Let the Games Not Begin

by Jyoti Thottam

Let the Games Not Begin. New Delhi’s residents are protesting, not celebrating, their city’s Commonwealth Games.

　　The Commonwealth Games are to open on October 3. A politician, Suresh Kalmadi says on September 15 that everything for the opening of the game is ready with minor finishing, but actually there are a lot of problems in construction, security, and diseases. Indian politicians also plead the New Delhi’s residents to put on a good show for the coming athletes.
　　But the residents are against Kalmadi’s wizard-of-Oz way of speaking and the pleading. The residents do not need the shallow words like Kalmadi. Instead, they will surely show their wit, compassion, and courage in the end as in Wizard of Oz. (102 words)

(The words, Wizard of Oz, are well reflected in the last paragraph: ...long and treacherous yellow brick road. ... find reserves of wit, compassion and courage. Who needs the Wixard?)

Sacred Spaces

By Nancy Gibbs

We all view them differently. So how can we best turn hallowed ground common ground?

How does a common place become hallowed? It is when people attach meaning to it. Gettysburg became hallowed because of Lincoln’s speech. Lourdes became sacred because of a miracle. So is Vietnam Veterans Memorial. How about Ground Zero? It is undergoing a test. Some oppose the construction of the mosque; others approve it. Either side contradicts its own case. To the opponents, I say the distance would not be the problem if “the center were intentional affront orchestrated by radical Islamic sleepers.” To the proponents, I ask why they build it “in so divisive a location. Politicians, who exploit the debates for their own purposes, deserve special scorn.

Africa’s Future

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

by Alex Perry

How staging soccer’s World Cup has allowed a continent to believe in itself.
　
　　When the writer moved to South Africa in 2006, the security was not guaranteed. There were many crimes, violence, and burglaries, but the situation has changed. The preconception that Africa is a continent of war, famine, genocide, and death has been replaced with the idea that it is a continent of vibrancy, affluence, diversity, and opportunities. Many excellent Africans have appeared: coffee moguls, entrepreneurs, bankers, musicians, and pilots. Africans today began to have confidence in themselves through experiencing the World Cup. They have become more tolerant, confident, and broadminded. Desmond Tutu said regarding the wonderful change Africa has made, “It’s unbelievable! I am in a dream.”(106)

Growing Pains (May 31, 2010)

by Andrew Marshall

Thailand’s agony shows how weak its institutions are—and how hard it is for a young democracy to mature.

Thailand is in chaos. The Red Shirt group armed with rocks, slingshots, and guns is protesting against the government. It is funded by the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The conflict has claimed the lives of 70 people. The King, now 82, can no longer halt the violence as he did in 1992. The institutions such as the parliament, the judiciary, the media, the police and the Buddhist group cannot control the battle because each of them is busy coping with their own problems. The writer is pessimistic. He is afraid that more violence is inevitable. He says, “Thailand is not growing up. It is falling apart.” (107 words)

Raging Contagion (May 17, 2010)

by Michael Schuman

After Greece, will concerns about nations’ debt loads derail the global economic recovery?

As Thailand financial crisis spread to even a distant country like Korea in 1997, Greek financial breakdown will spread not only to the euro zone but beyond that unless efficient measures are taken. The European Union seems to have saved Greece economy by $145 billion bailout, but in reality the way EU has dealt with Greek’s tragedy lacks understanding of the global contagion of the financial black plague. Germany put domestic policies ahead of the stability of the euro zone and entire global economy. The EU needs to do more, otherwise the Greek flue might spread all over the world. (100)

The War Within (March 8, 2010)

by Nancy Gibbs

For too many American women in uniform, the danger also comes from their male comrades.

The Pentagon’s figures show nearly 3,000 women soldiers were sexually assaulted. The actual number is larger because most of the victims do not report the assaults for fear that they will be demoted as troublemakers. The causes for the assaults are: military culture is violent; the military is slow to identify potential risks among raw recruits; and generals worry about whether they can win a war. However, there are some good signs. Victims can seek medical treatment. The leaders began to realize the problem. The failure to guarantee women soldiers is not just a moral issue or a morale issue.(100 words)

Generation Next (March 11, 2010)

By Nacny Gibbs

Millennials respect their elders, so why do they say the generation gap is wider than ever?

Although the millennial generation (ages 18 to 29) respect the elders and their moral values, 79 percent say there is a major difference in the point of view of younger and older people. The cause of the gap is technology. Younger generation learned to leverage technology to build community, tweeting and texting and friending. The older people should not be disappointed with the new style of community, because it will someday invent something new that will solve the present problems of the world. The millennials’ vision would be vindicated even for the aged who will one day follow their lead. (100)

The Real Deal (March 1, 2010)

By Michael Schuman

Asia achieved much prosperity, but the U.S. should not draw the wrong lessons from its economic rise.

“Americans often take the wrong lessons from Asia’s growth stories.” They think that China’s economic growth has been brought about by the government-led economic policy and that Japan has developed due to its state-led economic system, but the truth is Beijing’s leaders have liberalized its economy. Asian countries such as India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan are pushing back the power of state in economy. Their economic growth has derived from free trade and free flows of capital as in the U.S “If Americans want to learn the correct lessons from Asia, they can ironically find them right at home.” (100)