World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

The chatter about an Israeli attack on Iran continues.  Events are moving very fast, which tends to amplify the ststements by governmental officials.  The attack on the Iranian missile site, the taking of the British Embassy, and the shooting down of the American drone all tend to create a context in which miscalculation and misperception become more likely.  The EU has threatened a ban on imports of Iranian oil–a move that would injure the EU and the global economy much worse than it would hurt Iran.  We should watch this confrontation carefully.

There was a bit of good news from the climate conference in Durban.  The Chinese have indicated a willingness to sign a treaty limiting greenhouse gas emissions (a Kyoto-like Treaty).  This is a change from the previous Chinese position.  Apparently, the Indians (the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the US) are still unwilling to sign such a treaty.

The trade-off between economic activity and protection of the environment is one of the chief dilemmas facing the world.  The BBC has run an article which poses this dilemma in the starkest terms possible.  It is impossible to determine how one should come down on these choices.