Below is the text of a (very) brief comment I was invited to make as part of their “Featured Q&A” on the current situation in Bolivia—particularly w/ reference to the conflict between the central government & the department of Potosí—for today’s Latin American Advisor (a daily newsletter put out by the Inter-American Dialogue). I always enjoy the challenge of giving a commentary on something as complex as Bolivian politics in 250 words or less.

There’s been an ongoing controversy over the president’s religious status. Namely, accusations that he’s a (secret) Muslim. Recently, I ran across an ABC News story in which Franklin Graham suggested Obama was “born a Muslim” (whatever that means). One could dismiss the comment, if it weren’t for the fact that Franklin Graham is the son of the late Billy Graham, one of the most iconic Evangelical preachers of the last several decades.

Just a shameless plug a few things of mine that just came out in print. Two are specifically on Bolivia; the other is a published version of the writing/discussion assignment I developed based on American Idol & presented at the 2009 APSA Teaching & Learning Conference.

My friend @kohenari has an interesting post about plagiarism on his blog. The topic’s been under discussion a lot lately (both in the mainstream press & in places like The Chronicle of Higher Education). What makes Ari’s post interesting, however, is that he objects to the conventional wisdom that students today are more likely to plagiarize because the digital age makes it easier—and perhaps even reduces previously existing taboos about intellectual ownership. Further, Ari suggests that new social networking technologies (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) actually foster attribution, not plagiarism.

The latest controversy in Bolivia pitting Evo & Costas (the opposition/regionalist governor of Santa Cruz) is over style masquerading as substance. This Friday is 6 de Agosto, Bolivia’s national holiday. Instead of celebrating the event in La Paz (the political capital) or Sucre (the historical/constitutional capital), Evo’s government has decided to hold the official national ceremony in Santa Cruz. The dilemma, then, was over the use of the wiphala : whether or not it should be raised & whether or not it represents all Bolivians.