Amandla

9/11 Information Center.
in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 ebrary is offering free full text access to a collection of eBooks during September 2011. Titles include;
War on Terror and American Popular Culture: September 11 and Beyond, Andrew Schopp & Matthew B. Hill, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2009
Terrorism: Perspectives from the Behavioral and Social Sciences, National Research Council Staff, National Academies Press, 2002
The site is searchable by subject keyword.

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/september11/home.action

 

Summary
 
Recommendations

• The CIA Detention Program
• Secret Detention Sites
• The Case of Abu Zubaydah
• Growth of the CIA Program
• The CIA Rendition Program
• Coercive Interrogations by the Military
• Abuses by Military Interrogators in Afghanistan, Guantanamo, and Iraq
• Approving Illegal Techniques for Military Interrogation
• Migration of the Approved Techniques

• The Illegality of the Underlying Abuses
• Forms of Liability
• Waterboarding
• Interrogation Techniques
• CIA Secret Detention Program
• OLC Legal Guidance
• Duty to Investigate and Provide Redress
• The Four Key Leaders
• President George W. Bush
• Vice President Dick Cheney
• Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
• CIA Director George Tenet
• Other Officials

• Germany
• France: Complaint against Rumsfeld
• Spain: Investigations of US officials
• The “Bush Six”
• Investigation into Torture by US officials
• Diplomatic Intervention by the United States

Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations (29 pages; PDF)
Jan. 28, 2011

Updated Report From [US] Congressional Research Service. This report provides an overview of U.S.-Egyptian relations, Egyptian politics, and U.S. foreign aid to Egypt..

See also: 

On events in Tunisia, see “Tunisia: Recent Developments and Policy Issues,” January 18, 2011.

From: http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2011/01/crs_egypt_tunisia.html

Direct to Full Text of State of the Union Address (via FDsys, GPO)
The document is a PDF file.

via: Resourceblog

 

WikiLeaked is FP's blog dedicated to sorting through the more than 250,000 State Department cables acquired by WikiLeaks as they are gradually made public. FP's editors and contributors provide a guided tour of the documents, highlighting the most important, surprising, and just plain entertaining details from the WikiLeaks archive and putting them in context, explaining what matters, what doesn't, and why. You can send your tips, responses, and suggestions to editor@foreignpolicy.com.

http://wikileaks.foreignpolicy.com/

US: Obama: State of the Union Address by the US President, Washington

Madam Speaker, Vice President Biden, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:
Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our union. For 220 years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty. They've done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility. And they've done so in the midst of war and depression; at moments of great strife and great struggle.
It's tempting to look back on these moments and assume that our progress was inevitable -- that America was always destined to succeed. But when the Union was turned back at Bull Run, and the Allies first landed at Omaha Beach, victory was very much in doubt. When the market crashed on Black Tuesday, and civil rights marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday, the future was anything but certain. These were the times that tested the courage of our convictions, and the strength of our union. And despite all our divisions and disagreements, our hesitations and our fears, America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation, as one people...[more]

From Polity.org.za

Update:

CitizenTube has a film version of President Obama’s state of the Union speech. They are inviting citizens to submit videos of qquestions which the president will then answer. See the materials online

On this topic the Guardian has also created an interesting feature which maps the words used in the speech and compares them with earlier presidnets. Find out what words he used the most!
It also has a very good summary of links to reaction to the speech from blogs and newspapers.

Here are more resources on Intute
Some particular highlights are:

Senate official website

C-Span resources includes videos and teaching materials.

 

OBAMA: DEFENDING THE 'INTERESTS OF EMPIRE'
Demba Moussa Dembele
For those anticipating sweeping, immediate change from Barack Obama's election to the US presidency, the results of the president's first year in office will undoubtedly have proven profoundly disappointing, writes Demba Moussa Dembele. Just as his Accra address was rooted in patronising references to 'corruption' and 'tribalism', it should be always borne in mind that Obama operates and will continue to operate first and foremost in defence of the 'interests of empire', Dembele stresses.
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/61612



OBAMA'S FIRST YEAR: CHANGE WE CAN STILL BELIEVE IN?
Ama Biney
Can or will Barack Obama deliver a more peaceful, humane world, asks Ama Biney, a year after his inauguration as 44th President of the United States. Offering a tentative evaluation of the path followed by the Obama administration so far, Biney suggests that genuine change lies not with the president, but in the remobilisation of a grassroots movement among the ordinary Americans who had the optimism and motivation to campaign for him.
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/61622



OBAMA'S NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY TOWARDS AFRICA: THE FIRST YEAR
Daniel Volman
A year into his presidency, Barack Obama is essentially following the same course of militarised action in Africa pursued by his predecessors over the past decade, writes Daniel Volman. A consequence of the US president's faith in the necessity of the global war on terror and pragmatic political concerns around retaining oil supplies, Obama's approach to Africa has been entirely rooted in asserting his country's military might, Volman concludes.
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/61614

Guide to nongovernmental organizations for the military: A primer for the military about private, voluntary, and nongovernmental organizations operating in humanitarian emergencies globally

This basic handbook was edited and rewritten by Lynn Lawry and published in 2009 by the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS) International Health Division, of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health affairs); U.S. Department of Defense. Originally intended as a primer for American military staff, it also serves as a useful reference guides to NGOs. The 368 page book covers the purpose and role of NGOS (including charities and international humanitarian aid agencies) and their role in conflict zones, peace keeping and humanitarian crises. It includes statistics on deployment and legal regulation of relations with military bodies. Appendixes give profiles of key UN agencies and explain the Red Cross/ Red Crescent structure.From Intute.ac.uk

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/dod/ngo-guide.pdf

It is a year since Barack Obama became president of the USA – are you disappointed by what he has done?

at the outset a BBC world service poll showed high levels of optimism worldwide.

This week the Brookings Institution launched it own status report

Angus reid Monitor has been tracking his performance in the polls. in January 50% were content with his handling of duties.
However the BBC recently published a report showing ratings falling

The Rasmussen report has some presidential approval ratings show that only 28% of Americans strongly approve of his performance while 38% strongly disapprove.

find out more about what he is actually doing from these resources recommended by Intute. then make up your mind.

follow his activities on Twitter and facebook
Politifact (PolitiFact (a project of the St. Petersburg Times) is tracking if he has kept his promises.

the Washington Post has a number of interesting projects: In Obamas word – enables you to read (and track the topics/ words appearing frequently) in his speeches.
Potus Tracker examines his daily diary looking at meetings, who he meets and what vhe discusses.

 

From: 

http://www.intute.ac.uk/blog/2010/01/20/brack-obama-one-year-on-has-he-fulfilled-our-hopes/

An interesting site maintained by the Washington Post. It provides free access to a searchable database of the text of speeches delivered by American president Barack Obama since he took office in 2009. It is possible to search by keyword, browse by policy area or topic; consult some statistics on number of speeches made and frequency of words used. Some speeches include video film footage. Copyright and technical information is displayed on the website.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/obama-speeches/

From Intute.ac.uk

 

 

Learning from Obama: lessons for online communicators in 2009 and beyond

Free access to a 49 page book by Colin Delany which was originally published as a set of articles on the website e.politics during spring/ summer 2009. It offers an assessment of the online campaign of Barack Obama during the 2008 American presidential elections. Topics covered include the use of online fund raising, volunteers and website design. Messages are drawn for future online campaigners. http://www.epolitics.com/learning-from-obama/

From Intute.ac.uk

China's international behavior : activism, opportunism, and diversification
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG850.pdf


Torture archive
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/torture_archive/index.htm

Here are President Obama's remarks, as prepared for delivery, from his speech to Ghana's parliament, Saturday July 11, 2009.

From:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

 

Video of the Speech on Youtube:

Obama's Ghana Speech - July 11, 2009 (Part 1 of 4)

Obama's Ghana Speech - July 11, 2009 (Part 2 of 4)

Obama's Ghana Speech - July 11, 2009 (Part 4 of 4)

Interactive video and transcript of President Obama’s speech to the Muslim world.

The New York Times

Open Government Intiative
http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/

Russia, China, and the United States in Central Asia: prospects for Great Power Competition and cooperation in the shadow of the Georgian crisis
This site provides free access to the full text of the report by Dr. Elizabeth Wishnick which was published by the U.S. Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute in 2009. ISBN 1-58487-379-5. The 73 page book considers US foreign policy issues in Central Asia. It provides an overview of political conditions and Russian, Chinese and American strategic alliances in the region (including coverage of the Russia-China partnership and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Reference is made to the impact of the conflict in Georgia (South Ossetia). From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=907

Vietnam War 25 years after : a retrospective presented by the College of Charleston reflecting upon the ideas, images, & legacies of the era
Vietnam War 25 Years After is a collection of online learning resources relating to the Vietnam War and its representation in American culture. The resources are organised by discipline or subject area and accessed by following links from the site's main page under headings including: history; sociology; literature; films; and photography. Many of the pages accessed by following these links include short but incisive essays written by College of Charleston academics from the relevant departments (for example, the Photography resources page includes an essay by Professor Frank Cossa of the college's Department of Art History). The resources were originally compiled and made available as part of a project for students at the College of Charleston, North Carolina, in 1999-2000, which was also supported by a programme of discussions, film screenings, exhibitions and lectures. While the short essays written by college staff will be of use to undergraduates studying US involvement in Vietnam, this resource also provides a very useful model for teachers interested in developing interdisciplinary and cross-faculty teaching materials online. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.cofc.edu/VietnamRetro/

Internet's role in campaign 2008
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/6--The-Internets-Role-in-Campaign-2008.a

Security in Mexico: implications for U.S. policy options
This site provides free access to the full text of a book by Agnes Gereben Schaefer, Benjamin Bahney, K. Jack Riley which was published by RAND in 2009. ISBN 9780833047199. The 106 page book argues that the security system in Mexico is deteriorating and requires a reformulation of American foreign policy options and policies. Topics covered include: organised crime, violence and policing in Mexico; illegal migration and border security between the USA and Mexico; drug trafficking; terrorism and Mexican national security. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG876/

Obama presidency: PBS video
The PBS Video website provides free access to documentaries, films and programmes made by leading American broadcaster PBS. They include newshour programmes and materials from key series such FrontLine. This section offers videos relating to American president Barack Obama.They follow his rise to the presidency and discuss recent domestic and foreign policies. Copyright and technical information is displayed on the website.
http://www.pbs.org/video/feature/59/

First 100 days: following Barack Obama
A blog maintained by American political writer Michelle Austein Brooks on behalf of the USA.Gov blogs website (which is supported by the US Department of State). It provides comment and analysis on the first 100 days of American President Barack Obama. It includes coverage of his policies, leadership style, use of social media and the impact of the new president on American politics.
http://blogs.america.gov/campaign/

American President : an online reference
An online reference source maintained by the Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia, which provides free access to indepth information on all US presidents from 1789 to the present day. It is possible to browse the site by president's name, timeline or theme. Entries for individual presidents include biographies, photographs and online recordings of key speeches. There are also many academic essays from Miller Center and other scholars discussing the role, style and importance of each president. These also include some webcasts of discussion events. There are links to information on the private and public papers of each of the presidents and presidential bibliographies. Copyright and technical information is displayed on the website. From Intute.ac.uk
http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident

Obama in his own words
This site is maintained by the United States State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP). It provides free access to a 50 page book containing a collection of speeches by American president Barack Obama. They include the full text of his presidential inauguration speech as well as extended exerpts from key campaign speeches made from approximately 2002 onwards. They include his comments on the decision to go to war in Iraq and acceptance of the presidential nomination. Copyright information is diplayed on the website. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.america.gov/publications/books/obama_speech.html

http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/blog/2009/01/21/guest-post-obama-ibss/

Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia
"Trustworthy information on Thomas Jefferson and his world by Monticello researchers and respected Jefferson scholars." Search, or browse by topics such as agriculture and gardening, legends, Sally Hemings, science and exploration, and slavery. Provided by the Thomas Jefferson Library at Monticello.
URL: http://wiki.monticello.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27596

Presidents of the United States: Resource Guides
These presidential resource guides "compile digital materials that are available throughout the Library [of Congress]'s Web site. In addition, each resource guide provides links to external Web sites and a bibliography containing selected works for both a general audience and younger readers. This site will be updated on a regular basis." As of early 2009, guides are available for 20 presidents, the most recent being Franklin D. Roosevelt. From the Library of Congress.
URL: http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/presidents/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27126

Annotations copyright LII.ORG

Wiki White House : Can Obama use technology to transform government?
This site provides access to a podcast and video recording of a discussion co-sponsored by the New America Foundation, Wired Magazine, and Google which took place on 9th January 2009. Panellists (who included members of New America Foundation) discussed their hopes for a more transparent administration and the challenges to a more open and participatory government. This involved considering the possibilities and challenges faced by more US government implementation of web 2.0 technology for political communication. Copyright and technical information is diplayed on the website. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.newamerica.net/events/2008/wiki_white_house

2008 U.S. Presidential and congressional elections: NDI study trip papers
This site provides free access to an interesting collection of brief reports from participants on the NDI (National Democratic Institute) study trip to observe the 2008 American presidential elections. They include interesting remarks on the conduct of the American electoral system and historic victory of Barack Obama from the perspective of African nation representatives. All the papers are published in a 16 page pamphlet which can be downloaded in full from the website. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.ndi.org/files/2008%20U.S.%20Election%20study%20mission%20-%20media%20

Presidency : Brookings Institution
This site provides free access to resources relating to the American presidency from leading American think tank the Brookings Institution. They include press releases, event transcripts, videos and full text research papers and reports. Topics covered include analysis of the 2009 presidential inauguration of Barack Obama and discussion of the policy challenges faced by his presidency as well as more general themes associated with the role and operation of executive government. Copyright and technical information is diplayed on the website. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.brookings.edu/topics/the-presidency.aspx

If you are interested in a transcript of Obama’s inaugural speech, as it was actually given, you can get a copy approximately an hour after the speech is concluded on Project Gutenberg.

The address will be: http://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/0/0/28000/

+ A transcript of the speech is also available at CNN.com and WhiteHouse.gov.

+ A video replay of the address is available from MSNBC.com

+ Transcript of Elizabeth Alexander’s inaugural poem (via LA Times)

+ See Also: Transcript: Rev. Joseph Lowery’s benediction (via LA Times)

 

Resourceshelf permalink

Link to High Resolution image: http://geoeye.com/CorpSite/gallery/image-viewer.aspx?m=h&iid=220&gid=1

Images Copyright © 2008 GeoEye.

 

Martin Luther King Collection: Morehouse College
The Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection is maintained by Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center (AUC). It contains a historic collection of archive papers, writings and sermons relating to the life and work of Black American civil rights leader Martin Luther King from 1944-1968. The website provides free access to a biography of Dr King, searchbale finding aids to the collection and bibliographies of further readigns about King and the Black American civil rights movement. From: Intute.ac.uk
http://www.auctr.edu/mlkcollection/

Flickr: inauguration 2009
An interesting example of the use of web 2.0 to cover a national event. This channel contains photographs related to the 2009 presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. These have been uploaded and tagged with subject keywords by users of the site. They include amateur and professional photographers, photographs of Barack Obama, the inauguration ceremony, parade route and celebrations. A useful social record of events at the time. However users should be aware that some materials may be of low technical quality. Copyright should also be checked for individual photographs.
http://flickr.com/groups/inauguration2009/

44th president inauguration: CNN special report
This site was created by American news service CNN to provide coverage of the inauguration of Barack Obama as American president in January 2009. In addition to news headlines of the events, it also includes photographs, film footage of speeches and parades and commentary from academic and citizen reporters. Other features of the site include background on the historic significance of Mr Obama's victory, facts, figures and quizzes about the process and history of American presidential inaugurations. Copyright and technical information is displayed on the website.
http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/44.president/inauguration/

Obama inauguration: Guardian news unlimited
This site was created by staff of the Guardian newspaper to provide coverage of events surrounding the inauguration of American president Barack Obama in January 2009. in addition to news stories and comment from Guardian journalists, the site also includes photographs and video clips from the events, political cartoons and blog entries from attendees. Other features of the site include interactive guides to American presidnetial inaugurations, plus timelines of the history of the American presidency. Copyright and technical information is displayed on the website.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/obama-inauguration

 

Inauguration Resources #4: Take a Virtual Flyover of the Inaugural Parade Route and Washington D.C.

January 16th, 2009 Resourceshelf permalink

Nixontapes.org
A site created by professor of history Luke A. Nichter to provide free access to a complete accessible digital collection of the infamous tapes of president Richard Nixon. These comprise over 3,700 hours of phone calls and meetings secretly taped by President Nixon between 1971-1973 covering such key issues as the Watergate scandal, conversations with advisers such as Henry Kissinger, visits to China, domestic and foreign policy. It includes audiofiles, transcripts, background information on the context of the materials, tape logs (taken from materials supplied by the National Archives) and cross references to the president's diaries. Material is being continuously added to the site on a rolling basis. Technical and copyright information is displayed on the website. From: Intute.ac.uk
http://www.nixontapes.org/

This site was created by the BBC news service to provide coverage of the election victory of Barack obama in 2008, his presidential inauguration in January 2009 and the policies of his administration. In addition to news headlines and stories from the BBC. It also includes links to recent audio and video film clips of key moments, interviews and speeches. Other additional features of the site include biographical information, photographs of his achievements and links to comment from analysts and members of the public. Technical and copyright information is displayed on the website. From Intute.ac.uk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/americas/2008/obama_presidency/default.stm

Middle East Forum
The Middle East Forum is a US based think tank which seeks to promote a stronger American policy in the Middle East. Its stated aims include 'working for Palestinian acceptance of Israel and fighting Islamic extremism in the Middle East'. The website includes information on the aims, membership and recent activities of the group. It includes free access to press releases, blog postings from its members and full text articles from the Middle East Quarterly. They include materials by Daniel Pipes. Topics covered include Arab-israeli conflict, Islam and politics, the Middle East Peace process, position of Israel, Jerusalem, West Bank Gaza strip, and American foreign policy in the Middle East. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.meforum.org/

Time Person of the year 2008: Barack Obama This site was created by TIME magazine to celebrate the achievement of the Time Person of the year 2008: American president Barack Obama. It includes an essay discussing his achievements in the 2008 American presidential elections, photographs and interviews. There are also some light hearted video materials about his life and career. technical and copyright information is displayed on the website.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/personoftheyear

President Obama: Poynter Institute's book on the 2008 presidential election This site provides free access to 75 images of front pages of newspapers collected by the Poyneter Institute on the day when the victory of Barack Obama was announced in the 2008 American presidential elections. They include examples from European national newspapers, North American national and local newspapers, tabloids and broadsheets. They constitute a useful resource for comparing coverage of events for students of political communication, journalism and media studies. Main emphasis is upon design, images and layout, generally the size of the thumbnails makes the text (apart from the headline) illegible.
http://www.poynterextra.org/gallery/frontpages.html

From:  Intute.ac.uk

FIRE Report: Public Universities Overwhelmingly Violate First Amendment
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)

Today the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has released its 2009 report on campus speech codes, revealing that American colleges and universities systematically violate students’ and faculty members’ right to freedom of expression.

Spotlight on Speech Codes 2009: The State of Free Speech on Our Nation’s Campuses reports on policies at 364 American colleges and universities. FIRE found that approximately 74 percent of schools surveyed maintain policies that clearly restrict speech that, outside the borders of campus, is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
…
FIRE’s report is the most comprehensive effort to date both to quantify the proportion of colleges and universities that restrict free speech and to assess the severity of those restrictions. The report surveyed publicly available policies at institutions ranked in the 100 “Best National Universities” and at the 50 “Best Liberal Arts Colleges,” as rated in the August 27, 2007, “America’s Best Colleges” issue of U.S. News & World Report, as well as at 207 major public universities. The research was conducted between September 2007 and September 2008.

All of the policies cited in the report are available online in FIRE’s searchable speech code database, Spotlight: The Campus Freedom Resource. People interested in drawing attention to their institution’s policies can easily do so by adding FIRE’s Speech Codes Widget to their blog or website. Easy instructions for adding the widget can be found here.

+ Full Report (PDF; 2.3 MB)

From Docuticker

New Issue Brief from The Century Foundation Reveals the Extent of U.S. Gender and Racial/Ethnic Inequality and Suggests Remedies
Source: The Century Foundation

An examination of the photos and names of those at the top of the political spectrum, from the presidential candidates to the appointees to the top spots in the past few, and next, administration provides a picture of a nation where gender and race/ethnicity do not matter. However, a new report from The Century Foundation shows that despite some progress, America is a nation in which neither minorities nor women have yet achieved anything approaching economic or social equality.

In The Long Wait for Progress: Women and Economic and Social Equality, Century Foundation Senior Fellow Beverly Goldberg analyzes the substantial gap in wages between men and women, and then measures that gap in the context of women’s educational achievements and the continuing discrimination against women in the workplace, with attention to the impact of the issues of health and child care. This analysis of the complex and interrelated problems facing working women reveals both that women are subject to pay discrimination and that the inequities between white women and women of color are as striking as those between women and men.

+ Full Document (PDF; 267 KB)

From Docuticker

From the news release:

The United States faces the potential for abrupt climate change in the 21st century that could pose clear risks to society in terms of our ability to adapt.

“Abrupt” changes can occur over decades or less, persist for decades more, and cause substantial disruptions to human and natural systems.

A new report, based on an assessment of published science literature, makes the following conclusions about the potential for abrupt climate changes from global warming during this century.

* Climate model simulations and observations suggest that rapid and sustained September arctic sea ice loss is likely in the 21st century.
* The southwestern United States may be beginning an abrupt period of increased drought.
* It is very likely that the northward flow of warm water in the upper layers of the Atlantic Ocean, which has an important impact on the global climate system, will decrease by approximately 25-30 percent. However, it is very unlikely that this circulation will collapse or that the weakening will occur abruptly during the 21st century and beyond.
* An abrupt change in sea level is possible, but predictions are highly uncertain due to shortcomings in existing climate models.
* There is unlikely to be an abrupt release of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere from deposits in the earth. However, it is very likely that the pace of methane emissions will increase.

The U.S. Geological Survey led the new assessment, which was authored by a team of climate scientists from the federal government and academia. The report was commissioned by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program with contributions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation.

Direct to Full Text Report: Final Report of Synthesis and Assessment Product 3.4

Source: USGS

 

From Docuticker

Election 2008 in review
This site provides free access to a 24 page briefing by the Pew Center on the States which was published in December 2008. It provides a concise summary of the conduct of the 2008 American presidential elections. Topics covered include voter registration and turnout levels. There are also some interesting summaries of events in individual states. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/ElectionInReviewPDF%20Final.pd

An ad hoc story of America emerges from online posts to Change.gov

More than 3,500 comments posted at President-elect Barack Obama’s Change.gov Web site have been merged into a single document, creating a downloadable portrait of a nation in crisis that runs for more than 700 pages and nearly 500,000 words.

In merging the 3,572 comments, the Obama transition team has also utterly transformed them into something other than a series of disparate blog and e-mailed comments. They are now part of a searchable, portable and singular narrative that is, in many respects, an ad hoc story of America at this moment. It is, in sum, a collection of stories from a diverse group, written with emotion and passion by people — everyone from young adults worried about paying for college to young families worried about their children’s future, to people in their 50s afraid they are now too old to hire.

Many of the writers tell of hardship and fears, and some of the stories recount — in sometimes imperfect grammar — woes almost unimaginable…

From: The Resourceshelf

Resources for learning about and tracking the current financial crisis.

Home
       Welcome
      CLS Blog
People & Institutions
      Henry Paulson 
      Ben S. Bernanke
      Sheila C. Bair
      Warren Buffet
      Llyod Blankfein
      Stanley O’Neil
      Richard Fuld
      Barney Frank
The Crisis
      Overview
      Prior Crises
Bailout
      Why Bailout?
      Govt. Intervention
Regulation
      Regulatory Framework
      Regulatory Changes
Financial Instruments
      Derivatives
      Mortgage Securitization
      Financial Weapons?
Background Books
      Books
Foreclosures
      Foreclosure

 

Big ideas are important, and the Graduate Center at the City University of New York (CUNY) has created the Great Issues Forum in order to "explore critical issues of our time through a single thematic lens." The program was started in 2007, and the initiative includes free public conversations, online seminars, and a number of other features designed to bring these conversations to people around the globe. Visitors can get a sense of these conversations by clicking on the "Online Audio/Video Archive" to view past sessions. These sessions have included discussion on political power, economic power, and the African-American church and American politics. After checking one (or more) of these sessions out, visitors should then click on over to the "Seminars" area. Here they can read and comment on online discussions about subjects such as global natural resource conflicts and depictions of power in cinema. Along the way, visitors can also view participants' bios, and also learn about the upcoming seminar topics and public presentations and forums. [KMG] Scout Report

Chronic Failures in the War on Terror - From Afghanistan to Somalia
The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), formerly known as The Senlis Council is an international think tank known for its work in Afghanistan and other conflict zones. It is a project of the Network of European Foundations' Mercator Fund. This site provides free access to the full text of its report published in May 2008.ISBN0-9555008-4-2. The 81 page report compares and contrasts insurgencies in Afghanistan and Somalia. It then considers American foreign policy toards the regions and possible future trends. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.senliscouncil.net/modules/publications/chronic_failures_war_terror

Inside Guantánamo
This photo essay published in early 2008 provides a look at people and places at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay's facility for detainees suspected of terrorism-related activities. Includes an accompanying slide show with audio commentary by the photographer. From The Atlantic.
URL: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200801/guantanamo-photos
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27310

Guantánamo Bay
News and commentary from a UK perspective about the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Provides news stories, photos, interactive features, and a Q&A about the base, which "has been used as a detention centre for suspected terrorists, mainly captured in Afghanistan during the US assault following the September 11 attacks." Includes several stories about president-elect Barack Obama's plans to close the detention facility. From The Guardian, UK.
URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/guantanamo
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27308

United States Department of Defense: Guantanamo Bay
Series of stories from the U.S. Department of Defense about the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Stories relate to the mission of the Guantanamo base and proceedings (such as court rulings, transfers, and releases) concerning detainees at the detention facility. Stories are from 2005 through March 2008. Also includes a gallery of over 40 photos from the base. From DefenseLink, a U.S. Department of Defense website.
URL: http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/gitmo/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27307

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The New Team
URL: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/us/series/the_new_team/index.html

Description:
Profiles of members and potential members of President-elect Barack Obama's new administration. Covers individuals such as Rahm Emanuel (White House Chief of Staff), Timothy Geithner (Treasury Secretary), and Eric Holder (Attorney General). Includes links to related articles and resources. From The New York Times.

Annotation copyright LII.ORG

Center for Ethics in Government (US)
Compilation of resources from this center that addresses "this most critical, fundamental and far-reaching problem facing government in America: the loss of public trust and confidence in representative democracy." Features an overview of ethics policy issues, an ethics and lobbying legislation database, publications, links to news stories on ethics, and more. From the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
URL: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/ethics/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27176

Lobbying Ethics
This FAQ discusses definitions of political lobbying, the relationship between lobbying and ethics, and ethical dilemmas presented by lobbying in the areas of fairness, transparency, and the common good. Includes links to related websites. From the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.
URL: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/government_ethics/introduction/lobbying.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27173

Imperial Washington
Companion website to this 2008 public radio program that looks at "how the perks lawmakers enjoy make it tough to clean up government, and what happens when newcomers try to play the lobbying game." Includes the full program and transcript, a list of congressional perks, features on the viral video "We Are the Web" and the growth of lobbying in Washington, reporter's notebook, and related links. From American RadioWorks.
URL: http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/congress/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/23596

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International Security under President-elect Obama: RUSI analysis
This site has been created by Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI). It provides access to a small collection of articles and comments made after the presidential election victory of Barack Obama in November 2008. They include analysis of possible foreign policy changes and the challenges that face him. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.rusi.org/publication/analysis/ref:A4911AC4084BBF/act:list/

2008 presidential transition: a weblog by the IBM center for the Busineness of Government
This weblog was created by the IBM Center for the Business of Government to provide coverage of the 2008 American presidential elections and the transition of Barack Obama to the American presidency in January 2009. It includes discussion on the management of the transition and its possible impact on American policy and government. There are also materials discussing the presidential elections. Intute.ac.uk
http://transition2008.wordpress.com/