China Canada free trade?

Good article in the globe today re: free trade agreement with China.
Should Canada agree to free trade with this new global power?  What is free trade? How does it benefit / hurt nations?
What of the human rights record of China - is it wise for us to agree with a country that has different political opinions and morals?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/china-calls-for-free-trade-deal-with-canada-within-a-decade/article4561149/

Peruvian mines

I would like it if you skim the news in Peru at one point in this course.
Another death involving a Peruvian mine - and this one is just a protest over the mine, not the workers themselves.
The demand for precious metals and industrial metals is now, as it was in the years of the Spanish conquistadores, found in Peru.  Some reasons are:  1) abundance  2) cheap labour 3) lack of environmental regulations.

Today's story may get one of you started, but I'm sure it won't be the last one you'll hear over the next 4 months - I've been reading this same story since I was in high school.  What are the issues in the Peruvian/South American mining industry?

http://www.newsday.com/news/world/1-killed-4-wounded-in-protest-over-peruvian-mine-1.4023203

Homophobia

Blue Jays shorstop Escobar has certainly garnered himself some attention for his homophobic phrase written under his eyes during a recent game.  Look it up to see what happened.  Was his punishment just? What sort of disciplinary actions do you feel he deserved ?

Since the MLB is both in Canada and the U.S. it is undoubtedly now an International event - but homophobia goes further abroad than that. 
Some questions to consider:
What parts of the world are taking steps to address homophobia?  
What other parts of the world commit human rights abuses towards the gay lesbian and bisexual community? 
How can these abuses be resolved - How can equality be achieved (consider certain countries where the culture doesn't permit homosexual behaviour) ?

Photo source: tmz.com

Youtube banned

In Sudan, youtube has been blocked by the government in response to the Mohammed video discussed last week.

What are some issues here?  Do governments have the right to censor information to people?
Is this a just decision for the people of Sudan?
Should limitations on free speech exist for publishers/film makers and other members of the media?
If so, who determines them?

See story here:
http://www.rnw.nl/africa/bulletin/sudan-blocks-youtube-over-anti-islam-film

French Embassies shut down

Now France has closed 20 of their embassies in Muslim countries after the publication of a cartoon featuring a naked Mohammed.
Your thoughts on this matter of these embassy closures?  Are they part of a bigger picture or simply isolated events?

See news clip here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG2fkfvjkp4&feature=youtube_gdata

IF YOU DID NOT POST LAST WEEK

Perhaps it was not clear that Sunday is the start of a new week.  If this is the case and you did not put up a post for last week I will grant you amnesty and allow you the opportunity to post your comment in last week's thread.  Please post your comment in LAST week's comments section and not in this current weeks' comment threads.  Thank you.

I will only allow this for this week since we are just starting. 
After this week it is your responsibility to post one comment per week on a news topic or world issue and then make a second comment as a reply to a classmate.

If you were absent last Friday.

Here is the assignment you need to submit to earn your application mark. 

You need to submit one written page (on paper - NOT here on the blog).  You will need to outline your own stance on overpopulation based on the opinions expressed in two different youtube videos. One page one side only.

I am not looking for your ability to regurgitate the statistics, but to rather to express your own opinion based on which statistics you found to be credible.
Start with this video to get you thinking - this is an introduction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_9SutNmfFk&feature=related

Then you will watch the two opposing viewpoints. 
One for and one against the theory of the earth being overpopulated. 
Which theory to subscribe to?

Video 1. For

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b98JmQ0Cc3k

Video 2. Against

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsAracLBCxI&feature=related

Week 2 - News

Welcome to week 2 - you may post comments on any number of news items this week as they develop.