The Duck of Minerva

Steve Saideman

Steve Saideman is Professor and the Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. He has written The Ties That Divide: Ethnic Politics, Foreign Policy and International Conflict; For Kin or Country: Xenophobia, Nationalism and War (with R. William Ayres); and NATO in Afghanistan: Fighting Together, Fighting Alone (with David Auerswald), and elsewhere on nationalism, ethnic conflict, civil war, and civil-military relations.

Recent Posts

Belated Friday Nerd Blogging: Classics Mashup

by Steve Saideman | 14 June, 2013 |

I thought Charli's return meant I was off this beat, but what the hey. What if Shakespeare wrote Star Wars? Check it out here. Come to think of it, the whole brother and sister not knowing each other and almost falling in love seems like a Shakespeare comedy, does it not?  Oh really?  Never mind.

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Friday Nerd Blogging: Predictable But Enjoyable Mashup

by Steve Saideman | 7 June, 2013 |

Do not click if one has not read the third book of Game of Thrones or did not see the most recent episode, as spoilers dwell within: Ah, any deployment of Princess Bride is, well, magical, but, in this case, given the over-reactions on the internet Sunday night and Monday morning, this is just about perfect.  I am just waiting for folks to play the Rains of Castamere at their wedding.

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Belated Conference Proposal Advice

by Steve Saideman | 31 May, 2013 |

A twitter friend of mine was trying to figure out how to put together his proposal for the International Studies Association's Annual Meeting.  The ISA has gotten into a nasty habit of having a really early deadline.  So, folks are thinking about it today since the deadline is tomorrow.  I have had a fair amount of experience on the other end, organizing the program for the Foreign Policy section of the APSA about a decade ago, doing the Ethnicity, Nationalism and Migration section of the ISA [ENMISA] a few years back, and then this masochism year of the Foreign Policy Analysis section of...

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Friday Nerd Blogging: Silly Charity Stunts

by Steve Saideman | 31 May, 2013 |

The lesson apparently is that Lucasfilm still exists?  This is the second year that the Nerdist folks have combined with Lucasfilm to raise money for charity.  How so?   By having a relay of folks carrying a lightsaber to Comic-con in San Diego.  Oh, and posting a series of silly youtube videos.  Here is the first one for this year:

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A Good Day To Remember Civil-Military Relations

by Steve Saideman | 27 May, 2013 |

Today is Memorial Day in this U.S., which leads to all kinds of silly debates about whether this holiday celebrates just the dead killed in America's wars or the Veterans as well since there is Veteran's Day in November (which is Armistice Day everywhere else). The other silly debate that seems to occur around this time is about the draft.  Karl Eikenberry (former US general and then Ambassador to Afghanistan) and David Kennedy (retired history prof) wrote a NYT op-ed about the state of US civ-mil and what to do about it, including ... bring back the draft.  Oy. First, to be clear, there...

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Friday Nerd Blogging: Early but On Time

by Steve Saideman | 21 May, 2013 |

I am posting this now for two reasons: 1) I am going to be at a conference for the next few days and the hotel apparently lacks wifi! 2) it is the anniversary of Youtube, which has made much of Friday Nerd Blogging possible. So here is a tribute to the Youtube anniversary:

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Friday Nerd Blogging: Better Late Than Never

by Steve Saideman | 11 May, 2013 |

It is that time of year when people are getting the official letter informing them that their tenure/promotion has cleared the final hurdles--the President, the Board of Regents/Governors/Trustees/Assorted Rich People.   So, congratulations to those that have made it past all of the various hurdles along  the way.

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