SJS4 - Which Way Out?

Citation: Muller, Jan-Werner. "Which Way Out?" Current History (2015):
118-19. Print.

Author Credentials: Jan-Werner Muller is a professor of foreign
affairs and politics at Princeton University. He focuses many of his
studies on the Eurozone, and the problems with it in which he
discusses to breath length on this SJS. He studied at Oxford
University, Berlin University, and Antony's College. He has written
many strictly non-fiction books and articles of world problems and
epidemics. I believe from this information he is more than qualified
to be credited as a credible author. From his article in the scholarly
journal one can tell that he is for sure unbiased as he uses views
from two authors with completely opposite views and does not choose
one over the other.

Summary: "Which Way Out?" deals with trying to find out a way to get
out of the Eurozone debt crisis. The majority of the article explains
first whether or not there is a way out, and then presents two
different ideas on how to escape the debt. The first idea was to
completely get rid of the Eurozone system entirely. Which was
supported by some and not by others. One of the people who did not
support that idea said that to completely erase the Eurozone the
present day is unrealistic. However he did agree that we should tone
it back a bit and make it less dominant and important in the European
economies.

Analysis: I believed the author makes a strong and valid argument
within this article. He is not biased to one side and presents both
sides of the argument equally. He uses a sufficient amount of evidence
from other historians and economists to help distinguish facts from
opinions which he does very well. I would state that this author is
reliable and can be considered a credible source.

SJS4- "The New Middle East Will Test Europe"

Source: Serfaty, Simon. "The New Middle East Will Test Europe." Current History 111.743 (2012): 118-19. Print.

Author Credentials: Simon Serfaty is a senior professor in U.S. foreign policy and a former research professor at Johns Hopkins Center of European Studies. In addition to this, Serfaty also has many of his written books in professional journals that have been published focusing on European articles.

Summary: This article talks about the Middle East improving itself and going hand and hand with that of Europe. It's been 800 years that the people in the Middle East have been abused by their rulers and the rulers by those who overpowered them and finally, the rule of the Islam is being replaced with a democracy. President Bush of Europe in 1989 said that there is a long road ahead of the Middle East before they become an entirely free democracy because many people were comparing the Arab uprising of the Middle East to the European revolutions when it is a far fetched idea. The main focus of this article is how the emergence of a new and better Middle East will push the Europeans and test them on their freedom and democracy and it will compare the two situations. The author argues that the European road to a stable democratic system was rough due to many limitations. These limitations included rehabilitation, reconstruction, reconciliation, and stabilization. The author also talks about how the European military is lacking in its capabilities to support and protect Europe. I can relate this to our class activities when we went over the summary notes in which we talked about how Europe had an advanced military in terms of weapons and highly trained soldiers.

Analysis: Based off of this article, I can tell that the author is more biased towards the Middle East side in terms of them becoming a new and free democracy. Serfaty goes on to describe and point out all of the Europeans negative aspects in their time of Revolution. This can be shown by how Serfaty was criticizing the Europeans for their poor stability skills and their weak army. Serfaty also goes to say how the Middle East had much ahead of them and it will take time for them to become entirely free and democratic but once they do, they will give the Europeans a run for their money.

SJS4 - "The Burden of Communist Legacies

Source: Tismaneanu, Vladimir . "The Burden of Communist Legacies." Current History Vol. 113: No. 765. October 2014. (293-295).

Author Credentials: Vladimir Tismaneanu is qualified to discuss the issue of Soviet Communism because he is a professor of politics and has devoted his life to studying and interpreting Communism and has had a first hand account of Communism in Romania. He is the current chair of the Editorial Committee of East European Politics and Societies and is affiliated with a multitude of organizations studying Soviet Communism. While growing up in Communist Romania, Tismaneanu acquired a Ph.D. in politics from the University of Bucharest, Romania. With a background centralized around communism and a life of studying politics, I would consider Vladimir Tismaneanu to be a very credible and reliable source for the topic of Soviet Communism. 

Summary: The main point argued by Vladimir Tismaneanu is that the dominating force of Communism in Soviet Russia brought the region of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe into a transition paradigm, in which power shifted from former dictatorships to democracy, and equality for the people. He brings up a good point by saying "Legacies are neither homogenous nor linear, but polychromatic structures linking the past to the present." In short, he is arguing that the Communist legacy of the Soviet Union has not relinquished its influence on contemporary Russia because it was a unifying, or connecting force from modern Russia to contemporary Russia. The cultural context of this article is that it provides insight towards the forces of past Communist governments and how they continue to impact society today. Despite being more or less a dying and less significant governing system today, the burdens of a Communist past lead to social patterns and regimes, which help define their cultures today. 

Analysis: Yes, I would support Tismaneanu's argument due to the fact that it was very informative, and provided core structural background information in a concise, understandable manner. Despite being a relatively short article, I believe that it was sufficient in this case in deepening my understanding of the broad topic of Soviet Communism. On multiple occasions, the author does a good job of succinctly differentiating between fact and opinion, making for a clear argument. As a result of his proper execution of the article and studies in the field, I would consider Tismaneanu to be a very reliable source. 

SJS4- "Germany Rethinks Its Role in the World"

Source:
 Kundnani, Hans. "Germany Rethinks Its Role in the World." Current Hustory
    114.770 (2015): 115-17. Print.

Author Credentials:
Hans Kundnani studied philosophy and German at Oxford University along with journalism at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He also spent a year at the Freie Universitat Berlin for undergraduate school. He is currently a Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, based in Berlin and an associate fellow at the Institute for German Studies at Birmingham University. Therefore, his knowledge would be extensive on topics involving Europe and specifically Germany.

Summary:
The president of Germany made a speech in January 2014 regarding how Germany should not use its past as an excuse for laziness in the future. His announcement got much criticism from the German public, but sparked discussion about Germany's stance on foreign policy (specifically regarding Russia and Ukraine). Many believe that Germany was experiencing a "geopolitical awakening". More recently, Germany has been reluctant to use military force but still forceful to other nations of their economic and political standings, making their foreign policy unique from others. The majority of the German public supports Germany's mediation between the West and Russia, while the Chancellor of Germany (Angela Merkel) is resisting the military track that the Baltic States and Poland enforce. Germany remains a geopolitical power, showing a growth of economic interdependence with China. Hesitation to use military forces persists in Germany, though it's newest challenge is dealing with "irresponsible stakeholders".

Analysis:

After reading this article, it was clear that the author had a slight bias towards the German public majority. This was most apparent when he chose to include statistics such as percentages of Germans supporting various foreign policies. Each statistic included showed that the German public supported his proposed economic solution. Although, all of his statements appeared to be based on facts, as he often referred to quotes and speeches for support. I would consider his information to be reliable considering he has extensive knowledge on the topics regarding the geopolitical standpoint of Germany, and with such knowledge comes a well supported opinion and viewpoint.

SJS4 - "Under threat; The euro-zone economy"

Source: "Under threat; The euro-zone economy." The Economist 24 Oct. 2015: 72(US). Student Resources in Context. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.

Author Credentials: This article does not have a stated author or editor. The Economist is a well-known and highly regarded publication. It's journals have been continuously published since 1843. The Economist's editor in chief is Zanny Minton Beddoes. Beddoes received an undergraduate degree at Oxford University, where she studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She earned a master's degree at Harvard University, as a Kennedy Scholar.


Summary: In this article, the author argues that the euro-zone economy is suffering and is projected to continue with very low inflation rates even though it has seemed to be doing slightly better. The euro has been suffering for about the past five years due to a combination of economic, financial and political ailments, making it the main source of fragility in the global economy. Recently, however, the euro zone has seemed to be doing increasingly better.  The euro zone's output grew at an average rate of 0.4% a quarter between late 2014 and mid-2015. This recovery was initially led by Germany but has recently benefited from strong growth in Spain, Italy, and France. However, the overall pace of recovery in the euro area remains disappointing given the strong stimulus it has been receiving. The ECB's goal is to get inflation back to its objective of nearly 2%.  After a few months of very low inflation, the euro experienced deflation again in September. Since the major drop in energy prices last year among other negative factors, the inflation is projected to stay very low.

Analysis: I feel that the author strongly supported his/her thesis that the euro-zone economy is doing poorly. However, I feel that he/she could have used more direct reasons to support why the euro is doing poorly. Also, I feel the author did a nice job of including a contradiction by saying that the euro-zone economy has been doing slightly better, but then refutes this contradiction by saying that the increase is very minor. I feel that this article was a reliable source because it presented opposing viewpoints but still used facts to support its main point that the euro is suffering.

PDP 4 "The Wealth of Nations"

Author Bio:
Adam Smith was a renown Scottish intellectual in the 1700s. Extensively educated in European literature and affairs, Smith greatly advocated for the use of individualism and free market economies to be the driving factor of unprecedented economic transformation during his lifetime. In one of his most famous works, "The Wealth of Nations," Adam Smith goes on to defend self-interest and money-making in a time in which it was repeatedly questioned.


Date/Context:
Smith was situated in a period of an increasing global market, new technology, and a growing industrial society to fuel European enlightenment and prosperity. He denounces mercantilism and even contended Britain's American colonies were not worth the cost. During his studies, Smith applied a systematic and "natural" reviewal of the global economy, mirroring the time's profound historical, scientific, and educational revolutions.


Summary:
In "The Wealth of Nations" Adam Smith weighs on the detriments of mercantilism, or government regulation of the economy. Smith suggests a more laissez-faire approach in which the economy will regulate itself. He contends that it is solely the individual producer and self-interest that drives the economy. This division of labour ultimately influences widespread production and a free market based economy. All of this is "natural", he argues, and the government should not interfere with tariffs, subsides, and coercive practices.


Key Quotation: "Labour…is the real measure of the exchangeable value of all commodities…"

PDP 4 - Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen

Author Bio: The author is anonymous, but it appears to be an official document for a set of laws passed by the National Assembly of France. The National Assembly of France was established during the French Revolution. The declaration was created by the National Assembly of France as an attempt to create a constitution.

Date/Context: After the French Revolution, there was a need for a new government. Absolute monarchy and feudalism were recently abolished. The construction of a constitution for the Republic of France was meant to promote equality and eliminate oppression.

Summary: The representatives of the National Assembly of France believed that a new set of laws that would enforce a person's unalienable rights, as well as their duties in society, would create less governmental flaws and more justice for the citizens of the Republic of France. The context of each article in the declaration prevent any form of oppression, injustice, and violence.

Key Quotation: "The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties; in order that the acts of the legislative power, as well as those of the executive power, may be compared at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political institutions and may thus be more respected, and, lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of the constitution and redound to the happiness of all."

SJS3 - "Syria in the Abyss"

Source: Weiss, Max. "Syria in the Abyss." Current History 113.767 (2014): 372-73. Print.

Author Credentials: Max Weiss completed his Ph.D. in modern Middle East history from Stanford University. He is now at Princeton as an Associate Professor of History and Near Eastern Studies. He is also the 

Summary: Over 200,000 people have lost their lives in Syria in the past three and a half years because of protests for freedom, justice, and dignity that grew into regional conflict and international proxy war. The majority of these casualties were civilians while nine million were forced from their homes, and nearly two thirds are internally displaced while the rest are refugees at bordering states. The interaction of outside countries is just making the situation worse. The Syrian media was saying that the civilians were taking up arms against the government when, in reality, they were taking up arms to defend themselves from the government. However, in Inside Syria, the actions going on are accurately illustrated as failure on both sides of the war, being that both sides lied in some way or another. This article does have many opinions but the main idea questions everything, not giving one side an upper hand. There is also the double standard of the U.S. taking military action and it being fine while it would be greatly criticized if any other country, except Israel, would do the same against Syria. 

Analysis: The author makes a strong argument on the case of the corruption within this war and the actions international countries took towards it, however there are some opinions within the piece. Most came from the work he cited, Inside Syria, concerning the double standard of war. This would not necessarily be true in all cases. There were definitely enough evidence to support it, even taking out the opinionated responses. The turn of the war when the international community was a huge support for his argument. Although he includes opinions, he makes sure that they are distinguished between them, making the article much easier to interpret. In conclusion, this professor at Princeton is a reliable source because of his background and clear understanding of the topic. 

SJS3 - "Imperialism and the Arab-Israeli Conflict: Revisions in Matzpen's Historical Perspective"

Source: Blass, Joshua. "Imperialism and the Arab-Israeli conflict: revisions in Matzpen's historical perspective." Israel Studies 2015.

Author Credentials: The author is a doctoral student in the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Therefore, he would have adequate knowledge on a controversial topic that involves Israel.

Summary: The conflicts between Israel and the Arabs and Palestinians are evaluated by the Matzpen organization. Each recollection supports the Israeli cause, while maintaining an ideology of fighting against destructive neighbors. The organization also believed that the western countries' interventions in the conflicts would presumptuously end the war periodically. However, their view on western imperialism drastically changed into an increased hatred as time passed and more issues with neighboring countries arised.

Analysis: The author's argument was strong, but biased due to his sources. Since he used Matzpen's point of view, his article failed to adequately represent the Arabs' and Palestinians' perspective. The author provided substantial evidence from many sources from reputable authors. He also identified how most of Matzpen's ideologies were opinions, while identifying historical facts. Due to the abundance of sources, the author is a reliable source when considering the Arab-Israeli Conflict from Israel's point of view.

PDP 3- The Tyranny of Materialism over the Lands of Islam

Arthur Bio:
        Hasan Al-Banna was originally a teacher of the Sunni Muslim faith
whom in 1928 created the Muslim Brotherhood. He did this because he
believed that European influence was found too commonly within the
Middle Eastern countries and this problem could be solved by creating
another political party. He strongly opposed European influence
because people were too willing to ditch their Muslim heritage and
start believing and living the way the Europeans did. Hasan Al-Banna thought that
the only way to diminish European influence would be for everyone to
rejoin the Muslim faith and give worship to God. He was assassinated
in 1949 in revenge for the prime minister being assassinated by one of
the members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Date and Context:
        "The Tyranny of Materialism over the Lands of Islam" was written most
likely in the 1940s. Although the situation is still continuing today. It was written with the inferred goal of
obtaining new members for the Muslim Brotherhood. However this was not
directly stated and just assumed. This brotherhood began in Egypt as
this is where Hassan Al-Banna lived and noticed the problems of
European influence. At the time the leader of Egypt had been directly
influenced by European lifestyle and decided to ban the Muslim
Brotherhood in fear that he would gain a large following. As mentioned
before Egypt was an independent state at the time however when
European influence reached the leaders of Egypt the country seemed to
go into a colonized mode in which Egyptians followed the European
beliefs.

Summary:
        Hassan Al-Banna believed that Islamic countries were becoming too
heavily influenced by European interaction. He claimed that this was a
form of modern colonization even though the countries being colonized
are independent. This was a problem in his mind because with European
influence came many sins. Some examples of these sins were abuse of
alcohol, having sexual relations with multiple partners, smoking, and
many others that Muslims had not been introduced to before. In
addition less people were following the Muslim faith and remembering
to pray multiple times a day. His thinking was that European influence
could be ended by convincing more people to follow the Muslim faith
and to worship God multiple times a day. The overall goal or inferred
meaning of this article is to convince people to join the Muslim
brotherhood to fix these problems.

Key Quotation:
        "They laid their plans for this social aggression in masterly
fashion, invoking the aid of their political acumen and their military
predominance until they had accomplished their desire."

PDP 3 - A Turkish Republic for the Civilized World

Author Bio: Born in May 1881, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was the first President of Turkey, and served as a military officer in World War I and the Balkan Wars. He helped Turkey become an independent state, and became the first president of Turkey on October 29, 1923. He died in 1938 from cirrhosis of the liver.

Date/Context: The Ottoman Empire began its slow demise in 1571, after it lost the Battle of Lepanto, causing the expansion of the country to stagnate. Fast forwarding to 1918, after World War I has ended, the Ottoman Empire was on the brink of extinction, being threatened on all sides from countries such as England and Russia. The Ottoman empire was faced with two options: dissolve into a neighboring country and surrender all land, or create a new state, maintaining the majority, or even all of the land.

Summary: This speech from Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is split into 3 sections, the first being about the state of the Ottoman Empire post-World War I. Atatürk talks about the disarray that the vilayets were in, and how phrases such as “Ottoman Empire” and “Padishah-Caliph” were essentially meaningless. The second section is about one of his previous speeches in 1924, in which Atatürk talks about three main points that the Turkish state would achieve and adhere to. The third section is about the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of the Turkish state. Atatürk talks about the newly formed Turkish state, and the measures it took in order to return to a peaceful state, specifically the Restoration of Order act.

Key Quotation:

“The result we have attained today is the fruit of teachings which arose from centuries of suffering, and the price of streams of blood which have drenched every foot of the ground of our beloved Fatherland.”

PDP 3 - The Ruba'iyat

Author Bio:
The author, Omar Khayyam, was alive in between the years 1048 and 1131.  He was born in Nishapour, Iran.  He was an astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher.  He developed the Jalali Calendar, which is more accurate than those used in the west at this time.

Date/Context:
These poems were written sometime during Khayyam's lifetime, as there are no specific dates written.  These poems help us understand what may have been happening during the timeperiod in which Khayyam lived.

Summary:
The book contains 1200 individual quatrains.  This is a collection of Khayyam's works, which went unpublished for around 700 years.  These are all quatrain poems with little to no relation to each other than references to different things such as wine, rule, or light/darkness.

Key Quotation:
"For 'Is' and 'Is-not' though with Rule and Line."

SJS 2 - "Sharpeville Revisited"

Source: De Gruchy, John W. "Sharpeville revisited." The Christian Century 112.14 (1995): 447. Student Resources in Context. Web. 3 Oct. 2015.

Author Credentials: John W. De Gruchy, the author, is a Robert Selby Taylor Professor of Christian Studies at the University of Cape Town in Rondebosch, South Africa. The information written from this writer is reliable considering his position as a professor in a high ranked university and his background knowledge on South Africa.

Summary: On March of 1960, precisely 69 blacks were killed by the police. The people where protesting the passed laws that prohibited Africans in urban areas. This massacre symbolized racism as well as the anti-apartheid conflict. The Pan-Africanist Congress, African National Congress, and South African Communist Party were outlawed. Now on March 21st, the holiday known as the Human Rights Day represents the freedom of many Africans. The first event that was launched after this holiday was a service which took place in St. George's Cathedral with the appearance of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, and President Mandela. After the second appearance of Queen Elizabeth it represented the reuniting of South Africa and Britain. During the second event, South Africans and World councils of churches were united for recognition and settlement within the community and local police. Churches were then greatly involved in the resolution of the apartheid and in moral construction.

Analysis: This author greatly represented the Sharpeville Massacre with the extensive facts and details providing the reader with a straightforward understanding of the massacre. This article also contributed the reader with specific names of groups and people which was beneficial. Lastly, this article contains reliable information because the author mostly likely received higher education due to his position as a professor in the University of Cape Town.

SJS 2 - "Cities and Economic Transformation"

 Source: Amoako, K.Y. "Cities and economic transformation." African Business Mar. 2015: S97. Student Resources in Context. Web. 3 Oct. 2015.

Author Credentials: K.Y. Amoako is the President of the African Centre for Economic Transformation, which is also known as ACET. He mainly researches and tracks the growth of economics within Africa.

Summary: The article mainly tries to answer the question; Are African cities, in their current state, as effective as they can be as organs of economic growth? The author answers no. He talks about how changing into "organs of economic growth" takes hard work and determination. He uses the example of Angola. How the country was able to reach success and has proved that economic transformation is possible. K.Y. Amoako also states that the building block of an economic order that can continue into economic growth for years is taking measures to move rural areas into cities. They key of doing so is determination towards change, planning, and bold execution.

Analysis: It was a very interesting source and gave ideas how Africa's cities can transform economically. He does use Angola as an example of this transformation, but if he would have use more examples it would have been easier to show changes. The author also could have given more information as to why some events lead to other events (Ex. Specialization leads to industrialization). Otherwise, the article was very well written and full of useful information 

SJS 2 - "Africa's Struggles for Decolonization: from Achebe to Mandela"

Source: Zeleza, Paul Tiyambe. "Africa's struggles for decolonization: from Achebe to Mandela." Research in African Literatures 45.4 (2014): 121+. Student Resources in Context. Web. 1 Oct. 2015.

Author Credentials: This author is qualified to write this journal because he is a professor at Quinnipiac University. Because of this title and status, he can be relied upon for accurate information, since professors commonly dedicate their life's work to their area of expertise.

Summary: This journal focuses on the struggle of Africans in developing their states into more efficient, recovered systems after the end of European rule. Beyond this, the author included Pan-Africanism was a prime example of the diversity between the different nations in Africa, since the movement was able to exhibit the extent to which individuals disputed about the social construct of race and its reflection upon one's status. Nationalism was also addressed in the journal, and the text identified how nationalism contains cultural components. The author also analyzed Achebe and Mandela's works in society, stating that Achebe was able to encompass the large variety of cultures in Africa into a single novel, inspiring many other Africans to write literature as well. From there, the author discusses Mandela's key role in the repeal of apartheid and how, as a popular South African leader, he was able to negotiate terms in which the white minority rule would end.

Analysis: The author of this journal made a strong argument to support his thesis, and included extensive evidence to further prove his position. The difference between fact and opinion is explicitly clarified, as much of the text is factual evidence on African history and the evaluation of two important African leaders. This journal is a reliable source because the author is certified to write on the subject of the document and cites an extensive list of sources from which he collaborated his argument.

SJS2- "The Price of South Sudan's Independence"

Source: De Waal, Alex. "The Price of South Sudan's Independence." Current History (2015): 194-196.
        Print. 2 Oct. 2015.

Author: Alex De Wall is executive director of the World Peace Foundation and a research professor at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is the author of The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa: Money, War and the Business of Power (Policity Press, 2015).

Summary: The article describes South Sudan's battle for independence and also covers how the new government has failed over the past few years. It describes about the hate that the South felt from the North and that it is the main reason that they decided to pack up their bags and form their own new state. Then it details how Salva Kiir becomes a dictator and runs his new country dry after three short years he is in a political fight which turns into a violent battle and genocide simillar to what became the reason for South Sudan's leave from Sudan. Finally the UN, the AU, and the IGAD step in to try and prevent more violence. They suceed in having the two parties sign a document to end the violence and make it another battle of words setting South Sudan back of for violence.

Analysis: De Waal does an excellent job in providing evidence to support his point that history is repeating itself. He demonstrates how Sudan broke into a civil war between the northerners and tthe southerners. Then he uses this evidence to show how South Sudan is currently tearing itself apart and following the pattern that its mother country, Sudan, had. He keeps this a very concise topic targeting specifically Sudan and South Sudan however he makes his topic comparable to other countries in the fact by describing that political wars do not only happen in one country but happen all over the world. This makes him an excellent writer because by making his work more universal it is easy to compare to other situations which can help a reader to better understand his argument.

SJS2- "All Eyes On Africa"

Source: Pham, J. Peter. "All Eyes On Africa." YaleGlobal Online (2014). Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 2 Oct. 2015.

Author: Mr. Pham has his Ph.d was the director of International and Public Affairs at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, now he is the director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council in Washington D.C., his areas of expertise include the majority of the African countries, and as can be seen he is an expert in foreign affairs.

Summary: This article discusses the numerous problems that have been or are currently plaguing Africa, such as the actions of Boko Haram, the article then proceedes to discuss the first U.S.-Africa Leaders summit, and the numerous policies that Obama and the African leaders discussed as well as the policies that Obama wants to implement to allow trade, aid, and resources to exchange from the hands of Africans to Americans and from the hands of Americans to Africans.

Analysis: The author gives strong evidence in the way of saying that Africa is stronger and more confident then ever, by bringing up the policies that were talked about between the African leaders and Obama he portrays it as such that there can be no doubt that the policies were talked about with insight given from both sides, whether they be American or African, he is a reliable source because as the director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council, his area of expertise is Africa and African relations, as well as the fact that he has his Ph.D he is a recognized scholar.