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A poem that describes the feelings of an immigrant thinker

Papers by Mohamed Rabie

NewsLooks, 2022

The mass shooting that occurred in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022, is a senseless act of violence ... more The mass shooting that occurred in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022, is a senseless act of violence that killed 18 innocent kids and two teachers. Most people who care about the right

Globalization in Historical Perspective, 2013

As the 21st century advances, societies in all parts of the world seem to be experiencing one cri... more As the 21st century advances, societies in all parts of the world seem to be experiencing one crisis after another, causing them to feel a loss of direction. Technologies to enhance our ability to deal with every aspect of our daily life are being developed at the speed of light. Countless people, institutions, and organizations with varied and, often, contradictory interests are participating in this unprecedented process. Due to this dynamic and continuous process of change, a “world in transition” is emerging, where impersonal, non-institutional, ideological, and non-ideological forces assume leading roles in instigating change and promoting socioeconomic transformations of immense proportions and implications. It is estimated, for example, that the last three decades of the twentieth century had witnessed a “tenfold increase in communications by electronic means and tenfold reduction in person-to-person contact.” (Suplee, Imagine This 8) This transformation happened before the internet matured and social media appeared. This paper tries to place globalization in its proper historical context and explain the process that gave birth to globalization.

Globalization in Historical Perspective.pdf, 2021

World history is the record of past events that are universally recognized as important and inter... more World history is the record of past events that are universally recognized as important and interesting to most peoples. Such events include war and peace, the creation of states and religions, the rise and fall of empires, and the consequences of such changes. While it has always been difficult to determine the nature of forces that control the course of history, it is thought and often claimed that the environment, circumstances, political leaders, ideologies, technological innovations, states, cultures, and ambitions of past leaders and empires have been responsible for making history and what we think of it.

International Studies, 2021

Forces of Historical Progress, 2022

This paper intends to identify, what we might call, the forces of historical progress, and analyz... more This paper intends to identify, what we might call, the forces of historical progress, and analyze the role played by each force. It will also explain what I call the societal processes of change and transformation: the sociocultural process, the political process, the economic process, and the infomedia process. These processes will be explained by briefly identifying their nature, historical development, roles in society, and how they relate to each other and interact with one another.

The Global Debt Crisis and Its Socioeconomic Implications

The following is a general look at the major forces that are shaping the economics and politics o... more The following is a general look at the major forces that are shaping the economics and politics of most nations and regions of the world. During most of the twentieth century, only two great powers were able to dominate the fields of politics and economics and effectively influence the direction of global change. However, as the number of centers of economic and political power has grown, the rules of the old game have changed, giving emerging markets and a few nations a role to play in shaping the future. As a result, more players are involved in shaping politics and influencing economics, particularly at regional level. Nevertheless, the dynamic relationship that ties politics to economics and economics to politics, and both to people's cultures and living conditions, has given rise to new non-state actors and enabled them to greatly influence the outcomes of global change. These actors include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization, multinational corporations, civil society organizations and terrorist organizations. But no matter how many powers emerge, the United States, being the world's dominant political, economic and military power, remains the power to fear and respect, to watch and listen to. And because of its tremendous power and influence, the United States must be held accountable for its actions and inactions. On the other hand, we need to recognize that the corporation has become the most active player in the sphere of economic and financial affairs, because most corporations are better equipped than most states to make investment decisions based on economic considerations.

The Global Debt Crisis and Its Socioeconomic Implications

In this chapter, the 2008 financial crisis will be reviewed, with emphasis on its causes and mani... more In this chapter, the 2008 financial crisis will be reviewed, with emphasis on its causes and manifestations, and the policies adopted by the US government to deal with it and stimulate the American economy. At the end, I shall try to evaluate the results of these policies in view of the goals they sought to accomplish. THE FINANCIAL CRISIS In response to the financial crisis of 2008, the US government intervened to prevent a meltdown of the financial sector; it put together a 700billionbailoutpackage.Thispackage,officiallycalledtheEmergencyEconomicStabilizationActof2008,soughttosavethebankingsystem,restoreconfidenceintheUSeconomyandcalmtheglobalfinancialmarkets.ThemandateofthisActwastoauthorizetheUSTreasurytopurchasebaddebts,whichincludedmortgages,autoloans,collegeloansandotherbills.700 billion bailout package. This package, officially called the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, sought to save the banking system, restore confidence in the US economy and calm the global financial markets. The mandate of this Act was to authorize the US Treasury to purchase bad debts, which included mortgages, auto loans, college loans and other bills. 700billionbailoutpackage.Thispackage,officiallycalledtheEmergencyEconomicStabilizationActof2008,soughttosavethebankingsystem,restoreconfidenceintheUSeconomyandcalmtheglobalfinancialmarkets.ThemandateofthisActwastoauthorizetheUSTreasurytopurchasebaddebts,whichincludedmortgages,autoloans,collegeloansandotherbills.250 billion of this money was deposited in banks to give them the cash needed to restore public confidence, and to resume normal operations and lending to the public. Since the US economy depends heavily on lending to finance many business and consumer activities, it was natural to give priority to rescuing the faltering banks and save the system from collapse. The Guardian called the crisis a heart attack: "It was the year the neo-liberal orthodoxy that ran the world for 30 years suffered a heart attack of epic proportions." 1 149

Using reports issued by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations (UN), t... more Using reports issued by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European Commission, World Economic Forum and several consulting firms and research institutes, as well as newspaper articles, the author reviews the global political and economic scene; and concludes that the situation is bad and getting worse. Income and wealth gaps are wide and continue to widen; poverty is wide and becoming structural, unemployment is high, particularly among the youth of the world, discrimination is on the rise; despair is spreading, causing radicalism and terrorism to increase; public, private and corporate debt is high and rising; and wars and tension are overwhelming most parts of the world. All of this is crying out for attention.

1. A View of History 2. The Stages of Societal Development 3. The Processes of societal Transform... more 1. A View of History 2. The Stages of Societal Development 3. The Processes of societal Transformation 4. Societal Transformation 5. Agents of Historical Change 6. Theories of World History 7. The Train of Time 8. Ideology and History 9. Cultural Determinism

Reports suggest that the credit situation in several countries is bad, and traditional retail bus... more Reports suggest that the credit situation in several countries is bad, and traditional retail business is in deep trouble. And while growth is slowing for the fifth year in a row, neither the World Bank nor central banks have ideas to address the debt crisis or contain inequalities. Since our world has become so complicated, tools used in the past have become largely useless; putting “experts” in charge of an evolving situation amounts to recycling unrecyclable ideas and talent, and using unusable tools. Two more factors will affect growth negatively: an emerging state of equilibrium in several industrial states, where domestic demand grows at a slow pace; and a state of diminishing expectations in other states, where people expect less in the future and are resigned to accept the less to come.

The Global Debt Crisis and Its Socioeconomic Implications

The Evolution of Civilizations n this perceptive look at the factors behind the rise and fall of ... more The Evolution of Civilizations n this perceptive look at the factors behind the rise and fall of civilizations, Professor Quigley seeks to establish the analytical tools necessary for understanding history. He examines the application of scientific method to the social sciences, then establishes his historical hypotheses. He poses a division of culture into six levels, from the more abstract to the more concrete-intellectual, religious, social, political, economic, and military-and he identifies seven stages of historical change for all civilizations: mixture, gestation, expansion, conflict, universal empire, decay, and invasion. Quigley tests these hypotheses by a detailed analysis of five major civilizations: the Mesopotamian, the Canaanite, the Minoan, the classical, and the Western. "He has reached sounder ground than has Arnold J. Toynbee"-Christian Science Monitor. "Studies of this nature, rare in American historiography, should be welcomed. Quigley's juxtaposition of facts in a novel order is often provocative, and his work yields a harvest of insights"-American Historical Review. "Extremely illuminating"-Kirkus Reviews. "This is an amazing book.. .. Quigley avoids the lingo of expertise; indeed, the whole performance is sane, impressively analytical, and well balanced"-Library Journal.

This chapter reviews the American political, economic and social scenes, and provides information... more This chapter reviews the American political, economic and social scenes, and provides information about American involvement in conflict around the world, economic growth rates since the Great Depression, income and wealth inequalities, social mobility, labor participation in the workforce, and manufacturing jobs. Growth rates are low and are expected to remain low; wealth Inequality shows that the richest 1% of Americans own more that 50% of the wealth; social mobility is low and declining; discrimination is rising; participation in the workforce is the lowest in many years; and the manufacturing sector continues to lose jobs. Though the situation is stable, trends of change seem to suggest that a new crisis is looming.

This chapter reviews the American public debt, and shows that it has been increasing in size and ... more This chapter reviews the American public debt, and shows that it has been increasing in size and in relation to gross domestic product (GDP), exceeding $20 trillion in 2017. Assuming recent growth rates will continue, the United States will accumulate more debt and pay more to service it. For the country to start repaying its debt, it has to have a budget surplus that exceeds interest payments. In view of current deficits, interest payments and rates of growth, the United States will never be able to repay its debt. Therefore, its monetary and fiscal policies need to be changed to increase revenues and reduce spending, or alternatively find a creative idea to repay its debt now—which the Ramo Plan is designed to do.

The Spanish debt crisis was caused by a housing bubble triggered by the 2008 financial crisis. In... more The Spanish debt crisis was caused by a housing bubble triggered by the 2008 financial crisis. In 2008, Spain enjoyed prosperity, had a budget surplus and a flourishing tourist industry. Spain tried first to stimulate the economy but failed, in part, because of a loss in consumer confidence, bank failures and declining tourism. An austerity plan was then implemented. This caused a recession that lasted six years, increased unemployment from less than 10% in 2007 to 30% in 2013, increased youth unemployment from 17% to 55%, forced the poorest 10% to lose 13% of their real incomes each year between 2007 and 2011, and also raised the debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio from 36% in 2007 to 117% in 2017, from 470to470 to 470to1460 billion.

A poem that describes the feelings of an immigrant thinker

NewsLooks, 2022

Globalization in Historical Perspective, 2013

Globalization in Historical Perspective.pdf, 2021

International Studies, 2021

Forces of Historical Progress, 2022

The Global Debt Crisis and Its Socioeconomic Implications

The Global Debt Crisis and Its Socioeconomic Implications, Nov 1, 2017

Conflict Resolution and Ethnicity-updated, 1994

Change and conflict are two faces of one social process that never stops moving and evolving. Cha... more Change and conflict are two faces of one social process that never stops moving and evolving. Change causes conflict because it produces winners and losers, and conflict leads to change that produces winners and losers. Since neither conflict nor change is avoidable, the management of all societal processes must try to maximize the number of winners and minimize the number of losers of every round of change and conflict. All people in every country are social actors and products of different life experiences, historical group memories, religious beliefs, varied cultures, and environmental settings. People normally face many sets of social, economic, and political problems and opportunities, they also function according to different values, traditions, and interests. Consequently, they tend to have varied at times contradictory attitudes, worldviews, and perceptions, and to nurture different, at times conflicting sociopolitical, socioeconomic, and sociocultural goals and expectations. On the other hand, diversified human interests, largely incompatible religious beliefs, clashing cultural values, and competing individual and societal goals are causes of conflict and forces of change. Individuals, groups, organizations, societies, and states are faced daily with countless issues to consider, decisions to make, and actions to take; they also have goals to pursue, problems to solve, situations to manage, unforeseen circumstances, and challenges to prepare for. But for such tasks to be accomplished without delay, peoples and the institutions through which they function must continuously change and accept change as inevitable. All decisions and actions that people take, regardless of their nature, timing, and possible consequences, are based on assumptions regarding the self, the other, the environment, and the existing states of sociopolitical and socioeconomic affairs. In determining their moves, people usually try to alter certain attitudes, build and rebuild relationships with other groups and nations; sometimes they try to force a reversal of an action taken by other people to restore the status quo. In so doing, however, people seek to establish and maintain a stable balance in their relationship vis-à-vis the other that could be a group, a cultural minority, a