Focus Article
New York Times
Gleaming City Rising From Ruins Can’t Hide Psychic Scars of a War by Seth Mydans
Although Chechnya has been shrouded in terrorism and warfare, their leader Mr. Kadyrov, has come up with a ‘solution’ to bring the region out of the dark. About 90% of the population suffers from serious physiological issues from years of repression, torture, and tyranny. Kadyrov’s idea to bring Chechnya out of their dark times was to build Grozny, a city that included a fairground and ice-skating rink and plans for a water park, a racetrack, a cultural center and a ski resort. I found this article very interesting because the strong contrast of a theme park-like city and a suffering people living in ruins are brought together in a very different mixture. Guards with assault rifles help protect the city of amusement rides and luxury. This relates to the course we are studying because it shows that a government can completely change the course of a civilization. Just like China took control and limited families to one child per household; Kadyrov is taking control by building a booming tourist city in the ruins of a tormented society. Chechnya is now independent, while getting support from Moscow at the same time. The death rates of Chechnya have also been lowered tremendously thanks to the addition of the new city.
Washington Post
China says U.S. policy, not its currency, to blame for economic woes by: Keith B. Richburg
Many people in America see the Chinese as the source of our economic recession because their goods are sold at an extremely cheap price. The Chinese strongly disagree with this mentality. China is experiencing its own economic troubles, with inflation, bankruptcy, and foreclosure on a rampage.
New York Times
Europe Tries to Stave Off a Reckoning by Steven Erlanger
Europe looks as if it is about to enter a large scale recession. Greece has a huge amount of debt, and with no means to pay it off, it will be forced to default on its loans. As a result, most of the developed countries of Europe will be economically affected as well. Many hope that they can go through a reckoning like America did, to help them change their economy to something more efficient.
Washington Post
Despite death of Awlaki, U.S.-Yemen relations strained by Sudarsan Raghavan and Karen DeYoung
The death of Awlaki, one of the most influential al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen, has not relaxed the strained relationship between U.S. officials and Yemen citizens. The people of Yemen still want to fight terrorists, while the country is on the brink of war and economic devastation. United States officials however, are instructed not to aid the Yemen efforts. This causes tension in the relations between the two.
New York Times
Apple’s Visionary Redefined Digital Age by John Markoff
Steve Jobs died at age 56 after helping usher in the ear of personal computers and leading a cultural revolution in music, movies, and communications. He co-founded Apple, and founded Pixar. These two industries had a huge impact on electronics, multi-media, and today’s culture.
In the past two weeks, we have learned about population growth across the world, and throughout the earth's timeline. I've learned that the culture in each society affects the population of the world as a whole. Some cultures see having children as a necessity, others view it as something to do once they've settled down, and have progressed through their careers. Each culture is different in the way reproduction is seen in the community, but all strive for a well-balanced population.
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