After 25 straight days of traveling throughout Europe in eight different countries (Belgium, Germany, Italy, Romania, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, and Denmark) (ok I only put my foot in Hungary, went to the airport in Denmark, and passed through Austria) I am so glad to be at the SeaTac Airport. I left Vienna this morning at 1145 and it is now 650 pm on Sunday.
I missed english, soda with ice in it, magazines in english, the Anchorage Daily News, other channels other than CNN and BBC, my bed, my kids, my wife, and driving.
I haven't been able to upload all my video or pictures, but will work on it this week. I will add some more thoughts on what my key learnings are and I need to come up with a strategy to share everything that I experienced.
Highlights off the top of my head include the NATO headquarters, the EU parliament, home dinners with hosts in Brussels, Hamburg, Rome, and Bucharest; the Vatican, meeting the the whole time in Hamburg, Bratislavan hospitality, seeing the Airbus 380 under serious cloak and dagger security, being shuttled all over like diplomats, and the beautiful weather that followed us everywhere.
I meet with key oil and gas officials (public and private) in Brussels, Rome, Bucharest, and Bratislava. I meet with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia (swanky lunch!!); a swanky lunch with ENI in Rome (five courses); the second in command foreign affairs officer for the EU; and a whole lot of politicians.
I'm glad to be home. For the first time in my life, I have learned what it means to be American when traveling with fifteen amazing leaders and representing our country.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Party politics - worst case scenario
This is a picture of a foundation that gives chicken and sugar to poor people, as well as cash. The problem is that the foundation is owned by the Christian Democratic party in Bucharest. And in order to receive the goods, you must sign up as a party member. This is a gross example to bad democracy. Not the rule in Romania.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Congrats to Jessica Klejka, Bethel
Two-second win is Junior Iditarod's closest ever
WHEW: One-time red lantern winner Klejka beats Carter as dogs, mushers sprint in.
By BARRY PISER
bpiser@adn.com
Published: February 25th, 2008 01:05 AM
Last Modified: February 25th, 2008 01:29 AM
Jessica Klejka was feeling great with a few miles to go in 2008 Junior Iditarod Sled Dog Race. She was leading, it was balmy outside and her team was running fast.
Maybe a little too fast for Nanook, one of her biggest dogs and hardest workers. Nanook is not a speed demon and the warm weather took a toll.
"He's a good dog, but we were just going really fast," Klejka said.
So with no other racers in sight, Klejka stopped and loaded her big dog into the sled for the stretch run.
And oh what a run it turned out to be.
Shortly after the stop, following a few tough hill climbs with less than a mile to go, the hard-charging team of Cain Carter, the 16-year-old step-son of Iditarod and Yukon Quest champ Lance Mackey, caught Klejka.
"I figured they'd be coming because I was loading my dog and he's a really big dog. The team slowed down dramatically when I put him in," Klejka said.
"When Cain caught me, I was thinking, 'Oh no, man, he's gonna pass me.' I yelled to the dogs 'OK guys, let's go! Let's just give it a good try.' "
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As the finish line came into view, adrenaline kicked in for Klejka, Carter and their combined 19 dogs.
"We're both running, and then my dogs saw everybody at the finish line and they picked it up," Klejka said. "And his dogs saw everybody, so both teams are going really fast. It was really close."
How close? Try the closest finish in the race's 31-year history.
Klejka, a 17-year-old Bethel resident, edged Fairbanks' Carter by two seconds after 140 miles of racing to win her first Junior Iditarod title in her fourth attempt.
The smallest 1-2 gap prior to Sunday was 34 seconds, which happened twice: Tyrell Seavey got past Cali King in 2001 and Ramey Smyth beat out brother Cim by the same margin in 1993.
Nanook took in the scene from the sled and, despite the excitement, was in no hurry to get out.
"He was pretty happy when we finished," Klejka said. "He was content with where he was."
Kotzebue's Quinn Iten, son of Iditarod veteran Ed Iten, finished three minutes behind in third. Rounding out the top 5 were Wasilla's Wade Marrs and Two Rivers' Ava Lindner, daughter of former Yukon Quest champ Sonny Lindner.
Klejka's win capped an impressive climb since her 2005 Junior Iditarod debut, when she took home the Red Lantern as the last racer to finish.
"Since I'm from Bethel, my dogs aren't always used to running on groomed trails," said Klejka, who started mushing in the fifth grade. "The first year was just a new experience for all of us."
In her next attempt, she finished seventh and, with a lot of hard training, came in third last year with leaders Jesse and Pearl out front. Despite that positive momentum, six months ago Klejka was thinking she might not run the race this year.
Jesse, her team's undisputed top dog, fell ill two weeks before she was to give birth. Klejka's father, a doctor at Bethel's hospital, rescued the litter of eight puppies via C-section but couldn't save Jesse.
The death of Jesse put the young musher in a funk.
"I couldn't even see (racing in) Junior Iditarod," Klejka said. "She was the main dog that kept the team going fast. So we focused on training and I was switching dogs around.
"But we got here."
She found another leader in Myan and decided to give racing a go. She entered the Kuskokwim 300 but scratched after warm temperatures turned to slush and open water. And now Klejka has her first big mushing win just four days before her 18th birthday.
Klejka, who will head to college in the fall, earns a $5,000 scholarship and round trip tickets to the Iditarod Awards Banquet in Nome with her parents. She'll be the first musher out of the chute at Iditarod ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday.
Not a bad present but does she have party planned back in Bethel?
"I've got a lot of schoolwork to catch up on when I get home," she said.
WHEW: One-time red lantern winner Klejka beats Carter as dogs, mushers sprint in.
By BARRY PISER
bpiser@adn.com
Published: February 25th, 2008 01:05 AM
Last Modified: February 25th, 2008 01:29 AM
Jessica Klejka was feeling great with a few miles to go in 2008 Junior Iditarod Sled Dog Race. She was leading, it was balmy outside and her team was running fast.
Maybe a little too fast for Nanook, one of her biggest dogs and hardest workers. Nanook is not a speed demon and the warm weather took a toll.
"He's a good dog, but we were just going really fast," Klejka said.
So with no other racers in sight, Klejka stopped and loaded her big dog into the sled for the stretch run.
And oh what a run it turned out to be.
Shortly after the stop, following a few tough hill climbs with less than a mile to go, the hard-charging team of Cain Carter, the 16-year-old step-son of Iditarod and Yukon Quest champ Lance Mackey, caught Klejka.
"I figured they'd be coming because I was loading my dog and he's a really big dog. The team slowed down dramatically when I put him in," Klejka said.
"When Cain caught me, I was thinking, 'Oh no, man, he's gonna pass me.' I yelled to the dogs 'OK guys, let's go! Let's just give it a good try.' "
ADVERTISEMENT
As the finish line came into view, adrenaline kicked in for Klejka, Carter and their combined 19 dogs.
"We're both running, and then my dogs saw everybody at the finish line and they picked it up," Klejka said. "And his dogs saw everybody, so both teams are going really fast. It was really close."
How close? Try the closest finish in the race's 31-year history.
Klejka, a 17-year-old Bethel resident, edged Fairbanks' Carter by two seconds after 140 miles of racing to win her first Junior Iditarod title in her fourth attempt.
The smallest 1-2 gap prior to Sunday was 34 seconds, which happened twice: Tyrell Seavey got past Cali King in 2001 and Ramey Smyth beat out brother Cim by the same margin in 1993.
Nanook took in the scene from the sled and, despite the excitement, was in no hurry to get out.
"He was pretty happy when we finished," Klejka said. "He was content with where he was."
Kotzebue's Quinn Iten, son of Iditarod veteran Ed Iten, finished three minutes behind in third. Rounding out the top 5 were Wasilla's Wade Marrs and Two Rivers' Ava Lindner, daughter of former Yukon Quest champ Sonny Lindner.
Klejka's win capped an impressive climb since her 2005 Junior Iditarod debut, when she took home the Red Lantern as the last racer to finish.
"Since I'm from Bethel, my dogs aren't always used to running on groomed trails," said Klejka, who started mushing in the fifth grade. "The first year was just a new experience for all of us."
In her next attempt, she finished seventh and, with a lot of hard training, came in third last year with leaders Jesse and Pearl out front. Despite that positive momentum, six months ago Klejka was thinking she might not run the race this year.
Jesse, her team's undisputed top dog, fell ill two weeks before she was to give birth. Klejka's father, a doctor at Bethel's hospital, rescued the litter of eight puppies via C-section but couldn't save Jesse.
The death of Jesse put the young musher in a funk.
"I couldn't even see (racing in) Junior Iditarod," Klejka said. "She was the main dog that kept the team going fast. So we focused on training and I was switching dogs around.
"But we got here."
She found another leader in Myan and decided to give racing a go. She entered the Kuskokwim 300 but scratched after warm temperatures turned to slush and open water. And now Klejka has her first big mushing win just four days before her 18th birthday.
Klejka, who will head to college in the fall, earns a $5,000 scholarship and round trip tickets to the Iditarod Awards Banquet in Nome with her parents. She'll be the first musher out of the chute at Iditarod ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday.
Not a bad present but does she have party planned back in Bethel?
"I've got a lot of schoolwork to catch up on when I get home," she said.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Kara Kelty and Hugh Short - Italian news anchors
In Rome, we had an opportunity to tour and view the State television network. The Parliament controls the viewing and operates 3 channels that are highly watched. On this set, the previous night, 8 million Italians watched the newscast.
Palace of the Parliament - 2nd largest building in the world, save the Pentagon
The Palace of the Parliament (Romanian: Palatul Parlamentului) is the home of the Romanian Parliament in Bucharest, Romania. Its original name was the People's House (Casa Poporului), but it was renamed (in the post-Communist era) first during the 1989 Revolution with the derogatory name of House of Ceauşescu and then as the Palace of the Parliament. However, to this day, most of the Romanians retain the old name and call it Casa Poporului.
The structure combines elements and motifs from multiple sources, in an eclectic neoclassical architectural style.
It measures 270 m by 240 m, 86 m high, and 92 m under ground. It has 1,100 rooms and is 12 stories tall, with four additional underground levels currently available and in use, with another four in different stages of completion.
The building is constructed entirely of materials of Romanian origin. Estimates of the materials used include one million cubic meters of marble from Transylvania, most from Ruşchiţa; 3,500 metric tonnes of crystal - 480 chandeliers, 1,409 ceiling lights and mirrors were manufactured; 700,000 tonnes of steel and bronze for monumental doors and windows, chandeliers and capitals; 900,000 cubic meters of wood (over 95% domestic) for parquet and wainscotting, including walnut, oak, sweet cherry, elm, sycamore maple; 200,000 square meters of woolen carpets of various dimensions (machines had to be moved inside the building to weave some of the larger carpets); velvet and brocade curtains adorned with embroideries and passementeries in silver and gold.[1]
Constructing the Palace and Centrul Civic required demolishing much of Bucharest's historic districts, including two neighborhoods with 19 Orthodox Christian churches, 6 synagogues and Jewish temples, 3 Protestant churches (plus eight relocated churches), and 30,000 homes.[c
Wild dogs in Bucharest
Bucharest has perhaps the largest population of stray dogs for a city in eastern Europe (numbering several hundred thousand). Although their numbers are gradually decreasing due to projects by the City Hall, they still remain a threat to safety as at least ten people have to be hospitalized every day for painful dog attacks, and at night they tend to form packs which greatly increases their danger. Rabies vaccinations are not required but recommended: there have been no rabies cases in Bucharest since 1979. Most dogs will not give you a problem unless you go out of your way to pester them, but many dogs have been treated poorly, and thus be extremely wary of them, and do not approach a stray dog if you are alone. It is perhaps best to walk around in a group or walk where you see other people.
Walking around at night is fine except for the dog problem. It is very difficult for anyone to get away with violent crime because everything is packed so closely together, any loud noise will attract attention. And this is truly a city that doesn't sleep. You'll find people out and around at all hours in most parts of the city
Friday, February 22, 2008
Kosovo update
Kosovo is on the news. Our five fellows have moved forward with travel to Belgrade, regardless of the American Embassy fire and riots. They will have a van and body guard for the whole time and will not travel in evenings and not broadly. I am a bit envious of their experience; and eager to hear about their experience.
Thoughts on macro and Bucharest
I was struck with a few things so far. Americans are looked up to throughout Europe. Europeans love to talk about our presidential election (tight race between McCain and Obama so far in my informal poll). We are looked at as the case example of how to build an economy, permit and attract immigration, and have babies (low birth rates are prevalent throughout western Europe). We know much less about our partners in the world than they know about us (this is a huge imbalance). Europe is diverse and fractured; the US is more unified and vanilla.
The drive from Bucharest Airport to the hotel took one hour. I saw over 30 stray dogs (one eating a dead animal). I saw probably over 300 luxury vehicles. There was an IKEA. There was slums. There was McDonalds everywhere. The sidewalks were non existent to terrible. There are manufacturing plants and people working everywhere. There is poverty everywhere.
It is a country in transition from communism to capitalism. The magazine in my hotel room was titled "Only for the Rich"
I am excited to experience this city. It reminds me of rural China, or Beijing, poverty and capitalism. This is not Germany or Rome; this is the new world emerging...
The drive from Bucharest Airport to the hotel took one hour. I saw over 30 stray dogs (one eating a dead animal). I saw probably over 300 luxury vehicles. There was an IKEA. There was slums. There was McDonalds everywhere. The sidewalks were non existent to terrible. There are manufacturing plants and people working everywhere. There is poverty everywhere.
It is a country in transition from communism to capitalism. The magazine in my hotel room was titled "Only for the Rich"
I am excited to experience this city. It reminds me of rural China, or Beijing, poverty and capitalism. This is not Germany or Rome; this is the new world emerging...
Rome - chaos and beauty
Sorry for the delay in blogging. I ran into the perfect storm; Rome and expensive internet access. I just landed in Bucharest (amazing observations for later) from five days in Rome. The point of the Marshall fellowship is to give Americans a view of Europe, North, South. I will say that Brussels is the "new Rome" with an international city that speaks a multitude of languages with a history and a split government; Hamburg was orderly, introspective in its' history; clean, and sophisticated.
Rome is rough, chaotic, beautiful, and struggling to compete in the new world. The agenda was varied; a meeting at the Chamber of Deputies (the Italian House of Representatives); meeting with the a Deputy Foreign Affairs Officer; a meeting at ENI (sixth largest privately held oil company in the world); a half day at a 1000 year old vineyard; a meeting at the Bank of Italy with the research office; a meeting with officials dealing with immigration; and finally meetings with former EMMF (European fellows).
Off the top of my head; my view of Italy has changed, or deepened, significantly. Italy is struggling in the world globalization rate. They are highly dependent on specialized manufacturing (clothes, furniture), and tourism. The birth rate in Italy is the lowest in Europe. Currently the government does not exist because of a lack of confidence vote. And they think highly of Americans, regardless of Iraq and Bush.
I was struck with the chaos of Rome. It is a fast city, with fast talking Italians. Traffic moves quickly and without rules. People are very emotional, with men and women enjoying each other everywhere. I was overwhelmed with this city. I'm overwhelmed in Anchorage sometimes. We stayed one block from the Pantheon, 1/2 a mile from the Coleseum, and 2 miles from the Vatican City.
Everywhere you walk is antiquities, everywhere. It is almost numbing and unbelievable. My touchstone for Rome was a few trips of Vegas; Rome almost looked staged because it was so massive and prevalent with the history.
The food was of course the best; pasta, pasta, and pizza. Vino. Sparkling water. Bread. Cheese. Pasta. Pasta. Olive oil. I love the food.
I will post some pictures and more later. The internet in Bucharest is slow, but effective. I think video will be difficult.
Rome is rough, chaotic, beautiful, and struggling to compete in the new world. The agenda was varied; a meeting at the Chamber of Deputies (the Italian House of Representatives); meeting with the a Deputy Foreign Affairs Officer; a meeting at ENI (sixth largest privately held oil company in the world); a half day at a 1000 year old vineyard; a meeting at the Bank of Italy with the research office; a meeting with officials dealing with immigration; and finally meetings with former EMMF (European fellows).
Off the top of my head; my view of Italy has changed, or deepened, significantly. Italy is struggling in the world globalization rate. They are highly dependent on specialized manufacturing (clothes, furniture), and tourism. The birth rate in Italy is the lowest in Europe. Currently the government does not exist because of a lack of confidence vote. And they think highly of Americans, regardless of Iraq and Bush.
I was struck with the chaos of Rome. It is a fast city, with fast talking Italians. Traffic moves quickly and without rules. People are very emotional, with men and women enjoying each other everywhere. I was overwhelmed with this city. I'm overwhelmed in Anchorage sometimes. We stayed one block from the Pantheon, 1/2 a mile from the Coleseum, and 2 miles from the Vatican City.
Everywhere you walk is antiquities, everywhere. It is almost numbing and unbelievable. My touchstone for Rome was a few trips of Vegas; Rome almost looked staged because it was so massive and prevalent with the history.
The food was of course the best; pasta, pasta, and pizza. Vino. Sparkling water. Bread. Cheese. Pasta. Pasta. Olive oil. I love the food.
I will post some pictures and more later. The internet in Bucharest is slow, but effective. I think video will be difficult.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Kosovo
Kosovo has declared independence. This is huge news in Europe. This is the first real test of the European Union to challenge Russia and move forward with their own agenda. The world will be watching this as it may engage the US into another support role in Kosovo,
We have five fellows traveling to Serbia on Thursday. Based on security, it may not happen; they may go elsewhere that is more safe. I will be in Bucharest, Romania.
We have five fellows traveling to Serbia on Thursday. Based on security, it may not happen; they may go elsewhere that is more safe. I will be in Bucharest, Romania.
Hamburg 2
Hamburg has the feel cosmopolitan Europe. Nice cars are everywhere; people have substantive conversations about import issues; housing is expensive; people are pleasant. It is reminds me of Seattle on the docks. It has a cold air that penatrates; and when it is sunny, the cold is colder. The transportation system is first class, with movement to anywhere in the city a few blocks walk to a subway station. Art is important. Politics are important. International relations are important. Hamburg has more shipping than any other European port, save Rotterdam. Chinese are liked, at a suspicious distance.
It is more liberal than other parts of Germany, more affluent, and the people take pride in their tough geographic location. Elections are taking place next Sunday (how innovative to have elections on a day that people have time) and all ballots will be had counted because of suspicion of electronic voting machines. This points to a patience that Germans have that would not be tolerable in the state. Races are called with 40% of the votes in. But it is confusing to understand from a two party system.
Today I go to a concentration camp, and have a farewell dinner with the Seitz people. Tomorrow I go to Rome. I will miss Hamburg.
Hamburg issues
It's been four days in Hamburg. The Seitz Foundation has been hosting us while here. Seitz is the eighth largest foundation in Germany and focused on running the first private law school in Germany; creating more immigrant teachers; the Bucerius Art Exhibit; and leadership among young professionals in Germany.
We have been treated amazingly kind. The restaurants are great; transportation and hosts are with us at all meetings, and we have been able to see Lubeck, the harbor, and Neugammeume Concentration Camp, the US Consulate, and many other sights.
Finance
We had a meeting with a representative of a state run bank on Friday. The meeting was to be able to understand how residential development happens in Germany; but morphed into a much larger discussion regarding the subprime mortgage crisis which has hit Germany. In Germany, purchasing a home is a distant dream for most. You can only get 10 to 15 year financing, and must have 20% down, not to mention a small house costs 600,000 Euros, and taxes. Our guest was amazed with the US home mortgage financing situation. We offer up to 40 years in some rare instances, you can get a mortgage with 0 down, and even not have to prove income in many instances. She also was amazed that the conservative German investment bankers purchased these bundled subprime mortgages - Germans are known for being very conservative, even refusing to use credit cards often.
US Consulate
Karen Johnson is the Consulate General for the Hamburg district. She has been in the post for 5 months. Originally from Texas, a strong southern accent accentuates when you meet her. She shard that serving as a State diplomat is a great life, she served in Afghanistan for one year; Germany for 12, and other regions. As far as bilateral US - German relations, she is very optimistic and positive about the relationship. There is concern about the dependence from Germany on Russia oil - which I was able to get from her and the EVP from the Seitz Foundation during a dinner. Chancellor Schoeder when to work for Gazprom, the Russian national oil and gas company, but there seems to be indifference; though many are concerned that he is staining his legacy. Germany has been the recipient of many benefits because of this appointment, and according to many that I've talked to, indifference is prevalent.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Land of order and nice cars
We've arrived in Hamburg. We took a family vacation here a few years ago and I am still amazed at how orderly and clean Germany is. Our bags arrived at the baggage claim before we did! BMW, Audi, Mercedes everywhere...and the roads are great. We checked into a hotel that backs a lake. James from Seattle, Mike from Chicago, Tim from Cleveland, and Eric from Denver.
Another group went to Copenhagen; and another to Paris. My first thought was that I drew the short straw, but after thinking about what is in Hamburg (airbus/port/history) I am glad I came here. We will meet at 2:45 today with Antje and have a walking tour of the city for two hours; then dinner with the US Consul General Karen Johnson. Tomorrow we will meet with Markus Baumanns - the President of the Zeit Foundation (form die zeit the largest German newspaper), a harbor cruise, and a tour of the Airbus manufacturing plant (where the 340 is assembled, not the monster 380). Dinner that evening. On Friday we meet with Karen Johnson again; and I meet with Heinz Dickmann - Dep Dir of the Chamber of Commerce.
I'll try to upload some video. My mission is to understand the differences between Belgian and German beer as well.
Belgium was great and I came away with the thought that alot is going on in our world that we have no idea. The effects of the EU and Kosovo; EU enlargement; NATO enlargement; is creating a different world.
all for now,
Another group went to Copenhagen; and another to Paris. My first thought was that I drew the short straw, but after thinking about what is in Hamburg (airbus/port/history) I am glad I came here. We will meet at 2:45 today with Antje and have a walking tour of the city for two hours; then dinner with the US Consul General Karen Johnson. Tomorrow we will meet with Markus Baumanns - the President of the Zeit Foundation (form die zeit the largest German newspaper), a harbor cruise, and a tour of the Airbus manufacturing plant (where the 340 is assembled, not the monster 380). Dinner that evening. On Friday we meet with Karen Johnson again; and I meet with Heinz Dickmann - Dep Dir of the Chamber of Commerce.
I'll try to upload some video. My mission is to understand the differences between Belgian and German beer as well.
Belgium was great and I came away with the thought that alot is going on in our world that we have no idea. The effects of the EU and Kosovo; EU enlargement; NATO enlargement; is creating a different world.
all for now,
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
NATO, IRAQ, and oil
Brussels has come to an end. I was fortunate to discuss American issues with a UK MEP (minister of european parliament), the director of operations at NATO, a BP official who lobby's the EU fulltime, and a few other individuals. Let me say that Europe needs America. Regardless of what you hear in the media or on the news, Europe is very much supportive of the American way of life, regardless, or in spite of Iraq.
On energy policy, I will say that my view is much more realistic today. Germany depends on Russia for 30% of their oil and natural gas; 25% of BP oil and gas comes from Europe; 5% of BP's oil comes from Alaska; 20% of all oil in the world (known reserves) resides in Iraq. France has made friends with Iran. They have a national oil company, Total, that has made inroads to Iran that will provide energy security to the nation. In meetings it was clear that the UK has been miffed by not securing a position for BP through inroads into Iraq. BP has a longstanding policy (internal) that says it will not do business with Iran, so that leaves Iraq for future development. This is because Iran nationalized on BP in the early days, setting back the company many years.
NATO is a 27 nation coalition of many european countries, mainly focused on Afghanistan right now. NATO is clear that until Germany, France and other EU nations support engagement, there will be no involvement in Iraq; which we need desparately. Make no mistake, whether it is Obama, Clinton, or McCain, each will look to Europe to be more involved and take a large role in Iraq. We may need to engage France through oil for Total and Germany through other means, but we will need to make concessions and allow them to save face in this major fuck up we have created. The good news is that the US energy supply will be secure through the engagement in Iraq. The bad news is that we have charged the national credit card quite significantly to accoplish that task.
The EU was told in Munich by Richard Holbrooke, key foreign policy advisor to Clinton, over last weekend, that the EU nations should expect the US to approach them for help to stablize Iraq once a new administration takes over. Consensus is that Germany's invovlement in Afghanistan, as well as France, has created a maximum load for force in the EU. It is clear that Germany is not interested in offensive force, and is quite happy as a pacificist because of the scars of WW2 and 1.
Afghanistan, according to NATO, is much more complicated than Iraq. It is larger in population by 20X and is 20X larger in size.
The EU is a fragile organization, as a supra national treaty organization. There are over 700 parlaiment members, but the power resides in the heads of state and the 27 (each member) commissioners in the the EU Commission.
NATO is an amazing building with very tight security. it is the only organization in the world that is enforcing "legitimate" force on nations that act bad. The problem with it is that we provide the best capabilitities and forces; but other countries do not.
The US is the police of the world. We subsidize security for the world with our tax dollars.
I am off to Hamburg in a few hours, and will discuss Airbus and other matters as I can integrate thoughts.
cheers,
On energy policy, I will say that my view is much more realistic today. Germany depends on Russia for 30% of their oil and natural gas; 25% of BP oil and gas comes from Europe; 5% of BP's oil comes from Alaska; 20% of all oil in the world (known reserves) resides in Iraq. France has made friends with Iran. They have a national oil company, Total, that has made inroads to Iran that will provide energy security to the nation. In meetings it was clear that the UK has been miffed by not securing a position for BP through inroads into Iraq. BP has a longstanding policy (internal) that says it will not do business with Iran, so that leaves Iraq for future development. This is because Iran nationalized on BP in the early days, setting back the company many years.
NATO is a 27 nation coalition of many european countries, mainly focused on Afghanistan right now. NATO is clear that until Germany, France and other EU nations support engagement, there will be no involvement in Iraq; which we need desparately. Make no mistake, whether it is Obama, Clinton, or McCain, each will look to Europe to be more involved and take a large role in Iraq. We may need to engage France through oil for Total and Germany through other means, but we will need to make concessions and allow them to save face in this major fuck up we have created. The good news is that the US energy supply will be secure through the engagement in Iraq. The bad news is that we have charged the national credit card quite significantly to accoplish that task.
The EU was told in Munich by Richard Holbrooke, key foreign policy advisor to Clinton, over last weekend, that the EU nations should expect the US to approach them for help to stablize Iraq once a new administration takes over. Consensus is that Germany's invovlement in Afghanistan, as well as France, has created a maximum load for force in the EU. It is clear that Germany is not interested in offensive force, and is quite happy as a pacificist because of the scars of WW2 and 1.
Afghanistan, according to NATO, is much more complicated than Iraq. It is larger in population by 20X and is 20X larger in size.
The EU is a fragile organization, as a supra national treaty organization. There are over 700 parlaiment members, but the power resides in the heads of state and the 27 (each member) commissioners in the the EU Commission.
NATO is an amazing building with very tight security. it is the only organization in the world that is enforcing "legitimate" force on nations that act bad. The problem with it is that we provide the best capabilitities and forces; but other countries do not.
The US is the police of the world. We subsidize security for the world with our tax dollars.
I am off to Hamburg in a few hours, and will discuss Airbus and other matters as I can integrate thoughts.
cheers,
Monday, February 11, 2008
Is anyone there?
Please provide a post if you are there. I'm wondering if any traffic is stopping by, so I'd like to hear from you. Ask questions, make comments, share the weather.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sunday - little rest and no coffee
Sunday was an exciting day. The fellows took a train to Bruges, Belgium to visit one of the most amazing cities in Europe. Bruges is a midevil city that is termed the “Venice of the North” It is located about an hour from Brussels near the Atlantic Coast. It reminded me a little of Rothenburg, Germany, another city that is fortified with walls and preserved immaculately. The tour guide provided a lot of information – I usually do not enjoy tour guides, but she provided some details that brought a whole new way of thinking about Bruges.
The exhaustion was immense yesterday. I awoke at 3 am Sunday and made phone calls, watched terrible Belgium tv, and finally fell asleep again at 630 am; only to be rudely awaken at 846 am to tour. Nothing like 14 minutes to get ready. 16 oz. to go coffee is a rare find, so I am quickly becoming an addict looking for a joe. We returned from Bruges at 6 pm; I napped until 720, to arrive at 730 pm for the dinner with 16 EU/international guests.
It was foggy at the dinner for the first 20 minutes – like your mouth cannot quite say what your mind is thinking. But after a glass of champagne, things became clearer. The editor the largest newspaper in Belguim spoke about how the national government has not been existent for over 6 months. The Belgium have serious regional differences between the Wallonia province (south and French speaking) and the Flanders province (north and Dutch speaking). The politicians have been unable to form a government for a long period, but the country is running better than ever. The bureaucracy within Belgium is so ingrained and decentralized that autopilot works just fine. Each area has their own libraries, transportation system, taxation structure, and from the guests, it sounds very confusing.
The editor spoke of the close relationship with America, and how every American president has disappointed the EU, so with all the excitement of a possible Clinton/Obama president, their will still be a huge disappointment at the end of the day. Bush is the most unpopular president in the history of unpopular presidents in the EU, but still with as much damage as he has done, America is viewed as a key partner and friend. They view themselves as better than fighting and war (read European history); and America is too aggressive. There is talk that the EU has become too complacent though, and the huge issue in Germany is that they are going to commit 250 troops to Afghanistan (mostly cooks and janitors, they don’t like to shoot guns wink).
America is seen as the superpower and police, but slightly brutish with no diplomatic skills.
Today I am off to the EU parliament, a meeting with a BP official, and dinner at a EU ministers home tonight. More to come.
The exhaustion was immense yesterday. I awoke at 3 am Sunday and made phone calls, watched terrible Belgium tv, and finally fell asleep again at 630 am; only to be rudely awaken at 846 am to tour. Nothing like 14 minutes to get ready. 16 oz. to go coffee is a rare find, so I am quickly becoming an addict looking for a joe. We returned from Bruges at 6 pm; I napped until 720, to arrive at 730 pm for the dinner with 16 EU/international guests.
It was foggy at the dinner for the first 20 minutes – like your mouth cannot quite say what your mind is thinking. But after a glass of champagne, things became clearer. The editor the largest newspaper in Belguim spoke about how the national government has not been existent for over 6 months. The Belgium have serious regional differences between the Wallonia province (south and French speaking) and the Flanders province (north and Dutch speaking). The politicians have been unable to form a government for a long period, but the country is running better than ever. The bureaucracy within Belgium is so ingrained and decentralized that autopilot works just fine. Each area has their own libraries, transportation system, taxation structure, and from the guests, it sounds very confusing.
The editor spoke of the close relationship with America, and how every American president has disappointed the EU, so with all the excitement of a possible Clinton/Obama president, their will still be a huge disappointment at the end of the day. Bush is the most unpopular president in the history of unpopular presidents in the EU, but still with as much damage as he has done, America is viewed as a key partner and friend. They view themselves as better than fighting and war (read European history); and America is too aggressive. There is talk that the EU has become too complacent though, and the huge issue in Germany is that they are going to commit 250 troops to Afghanistan (mostly cooks and janitors, they don’t like to shoot guns wink).
America is seen as the superpower and police, but slightly brutish with no diplomatic skills.
Today I am off to the EU parliament, a meeting with a BP official, and dinner at a EU ministers home tonight. More to come.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
Off to Brussels
We spent the morning discussing issues such as keeping receipts, not exhibiting rude behavior, and the protocol for meetings in Europe. It must be very nervous for German Marshall staff everytime they send a new group of fellow out, REPRESENTING GMF. I imagine for the most part, through the selection process, they weed out most wild cards (although I made it through the process).
Speaking of the process, I learned last night how it works. Eleven regional partners are allocated anywhere from 1 to 4 slots, which is held through their own autonomous process; then those that are not in the geographic areas of the regions are slotted for a national process. Alaska falls into the national process. My name went forward and 10 or 11 slots are available for the slots. I didn't get a number of how many apply, but I know in the Denver region there were 100 applications for 3 slots. Very competitive.
The GMF has a 250M endowment - WOW! The fellowship is a small portion of the overall program.
We will arrive in Brussels at 7:15 am, which is maybe 9:15 pm Friday in Alaska. Hopefully I will be able to sleep a bit on this flight.
I am very excited about the departure. It feels a little like the 50 yard dash waiting for the starting gun. I think the hardest part of this is being away from Trina, Maddy, and Karis; but I think they are very understanding and supportive.
The 60 degrees in DC feels very nice compared to the -15 in Anchorage; the reprieve from winter is a blessing.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
mind games - swedish style
Here is a game that was developed by Swedish programmers. It is based on who can relax the most - a very un-American approach to games. We went for appetizers afterwards to fulfill our American appetite. Swedes asked if we lived in igloos (jokingly), and what our view is on ANWR (yes, but with caveats, personally).
The guy that helps the lady is the Swedish Ambassador, who just left a three year assignment in Thailand, with a three year post in DC; then retirement.
Tomorrow it is download from 930 to 12; then pack to go to Brussels, which leaves at 5 pm est.
Second Life - Swedish Embassy
This is the dep. Ambassador discussing the technology that Swedes' have built in the embassy. It is an aspect of the Swedish government that is a important aspect of their country. The Swedish spend more on technology R and D than any other country (as % of GDP) save Israel. It was a very impressive show.
The Marshall Fellowship exists to bring US and European leaders (28 to 40 years old) together. I applied to the program after Mara Kimmel asked if I was interested; she participated in the program a few years ago. My immediate response was sure. I was unsure that I would be accepted, but thought I may have enough on my resume to get some consideration.
I found out in November that I was one of 53 selected for the program nationwide. Two other Alaskan's are participants - Rep. Scott Kawasaki and Sen. McGuire. In fact, Lesil started some controversy by sending out a press release announcing the selection, causing some very vocal Alaskans to call the German Marshall administration and complain :(
My schedule will be hectic. As I write, I am in DC. I just arrived last night. We have a meeting at 230 at the GMF HQ; then are being hosted at the Swedish Embassy. Class tomorrow morning, then off to Brussels.
After Brussels, I will head to Hamburg, Germany; Rome, Italy; Bucharest, Romania; and Bratislava, Slovakia. I have to admit that Bucharest and Bratislava caused me to take out a map and figure out where the heck they are.
I have begun to understand the geopolitical ambition of the EU; how the US and China affect the EU; and how these new "empires" will compete in the future. I am interested in understanding how the US's global effect is perceived; how the US/China/ and the EU compete for energy resources in this strange time of global climate change (or maybe not); and what EU residents view as the relationship between us and them.
Let me suggest a read that will be released on March 4 "The Second World" by Parag Khanna. I haven't finished the book yet, but his thesis is that the US has lost much of it's global influence to the EU, with it's innovative governance system of many countries under one flag; and the monster nation China, who with 1.3 billion people and cheap goods has secured many relationships in the Central Asia region (think oil).
I will post video and try to write everyday. If you have questions, you can email me at hughshort@gmail.com.
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