Blog Post 1

Iran has welcomed Obama’s desire to have face to face talks. The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has said that he would welcome discussions with the United States in a “fair atmosphere with a mutual respect”. The two countries have no had diplomatic relations since 1979. Over the years, there has been a lot of mistrust built up, and hatred stirred towards the U.S. in Iran. Obama has a real challenge ahead of him; how do you deal with a country that for so long you have no gotten along with? Ahmadinejad has criticized the Bush administration a lot, and it is no secret he hates Israel as well. Obama’s foreign policy will need to be one of understanding and intent to compromise. Iran is definitely a main concern of America right now, so it is important that the Obama administration learns how to talk to Ahmadinejad to keep the tension from getting worse.

Experts say that Climate Change will become an increasingly popular topic in talks between China and the U.S. Other topics that have come up between the two countries are trade, human rights, and Taiwan, but the environment, some experts think, will become extremely important. Since the U.S. and China are the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, it is only right that these countries try to work on sustainable living. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is expected to visit China as soon as this month, and she will most likely stress taking action on global warming and other environmental issues. Many people are scared though that the two countries will be too busy trying to revive their economies to make a meaningful change on the environment. Two reports have been released suggesting ways the U.S. and China can work together to curb emissions of carbon dioxide.
I think it is essential for these two major world powers to pay attention to climate change and work to help the environment. In recent years there has been a growing concern about the environment, and a new need for sustainable living. As a major player in world politics, the U.S. needs to be a role model instead of cause of the problem. This is the same with China; since china is a huge part of the cause of global warming, it should work together with the U.S. to come up with solutions. I do agree with some experts though who say these countries need to focus on their economy right now and probably won’t pay much attention to the environment in the close future. I think this is accurate; the economy is what is on most citizens’ minds right now, not global warming. Hopefully Secretary of State Clinton will make an impact with her visit to China, but this issue is something to watch over time.

Dubai has become a target of the falling economy, especially hurting foreign workers who came there in confidence of prosperity. At first, Dubai was not extremely affected by the recession that most of the world felt last fall. Now, though, many people have fled the city because they cannot pay their mortgages or have lost their jobs. In particular, foreigners who invested in real estate in the city are having a tough time keeping their jobs. Many people have even abandoned their cars at the airports with apology notes because they have lost their jobs and had no way to pay their taxes and mortgages. Foreign workers actually make up 90% of Dubai’s population. It is incredible how many people have been forced out of their homes, and it is estimated 3,000 of them have fled the city. When most people think of Dubai, they have a positive image of a city full of tourism and valuable real estate. Now, though, Dubai is struggling along with most of the world in this tough economic time.