So, what’s going on today???

• China• Terrorism• The “Arab Spring”• Africa• 21st century

technology - cultural diffusion, and the environment

• Drug and slave trades

• WMDs

“Arab Spring” – reform movement starting in 2011- Spreads across Middle East, targeting autocratic govt’s- Egypt and Libya’s long time dictators fall; 3 + year long civil war in Syria starts- Social media plays a huge role in organizing - spreading to Turkey today???

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Terrorism- on the rise since the 1980’s; Islamic terror groups get highest profile in the west, but there are many others-Al Qaeda forms during the Soviet war in Afghanistan in 80’s- bin Laden had beef over western culture, US influence in the Middle East, and over Israel - 9/11 attacks biggest, but not only attack on US and west- most victims of Al Qaeda / Islamic terror attacks are other Muslims 2

• Muslim are greatest number of victims of terror attacks

• No country has suffered more terror deaths in last 15 years than Iraq 3

Iraq- Saddam Hussein ruled from 1979 to 2003- brutalized own people, attacked neighbors in Iran and Kuwait- US invasion under President George W Bush in 2003 ousts Hussein- country divided by Shia and Sunni Muslims, and by ethnic groups (Kurds)- religious and political divisions and 10 years of fighting make it hard for a united government to keep order; Baghdad is not the “City of Peace” it used to be…- while in Iraq, US still at war in Afghanistan

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Afghanistan- after Soviets leave in 1989, civil war follows- Taliban take over and try to make a reactionary-Islamic society- bin Laden and Al-Qaeda given safe haven here- US invasion in 2001 ousts Taliban; they flee to Afghan / Pakistan border and team up with Al-Qaeda units- much of country in a feudal state (drugs fuels)- bin Laden caught andkilled in Pakistan- many eyes on Pakistan because it has nukes

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WMDs- nukes; chemical; biological- concerns over North Korea having nukes- concerns over Iran getting nukes - peaceful vs weapons-grade nuclear material- Israel says it doesn’t have (but it does…)

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Israel-Forms in 1948 - beefs between Israelis and Palestinians spills over into beefs with neighbors- fights over who controls holy sites in Jerusalem- beefs over spreading Israeli settlements in Palestinian areas- West Bank and Gaza Strip – ever to be independent?- terrorism and militarism – an ugly cycle continues…

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China-1949 communist revolution led by Mao- Korean War; beef with US - “Great Leap Forward” / “Cultural Revolution” hold China back- Deng Xiao-ping leads reforms that lets free market changes in; keeps autocratic rule- protests on 1989 crushed- booming economy, but at what costs? (environment / future beefs???

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Climate Change -Buildup of greenhouse gases raising global temperatures and changing environments- rising ocean levels invading freshwater reserves of millions today- more varied, intense weather patterns bringing drought to some, too much rain to others- by 2050, global temps could be as much as 4 degrees higher- GOOD LUCK YOUNGINS!!!!

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Africa

- Already feeling effects of climate change- still feeling after- effects of Cold War (Somalia in civil war since the 1980’s)- still feeling effects of imperialism (nations divided by tribes - Rwanda)- AIDS / malaria / tuberculosis kill millions every year - political instability and poverty breeds drug and slave trades

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21st century slavery; drug trade-Nearly 30 million people today locked in the labor / soldier / sex slave trade - takes advantage of poorer / feudal areas of the world - slave trade with ties to drug trade- $20 billion a year drug trade (in US alone…); fuels illegal gun trade- Mexican / Colombian / Afghan / Somalian politics and society devastated by the effects (to name a few…)

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Globalization- cultural diffusion, on steroids-International trade exchanges cultural ideas – 21st century technology makes it happen faster and farther-The internet revolutionizes trade, information, entertainment, societies- see “Arab Spring” for an example (hey… did we go in a circle???)

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