Contemporary Military Topics: COIN in Operation Iraqi Freedom
LTC Lou Lartigue, USA
Wed Jan 30, 12-02:00pm, E38-615, light lunch provided
Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 25-Jan-2008
Limited to 30 participants.
Single session event
Operation IRAQI FREEDOM is one of the most complex military operations faced by US Armed Forces. Success and failures in the conduct of counter-insurgency operations (COIN) provide lessons that will shape future US doctrine and policy. We will discuss the counter-insurgency operations of a Cavalry Squadron in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Salah ad Din and Diyala Provinces, Iraq in 2006, and the challenges of COIN operations and how it bears on overall success in operations such as OIF.
LTC Lartigue is an Armored Cavalry Officer who has commanded from platoon thru battalion level. He has served at division staff level and on the Joint Staff, J3 directorate. He has combat experience in Desert Shield/Storm and OIF. LTC Lartigue was commander of 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry in Iraq in 2006.
Cosponsored by SSP.
Contact: Magdalena Rieb, E38-624, 258-7608, mrieb@mit.edu
Sponsor: Center for International Studies
Cosponsor: Political Science
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Contemporary Military Topics: The 21st Century Marine Corps...Embracing Change
Col Harry C. Bass, USMC
Tue Jan 29, 12-02:00pm, E38-615, light lunch provided
Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 25-Jan-2008
Limited to 30 participants.
Single session event
The U.S. Marine Corps is the Nation’s Force in Readiness. However, to remain relevant the Marine Corps must embrace change. This seminar will provide an overview of the Marine Corps’ vision for adapting to existing and emerging security challenges. Topics include: U.S. Marine Corps mission, organization, operational concepts, and role in supporting the National Security and National Military Strategies.
Col Bass is a Marine Artilleryman with almost 22 years of operational experience. He has commanded at the battery and battalion level, served in numerous planning and operational staff assignments, and is a graduate of the Naval War College. Most recently, he completed his second Joint tour with U.S. Forces Korea as a Theater ground operations officer.
Cosponsored by the Security Studies Program.
Contact: Magdalena Rieb, E38-624, 258-7608, mrieb@mit.edu
Sponsor: Center for International Studies
Cosponsor: Political Science
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Contemporary Military Topics: US Air Force Cyber Warfare...More Than Just Hacking
LtCol Todd Piergrossi, USAF
Thu Jan 31, 12-02:00pm, E38-615, light lunch provided
Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 25-Jan-2008
Limited to 30 participants.
Single session event
Presentation of US Air Force’s newest mission domain: Cyberspace. This seminar will provide a basic understanding of the issues facing the USAF as it establishes an integrated war fighting capability within this arena. Topics include: Cyberspace mission doctrine, Cyber Command organizational structure and relationships, and Threats & Capabilities assessment.
Lt Col Piergrossi has 20 yrs experience in communications, air defense analysis, tactical radar operations, networks engineering, and software development. He has commanded twice at the squadron level and has survived staff assignments in Air Combat Command and the Joint Staff.
Cosponsored by the Security Studies Program.
Contact: Magdalena Rieb, E38-624, 258-7608, mrieb@mit.edu
Sponsor: Center for International Studies
Cosponsor: Political Science
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Discussion on Raising the First Children in Space
Bruce Mackenzie
Fri Jan 18, 11am-12:00pm, 2-131
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Audience discussion of social, economic, and ethical issues related to raising the first children to be born in space.
I have questions for you, the participants, on topics such as:
What physical support is needed to raise children in space?
What robotic and remote support from Earth might be provided?
What is a minimum number of adults to raise children?
Is a nuclear family the best family model?
Is it ethical to raise children in a (possibly) unsafe environment?
Is it ethical to raise children who might not be able to live on Earth?
What about genetic diversity in an early space settlement?
What impact would children in space have on financial/political support of that space project?
What impact would children in space have on Earth's society, especially impact on Children on Earth?
Contact: Bruce Mackenzie, 2-131, info@marshome.org
Sponsor: Mars Society
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How Baseball, Poker, and Fermat Teach Us the Best Way to Elect the President
Alan Natapoff
Wed Jan 16, 04-06:00pm, 37-212
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
The Electoral College delivers large voting power in battleground states, but it creates 80 million impotent voters in poorly-contested states. Simple popular voting would make every voter, everywhere, impotent: Small numbers turned Florida and the presidency in 2000, but they could never turn a national election under simple voting. The solution is to have the winner, A, of a state receive one vote for every popular vote cast in it, for any candidate. If A is sure to win, the opposition can vote for their own candidate B (and count for an A they accept) or cast a blank ballot (that will not count for an A they despise.) This rewards candidates and presidents vote-for-vote for acquiescence by their opposition. We trace the paradoxes, the delicious oddities, and the resolution of Florida's deadlock in 2000 by Fermat's Rule.
Web: http://natapoff@mit.edu
Contact: Alan Natapoff, 37-219, 253-7757, natapoff@mit.edu
Sponsor: Political Science
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Kenya Election Crisis, A Personal Perspective
Leonid Chindelevitch
Fri Jan 25, 06-07:00pm, 4-231
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
A discussion of history of and present events in Kenya. food provided.
Contact: Leonid Chindelevitch, mitai-exec@mit.edu
Sponsor: Amnesty International
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MIT Washington Summer Internship Program Information Sessions
Charles Stewart, Tobie Weiner
Thu Jan 17, 11am-12:00pm, 4-149
Tue Jan 22, 01-02:00pm, 4-149
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Repeating event. Participants welcome at any session
Come to an information session and find out about the MIT Washington Summer Internship Program. The program was founded in 1995 to give selected MIT undergraduates the opportunity to explore science and engineering policymaking at the national level, through study and practical experience. The interns have worked in the offices of government agencies, the private sector, and advocacy groups. Complementing the summer internships are a trip to Washington, DC, during spring break and a 12-unit HASS subject designed to give students an introduction to policymaking. All sessions are the same; come to any one.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/summerwash/www
Contact: Tobie Weiner, E53-484, x3-3649, iguanatw@mit.edu
Sponsor: Political Science
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Marxism Today
Felix Kreisel
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: Read the World Socialist Web Site at http://www.wsws.org/
We live in interesting times. The so-called "New World Order" is characterized by instability and successive crises. Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and waterboarding have become the image of America. US imperialist drive for domination is stuck in the Iraqi quagmire, old alliances shatter and re-form, advanced capitalist countries suffer economic stagnation and social polarization, the Third World reels from famine and wars, the former "socialist" states show social and cultural regression. Despite its scientific and technological progress humanity is suffering from a fatal disease - capitalism.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/fjk/Public/iap/
Contact: Felix Kreisel, x3-8625, fjk@mit.edu
Sponsor: Felix Kreisel, NW21-207, 617 253-8625, fjk@mit.edu
90 years since the Russian Revolution
Felix Kreisel
We shall look at the Russian Revolution of 1917 within the context of the international situation in the early 20th century and world history in general. What was the outlook of the Russian revolutionaries? What did they hope to achieve? What alternative paths existed for Russia in 1917? Suggested reading: Trotsky's "History of the Russian Revolution" and "Permanent Revolution".
Tue Jan 8, 06-08:00pm, 1-132
What Was Soviet "Communism?" What Kind of Socialism Do We Need?
Felix Kreisel
We shall review the history of the Soviet state. Its 74-year life witnessed strides forward, great victories and bitter defeats, Stalin's regime's crimes against its own people, and ultimately brilliant hopes dashed. We shall examine its internal contradictions, look at the reasons for its collapse and suggest the historic lessons it teaches us. Suggested reading: Trotsky's "The Revolution Betrayed".
Tue Jan 15, 06-08:00pm, 1-132
Decline of American Capitalism and its Wars for Domination
Peter Daniels, frequent writer for wsws.org
American society is riven by unprecedented inequality, the economy is in crisis yet the Bush-Cheney camarilla threatens Iran and presents the world with the spectre of World War III. And yet this mad regime enjoys bipartisan support as Democrats continue to finance military aggression, enable the attacks on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, vote for tax breaks for the rich and cuts of any remaining social programs.
Tue Jan 22, 06-08:00pm, 1-132
Capitalist Russia Today
Vladimir Volkov, WSWS reporter, St. Petersburg, Russia
16 years after its demise, what is the balance sheet of capitalist restoration in the former Soviet Union? While high oil and gas prices have propped up the Putin regime and the energy export-oriented Russian economy, its overall health is fragile. We shall look at the trends in the economy and society, the ethnic wars and a drift to dictatorship in Russia and other successor states.
Tue Jan 29, 06-08:00pm, 1-132
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Pakistan: Forever in the Eye of the Storm
Sam Clark, Kayvan Zainabadi
Thu Jan 31, 07:30-09:00pm, 6-120
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Why is it that Pakistan is at the epicenter of local and global crisis? Dr. Adil Najam, Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center at Boston University, will give a presentation and Q&A session on the current situation in Pakistan: a complex nation of 160 million which struggles in the face of military rule, human rights abuse, violent politics, extremism, and much more.
He will also discuss the pro-democracy movement in the country which, according to Prof. Najam, signifies a "democratic society trapped inside an undemocratic state."
Web: http://www.bu.edu/ir/faculty/najam.html
Contact: Kayvan Zainabadi, (617) 680-8746, kayvan@mit.edu
Sponsor: Student Pugwash
Cosponsor: Amnesty International
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Pakistan: Forever in the Eye of the Storm
Sam Clark
Thu Jan 31, 07:30-09:00pm, 6-120
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Why is it that Pakistan is at the epicenter of local and global crisis? Dr. Adil Najam, Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center at Boston University, will give a presentation and Q&A session on the current situation in Pakistan: a complex nation of 160 million which struggles in the face of military rule, human rights abuse, violent politics, extremism, and much more.
He will also discuss the pro-democracy movement in the country which, according to Prof. Najam, signifies a "democratic society trapped inside an undemocratic state."
Web: http://www.bu.edu/ir/faculty/najam.html
Contact: Sam Clark, (571) 243-1490, samclark@mit.edu
Sponsor: Student Pugwash
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Planning, Funding, and Implementing Transportation Projects in the Real World (or How It Really Works)
Kate Fichter, Eric Plosky
Thu Jan 17, 02-05:00pm, 10-401
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Single session event
As a vital and complex element of any urban or regional environment, transportation infrastructure both affects and is affected by land use patterns, economic development policies, political power-brokering and environmental resources, and so offers a lens through which to study many of the choices and constraints available to today's planners. This seminar will offer a practice-oriented overview of the issues, players and trends most relevant to contemporary transportation planning, as taught by two MIT/DUSP alumni/ae currently working in the field.
Contact: Ezra Glenn, 7-337, x3-2024, eglenn@mit.edu
Sponsor: Urban Studies and Planning
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Salon Discussion Group
James Rising
Tue Jan 8, Tue Jan 22, 07:30-10:00pm, 24-619
Join a free-form discussion of politics, philosophy, science, art, and society. Our goal is to "arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves." The Salon group has been meeting regularly for over a year and is always looking for new participants and fresh ideas.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/esg
Contact: James Rising, 24-612, (617) 852-9088, jrising@alum.mit.edu
Sponsor: Experimental Study Group
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Science Policy Bootcamp
Bill Bonvillian Director, MIT Washington Office
Mon Jan 28, 09-12:00am, TBD
Tue Jan 29, 09-01:30am, TBD
Wed Jan 30, 09-12:00am, TBD
Thu Jan 31, 09-01:30am, TBD
Enrollment limited: first come, first served
Signup by: 07-Jan-2008
Limited to 25 participants.
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
Prereq: Seniors, Grad Students, and Post Docs in Science & Engineeri
Science and technology public policy strongly guides the future of science education and research. Given the challenges to future federal support, the aim of this four-day seminar is to introduce graduate scientists and engineers to the 'nuts and bolts' of science policy making. The course will expose students to the fundamental structure and dynamics of science policy and inform them of routes into a policy experience or career. This seminar is cosponsored by MIT's President's Office and the Dean of Graduate Students strongly support the integration and deepening of science policy awareness within the MIT community at all levels. To enroll, please email Lily Tong (lilytong@mit.edu) with a brief essay (~150 words) regarding your student status and what you hope to get out of the class.
Contact: Lily Tong, lilytong@mit.edu
Sponsor: Lily V Tong, 143 ALBANY ST APT 134C, 617 225-8298, lilytong@mit.edu
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Small Polluters, Big Problem: How to Reduce Their Impact with the Environmental Results Program
Michael Crow, Steve DeGabriele, Rich Enander
Mon Jan 14, Tue Jan 15, 12-05:00pm, 8-205
Enrollment limited: first come, first served
Limited to 30 participants.
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
Prereq: Indicate if you can bring a laptop, for group excercises
Small businesses, (dry cleaners, auto body shops and gas stations) pollute the environment to some degree, which can add up to a significant aggregate impact. Regulators cannot address the problem with traditional approaches alone. 18 states so far have implemented the innovative and cost-effective Environmental Results Program (ERP). ERP combines regulatory inspections, compliance assistance, facility self-certification and statistical measurement to improve and track performance among large groups of polluting facilities. This course will: (1) explain the need for ERP; (2) present how the multiple parts of this strategy work together; (3) offer hands-on skill building; and (4) involve students in thinking about new applications for the approach. For more information, see http://www.epa.gov/erp/erp_states.pdf
Contact: Ezra Glenn, 7-337, x3-2024, eglenn@mit.edu
Sponsor: Urban Studies and Planning
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The Elections in Kenya: Ethnicity, Violence, and Human Rights Implications
Kayvan Zainabadi
Fri Jan 18, 06-07:00pm, 4-231
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
The Elections in Kenya: Ethnicity, Violence, and Human Rights Implications
Joseph Mwaura
Visiting Fellow, Human Rights Program, Harvard Law School
This event will focus on the historical and current context of violence in Kenya, as well as how the media reports on ethnic tribal violence, in the wake of the December 2007 elections.
Joseph Mwaura is a Visiting Fellow with the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School. Mwaura was admitted as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya in 1998, and taught law at the Kenya School of Professional Studies and is a member of the Law Society of Kenya. He currently teaches and researches in the areas of corporate law and human rights.
Sponsor(s): Amnesty International, GSC Off-Campus Subcommittee, Graduate Student Life Grants, GSC Funding Board
Web: http://web.mit.edu/amnesty
Contact: Kayvan Zainabadi, 4-231, (617) 680-8746, kayvan@mit.edu
Sponsor: Amnesty International
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