30th - The Parallel of Strife

If there is one other aspect that is common to the strife that already is, or will soon be, tearing at many nations around the world, it is that almost all of them lie at/around 30°0′N - the northern 30th parallel. Lets go east from 0°0′E - Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, all of them lie on the 30th parallel.

In some countries such as Tunisia, Egypt and Libya the uprisings by the masses have been self-organizing, and in some others such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan such mass movements might be in the making due to years of deliberate (and may be uncalled for) external influences which led to years of war.

Some of the other countries that the 30th parallel passes through are Morocco, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India, Nepal, China, and Japan. On the face of it these countries might seem peaceful, but even most of these countries are facing social unrest in their own right, albeit to a lesser (or rather, lesser known) extent. Israel, and its conflict with Arabs, can easily be thought of as central to almost any conflict in the middle-east and to any lasting solution to peace as well. Saudi Arabian regime has a track record that is none-too-dissimilar from its counterparts in the middle-east and elsewhere when it comes to violations of basic human rights and dignity. In India the separatists, mostly belonging to the tribes who have lost out on the "benefits" of liberalization and are missing out on high rate of growth, are seeking statehood so they can govern themselves and theirs better. Nepal, inspite of doing away with monarchy a few years back has still not been able to form a stable government due to its failure to appease the maoists. China it seems is already trying to suppress the news from other movements and revolutions around the world from reaching its populace.

Now going across the Pacific into the Americas - the 30th passes through Mexico as well as the US. Over last couple of years Mexico has seen (and continues to see) numerous killings due to infighting among drug cartels and their ceaseless tussle with the state. In the US the political temperatures are at an all time high - the Democrats and the Republicans have been at each others throats since President Obama assumed the office of the president, and it seems it is only going to get worse, and not in the least due to an ill-advised move of a Republican Governor to take away his state's unions' right to collectively bargain.

It seems the 30th parallel is going to be the new Doldrums, Doldrums of societal upheaval and political change that is, only a few degrees north of their geographical counterparts.

Viva la Revolution, and History and Geography.


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