Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
(Opinion) student debt: The kids are not alright
There is much
you can say about the world we inhabit, its cold, cruel, sadistic or on the
positive side, full of possibilities, but for young people across the globe, It’s
debt inducing. Student debt has always been an issue but now it is becoming a
real problem to the point where analysts are touting it as the next crisis. In the
US. According to an article in the mercury news, student debt will affect
college graduates looking to buy a home will be denied due to student debt affecting
the average graduate ‘debt -to- income ratio’[1].
This is no doubt attributable to student debt reaching the 1 trillion mark and
graduates having to “carry a average burden of $25,250”[2].
The problem
of student debt is even affecting students from relatively wealthy backgrounds
with a jump from $26,639 to $32,869 within the space of three years[3].
As a result of affluence, better off households do not for the most part receive
the financial assistance of scholarships and grants afforded to lower income households
to offset the cost of student debt[4].
In knowledge of this, students from middle class to upper class backgrounds are
now enrolling in less prestigious institutions in an attempt to offset the cost
of attending a highly rated university[5].
Student
debt has strong links as to why there are high rates of youth unemployment in
many countries across the globe with “over 75 million (young people) worldwide
looking for work”[6]. In
Canada, students have struggled to find ‘summer jobs’ which has culminated in a
employment reaching its lowest rate since 1977[7].
Students usually
find it difficult to find work after graduating from high education institutions
due to a lack of experience and a lack of positions to be filled.
Such a trend
has been experienced by law students as “law schools are becoming very
expensive and are not always able to provide students with the job
opportunities they were promised”[8].
This is because the application to enter such schools are just as competitive
as the job market they will enter after they graduate as student are required
to “distinguish themselves from other applicants. A good GPA, high scores on
the LSAT and the ability to
write are the most important qualities”[9].
In sum, Student debt will always been as it always has but
with the current indicators suggesting that student will affect the progress of
graduates through the monetary choices
must be addressed by through legislative efforts to help lighten the burden
weighing heavily on student across the globe.
[1] T. Grant, 2012, Student Debt pushes
homes out of reach, study finds,
http://www.mercurynews.com/real-estate/ci_21366216/student-debt-pushes-homes-out-reach-study-finds
[2] Ibid
[3] D. Kadlec, 2012, Student Debt: why
even the affluent struggle,
http://moneyland.time.com/2012/08/10/student-debt-why-even-the-affluent-struggle/
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] ILO, 2012, youth unemployment,
http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/youth-employment/lang--en/index.htm#a2
[7] L. Payton, 2012, student jobless
rate shows need for government help, says MP, http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/07/11/pol-students-youth-jobless-rate-high.html
[8] M.
Ceppaglia, 2012, Job market affect Law Students,
http://www.udreview.com/job-market-affects-law-students-1.2891308#.UEXxDVI0WSo
[9] Ibid
Monday, September 3, 2012
(Opinion) Egypt military reshuffle: Way to go?
While most
leaders (in the west especially) go out their way to accommodate the military
from generously funded weapons programs and research to praise of dead and
living soldiers , in the Middle East of late, the opposite seems to be
happening. The Egyptian government is outwardly dismissing and retiring army chiefs
left and right underlined by the news that 70 generals are set to be retired[1].
This announcement comes after recently elected president Mohammed Mursi was
quick to get rid of top military personnel such as General Mohammed Hussein Tantawi
and his chief of staff[2].
The current
trend is strong in turkey as the Turkish government has recently prosecuted
more than three hundred current and retired military personnel for allegedly planning
a coup against the government[3]
and have retired “dozens of generals and admirals”[4].
Civilian rule in Turkey have become more assertive in the last decade since
Tayyip Erdogan came to power who has successfully sought to dominate a military
that has had a ”dominant role” to play in Turkish politics[5].
The similarities
between the Egyptian and turkey governments are striking as both leaders have a
pro Islamic platform and are part of parties that have traditionally been
marginalized by secular parties in power. This trend represents a step in the
right direction as the military in many Middle East have had dominant role to
play in civilian rule outwardly dominating the political class. Such a set up
is clear in countries such as Pakistan where the military and judiciary are
aligned against politicians who hold an almost a platonic view of politicians
and democracy.
However
there is another perspective from which this trend can be viewed. Such a trend can be viewed as a step backward
in the secularization of Middle East countries as two major countries in Middle
East are now run by pro-Islamic leaders. The military has had a large part to
play in the secularization these countries with the military producing leaders
hostile to Islamic organizations and, especially in Attaturk Turkey, to Islamic
culture.
While this
perspective has some validity, the trend of assertion by civilian rule over the
military is a step in the right direction as the military organization skills
are efficient, it is limited as the military is built to deal with rigours and
challenges of warfare not the governance of a nation.
In sum, the
assertion of civilian rule in the Middle East has a step in the right direction
after so many years of military dominance. Egypt, after so many years have full
control of their destiny as they can hold their leader accountable as he is no longer
owes his position to the military but to the Egyptian people.
[1] BCC News, 2012, Egypt retires 70
army generals, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19456182
[2] Ibid
[3] E.Toksabay,
2012, Turkish military coup trial nears verdict,
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/08/06/uk-turkey-military-trial-idUKBRE8750G120120806
[4] AFP, 2012, Turkey military ‘coup
suspects’ forced to retire, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jnYNOJ27QxdqFFyu3v3N_PBgcT9w?docId=CNG.3a08c6899195c45e01f258f28bb7edc1.5a1
[5] Ibid
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