I just attended a safety and preparedness seminar for MSU program leaders over at the Office of Study Abroad. Unlike most meetings, this was extremely helpful. I know you're inundated with studying so I'll just pass along two links for now.
The first is the link for the student handbook for study abroad: HERE. It contains answers to virtually every question you would want to know about the infrastructure of study abroad. Notably, MSU has one of the largest study abroad programs in the country - nearly 2500 students per year. All of that expertise is distilled into digestible tidbits in the student handbook.
The other is the link to the CDC medical sheet for Poland: HERE. This link outlines the health issues particularly related to travel in Poland.
I will post additional information from OSA as we get through the finals period.
Monday, April 18, 2011
More on housing
I've received the following additional confirmation on housing prices:
Based on recent conversations between our extraordinary liason, Ewelina, and the Bialystok University dorm manager, the housing cost for the program period (June 11-July 10) will be about 350PLN but no more than 400PLN (for one person sharing a double room). Ewelina further reports: "Still there is extra fee for the access to the Internet. Simultaneously the manager pointed out that we will discuss all the details while we know the final number of rooms required."
Based on recent conversations between our extraordinary liason, Ewelina, and the Bialystok University dorm manager, the housing cost for the program period (June 11-July 10) will be about 350PLN but no more than 400PLN (for one person sharing a double room). Ewelina further reports: "Still there is extra fee for the access to the Internet. Simultaneously the manager pointed out that we will discuss all the details while we know the final number of rooms required."
Consequently, now that the program application period has closed, please complete your housing, roommate, and course preference form as soon as possible.
Exchange rates today put 400PLN at $145USD.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Housing, roommates, and courses
My secretary, Sue Nelson, has volunteered to become the administrative secretary for the Poland Program, and you should have received an email from her yesterday regarding housing, roommates, and course selection.
As to housing, the estimates prices are still the $120 (the last number I received was 350PLN) posted on the school website -- these may change based on exchange rates, increases in university housing prices, etc., but the final price should not be significantly different than what we've already been told. We are also attempting to see if we can get all of our housing in a single block so that you all are near each other, but the University students will still be in finals and an entire block may not be possible. The rate for a single will be roughly twice the rate of the double because the university housing only has one size room. When you get the single, you are paying for the empty bunk.
Selection between single and double rooms is based on availability. I will do everything I can to get you your housing choice. It's probably a good idea to select a roommate even if you put in for a single room.
Also take a look at course selection -- we presume you are signing up for all five courses. You may sign up for just four instead, but I strongly recommend you take all five.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email or stop by.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Courses -- Comparative Environmental Law
Poland and Comparative Environmental Law
Few countries rival Poland when it comes to the study of comparative environmental law. Communism left the country in a state of deep ecological crisis marked by widespread air and water pollution--among the worst in Europe. The construction of massive steel mills in the vicinity of Krakow, the only major Polish city to survive World War II intact, contributed by the 1980s to the City’s official designation as an “ecological disaster area.” Acid rain and other forms of air pollution threatened the health of Krakow’s residents, and damaged its centuries-old monuments. Today Krakow’s air quality is much improved, as you will be able to see for yourself during your visit to the city. In Krakow, and elsewhere in Poland, there has been a drastic reduction in levels of air pollutants, most notably particulates, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, as a result of a fundamental restructuring of energy and industrial practices during the 1990s. Nonetheless, air pollution remains a significant problem. Full compliance with European Union (EU) directives on environmental policy, a precondition of Poland’s accession to the EU in 2004, is yet to be achieved. The European Commission has repeatedly taken Poland to the European Court of Justice over various environmental violations, most recently in February of this year.
Using Poland as a point of departure and recurrent reference, the course will explore two key issues in comparative environmental law. The first explores the roots of cross-national differences in regulatory responses to environmental risks. Our emphasis in this connection would be on the comparison between the United States and the European Union. The second will concentrate on the spread of American-modeled environmental citizen suits in countries worldwide, and the potential and limitations of this legal instrument. Through focused on environmental law and policy, the course is designed convey comparative perspectives and conceptual tools that will be applicable across a wide range of comparative legal fields.
References:
Photograph: http://www.rp.pl/galeria/10,1,589045.html
John Clark and Daniel H. Cole, Environmental Protection in Transition: Economic, Legal and Socio-Political Perspectives on Poland. Ashgate (1998).
Halina Szejnwald Brown, “Transformation of the Environmental Regulatory System in Poland during the 1990s,” 19 Knowledge, Technology and Policy 26-43 (2007).
European Environment Agency, “Air Pollution (Poland),” November 26, 2010. http://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/countries/pl/soertopic_view?topic=air%20pollution
“Commission asks Poland to comply with EU water quality legislation,” Europa: Press Release. February 16,2011. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/174&format=HTML
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Judges and the Myth of the Rule of Law
The remarkable thing about the rule of law is that it exists at all in the modern or post-modern cultures of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In particular, I'm thinking about the role of judges and our faith in the legal system to provide predictable, stable, and coherent rulings that are consistent with existing rules.
While judges in civil law systems are generally respected by the bar and other consumers of legal decision making, in the U.S., judges are the aristocracy of the legal class. We accord them and their decisions extraordinary respect and accept the anti-majoritarian and anti-democratic rulings on civil, criminal, statutory, and constitutional matters as if those pronouncements are somehow gifted with extraordinary insight and finality. In some cases, the state and federal supreme courts may render final statements of the law that contradict deeply-held ethical and political beliefs of supermajorities of citizens affected by those opinions. Despite this, judicial impeachment proceedings or legislation defunding activities of the judicial branch are rare. Likewise, incumbent judges are almost never voted out of office.
While we may view judges as important bulwarks that preserve the rule of law, the reality is that most judges are political hacks who get appointed because of their political activities and support or elected because they have a judicial-sounding surname. (Professor Barnhizer the Elder recently wrote on the ability of even the most incompetent and/or corrupt judges to consistently win re-election because of name recognition HERE). While the legislative process is often analogized to the making of sausage, it's not really fair to say that the process of judging legal disputes is any better. Judges often make mistakes of law, base their decisions on partisan political considerations, engage in vote trading at the appellate level, and even when they attempt to act in good faith are still so overburdened with cases that they rarely can afford to give any dispute serious attention.
The result of all of this is that, despite the lip-service we give to judicial honor, integrity, wisdom, and discernment, in many cases judges are little better than handing disputes to a Magic 8-Ball or a similar black box device. So how, then, can these human beings dressed up in black mumus claim the legitimacy and authority accorded to them under the Rule of Law?
While judges in civil law systems are generally respected by the bar and other consumers of legal decision making, in the U.S., judges are the aristocracy of the legal class. We accord them and their decisions extraordinary respect and accept the anti-majoritarian and anti-democratic rulings on civil, criminal, statutory, and constitutional matters as if those pronouncements are somehow gifted with extraordinary insight and finality. In some cases, the state and federal supreme courts may render final statements of the law that contradict deeply-held ethical and political beliefs of supermajorities of citizens affected by those opinions. Despite this, judicial impeachment proceedings or legislation defunding activities of the judicial branch are rare. Likewise, incumbent judges are almost never voted out of office.
While we may view judges as important bulwarks that preserve the rule of law, the reality is that most judges are political hacks who get appointed because of their political activities and support or elected because they have a judicial-sounding surname. (Professor Barnhizer the Elder recently wrote on the ability of even the most incompetent and/or corrupt judges to consistently win re-election because of name recognition HERE). While the legislative process is often analogized to the making of sausage, it's not really fair to say that the process of judging legal disputes is any better. Judges often make mistakes of law, base their decisions on partisan political considerations, engage in vote trading at the appellate level, and even when they attempt to act in good faith are still so overburdened with cases that they rarely can afford to give any dispute serious attention.
The result of all of this is that, despite the lip-service we give to judicial honor, integrity, wisdom, and discernment, in many cases judges are little better than handing disputes to a Magic 8-Ball or a similar black box device. So how, then, can these human beings dressed up in black mumus claim the legitimacy and authority accorded to them under the Rule of Law?
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Passports, credit cards, and plane tickets
This is a banal and stupid post, but I'd rather make it than simply assume everyone has already thought through these issues:
First, passports. My passport is in really bad shape. I'm not terribly careful with it in the first place, I tried carrying it in one of those stupid inside-the-waistband money pouches one year, it fell out of my jacket pocket another year and got rained on and run over by a car before someone found it and got it back to me, and so on. Customs agents in every country I visit look at it and remark that it's seen better days. That said, I do have a valid US passport. If you don't already have yours, or if you haven't looked in a while and noticed it's out of date, now is the time to follow the expedited process for getting it renewed. While Poland doesn't require a visa, it does require a passport.
Second, credit cards. I recommend having at least two credit cards and an ATM card with you.You want to have one in your wallet and one with your passport. ATM / debit cards are also mandatory for getting cash at a good exchange rate out of ATMs at airports and elsewhere. Don't bring traveler's checks - the transaction fees for exchanging traveler's checks into złoty are enormous. (In the Warsaw train station two years ago, the kiosk gave me only 200 złoty (pronounced "zwoty" and abbreviated PLN) for a $100 traveler's check when the actual exchange rate at an ATM would have given me 330PLN)
While you are thinking about it, call both of your credit card issuers and give them the dates you will be traveling in Poland. Unless you have American Express, an attempt to use your card outside of the US will be denied without this preauthorization. And you cannot authorize using your card outside the US once you are outside the US -- you need to do it from your home phone / cell here.
Also have your credit card issuers send you your pin number for the credit card (if you don't remember it) so that in an emergency you can use it to get cash.
Third, plane tickets. I have no idea what oil is doing or going to do to airfare. Mrs. Prof. B got a ticket for $1096 base price a few weeks ago, although it is cheap partly because she can leave Poland on a Thursday. Current prices seem to run between $1250 and $1450 base price.
Also plan for checked bag fees. On my return trip last year, I got charged $100 by Lot Airlines for an extra bag for the Warsaw to Chicago leg and then another $50 by Delta for Chicago to Lansing.
I know no one really needed this post, but I'd feel terrible if I'm wrong about that.
First, passports. My passport is in really bad shape. I'm not terribly careful with it in the first place, I tried carrying it in one of those stupid inside-the-waistband money pouches one year, it fell out of my jacket pocket another year and got rained on and run over by a car before someone found it and got it back to me, and so on. Customs agents in every country I visit look at it and remark that it's seen better days. That said, I do have a valid US passport. If you don't already have yours, or if you haven't looked in a while and noticed it's out of date, now is the time to follow the expedited process for getting it renewed. While Poland doesn't require a visa, it does require a passport.
Second, credit cards. I recommend having at least two credit cards and an ATM card with you.You want to have one in your wallet and one with your passport. ATM / debit cards are also mandatory for getting cash at a good exchange rate out of ATMs at airports and elsewhere. Don't bring traveler's checks - the transaction fees for exchanging traveler's checks into złoty are enormous. (In the Warsaw train station two years ago, the kiosk gave me only 200 złoty (pronounced "zwoty" and abbreviated PLN) for a $100 traveler's check when the actual exchange rate at an ATM would have given me 330PLN)
While you are thinking about it, call both of your credit card issuers and give them the dates you will be traveling in Poland. Unless you have American Express, an attempt to use your card outside of the US will be denied without this preauthorization. And you cannot authorize using your card outside the US once you are outside the US -- you need to do it from your home phone / cell here.
Also have your credit card issuers send you your pin number for the credit card (if you don't remember it) so that in an emergency you can use it to get cash.
Third, plane tickets. I have no idea what oil is doing or going to do to airfare. Mrs. Prof. B got a ticket for $1096 base price a few weeks ago, although it is cheap partly because she can leave Poland on a Thursday. Current prices seem to run between $1250 and $1450 base price.
Also plan for checked bag fees. On my return trip last year, I got charged $100 by Lot Airlines for an extra bag for the Warsaw to Chicago leg and then another $50 by Delta for Chicago to Lansing.
I know no one really needed this post, but I'd feel terrible if I'm wrong about that.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Introductions: Dr. Izabela Krasnicka
Can I go first?
My name is Izabela Krasnicka and I am directing the summer program from the Polish side.
I am both excited and honored we will host this program at our school and I do hope those 4 weeks will bring unique experience to all of us!
I sure hope Polish students will join the blog and introduce themselves so when we all meet in June, it will be all much easier.
I'll be happy to answer any questions about the city, school, country or program. Just stay in touch!
My name is Izabela Krasnicka and I am directing the summer program from the Polish side.
I am both excited and honored we will host this program at our school and I do hope those 4 weeks will bring unique experience to all of us!
I sure hope Polish students will join the blog and introduce themselves so when we all meet in June, it will be all much easier.
I'll be happy to answer any questions about the city, school, country or program. Just stay in touch!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Auschwitz, Nazis, and the Rule of Law
(image from http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/h-ausch-lib.htm)
The first weekend trip to Krakow will include a side excursion to the Auschwitz death camp located about 90 minutes outside Krakow.
Think about what it takes to construct and run not just one death camp, but, as the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum reports, a system of 20,000 separate camps. Approximately 20 of these were primarily dedicated to the wholesale, industrialized slaughter of Jews, Roms, and other human beings, while the remainder comprised prison camps and slave labor camps.
The question of how human beings could have done this to other human beings has been debated endlessly and goes to the heart of whether human beings are intrinsically good or intrinsically bad. But it seems that the question is asked too often on the individual level -- how could the individuals who were part of this system have continued to participate? Although it is certainly true that an evil regime tended to attract and promote evil people, social experiments such as the Zimbardo Prisoner/Guard Experiment at Stanford in 1971 (see, e.g., Stanford Prison Experiment website ) and Milgram's Obedience Experiments from the early 1960s (see, e.g., Milgram Obedience Experiment article) show that the temptation to abuse of power and cruelty is far more widespread than we'd like to think. The capacity for human cruelty and evil is practically unlimited.
But, this individual level question often misses the role that political, social, and legal inputs played in creating the system. Legally, the Nazis had a fixation on records and legality. Committed to the bureaucracy of death, they were scrupulous in making sure that their actions were backed by the force of law. In many cases, this involved even passing laws after proscriptions and property seizures had been completed in order to render those actions legal post hoc. In the case of the camps and the ghettos, consider the legal infrastructure required at every level of civilian and military society to build, staff, supply, and maintain them.
This raises one of the issues I plan to address in my Rule of Law class. In some "thin" and "formal" conceptions of the Rule of Law, there is no component of justice, equity, morality, or propriety in order for a system to qualify as operating under the Rule of Law. Merely the fact that a society uses law to govern, as opposed to individual fiat or some similar source of authority, is sufficient to qualify as a Rule of Law regime. In contrast, "thick" and "substantive" conceptions of the Rule of Law require the state to adhere to extralegal conceptions of morality and justice in order to operate under the Rule of Law.
The problem of whether the thin or the thick conception more accurately describes what we mean by "the Rule of Law" is more than academic since a major critique of the Nuremburg Trials is that they tried, convicted, and punished Nazis for engaging in acts permitted or even legally required under Nazi law. Does it follow that the Nuremburg Trials abandoned the Rule of Law in favor of some higher notion of justice?
What's coming down the pike?
Just as a heads up, we are in the process of finalizing schedules, housing, weekend trips, and other plans. Over the next few days I will post for the MSU participants a webform for selection of courses and housing arrangements.
1. Courses: We are offering five courses this year -- (1) Rule of Law Jurisprudence (Barnhizer); (2) Comparative Free Expression (Saunders); (3) Constitutional Law of the European Union (Krasnicka); (4) European Union Labor Law (Szymanski); and (5) Comparative Environmental Law (Morag-Levine). Each course is one credit and absent extenuating circumstances you should plan to take all five courses.
You do not need to sign up for these courses using the MSU course selection process -- we will take your preferences by web form after the applications period is closed (April 15), and manually enter you into these classes.
2. Housing: On the same webform, I will also take preferences for housing arrangements, including whether you have a preferred roommate(s).
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me or stop by my office (daniel.barnhizer at law.msu.edu).
1. Courses: We are offering five courses this year -- (1) Rule of Law Jurisprudence (Barnhizer); (2) Comparative Free Expression (Saunders); (3) Constitutional Law of the European Union (Krasnicka); (4) European Union Labor Law (Szymanski); and (5) Comparative Environmental Law (Morag-Levine). Each course is one credit and absent extenuating circumstances you should plan to take all five courses.
You do not need to sign up for these courses using the MSU course selection process -- we will take your preferences by web form after the applications period is closed (April 15), and manually enter you into these classes.
2. Housing: On the same webform, I will also take preferences for housing arrangements, including whether you have a preferred roommate(s).
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me or stop by my office (daniel.barnhizer at law.msu.edu).
Friday, April 1, 2011
Introduce yourself?
As one student suggested, if any of the participants -- whether from Poland, the US, or Belorus -- would like to send me a brief essay introducing themselves and describing why they are interested in the program, I will post them to the blog. I already have a expressions of interest, so let me know before the end of the semester if you want to contribute.
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