September, 2009 Archives
| Well, I’ve heard that Human Security is a new theory in International Relations that would address issues of state as well as the individual | yes, it’s based on the ‘freedom from want’ and ‘freedom from fear’ pillars, | but it’ll never work | why not? | well my mates always tell me… | ‘my wife always wants and i fear her’ |
| Oh yes, I forgot that most International Relations theorists believe security of state is principal | Yup! S.O.S. for short |
| Wouldn’t removing childproof packagin affect children as well as the stupid? | well, what’s a few, if we can save society as a whole? | oh, I get it… | … now that you’re speaking International Relations language |
|So if Sociology is a science, why can’t you figure out a way to rid humanity of stupidity? | Well, we did, but some ‘genius’ keeps selling it in child-proof packaging |
A Sociologist Explains
| Are you telling me that Sociology is a science? | Yes, science is just the study of an environment controlled as best you can and observing the results | Perhaps it’s not like bio science where the environment can be exactly the same so you can observe exactly what denotes change, | but fundamentally, it’s the same | Freaking Social Scientists think they can explain everything! |
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November, 1993 at the Seattle airport, Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating was preparing for the APEC summit. Continually pressed for a response to why Mahathir was not attending, Keating replied “Don’t ask me any more questions about Mahathir. I couldn’t care less frankly whether he comes to Seattle or not next year. APEC is bigger than all of us – Australia, the United States, Malaysia, Mahathir – or any other recalcitrants.”
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The press wanted something sensational. Everyone knew Mahathir disliked the West and Japan. He disliked APEC especially because it was the brain child of Bob Hawke and allowed non-Asian states to become interdependent with Asian states.
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History tells us that Mahathir would look for any excuse to distort Australia’s relationship with Asia, and Keating always had a slighting word for his antagonist.
Many Malaysian’s are proud of Mahathir. He was smart. Damn smart. So was Keating. At least with his tongue.
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-> Read a Malaysian perspective about the comment ->
Kessler, Clive, 1994, ‘Keating’s blunder: three lessons‘ Asian Studies Review, vol. 17, no. 3. 3, pp.125-131.-> An Australian perspective about the comment, and Australian foreign policy ->
Beaumont, J & Woodard, G 1994, ‘Perspectives on Australian foreign policy, 1993′, Australian International Affairs, vol. 48, no. 01, pp. 97-106.-> An Australian news article ->
Sunday Times, Keating under fire for dumb remarks-
| So between 1971 and 1990, Malaysia had four 5-year New Economic Plans | Oh, and this was under PM Dr. Mahathir right? | Yup. but he often had difficulty getting his cabinet to do what he needed though | A little ironic for an authoritarian government | true, but he solved this by putting those who disagreed into inactive posts | well, I guess he thought they were too recalcitrant |
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So now, every Malaysian above the age of 20 knows the word recalcitrant. And virtually no Australian knows the word!
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Incidentally, I was in the Canberra Children’s Choir with Keating’s daughters at this time (it’s had a name change).
Fundamental Extraterritoriality
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Terrtoriality:
* the behavior of a male animal that defines and defends its territory (Princeton.edu) * geography of political organizations and political power emerging in globalization which transcends territories and borders (Baylis, Smith & Owens 2008)Fundamentalism:
* strict inerpretation of a religious-cultural form, drawn from particular understandings - often literal - of basic/fundamental scripture, doctrines, and practices (Baylis, Smith & Owens 2008) The Globalization of World Politics * the interpretation of every word in the sacred texts as literal truth (Princeton.edu)-
| So that’s good, even though your housemates emanate extraterritoriality, you are able to live comfortably | yes, this is because i’m a fundamentalitst! | what’s mine is mine, and what’s theirs is mine too |
Collective Security
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And who is responsible for trash anyway. Check this great passive-aggressive fridge note by a US dude in the UK for his international housemates.
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| But currently my house mates have taken most of the space in the fridge for their food | I think this is what they call ‘balance of power‘ | ah, so to maintain equilibrium between you all so if you were fight again, there is no assured winner | Exactly! but since they have taken so much space, i eat their food | I call this ‘collective security‘ |
Détente
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Define Détente : a French term, meaning a relaxing or easing; the term has been used in international politics especially between nations since the early 1970s.
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