Education Program August 12, 2013

Teacher’s copy Education Program August 12, 2013

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READING AND REASONING

Read each article and answer the questions that follow.

Why Germany Must Save the Euro: Rana Foroohar argues that while the Germans may complain about their profligate EU partners and balk at underwriting more bailouts, they need to save the euro.

1. What is Germany’s role in the euro-zone crisis? Refer to p26. Answer: It has become the underwriter of bailouts. Wealthy Germany, the only country in the rich world to enjoy higher economic growth and lower unemployment after the global financial crisis than it did before, has paid for $73 billion worth of bailouts. It has either implicitly or explicitly backed hundreds of billions more of debt restructuring and stimulus efforts by the European Central Bank. As it does not see itself as responsible for endlessly supporting fiscally imprudent neighbours, it has turned advisor and is insisting on austerity measures for the ailing economies. Its economic clout means that debt-ridden states will do its bidding and have cut their budgets.

2. What do (a) Germany’s Mittelstand firms and (b) the writer think of Germany’s insistence on austerity and why? Refer to p26. Answer: (a) Mittelstand firms (small and midsize family-owned export companies that are said to be the embodiment of social and moral values like thrift, conservatism, family orientation and long-term thinking): Their corporate values and experience* convince them that austerity is the way to go for the ailing European economies. (b) The writer: Austerity isn’t helping. When both public and private sections are cutting costs, deficit problems get worse, not better. The economies that use the euro as their currency have shrunk and will likely shrink again this year. Unemployment in the euro zone, especially young unemployment, is high. It is being exacerbated by the lack of retraining or a better social safety net in the countries that have cut budgets in an austerity drive. Social blowback – inadequate funding for programmes such as school meals, growing popularity of right-wing parties and frequent street protests and riots. *Refer to pp28-29 for Agenda 2010, successful public-private partnerships that enabled Germany to meet reform targets, and accounts of Mittelstand firms weathering years of debt crisis and recession.

3. Germany’s insistence on austerity has contributed to the country’s growing unpopularity across Europe. However, the Germans continue to argue that European nations “need to buckle down and reduce wages and benefits, slash budgets and shrink debts.” According to the writer, why is this recommendation flawed? Refer to p27. Answer: Germany had grown rich (in the 1990s) while practising austerity because other European nations had spent freely to counter the effects of it doing so. Its suppression of wages to bolster its export economy and spur growth had terrible ramifications for the rest of the euro zone. So has its low interest rate monetary policy. While it is true that free-spending European nations have to manage their public finances much better, Germany’s mercantilist economic strategy has played a part in the European debt crisis and it must now adopt an approach that will allow the current account balances between nations to equal out. This means that if the other countries cut budgets and spend less, Germany must spend more (boosting domestic consumption with major wage hikes, lowering consumption taxes or using a fiscal stimulus to boost spending, ideally on products produced by other European nations) *Germany is enjoying currency advantages of the euro but does not offer unequivocal support because it wants to avoid exposing itself to the risks or costs of further integration.

4. Even amongst the Mittelstand firms, there are those who believe that Germany should do whatever it takes to bail out the euro. Explain why Jürgen Müller, Daimler’s chief economist, supports this conclusion. Refer to p28. Answer: The euro has contributed hugely to Germany’s global competitiveness. Müller has seen Daimler’s revenues being hit by lower export sales (back to 1990s levels). He believes that major political decision-makers have focused too exclusively on austerity. He explains, “a diet can’t make you build muscles. The easiest way to fix your budgets is with growth, not just cuts.” He and the others believe Germans must increase their domestic consumption to help spur region-wide growth. *They do not support a return to the deutsche mark (as suggested on p27) as it will greatly affect the country’s economic growth.

5. On p30, the writer again expresses her preference for Germany to underwrite whatever debt restructuring and payments necessary to keep the euro zone together and shift its economic model to help economic rebalancing. However, she

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acknowledges that it will be challenging. Identify the obstacles. Answer: Merkel has to keep a deft balance between being a prudent German and generous European. In particular, prudence means that Germany should not increase its debt underwriting and change its economic model. The coming general election means that a new coalition government will be elected and it is unclear whether there will be support for drastic changes even if Merkel believes that they should be made. Moreover, it is not possible to make the required financial commitments without a new European constitution that allows Brussels (the seat of the EU) the power to run the economic affairs of member nations.

6. The writer points to “a few glimmers of hope” on p31. What gives her “hope” and why does she use “glimmers” to describe them? Answer: Hope – Germany is beginning to look beyond austerity at other measures: a new plan to fund the efforts of countries to replicate Germany’s vocational training programme and use it to help reduce high youth unemployment (it is acknowledging the need for investment and not just budget cuts) and some increase in wages. Glimmers – the wage increase is not enough to make up for previous decade of slow growth; urgent policy reforms are unlikely to happen anytime soon.

The Tashkeel Diaries: Chris Ballard tells the story of how Tom Gouttierre transformed Afghan youth under his charge into basketball players who understood the value of tashkeel. In the process, he came to know and love Afghanistan and

its people.

7. “In the end, it’s a story about one man’s enduring influence on a country, and its influence on him. And what basketball can achieve, and what it cannot.” (p34) In addition to these broad observations, what other insights and takeaways can you derive from the article? Answers: The Gouttierres joining the Peace Corps and going to Afghanistan – when we have identified our dream/goal in life, we should act on it even if it is arduous/takes us into unfamiliar terrain. There is much we can learn in the process. Gouttierre teaching basketball and seeking advice from John Wooden – we need not be very good at something to volunteer our services. We can observe and learn as we go ago and seek advice from experts (who can be very generous with their assistance). The Afghan boys’ initial rejection of tashkeel – distrust and ethnic and social differences cannot be easily transcended. These prejudices can impede people from interacting with one another. They can blind people to talent and make them fail to acknowledge the best person for a job. The Afghan boys’ acceptance of tashkeel – through persistent effort and by creating situations where people have to collaborate, it is possible (for those who are not deeply prejudiced) to discard their preconceived notions and realise that the whole to become so much greater than the parts. Gouttierre learning Dari and immersing himself in Afghan culture and society – when we know the language well and interact with the people, we see a country/society for what it is. We can then help to fill knowledge gaps or benefit intangible ways (an illustrious career for Gouttierre). The Afghanistan-China game – sports between nations is so much more than a game. National pride and political and diplomatic repercussions cannot be ignored. The Afghans’ victory – underdogs can triumph if they are well-prepared and use strategic thinking to maximise their strengths and attack their opponents’ weaknesses. Esmael starting a team in both Afghanistan and the U.S – sports can be used as a rallying point, especially for the diaspora/displaced people who easily lose touch with their people and national identity. Rahi’s dismal – without political stability and safety, people do not have the chance to develop their talents. *Note to Teachers: Afghanistan’s descent into political chaos – students will need to read up on the country and its wars to understanding why and how that it was caught between superpowers and mired in sectarian strife.

RESEARCH Read each article and complete the tasks that follow.

Why German y Must Save the Euro

1. Countries participating in the global economy are easily affected by downturns in other economies. (a) Has any company or industry in your country been affected by the euro zone crises? How did they respond and were they able to withstand the repercussions? (b) Were your country’s allies or trade partners affected by the euro zone crisis? How did they respond and were they able to withstand the repercussions? (c) In the case of both (a) and (b), did your government offer assistance. Why (not)?

The Tashkeel Diaries

2. Do you know of other individuals or organisations that are inspiring and transforming youth in the course of teaching

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them a sport, an art form or a skill or by involving them in community service? How big an impact are they making? Share your examples with your classmates.

3. Do you know of someone (yourself maybe?) whose life has become so much more meaningful after he or she reached out to the larger community? Share your observations with your classmates.

Blown Whistle: what the Manning verdict means

4. If you need more information and perspectives on WikiLeaks/Julian Assange, Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden, you could refer to these resources:

time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2037118_2037146,00.html time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2034040,00.html ideas.time.com/2013/06/05/viewpoint-our-real-secrecy-problem/ ideas.time.com/2013/07/31/the-hollowness-of-bradley-manning/ nation.time.com/2013/06/15/potential-blind-spots-in-clearance-process-that-gave-snowden-top-secret-access/ ideas.time.com/2013/06/10/edward-snowden-a-modern-day-daniel-ellsberg-except-for-one-key-difference/

5. Whistle-blowers are people who are in a position to realise that illicit activities that are taking place in government agencies and corporations. Their access to classified information or their firsthand experience make it easy for them to spot violations of laws and regulations or threats to public interests. They believe that they are right to reveal such information or operations. While some whistle-blowers make their allegations internally, others take their accusations to regulators, enforcement agencies or the media. Do some research on the following individuals and their allegations and revelations. In your opinion, were they right to have blown the whistle? Were their intentions honourable and justifiable?

(a) Daniel Ellsberg & Anthony Russo (Pentagon Papers) (b) Peter Buxtun (Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment) (c) Ryszard Kukliński (Warsaw Pact papers) (d) W. Mark Felt (Watergate’s “Deep Throat”) (e) Gregory Minor, Richard Hubbard, and Dale Bridenbaugh (General Electric) (f) Frederic Whitehurst (FBI Crime Lab) (g) Jeffrey Wigand (Brown & Williamson tobacco company) (h) Linda Tripp (Clinton administration/Lewinsky scandal) (i) Marsha Coleman-Adebay (Environmental Protection Agency) (j) Kathryn Bolkovac (UN International Police Force/DynCorp Aerospace) (k) Cynthia Cooper (Worldcom), Sherron Watkins (Enron) and Bradley Birkenfeld (UBS) (l) Katharine Gun (Government Communications Headquarters/2003 invasion of Iraq) (m) Robert McLean (Transportation Security Administration) (n) Joe Darby (Abu Ghraib Prison) and Samuel Provance (Abu Ghraib Prison) (o) Shawn Carpenter (Sandia National Laboratories) (p) Justin Hopson (New Jersey State Police) (q) David Graham (FDA/Voixx), David Franklin (Parke-Davis/Neurotin), John Kopchinski (Pfizer/Bextra) and Robert Rudolph, Joseph Faltaous, Steven Woodward & Jaydeen Vincente (Eli-Lilly/ Zyprexa) (r) Anat Kamm (Israeli Defence Force) (s) Rick Plitz (NASA) (t) Russ Tice (NSA/DIA), Samy Kamkar (GPS phone tracking)

CONTEXTUAL VOCABULARY

Explain the contextual meanings of the underlined words and phrases. Try using the words in your essays!

The Tashkeel Dairies 1. When, as a sophomore in 1960, he heard presidential candidate John F Kennedy speak about creating the Peace Corps, Gouttierre was transfixed. Answer: became amazed or awed by something

2. … Afghanistan in 1965 was on the verge of a democratic renaissance but fractured by tribal and ethnic conflicts. Answers: a revival or renewed interest in something; fragmented and became unable to function

3. In Afghanistan, they were intractable obstacles. Answer: difficult to overcome

4. A year earlier, he had impetuously written to John Wooden, head basketball coach at UCLA, … Answer: done quickly and without thought or care about the consequences

5. There were others Gouttierre was less fond of: the brooding man he taught named Najibullah, who would one day hold all of Afghanistan in his iron grip, and the young politician Babrak Karmal, who accosted him at parties and said, “Why are you Americans in Vietnam? You’re being imperialists!” Answers: darkly menacing; approached and addressed (someone) boldly or aggressively

6. Neumann explained that Bradley was enamoured of The Man Who Would Be King, a short story by Kipling that was set in the Hindu Kush. Answer: had a strong liking for

7. … the secondary motive was to give China a political and diplomatic foothold in Afghanistan. Answer: a secure

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position from which further progress may be made

8. Gouttierre laments the vision foreigners have of Afghanistan. Answer: expresses regret or disappointment about something

The Pope’s Baby Step on Gays 9. Pope Francis is already showing himself to be a winsome, endearing and inspiring successor to St. Peter. Answer: attractive or appealing in a fresh, innocent way

10. It is telling that this rhetorical question got so much attention, since Jesus, who Christians believe was the perfect revelation of God, warned, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Answer: significant or revealing

11. Before we declare a new day for Catholics regarding homosexuality, however, a closer look at the Pope’s statement reveals little change in the church’s stance on being gay. Answer: the attitude of an organisation towards something; a standpoint

12. … a wholly unfair linking of homosexuality with paedophilia that has been thoroughly debunked by science. Answer: exposed the falseness or hollowness of a belief

13. But what about gay parishioners sitting in the pews of Catholic churches, trying to reconcile their faith with the condemnation of their love as disordered, evil and sinful? Answer: show to be compatible

14. Conservative evangelicals, especially younger ones, are looking for a way to affirm gay Christians and the love they come to know with other people. Answer: declare support for; uphold

15. If God is love, as Scripture attests, then surely God is gay love too. Answer: declares that something is the case

Egypt’s Liberal Guilt 16. But there is something particularly dispiriting about the way Egypt’s so-called liberals, who played a key part in the thrilling 2011 uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubark, have so enthusiastically reneged on the fundamental tenets of political pluralism and democracy. Answers: disheartening; failed to carry out a commitment; the main principles of a religion or philosophy

17. The liberal chorus that supported Morsi’s ouster argues it is sometimes necessary to put democracy on pause in order to save it. Answer: dismissal from a position

18. In the Egyptian context, the word liberal is often used as a catchall for people who don’t like Islamists. Answer: a term that encompasses a variety of different elements

19. It has governed in coalition with two secular parties, withdrawn references to Islamic law in the draft constitution, and has done very little that could be considered extremist. Answers: An alliance, especially a temporary one, of political parties; not connected with religious or spiritual matters

20. Yet, Tunisa’s liberals – animated by hard-line French-style secularism – routinely accuse Ennadha of being stealth radicals waiting for the right moment to implement an extremist agenda. Answers: uncompromising; not disclosing one's true ideology or affiliations

21. This liberal assumption of wrongdoing creates an impasse: liberals fear Islamists not only for what they have done, but also for what they might do in the future. Answer: a deadlock; a situation in which no progress is possible, in this case, due to fear and distrust

22. Many Egyptians have given way to these fears, leading them to embrace a military hungry for control. Answer: accept a change willingly and enthusiastically

War of the Dons 23. The long-running chicken-and-egg debate was revived after the Economist reviewed An Uncertain Glory: India and Its Contradictions, Sen’s recent book with Jean Drèze. Answer: denoting a situation in which each of two things appears to be necessary to the other

24. The opposing philosophies of Bhagwati and Seb gave also been shoehorned into the evolving narrative of national elections set for the next year. Answer: forced into

25. Sen and Drèze are in favour of social-welfare programmes, a calling card of the Congress Party, which leads the ruling coalition; Sen has also openly criticised Narendra Modi, the standard bearer of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. Answers: a distinguishing feature; the leading figure