More than thirty years ago a series of cultural and political clashes between West Pakistan and the East Pakistan generated civil tension and ultimately led to war. The 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, formerly known as East Pakistan, was a result of these cultural and political conflicts. The war, Muktijuddho, in Bengali, sought independence of language and political dominance from West Pakistan.

Current unrests in Bahrain, Libya, Egypt, and Yemen.

After returning from Taipei, Taiwan and Shanghai, China, I have had the opportunity to reflect on the relations between China and Taiwan. Through my own observations and conversations with people in both Taipei and Shanghai, the major question that often arose was: Do you think that Taiwan is part of China or independent? Another question that came up was: How does the current government in China view their relations with Taiwan?

I had always thought of the Turkish people as a rather homogenous society. In Turkey, Islam is the predominant religion, despite the country maintaining its secularist views.

On July 10, 2007, Zheng Xiaoyu, former director of China’s State Food and Drug Administration was executed via lethal injection. His crime was that of accepting bribes from eight companies in exchange for approval of the firms’ products. More importantly, these bribes were linked to shoddy medicines responsible for the deaths of several of their Chinese consumers—a highly publicized scandal that intensified already existing international concern about product safety standards in the world’s largest exporting nation.

During the recent diplomatic visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao, President Obama organized an official State dinner in his honor, as is the custom when foreign leaders visit. The White House pulled out all the stops, recognizing the political and economic significance of such an event. The theme of the night was “all-American,” but with a Chinese flair.

In a recent visit to the United States, President Hu Jintao of China was treated to an elaborate State dinner hosted by President Obama. At the request of the Chinese delegation, the Obamas relied on in-house Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses to create a “quintessentially American” state dinner menu. Hence, the menu featured American classics such as poached Maine lobster, dry-aged rib eye steak with onions, and stuffed potatoes. The dinner concluded with apple pie and vanilla ice cream for dessert. An American wine selection accompanied the menu.

A critical need for political reform has haunted Egyptians for over twenty years as Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s current president, enters the thirtieth year of his regime. The protests began when a man set himself on fire outside a parliament building in Cairo. Witnesses claimed that he shouted anti-government slogans before pouring fuel on his clothes and setting himself alight. The incident was said to echo the self-immolation of a Tunisian man, which sparked protests across Tunisia, ending with the ousting of President Zine El Abedine Ben Ali. Similarly, Egyptians are protesting for democracy and demanding the resignation of President Mubarak in hopes of changing the country for the better.

In Tunisia, more than two decades of dictatorship have ended this month. A young man, tired of poverty and abuse by the police, set himself alight in an act of desperate protest in mid-December. Decades of grievance in Tunisia catalyzed his death. The anger and resentment over corruption, unemployment, unfairness and repression then led to demonstrations that could not be contained. The regime was ousted. The dictatorship did not nurture credible opposition parties with experience in governing that were ready to step in when the current party collapsed. On Jan 14, after trying unsuccessfully to pacify the demonstrators, the authoritarian president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali fled Tunisia with his family and has allegedly taken refuge in Saudi Arabia.

America symbolizes different things to people all over the world. To many Americans it represents the land of opportunities, wealth, entertainment, fast food, celebrities, shopping and football. To a person in a developing country America denotes hope, a chance for a better life, choices and, in some cases, even happiness. Yet no one associates this superpower with poverty, hardship, or struggle. This false image of perfection and greatness was historically constructed and continues to be transmitted by the media.