L'Afrique dans la discussion allemande.

J'avais oublié de mettre ceci sur la toile quand je l'avais écrit. C'est (comme le titre indique) un bref aperçu de la discussion en allemand (pas en Allemagne, l'Autriche est aussi inclus) sur l'Afrique et l'engagement de l'Europe et des européens là-bas.

The European Union's Strategic Partnerships

In case any of you guys need an update on what the strategic partnerships of the EU are up to. Not the most exciting read of all times maybe, but it was interesting to research and write and even if I'd prefer to do more of my own analysis I felt it was a valuable exercise.

Magisterarbeit

I should have posted this a while ago, but things were kind of busy and I just didn't think of it anymore. Here is my master's thesis, betitled: The ESDP and its Impact on Transatlantic Relations.

I still like the topic. I know it could be better. I would write it very differently if I had to do it over again. It still is the longest piece I've ever written and unlike most people I know I didn't cheat in the bibliography. I actually read all of that.

American trade policy / la politique commerciale américaine

So, I just wrote my first paper and had my first oral presentation in France. I wrote the text in English and wanted to do the presentation in the same language but then I got pissed off at myself for chickening out and under consideration of the fact that I don't really care about my grades here decided to do everything in French. Thus, I rewrote the whole thing in French (with friendly assistance of this terroristy kid from some crappy, small town in the South of France somewhere). If you care to read a short summary of American trade policy, check it out. Lots more could be said about this and my footnotes show where one could take this I think. Interesting subject to say the least.

As a side note, Paul Krugman on his blog posted a really easy introduction into trade theory, you should read it if you don't know much about this topic.

Je viens de donner ma première exposé à Sciences Po et j'ai écrit une synthèse sur le même sujet (avec un peu d'aide d'un copain terroriste à moi). Je l'avais écrit en anglais au début, mais je veux apprendre quelque chose ici, alors je me dis que cela servirait à rien à la fin et je l'ai traduit en français. Si la politique commerciale des États-Unis vous intéressez, lisez-le. Je le trouve un sujet fascinant et je crois qu'on peut voir qu'il y a beaucoup des possibilités d'élargir cette synthèse.

Exorbitant Privilege

I wrote an economics paper on the side this semester, dealing with the United States' (or the dollar's) benefit accrueing through its position in the international monetary system. Very interesting subject I found out, check it out.

Finals

Two final papers today, one is a take-home essay consisting of three parts. Quite honestly, I am not a huge fan of it, if you care about my estimate of what has happened in the US (and through the US outside of it) since 9/11 read it, otherwise don't bother. The other, is a research paper for my Legislative Systems class. Very difficult class (really tough readings every week and a lot of it too), difficult paper, very interesting and fun though. Basically, I try to show that:

• white people don't elect black representatives


• substantively there is virtually no difference in the representation of African-Americans' concerns when they are represented either by blacks or white non-Southern Democrats, all others (Republicans and Southern Democrats) vote significantly less often for black interest legislation


• while not uniform, it can and has to be argued that African-Americans with all their divergences still do form one large interest group to some extent

I really tried with this paper, would have liked more time, but I am kind of proud anyway. Hope my professor will actually notice and reward this.

Mid-Term Essay

Honestly, I shelled this essay out in very little time (I think I wrote it in like 7 to 10 hours), it has no footnotes, and really is just an argumentative essay. I kind of like it for what it is though. So, enjoy.

Task:
Was the development of the Bush Doctrine a proper response to the attacks of 9/11/01? Has implementation of the Bush Doctrine over the past five years been effective, ineffective or counterproductive in reducing the threat of international terrorism against the United States?

Memo 2

My second memo for the 9/11 and its aftermath class. See below for the topic:

You are staff for a member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. The Committee is holding a hearing entitled "The National Security Strategy of the United States: A Review of the Post-9/11 Security Posture" in the fall of 2002. Write a short briefing memo (of no more than 750 words) for the Chairman of the Committee. The memo should 1) summarize the key points of the national security strategy, 2) analyze the strategy and note its strengths (if any) and weaknesses (if any). The memo should conclude with a recommendation stating whether the Chairman should support or criticize the strategy and concise statement explaining the reasoning for the recommended position.

The Effects of Income Inequality

I have - finally - finished my last paper for the last semester in Berlin. It is an essay about the effects of income inequality on other economical and societal factors. Honestly, it is a disappointment. I did a lot of empirical work for this essay and out of twenty correlations only three are relevant. Just a load of crap the whole thing. I put so much work into it and got nothing out of it. Check it out only if you are extremely bored.

This means that with the courses that I am taking here right now, I only need one more class next semester to start writing my thesis and graduate. Hasn't really sunk in yet that.

Race and Congress

This might be one of the craziest papers I have ever written. It is for my PhD course on Legislative Politics. This course is a very humbling experience as it is full of well future professors who have been specializing in American politics for the last 3 years already and then I sit in there, with my European point of view and most importantly with a background that is a lot broader and more abstract (or useless) than theirs. Anyway, the point is that I wanted to turn in something good, it is not like most of my other courses where I can just get by on making up crap a little.

So, I got up Sunday morning at seven, had a nice breakfast on Franklin Street with some random, 50-year-old Republican woman (good conversation partner though) and then pretty much read eight books and wrote four pages about those. Tonight I only checked grammar and spelling and will now send it off to my professor (my schedule today was too busy to really change anything anymore). Do I actually think it is good? I don't know, I liked the subject, I feel like I have something to say even if I only scratch the surface of it. Let's see what the professor will have to say about it. I can only repeat that I enjoy the challenge of working a lot and under pressure though.

Check it out here.

Memo I

Well, I've actually written my first essay for the university here. I don't like it all that much personally, we'll see what he thinks. I feel like I don't know enough about the subject yet personally, but I don't have the time to really get into it. In any case, here it is. Below you can read what he asked us to do, I have to say that I really like the general principle of the task:


You are a counterterrorism analyst at the CIA and an expert in Islamic fundamentalist groups. It is September 21, 2001 and the Director of the CIA has just read President Bush's speech to Congress the previous evening.

He says to you: "Last night the President said: 'They hate what we see right here in this chamber -- a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other ...They stand against us because we stand in their way.'

Write a short memo to me (of no more than 750 words) telling me whether the President was right about al-Qaeda's motivation or not."

The OMC

This is definitely one of the more weaker papers I've written (it is kind of crappy actually, but I had to write it in three days and stil hope I'll get a decent grade for it). It deals with the Open Method of Coordination which is a relatively new mode of governance in the European Union, very technical.

Inequality and growth

Another one of my attempts at economics, this is a short (4 pages) essay on the effect on inequality. I tried to prove that inequality hinders growth, and accordingly economically is counterproductive. That was not possible sadly enough, there really seems to be a correlation between inequality and growth, one can only redistribute wealth and try to limit the negative side-effects.

The Wealth Effect

I had not initally wanted to publish this essay because I wasn't really happy with it. But, I decided not to chicken out and hide it just because I feel not as sure of my argumental skills when it comes to economics. The essay deals with the wealth effect on consumption. Meaning how an increase in different kinds of wealth (housing and financial) impact one's consumption.

The American Welfare State

I have to write an essay on the American welfare state and an exposé for that essay is due today. So, if anyone of you cares to find out why the American welfare state developed later and differently than most European welfare regimes. Have fun.

Le Non

Ich hatte vor 2 Semestern ein Seminar über den EU-Verfassungsvertrag und wollte damals in den Semesterferien eine Hausarbeit über das gescheiterte Referendum in Frankreich schreiben. Ich schaffte es irgendwie nie diese Arbeit zu schreiben und hatte mir dann versprochen sie in Frankreich zu schreiben und dem Professor mit dem Argument, daß ich französische Literatur benötigt hätte, noch zu geben. Lange Rede, kurzer Sinn, am Mittwoch (oder Dienstag) gehe ich in seine Sprechstunde und gucke was dabei herauskommt, die Arbeit könnt Ihr Euch hier runterladen falls Interesse besteht. Nur als kleine Warnung, es gibt relativ viele Zitate auf französisch.

We Shall Overcome

The Jewish Young Folksinger - We Shall Overcome
A bit of Jewish support for the Civil Rights Struggle

I had to write a 6-page paper on Martin Luther King, Jr. and his role in the Civil Rights Movement. A really interesting topic and I really enjoyed my Monday which I spent in the library reading, in a one day sitting (diagonal I have to admit though), Ling's biography of King. Good stuff that. I hadn't really known all that much about the whole movement (just the typical collection of buzz- and keywords) but it is a really fascinating, just and - in the end, more or less - successful cause. Tuesday and Wednesday I spent writing my six pages and this morning I turned the essay in.

What can I say, I think this is one of the weakest papers I have ever written for a class. I am not quite sure why this is the case. Maybe I dislike the class too much (this bizarre French method of teaching without any interaction taking place can destroy pretty much any topic), feel too arrogant in there (some of those French guys in there have an atrocious command of the English language) or the question wasn't any good (Discuss the following statement: MLK was more a facilitator than an organizer), maybe I just didn't care enough because it seems highly unlikely that I will get any credit for any of this. Whatever the reason, crappy paper I believe, if you want to check it out anyway (or therefore), here you go.

Mean Old World

Little Walter - Mean Old World

I am still kind of in awe of myself that I managed to go home last night, one hour before a cajun/zydeco band was scheduled and about as long before there would have been some police action. Seems doubtfull I'll act as sensible again next time, but it definitly paid off today, got so many things done.

Some of you will know that I have been writing a paper on Huckleberry Finn for a while now (at the same time I was working to be precise, which is why it took me so fucking long too). Well, I finally finished today.

In it, I am Basically discussing whether Huck and his creator Mark Twain are racists or not. Coming to the conclusion at the end that Huck is never capable to throw off his racist upbringing. Twain on the other hand in his life managed to do so (he once volunteered for a Confederate militia), yet could not in his novel let a 14-year old boy take such a big step at once.

Great book, for all of you who haven't read it yet. I read it as a kid first and loved it, but the amazing thing is that is has two levels it can be read on, making it is as enjoyable to adults. I think Twain is one of the three coolest American writers anyway (the two others being Faulkner and Edgar Allan Poe). His wit, irony and sarcasm is unparalleled. I found two rather rare texts by him on the internet one about war the other about masturbation (yes, you read that right). What can I say? He is not really cool (in regard to his opinions), but also really funny (not that that is anything new or suprising about him).

I can seriously virtually every book he wrote for a really cool afternoon/evening. My personal favorites:

Huckleberry Finn (no comment necessary I believe)

A Connecitcut Yankee At King Arthur's Court (the title sums up the story line rather well, a satire on the influence and power of innovation and technology)

A Tramp Abroad (about his travels in Europe, especially his views of Germany and the Germans amused me very much, and yes I am very proud of him having spent one winter in Berlin)

Adam's Diary & Eve's Diary (the folly of religion)

Oh yeah, anyone actually downloading and reading my paper, I will still do a spell and style check tomorrow, but the content will not be changed anymore (especially considering I don't even need the credit for this course, don't even really know why I wrote it in the first place), so bare with me if there are some stupid errors in there.