I have always loved the summer and fall for the local farmers market and the year round market near my house can always count on my business, but these markets are transforming into more than suppliers of delicious organic produce from local farms. They now supply educational experiences and job opportunities to immigrants, nutritional benefits to combat the obesity problem, and ever increasing access to fresh produce for those on a limited budget.

Organizations like Wholesome Wave and the International Institute of New England (IINE) have teamed up to make these markets even more successful economic stimuli. They are creating jobs, supplying income to the local market, providing a support system for low income members of the community, and providing nutritious food options to those that otherwise wouldn’t have access to them. The Rooting New Americans program, run by IINE, helps to educate refugees and immigrants on farming technique and builds a sense of accomplishment when they can earn extra income by selling their harvest at the local Manchester International Farmer’s Market. When IINE began work with Wholesome Wave (WW) they improved their markets, by creating a link between local agriculture and the groups that need it the most. Low income families can purchase locally grown and organic produce for modest prices and can even use their federal nutrition benefits now because WW has supplied the necessary technology to do so. This is  crucial, because most large chain supermarkets and even local independent grocers don’t provide quality produce for those on a limited budget. Plus WW’s Double Voucher Coupon Program allows buyers using federal benefits to receive incentive credits. This allows them to purchase more with less.

I have always believed that breaking a huge problem into smaller and more easily accomplishable tasks is the best way to solve any great crisis, but what I like about this program is how it then tackles all of these small problems simultaneously. There is a serious need for access to nutritional food on a budget, considering the fact that 15% of our nation’s population would not have regular access to food if not for federal benefits. These markets are tackling both this concern for low income families while providing them with the nutritional options that can combat our nation’s problems with obesity. All of this is on a small scale so I can’t argue that these markets are the solution to our economic crisis, however, they do build local markets and provide a great number of jobs to small, struggling communities.

By shopping at my local International Farmers market I can support my local economy, provide income to those less fortunate than I, and enjoy great produce, all without breaking the bank.

‘Hacktivist’ group Anonymous has been gaining an increasing amount of press in the last few months. Their tagline, “We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us”, clearly outlines their ideology, which is quite dangerous if not inspiring, considering the extent of their mission.

Their anti-establishment movement has been growing as rapidly as the grass root Tea Party movement, with one quantifiable difference: Their rhetoric comes paired with solid results. Their work against government and institutional corruption is blind to international borders and national sovereignty, as their members are seemingly of all nationalities and backgrounds.

Their global movement gained much attention in the wake of the Arab Spring movement, beginning with the protests in Tunisia in December 2010. With swift Distributed Denial of Service attacks (DDoS), they gained control over many government websites throughout the Greater Middle East while publically releasing the information of many government officials of nations in question.

It is believed that their attempt to disrupt the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, through these means was thwarted by Israeli Intelligence.

Anonymous’ work does not end, however, at the freedom movements in the Middle East. They have been known to target corporations such as Bank of America as well as U.S. government agencies and institutions such as the U.S. Senate. They have teamed up with members of the disbanded group ‘LulzSec’ a former hacker group, in an operation dubbed Operation Anti-Security, targeting many despotic foreign governments such as Zimbabwe and Tunisia, as well as attacking many law enforcement and government offices within the United States.

Most recently, Anonymous is responsible for leading ‘Operation BART’, public protests against the Bay Area Rapid Transit (San Francisco Bay Area’s rapid transit authority, equivalent to Boston’s MBTA and the D.C. Metro). The protests on August 15^th rose up in response to several allegations against BART, the most prominent surrounding the issue of an unarmed man that was shot down by BART security. The previous protest against BART faced unprecedented violations of civil liberties, including the jamming of cell phone service within the stations to prevent communication between hackers, as well the connection to Twitter, which has been used as a primary medium of information throughout protests world wide, to include the Arab Movements and the London Riots.

The San Francisco protests, #OpBart its hashtag on Twitter, ended successfully as an act of a peaceful civil disobedience. However the tactics used by the local authorities raise many questions. Many of the entrapment style techniques used during yesterday’s protests are very similar to those used by the governments in Egypt and in Syria during the ongoing Arab Spring. For example, undercover BART authorities were handing out pro-protest flyers to the protesters yesterday in hopes of having them post them on walls and other public areas. The idea was that as soon as they posted the posters, they would be arrested for littering.

Many of the protesters were warned of these tactics, and others, by using Twitter.

The many questions we are left with are quite complex. Many have called Anonymous and similar groups Cyber Terrorists, and this movement a part of the rise in Cyber Warfare. However when you look into the response they have generated, especially by ‘democratic’ governments, you must question whether or not they are the ones who will be defending the interests of civil liberties, on the new front of asymmetrical warfare.

But we must remember, many of them started, as they said, just for the lulz. 

In this world it seems we have become accustomed to tragedy. We have seen how slavery has left this world broken and at times emotionally isolated. We’ve seen how the Ottoman genocides against its neighbors left the Greeks and Armenians torn and lost. We’ve seen the tragedy of the Jews and the Roma during the holocaust. We have witnessed the terrors of the Iron Curtain, and the crises left in its wake. We have seen all of this in the last century alone.

Then came September 11^th, 2001, and to this we responded vigorously. As a nation we united under our 50 stars and 13 stripes, and we marched, perhaps naively, to war.

Afghanistan has been a battlefield that has taken the lives of many of our heroes, as well as the heroes of our allies who rallied to support our efforts. Yet our politicians were blind. They sent our men and women to fight a battle that was questionable at most.

While the politics of the war in Afghanistan are both complex and intricate, they will have no place here. Not today.

Amidst the crises we see in todays world, the bickering of the children in Congress, the volatility in the markets, and the lack of leadership in the White House, we face a much greater tragedy.

This past weekend, we lost some of this nation’s greatest warriors. Truly the Spartans, valiant warriors, of our time, 22 Navy Seals lost their lives when a rocket-propelled grenade shot down their helicopter. These Navy Seals were en route to aiding their Army Ranger brothers, who were in desperate need of their help. These men are the elite warriors of this nation. These men put every ounce of their being up for sacrifice in order to defend their brothers in arms, to defend this nation’s freedoms.

Afghanistan is a hopeless wasteland. It has seen the soldiers of Alexander the Great, the British Empire and the Soviets after them all fail to tame the terrain and sway the hearts and minds of its people.

Now here we are, nearly 10 years into an endless battle against a primitive yet deadly force. The honor of our men and women in uniform deserves much more than this. These Spartans, these Heroes are the only glimmer of hope we have in an increasingly dark world.

Yet as a nation we sit back and let them go out to combat to an ungrateful nation, to that hopeless wasteland to suffer, and to die, to leave families behind, at times to never return.

Whether Afghanistan has a future or not it is its own prerogative. The people of Afghanistan will either rise up and make something of themselves and of their nation, or they will let the pages of history continue to tell the same tale.

However we cannot allow our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines face an equally uncertain fate. Lets bring them home to their families, and their friends, and let the Afghans sort out their own mess.

Take the time to honor these men, as well as the 16 other servicemen, to include some Afghan soldiers, who served and died with them. They served honorably, as they knew no other way to serve.

To Washington, this is a cry out to bring our Spartans home and end this endless, sightless war.

Until then, however, a clear message is to be sent out to the cowardly scum of the Hindu Kush, I truly pray you are prepared for what is to come. No one gets in between America and her boys, and lives to tell the tale.

In the fall of 2010, in what became a horrific national tragedy, several young men took their own lives, apparently in response to bullying as a result of their actual or perceived sexual orientation.  There is an abundance of research to suggest that LGBTQ children, teens, and young adults are significantly more likely to be bullied or harassed than their heterosexual peers.  Additionally, LGBTQ youth who experience discrimination, bullying, or who are brought up with a negative perspective regarding homosexuality, are also more likely to attempt or complete suicide and experience other psychology problems.

The media would have bullying, that faceless villain, take the fall for the young lives cut short.  The ever shifting phenomenon of popular culture, in retrospect (naturally) demands “zero tolerance” policies in schools for bullies, identifying and assisting bullied young people early on, and teaching tolerance for alternative lifestyles.  The very phrase “alternative lifestyle” conjures images of the unfamiliar, the strange, even the scary.  One must beg the question: did these young men kill themselves because they were bullied, because they were sexual minorities (or perceived as sexual minorities), or because our culture seemingly “expects” bullied teens to engage in self-destructive behavior?

The evidence suggests that, instead of emphasizing suicide as an appropriate (or acceptable, or common) response to bullying, popular culture should stress the importance of acceptance.  Many researchers, physicians, counselors, etc. are concerned that people (particularly at risk youth) may be getting the wrong message from popular culture (for example, the October 18, 2010 issue of People Magazine which describes the plight of bullied teen Tyler Celementi), which has labeled bullying as the cause for suicide.  Suicide can never be, and should never be discussed as, an acceptable response to anything, not in terms of sexual minorities, bullying, or anything else one faces in youth, adolescence or adulthood.  Sexual minorities are at a greater risk for victimization due to actual or perceived sexual orientation.  Additionally, in cultures which do not accept homosexuality (such as American culture on the whole, though arguably pockets of the population are more or less accepting), people coming to terms with their identities are more likely to feel a sense of worthlessness.  It is incredibly important for families, friends, and other social support systems to be aware of the necessity for acceptance of loved ones; accepting a loved one can in turn help the individual to accept him or herself, which (according to the research) is more influential than bullying in terms of suicidal ideation.

Adolescence is a developmental stage often involving hostility among peers and decreased social support.  A teen who identifies as a sexual minority, or who is questioning his or her sexual orientation, must not only navigate the hostility of young adulthood but also deal with stigmatization, victimization, the loss or absence of social support, the loss of friends or family members, etc.  A teen being victimized for his or her perceived or actual sexual orientation may experience feelings of self-doubt and vulnerability, depression and or anxiety, which may fluctuate depending on the resources and support available to the teen.

Until relatively recently, the common perception regarding the “lack of stability” in the LGBTQ community was a direct result of “deviant” sexual orientation.  The media, television, radio, etc. are all rife with examples of the plight of sexual minorities.  It is obvious (to most who care to look) that racial minorities are more disposed to emotional and behavioral problems as a result of the inherent inequalities in society, however unacceptable inequality (e.g. racism) might be.  While the struggle for racial equality is very different from the struggle for equality for sexual minorities, the two overlap in a number of ways.  Much like the slow moving progression from segregation to the present full equality enjoyed by racial minorities, the American legislative and judicial systems have become “burdened” with the task of deciding whether all men are created equal and therefore deserve the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, in terms of the LGBTQ population.  For teens coming to terms with their status as sexual minorities, the lack of social support can lead to more intense feelings of self-doubt.  In essence, the American legislative system is the larger bully in the struggle of LGBTQ teens.

Depending on demographics, one might find oneself trapped within a social system with little to no perceived or actual support for LGBTQ teens (or LGBTQ anyone).  In such an instance, friends, family and other social support systems must step up in support of the individual.  Feeling as though one is being victimized or “bullied” due to one’s sexual orientation clearly has many detrimental side effects, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, and (as we learned as a nation last fall) suicidal ideation and attempts.  In addition to negative self-perception, LGBTQ teens are at an increased risk for missing or dropping out of school as a result of feeling uncomfortable or unsafe in school.  Discipline and behavior problems are also statistically greater among LGBTQ teens, in addition to lower levels of school engagement and academic achievement.  Self-acceptance has been shown as the “single largest predictor of mental health”.  Self-acceptance, however, is more easily attainable with the support and acceptance of one’s friends, family and social network.

The reaction to the young people who took their lives in the fall of 2010 was in general a mix of horror, sadness, and finally a desire to reach out to LGBTQ youth who might find themselves in similar situations.  Several organizations became highly visible, including the Trevor Project.  The Trevor Project was founded in 1998, and was the first round the clock telephone line for LGBTQ youth in times of crisis.  Out of the tragedy was born a new campaign, the It Gets Better Project, begun in September 2010.  Over 10,000 individuals followed the lead of founder Dan Savage by filming themselves encouraging LGBTQ youth to believe that “it gets better,” to not end their lives and to seek help if they need it.  Certainly not enough has been done to dissuade bullies from harassing others, or to convince LGBTQ youth (or adults, for that matter) that they are valuable members of society.  But progress is slow, and often painful, and slowly but surely the general attitude toward LGBTQ individuals is shifting towards a more positive stance.

Our culture was clearly shocked by the relatively recent increase in (highly) visible LGBTQ suicides, and as a result the faces and names of the young men who took their own lives have been plastered all over the television, magazines, internet, etc.  There is a fear, however, that other “victimized” youths will identify with these young men, and look to suicide as an acceptable outlet.  Ann Haas is a research director with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.  She is quoted as saying that “suicides are complex… and inadvertently portraying them as a rational response to a single incident or problem can lead already vulnerable people to identify with and copy the behavior (which)… makes for an unusually fine line between raising awareness about an issue and sensationalizing it”.

Certainly popular culture walks a fine line between reporting the news and sensationalizing the news.  That these young men felt so helpless as to take their own lives is the true tragedy, and that members of the LGBTQ community are significantly more likely to attempt to or successfully end their lives is extremely alarming.  The crux of the issue does not lie with bullying, which the media is so quick to identify as the culprit.  Our culture and our society are the true culprits, and no amount of sensationalizing can turn the culprit into the victim.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in one of the many bucolic towns scattered about New England.  I have never gone a night without a roof over my head and as I child my biggest worry when it came to food was that, on a Friday night, my mother would make me eat dinner during the time Boy Meets World was on.  A few years back, I participated in the Walk for Hunger, sponsored by Project Bread, that last year raised $3.6 million to provide food for 448 emergency food programs in 130 Massachusetts cities and towns.  That day, I walked alongside 42,000 other people.  42,000 strangers came together to walk 20 miles and raise money for a wonderful charity.  However, I always find myself struck by the fact that there are people in this world so fortunate that they could donate much more than $3.6 million of their own money to fight hunger, not only in Massachusetts, but around the world.

There was a time that this elite group only included the billionaire business tycoons such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and George Soros.  Today, the group has come to include some of the world’s most easily recognized faces.  These are the faces of those who could not only donate significant sums of money themselves, but also have enough influence that they could post a 140 character tweet about the cause and get a million others to donate as well.  They are today’s international celebrities and the newest crop of influential international activists.

The ties between Hollywood and the political world are not new.  1960’s legends Bob Dylan, Neil Young, John Lennon, and a personal favorite of my own, Audrey Hepburn, all dabbled in political activism.  Even one of our nations Presidents, Ronald Reagan, began his career as an actor.  Nevertheless, the level of involvement our current celebrities share on international politics is a very new phenomenon.  It is a happening that demonstrates just how strong globalization, along with the technological advancements our world is making has affected politics and its relationship with Hollywood.

Beginning in 1997, the United Nations has made a strong effort to use actors, singers and athletes for global causes.  Angelina Jolie, George Clooney and David Beckham are all UN Goodwill Ambassadors, a title given to those who volunteer to raise awareness about various initiatives.  Invisible Children, Amnesty International and the World Wild Life Fund have also begun to use celebrities for further advancement of actions within their organizations.  The United Nations has spoken out about why they made their decision to create the position of Goodwill Ambassador saying:

“Fame has some clear benefits in certain roles […].  Celebrities attract attention, so they are in a position to focus the world’s eye on the needs of children, both in their own countries and by visiting field projects and emergency programs abroad.  They can make direct representations to those with the power to effect change.  They can use their talents and fame to fundraise and advocate for children and support UNICEF’s mission to ensure every child’s right to health, education, equality and protection.”

Bono and French President Nicholas Sarkozy

Bono is perhaps the most notable celebrity activist today, working hard to blur the lines between entertainer and international diplomat.  He has received three nominations for a Nobel Peace Prize and in 2006, Time magazine named Bono along with Bill Gates “person of the year.”  Bono refuses to allow himself to fall to the wayside and become merely a figurehead for his causes.  After a meeting in 2008 with France’s President, Nicolas Sarkozy Bono spoke out saying, “We had a feisty factual meeting about effective aid, French aid and the risks to EU credibility of broken promises to the world’s poor.”

Unfortunately, Bono’s bumping elbows with Sarkozy and other world leaders attracts a lot of criticism, as does the involvement of many other celebrities around the world. Many feel some celebrities become involved not to further a cause, but merely to further their own celebrity.  While I don’t disagree with this, I don’t necessarily see it to be a bad thing.  Whatever their motivation may be, they are still able to generate millions in donations and bring awareness about global issues to those who would normally be entirely uninterested.  John Pendergast, one of America’s most influential activists in Africa’s troubled regions, has faced a lot of backlash for involving celebrities in his trips and has said he doesn’t let it bother him.  He can do so because he has accepted the fact that if he were to make his trips alone, maybe a few hundred people would notice, but when a celebrity becomes involved, millions take notice.

Sure, some celebrities may only be good for entertaining us with the headlines they make on what my grandmother calls, “grocery store scandal sheets.”  But, it is a basic kindergarten lesson that you cannot judge a book by its cover.  It might seem easy to count Angelina Jolie out because she once wore a vile of blood around her neck, made out with her brother at the Oscars and broke up Brad and Jen.  But, the truth is, if you really take a moment to think about how beneficial the work of these celebrities is, you begin to forget all the scandals of their past and see that they are influencing many fans, young and old, to get involved.

When I was younger, my mother didn’t complain when I ate my vegetables to avoid any kind of argument that would further keep me from my beloved characters of Corey and Topanga.  She was just glad I ate them.  Perhaps when it comes to celebrity activism, we need to develop the same mentality.

Images from an unknown source

Geographically, Turkey is a vital passageway connecting Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East as it toggles the Black and Mediterranean Seas. It is no wonder that Turkey has been the topic of much debate for decades, if not centuries.  This ancient debate regarding its standing amongst various regions has welcomed itself carefully into modern political contention.

In order to understand the potential of Turkey’s influence, we must first examine its prior dominions. First and foremost, the Greek, Armenian, and Assyrian Genocides, approximately dated, though not limited to the years between 1914 and 1923, resulted in the massacre of well over two million people, according to contemporary scholars. Despite these explicit atrocities in violation of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which have lead to further tensions, deep-rooted hatreds, and traumatic memory imprinting on seceding generations, the Turkish government has thus far refused to acknowledge the occurrence of these catastrophes. Although President Obama has clearly stated that it is not his personal opinion, yet historical fact that atrocities committed nearly a century ago were “genocide,” he is unable as president to state this word in order to avoid tensions with its NATO ally, Turkey.

In more modern events, the issue of Cyprus is a prime example of Turkish imperialism. Although ethnic conflict in the Mediterranean state of Cyprus is rooted back thousands of years, the dispute remains unresolved. Turkey threatened to invade in 1963, when Turkish-Cypriot ministers left the government in protest.  In 1974, the Greek Junta provokes a coup d’etat against President Makarios and the government of Cyprus. Turkey used this coup as an opportunity to occupy the island.  Turkey continues to inhabit 37% of Cyprus, yet the UN charter has declared this occupation illegal. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is considered an illegal state and is only recognized by Turkey.  Rather than abiding by the state of affairs stated in the 1960 Constitution to protect the human rights of all Cypriots, Turkey full forcedly invaded Cyprus on August 14, 1974.  Over 170,000 Greek Cypriots were ousted with the use of violence and discrimination.

The Turkish military had used methods of ethnic cleansing to expel the Greek Cypriots, in order to gain greater control and instill occupation on the island.  Some of the atrocities of ethnic cleansing are forcible mass displacement, detention of combatants and civilians, systematic execution, massive occurrence of disappearances, racial discrimination, military operations, and continuing military occupation. The most predominant methods used by Turkey against the Greeks include racial discrimination and military occupation and operations. Many disappearances of the Greek-Cypriot population have occurred while one-third of the people were driven out. The Turkish military has been evidenced to commit actions the arbitrary murders and bombings of civilians and targets, tortures, demeaning punishments, instruction to commit rapes, and the unlawful imprisonment and forced labor of many people within Cyprus and Turkey that continue to occur on the conflicted island.

20,000 Greek Cypriots have been removed from their homes and unable to return even within their own country, causing the division of many families.  The Turkish occupation prohibits the operation of secondary schools for children in the Greek enclave the students are forced at the age of twelve to attend Turkish government controlled schools.  These students cannot visit their parents in the occupied area until Christmas, Easter, and summer vacation.  At ages sixteen for boys and eighteen for girls, the adolescents are not allowed to visit family in the occupied area, even for holidays, nor can relatives resident to the government controlled area visit the students.  These ridiculous rules are Turkish tactics used to force Greek Cypriots out of the area.  In the 1980s, the United Nations created resolutions to have refugees returned home safely, yet after twenty years, the Turkish side still continues to divide the country with the help of its 40,000 troops present on the island.

In August of 1975 the Vienna III agreement was formulated with the encouraged pressure of the international community.  The agreement was made to ensure the safety of Greek Cypriots living in the Turkish occupied part of the island.  Additionally, the agreement promised help in providing institutions to the Greek Cypriots to fund a healthy lifestyle, such as schools and hospitals.  However, the Turkish occupation has disobeyed this agreement through inhuman against the Greek enclave and resulted in more Greek Cypriots leaving the territory as Turkish settlers immigrated.  Furthermore, much property has been destroyed, such as residential areas and businesses of Greek Cypriots, who are struggling to maintain ownership of their properties.  Many public places have been prohibited use by any Greeks.

There have been many hundreds of reports of killings committed by the Turks against Greek Cypriots, including women, children, and the elderly. 1,619 citizens have been missing since the 1974 invasion. Many of these people were contained by Turkish forces, including 993 soldiers and 626 civilians, some being children under sixteen years of age. In 1976 and 1983, the Commission of Human Rights of the Council of Europe “found Turkey guilty of grave violations of human rights in Cyprus from 1974 onwards,” (kypros.org). The European Commission analyzed the conflict and reached the conclusion that Turkey has violated many articles of the convention directed to degrading the Greek Cypriot population through ethnic cleansing, which is a clear violation of human rights.  These findings were confirmed by the European Commission of Human Rights. Although the United Nations has attempted to resolve these ongoing issues, the Turkish government has been uncooperative, thus any questions have yet to be answered. Turkey cannot officially be accused of committing genocide in Cyprus since it has not faced the International Court of Justice.

The government of Turkey has failed to apologize or even bring an end to such misconduct against Greek Cypriots.  The Government of Cyprus has approached the European Commission of Human Rights with evidence of human rights violations and the Turkish government’s decline to cooperate with the Commission has only made it possible for these complaints to be validated.  There are several unarguable truths regarding the Cypriot ethnic conflict including the fact that there was a huge displacement of Greeks from northern to southern Cyprus after 1974, the Turkish government has remained disobliging despite countless attempts by the international community to further dialogue on this matter in hopes of a solution, and mass unlawful atrocities have been enacted upon innocent civilians of Greek Cypriot ethnicity, as supported by the testimonies of many witnesses, which Turkey has had no evidence to deny.  Although the Cyprus ethnic conflict is not given much media attention, it is crucial to understand that these violations of basic rights and liberty are still occurring and there is no remedy in sight with ancient hatreds lingering.

Overall, the Turkish forces are destroying not only Cypriot, but Greek, Armenian, Balkan, and therefore, world history and culture.  Often, Greek Orthodox churches are converted to mosques, barns, pubs, and clubs or alternately vandalized and destroyed.  Religious art is being stolen from these churches and sold to international traders. As one article describes, the aim is “to eradicate the 9,000 year old cultural heritage in the occupied area and create an artificial one ethnically cleansed, suitable to the political designs of the occupying power,” (kypros.org).  Turkey’s ultimate goal is clearly to extinguish historical fact and culture and through this, establish a greater hold on not only the region, but evidently the world, as its unlawful acts are not being questioned by greater powers. This is dangerous, as it allows for Turkey to continue its pattern of epic wrongdoings against human rights.

Turkey has unlawfully ignored international law, the UN Charter, UN resolutions, the UN International Covenants on Human Rights, the Hague Regulations, the Geneva Conventions, and the European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocols, (kypros.org).  The international community is also placing some responsibility on those countries that have provided Turkey with arms and supplies during the invasion and after, as they are disregarding international human rights laws.  States should attempt to end these indiscretions, not support them, whether directly or indirectly.

My historical rant on the matter of innumerable Turkish violations that continue to be largely unrecognized by the global powers is pivotal in illustrating how Turkey has avoided much unwanted attention and therefore, enabled to become an unexpected, yet threatening economic contender. Turkey was slightly set back by the 2008 global recession, yet has since maintained undisturbed growth. Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who founded the AK Party, is largely believed to be neo-Ottoman, aiming to rebuild the domination and expansionist views of the Ottoman Empire by means of strengthening the Turkish economy and military. Recalling its past, this is a frightening idea to behold. In his three terms, Erdogan has lifted most government regulations on the economy, resulting in average GDP growth of 7.3%, compared to a U.S. growth of 1.8%. Furthermore, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline is a multi-billion dollar investment that brings natural gas from the Caspian to the west, thereby lessening Russian control on energy in the region. As its economy flourishes, Turkish foreign policy has become more neutralized, particularly in regards to relations with Greece, Eastern Europe, Russia, and various countries of the Middle East. This is a well-thought out move, as it consequently launches a substantial shift in bettering economic relations, bringing to light to the global economy that Turkey has, indeed, become an economic force to behold. Particularly in its interest is increasing its impact on the Middle East.  US-Turkish relations have deteriorated in the past few years due to Turkish opinion on the US War in Iraq. Turkey fears the instability in Iraq will lead to Kurdish independence throughout the Middle East and halt its plan for Kurdish absorption. Is this not reminiscent of the “benevolent assimilation” of Latin America by the U.S. in the late 19^th through mid 20^th centuries? Furthermore, recent events of the Arab Spring have triggered a stronger move for Kurds to gain cultural autonomy. In summation, the vast presence of Kurds throughout the Middle East and Turkey’s outspoken condemnation on this population have provided the Turkish government with a more eager reason, or excuse, to delve into Middle Eastern relations.

As its ever-growing economy is apparently thriving off the fiscal insecurity of surrounding states, it is no hesitation to expect that Turkey will indeed gain supremacy in foreign policy resolves of the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia, if not unlimited. I don’t believe it is far-fetched to ponder, could Turkey become the first Eurasian superpower to replace the former USSR?

Crisis seems to have been the theme of 2011. Every corner we turn we hit another calamity, another difficulty. To be clear, our country has been through many of these in its history, and arguably has seen much worse than what we now face. However it is excruciatingly difficult to ignore the evidence we are presented with. We began the year with the Arab Spring, a movement that brought promise of freedom, and with it great fear and violence, to the people of the Middle East. The Arab Spring has dragged into the summer, with the violence in Libya and Syria escalating the abuses against the innocent.

Earlier this year we also faced a great disaster in Japan, with a 9.1 magnitude earthquake leaving upwards of 15,000 people dead and the nuclear crisis the ensued, leaving many more displaced and discouraged about their government’s ability to assure their basic securities.

This is not to say there have not been more positive highlights to this year. With the wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in April, many across the world found something to smile about. In the subsequent days, President Barrack Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden, the terrorist mastermind that America and her allies have been hunting since late 2001, had finally been found and killed. This past July South Sudan declared its official independence and secession from Sudan, after years of bloody internal strife.

These positive highlights, however, are few and far between, as we recently witnessed an ungodly terrorist attack in Norway that sent shock waves throughout the European Union and put a face to the rising nationalist movements on the continent.

Underlying this entire calamity has been the massive uncertainty in the global economic system. Beginning with the austerity debacle with Greece and the European Union and most recently with Standard and Poor’s downgrading of the United States’ credit rating for the first time in its history, this has been a tumultuous year for the global economy. With a disproportionate debt to GDP ratio, and the immature debate amongst politicians in Washington about how to resolve the nation’s economic issues, this does not come as a surprise. Now this downgrade does not mean that the nation is heading towards collapse or that the world is coming to an end. Those childish theories must be dispelled in order to come to a rational, common sense understanding, and an appropriate solution.

The Federal Reserve still maintains some options that may be able to save the country from entering into a double dip recession, or as some claim, into a depression. A third round of quantitative easing (QE3) could potentially revive a suffering economy. The last round (QE2) is said to have been responsible for the strong performance of the U.S. economy in late 2010 and early 2011. However many feel that this strategy, in essence creating more money while avoiding inflation, will do much more harm to the economy this time around. And ever since the debt deal debacle in Congress, many are beginning to question Washington’s ability to resolve this economic crisis.

Meanwhile in Europe, the crisis that was believed to have been resolved with the bailout of Greece is now spreading beyond the periphery of the European Union to its doorsteps in Spain and Italy. Late this past week the European Central Bank motioned to buy Italian bonds with hopes of calming a volatile global market. However this may not be enough. Italy and Spain, unlike Greece, Portugal and Ireland, are seen to be too large for any institution or nation to bailout. Without a solid unifying political structure in Europe, it is difficult to see what measures can or will be taken to ensure a return to stability in the Euro Zone markets. This has lead many to believe that this is the end of the Euro. This would provide relief for nations on both end of the spectrum. With a Greek return to the Drachma and a German return to the Deutsche Mark, for example, the additional and appropriate measures to safeguard individual nation’s from economic collapse would once again become available.

The Asian markets have not been immune either. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the stability of China’s economic system is equally in question as inflation rates rise and the ratio of its debt to its national GDP skyrockets, with a high percentage of that debt potentially entering into nonperforming status. Meanwhile Japan was forced to devalue its currency for the third time this year in order to avoid further damage to its economy, already ravaged by the earthquake from earlier this year.

G-20 deputy finance ministers participated in a phone conference to discuss the future of the international monetary and financial systems today, and the leaders of E.U. nations have taken breaks from their summer vacations to address the matter. Meanwhile the Obama administration has been outspokenly critical of S&P’s downgrade, as they eye Moody’s (another major credit rating agency) next moves.

With five months left in the year, there is still time for recovery. Ominous however, is the fact that economists in 2007 and 2008 predicted that this crisis would come to plague our markets. We must be reminded that this is not a time to panic however. We must maintain a close watch of the markets and be prepared for what may happen. However hysteria and emotional speculation in regards to the economy can potentially lead to further damage to an already strained system. The Asian markets open tomorrow night, and those will be the first signs of how S&P’s downgrade of the U.S.’s credit rating will effect the global economic system. Until then, we must have no choice but to try and enjoy what is left our weekends.

Israel- Simply put, there is a storm coming. Israel has largely avoided many of the great crises of the last few years. Israel came out of the Economic Crisis of 2008 largely unscathed, and as faired well in the most recent recession. However Israel’s economic prosperity has created major domestic problems, with skyrocketing housing prices, and increased defense spending, Prime Minister Netanyahu is at odds with his own people.

However the Prime Minister’s troubles are much greater than internal strife, where the public now compares him to the likes of Mubarak and Assad. This September, the Palestinian Authority will be presenting its bid for statehood before the United Nations General Assembly. The P.A.’s bid is expected to pass the General Assembly, although the United States is expected to veto this measure in the Security Council.  However this greater recognition on the global stage will ignite the Palestinian movement, and potentially lead to greater confrontation with the Israelis. This coupled with the Arab Storm as dubbed by Aluf Benn of Haaretz, and Israel is now facing a great crisis.

With the United States withdrawing its troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, a void will be created in the regional balance of power as U.S. influence dwindles with the amount of troops it maintains in the region. That void is already being filled as Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey extends his nation’s sphere of influence throughout the Middle East. Having isolated U.S. President Barrack Obama regarding the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian territories, PM Netanyahu now finds himself alone, in a region scorned by turmoil since January.

With the transition of power in Egypt not having gone as smoothly as expected, in addition to the violent exchange between Israeli and Lebanese forces on Israel’s northern border as of late, the situation is further complicated for PM Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has very few options left. Having already moved to expand diplomatic relationships with the Greeks and the Turks, it is time Netanyahu let go of his pride and extend the olive branch to the Americans. If he doesn’t, he will have completely isolated himself, as Israel’s neighbors face increased instability in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Images from AFP. 

Washington, D.C.- With a sweeping majority the Senate today approved the Budget Control Act of 2011, in layman’s terms, the debt deal that avoided apocalypse. The deal was passed in the House on Monday, where the greatest levels of contention were found. With the Tea Party essentially blackmailing the nation with their anti-government stance, it is clear that there is only one winner here, the Tea Party. It is quite rare for a minority bloc to be able to leverage so much control over the American government, and it is quiet frightening.

I will spare you the more intimate details of the debt deal, as I am not an economist, however after having read the 70+ pages of the “Control Act”, there is honestly not much to say. It is a pile of rubbish compiled to come across as a seemingly effective plan to save the American people from continued suffering, and to finally control the obscene condition of the American government’s finances. Unfortunately in the end, it quite frankly accomplishes very little. With massive cuts and no new revenue, it effectively continues to widen the gap between the rich and poor, while subversively dismantling the middle class. While this deal seemed more appropriate than allowing the nation to default, a fact that many politicians applaud, it is effectively a smokescreen that will only further convolute the system.

Ultimately, the American people came out losing. With massive cuts to defense and education, our troops and students are in the greatest danger. Graduate students now face giving up subsidized loans, and effective July 2012, these students will be facing much higher costs over the course of their degree. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this will bring in US$26.1 billion in savings, over the course of the next decade, and will be able to provide additional funding for the Pell Grant program, a program that is limited to low income families. This of course ignores the fact that middle-tier families do not necessarily have the funds to afford their children’s college education. While these may seem like small sacrifices to make for the greater good of our country, it certainly makes attaining a higher degree more difficult, in a time where employers are facing a market over-saturated with undergraduate degree holders, increasing the demand for graduate and post graduate degrees.

Meanwhile, it is yet unseen what effect the massive defense cuts, upwards of US$800 billion, will have. Wall Street has already seen full percentage points drop amongst aerospace and defense companies. While the effects of these cuts may go unseen for a while, many in congress fear it will deter the U.S. Military’s ability to maintain the U.S.’s status as a great international power. The U.S. Navy’s ability to dominate global sea-lanes is what has made the U.S. a global superpower, both militarily and economically. This threatens the Military Industrial Complex, which debatably has been the backbone of the U.S. economy for decades.

While the great drama of Washington is seemingly over for now, it appears drastic changes are on the horizon. The nation may have averted default, but the future challenges cannot be ignored. As the election season hits full force this upcoming winter, it is high time for the American people to do some deep introspection and prepare themselves to elect intelligent, mature adults to both sides of the aisle, replacing the ideological extremists that are currently running the country.

The road to gender equality is a bumpy one in many countries.  When we initially think of gender inequality, The Middle East is an area that faces much criticism, but what many people are unaware of is that Central America is often confronted with this major global issue as well.

Microlending or microcredit, is the process of extending very small loans to those in poverty, and is meant to motivate the creation of an individual’s own business.  Self-employment projects funded by these loans are a promising strategy for improving gender equality in Central America because it would advance the status of women by allowing them to act independently and provide additional income for their families.

In a region where machismo—the idea that men are superior to women—runs rampant, microlending would afford women a chance to act as a separate entity from their partners and even give them an opportunity to raise enough funds to provide for themselves and their children if they are forced to leave an abusive household.

Women currently make up ninety-five percent of the Grameen Bank’s microcredit clients, which originated in Bangladesh.  Pro Mujer is “an international women’s development and microfinance organization whose mission is to provide Latin America’s poor women with the means to build livelihoods for themselves and futures for their families through microfinance, business training, and healthcare support.” Pro Mujer helps women escape from poverty and build wealth by creating sustainable microfinance organizations that supply services that women need to build their small businesses.

Microlending is perhaps the most beneficial socioeconomic tool for bettering the lives of women in Central America.  For women lacking social and economic stability, it provides access to financial services that can help families finally exit poverty.  One of the Millennium Development Goals is to “promote gender equality and empower women” and supporting the establishment of more microcredit organizations, like Pro Mujer, in an often-ignored region such as Central America, would behoove the United Nations Development Programme and bring them one step closer to achieving their goals.

Images are the work and property of Danielle Susi