Al-Shabaab Banned in UK

According to a recent Economist article, "Alan Johnson bans Somali 'terrorist' group Al-Shabaab," the Home Secretary of the UK has officially designated Al-Shabaab a terrorist group and has banned it in the UK. Al-Shabaab is a radical Islamic organization based in Somalia, where it has considerable influence. The UK ban is in response to a statement by the group that linked it with Al-Qaeda.

"Banning" Al-Shabaab makes it illegal for the group to openly operate in the UK. It also makes it illegal for UK citizens to become members.

Alan Johnson recently banned another Muslim group, Islam4UK, which was trying to march through Wootton Bassett Wiltshire.

The article is important because it highlights social cleavages in the UK. Politics in the UK are strongly anti-immigration, and there are racial overtones to the rhetoric used by British politicians. Al-Shabaab is clearly a terrorist organization, and warrants the ban. However, there seems to be a general distrust of minorities, particularly Muslims, in the UK.

The article also demonstrates a piece of UK foreign policy. Al-Shabaab is extremely influential in Southern Somalia. By banning the group in the UK, Mr. Johnson is sending a message to Somalia as a whole.

Photo Courtesy of the Economist

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You can't fight in here, this is the war room

Defense-Spending Cuts
In a recent Economist article it acknowledged that, because of the UK's recent recession, it would have to make spending cuts. But now there is a conflict within the UK's military on what branch of the military should make the cuts. The navy and air force believe that it is in the countries best interest, over the long run, if the government did not cut their creation of more air craft carriers. Their argument is that Britain is a sea nation and national defence should start there. On the other hand, the army says that the war in Afghanistan demands resource allocation. More importantly the Conservative power is split over where these resources are going. And it seems the public is favoring the cut of aid to foreign nations over military spending cuts.

Jan. 21st, 2010
L. Belury
http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15331325&fsrc=rss

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Brown Looks to Win Votes

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has promised to "create more middle class jobs than ever before" if his party, the Labour Party, can overcome its lag in the polls and win a national vote that must be held by June. With these Obama-esque promises Brown hopes to win back the votes that have traditionally fueled the Labour Party to victory in past elections, the middle class. The Conservatives have blasted Browns messages and have accused him of sending mixed messages along the campiagn trail. With Brown sending messages that emphasize the importance of social mobility he hopes that the Labour Party can overcome a recent slide in support and maintain control come election time.

Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth Leaks Date of General Elections

British Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth referred to May 6th as the date for the new polling. However, many Conservatives, the opposite party of today's Prime Minister, believe that this is only manipulation by the New Labour party to trick the conservatives into believing they have more time to prepare for elections. The Prime Minister has the authority to set the date of the election, leaving many to think that the election process is not transparent and undemocratic.

(1.24.10)

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Marriage and the State: A menege a trois

The article "Marriage and the State: A menege a trois," published January 21st, 2010 in the Economist, brings up a growing problem in many Western European countries. In England, the number of yearly divorces is almost equal to the number of new marriages. The tendency for young couples to avoid married is increasing. This has become such an issue that the candidates in Britain's upcoming election are sparring over how to confront it. The conservatives, led by David Cameron, are pushing for recognition of marriage and civil unions in the income-tax system. The labour party, on the other hand, wants special perks for married couples. Some more extreme groups are even calling for mandatory financial responsibility after a certain amount of time living together, whether or not the couple is married.

While this might not seem like an issue of political importance, it is actually deeply significant. The importance of "civil society" in connecting people to the state cannot be overstated. All across the western democracies, there is a growing trend of detachment from civil society. The less people feel like part of a community, the less active they are within that community. This manifests itself in lower voter turnout, and a greater apathy in general towards the political process. Democracies are built around civic duty. Anything that negatively affects civic duty can ultimately hurt the health of the democracy.