Suggested Discussion Outline

[johnkarls]

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Our Oct 1 Zoom meeting will be very unusual.

However, it will be usual insofar as we will go through the focus book (“Chokepoints: American Power In The Age of Economic Warfare” by Columbia Prof. Edward Fishman) chapter by chapter to afford everyone an opportunity to discuss every issue or question s/he may have.

Very unusual???

None of the traditional Short Quizzes were featured in our weekly e-mails – for the first time in our 19 years of existence.

They are available through the menu at viewforum.php?f=874&sid=aade984b96bd9ce ... afd21c0f1c.

It lists, inter alia –

• Foreign Affairs Magazine disagrees with Chokepoints – calls economic sanctions “an alternative universe” of “happy talk”

• Trying To Avoid Scaring Off Participants With Warranted Negativity Toward Our Focus Book

• Suggested Answers to the Third Short Quiz – Chapters 36-68 + Conclusion

• Suggested Answers to the Second Short Quiz – Intro + Chapters 1-35

• Suggested Answers to the First Short Quiz – Questions Before Opening “Chokepoints”

The reason none of the Short Quizzes was featured in our weekly e-mails???

As explained in the second item listed above, the purpose of the Short Quizzes is to generate participation and the extreme negativity this month would scare off participants.

While not scaring off participants is justified because “Chokepoints” is a worthwhile read.

Yes, it was written by a proponent of economic sanctions who highly exaggerates their importance and is often wrong vis-à-vis both his facts and his opinions -- but it is the only book on the subject that we have come across and its claims are a good starting point for further research.

Nonetheless, the first item listed above confirms that Foreign Affairs Magazine agrees with our judgment that economic sanctions are “an alternative universe” of “happy talk”