American Social “Reminders” of Citizenship after September 11, 2001: Nativisms and the Retractability of American Identity

My discussion considers how crisis dramatically changes social relationships and interaction patterns within a multicultural context. Specifically, I note the inherent social asymmetry of multicultural configurations, thus rendering it vulnerable for the dominant ethnic/racial group, the ethnocracy, to exact symbolically and materialistically punitive measures against minorities during periods of national crisis. I situate my discussion of dramatically changed social interactions in the post- September 11, 2001 period, when the attacks on the World Trade Center towers triggered nativism against Arab Americans, or any group phenotypically similar to the construction of “Arab.” I note how this nativism is not new but is a historical and consistent articulation of the ethnocratic stratum that retracts the American identity and notions of citizenship away from minorities during times of national crisis. The discussion concludes with how American multiculturalism is still full of unresolved ethnic and racial symbolisms that hark back to nineteenth century attempts by the White power structure to idealize, culturally and phenotypically, the constitution of an “ideal” American.

Comparative analysis of the competitiveness of Beninese and Brazilian cotton exports in international trade from 2006 to 2018

This study aims to analyze the competitiveness and orientation of Brazilian and Beninese cotton exports in international trade from 2006 to 2018. The cotton category in this article refers to “neither carded nor combed” (HS: 5201). To measure competitiveness, we chose to calculate the Revealed Comparative Advantage Index (RCAI) and Symmetric Revealed Comparative Advantage Index (SRCAI), proposed by Balassa (1965) and Laursen (1998) respectively. The Regional Orientation Index (ROI), proposed by Yeats (1997), of cotton for Asia and EU-28 is used. The data were collected from the International Trade Center (ITC) /Trade Map and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The results found indicate that the Brazilian’s and Beninese’s cotton has been increasing values and above the unit showing its competitiveness in the international market. In addition, Benin was more competitive than Brazil because it has, on average, a higher SRCAI than Brazil (0.99 and 0.7 respectively). Concerning the ROI, it was found that Brazilian and Beninese cotton exports are strongly directed towards Asia, the main consumer market for Beninese and Brazilian cotton. As for the EU-28, both Benin and Brazil do not direct their cotton sales to this economic block.

Exploratory Case Study of Suicide among a Sample of 9/11 Survivors

Background: Previous research has found higher than expected suicide mortality among rescue/recovery workers (RRWs) enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry (WTCHR). Whether any enrollee suicides are related to the decedents’ experiences on 9/11 is unknown. We abstracted medical examiner file data to learn more about 9/11-related circumstances of suicides among WTCHR enrollees. Methods: We identified 35 enrollee suicide cases that occurred in New York City using linked vital records data. We reviewed medical examiner files on each case, abstracting demographic and circumstantial data. We also reviewed survey data collected from each case at WTCHR enrollment (2003–2004) and available subsequent surveys to calculate descriptive statistics. Results: Cases were mostly non-Hispanic White (66%), male (83%), and middle-aged (median 58 years). Nineteen decedents (54%) were RRWs, and 32% of them worked at the WTC site for >90 days compared to 18% of the RRW group overall. In the medical examiner files of two cases, accounts from family mentioned 9/11-related circumstances, unprompted. All deaths occurred during 2004–2018, ranging from one to four cases per year. Leading mechanisms were hanging/suffocation (26%), firearm (23%), and jump from height (23%). Sixty percent of the cases had depression mentioned in the files, but none mentioned posttraumatic stress disorder. Conclusions: RRWs may be at particular risk for suicide, as those who worked at the WTC site for long periods appeared to be more likely to die by suicide than other RRWs. Mental health screening and treatment must continue to be prioritized for the 9/11-exposed population. More in-depth investigations of suicides can elucidate the ongoing impacts of 9/11.

Paul Auster's transcendentalism: Shifting postmodern sensibility in the new millennium

This article traces Paul Auster’s shift in sensibility after the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. While his earlier novels where paradigmatic of postmodern self-referentiality, several critics have argued that his post-9/11 production has turned towards realism. This might be interpreted as subsidiary evidence in favor of the polemic debate around the death of postmodernism. However, the aim of this article is to outline the transformation of the writer and offer explanations as to why that change in sensibility does not respond to a divestiture of postmodernism, but to an intensification of it. I trace Auster’s alternative to postmodern relativism, that is, transcendentalism, to arrive at the conclusion that his stance towards it is the same in his later novels.

Problems of Commodity Nomenclatures Implementation in the International Trade on the Example of Chapter 56 “Nonwovens” of the EAEU Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Eco nomic Activity

The article examines the problems of using the Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity. The following problems are highlighted: the lag of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System from the development of technologies; disagreement of countries with the decisions of the Harmonized System Committee; mistakes in texts; difficulties with the implementation of the classification decisions of the Federal Customs Service and Eurasian Economic Commission. Discrepancies in classification lead to distortion of mirror statistics of foreign trade and make it possible to identify “risk” and “cover” goods. The purpose of the work was to compare the imports by the Russian Federation nonwovens of chapter 56 from three countries — the main exporters at the level of commodity headings and subheadings. The hypothesis was tested: since chapter 56 is not the leading one in the volume of imports, there will be no significant discrepancies in the mirror statistics. Research method was comparison of data on Russian imports from a trading partner country and corresponding data on exports of a trading partner country to Russia. Data source is Trade Map of the International Trade Center. Headings 5602 (felt) and 5603 (nonwovens) were considered, which include goods that are similar in structure and properties, as well as heading 5607 — twine, cordage, ropes and cables. These goods are imported from both European and Asian countries. However, only when importing from the Asian direction — from China — discrepancies in the mirror statistics were found. It is shown that goods of “risk” (heading 5602) were imported into Russia from China in 9 times less than exported from China, and goods of “cover” (heading 5603) were imported from China by 5% more, than exported by China. The subheading of twine, cordage, ropes and cables made of synthetic fibers (570650) also represents risk goods, imports of which are 3 times less than exports from China. There are several cover headings that include similar goods with a lower duty rate. Comparison of duties showed that the main reason for classification errors leading to distortion of mirror statistics is the deliberately wrong choice of the code in the presence of close alternatives, which allows to reduce the customs payment. The hypothesis that group 56 will not show significant discrepancies in mirror statistics has not been confirmed.