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nenem 19-Sep-10, 04:20	proceed 2 There are many ways we can proceed. 1 I shall start is with regions of the world. South Asia comes to my mind 1st. We have the interest of the US Russia and China and other states of the former USSR plus Iran and probably other countries. We have countries that do not have clear boundaries. We have different religions, poverty, tribal and ideological conflict not to mention future resources in need of development. We also have arms races and natural disasters. I am sure this is an incomplete list but I think it is enough to indicate it has many sources of instability. Plenty of things to talk about and to hopefully become better informed about. Please comment if you wish. I am just starting my research and will offer ideas or possible sources so we become better informed at least. nenem PS Please start your own train of thoughts too.
dmaestro 19-Sep-10, 13:40	We have different types of nations. There are historic empire states, such as China. There are nations whose boundaries were set by colonialism or empires without regard to ethnic/tribal boundaries (these are the most unstable). Nearby, there are settler nations such as Australia, which never evolved from tribal states and are the moist unified as a result (although a settler nation like Israel is unified but unstable because of population displacement and it is like an isolated island culturally). Russia is more of a combination of a more recent empire and settler nation by virtue of its size. The history of how a nation was formed is a big factor in whether stable democracies and regional peace are possible, and this applies around the world. South Asia has probably the greatest economic growth potential of any area in the world right now. The cultures evolved despite the geographic potential for climatic extremes (floods, tsunamis, famine, etc.) but since cultures thrive best when these extremes are mitigated this remains a challenge.
nenem 19-Sep-10, 17:19	steps taken thank you. I have ordered a few used but recent books from amazon on the area. For now I would like to ask your view of this general comment on the world overall I'm sure its vastly simplified. US is superpower. Greart or potential great powers are Russia, China, India, Japan, and possibly Iran depending on how things go for it the next few years. European Europe is some some of divided possible great power. I know it is far from a state. Roughly US & EU hoped 90's to get Russia integrated into an ecoWestern system (unsure what to call it but based on hopes by trade not fight and all benifit. Russians not like this and show responses in Ukrane, Georgia and several other places. Seeking get back to prior role as 1 of 3 or 2 key powers build up military and use pressure on Euope economies given its oil coal ect energy related resources. Now they see 90's as a humiliation. As to China I'm waiting for my order and a book coming out by Robert Kaplan Monsoon mid-Oct I think. Hope we get at least a few more interested. I'm not an economist but my wife taught some in the Philippines and I've at least read a couple of very simple books. nenem
dmaestro 21-Sep-10, 19:17	The Russian situation was complex. Gorbachev deserves credit for building the foundation for democracy. However, the U.S made serious blunders in the 1990s which were not helpful towards Russia. This article www.lrb.co.uk is I think insightful of where the U.S. failed.
nenem 23-Sep-10, 11:35	Russia I have read the article. Thank you. I'll start by saying that what he West hoped for has not come about. Their public face seems to me to be 2 faces with Putin the main one. There does seem to be many many problems. We thought we were welcoming them into the democratic and to various degree European world system. They have in some ways continued old ways. I certainly do not know who controls things there. They appear increasingly nationalistic and seek their rightful place in the world. They want the Eastern European countries to be neutral and I suspect eventually pro Russia. To me no big surprise. I assume conditions are not good in most parts of the country. I assume the military is powerful but not as strong compared to the US as it once was. It cooperates with China when in its interests however they are determined but it certainly is not the Cold War. This was an area I studied in graduate school. I will try to look some more up. nenem

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