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Current Political Events at Home and Abroad Good Samaritan Senior College Fall 2009

Current Political Events at Home and Abroad Good Samaritan Senior College Fall 2009. Presented by David E. Sturrock Professor of Political Science Southwest Minnesota State University David.Sturrock@smsu.edu. Session VI : International Topics -- India -- Middle East. India.

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Current Political Events at Home and Abroad Good Samaritan Senior College Fall 2009

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  1. Current Political Events at Home and AbroadGood Samaritan Senior CollegeFall 2009

  2. Presented by David E. Sturrock Professor of Political Science Southwest Minnesota State University David.Sturrock@smsu.edu

  3. Session VI: International Topics -- India -- Middle East

  4. India Population -- 1.2 Billion -- 4 times the size of U.S. -- Great variety (e.g., 40 plus languages) Area -- 1.3 MM. sq. miles -- One third the size of U.S.

  5. 300 B.C. First empire 300 A.D. “Golden Age” 1000 Moslem influence begins 1500s European traders 1800s British consolidate control

  6. 1900 Independence movement led by Mohandas Gandhi 1947 Independence and partition Since Four conflicts with Pakistan, one with China

  7. Have maintained world’s largest democracy Dominated by Nehru-Gandhi dynasty “Nonaligned” foreign policy 1970s Nuclear weapons development 1991 Major economic reforms

  8. 1990s Dramatic rise in output and prosperity in 1990s 1998 Became a nuclear power

  9. India Today Why is India important? Largest democracy Second largest population Fourth largest purchasing power Twelfth largest economy More pro-U.S. than before Potential check against China

  10. India’s Strengths Widespread use of English Civil service Large and growing middle class High tech sector

  11. India’s Challenges Widening economic gap between cities and countryside Tensions with Pakistan Internal tensions: Religious, ethnic, class violence Terrorism

  12. The Middle East Convergence of three continents Key crossroads of world since ancient times Cradle of three major western religions No precise definition: Area of current conflict would fit into a mid-sized U.S. state (e.g., Israel is about ten counties worth)

  13. Important today because of conflict based on land, religion and oil Ancient Jewish homeland Shared with Arabs (mostly Muslim) Late 1800s Zionism spurs migration from Europe

  14. Early 1900s British and French control Increasing conflict between Jews and Arabs 1948 British rule ends State of Israel established 1st Arab-Israeli war 1964 PLO organized

  15. 1967 3rd Arab-Israeli war expands Israel’s borders -- Golan Heights (Syria) -- Sinai (Egypt) -- Gaza (Egypt) -- West Bank (Jordan) 1970s Terrorism becomes a major PLO tactic

  16. “Land for Peace” Agreements with Egypt and Jordan Goal of a Palestinian state Factions: Fatah (West Bank) Hamas (Gaza) terrorist links

  17. Other Israeli Antagonists: Syria (no peace agreement) Dominates Lebanon Hezbollah (southern Lebanon) Supported by Iran Intifadah terrorists attacks within Israel in 1990s Israel responds with security wall

  18. Recurring U.S.-sponsored peace efforts since 1990 2009 Israeli elections returned Likud and Benjamin Netanyahu to power Israelis and Palestinians seem content to outwait the other

  19. Thank you for being part of Current Political Events at Home and Abroad!

  20. Please stay in touch with your questions, comments and suggestions! Professor David Sturrock David.Sturrock@smsu.edu

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