Interview + Middle East issues

[Homoochan]

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I was looking at some of the Interview Feedback and am quite worried that I'm sort of ignorant on what's going on in Middle East.

I only know little bit about issues regarding Kurdish rebellion (PKK and PJAK) but nothing else really.

How do you guys keep yourselves updated? I use NYTimes but it doesn't have overview of the basics....

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DrYoda]

Why would they expect you to know anything about Kurdistan?

I would hope if they asked you anything on current events it would be the coming healthcare shake-up, or at least something that's a bigger issue than Kurdistan.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

Lol, I don't know any of that ish, and i'd happily tell them that in an interview. I only know the basics about the major conflicts, Iraq and Afghanistan. Nothin else.

 

[Homoochan]

Why would they expect you to know anything about Kurdistan?

I would hope if they asked you anything on current events it would be the coming healthcare shake-up, or at least something that's a bigger issue than Kurdistan.

One of the question I copied and pasted from interview feedback:

Why are we pumping billions in to Iraq when we can't feed children in our own country?

I mean.. I guess they might not ask but there's always possibility they might ask.

I don't wanna be in the awkward position and say I don't really know anything that's going on in Middle East..

oh well..

 

[RogueUnicorn]

One of the question I copied and pasted from interview feedback:

Why are we pumping billions in to Iraq when we can't feed children in our own country?

I mean.. I guess they might not ask but there's always possibility they might ask.

I don't wanna be in the awkward position and say I don't really know anything that's going on in Middle East..

oh well..

um.. that's something you really should at least have some cursory knowledge about

 

[brooklynblunder]

interviews are generally a progressive conversation. not once have i been asked about what book have i read or about a random middle eastern issue. the topic of healthcare will obviously come up.

everything else depends on what activity you enjoyed the most, you should have a minor grasp of the conversation so you can steer it into your selling point.

 

[brooklynblunder]

One of the question I copied and pasted from interview feedback:

Why are we pumping billions in to Iraq when we can't feed children in our own country?

I mean.. I guess they might not ask but there's always possibility they might ask.

I don't wanna be in the awkward position and say I don't really know anything that's going on in Middle East..

oh well..

[YOUTUBE]lj3iNxZ8Dww[/YOUTUBE]

 

[fastnfurious]

I wouldn't worry about knowing middle eastern current events. they are very complex issues and something you cannot learn about by just watching CNN. I'm only saying this because most of my knowledge about current events come from fellow friends and not the news...the news only skims on issues abroad and adds a lot of biased info (such as the war in iraq...are u kidding me bush?)

 

[strummin]

One of the question I copied and pasted from interview feedback:

Why are we pumping billions in to Iraq when we can't feed children in our own country?oh well..

Somebody ask GWB. Why did we invade a country that had nothing to do with 9/11? Where are the WMDs? Where are they, GWB? So much money spent in Iraq, yet so many Americans are suffering today because of a lack of healthcare. But if you dare ask these questions, you're probably going to be met with answers like "how dare you question GWB's motives! You unpatriotic liberal!"

 

[Red Leader]

Somebody ask GWB. Why did we invade a country that had nothing to do with 9/11? Where are the WMDs? Where are they, GWB? So much money spent in Iraq, yet so many Americans are suffering today because of a lack of healthcare. But if you dare ask these questions, you're probably going to be met with answers like "how dare you question GWB's motives! You unpatriotic liberal!"

lol I like how people ask these questions expecting real answers...so naive. Use that thing in your skull and think. Yes, a foreign concept for some, but thinking can often give you the answers you are seeking. WMDs...lol 8 years later people are still asking this, hilarious. There never were WMDs bro. If there is even a 1% chance of a country having WMDs that can be used on us, we will not go in. Read between the lines.

 

[panthera]

[YOUTUBE]lj3iNxZ8Dww[/YOUTUBE]

has she done any follow up explaining what the eff she said? i don't think you can even blame that nonsense on a fear of public speaking.

 

[Red Leader]

has she done any follow up explaining what the eff she said? i don't think you can even blame that nonsense on a fear of public speaking.

I personally believe that, such as the Iraq, her condition is caused by a disease called "IQ under 50" such as, and the American countries.

 

[Simplify]

Somebody ask GWB. Why did we invade a country that had nothing to do with 9/11? Where are the WMDs? Where are they, GWB? So much money spent in Iraq, yet so many Americans are suffering today because of a lack of healthcare. But if you dare ask these questions, you're probably going to be met with answers like "how dare you question GWB's motives! You unpatriotic liberal!"

Maybe we should ask Clinton, Gore and nearly the entire US Congress as well? I remember Clinton and Gore pounding the war drum pretty hard at various points, especially during presidential / vice presidential debates. And of course there is that sticky situation of the Congress authorizing the war.

 

[Food]

Maybe we should ask Clinton, Gore and nearly the entire US Congress as well? I remember Clinton and Gore pounding the war drum pretty hard at various points, especially during presidential / vice presidential debates. And of course there is that sticky situation of the Congress authorizing the war.

I agree. The entire American leadership and foreign policy directive should be blamed. Imperialism leads to tyranny in other countries and tyranny spawns terrorism.

 

[Food]

has she done any follow up explaining what the eff she said? i don't think you can even blame that nonsense on a fear of public speaking.

Yeah this never ceases to amaze me. Seriously.

 

[brooklynblunder]

she came on tosh.0 to do a segment for his web redemption thing (daniel tosh's stand up is hilarious btw)

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=230477&title=web-redemption-miss-south

 

[strummin]

Maybe we should ask Clinton, Gore and nearly the entire US Congress as well? I remember Clinton and Gore pounding the war drum pretty hard at various points, especially during presidential / vice presidential debates. And of course there is that sticky situation of the Congress authorizing the war.

Really? Clinton and Gore decided to invade Iraq? Clinton and Gore lied to the American people continuously about non-existent WMD's? The congress authorized the war because the right-wingers had done a wonderful job of painting anyone who was against the war "unpatriotic" - congressmen were too afraid to be labeled unpatriotic. Remember GWB's words: "either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists"??

 

[Simplify]

Clinton and Gore lied to the American people continuously about non-existent WMD's?

Yes. I'm not going to do the research for you. A quick search of YouTube should turn up numerous results on Clinton/Gore vis a vis Iraq's (apparently non-existent) WMDs. Inform yourself before you feign disbelief. Also, no one forced Congress to do anything. Clinton was privy to the same bad intelligence that Bush was, and he came to the same conclusions. Should we have gone into Iraq for the reasons we did? Doubtful.

The president doesn't have the authority to go to war. He must request that authority. He can send in the Marines for up to 90 days; otherwise he needs Congressional authorization.

 

[Food]

Yes. I'm not going to do the research for you. A quick search of YouTube should turn up numerous results on Clinton/Gore vis a vis Iraq's (apparently non-existent) WMDs. Inform yourself before you feign disbelief. Also, no one forced Congress to do anything. Clinton was privy to the same bad intelligence that Bush was, and he came to the same conclusions. Should we have gone into Iraq for the reasons we did? Doubtful.

The president doesn't have the authority to go to war. He must request that authority. He can send in the Marines for up to 90 days; otherwise he needs Congressional authorization.

Haha that's all well and fine but you can't possibly be saying that Clinton and Gore had as much a hand in it...They did not create an absolutist agenda / pretext like Cheney and Rumsfeld. Honestly, just the very sight of those two men should make people re-think American leadership.

Also - if you're going to try to tell us to look at youtube videos to support your "side", then you should probably look at some of the youtube videos that we would have you look at.

 

[Simplify]

Haha that's all well and fine but you can't possibly be saying that Clinton and Gore had as much a hand in it...

So you're saying that their culpable, only to a lesser degree? I'm not trying to start a political argument. What I'm saying is that other presidents reached the same conclusion as Bush. Congress reached the same conclusion as well. After all, they're the only ones with the power to authorize war in the first place.

 

[Food]

So you're saying that their culpable, only to a lesser degree? I'm not trying to start a political argument. What I'm saying is that other presidents reached the same conclusion as Bush. Congress reached the same conclusion as well. After all, they're the only ones with the power to authorize war in the first place.

It was the President's job to convince Congress to reach the same conclusion. I would say he did a pretty good job. Or rather, his cabinet did. If only Congress did have the authority (or the balls) to do what you think it does, we'd have a much different America.

 

[zayka]

It is highly unlikely you will be asked about Kurds. However, The Economist is really great if you want a comprehensive source of current event (they also have special sections that are like a Review paper on a particular issue, and you can go on the website and look in the archives for whatever you are looking for). If you are neurotic about this, you can learn about all sorts of obscure current events such as the expansion of Heathrow Airport, how GWB's cousin/brother has a Hispanic wife that helped him get the Latino vote in Florida, the gypsy problem in Europe, and cool new technological devices for ATMs that will read your fingerprints. I used to subscribe, but no longer have time to read it.

I watch CNN in the morning during breakfast - if it's not on the morning news, then I don't know it. The past week: some Afghanistan stuff, Obama healthcare, Obama education speech controversy, Obama Wall St., Kanye West outburst, Serena Williams outburst, Yale grad student murder. That's all I know.

 

[mechtel]

I was looking at some of the Interview Feedback and am quite worried that I'm sort of ignorant on what's going on in Middle East.

I only know little bit about issues regarding Kurdish rebellion (PKK and PJAK) but nothing else really.

How do you guys keep yourselves updated? I use NYTimes but it doesn't have overview of the basics....

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Also, keep in mind that questions posted on interview feedback don't offer full context. For example, I noticed someone was asked about the music scene in DC. Since I am neither a musician nor from DC, this is not a question I anticipate receiving.

If an applicant stated they finished a honors thesis on middle eastern politics or had recently returned from Jordan, this question would make sense. It is very unlikely that you would get asked this out of the blue.

 

[brooklynblunder]

yea i have never gotten that what books do u read

i have almost had good control of what i wanted to talk about. it depends because i already graduated from school and have set activities that i do. things revolve around there. i find things to tie in from undergrad to the things im doing now. sometimes the interviewer will have certain specific interests in your work