I'm interested in examples of countries where foreign aid has contributed to conflict. Aside from Somalia, are there other good examples of civil wars that were caused or exacerbated by the presence of foreign aid?
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posted by andoatnp
on Mar 21, 2011 -
8 answers
My friend has commented that the world is getting less violent as we progress. He states that that the 20th century is less violent than all the previous centuries. My question is this.
Considering all forms of violent action against humans in the Western world is the 20th century less violent than previous centuries. Are we becoming more peaceful as a species as we evolve?
posted by terminus
on Feb 14, 2011 -
47 answers
A friend's 16 year old son has picked up an interest in history, particularly war memorials. She'd like to take him on a trip over spring break to encourage him but is lacking choices other than Civil War sites in VA/MD and the Pearl Harbor Memorial, both of which they've visited before. Places in the United States are preferable but she'd consider other English-speaking countries (she doesn't want to hire a tour guide). Where can they go to get a real sense of history and blow this teenager's mind?
posted by nuala
on Feb 7, 2011 -
51 answers
The US Army has about 560,000 active duty soldiers, plus 550,000 Reserve and National Guard.
Why is the Army under such a strain to keep 100,000 troops in Iraq and 100,000 in Afghanistan?
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posted by musofire
on Jan 25, 2011 -
14 answers
Has there ever been a documented case of someone being killed in the name of peer-reviewed science?
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posted by mister-m
on Jan 21, 2011 -
31 answers
I'm having dinner with some friends tonight, one of whom is convinced China is the next great evil superpower. However, he is open to debate so what are some concrete arguments I can use to shut him down?
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posted by Silentgoldfish
on Dec 31, 2010 -
27 answers
My father-in-law, who is 81, was stationed at Ft. Gordon in Georgia in 1951, as part of the signal corps. He has charged me with finding out anything I can about the segregated troops during the period.
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posted by mecran01
on Dec 31, 2010 -
4 answers
What can one person do to lessen the amount of war in the world, either with money or actions?
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posted by sdis
on Dec 28, 2010 -
11 answers
Which countries would benifit from a war on the Korean peninsula?
My students want to know.
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posted by manwoo
on Dec 22, 2010 -
36 answers
What _were_ the biggest revelations from the Iraq War Logs and leaked US cables, anyways?
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posted by LSK
on Dec 18, 2010 -
10 answers
Do you have recommendations for good readings on Just War theory and debates? Any and all perspectives welcome, from Thomas Aquinas to modern day. Links to good summaries and reviews of leading works/thinkers very good too. This is for thesis writing, so especially looking for the academic or at least erudite. Thanks very much for any tips!!
posted by zresearch
on Nov 8, 2010 -
16 answers
How can I set up a software build that not only copies files but uncopies them as well?
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posted by Riki tiki
on Oct 29, 2010 -
3 answers
We're watching
Gettysburg, which is a great education in the Civil War for our 15-year-old son. What are other great movies about battles and war?
posted by musofire
on Oct 6, 2010 -
48 answers
History filter: can you point me to sources on the treatment of British POWs during the Crimean War?
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posted by artemisia
on Sep 15, 2010 -
5 answers
I enjoyed Rick Atkinson's
Liberation Trilogy on WWII (so far) and Shelby Foote's
Civil War: A Narrative. What are similar narrative retellings for other wars? I'm particularly interested in something like this for the Napoleonic wars.
posted by event
on Aug 13, 2010 -
17 answers
I'm looking for novels (or short stories) written about the Gulf War, the Iraq War, or Afghanistan. There are good memoirs and nonfiction books, but are there any good works of
fiction centering on these conflicts?
posted by luxperpetua
on Aug 5, 2010 -
7 answers
Are there insurgents you can follow on Twitter? In the digital age, many guerrilla groups (revolutionary, separatist or otherwise) have their own websites to publicize their causes. Do they use social media like twitter? And, how would I go about looking for them? (It's an academic question, I'm not making any plans...)
posted by B-squared
on Aug 2, 2010 -
4 answers
In what way(s) might the United States cease to be, how likely are those scenarios, and what would happen as a result?
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posted by reductiondesign
on Jul 7, 2010 -
35 answers
Has former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair actually contributed at all to Middle East Peace? I mean this in his capacity as "Middle East Peace Envoy".
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posted by Biru
on Jul 5, 2010 -
8 answers
I have four days to drive from Mosheim Tennessee (NW of Greenville) to Concord Ohio. Are any must see Civil War sites in the area?
posted by Raybun
on Jun 13, 2010 -
2 answers
I'm writing a war/horror story where two groups of sworn enemies band together to defeat a common foe. I'm looking for some suggestions on stories/books/films to borrow (i.e. steal) ideas from. Already thought of "Hell in the Pacific" and "Joyeux Noël" which deal with similar themes, but I was hoping you all could suggest some others....
posted by ranchocalamari
on Jun 6, 2010 -
15 answers
To what extent is the Tea Party opposing current government overreach as distinct from potential problems?
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posted by Nancy Lebovitz
on Apr 19, 2010 -
7 answers
Please recommend some books that deal with incompetent military commanders and, ideally, the competent ones who replaced them.
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posted by circular
on Apr 18, 2010 -
18 answers
Are there any good books about the Chechen war that also give some historical background on Russian relations with the Caucasus?
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posted by falameufilho
on Apr 13, 2010 -
4 answers
What are some popular World War II-era songs about masculinity, the military, and/or war?
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posted by catesbie
on Apr 6, 2010 -
21 answers
If there is an attack on Iran – by Israel/USA/an alliance of some kind, doesn't matter for purposes of this question – and, presumably, the price of oil rises sharply, which kinds of shares will rise with it? Oil companies? Energy supply companies? Food retailers? None of these? General and specific recommendations or thoughts welcomed. I know you are not my financial adviser.
posted by londongeezer
on Apr 6, 2010 -
13 answers
Imagine a (hypotetical) guy. He loves video-games -including guns shootings blood etc. And he is in the army. There is a war. He is sent to the front. He comes back. Will he keep on playing those video-games ?
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posted by OrangeCat
on Mar 14, 2010 -
14 answers
Military history looks like a field where jokers abound. All sorts of people make various claims, and it seems that many of them don't know what they're talking about. How do I, a layperson, get the tools to evaluate claims about military history?
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posted by Monday, stony Monday
on Jan 31, 2010 -
19 answers
Can you help me put together a reading list on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan/"war on terror"? I'm reading The Forever War by Dexter Flikins right now, so what should I read next? Eight years later I'm still struggling to understand what happened and how exactly we ended up there.
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posted by minicloud
on Jan 23, 2010 -
17 answers
PS240: Boom! Thwak! War and Comics. I teach in the political science department at a small liberal arts college, and I'm fortunate to have quite a bit of flexibility in new course design. For 2010-2011, I'm putting together a new course on war and comics/graphic novels. Awesome, right? I know. But what else goes on the syllabus?
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posted by brozek
on Jan 12, 2010 -
32 answers
I'm looking for a list of foreign governments receiving aid (military and developmental) under the auspices of the GWOT (global war on terror). BUT, not aid related to either Afghanistan or Iraq. For example, since 2001, how much has the US provided places like Colombia, the Philippines and Indonesia to fight terrorism? The more official and exhaustive the source (GAO, CRS) the better. Thank you for your time!
posted by B-squared
on Jan 4, 2010 -
2 answers
Of the 30,000 additional troops President Obama has now committed to sending to Afghanistan, how many will be killed or wounded?
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posted by Baby_Balrog
on Dec 5, 2009 -
24 answers
Does anyone know where in the UK I can buy sheets of blank (on both sides) printable playing cards, similar to the ones from the US site 'www.plaincards.com'? I want to print out a home-designed card wargame and perforated card sheets would make life
so much easier! Thanks in advance...
posted by timpollard
on Dec 3, 2009 -
10 answers
How do I help my little brother get out of the Marines?
My little brother (well, not so little anymore) recently graduated from Marines' boot camp and is now in infantry training (I think, I'm woefully ignorant of military terminology). He recently expressed to me online that he's basically had enough with the Marines and wants to go home. Is there any way he can do that simply and legally? Would he have to get a dishonorable discharge. Seriously, I know nothing about the military having come from a long line of cowards. Can he just leave or is there some special process? Is there some kind of hotline or something he can call to be counseled on this stuff?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 9, 2009 -
29 answers
I'm looking for a World War 2 essay that may be titled "Missing the War", which is about the difference in perception between how the Second World War was portrayed in the media and how it was for the soldiers involved.
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posted by codacorolla
on Nov 8, 2009 -
7 answers
Looking for good books/resources about the 17th century Anglo-Dutch maritime wars. For a project I'm doing, I'd like to get more historical detail about what the Dutch call the English Wars and what the English call the Dutch wars. While I am interested in the specific facts, I'm more interested in getting a sense of time and place, both for those who were at sea and for those at home in the two countries. Do you know any fascinating books (non-fiction or historical fiction) that reference these events?
posted by judith
on Oct 18, 2009 -
10 answers
