda all around the country. The state didn't have full control over Yemen when the revolution began. The environment of the local level previous to the revolution determined the course the revolution would take. Like Tunisia, Yemeni protesters wanted to oust President Saleh but they had to deal with different problems specific to Yemen along the way. Now that the revolution is over it is the local politics that are still shaping the country. 

General grievances with governments in the Middle East such as corruption and oppression went beyond local politics. However the actions of protesters at the local level were the reason the Arab Spring began.  

the bastion of Gulf governments.

After stumbling around the internet looking for information about the petroleum industry in the Gulf I found an interesting video from the 1940's/50's on the start of ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia. Nothing consolidated more power into the hands of the Gulf Monarchies faster than oil, enabling rulers to transform their states rapidly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRhjPheG7eo

Political identity

For this week's post we were assigned to post pictures that represent our political views. Here are some pictures that represent my ideas.

1.Acknowledging and tolerating diversity in our nation and around the world

2.The freedom to make your own choices, including the freedom of speech and religion 

3. Awareness of our environment and taking responsibility for it

 4.Freedom of business and trade in our country and abroad define our strength

 Engaging the world economically is important in foreign policy but has an effect domestically too

5. Being critical and using the freedom we have to express our critique while and using the power of the vote that is a cornerstone of democracy

 6.Holding those responsible in our Government of being aware of situations across the board when making calculated moves in foreign policy

7.The military is a capable and multifunctional tool, but we pay for it with our own citizen’s lives

8. And, of course, political humor

The "other"

When people describe the Middle East to me three things are always mentioned: camels, sand dunes, and Bedouins. Its not surprising since most people from Pennsylvania rarely make it to the Middle East, let alone another country. Additionally, I don't necessarily blame them for their image of the Middle East when my generation grew up with Disney's Aladdin, Kingdom of Heaven, and the news broadcasts of the 1991 and 2003 invasions of Iraq. America's perspective of the Middle East generally is not good because of orientalist views that originated in the 19th century and were further supported in our media till present day. My experiences in the Middle East allowed me to discover the real Middle East without those stereotypes we see in the United States. My experience abroad also allowed me to see my own culture, that of central Pennsylvania, in a different light.

We I tell people where I am from the Amish are always brought up. Since the creation of Pennsylvania by William Penn the state has been a safe haven for all religions. Mennonites, Quakers, Amish, and other Protestant groups live in Pennsylvania. However recently there are Maronite Christians, Egyptian Copts, and a variety of Muslims from Turks to Pakistanis that make up my county. These "others" are hard to spot because they try their hardest to assimilate. When talking to a Palestinian man at our local market he tells me that the traditions of the different groups of people fade away once they move here. The Muslims involved at the local Islamic center don't interact with the community but they let go of their religious identity and try to blend in with regular Pennsylvanians. This doesn't make sense when I think about one of the core reasons why this state was created in the first place.

Although these "Others" make up a small minority in my county there exists a larger minority that have become the "Others". The Hispanic community in the nearest city has created an enclave that would make most people feel like they left the country and arrived in Puerto Rico. Spanish is more useful in the city than English in some circumstances. Although Puerto Ricans are US citizens from the start they are separated from the rest of the county. There exists a definite prejudice and downright racism towards the Hispanic community. I have heard people speak about the stereotypes these groups have and how English should be the official language of the US just so people wouldn't have to learn Spanish or gain any kind of understanding of the Hispanic "Others" among us.

Traveling abroad made me realize how people in Pennsylvania act to diversity. Studying in Oman, a country where speaking English, Hindi, Arabic, Urdu, or Swahili is totally acceptable, showed me true tolerance. In fact the local dialect of Arabic incorporates all the languages I mentioned. What brings people together in the region has traditionally been trade and skilled labor. The expatriate communities in the Persian Gulf region do form the "Other" group but the countries are so interdependent on people from a variety of different cultures that culture blends together, giving a uniqueness to the region.

One last thing I came to realize is that those who have a historical presence in the Gulf are no longer the "Others". The Baluch are a perfect example. These people from Southern Pakistan traditionally served as soldiers and workers in the Gulf for centuries but have been intermingled so much that they no longer stand out as "Others". I see the same thing in my county in central Pennsylvania with the Amish. Although their appearance and culture are so different from mine, people don't treat them like the recent immigrants or Hispanic community. The Amish community is known for its active participation in local towns and for skilled labor. It amazes me that when it comes to trade most cultural barriers can be broken down and some kind of understanding and tolerance be established.

The Gulf and the force over the horizon

Four days ago US Navy Vice Admiral Miller met with the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum to discuss security concerns in the Gulf. The meeting also symbolized the continuation of cooperation between the UAE and the US Navy. After reading chapter about security issues in Louise Fawcett's "International Relations of the Middle East" I found this article to show something that was not covered in her book. She explains that defense spending in the Gulf has rapidly increased in recent years. For the UAE it was $2.65 billion in 2006 according to the International Institute of Strategic Studies (Fawcett 66) . Fawcett blames the increased militarization and spending on the Arab-Israeli conflict. She believes it has lead to "the rise of the so-called national security state" (Fawcett 66).  However, I do not think increased spending in the Gulf region has the strong relationship to the Arab-Israeli conflict she claims I believe increased military spending relates to the international relations of the Gulf States and the overshadowing US-Iran rivalry. 

The countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have historically relied on the UK and the USA to ensure stability in the region. Three major events, the Iran-Iraq war, the First Gulf War, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, reinforced the role the United States plays in the regional balance of power. Currently the US Navy's Fifth Fleet is stationed in Bahrain while Kuwait hosts long term bases for US troops. The UAE also plays a minor role by having the only harbor deep enough for an air craft carrier. Without a doubt the US Navy is the largest and most potent force in the Gulf. Iran is the only country that can counter the US and the GCC forces. Although the US-Iran rivalry overshadows the balance of power in the Gulf there is a smaller dimension to it. Each Gulf State competes against itself, one way is through developing military power. The overshadowing rivalry provides the means to increase military spending.

With Iraq now out of the balance of power a vacuum has been created and filled temporarily by the US, the GCC countries and Iran. Qatar, Oman, and the fledgling government in Iraq all have ties to Iran. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE maintain a close relationship with the US. The GCC states are trying to maintain the balance of power under the US-Iran power play for influence in the Gulf. Take for example Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both have significantly increased military spending in the past ten years. Between them Qatar and Saudi Arabia have had a lukewarm relationship due to the overthrow of the Qatari monarchy in 1995 and the broadcasting of uncensored stories about Saudi Arabia from al-Jazeera (Foley). Overarching their own rivalry is the US and Iran. Saudi Arabia is the premier oil exporter and is allied with the United States. Qatar has a quickly developing and lucrative liquid natural gas field but shares that field and diplomatic relations with Iran. Qatar's al-Udaid Airbase was a key base for the US in the 2003 invasion of Iraq (Foley 138).  Another example that uses the US-Iran rivalry to its advantage is Bahrain. Bahrain is ruled by a monarchy that represents the minority Sunni Muslim population while the majority are Shi'a. The ruling family of Bahrain have maintained strong ties with the US and Saudi Arabia to counter the influence of Iran and to maintain their own power. The US uses Bahrain as an outlet for arms sales and as a home station for the Fifth Fleet while Saudi Arabia backs the royal family. Iran tries countering the US and Saudi influence by creating unrest among the majority Shia. 

Government defense budgets have risen because of the US-Iran rivalry and its intensification in the past decade. Also, the Arab Spring and the spread of revolutions in the past year and a half have threatened the governments of the Gulf and have lead them to increase control over their countries. Israel currently does not play a main role in the international politics of the Gulf. The threat of instability from US-Iran rivalry and the Arab spring revolutions have made defense budgets increase as newer technology is needed to keep stability within and around the GCC countries. 

Fawcett, Louis. International Relations of the Middle East. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press , 2009. 66. Print.

Foley, Sean. The Arab Gulf States: Beyond Islam and Oil. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2010. 138. Print.