Disclaimer: I am a pacifist; no act of war sits well with me. Further, I would never encourage war. However, I do make an effort to understand the elements involved that lead to war and conflict around the world. In fact, it is what I want to do for work. That said, let’s move on.
First: The Common thoughts
Most of you are looking at the current conflict with Georgia and are scratching your brains trying to figure out where in the world this came from. Why would Russia, a strong nation-state (country >> but in political jargon its nation-state), enter a sovereign, democratic, and stable country, which is seemingly has no relation with, only to declare war and start bombing the hell out of it?
The first thing to understand is that this action IS NOT RANDOM. In fact many are surprised it did not occur prior to now. Grateful, of course, but still surprised.
Georgia, the nation-state, exists in what I personally like to call the American blind spot. This section of the world which contains many countries that most Americans would never recognize even if they were shown a map is by far one of the most unstable regions in the world.
The reason why it isn't in the news every day, unlike the Middle East (even prior to 9/11 the Middle East was all over the news, don't believe me? go to a library and find a newspaper), is because America has no significant investments/interest there. So of course those of you who have never heard of this country are going "wtf mate?"
Thus "Bad Russia stop now" sounds good. But let me tell you...
As more prisoners are kept in Pakastan and Iraq, the Bush administration has decided to quit shipping acused terrorists to Guantanimo Bay and keep them in the Middle East in a facility about three times as large as Gitmo.
In the current containment center, prisoners are kept in wire cages with barbed razor wire. The new facillities will offer recreation, religious discussions, and vocational training. They will also have their own recreation facilities. Some democrats have praised the military effort to make conditions more human. It is an improvement.
However, prisoners are still held for years (some have been there for five years) without being charged. They have no access to lawyers to protest their imprisonment and will have very limited access to family.
The administration plan to expand the facilities significantly is a result of an increase of terrorism and the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. One wonders if keeping them away from the watchful eye of Americans will silence the furror over denial of due process. The problems created by our invation in the Middle East continue to grow and will be a dismal inheritance for years to come if there is lack of a better solution.
Obama alone has the moral leadership to sort through this messy problem and effect progress toward a standard of ethical solutions to what has become an enormous problem costing millions of dollars and the potential for further abuse as we have seen in Guantanemo.
It is serious problems like this we need his leadership for. Sen. John McCain cannot be trusted as steward over this new program. He has not, to my knowledge, agreed to the planned closing of Gitmo. His ill concieved humor "Bomb, bomb, bomb - Bomb, bomb Iran) has already sparked protest from the Iranians and shows a lack of sensitivity to the very sensitve nature of Middle East relations. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/17/world/asia/17detain.html?th&emc=th
The genocide of Darfur continues. The death toll stands at 400,000 *That we know of* and millions of displaced living in refugee camps in Chad and Darfur. How high does the death toll need to reach before we do something about this extermination of our fellow human beings?
I learned a lot tonight, and urge you to do the same. If you get a chance please watch the video:
VOICES OF DARFUR.
I learned that what is needed to solve the problem in Darfur is a strong Internation Mandate from the United Nations. What is blocking the UN from stepping in and stopping the genocide? China and Russia. Sudan supplies China with oil. China blocks UN resolutions. Russia supplies Sudan with weapons, *some of which have been made right here in the US* and thus blocks a UN mandate. Who owns our debt? China. That is why people are still dying after five years of genocide. That is why we must elect Barack Obama. That is why we must write our government and demand that they stop the genocide in Darfur by getting the UN to pass a strong Mandate, message backed up with action NOW. Please.
YES WE CAN!!!
When Bill Clinton ran for office he did what every other candidate does, promise the world and then forget everything he said once he got into office. The clue that everyone seems to ignore is that his promises did not reflect his record, and that is the exact path that Hillary Clinton is following. She voted for the war and she has not stood up to Dick Chaney's and George Bush's policies. What makes people think she will do that if she were to get elected for president. Barack Obama's record on the other hand is clear. He stood up against the war, even when it was a vastly unpopular thing to do in Washington and he has stood up to the status quo, something Hillary Clinton can not claim.I have listen to several Hillary Clinton speeches and heard her state things like "Europe is obligated to help us with Iraq, because we helped them after World War II". Those are inflammatory remarks and will get us know where in International politics. We need to re-earn the respect of the World by cleaning up our own internal issues and by showing an honest desire to be better International citizens. We need to pay our UN dues and build coalitions, rather then shun the World and act as if we were the chosen ones with our noses up in the air. Barack Obama on the other hand suggests that we need to get the various factions together and get them to talk to one another and make a plan together. That is a path that the World community can respect. We can't tell Europe or anyone what to do, we need to earn their respect. Once we do that they will want to help us. Those are things Obama stands for. He talks about hope, and that hope is based on a solid path forward that helps the poor and middle income people of this country and pays for it by reducing corporate crime and spending on wars that have no ethical purpose. Barack Obama gets people together and makes them want to work together and build coalitions. Barack Obama's economic plans are also vastly superior to Hillary Clinton's plans, because he is not afraid to take on the backward economic policies of corruption and deceit, commonly referred to as "Reganomic's". Any basic book on economics states that the economic value of a dollar given to someone who will spend it is far more valuable than giving it to someone who has so much they couldn't spend it in ten lifetimes. That is the government helping capitalism by helping the less fortunate, verses bribery, deceit and corruption. How is it that the rhetoric of the past 28 years has turned reality on its head to this extent is beyond me. That is the one true miracle of the Regan/Bush legacy! If you have any questions about Barack Obama's ideas and goals, I recommend reading this page:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/CmzmAnd here is the economic plan:http://obama.3cdn.net/8f478c5e1bb07ca0b1_sh1umv2zy.pdf
Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to get closer to the Obama campaign and to gain a deeper understanding of Barack Obama, his social views, his political acumen and approach, his character as a human being, and his stamina in the face of tremendous challenges. Even as I closely and as objectively as possible scrutinize of all of these things, my confidence in him as the potential leader of our country has continued to grow at a rapid rate.
Having been raised by a Finnish-American anthropologist with continuing strong roots to Finland, and having lived for almost a decade in the Netherlands, my perspective on American politics frequently falls within an international context. I have family and friends in many places around the globe – not all in Western Europe and Scandinavia – and for that and other reasons, I keep a watchful eye on the role our powerful country plays in geopolitics.
It is with tremendous disappointment and fear that I followed the events that followed 9/11. Particularly since then, the current administration has aggressively and successfully bucked any authority thought to be held by such international organizations as the UN and NATO. The UN and all other international bodies have been unable to enforce international law as the US has pursued a strategy antithetical to the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia and other international agreements during the build-up and execution of our war against Iraq. This has made the voluntary nature of compliance with international agreements and laws on the part of nation states shockingly clear. The events that followed our pre-emptive strike against a country that had done nothing against us are well known, our crimes against humanity as we ‘stayed the course’ are also well known, and the devastating results, to us and to so many others, of our continuous poor judgment in pursuing this illegal occupation and war are clear.
Equally clear is our immediate need for new leadership – not only to end this grotesque occupation and war, but also so that we, the American people, can repair our destroyed image in the international arena. I truly believe that Barack Obama is the single candidate that can represent us best to the world, and can quell its outrage against us effectively and immediately.
