World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

Former US State Department official, Christopher Hill, has written an essay examining the causes of the refugee crisis.  Most of the blame falls on Syrian President Assad and his extremist opponents, the Islamic State  and al Qaeda.  But Hill also points out the responsibility of the Western powers, specifically France and the US, for not having a viable response to the politics of the Arab Spring which led to the organized protests in 2011.  Not only in Syria but also in Egypt, the protests were left with unpalatable choices and the Western powers did little to help support those who favored more democratic forces.

Voters in the Catalan region of Spain will vote on whether Catalonia should declare its independence from Spain.  Secessionist movements are not allowed under the Spanish constitution, and the central Spanish government has vowed to suppress any move toward independence.   The region accounts for almost 20% of the Spanish GDP and the Catalan grievances against the Spanish government include a sense of economic exploitation as well as the suppression of Catalan cultural identity.  If the vote favors independence both Spain and the European Union will be in for a rough ride.