Review: Building Reputation: Why Governments Fight Some Separatists but Not Others

A political science literature review by yours truly:

Walter, Barbara F. 2006. “Building Reputation: Why Governments Fight Some Separatists but Not Others.” American Journal of Political Science 50(2):313–30.

Walter’s focus on the strategic use of established reputation seeks to explain why some governments expressly counter independence and/or territorial autonomy movements within their territory, while others accommodate them. In doing so, the author demonstrates the rationale for a government to go to war to build a deterrent reputation. Employing the framework of territorial disputes, her argument is that states will develop a reputation for toughness based on consideration of expected future events and future challengers to the status quo. In arguing that states are forward looking, she shows that the value of the stakes (territory) and the capabilities of the disputants are taken into account and immediate interests are weighed against perceived future challenges stemming from the initial decision.

By employing a dataset of all self-determination movements initiated between 1956 and 2002, Walters explains government behavior and dominant trends that emerge from the data. Her hypotheses seek to prove the forward thinking of government, in its balance of future consideration and current crises and demands from domestic cohorts – but she also allows as a possibility that the realist notion of prevailing balance of power being the ultimate consideration in responding to challenges.

Walter’s findings support her theory that a state will aggressively counter an initial separatist challenge to deter future attempts from others. She also concludes that this method produces the desired result.

I'm with Coco - Israeli Edition

If you want to show your support to Conan O'Brien as NBC humiliates him and boots him from his perch at the Tonight Show, you can now do it in Hebrew. I've modified the iconic poster that became a viral sensation and replaced the 'I'm with Coco' lettering with a Hebrew translation. Feel free to use this on your blog, Facebook profile, etc.

I'm with Coco!

Churchill's Cat

Before he passed on, Sir Winston Churchill asked that his home, Chartwell Manor, always keep an orange cat named Jock "in comfortable residence", in memory of a favourite cat given to him by his private secretary, Sir John Colville.

His request continues to be honoured, and currently Jock III occupies the home. Unfortunately, this prime-ministerial pussycat is not permitted to enter the main rooms of his own home. Kitty has his claws and could potentially destroy the furniture. According to the BBC, Jock III is kept happy. Says Victoria Leighton, who looks after him. "We try to ensure he keeps to the garden, where he sits happily in the catmint."

According to reports, Churchill's original Jock slept with his master, shared his dining table, and attended numerous war-time Cabinet meetings. If Jock was late for meals, Churchill would send servants to find him, waiting to eat until the cat was present. Jock was said to have been with his master when he died.

Are the Taliban descended from Israelites?

Much to my surprise, there has been speculation for many years that the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan are descendants of Israelites that migrated across Asia 2700 years ago.

Now hold on a second. Before you totally flip out and say this is bullshit, let me please explain a few things.

The majority of Afghan Taliban are Pashtun, which is the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, and many in Afghanistan believe that the Pashtun are descended from the Afridi Pathans. The Afridi Pathans have a documented history of eerily similar rituals and traditions to those of Israelites.

Although the majority of Taliban fighters involved in the insurgency are from this group, most of these people are not fighters. Also, while many clans adopted Islam, there are huge quantities that practice something different altogether, which may partially draw its inspiration from Israelite practice.

Many have explored the connection for years, but now the Israeli government has shown interest! The Foreign Ministry is funding the research of a world class geneticist who will be based at the Technion. She has already collected blood from communities in Taliban areas, and will soon be able to provide confirmation of any possible relationship between those populations in Afghanistan and Jews in general.

One theorist believes that they are the lost tribe of Ephraim, while the last king of Afghanistan claimed he was a descendant of Binyamin!

Will Israel soon be accepting Taliban olim? I don't think so. But if the Taliban are found to be mishpacha, this will only reinforce the notion that Jews are their own worst enemy!

Hope & Prayer

From Wikipedia:

Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.

Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional connection to some greater power in the universe through deliberate intentional practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words, song, or complete silence. There are different forms of prayer such as petitionary prayer, prayers of supplication, thanksgiving, and worship/praise. People pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others.