World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo contains the remains of 14 Japanese soldiers who were convicted of war crimes after World War II.  As such, it is anathema to citizens of countries which were occupied by Japan; for some Japanese, however, the shrine is a sacred place, honoring those who upheld a distinctive sense of military tradition.  Visits to the burial places of the war criminals are statements, and the recent visit by some prominent Japanese politicians has stirred up the already hostile feelings in China toward Japan.  It is clear that some in Japan see anti-Chinese statements are politically useful.

There are more slaves today than at any other time in human history.  Most people consider slavery to be a thing of the past, but it remains one of the most persistent of all human evils.  Many, however, are working hard to eradicate the institution and the BBC reports on some important developments in the struggle.

The Washington Post ran an interesting article on the different factions in Syria.  It provides a good background on the groups and what their interests seem to be.  As you read the article, remember that no group is monolithic and that stereotyping the groups is a misleading and dangerous thing to do.  But interests do tend to “cluster” and such simplifications are necessary for some degree of analysis.