History of the International System – Free Stanford course on iTunes

The quality of academic content available online continues to rise.  Add this to your playlist for a great introduction to international politics from a broad historical perspective by James Sheehan of Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.  Over at The Do It Yourself Scholar, the class is considered one of the “all-time-best free history courses on the web.”

Lectures include “The Formation of a Global Society,” “Transformation of the European System,” The First World War,” “Peacemaking,” and so forth, ending with “The Future of Sovereignty” and “The International System in 2008.”

History of the International System – Download free content from Stanford on iTunes.

The Impact of Books on Washington Policy – NYTimes.com

Great read (pardon the pun) on how ideas influence policy…a thesis not overly surprising for a book-a-day place like DC. I also wholly support the notion that most books were more effective as articles as well as the notion that you don’t need to read the entire book to get the key ideas.

I saw the potency of books firsthand while serving recently on the State Department’s policy planning staff. Ideas that originated between covers often shaped conversations and found their way into major speeches or memos. Indeed, a book, by its mere existence, can lend legitimacy to an argument in a sound-bite-driven debate. “There are so many ideas flying around, it’s very important that some have been worked out more thoroughly and comprehensively,” says Anne-Marie Slaughter, the State Department’s policy planning director from 2009 to 2011. “When I find an idea I’ll immediately go to the book to make sure that it’s serious, even if I don’t read the whole book.” The author Leslie Gelb acknowledges that his “Power Rules,”where he argued that G.D.P. matters more than military might, was more influential when reduced to articles. Still, he says, publishing a book “gets people talking about what you did.”

Other key reads?  ”Nonzero,” “Monsoon,” Lords of Finance,” “This Time is Different,” and even “The Best and the Brightest” all get the nod.

“Nonzero” employs evolutionary biology and game theory to argue that life is not a zero-sum game with a clear winner and loser. “You operate within a much more horizontal setting, where you operate by connecting to others and mobilizing others in ways that advance common causes,” Slaughter says. “ ‘Nonzero’ basically spells out the logic of that.” This idea was reflected in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2010 Internet Freedom speech, which championed the “freedom to connect.” Slaughter, who was policy planning director at the time, says, “We were actively focused on a world in which the power to connect to others is essential.”

via The Impact of Books on Washington Policy – NYTimes.com.

Greece’s Tragedy

Best update on Greece on Diane Rehm yesterday–at least since I read the brilliant Vanity Fair piece by Michael Lewis.  What is clear:  The bailout will delay an inevitable default.  Greek citizens will suffer.  The country has been run poorly.  And as with the Wall Street bailouts, its not fair–but the larger issue is a downward, uncontrollable spiral that could wreck havoc on the Eurozone as well as the global economy.

Greece has finally secured a new $170 billion loan from its European landlords, and the terms are just as unrealistic and doomed-to-fail as you expected. The fact that the country requires a second bailout that’s practically the size of its economy — now crashing through $270 billion and still falling* — tells you what you need to know about the hopelessness of Greece.

via Greece Is Still Doomed: Why the New Bailout Is a Fantasy – Derek Thompson – Business – The Atlantic.

Jeremy Lin, international relations icon?

Jeremy Lin as a shared cultural moment in the US and China, a sports highlight (several, so far), and a chess piece in the world of diplomacy?  Shout out to Robert Wright at The Atlantic for that latter connection:

In any event, having heard a few interviews with Lin, my guess is that he’ll handle delicate questions gracefully, and that he won’t let international celebrity distract him from his on-court mission. And that’s all that’s really necessary; it’s not like he has to become a roving ambassador of good will in order to play a constructive role in international relations.

Of course, this whole conjecture about Lin’s diplomatic value presupposes that he’s the real deal–that he’ll be star for some time to come. My own guess (not that you asked) after watching last night’s game is that he will indeed hang on to star status so long as he gets better at hanging on to the ball in heavy traffic. So I’m cautiously optimistic that Jeremy Lin could wind up, so to speak, doing God’s work.

via Linsanity as a Diplomatic Asset – Robert Wright – International – The Atlantic.

For what its worth, the hype has met reality thus far–which is what makes this such an interesting subject for speculation.

Using Game Theory To Win ‘Words With Friends’ | Here & Now

Negotiation strategies based on game theory for your favorite iPhone game:

William Spaniel has studied that question and written several e-books on the topic. The PhD student in political science at the University of Rochester says you can use concepts from game theory to win Words With Friends.

Game theory is a method of analyzing how to proceed in certain situations and it is usually used in economics, political science, and psychology, so how can you use it to win a virtual board game?Spaniel says that WWF is a zero-sum game, meaning that you don’t want to make any play that will help your opponent.

He says you always have to be analyzing the choices that your opponent will make, and it’s more important to play words that will lead to fewer points for your opponent rather than more points for you.

via Using Game Theory To Win ‘Words With Friends’ | Here & Now.

Leadership Study | Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO

Interesting that Sheryl Sandberg is a trending meme on women, leadership, and high tech, at least according to a NYT Business Day story last week. She is making the case for gender equality even as she is poised to become a billionaire at Facebook where she was hired after meeting Mark Zuckerberg in 2007 at a Christmas party.

She makes her case at TED Women in a presentation titled Why we have too few women leaders, but even more useful is this short on “authentic communication.” (Her style helps explain why she has become such a star.)

In case you wondered about her bio?  Harvard and HBS, McKinsey, economist at the World Bank and later chief of staff for Lawrence H. Summers, where she proved herself.

 

 

The Syria and Iran Connection

Will sanctions  on Syria work, or backfire?  Their impact–especially on Iran–may be a key factor as to whether Israel might attack, according to Ronen Bergman who wrote a cover story for NYT Magazine this past weekend.

Today’s NYT explores the strategic connection between Syria and Iran:

Ali Banuazizi, a political science professor at Boston College and a co-director of its Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Program, said, “To put it bluntly, if Iran is a threat, then one way to weaken that threat would be to weaken Syria and to help the anti-Assad movement in Syria.”The weakness of the Syria-Iran axis represents a stark turnaround from a year ago, when Mr. Assad’s grip on power seemed assured and Iran was describing itself as the inspiration for other Arab Spring uprisings and Islamist awakening that would subvert America and its allies. Iran even sent two naval vessels through the Suez Canal to Syria last February — for the first time in more than 30 years — in what the Iranians called a message of peace and friendship.

via Syria and Iran Feel Pressure of Sanctions – NYTimes.com.