Pronto*

Bolivia: Brief comment on Potosí conflict

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:27:52 -0600

Below is the text of a (very) brief comment I was invited to make as part of their “Featured Q&A” on the current situation in Bolivia—particularly w/ reference to the conflict between the central government & the department of Potosí—for today’s Latin American Advisor (a daily newsletter put out by the Inter-American Dialogue). I always enjoy the challenge of giving a commentary on something as complex as Bolivian politics in 250 words or less.

Politics: The (false) controversy over Obama's religion

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:25:21 -0600

There’s been an ongoing controversy over the president’s religious status. Namely, accusations that he’s a (secret) Muslim. Recently, I ran across an ABC News story in which Franklin Graham suggested Obama was “born a Muslim” (whatever that means). One could dismiss the comment, if it weren’t for the fact that Franklin Graham is the son of the late Billy Graham, one of the most iconic Evangelical preachers of the last several decades.

Recent Publications

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:09:28 -0600

Just a shameless plug a few things of mine that just came out in print. Two are specifically on Bolivia; the other is a published version of the writing/discussion assignment I developed based on American Idol & presented at the 2009 APSA Teaching & Learning Conference.

Teaching: On plagiarism

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:51:07 -0600

My friend @kohenari has an interesting post about plagiarism on his blog. The topic’s been under discussion a lot lately (both in the mainstream press & in places like The Chronicle of Higher Education). What makes Ari’s post interesting, however, is that he objects to the conventional wisdom that students today are more likely to plagiarize because the digital age makes it easier—and perhaps even reduces previously existing taboos about intellectual ownership. Further, Ari suggests that new social networking technologies (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) actually foster attribution, not plagiarism.

Bolivia: Flag wars

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:47:27 -0600

The latest controversy in Bolivia pitting Evo & Costas (the opposition/regionalist governor of Santa Cruz) is over style masquerading as substance. This Friday is 6 de Agosto, Bolivia’s national holiday. Instead of celebrating the event in La Paz (the political capital) or Sucre (the historical/constitutional capital), Evo’s government has decided to hold the official national ceremony in Santa Cruz. The dilemma, then, was over the use of the wiphala : whether or not it should be raised & whether or not it represents all Bolivians.

Bolivia: Evo wades into Colombia-Venezuela dispute

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:02:47 -0600

Evo Morales has interjected himself into the recent Colombia-Venezuela political crisis. Speaking to the Bolivian press, Evo underlined that Bolivia is a pacifist country but is prepared to defend itself if drawn into the Colombia-Venezuela conflict. This was an odd statement to make for a strictly pacifist country (as Bolivia’s constitution proclaims), but also because Bolivia borders neither country & is nearly a thousand miles away from the conflict.

Teaching: Singapore & modernizing authoritarian regimes

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:52:22 -0600

I often use Singapore in class discussions of “modernizing authoritarian” regimes (and one more current than Mexico, Brazil, or South Korea). It also serves as an interesting case of semi-authoritarian, soft-authoritarian, or bureaucratic-authoritarian regime—and the relationship between such regimes & (possible) future democratization. This video is a good launch pad for discussion. Although it was produced for a Dutch network, nearly all of the 10 mins is in English (just ignore the Dutch subtitles).

Teaching: “Global fertility”

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:32:06 -0600

This Economist videographic is great for discussing the socioeconomic impact of fertility rates. In just over 3 mins, it makes one simple point: around the world, as incomes rise in, fertility rates decline. But it also shows that these declines have been uneven across regions & time. So it allows for a more nuanced discussion—particularly one geared at asking why fertility rates would decrease as a function of improving socioeconomic conditions (or whether a decrease in fertility rates comes before socioeconomic improvements?). Either way, it’s a great way to sneak in some structuralism.

Back from our roadtrip

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:19:23 -0600

It took “only” 13 hours door-to-door from Chicago to Oxford, but we returned from our summer road trip adventures last night. Today we’re restocking pantry/fridge, unpacking/organizing, and decompressing. Tomorrow both K8 & I get back to work (she teaches a summer session that starts in a week!). I hope to post photos & a brief travelogue of our adventure across 8 states in 18 days.

On the road again

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:54:02 -0600

We are taking our new-to-us 2001 Ford Windstar minivan on a two-week road trip from Oxford, Mississippi, to the Great Lakes region to see family & friends. This means about a week through the great state of Michigan (various points of interest) & a week in Chicago—with some stints in South Bend. Not sure how much blogging time I’ll have, but we’ll try to post some snapshots via Flickr. After we return, I’ll tackle wrapping up two conference papers & prepping my fall courses. Expect to see something about those projects here. And, don’t worry, I planned our travel itinerary around the World Cup matches. I may have to miss one quarterfinal (though I’m recording it to watch later). But we will watch the final match at Small Bar in Chicago (where I watched nearly all post-group matches four years ago).

Bolivia: the indigenous/environmentalist challenge to Evo’s government

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 09:20:57 -0600

The two weeks since I’ve returned from Bolivia have seen a dramatic development: the country’s largest indigenous organizations are directly challenging Evo’s government. In response, the government has chosen to attack USAID, blaming it for fomenting dissension & division w/in the social movements that have traditionally backed MAS. The logic is fairly simple: No legitimate indigenous group/leader would ever challenge Evo unless he/she/they was/were manipulated by foreign interests. But this argument has several problems.

World Cup: End of Groups Stage

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:43:14 -0600

The first round of the World Cup is over. I always like this round best, even though it means struggling to watch three (or more!) matches in a single day—knowing that some will be lackluster. But it’s my favorite part of the event because each match can surprise. Here’s a short list of my favorites:

World Cup: Day 5

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:20:32 -0600

I’ve been back in the home for a few days now. Despite the jet lag from a 23 hour door-to-door trip (I got to watch the last 20 mins of the Slovenia v. Algeria Group C match at VVI; but missed Germany’s scorefest), I managed to drag myself out of bed in time to catch yesterday’s Holland v. Denmark Group E opener. This was the first World Cup match I watched w/ Javi (he got to stay home from school & spend the day w/ his papi). Today was Brazil’s debut against North Korea in Group F. Brazil won—and showed a breathtaking display of individual skill & bravura—but it showed its rough edges against a tough & determined Hermit Kingdom side (they managed to frustrate Brazil for most of the match & even scored a goal to go down a respectable 2-1). Earlier, Portugal tied the Ivory Coast, which means the “group of death” could get very interesting, indeed. Portugal and/or Ivory Coast might have a very tough time getting past North Korea. Spain—¡España!—debuts tomorrow. I’m hoping Fernando Torres, David Villa, Xavi Hernandez, and co. do a better job out the gate than their Brazilian counterparts do.

World Cup: ¡Vamos España!

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:28:59 -0600

Today is my last day of serious work in Bolivia—and likely for the next month. Why? The World Cup begins tomorrow morning. Other than missing three games on Sunday (I’m flying back from Bolivia that day), I hope to catch most of the matches. But since it’s prediction time, let me be clear. Spain better win the Cup this year. I picked them last time, and was frustrated by their performance. So: ¡Vamos España!

Bolivia: Enviromentalism & Indigenous rights vs. government economic policy

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:54:03 -0600

Earlier I commented on the politics of development aid & suggested that Bolivia’s government is politicizing development aid. So far, the government is heavily attacking both USAID & the UN (particularly the various UNDP programs in the country), accusing them of fomenting anti-government activity. Today, that line of attack continues, but is taking interesting twists that international environmental & indigenous rights activists should take note.