NUTS

12 October 2010 - 17 October 2010

Field Trip to Strasbourg, the Alsace, Trier, and Bastogne

LIBERATORIBVS

AMERICANIS

POPVLVS BELGICVS

MEMOR

IV.VII.MCMXLVI.

Inscription on the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne to the American Liberators

(The Belgian People remember their American Liberators, 4th July 1946)

Bastogne

At the very end of our trip we stopped in the Belgian village of Bastogne. For those familiar with the history of World War II, you may remember that Bastogne was taken by the Americans as the Allied Forces pushed the German Army back to into its home. In a calculated gambit, Hitler massed forces in the Alsace for a crucial counterattack. This counterattack later became known as the Battle of the Bulge (or Battle of the Ardennes, if you live on the eastern side of the Atlantic Ocean). Though a common tendency is to portray this attack as a desperate and rash move by Hitler, in reality the counterattack presented a serious potential danger to the Allied Forces. Hitler's objective in the counterattack was to take the port of Antwerp, which was the delivery point on the European side for the Allied supply lines, which supported two Allied Armies in the Western European theater of operations. By breaking through the Allied line, Hitler hoped to reach the port to destroy it, thereby cutting off the supplies. The two Allied Armies had only enough supplies to last three weeks, after which they would be forced to surrender. If Hitler could force the surrender of those two armies, the United States would be forced to commit even more personnel toward winning the war. Public sentiment in the United States was already beginning to wane as a war-weary population considered the alternatives. The counterattack presented Hitler's opportunity to eliminate his greatest enemy. 

The Alsace region is heavily forested and hilly. Because of the terrain, it is difficult to move soldiers and equipment through the region. Precisely for this reason, the Allied Commanders did not imagine that the German Army would launch an attack through Alsace. Consequently, the units posted on the line in the Alsace consisted of their weakest units; soldiers who were either young and inexperienced or exhausted and war-fatigued. 

The German counterattack initially proved successful. The Americans, caught off guard and overwhelmed, were forced to withdraw. Allied Commanders were able to guess that Hitler's intended target was Antwerp, so the American Forces posted three teams at strategic points to slow the German advance. These three points were at Bastogne and the surrounding towns. Though the teams fought with valor, they collapsed in the face of the superior German firepower, which was led by the Panzer tank, at that time the most advanced tank in the world and far more powerful than the American Sherman tank. The teams were quickly isolated from each other and were forced to fall back further towards Antwerp, with the exception of the American Forces at Bastogne, who held out. Within days, the German counterattack had pushed the American forces so far back that the American Forces at Bastogne were behind German lines, surrounded on all sides and outnumbered over three to one. 

The Battle of the Bulge was fought in the winter, when it was bitterly cold. Sustained storms made it difficult to impossible for the Allies to provide Air Support to their ground troops. Despite heavy fire from the Germans, the American soldiers fought back with everything they had. Supplies were running low, but morale was high-the Belgian residents of Bastogne provided everything they could to the American troops, and close personal friendships were formed between the soldiers and the community residents that they were defending. Adding to their spirits was news of a possible savior-from the South, General George S Patton was disengaging his forces and blasting his way through German lines toward Bastogne. If the Americans could hold out a little longer, they may yet hold the village. 

Sensing renewed vigor on the side of the Allies, the German Commanders intensified their bombardment of the town. The Americans were bombed by the Luftwaffe and shelled by the Panzer tanks, and the number of casualties would later make it one of the bloodiest sites of the war. Hoping to force the Americans into surrender so as to commit their forces elsewhere, the German Commander issued an ultimatum demanding the unconditional surrender of the American Forces at Bastogne. An American Colonel, General Anthony McAuliffe delivered their response, one word written on a piece of paper: "Nuts." The German Commander didn't understand. "It means you can go to hell," explained the Colonel. 

The meeting continued on along on the same motif, with the German Commander vowing to destroy all Americans and the American Colonel vowing to destroy all Germans. At one point, the German Commander considered shooting the Colonel, but, deciding to abide by the international rules of engagement he wisely restrained himself. 

Meanwhile, General Patton continued his advance toward Bastogne from the South. He realized that air support would be necessary, but up to that point there had been few days with enough sun to organize sorties. The Allies had taken advantage of a clear day by bombing the Panzer tanks from the air and dropping supplies to the ground forces, but the Germans were solidly entrenched around Bastogne. Patton sent word for his Chaplain to meet him in his quarters. Patton ordered the Chaplain to offer a prayer to God for clear skies for the sake of victory. Though there are a number of versions of the actual prayer, the Chaplain's final draft was something to the effect of the following:

Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations.

Copies of the prayer were sent out to all of the soldiers in Patton's Army between 12-14 December. Nine days later, the weather conditions began to improve. Allied fighters bombarded the German supply lines, and a team of volunteer surgeons flew in by glider aircraft. P-47 Thunderbolts also began attacking German troops on open roads. British units supported by American units to the West were holding the bridges at Givet and Namur, closing the gap between the Allied lines and Bastogne once again. By 24th, German armored tank divisions were effectively repelled in the Meuse. Two days later, Company D, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment of the 4th Armored Division broke through German lines and established a supply corridor to Bastogne. 

Sharing The Wealth: The European Investment Bank

12 October 2010 - 17 October 2010

Field Trip to Strasbourg, the Alsace, Trier, and Bastogne

The European Investment Bank, Schengen, A Castle in Alsace, the Maginot Line, and A Casino

On Thursday we visited the European Investment Bank, an institution responsible for allocating loan guarantees and other financial products toward objectives that provide an economic return and fulfill a social purpose. The EIB is distinct from the governmental institutions of the European Union, yet the criteria through which each project is evaluated suggests an altruistic deviation from a purely profit maximizing institution. Rather, the EIB is a distinct financial entity; it acts as a private bank that supports EU policies by directing loan guarantees toward sectors or other institutions that implement such policies either directly or indirectly. Though the EIB functions on the level of large scale financial projects-it interacts primarily with national banks, who act as financial intermediaries between the EIB and the small to medium size enterprises (SMEs), the EIB viewpoint aligns with the EU in recognizing the economic potential of SMEs to drive market growth and job creation.

Created in 1958 under the Treaty of Rome, the European Investment Bank (EIB) is officially a non-governmental entity that promotes European objectives via financial transactions. Currently its holdings total 232.4 billion Euros, with a lending volume of slightly under 80 billion. Under EU mandates, the EIB finances projects inside and outside the European Union, with different concentrations based on the circumstances of the region in question. The EIB’s protocol dictates that it works exclusively with large scale enterprise or national governments, thereby downgrading its interaction with SMEs to an indirect relationship. Nevertheless, the EIB works through direct instruments such as loan guarantees, and does not give out grants, a policy that has enabled it to make savvy, realistic assessments of the projects. Since its creation, no entity partnered with the EIB has defaulted on a loan.

The EIB, in certain aspects is similar to the World Bank, however it is a much larger entity, with approximately three times the value of its lending portfolio. The EIB’s role is circumstantial and dynamic, with an ever evolving set of policies based on regional and international affairs. Currently, the EIB is engaged in raising more funds to provide capital for projects aimed at regional development in response to the financial crisis. The main focus is, coincidentally, on the energy sector, and the overarching issue of climate change. As the energy sector is directly related to the work of Foratom, I asked the EIB representative if nuclear energy was included in the EIB’s financial projects. He told me that although the natural assumption was toward renewable sources, nuclear energy was certainly not excluded from such projects, however the allocation of funding to promote nuclear energy was the domain of national governments in accordance with the respective policies of the EU member states.

The social competencies of the European Investment Bank are diverse and farsighted. They include: (a) Population Movements and Involuntary Resettlements, (b) Minority Rights, (c) Core Labor Standards, (d) Occupational and Community Health and Safety, (e) Public Consultation and Participation, and (f) Seminars on Business and Human Rights. More information on each concentration can be found on their website: http://www.eib.org/.

From the EIB, we proceeded onto the next part of our several day excursion, to the small town of Schengen on the converging borders of Luxembourg, Germany, and France. Schengen is a picturesque but unremarkable town where the Schengen Agreement was signed, which effectively eliminated the need for separate visas for each of its member states. I recently read an article on the Foreign Policy in which every country in the world was ranked based on the ease with which its citizens could travel to other parts of the world. At number one in the world was the United Kingdom, with a few the Scandinavian countries close behind. The United States was around 7^th or 8^th, and India was around 76^th. While the Schengen Agreement may not seem politically significant for citizens of the United States, many citizens of other nations benefit substantially from the agreement.

After a brief lunch we embarked toward our next destination, the Fleckenstein Castle. The Castle was located in the Alsace region of France, which we drove through by bus. The castle itself was impressive mainly for its longevity, having been built initially in the 12th century. Our professor informed us that there were a series of castles in the area, as this particular area in Alsace had held a strategic importance; it was the location of a mountain range that interrupted kilometers of open fields. Whoever controlled the mountains therefore controlled the entire area.

From there, we drove to an outpost along the Maginot Line, the strategic barrier at which the French hoped to defend themselves against the advance of the German Army. While popular US stereotypes typically portray the French Military as an ineffective, effeminate group of crepe-consuming, surrender-happy sissies, in reality the Maginot Line was a solidly fortified line of defense, stretching along the entire border, and complete with a series of underground trains used to transport troops and supplies without ever exposing them to the enemy on the surface. Machine gun turrets pointed out from steel walls, and atop of the bunker additional turrets were positioned to create an inescapable crossfire. Although it is commonly believed to have only covered the French and German border, the Maginot Line also stretched along the French and Belgian border. The Germans were effective in their invasion because of their use of glider aircraft, from which paratroopers were able to get past French defenses. Though the French anti-air guns would have been effective against the glider aircraft, the French mistakenly believed that the glider aircraft that they saw were German planes that had been hit and were plummeting to the ground. Due to this tragic misidentification, the Germans were able to land troops behind French lines and take the line from the surface.

Having had enough history for one day, we proceeded to our hotel. We had dinner in a casino near the hotel, and afterwards I joined some peers in the main room. Though glamorous in Bond movies and card counting operations, such activities are not my scene. As my peers lost their money at blackjack tables, I enjoyed a few drinks with my professor, who also refrained from joining the tables, on account of the fact that they did not have his game, Craps. By the end of the night, we had witnessed several peers lose sums of 25 to 50 euros, and others who had beat the odds and gone up nearly 50 euros, only to break even in the end.

On the plus side, I took this opportunity to inaugurate a new suit, to great success:

The Situations got nothing on Saint Luc

A Rose By Any Other Name

12 October 2010 - 17 October 2010

Field Trip to Strasbourg, the Alsace, Trier, and Bastogne

The European Court of Justice

On the 13th of October, our class visited the European Court of Justice, where we observed a case between the retail company Marks and Spencer and the flower delivery collective Interflora. Interflora was suing Marks and Spencer for buying and using the Interflora keyword to divert internet traffic from Interflora's website to that of Marks and Spencer's. Claiming that such an action was free-riding on the brand, undermining and diluting the brand, and confusing its consumers, Interflora had unintentionally opened a new debate on the nature of brand recognition and trademark law in the context of internet-based commerce.

Once upon a time, I was very interested in the field of law, and for several years I believed that it would be my future career path. Many years later, I now have learned enough to realize how little I know. Precisely because of my limited comprehension of the complexities of the practice of law within the European Union, I will not attempt a technical explanation of the case that we witnessed, but I will of course provide as impartial a view as possible.

The attorney representing Marks and Spencer defended his client by suggesting that by limiting the use of such keywords exclusively to Interflora, Google would essentially be undermining the intrinsic purpose of the internet, namely, to provide alternatives to the user. Just as a Google search would direct the consumer to a variety of company websites offering the same service, so too would a consumer have the freedom to choose between multiple alternatives in any free market. The attorney appealed to the judges to protect the consumer's right to the freedom of choice. By constraining the search results to Interflora alone, Google's service would be denying the consumer the inherent benefits of a free market, thereby directly violating the principles of economic liberalization.

Throughout the debate I made a few observations. Firstly, the attorney for Marks and Spencer was far superior to his opponent in the art of rhetoric. Secondly, he was much better organized than his opponent, who was unable to produce specific statistics to the judges when asked. Thirdly, and most importantly, the attorney for Marks and Spencer was able to alter the debate into a scenario in which he had a great advantage. The debate itself concerned the recognition of trademarks in Google keywords. Interflora held the trademark on Interflora, yet Marks and Spencer bought the use of the term as a keyword, meaning that a search for "Interflora" in Google would direct the consumer not to the Interflora website, but to a page in which multiple companies were featured. Marks and Spencer was in a more prominnent position than Interflora. The defending attorney subtley changed the debate into one focusing on consumer choice, an argument that is much easier to defend. For this reason, I believe that he will ultimately triumph over his opponent.

Auschwitz and Bergenau

"I do not see why man should not be just as cruel as nature."


                                                                           -Adolf Hitler




"The final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."


                                                                          -Anne Frank




The day after our tours of Krakow we visited Auschwitz and Bergenau. It is impossible to capture the feel of these historic sites, or even to fully reflect on what they represent. May this brief collection of 18 photographs serve, far beyond the means of a written account, to represent Auschwitz for what it truly was. 

Slay the Dragon and Save the World

08-10 October 2010 Krakow, Poland

"Whoever saves one life saves the world entire."

  

-from the Talmud, engraved on the wall of the factory of Oscar Schindler, the German Nazi businessman who saved 1,100 Jewish lives

Last Thursday my two faithful companions and I departed for the city of Krakow, Poland. We were joined by another friend, with whom I had spent six weeks in Madrid and parts of Andalucia. After arriving at the airport in Krakow, it was a fifteen minute train ride into the city center, and a ten minute walk to our lodging at Hostel Giraffe.

In the past, the Duke of Landesberg has come under criticism by his noble peers for his peculiar selection of hostels. His decision in Krakow, however, more than made up for tactical setbacks in the past. In addition to being giraffe-themed, the hostel Giraffe was the home of a hip young crowd, with locals and travelers alike. Locals frequented the hostel for its inexpensive drink prices and wild parties, which we discovered on the second night.

After checking in, we went out to a dinner that exceeded all of our expectations. Polish cuisine, criminally underrated, is a culinary triumph. That Poland was once behind the Iron Curtain still is evident by the prices, which is a happy benefit for all students, who can dine like kings while spending just a few Euros.

The next day we joined a walking tour led by our guide Peter. Peter was a local resident, studying law at one of the universities. I later discovered that my home institution, American University in Washington DC, actually has a program affiliated with the university that Peter attended. We found Peter at the center of a large group of tourists, holding a pole with an advertisement for his tour. He began the tour by briefly summarizing the history of Poland, assuring us that Krakow, the most beautiful city in Poland, was indeed much more beautiful than Warsaw, the most ugly city in Poland. Before we left on our route, Peter asserted that the tour was free, but that we were free to tip him at the end if we felt so inclined. Likewise, if we were dissatisfied, we could write negative reviews or even kick him, which he cautioned against. “I run fast,” he said, “and I have a stick.”

We began in the main square, outside of the Cathedral. At intervals of every half hour or so, a trumpeter plays a brief melody from the bell tower of the Cathedral. The melody was atypical; it ended quite abruptly. Peter informed us of the legend surrounding this tradition. Many centuries ago, Poland was overrun by the Mongols under Genghis Khan (this much of the tale is true). Residents of the city were aware that the Mongols were approaching Krakow, so they posted sentries in the bell tower to warn of a Mongol attack. During one early morning, one such sentry spotted the Mongols entering the city. Taking up a trumpet, he began a signal to warn the city that the Mongol attack was upon them. As it is known, the Mongols were superb archers, and one such archer located the sentry, took careful aim, and fired. His arrow found its mark, and the trumpeter was abruptly silenced mid-note.

The legend is pure fiction. Thought parts of the story have a basis in Polish history, one obvious fallacy is that the Mongol invasion occurred at least two centuries before the Cathedral was built. The legend arose from a local woman who was entertaining a foreign acquaintance. He asked her about the peculiar melody, which prompted her imaginative, but fictional, response. Unfortunately for this woman, the visitor was not an ordinary tourist, but a famous American journalist. Later on, the journalist recounted this story among the other writings he did during his travels, publishing them in a book entitled: “The Trumpeter of Krakow.” The legend prevailed.

From there, we toured the old city, passing through the old city gates, walking down the boulevards, and observing a rich variety of architectural styles, including medieval, gothic, classical, and renaissance style buildings. En route to a famous statue of the Polish Pope John Paul II, we passed an unremarkable secondary institution to which Peter called attention. The school was significant because it was the alma mater of Joseph Conrad, the author of “Heart of Darkness,” a novel about the Belgian imperialism in the Congo that is required reading for every high school class. Though it was designed as a nine year institution, Conrad was only there for two years. This was not because Conrad was a genius, but rather because he was widely viewed as a nuisance, and was expelled after his second year.

Peter’s tour concluded at the southern tip of the old section, where a fire breathing dragon statue has been erected. The significance of the dragon was told to me by a coworker at Foratom prior to my visit to Krakow, but Peter’s recounting of the legend was ever welcome. Once upon a time, a dragon terrorized the city of Krakow, eating the livestock of the townspeople and carrying off their young virgin girls. Many valiant men tried to destroy the dragon, only to die in their quest. One man, a lowly shoemaker, envisioned a different set of tactics. Seizing a group of sheep, he smeared sulfur all over their wool, and waited for the dragon to return. When the dragon did come back, it quickly devoured the unfortunate sheep. The sulfur in its stomach began to cause the dragon to experience profound thirst, and the dragon went to the river to quench it. According to the legend, the dragon continued to drink until its stomach burst, sulfur and all, blowing the dragon completely apart. The shoemaker was then hailed as a hero, and later became the leader of the town. Upon his death, they renamed their town after this valiant hero, Krakus, which later became known as Krakow.

After lunch at a perogyi (Polish dumplings) restaurant, we joined Peter’s second tour, which took us into the Jewish quarter and to the factory owned by Oscar Schindler. I remember seeing Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List during an eighth grade social studies class. For those who are familiar with the film, one of the opening scenes, in which the Jews are being processed before entering the ghetto, was shot in the Jewish quarter of Krakow. The factual setting, however, is actually a twenty minute walk from where Spielberg recreated it, due to the presence of more modern buildings bordering the actual area. The area in which it is theoretically set is near the oldest synagogue in Krakow, and also one of the two oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe (with the other in Prague).

Further along the way, we walked past the largest synagogue in Krakow. This synagogue was founded by a Jewish man named Isaac, around whom there is, of course, another legend. In this legend, Isaac was a poor man, one of the poorest in Krakow. On night he had a profound dream, in which he saw a bridge. Under this bridge was buried a large mound of gold. Having nothing to lose and everything to gain, Isaac journeyed to where this bridge was, only to see it surrounded by soldiers. Being a man of discretion, he approached the commanding officer, and told him of his dream. He promised to divide the profits evenly between himself and the soldiers. The commander indignantly refused his offer, telling Isaac that he too had had a dream. The commander had dreamt of meeting Isaac, a rich man in his dream. Isaac, in the dream, claimed that he had gained his wealth by finding a large mound of gold in his backyard. Dismissing the man now before him, the commander believed that Isaac could not possibly be the same in his dream. 

And so it was that Isaac journeyed home, sought the riches in his yard, and claimed them. His newfound wealth made him a very rich man, and as a tribute he constructed the largest synagogue in the city of Krakow. Though the legend has a happy ending, it is once again fictitious, though not entirely invention. In reality, the only difference was that Isaac was already a very rich man; he happened to be the banker to the King.

Following our tours we had an incredible dinner near the main street in the Old Town. The receptionist had informed us that there would be a party in the hostel bar that evening, so the Duke and I went out for a pre-party drink or two. We chanced upon the main drag of Krakow nightlife, and found an amazing underground bar with table “taps” that were at least six feet tall. After a Tatanka, a sweet Polish cocktail, I had a Kamikazee before we returned to the hostel.

The party was alive and well by the time we arrived. Eagle One and Kelly were engaged in a conversation with two Australian girls from our room in the hostel, which I purposefully interrupted. The Hostel Giraffe had a foosball table, and as that is a game at which I am nearly invincible I decided that Eagle One and I were going to reign over the table all night. We started off well enough, and after several more drinks and a stream of opponents our undisputed dominance was yet unchallenged. Teams continuously came to us, and we consistently beat them without effort. At one point, Eagle One left me at the table against two opponents, and at others we played carelessly, but the table was ours again and again. Eventually, two challengers came up and annihilated us 10-3, which brought us back down to earth and back into the party, where for many more hours we carried on long into the morning hours.

Solidarity Forever

01 October 2010 - 03 October 2010; Oslo, Norway






"The war will continue on other fronts, and there Norwegians will fight on."


General Ruge, before surrendering to the Germans during World War II






There is much for which the citizens of Norway should be proud. To begin with, they have one of the most  pristinely beautiful areas of anywhere in the world. Just before we landed at the satellite airport of Rygge, I opened the window and looked on as we flew past pastoral Scandinavia. Secondly, one must consider their often overlooked or forgotten history, which was much more than bearded Vikings in longboats. Thirdly, their capital city of Oslo is surprisingly diverse, the home of a large community of Eritreans. Lastly, and most significantly, Norway was the ancestral home of a man by the name of Glen Hagen, my late Grandfather whose oldest daughter later became the greatest mother in the universe.


At this point we still have yet to figure out whether we are the Three Amigos, Three Musketeers, or Three Stooges, but it is quite obvious that Eagle One, the Duke of Landesberg, and I are, for each other, hella fine company. In any case, the housemates were on their own, and off on another great adventure.


We ended up settling in a very comfortable hostel located in close proximity to the main boulevard. Oslo is home to a number of interesting museums, and we attempted to visit as many as we could. First we took a boat across the channel to the other side, where the Folk Museum (a cultural center in which everything and everyone were made to represent 16th century Norway) was located. For those who have visited the historic settlements at Colonial Williamsburg or Jamestown in Virginia, a trip that I made with my dear family some years ago, this would be more or less the same, Scandinavian style. There we found a Gol Stavkirke, which used to function as a church. Since I can remember, there has been a picture of a similar structure hanging above the fireplace in my home, but it was not the same. When I explained this to one of the museum employees, she informed me that it may be easier to find the Stavkirke in the picture at home than I realize, as there are only around forty or so left. Perhaps someday I will.

We spent hours there, which were well worth it. The grounds of the Folk Museum were colossal, and in addition to the live exhibitions and open air structures and theaters there were also actual museums featuring additional cultural and historical exhibits. From there we went on to see the Viking Ship Museum, which was rather disappointing. To be fair, I did not have high expectations, as I suspected it would not focus much on anything besides the longboats. The Maritime Museum proved to be much more interesting, featuring the history of shipbuilding and of the great seafaring heritage of Norway.


By the time we arrived back on the other side of the channel, there was an outdoor culinary festival in the city center, and we sampled a rich variety of local specialties, including sweet tasting pastries and whale meat. From there it was back to the hostel, then on to dinner. Like many cities, the character of Oslo changes after the sun sets, as a younger generation comes out to play. Our original goal was to walk from the Parliament building to the Palace, which we would have accomplished, had it not been for the unexpected company of Maurice, a local Norwegian American who joined our company en route. Claiming to be the son of an influential NATO official, Maurice led us to the student section, where we left him happy in the company of a group of girls dressed as angels on a scavenger hunt. When we reached the Palace it was quite dark, but the perspective from the elevated platform upon which it was situated gave us an excellent view of the city.


The next day we went to the fortified part of the city, where we visited the Armed Forces Museum and the Resistance Museum. Both Museums were primarily focused on World War II, which is a subject in which I have great academic and personal interest. Glen Hagen was a United States Marine, and landed at Okinawa, guarded by enemy fire from one Marine in front and one Marine behind him. Though they were both killed, Glen not only survived that battle but also the war.


To the north and the east, members of the Norwegian Army and later of the Norwegian Resistance, some of who may have been distant relatives of Glen, fought Hitler's Army in their occupied homeland. Norway's role in World War II is often overlooked, but they proved very important to the war effort for the Allies as a sea power and additionally as a country in which Hitler was forced to commit large amount of troops. Hitler was convinced that the Allies would attack Norway, and consequently was brutal in dealing with resistance fighters, who represented a continuous threat to his regime in Norway.

The German attack of Norway began with an amphibious assault. Though only a few thousand German soldiers actually landed in the initial wave, they were heavily reinforced by air and sea power from the Luftwaffe and the German Navy. The German invasion occurred early on in the war, and as such the pride of the German fleet at that time was not the Bismark but the Blucher, which led the assault. Sailing around Denmark, the Blucher was to lead the German Navy to strategic points on Norway's western coast. Though the invasion was swift and effective, the Blucher itself was sunk by Norwegian guns from two land-based outposts before it passed Norway, an unexpected setback for the Germans. 

The subsequent battles were fought in and around Norway. Following the sinking of the Blucher, German warships continued to head west and then north, up the coast. One of the fleets was challenged head on by an equally large British fleet, which sunk 22 of their destroyers. Despite the losses inflicted on the Germans, the invasion ultimately proved successful. A smaller German force, reinforced by paratroopers later on, fought Norwegian, French, British, and Polish troops before the German Armies in continental Europe were able to put adequate pressure on the Allied Forces in their home territory. The Allies were forced to withdraw, leaving a poorly trained, exhausted Norwegian Force alone against a better trained, better equipped German Army. 

That the Norwegians were inexperienced was due to the fact that they had finished a war of their own very recently, and did not have the strength to stand against a fresh German Empire. Many Norwegians fled to neutral Sweden, and others were transported to Great Britain for training in guerilla tactics. The Germans attempted to install the Head of the Norwegian Nazi Party as the Prime Minister, but such was the agitation against him that they were forced to fire him. Even so, the Norwegians put up a heroic and brave resistance, fighting on against the Nazis in an incredible display of patriotism and solidarity. Throughout the war, the Allied Powers depended heavily on Norwegian sea power, which supported the Allied War Effort tremendously. To this day the Norwegians are recognized as a leading marine power. When the USS Cole was bombed by the Taliban in Yemen, it was a Norwegian vessel that transported it back to the United States for repairs. 

Scandinavia is noticeably different than the rest of Europe. It may be the climate, or the ambience, or even the people. The calmness and peacefulness of Oslo makes it a direct contrast to the way many perceive its Viking legacy. It seems that back in the day, it was accepted that civilizations had to establish themselves by competing for resources. The tools of statecraft and those of diplomacy were less finely developed. Nevertheless, not all Vikings were warriors. Many were traders who settled down on new islands and integrated themselves to new customs while keeping their old ones. After seeing the video presentation of villages in Norway, it is hard to imagine why anyone would choose to leave. Perhaps it has something to do with the yearning for adventure, for glory, or maybe just the satisfaction of knowing. 

Someday I will be back to visit you, Norway, and when I do it will likely be with the rest of my family. I enjoyed walking through the streets of your fine capital, taking in the sights and enjoying the richness of a distinctly sea-oriented life. But one cannot see a country by seeing a city, and there are so many places yet to explore. As such, I will consider our first meeting a pleasant introduction, and will look forward to the day that we meet again. Besides, I have a Stavkirke to find.

India Statement of Purpose

For the past few months I have been working on an application to study abroad during the spring semester of 2011 in Pune, India. Below is my Statement of Purpose.

Since the beginning of my university studies, I have become fascinated by the economic and social rise of India. From an individual standpoint, the objective of contributing toward the construction of basic infrastructure, as well as that of enabling the poorest classes of Indian society to transcend the confines of their poverty is one that I find infinitely interesting and exciting. Having clearly identified economic and social development as the foundation of my career path, my interest in India is not only academic, but also professional.

I have long considered myself a student of culture. During my childhood, my family hosted four young individuals from different parts of the world while they received medical services not available to them in their home nations. I grew up with foster siblings from Honduras, the Dominican Republic, the Gambia, and India. Later travels with my family would include trips throughout North America, nearly all of Western Europe, and parts of South and East Asia. Through these experiences I gradually developed a recurring interest in discovering the broader global community. My interest in becoming active and involved in international affairs continued to grow during my first two years at the university level, where I have now turned my lifelong interest into the focal point of my academic study.

This past summer I studied abroad in Spain, focusing mostly on improving my knowledge of the Spanish language. In Madrid I interned with Fundacion Ciudad de la Esperanza y la Alegria, an international NGO that builds and supports hospitals and schools in rural regions of India. Currently I am interning with the European Atomic Forum in Brussels, Belgium, while studying both the role and function of the European Union, as well as the French language.

During the semester in Pune, I would ideally focus on development economics, the structure and function of the Indian Civil Service, the methods by which it hopes to alleviate poverty, and the current internal threats (i.e., the Maoists) to its overall stability. The semester would additionally give me a chance to network with local and regional organizations, as well as conduct ethnographic studies that I had spent the previous spring semester designing and organizing.

I have never been more convinced that the rise of India will have profound and lasting effects on the rest of the global community. In addition to its increasing economic stature and its undeniable political significance, India is also making a noteworthy contribution to soft culture via its Bollywood film industry and its spectacular group of young new pop stars. The Pune program would therefore be a phenomenal opportunity to shape the focus of my academic career while enriching it through real, concrete experiences. Through primary observation of and personal immersion in contemporary Indian society, I would gain an unparalleled opportunity to integrate myself in a culture that I have long admired from the other side of the world.

There is no better time than during one’s university studies to travel to new countries and seize opportunities that will never again be as easy nor as fruitful. In a new era of unlimited information and the instantaneous proliferation of culture and ideas, education demands more of us than it ever has before. While I may gain a strong theoretical understanding of modern India through course readings, to gain insight there is no substitute for observing it firsthand.

While in prison, Jawaharlal Nehru began his iconic book entitled “The Discovery of India.” The significance of this title was not to suggest that one man could singlehandedly discover an entire nation; rather, it was a reference to his own personal reflection on the reawakening of a diverse, broad collection of communities separated along religious, geographic, linguistic, and caste lines. Relative to other nations of the world, India as a modern political entity remains a young state, only a single generation removed from it’s founding. The study of India is, therefore, not only an exercise in the nation of India, but a collective study of the institutions of humanity, and how the essence of a national identity is expressed through the apparatus of statecraft. Through this lens, I hope to gain new awareness and have my own discovery of India. 

The European Atomic Energy Forum

Some thirty miles north and west of my home community lies another community called Batavia. Batavia is home to Fermilab, a primer research facility specializing in high energy physics. Though in recent years, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC ) on the Swiss border has made more headlines, the first such high energy particle accelerator, as well as the world's only proton-antiproton collider, are both still in operation at Fermilab. The facility is named after Enrico Fermi, an Italian-American physicist who was best known for his work developing the first nuclear reactor, Chicago-Pile-1. His discoveries would later lead to the creation of the first hydrogen bomb, an achievement that Fermi regarded as inherently immoral and against the intrinsic nature of the goodwill of humanity.

Though the legacy of nuclear technology is largely regarded as constituting the very antithesis of conventional human ethics, contemporary uses of nuclear reactors present a new function for such extraordinary capabilities. The European Atomic Energy Forum (FORATOM), where I now intern, serves as a speakerphone for the nuclear energy industry in Europe, advocating the further adoption of nuclear energy as a clean and efficient means of meeting the projected energy needs for the interim phase between now and humanity's ideal complete transition into renewable sources of energy. The website can be found here.

The issue of nuclear energy is largely ignored, but those who do have opinions have become increasingly polarized. Critics cite the incidents at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Ukraine and Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania as indicators of the environmental and human health related consequences of adopting nuclear energy, while advocates claim that such incidents were far out of the ordinary and a fact of the past due to modern advances in nuclear safety and improved design. One certainty is that a significant portion of the public is simply unaware of the extent to which nuclear power is already in use. In the United States alone there are precisely 104 nuclear reactors in 31 of the 50 states. President Obama, who had introduced legislation strongly supporting the use of renewable energy during his senatorial career (I know because I wrote a letter to him regarding renewable energy, and got a nice response from a dedicated underling), has become increasingly receptive to the idea of incorporating nuclear energy into the US energy infrastructure, a position that has notably brought members of both parties towards a common platform.

Despite the increasing receptivity to the nuclear energy industry, Europe in general remains far ahead of the United States in terms of its own nuclear infrastructure. While specific member states of the European Union (i.e., Germany, Austria, and Italy) remain strongly opposed to the adoption of nuclear energy, other countries such as the UK, Norway, and France have already developed an efficient and safe nuclear industry. To illustrate further, France relies on the nuclear industry for nearly 75% of its total electrical usage. Because of the efficiency of their industry, they have now become an exporter of energy, in contrast to anti-nuclear Italy, which is now the largest importer of energy in Europe.

Nuclear energy may not be the solution for which many had hoped, but the renewable energy industry must be substantially expanded to meet global energy needs. Until that becomes feasible, nuclear energy may provide an interim solution. Though it is an overlooked fact, nuclear energy causes no CO2 emissions. Critics frequently refute this point by referring to the nuclear supply chain, an argument that I cannot deny. Yet judging from existing output, nuclear energy is unequivocally an economically efficient, environmentally safe, and locally supportive practice. The current design of nuclear reactors, now at Generation III, includes safety precautions that would have been inconceivable to nuclear engineers one generation ago.

Regardless of my own personal conviction on the matter, my internship at FORATOM has presented a new perspective on an issue that I, and much of the public, know very little. Nuclear energy remains a largely ignored subject, due either to apathy or unawareness, but it is quickly becoming more important to policy makers. I will be sure to include more of what I have learned in subsequent posts, but for right now let it be sufficient to conclude with the following thoughts:

I. Energy is an often overlooked field that will require increased development and innovation in the coming years.
II. Nuclear energy is automatically associated with its weaponized military capabilities and proliferation, which in turn diminishes interest and reception to its adoption in existing energy infrastructure.
III. A wide gap appears to exist between public sentiment and the member state's energy policy. The majority of citizens do not prioritize energy high on the list; as such, activists for or against nuclear energy are already highly opinionated and the debate overall is highly polarized.
IV. The risk and likelihood of nuclear incidents such as Chernobyl or Three Mile Island occurring again are low and overstated. It should additionally be noted that there were no fatalities (direct or indirect) from the incident at Three Mile Island, and that the plant at Chernobyl was Soviet designed, and contained structural flaws that would have violated numerous regulations in a Western designed reactor.