Whose Fault Is It Anyway? ~ by: Sabine Hirschauer

Written by Sabine Hirschauer, Phd Student (ABD)

Picture: President Gamal Abdal Nasser of Egypt (right) with the Leader of the Libyan Revolution, Muammar al-Gaddafi, 1969

Whose fault is it anyway? I am just writing a brief for ODU’s Model UN about the Review and Recommendations for UN Human Rights Council and I came across this sentence: “Many considered the lack of rights in foreign countries to be of little concern and the fault of the oppressed for their decisions to have an unrepresentative regime.” So, whose fault is it anyway - to be/get oppressed? The people’s fault for voting and/or for eventually falling for an ineffective leader and/or government. Or is it the system/structure that allows for oppression in the first place and lacks mechanisms that help us to decipher the good from the bad and eventually to get (peacefully) rid of a dysfunctional and abusive leadership? Is it history that taints us, makes us complacent and turns us into willing accomplices in our own misery? Or is suffering part of an inherent political (global) learning curve? Part of our psychological make-up? Is it in our DNA for one group of people (nation) to fall for a charismatic leader in times of political and economic despair or for another to be quite capable to de-code the rhetorical war of words. I went to the Holocaust Museum last Monday (during Fall Break) and it reminded me again (and it always does) of my “German-ness.” How can a nation of such rich culture fall for a fool and such a mad man like Hitler? I know all about this and that (Versailles etc.), but it’s still just so stunning to me. “We’d rather have the devil than another monarch.” This was what the Libyan people were quoted to have said in 1969 when Qadhafi came to power. Libya did get the devil and suffered terribly for it for more than 40 years. So, whose fault is it anyway? No one’s. And Anyone’s?

Written by Sabine Hirschauer, PhD Student (ABD)

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GPIS Blog Announcement

GPIS is excited to announce the creation of a blog hosted and maintained by GPIS @ http://odu-gpis.blogspot.com.   This blog will consist of op/ed pieces written by GPIS students concerning any current event issue that pertains to International Studies.  This is not intended to be a “personal experience” blog, but rather a blog that discusses international developments that are relevant to the varying fields of study that GPIS engages in. 

Many university programs have blogs whose primary contributors are graduate students.  (ODU has one for its Biology department.)  The GPIS blog is intended to offer not only a forum for scholarly discussion, but also offer valuable experience to the qualifications and marketability of their graduates.  For international studies, there are various paid blogger positions that require an advanced degree in the field along with prior blogging experience.  This would be an avenue for you to attain this experience and would add the line of web publication/guest blogger to your Resume/CV.

Anyone wishing to post on the GPIS blog, should send a copy of their post to jmistich@odu.edu for approval.  Because this blog is affiliated with not only the Graduate Program in International Studies, but also ODU, all posts must be professional by nature.  Opinion pieces are more than welcome, please just be sure that they are in no way offensive to anyone’s race, religion, sexual orientation, etc… as these things will prohibit your pieces from being posted.  In addition, it should be obvious that ad hominem attacks, profanity, vulgarity and rudeness will not be tolerated.  Mutual Respect and sensitivity towards those with opposing views is essential.

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