Japan

    In chapter 5 of Countries and Concepts by Michael G. Roskin,  Japan is discussed. In this chapter, one big issue is how bureaucrats are in command of the country. In Japan bureaucrats were very powerful and ruled most of the country. Foreigners criticized Japan's bureaucrats as too powerful. The Japanese bureaucratic method is to leave industry in private hands but to persuade-often over dinner and drinks- the industry to go a certain way. Today some say that the bureaucrats have "lost prestige." However, their words still hold power. They are still held in pedestals and seen as powerful men.
     I found an article on NewsonJapan.com about the education minister of Japan and some bureaucrats who made a video on youtube. This video has the education minister and the bureaucrats dancing and promoting for the youth of Japan to go study abroad.  This video has received a lot of criticism and support. I think it is very progressive for the minister of education and for the bureaucrats of Japan to make a video on youtube for their youth. I think they are wanting to leave their bad image and show the people that they do care for their citizens.

http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/106590.php

Germany: Defying the Past

   Hallo!  In chapter 3 of Concepts and Countries by Michael G. Roskin, Germany is discussed. Germany has always been opened for invasion because of their geographical boundaries. It is surrounded by big nations like Great Britain and France.  One big issue that Germany faces today is immigration. During the economic miracle, Germany was short on labor. So they allowed millions of foreigners  into the country and many brought their families into the country. Because of cultural factors Germany has been resistant to immigration. This resistance has nothing to do with racist right-wing ideology or dictatorship. On the contrary, Germans have become increasingly committed to democracy.
   I found an article in telegraph.co.uk that discusses this.  David Cameron, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, is being accused by German foreign minister of "seeking to 'damage Europe' by calling the European Union’s right to free movement into question." The article states: "Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, has attacked the Prime Minister’s call for limits to be set on immigration when poor countries, such as Bulgaria and Romania, join the EU in future. Mr Steinmeier, a Social Democrat in the Germany’s coalition government, has effectively committed Germany to blocking Britain’s plan to restrict the right to free movement for European nationals as part of proposals to renegotiate the EU treaty." This article shows how Germany is not letting itself to be defined by its past. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10583929/German-foreign-minister-Cameron-damaging-Europe-with-call-for-immigration-limits.html

Un garçon ou une fille?

  Bounjour! Comment allez-vous?
    In chapter 3 of Countries and Concepts by Michael G. Roskin France is discussed. One of the many topics of France in this chapter is France's education problems.  In 1958 the Socialist government decided to begin an ambitious plan to graduate 80 percent of the youth, which included technical and vocational options to form the skilled labor and force a modern economy needs. Public lycées now are over crowded with dilapidated buildings and dealing with crime. Middle-class parents now are preferring private lycées to send their children. Protests have been made by the youth to shake up the government to do something for the youth. In this chapter, education problems are stressed immensely. France has a huge issue with its education.
   I found an article on what is currently going on now with France's education. Apparently, thousands of French parents are furious and did not let their children go to school last monday because of the new theory that is being taught to little children at schools. This theory, "the gender theory", teaches pupils that they could choose their own sexual identity. The government now is being protested for passing this theory to be taught in schools. Parents are furious and are not letting this go. This theory is being taught in the first place because of the new gender equality law that parliament passed. All that is left to do by the world is to look closely what the French government decides to do about this law and theory.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10602928/French-parents-in-panic-over-warning-of-lessons-that-boys-can-be-girls.html

Blast From The Past

   In chapter 2 of Concepts and Countries by Michael G. Roskin we are exposed to Britain’s past and its effects today. British society , like the U.S society, is split along racial and religious lines. This problem began as a legacy of empire. In 1948 Britain legally made the natives of their colonies British subjects. This meant that their subjects were entitled to live and work in the United Kingdom. In the 1940’s through the 1960’s , U.K’s colonies were granted independence, however as members of the British Commonwealth , the people of the colonies were still entitled to immigrate to Britain. In the 1950’s many West Indians from the Caribbean and Indians and Pakistanis arrived to the U.K and took many lowly jobs that Britons did not want. For years they labored and sent for their relatives, until Britain’s textile industry closed. This left 1.6 million muslims unemployed and white resentment growing.

   Roskin explains the two forces that keep Muslims segregated: “discrimination by whites and muslim effort to preserve their faith and culture”. Also to British racists, Muslim women in full-face veils has become an irritant. In a current article by Huffingtonpost.com, it shows the type of racism people face everyday while doing normal daily things. A cashier was insulted with words like, “go on, you Muslim die” by a customer. This article shows the type of racism that people go through.

    Britain like the U.S deals with immigration. However, Roskin points out that the U.S. handles immigration better than the U.K. because “its populated with immigrants or their descendants”.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/17/lidl-muslim-customer_n_4617221.html

Democracy after an Uprising?

    In Chapter 1 of Countries and Concepts by Michael G. Roskin we are introduced to the question of "Do revolutions against tyranny lead to democracy?" All the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria give us the answer to this question. I will take a specific example of an uprising to explain further the answer. 
   In 2011, the Egyptian Revolution took place. The Revolution was a diverse movement to protest and non-violently overthrow Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Unfortunately, the whole revolution could  not be peaceful. There were incidents and casualties all over the country. The results of the revolution ended up with Mohamed Morsy as the first democratically elected president. However, on July 2013, Morsy was ousted in a military coup. Egypt today is struggling to achieve democracy. A new constitution was just passed with 98.1 percent of voters approving it and 1. 9 percent against it. The people that strongly disapprove of the new constitution have said on twitter that "98.1 percent is not considered a real democracy but a solo dictatorship" and "If people are arrested for holding 'vote no' posters…should these results be counted?" Rights groups have also expressed concern on the repressive environment in Egypt. 2,200 people have been killed since Morsy was ousted. Even U.S Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed his opinion that there is: "Serious concern about the limits on freedom of peaceful assembly and expression in Egypt."
    As you can see the answer to the question "If after a revolution there is democracy?" is no. Roskin says it all with "Revolutions show a strong tendency to become chaotic and fall under a dictatorship. Few end well." 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/18/world/africa/egypt-constitution/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Hello! My name is Paola !