The Diplomacy Cable 11/28/2016
The Diplomacy Cable
With the invention of the telegraph cables in the 19th century, international consulates and embassies began sending shorter encrypted telegrams, using Morse Code. While the messages are now sent electronically, the moniker “cable” stuck and the term is still in use today for shorter, encrypted diplomatic messages.
Castro-Russia Bromance
Former Cuban President Fidel Castro died at age 90 years old on Friday, November 25, 2016 after suffering from illness for eight years. According to the Moscow Times, “Castro, who lead a rebel army to improbable victory in Cuba, embraced Soviet-style communism and defied the power of 10 U.S. presidents during his half-century rule.”
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Japan’s ‘Space World’
Space World, a Japanese theme park froze 5,000 sea creatures for a special winter attraction called “Freezing Port”. The Park’s manager, Toshimi Takeda, said that the fish were dead prior to being frozen into the floor of the ice rink. The park will unfreeze the skate rink and hold an “appropriate religious service” for the fish, reports CNN.
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Worst Bleaching – Great Barrier Reef
According to BBC, “higher water temperatures in 2016 caused the worst destruction of corals ever records on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.” When water temperatures rise for a sustained period of time, bleaching occurs. This year 67 percent of the corals died in the reef’s worst-hit Northern section while only 6 percent perished in the central section.
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Zimbabwe’s New Currency
According to the Guardian, “Zimbabwe has launched a controversial new currency in a last ditch bid to inject desperately needed cash into its failing economy.” There is a growing fear that the new notes will cause hyperinflation amongst Zimbabwe’s public. President Robert Mugabe’s decision has been called a “last gamble” and has resulted in protests against his rule.
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Benefits of Irish Reunification
In a discussion document launched entitled “Towards a United Ireland,” leaders of the Irish political party Sinn Féin want to stimulate debate on the subject since its resurfacing after the Brexit vote. RTÉ reports Northern Ireland Minister for Finance Máirtín Ó Muilleoir says reunification would result in a benefit of £35 billion for the whole island by 2025. The Good Friday Agreement allows for the triggering of a referendum held concurrently in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Diplomacy Fast Facts:
What is Ping-Pong diplomacy?
This term refers to the exchange of table tennis players between the United States and the People’s Republic of China in the early 1970s.
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Patricia Mace is a second semester graduate student at Seton Hall University. She is currently pursuing her dual master’s degrees in Diplomacy and International Relations and Strategic Communications. She received her undergraduate degrees from University of Delaware.
Erin Dobbs is a second year graduate student at Seton Hall University. She is pursuing her master’s degree in diplomacy and international relations with specializations in foreign policy analysis and global negotiation and conflict management. She received her undergraduate degree in political science and history from Villanova University.
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