Current events

At various times I have wanted to discuss current events. However, I have been rather handicapped by my lack of knowledge about various affairs, and from the commentary I've seen on the various political blogs, a great deal of the discussion is ignorant and prejudiced. My knowledge base has reached a point where I think I can begin to discuss current events, though not necessarily on a day-to-day basis This will probably branch out to other areas of knowledge.

Events that have been in the news include protests against the government of Myanmar (Burma) and the state of emergency in Pakistan. The last is of some interest in the US because Pakistan has been an ally in the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Other than that, I don't have a great deal to add.

During the last month or so, I have been adding to my various lists of events to give me some matieral to work with. A great many of them are associated with government, and I lack a solid background in political science. I am attempting to expand this with examples from history and various different countries, a rather slow process.