World Politics

[Cobblestones]

Some interesting input on the Straits of Hormuz issue by retired Royal Saudi Navy Commodore Abdulateef Al-Mulhim

Strait of Hormuz and Iranian threats

They don’t have the military capability to close the world’s most important waterway



Rest of the article here - http://arabnews.com/opinion/columns/article558030.ece

It's different though. First of all, no insurer will take on the risk when the Iranians put seamines out there. Second, last time, ships getting US escort had to be re-flagged (and I believe the rules haven't changed). I just don't see that this is palatable to the US public. You basically take foreign vessels, reflag them as US vessels for the purpose of escorting them (uninsured) through the mined waters, and upon exiting the Persian Gulf the flag changes back to Panama or whatever. This won't fly in the current domestic climate with OWS and so on.

 

[python]

Some interesting input on the Straits of Hormuz issue by retired Royal Saudi Navy Commodore Abdulateef Al-Mulhim

Strait of Hormuz and Iranian threats

They don’t have the military capability to close the world’s most important waterway



Rest of the article here - http://arabnews.com/opinion/columns/article558030.ece

i think the commodore drew too pessimistic a scenario with regard to iran's ability to disrupt the strait militarily.

he's certainly correct that iran's navy is no match for the 5th fleet if push comes to shove. but he's underestimating a relatively straightforward task of mining the strait.

several posts back i linked a scholarly assessment of the iran's ability to implement the threat. the author tried to objectively analyse various open sources and similar historic precedents. the author came to the conclusion that laying several hundred mines by using a combination of fast boats, fishing craft,subs and what not is well within iran's capability. he plaid with various iran's options and american countermeasures and states that while iran is incapable of closing the strait permanently it can easily disrupt oil tanker traffic for at least several weeks.

no doubt, if americans decide to implement active sea and air anti-mining patrols designed to prevent any suspicious activity, they can limit iran's mining. but such patrols will have to have an authorization shoot to kill and that's tantamount to starting a war. besides, americans can't prevent a determined, well planned, short, all-out effort. they can only limitits effect.

as was stated earlier, disrupting the strait of hormuz is iran's 'nuclear option'. it's a desperate measure of last resort b/c iran itself uses the strait to export it's oil and import gasoline. closing the strait is worse than shooting itself in the foot...it's committing a suicide. but what iran is saying is that 'if you push us to the brink by making it impossible for us to sell oil, no one will buy or sell.

i think it's a plausible threat even though iran will likely suffer considerably if implemented. their intent is to scare commerce, hike prices and create economic havoc. it's a game of of who blinks first. i also believe that if crap hits the fan iran can easily implement other military options that will throw ALL commerce into disarray...like lobbing just 1-2 missiles at the saudi refinery across the strait that processes 70% of their oil. they also have lots of other 'asymmetrical' options like activating their proxies across the middle east.

the bottom line is that iran is betting on the fact that the west is tired of wars and will be unwilling to get bugged in another war in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns.

 

[Amsterhammer]

There was an interesting post on another forum I regularly post on today. A Dutchman spent a month in Iran last year living, as he put it, among the people. In brief and fwiw, his conclusion was that 90% of the people he had contact with were vehemently anti-regime and pro-western. They all longed for the day when regime change would come about through an internal uprising; none wanted external involvement.

Many people told this guy that he should emphasize (when he got home) that the image we have in the west of Iran as a nation of Islamic extremists has been created by the 10% who hold power, and is not representative of the country as a whole.

 

[craig1985]

Obama unveils new strategy for 'leaner' US military:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16430405

 

[ChrisE]

There was an interesting post on another forum I regularly post on today. A Dutchman spent a month in Iran last year living, as he put it, among the people. In brief and fwiw, his conclusion was that 90% of the people he had contact with were vehemently anti-regime and pro-western. They all longed for the day when regime change would come about through an internal uprising; none wanted external involvement.

Many people told this guy that he should emphasize (when he got home) that the image we have in the west of Iran as a nation of Islamic extremists has been created by the 10% who hold power, and is not representative of the country as a whole.

Well, then the 90% better get to working on a chang'n the path or else the 10% is gonna cause 100% to get whacked.

 

[python]

There was an interesting post on another forum I regularly post on today. A Dutchman spent a month in Iran last year living, as he put it, among the people. In brief and fwiw, his conclusion was that 90% of the people he had contact with were vehemently anti-regime and pro-western.

it's not difficult to conclude that the current regime, and particularly Ahmadinejad's presidency, has many opponents. i also heard and read reports that many iranians (can't vouch for any reliable percentages) are against the cleric-driven society to the degree it is. i however doubt that most iranians are pro-western as that chap asserts. in fact, i'm pretty sure there is a deep resentment against the west particularly against the united states.

there still lives the generation of iranians that witnessed how they went from an ally to foe and how iraq was invaded by the same guys that propped it in the war with iran.

these resentments and grievances sit deep and unfortunately may counteract the anti-regime sentiments.

Many people told this guy that he should emphasize (when he got home) that the image we have in the west of Iran as a nation of Islamic extremists has been created by the 10% who hold power, and is not representative of the country as a whole.

that's where i disagree with the chap you quoted...the negative image of iran (in the west !) was created by the western media. there's plenty the ayatollahs did to deserve the image, but here lies the fundamental error we in the west make all the time - that the whole world sees (or should see) as us.

if you live in any of the developing or non-western countries (india,turky, china, brasil etc) or simply care to peruse their media from time to time, you'll realize that the same news you read in the sunday times is served and commented on so differently that on occasion one may think they're from another planet.

 

[ramjambunath]

Your input on this will be interesting, Ramjam. I tend to think that this will prove to be a non-starter. You can't just 'negotiate' with the most reactionary of medieval fundamentalists.

Taliban leaders held at Guantánamo Bay to be released in peace talks deal

US agrees in principle to releasing top officials from Afghanistan insurgent group in exchange for starting process of negotiations



more here - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/03/taliban-leaders-guantanamo-bay-deal

I think the article's content is an indictment to what an abject failure the “war on terror” has been when the Taliban has been brought to the negotiating table. This is not just an extremist organisation but also a terrorist group, what with the IC 814 hijacking in Kandahar and not to mention their extremely close history to the other terrorist organisations like the Al Qaeda.

My biggest question is- what will be the role of the Taliban’s diplomatic wing. Will they be an agent for coercion and demand prisoner swaps, as is reported, or will they be a broker for peace, or at the very least a buffer for avoiding conflict. Drawing parallels to the Kashmir situation, there’s an organisation in India called the Hurriyat conference. This organisation (Hurriyat) is just an amalgamation of all leaders who have separatist intentions and consists of two groups- the moderate group of the Hurriyat, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and the hard line group led by Syed Ali Shah Gilani. It’s mainly the moderates that are negotiated with by the govt and even that’s mostly on the govt’s terms. The role of the Hurriyat moderates is to hopefully act as a spoiler to ease tensions, rather than make serious discussions. I don’t know exactly what the terms of the alleged prisoner release are but I don’t want to see suspected terrorists free again without serious changes like possible disarmament or a proper arms embargo, not the current hotchpotch. The reason I’m being cautious about this is that the first place that the repercussions (or terrorist activities) would be felt in the subcontinent, be it Pakistan (mainly) or India.

Talks with “moderate” terrorist groups have been a non starter in the past, the case of Lanka being a glaring example and such groups could force themselves not to be ignored by getting into politics, ala the Nepali Maoists. Also, if prisoner release is the first demand, there are questions to be asked of the intentions of the group.

 

[Cobblestones]

Wasn't it just a while ago that NATO was duped negotiating with a fake Taliban? At least with that in place, such things presumably won't happen anymore.

Found a link

 

[Captain_Cavman]

Has Italy Gone Fascist?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-has-italy-gone-fascist

Prodi, the original architect of this catastrophe, famously made this comment in 2001, indicating that this cabal of Professors are playing a very long game indeed:

"I am sure the Euro will oblige us to introduce a new set of economic policy instruments. It is politically impossible to propose that now. But some day there will be a crisis and new instruments will be created.”

Romano Prodi, EU Commission President, December 2001

Thanks to his friendship with Monti and the current government, he is very much still involved in shaping just what such instruments can be;

The passing of an extraordinary edict making cash transactions of more than Euro 1,000 illegal (not subject to reporting – just plain illegal). Following Prodi’s own desire, the existing regime has indicated that this level will be progressively reduced to a limit as low as Euro 300. Hence cash is maybe for the first time in history no longer legal tender (over Euro 1,000, for now);
A requirement that credit card companies report all transactions carried out by Italians, in Italy and abroad to the fiscal authorities;
Delays and refusals by banks in allowing customers to withdraw cash balances of as little as Euro 10,000;
Finance Police has placed cameras at the physical borders with Switzerland (see below) to register all license plates. In addition, currency-sniffing dogs have been deployed at the border

http://www.cdt.ch/ticino-e-regioni/cronaca/56250/fiscovelox-riapparsi-no-mai-tolti.html - obviously I have no idea if this article really supports the above. Anyone?

 

[ramjambunath]

Wasn't it just a while ago that NATO was duped negotiating with a fake Taliban? At least with that in place, such things presumably won't happen anymore.

Found a link

Hehe.
I can't see the negotiations doing too much but that's just a personal opinion based on the sh!t that's happened here, especially in Lanka and in Kashmir.

 

[Bala Verde]

Hey rub, did you read this?

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/nov/24/our-universities-why-are-they-failing/

Their results are sobering. The Collegiate Learning Assessment reveals that some 45 percent of students in the sample had made effectively no progress in critical thinking, complex reasoning, and writing in their first two years. And a look at their academic experience helps to explain why. Students reported spending twelve hours a week, on average, studying—down from twenty-five hours per week in 1961 and twenty in 1981. Half the students in the sample had not taken a course that required more than twenty pages of writing in the previous semester, while a third had not even taken a course that required as much as forty pages a week of reading

two generations ago. Still, those majoring in liberal arts fields—humanities and social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics—outperformed those studying business, communications, and other new, practical majors on the CLA. And at a time when libraries and classrooms across the country are being reconfigured to promote trendy forms of collaborative learning, students who spent the most time studying on their own outperformed those who worked mostly with others.

For most of them, in the end, what the university offers is not skills or knowledge but credentials: a diploma that signals employability and basic work discipline

In many universities, finally, the sideshows have taken over the big tent. Competitive sports consume vast amounts of energy and money, some of which could be used to improve conditions for students. It’s hard not to be miserable when watching what pursuit of football glory has done to Rutgers, which has many excellent departments and should be—given the wealth of New Jersey—an East Coast Berkeley or Michigan. The university spends $26.9 million a year subsidizing its athletic programs. Meanwhile faculty salaries have been capped and raises canceled across the board. Desk telephones were recently removed from the offices of the historians. Repairs have been postponed, and classroom buildings, in constant use from early morning until late at night, have become shabbier and shabbier

 

[Cobblestones]

Hey rub, did you read this?

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/nov/24/our-universities-why-are-they-failing/

I read the whole thing and I have to say that sadly, it is very much accurate. Higher education is screwed in four ways:

1) Students are not prepared by high school, so in their first one to two years, they have to learn what high school did not teach. This is shifting the burden from public (free) education to quasi-private education paid by tuition.

2) Tuition at 'public' universities has increased far more than inflation. And the increase is mostly used to offset the reduced amount of state subsidies. It does not go to faculty salary increases, to have a better classroom experience or anything like that, really. It is simply to cover the shortfall by the state. Many 'state' universities receive only in the order of 20-25% of their budget as state subsidies, trending down. 'State' universities should be described as 'quasi-private' universities, really.

3) Students today are mostly treated as 'customers' with devastating consequences. Courses are taught as to maximize 'customer satisfaction' (meaning, minimize effort, maximize grades). I am not surprised that homework assignments, reading assignments and standards in general have been drastically lowered in the last two decades. Also, 'customer retention' is very high on the list, while forgetting that the societal 'product' of a college is not the entertainment value of the courses which are taught, but a capable, educated person leaving the place.

4) Lastly, the problem which might burst the college bubble is that even successful graduates are no longer finding jobs which pay salaries which allow them to pay off their student loans in a reasonable timeframe. If that is the case, why go to college at all? Clearly, in the long run, higher education will stand and fall based on their real product. If it is found wanting, the whole system eventually will come crashing down. But for now, the whole focus is still on the consumer-student.

 

[rhubroma]

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-has-italy-gone-fascist



http://www.cdt.ch/ticino-e-regioni/cronaca/56250/fiscovelox-riapparsi-no-mai-tolti.html - obviously I have no idea if this article really supports the above. Anyone?

I'm interested in hearing your analysis regarding why Prodi was the architect of the catastraphe. From a sincere curiosity perspective.

Cheers

 

[rhubroma]

Hey rub, did you read this?

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/nov/24/our-universities-why-are-they-failing/

Who me?

At any rate, I think we've touched upon this before. Agreed with what Cobblestones said. It's in part the market logic taking over higher education, for which the students are treated like customers and they feel a sense of entitlement that's not justified by their work ethic. Then there are the shear numbers. Isn't it a law that the more of something you have the less quality you get? There is also a general softening up of how young people are raised and ultimately treated in the classroom. Too much pampering.

They're given too much regard. It seems as if the university is organized all around them, so that they don't have to do anything or figure anything out for themselves. While too many student failures reflects bad on the professor and not the other way around.

Then the universities invest colossal sums on totally irrelevant things like sports scholarships.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

I'm interested in hearing your analysis regarding why Prodi was the architect of the catastraphe. From a sincere curiosity perspective.

Cheers

I imagine the author is referring to his time as the President of the European Commission and the introduction of the single currency. Although he could also be referring to the treaties of Amsterdam and Nice which both concentrated power within the unelected and unaccountable beauraucracy of Brussels and away from sovereign democratically elected parliaments.

What roughly is the content of the link?

 

[rhubroma]

I imagine the author is referring to his time as the President of the European Commission and the introduction of the single currency. Although he could also be referring to the treaties of Amsterdam and Nice which both concentrated power within the unelected and unaccountable beauraucracy of Brussels and away from sovereign democratically elected parliaments.

What roughly is the content of the link?

That's what I thought as well. But to blame Prodi for the entire catastrophe, frankly, seems a bit far fetched. That Monti is just some financial minion may well be the case, though this is what's required for the job these days. No?

The article has something to do with the above in terms of tax invasion and speaks of certain "controls" administered by the Guardia della Finanzia at the Swiss border and the controversy surrounding this in regards to "invasion of privacy."

Naturally the Swiss aren't very obliging, as was communicated by an exponent of the Northern League, who said that there was a lack of cooperation on the part of the Swiss authorities at Bern. Evidently there is a flight of capital that is headed from Italy to Switzerland these days owing to the increased fiscal controls by the Italian government.

One objective in this country is expressed by the sentiment of the Berlusconi cabal: namely, to demonize the state's new fiscal measures as being some witch hunt against the rich. Never mind that it's not about persecuting anyone, but making those who don't pay their taxes pay them.

 

[Wallace]

As someone who is a professor in large public university (the University of Washington), and has taught in several universities and colleges (University of Houston, University of Oregon, Stanford, and others) I have to say that some of these points are a bit off.

I read the whole thing and I have to say that sadly, it is very much accurate. Higher education is screwed in four ways:

1) Students are not prepared by high school, so in their first one to two years, they have to learn what high school did not teach. This is shifting the burden from public (free) education to quasi-private education paid by tuition.

Correction: this varies enormously from state to state. For example--and I'm sure this won't surprise anyone--students in Texas, the "no child left behind" state are much less prepared for college. Of course the number of esl kids going straight to college from high schools which failed them is also higher. Still, there are states where the public high schools are still doing an excellent job.

2) Tuition at 'public' universities has increased far more than inflation. And the increase is mostly used to offset the reduced amount of state subsidies. It does not go to faculty salary increases, to have a better classroom experience or anything like that, really. It is simply to cover the shortfall by the state. Many 'state' universities receive only in the order of 20-25% of their budget as state subsidies, trending down. 'State' universities should be described as 'quasi-private' universities, really.

Correction. Unfortunately, nothing to correct here. I haven't had a raise in three years. Still, I have a job that I love, which puts me so far ahead of most Americans that I have no basis for complaint. The truly sad thing is that the tuition hikes put state colleges out of the reach of the people they're designed for--the deserving young people of the state. This is especially true as state universities try to lure more out-of-state students, to get the much higher out-of-state tuition payments.

3) Students today are mostly treated as 'customers' with devastating consequences. Courses are taught as to maximize 'customer satisfaction' (meaning, minimize effort, maximize grades). I am not surprised that homework assignments, reading assignments and standards in general have been drastically lowered in the last two decades. Also, 'customer retention' is very high on the list, while forgetting that the societal 'product' of a college is not the entertainment value of the courses which are taught, but a capable, educated person leaving the place.

Correction:this is not true and if you talk to any of the faculty at any good institution of higher learning they'll tell you that this is absolutely not the case. The problem is that there are students who think this is true, and so think they have a right to have a say in course content and management, their final grade, etc. Which is a real problem.

4) Lastly, the problem which might burst the college bubble is that even successful graduates are no longer finding jobs which pay salaries which allow them to pay off their student loans in a reasonable timeframe. If that is the case, why go to college at all? Clearly, in the long run, higher education will stand and fall based on their real product. If it is found wanting, the whole system eventually will come crashing down. But for now, the whole focus is still on the consumer-student.

This last point is sadly all too true. Many PhD program applications now come with an opening warning that a degree which formerly had guaranteed a job and a career no longer does. If a PhD from an excellent institution is no guarantee of a job, then how much is a BA worth?

 

[Captain_Cavman]

That's what I thought as well. But to blame Prodi for the entire catastrophe, frankly, seems a bit far fetched. That Monti is just some financial minion may well be the case, though this is what's required for the job these days. No?

The article has something to do with the above in terms of tax invasion and speaks of certain "controls" administered by the Guardia della Finanzia at the Swiss border and the controversy surrounding this in regards to "invasion of privacy."

Naturally the Swiss aren't very obliging, as was communicated by an exponent of the Northern League, who said that there was a lack of cooperation on the part of the Swiss authorities at Bern. Evidently there is a flight of capital that is headed from Italy to Switzerland these days owing to the increased fiscal controls by the Italian government.

One objective in this country is expressed by the sentiment of the Berlusconi cabal: namely, to demonize the state's new fiscal measures as being some witch hunt against the rich. Never mind that it's not about persecuting anyone, but making those who don't pay their taxes pay them.

I agree with you on the Prodi thing, I included that bit of the quoted section because it was referenced later, not because I felt it was true or relevant.

What is relevant is that the Italian government is attempting to record all financial transactions above a fairly low amount. The aim of enforcing greater tax compliance may be laudable but the price to pay in terms of Big Brother Govermant would be too steep for me.

You mention a witch hunt against the rich, but these measures are designed to get taxes from the poor. Do the rich pay in cash to avoid tax? No the likes of you and me do. (Not actually you and me obviously, I'm as pure as the driven snow). The rich have much cleverer ways of moving money around so as not to incur tax.

Again when it comes to driving out of the country with a trunk full of cash, surely more likely to be a small businessman rather than a captain of industry?

 

[rhubroma]

I agree with you on the Prodi thing, I included that bit of the quoted section because it was referenced later, not because I felt it was true or relevant.

What is relevant is that the Italian government is attempting to record all financial transactions above a fairly low amount. The aim of enforcing greater tax compliance may be laudable but the price to pay in terms of Big Brother Govermant would be too steep for me.

You mention a witch hunt against the rich, but these measures are designed to get taxes from the poor. Do the rich pay in cash to avoid tax? No the likes of you and me do. (Not actually you and me obviously, I'm as pure as the driven snow). The rich have much cleverer ways of moving money around so as not to incur tax.

Again when it comes to driving out of the country with a trunk full of cash, surely more likely to be a small businessman rather than a captain of industry?

In most of the Western world paying with a credit card or bank card by now is normal, if not the rule, in Italy it is not. That's because no self-employted Italian wants that type of traceability. And it is costing the state and hence society big time. For example in the private business sector when one does ask to pay electronically, or even asks for a receit, he's told that it will cost 20% more to cover the sales tax! Thus most people naturally opt to pay in cash. In a normal country where the business owners pay their taxes, the low threshold wouldn’t be necessary. Here it is.

The tax measures aren't targeted specifically toward the poor at all, which is why they are taking measures at such jet-set localities as Cortina d'Ampezzo and possibly Portofino.

I didn't mention that a witch hunt is taking place, that's just how it is being labeled by the Berluscones and the upper income tax evaders they stand by. It's not a which hunt at all, but getting on the dishonest. The policing of the Swiss border is simply to keep those from illegally taking their taxable income out of state, etc. Now if there would actually be a patrimony tax (according to an up to date analysis of Bankitalia nearly 50% of all wealth in Italy is in the hands of 10% of the families) a serious war against organized crime and make the Vatican pay up, then we might actually make some headway, though I'm not optimistic on any of these accounts.

The problem, as it has often been said, is that Italy is a poor country inhabited by the rich.

 

[Cobblestones]

As someone who is a professor in large public university (the University of Washington), and has taught in several universities and colleges (University of Houston, University of Oregon, Stanford, and others) I have to say that some of these points are a bit off.

So your two corrections are essentially (i) some states have good schools and (ii) the 'customer' university.

As to your point (i), there are some good schools in every state. There's no state in which all schools are good (or even most). In all states, the average highschooler is underprepared for college.

As to your point (ii) (my point 3), I disagree. Data show that teaching evaluations by students are the most common way to assess performance. Moreover, among administrators, one of the highest priorities is retention. Student satisfaction and retention CAN be achieved without lowering standards, but data show that it typically is. Comparison of the Anglo-Saxon system tuition-based system with the continental-European free system show distinct differences which may be traced back to this. It is in my opinion one of the best arguments for a tuition free system.

 

[Wallace]

So your two corrections are essentially (i) some states have good schools and (ii) the 'customer' university.

As to your point (ii) (my point 3), I disagree. Data show that teaching evaluations by students are the most common way to assess performance. Moreover, among administrators, one of the highest priorities is retention. Student satisfaction and retention CAN be achieved without lowering standards, but data show that it typically is. Comparison of the Anglo-Saxon system tuition-based system with the continental-European free system show distinct differences which may be traced back to this. It is in my opinion one of the best arguments for a tuition free system.

Here's where you're completely wrong about this: the larger state universities are all research institutions. All that counts for tenure and advancement are publications. If a professor coming up for review has student evaluations that are through the roof, but he or she doesn't have the book or articles, he or she will not reach associate. They are out of a job. If an assistant professor in the humanities has a book coming out from a good university press and his or her evals are nothing but a long record of complaints and ire, then the dept. chair will tell the associate-to-be that he or she needs to work on their teaching, but congratulations on your tenure. Once you get beyond the community colleges (where the evals do matter) all the talk about the importance of student evaluations is just publicity. Every University Prof I know is there because they love teaching and take it very seriously (I certainly do) but I was told repeatedly when coming up for tenure: "it's great that you have excellent course evaluations, but they don't matter." What matters is that my book came out from an excellent university press.

What really impresses administrators? Awards. If a professor in your department wins a serious national prize, then he or she is going to spend some time being trotted out to the deans. A million evaluations testifying that you're the best teacher to ever pull on a tweed sports coat will never do that.

 

[Cobblestones]

Here's where you're completely wrong about this: the larger state universities are all research institutions. All that counts for tenure and advancement are publications. If a professor coming up for review has student evaluations that are through the roof, but he or she doesn't have the book or articles, he or she will not reach associate. They are out of a job. If an assistant professor in the humanities has a book coming out from a good university press and his or her evals are nothing but a long record of complaints and ire, then the dept. chair will tell the associate-to-be that he or she needs to work on their teaching, but congratulations on your tenure. Once you get beyond the community colleges (where the evals do matter) all the talk about the importance of student evaluations is just publicity. Every University Prof I know is there because they love teaching and take it very seriously (I certainly do) but I was told repeatedly when coming up for tenure: "it's great that you have excellent course evaluations, but they don't matter." What matters is that my book came out from an excellent university press.

What really impresses administrators? Awards. If a professor in your department wins a serious national prize, then he or she is going to spend some time being trotted out to the deans. A million evaluations testifying that you're the best teacher to ever pull on a tweed sports coat will never do that.

What you say is all fine but completely beside the point. Promotions are based on research more than teaching? I agree. But it just means that teachers have even less incentive (and to be brutally honest about the research part, unless a department or research unit is ranked somewhere near the top quarter in the US, there isn't all that much research going on anyway).

Look, teaching is a duty which is either not taken seriously (as you point out, promotions do not depend much on it) or the incentive structure is wrong (maximize student satisfaction instead of actual learning outcomes). There might be some heroic exceptions (you might see yourself as one), but the overall data show that they hardly make a dent in the general picture. The level of knowledge of a freshman student at a provincial German or French university in a STEM field is about similar to that of a junior at a typical US state university. The reasons for that are given in my previous post. My opinion is that tuition and the creation of the 'consumer' student play at least as big a role in that as the failing high schools.

 

[rhubroma]

I don't think that what's being argued here is mutually exclusive. In other words, there is a corporate mentality that's taken hold of the university system, just as in so many aspects of US society, for which concepts of management and performance reflect upon certain priorities that I happen to find either irrelevant or damaging. Thus the growing perception that if the student is paying, we have to pamper them and cater to their every need and allow them to rate the performance of the "service" provided. This wouldn't be bad in itself, if it weren't accompanied by a seemingly widespread misconception of what I need to do vs. what I think I'm entitled to as a student. And this perhaps also reflects in the decline of how much time they put into their studies. An education can't be bought, it must be earned.

For this same corporate reason the prestigious awards received by professors based on publications, which reflect upon their contributions to research in the field, though not necessarily (if at all) the quality of classroom instruction they provide, are given the greatest weight by the institutions: institutions which are in constant competition with each other regarding visibility and marketability in terms of student draw in a mass education society. Like I said before, adhering to the logic of the market.

Even this wouldn't be so bad in and of itself if these institutions didn't lose sight of the fact that education, IMO (especially in democracy), is first and foremost about forming good citizens who can think critically for themselves, and not about pushing the masses through the system so they have that piece of paper to provide at the job interview, also because that keeps the revenues high. Producing award winning publications is important for the univeristy standing, though they alone shouldn't be the criteria for tenure (even if this institution may be headed toward extinction).

Lastly I'm thoroughly convinced, as I've said before, that the real problem is in the primary and secondary public schools, because frankly the US ideologues in government and the private business sector don't give a damn about them. Mediocrity is exchanged for excellence and they're not learning anymore in the critical and cultural senses, just being prepared for standardized tests to keep the state education boards (which are frequently run by managers from the corporate world) happy. Or that they all know how to use the internet, but can't write an essay anymore. Invest seriously in public education in America, and I'm not just talking about money here, but changing a mentality - to valuing them as the true source of the nation's collective civic growth and awareness, sense of community and good future – and you will go much further to resolving a serious problem, than building more tennis courts, spas and indoor swimming pools on college campuse or outfitting the all the second grade classrooms with computers.

Until this essential foundation element of the students’ forma mentis is corrected and until we take some of the corporate mentality out of the universities and focus upon what's really important, instead of placing too much importance on what's irrelevant; then the general decline in students is probably unavoidable.

 

[rhubroma]

Meanwhile I'm reading an article in la Repubblica today about the rather doomsday predictions of some US experts regarding what they believe is an inexoralble death of the euro : "This is how the euro will finish in a slow agony."

Recession, lack of trust and spending cuts will account for why the euro's goose is cooked, according to them, and which the BCE can't stop.

The euro is in a free-fall against the dollar, which the Financial Times accounts for the negative confrontation with US growth potential. Furthermore, the BCE is impotent and is headed toward a fatal "liquidity trap" of the kind Keynes predicted, for which Europe's central bank pumps capital into the local banks, which, however, aren't lending it into the real economy, because of a lack of condfidence. Thus the only entity with an expansive police is the BCE, while the local governments are engaged in cuts and austerity measures, which, in turn, causes a depressive credit crunch.

Lastly, according to these gurus, the devaluation of the euro will not be transformed into an economic motor by way of export sales, since nations like China, India and Brazil will be investing in US dollars.

Rather bleak I'd say.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

Meanwhile I'm reading an article in la Repubblica today about the rather doomsday predictions of some US experts regarding what they believe is an inexoralble death of the euro : "This is how the euro will finish in a slow agony."

Recession, lack of trust and spending cuts will account for why the euro's goose is cooked, according to them, and which the BCE can't stop.

The euro is in a free-fall against the dollar, which the Financial Times accounts for the negative confrontation with US growth potential. Furthermore, the BCE is impotent and is headed toward a fatal "liquidity trap" of the kind Keynes predicted, for which Europe's central bank pumps capital into the local banks, which, however, aren't lending it into the real economy, because of a lack of condfidence. Thus the only entity with an expansive police is the BCE, while the local governments are engaged in cuts and austerity measures, which, in turn, causes a depressive credit crunch.

Lastly, according to these gurus, the devaluation of the euro will not be transformed into an economic motor by way of export sales, since nations like China, India and Brazil will be investing in US dollars.

Rather bleak I'd say.

Right to be bleak, wrong to use the term 'Liquidity Trap'.

Although the term 'Liquidity Trap' could be very loosely applied to current conditions, it's wrong because it implies that the problem is one of liquidity. It's not, it's one of solvency. There are hundreds of trillions of dollars worth of, for want of a better word, paper, sitting on banks' and Governments' asset columns. This paper is worthless because it is not backed by any income, now or in the future, or collaterol, now or in the future. This renders those institutions insolvent. It doesn't matter how much liquidity is pumped in or how low interest rates are pushed, no-one is going to lend long term to anyone that's insolvent.

Hence we have what might be termed a Solvency Trap. And the resolution of a 'Solvency Trap' is mindblowingly simple as the people of Iceland proved. But only if you have control of your own currency and interst rates.

Not bleak enough maybe.