April | 2012 | Arizona MUNdi

The Wal-Mart Scandal: A “Secret” We All Knew

April 26, 2012 in México

By Michelle Moraila

You don’t have to drive very far into Mexico to find the first Wal-Mart close to the border. Over 2,000 stores have invaded the country since the giant American corporation first opened a store in 1991. They include anything from Wal-Mart super centers, to “Superama” (a Wal-Mart owned grocery store cleverly disguised as being completely Mexican). It makes shopping easy for consumers with a high moral price to pay.

The scandal surrounding Wal-Mart and Mexico exploded once The New York Times published this 8,000-word article this past Sunday. Both the company and Mexican politicians are attempting to clean up the damage caused by more than ten year’s worth of bribes estimated to be in the millions.

Sadly, the news failed to surprise many. I’m surprised it took them this long to find such a case. Yes, corruption is on every corner of this earth but I know I am probably not be the first Mexican to admit that it thrives more than usual in Mexico. Not everyone has engaged in some sort of corruption, but it’s no lie that cops are easily bought off, fines miraculously disappear, and no one needs to take a real driver’s test if you pay enough money. When the PAN took over it did visibly decrease but was never fully eradicated.

The problem is that Mexicans know it and enjoy it. Without these so-called “mordidas” (Spanish slang for “bribes”) Mexico could potentially go on to have a shot at a full legitimate government. But the citizens will not allow it. God forbid they have to do something the long way. And the government would have to get rid of millions of people on the inside who regularly accept bribes who would just move on to be corrupt somewhere else.

But as the Wal-Mart case continues to unravel, more questions are raised. Mexican citizens want to know exactly who received these bribes and want serious action to be taken. The publication opened their eyes and fingers are being pointed. They want to know what other businesses have done the same thing considering American corporations have taken over major cities. At the same time, they argue that there’s not a big difference between what happens and American officials who accept contributions from corporations.

It is unclear what will happen with the scandal and who will be held accountable. Calderon expressed his indignation about the issue despite the the millions of jobs the company opened up. Mexican officials have stated this will go under further investigation.

This post reflects the author’s personal opinions, not the opinions of Arizona Model United Nations.

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Go West, Young Man… and North, and South, and East

April 24, 2012 in Latin America, The World Today

AFP

By Andrew Melton

Last week, thousands of Honduran families and farmers moved and occupied 30,000 acres of land throughout the Central American country. This marks a large escalation in a land conflict that has been raging for years. Honduran law states that farmers have the right to grow crops on public lands, however private farm companies have been purchasing public lands with great frequency as of late. Small family farmers see this as an encroachment on the law allowing them to tend these public lands. Former President Manuel Zelaya came out to protest in support of the land occupation, and current President Porfirio Lobo has yet to release a firm opinion on the matter.

Obviously, the move by the farmers received harsh criticism from the landowners and farm companies. Some are trying to illustrate the occupation as nothing more than robbery on a national scale. Others believe the move is based in politics and not an agricultural issue as the farmers claim. It is nothing more than a political stunt aimed at destabilizing the current Lobo regime. Why else would the former deposed President Zelaya support the occupiers?

It is an entirely different story from the point of view of the rural farmers. It is not an act aimed at supporting or opposing current President Lobos, but rather, an act meant to bring attention to rural land reform. They do not want the past to repeat itself with large farming companies consolidating their hold on the highest quality land (United Fruit Company, anyone?). What good is a law permitting farming on public lands if those public lands no longer exist?

The truth here, as is often the case, is that both sides are probably right. Technically, the landowners purchased these lands legally. That being said, I feel the rural farmers’ position should be respected much more than that of the landowners. Latin America has a long history of the ordinary rural people being taken advantage of in the name of corporate interests. The large farm companies and landowners do not need others to advocate for their rights; they can already do that on their own just fine. When considering the history of business activities in the region paired with the dismal socioeconomic status of rural farmers, I fully support the current land occupation. Even if the farmers are eventually evicted, the move brings light to an important and escalating conflict.

Where things go from here is uncertain. Rafael Alegria, leader of a land rights group, stated that he expects to meet with current President Lobo sometime this week. Seeing as Lobo possesses the most power at the moment, the future of the land conflict depends on with which side he eventually stands.

This post reflects the author’s personal opinions, not the opinions of Arizona Model United Nations.

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Joyce Banda: Malawi’s First Female President

April 23, 2012 in Africa, Articles, The World Today

By Chelsea Sweeney

The sudden death of Malawi’s president, Bingu wa Mutharika, has led to the rise of Vice President Joyce Banda to the top position in the country. Mutharika suddenly passed away in early April from a heart attack at age 78, and Banda will hopefully lead Malawi to a better future than the controversial path of former president Mutharika.

Mutharika was slowly becoming more autocratic, as his harsh regime began cracking down on those who opposed his rule. He passed many unconstitutional laws that imposed on the civil liberties of Malawians, and police killed 20 protesters last July for protesting for political and economic reforms. With 75% of the population living in poverty, Malawi is heavily dependent on foreign aid, with these donations making up a large percentage of the national budget. But Mutharika’s human rights violations led many donors to cut funding, hurting the average Malawian even more.

But now that Joyce Banda is in power, there are many positive changes coming to Malawi. Banda is a strong female leader, who has spent much of her life campaigning for women’s rights, and will not bow down to negative pressure. She left her first husband in 1981, taking their three children, because he was abusive. This was an uncommon stance, as many women were taught to live through abusive relationships without complaint. She went on to found the National Association of Business Women, win an award from Americans for UNFPA called the International Award for the Health and Dignity of Women for her continued dedication to fighting for women’s rights in many areas across Malawi.

Banda made her mark in politics after refusing to comply with former president Mutharika’s corrupt policies. Since she was elected, and not simply appointed by Mutharika, she was not forced to step down, and simply founded her own political party to counter Mutharika’s nepotism. Once in power, she immediately fired Malawi’s police chief, Peter Mukhito, who was responsible for the deaths of the 20 anti-government protestors under Mutharika. She also removed the information minister, Patricia Kaliati, who was disliked by much of the public. The economy is also turning around under Banda, as she is beginning to repair the damaged relations between Malawi and their donor countries. The head of the African Development Bank has already promised to give Malawi $45 million to help Banda fix Malawi’s economy, and other negotiations for aid are in progress.

Banda’s new policies for Malawi promise a better future, where women’s rights are respected, and the country’s economic problems can be slowly repaired. The first female head of Malawi will hopefully leave a positive and permanent mark in the growth of this African country.

This post reflects the author’s personal opinions, not the opinions of Arizona Model United Nations.

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A Modern Day Oligarchy

April 22, 2012 in Asia, The World Today

from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~lee20d/classweb/

by Hugo Polanco

By most accounts South Korea is an extremely prosperous nations, especially when compared to the mind boggling destitution of its northern neighbor. Ever since the two split, the South has rapidly climbed to economic greatness and now its products both commercial and cultural are widely exported. If you’ve ever owed an LG telephone, Hyundai car or watched a Korean drama then you are one of the many consumers of these products. These goods that are surging out of South Korea are the products of South Korea’s chaebol. The chaebol are South Korea’s vast business empires, held as personal fiefs by a small number of South Korean families.

The control that these groups have exerted over South Korea is incredible and disturbing. Samsung the largest chaebol for example has business interests in the electronics, constriction , theme parks, life insurance, and ship building industries. Unlike other large conglomerates the South Korean chaebol are also known for outright owning most of their suppliers giving them more monopolistic power over the South Korean economy.

Beyond economic power, the chaebol have also had a complex relation with the South Korean government dating back to the end of the Second World War. During this time period the founding families, with the seized Japanese industries and political support quickly grew. Later they exploded under the patronage of President Park Chung-hee. The chaebol were given preferential treatment as a strategy to industrialize the country. In a way it worked, this time period saw South Korea rise as one of the four Asian Tigers as well as finally surpassing North Korea’s industrial advantage.

Now as South Korea is prosperous and spreading their influence throughout the world, there is great domestic concern over the damaging control the chaebol. These opinions have a shifted widely in the past, the chaebol were exalted for the rise of the South Korean miracle economy, denounced during the Asian financial crisis and finally rehabilitated during the recent global economic downturn.

The recent elections have sent signs that the chaebol’s reputation is again falling. Many South Koreans believe that chaebol and government are intertwined to a ludicrous extant. The stock of chaebol rise and fall depending on the electoral fortunes of the parties they patronize. For example one investor sold his stock of a pharmaceutical company based on that fact that an opposition party leader had once visited a company hospital nearly 20 years ago for back surgery. The chaebol are now seen to contribute little to society, they make billions in profits but employ only a tiny fraction of the South Korean population. The fact that so much profits are being made when there such deep holes in the South Korean social security net is also upsetting.

Before we haughtily deem our own society vastly superior, we should use South Korea as a mirror for the failings of own society. The United States also has a far from exemplar relationship with private business, we are notorious for one for the extant that corporations are able to use money in elections. Both the United States and South Korea would do well to look in ourselves and question whether we are satisfied with the status quo.

This post reflects the author’s personal opinions, not the opinions of Arizona Model United Nations.

Tags: Chaebol, corporations, economic miracle, Elections, Korean Wave, South Korea
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Mitt and the Moms

April 21, 2012 in The World Today, United States

Image Credit: The Guardian

By Beatrice Nielsen

Democratic pundit Hilary Rosen made a word choice mistake last week. Ann Romney, wife of Mitt, has been called by his campaign the “Ambassador to Women.” Mr. Romney has said “My wife has the occasion, as you know, to campaign on her own and also with me, and she reports to me regularly that the issue women care about most is the economy.” During an interview on Anderson Cooper 360, Ms. Rosen discussed the fact that Ann Romney has very little in common with the average woman—and in an unfortunately-worded statement, said that Ann Romney has “never worked a day in her life” because she’s been a stay-at-home mom.

This comment opened the floodgates—women across the country have expressed their anger or dissatisfaction on one side or another. Ms. Rosen has since apologized for her remark, but has not retracted her opinion that Ann Romney’s economic status prevents her from being a true ambassador to women. She’s had the privilege to stay home. It’s not that I disrespect or don’t value moms who stay at home–it must be very hard work! But in this day and age, most American women do not have the economic security required to be a stay-at-home mom. The luxury of choosing between staying home and working is not often on the table.

In his typical fashion, Mitt Romney has managed to make this issue into a mess. At an event in Palm Beach, Mr. Romney spoke about mothers who receive unemployment benefits. “I said, for instance, that even if you have a child 2 years of age, you need to go to work. And people said, well, that’s heartless. And I said, no, no, I’m willing to spend more giving day care to allow those parents to go back to work. It will cost the state more providing that day care, but I want the individuals to have the dignity of work.”

What?! So, Ann Romney, because she is financially well off, has the choice between working and staying home, but poor mothers need the “dignity of work”? Not only is that argument bogus, but it also reflects Mitt Romney’s complete lack of understanding about 21st century American women (and social structure!). The debate surrounding Hilary Rosen and Ann Romney is less about the choices women make, but more about the presidential candidate’s out-of-date notions of society. By bringing up issues that have been, quite honestly, addressed in the last decade (stay at home moms vs. working moms, the existence of Planned Parenthood and its benefits), Mr. Romney, millionaire and owner of several houses, has further alienated himself from the average American—exactly the opposite of what his campaign professes to represent.

This post reflects the author’s personal opinions, not the opinions of Arizona Model United Nations.

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Shady Dealings

April 20, 2012 in Europe, The World Today

Courtesy en.mercopress.com

You would never steal you friend’s wallet. Why? Even if you were self absorbed and morally reprehensible, the $50 in cash you stood to gain could never outweigh the loss of your relationship and all its benefits. Even more, the reputation for shady dealing you would collect among your social sphere would cost you dearly in the long run.

Well, Argentina just stole Spain’s wallet.

After spending two weeks discussing the option, Argentinian president Cristina Fernandez fulfilled her “life-long dream” of solving the country’s energy problem by nationalizing YPF, the oil company which owns the rights to Argentina’s reserves. There is no mistaking this as an uncompensated, hostile seizure of 57% of the company from Repsol, a Spanish energy company.

Repsol’s stake in the company is currently valued at around $10 billion. In the grand scheme of the international economy, $10 billion is nothing. (Well, it’s enough to save up to 7.6 million children’s lives, but never mind that for now).

The real affront is that Argentina so blatantly continues a tradition of disregarding respectable dealings within the international community. Two weeks ago I discussed how Argentinian nationalistic pride leads them to continue a claim over the Falklands, which they quite obviously do not own. Their economic record is no less disappointing.

First, in 2002, the country engaged in the largest sovereign debt default in history, and has been rightly banned from the international investment community ever since. Moreover, their government notoriously pursues protectionist trade measures. Even further, Argentina has refused to pay millions in compensation for breaching trade agreements as stipulated by international legal bodies.

The fact that Argentina so recklessly disregards its reputation and obligations makes Spain’s’ job difficult. Can they reason with the unreasonable? A 1991 bilateral international trade agreement between the two quarreling nations limits Spain’s ability to impose retaliatory tariffs against Argentina, who claims that the nationalization of YPF falls under a clause protecting actions taken “in the interest of the people” (couldn’t any actions be justified on these grounds?).

Regardless, the fine print of a trade agreement shouldn’t prevent some body from reprimanding Argentina. Yet this seems unlikely. International bodies such as the WTO and World Bank lack the authority and intelligence to go above the narrow definitions of protocol and exact justice, even when the infraction is as obvious as this. In a climate of international law that is largely driven by politics, not the consistent and dependable application of justice, even Repsol’s compensation of $10 billion for lost assets is up in the air.

This is the EU’s time to shine. One primary strength of the Union is to lend collective weight to the economic dealings of its members. In this case, EU-wide pressure on Argentina could certainly improve Repsol’s prospects. However, the EU is reluctant to take the measures necessary to defend Spain, as they have other, arguably more pressing matters on their hands than organizing 27 countries to sacrifice trade relations to benefit Spain alone. I think this is a shame and a waste of ability on the part of the EU to stand up for principles of free trade, solid law, and accountability that it applies within its own geographical and cultural block.

Luckily, we can rest assured that, even without immediate punishment, Argentina’s reputation for cheating foreign investors will eventually set in. When that day comes, the country will fall behind other business-friendly Latin American nations such as Brazil, Chile, and Peru. Maybe at that time Argentina will begin to take a closer look and amend its reputation.

This post reflects the author’s personal opinions, not the opinions of Arizona Model United Nations.

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Mexico’s Presidential Candidates Continue to Fight For Power

April 19, 2012 in México, The World Today

By Michelle Moraila

As the race to “Los Pinos” heats up, the Mexican parties continue to duke it out in a classical game of name calling and tattling. The latest remark concerns the PRI’s complaint claiming Calderon violated the Mexican Constitution when he sent out an email thanking taxpayers for their payment. The IFE (Instituto Federal Electoral, or in English, the Federal Electoral Institute) concluded that President Felipe Calderon did indeed violate the Constitution by sending the email and using public resources for personal propaganda and noting the government’s achievements over the past couple of years. Under Article 134 of the Constitution it affects the fairness of the election and confuses voters. The infringement does not imply a suspension or anything of that sort for Calderon because the law does not ask it.

The news appeared during these times where every candidate is under a microscope. It appears as though the candidates and their parties continue this classical election game and find any excuse to make the other look bad. A recent public dispute between the two parties prevented a debate from even beginning. The argument resulted in PAN supporters calling leading PRI candidate Enrique Peña Nieto a liar and “Pinocchio” regarding his promises when he was governor of the State of Mexico.

It is no secret that the PAN and the PRI constantly disagree. The PAN, in power since 2000, seeks to win the presidency for the third time; while the PRI wants to return to the position it held for seventy years prior to that. Mexican politics are dirty and Calderon’s recent accusations could just be Peña Nieto’s strategy for beating the PAN. More than one source failed to report that the PRI finger pointed at Calderon for sending out the thank you notes, which makes me wonder if Peña Nieto’s party had anything to do with leaving out that detail. Knowing how the PRI works and its long history of secretiveness and corruption, believing that they may have the press under their belt is not a far-fetched idea. It’s funny that the PRI is accusing the whole PAN party of being unconstitutional when the PRI itself represents everything that is unconstitutional in Mexico at its prime.

This post reflects the author’s personal opinions, not the opinions of Arizona Model United Nations.

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The Attack on Education and Women in Afghanistan; The True Evils of the Extremists

April 18, 2012 in Articles, Middle East, The World Today

By Connor Shirley

On Tuesday, over 150 female students were poisoned by contaminated drinking water. There is not much information available, but it currently suspected that the a radical Islamist group is responsible. The area that the attack occurred in, south Afghanistan, was once a hotbed of Taliban activity. Under the rule of the Taliban females were not allowed into schools and various other rights and privileges were taken away, simply because they were women. This type of attack is not unheard of; there are still acid attacks on some women, where cheap acid is purchased at a hardware store and is promptly thrown at the face of a woman who has somehow offended a man.

One of the interesting questions that this horrific event raises is whether this type of violence is a result of a particular school of thought in Islam or merely sadistic individuals doing sick things under the name of something bigger than themselves. The Taliban were in power in Afghanistan until 2001, and under their rule there had been intense implementation of sharia law, focusing on the glory and greatness of God. Public beatings were commonplace, to show the other women the consequences for ‘inappropriate’ behavior, like shopping without the company of a man. Things like alcohol and clapping during sporting events were banned, and political power was reformed in a much more tribal method, if only to the Pashtun tribe. The group was also completely anti-Israeli and anti-Shi’a. This system of rule gave brutal men a chance to have the power to behave as they wished; abuse was commonplace, and any progress made for women in the last 1000 years was completely lost.

In Western media, various unsubtle remarks began to demonize Islam as a religion that hates women, and one of the major ‘reasons’ for the invasion of Iraq was to liberate women. It is an important distinction to make that Islam itself is just as inherently oppressive of women than Christianity is; it is all in the interpretation of religious texts that makes the difference. The argument I’m trying to put forward is that the Taliban, a terrible and vicious group, were the ones who enables cruel men, not the religion of Islam as a whole, a distinction that is not always explicitly stated in a lot of the news sources I read.

As for the role of the Taliban in this attack, it is possible that this poisoning is part of the wave of new wave of spring offensives the terrorist group is now pushing. Afghanistan will be under attack by this group fora long time; violence is a way of life for these people, and it is hard to reason with a group with so much zealotry. All the west can do is try to keep the fight away from children.

This post reflects the author’s personal opinions, not the opinions of Arizona Model United Nations.

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Tackling Current Problems, Argentina Borrows Against its Future

April 17, 2012 in Articles, Latin America, The World Today

Natacha Pisarenko/Associated Press

By Andrew Melton

Last week, I was alarmed to hear the Argentine government was considering nationalizing the Spanish owned oil company, YPF. These rumors met strong opposition from the Spanish government that promised a swift and definitive response if Argentina went through with its plans. The weekend was relatively quiet without a response from the Argentine government, and the Spanish company, Repsol, denied receiving any information regarding an intended nationalization of its majority stake in YPF. I assumed that indicated Argentina was rethinking its plan in the face of backlash from its number one foreign investor, but that was not the case. Yesterday evening, President Kirchner announced the Argentine government would go through with the nationalization of YPF, an announcement ill received by Spain and much of Europe.

The Argentine government created YPF in 1922, which at the time was the only state-owned oil company in the world. It was not until the 1990’s that the government began the process of privatizing YPF, and in 1999 Repsol bought its majority stake in the company. Relations seemed to be pretty good. The company survived the economic crisis of 2002, and things looked good with Nestor Kirchner coming to power.

However, Argentina once again found itself faced with economic issues. The country is struggling with inflation in the mid-twentieth percentile and recently had to begin importing energy, leading to a negative energy trade balance. Many Argentines felt Repsol was not using YPF to its full capacity and increasing output. With the takeover, the government plans to increase output and begin exploiting the recently discovered shale fields.

On paper, the nationalization of YPF makes sense for Argentina. With the state in control, they will have greater control over oil production and may even return to their position as energy exporters. Perhaps privatizing the company in the 1990’s was a poor decision in the first place.

This logic, however, ignores the real world repercussions that do not show up on balance sheets. Spain is the largest foreign investor in Argentina. Repsol has already vowed legal action against Argentina, and the Spanish government looks to retaliate diplomatically and economically. Most of the European Union already came out on the side of Spain, and I expect more countries will do the same. Argentina already maintains tense relations with the United Kingdom due to the territorial dispute over the Falklands, and now the nation is in the process of adding more European enemies to the list.

I believe the move by Argentina will help it with its energy problems, but at what cost? Argentina already had issues with attracting foreign investment, and this takeover will only scare more investors away. President Kirchner should have done more to pressure Repsol into increasing energy output. Argentina now runs the risk of becoming an international pariah unwilling to cooperate. The nation may be closer to energy independence today than it was a week ago, but I fear it may come at the cost of its long term economic goals.

This post reflects the author’s personal opinions, not the opinions of Arizona Model United Nations.

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Nodding Disease: A Strange Illness Spreading Through Northern Uganda

April 16, 2012 in Africa, The World Today

By Chelsea Sweeney

Diseases such as AIDS and malaria have been the main focus of worldwide campaigns designed to raise awareness and find a cure. Sicknesses such as these certainly deserve the dedication given to eliminate them, as they have taken the lives of millions in Africa. But less talked about is a fatal neurological sickness affecting children, spreading through northern Uganda and the surrounding area. This illness, called nodding disease, is a serious and mysterious condition with no cure in sight.

This sickness was first observed in the 1960’s in Tanzania. Children with this disease are affected by seizures that appear as if the child is simply nodding off and losing focus. But they are not simply slipping into some afternoon daydream. This is the beginning of a series of seizures that will slowly worsen and affect the child’s development. The triggers of the seizures are common things such as food, heat, and cold weather. If a simple activity such as eating triggers seizures, then children will begin to eat less and less, creating stunted physical development. As the seizures worsen, it is common for the children to fall down, or wander off, usually harming themselves in the process. It eventually reaches a point where they cannot function on their own. The stigma in many communities is enormous, and children in the latest stages of seizures have been compared to zombies.

Nodding disease has affected over 3000 children, primarily between 5 and 15, and approximately 170 have died. No one knows where this disease comes from, or what could cure it. The Ugandan government has taken some action to stop it, creating nodding disease screening centers. The WHO is also closely involved in research and treatment. They have discovered that anti-epilepsy medication helps, but does not cure this disease. Many scientists believe that there is a connection between this sickness and a worm that causes a disease called river blindness. But while there are always cases of river blindness diagnosed where nodding disease is common, there are many areas of Africa with high river blindness rates and no sign of nodding disease. It is a strange case that will likely remain unsolved in the near future.

This post reflects the author’s personal opinions, not the opinions of Arizona Model United Nations.