Day: September 11, 2009

A “New” Diplomacy With North Korea And Iran: Brilliant Manuever Or Reckless Strategy?

Ronald 1 Comment

President Obama has decided to take a major gamble in diplomacy by agreeing to direct talks with North Korea’s government in the context of the six party talks (US, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, Russia), and also with Iran’s hardline government in the form of seven party talks (US, Iran, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China). The discussions with Iran would be the first substantive talks since the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

The decision to deal with these two nations, considered by many observers to be the two most dangerous and intransigent nations on earth, is a bold move that could, if things work out, be a real coup for Obama, but if the talks fail, could be seen as a reckless, unwise failure that makes the world more dangerous.

There is a tendency to be pessimistic about both nations being willing to act reasonably, and therefore, Obama runs a tremendous risk of being portrayed as naive and delusional, and putting South Korea and Israel particularly in a tremendous state of danger and insecurity.

The way that Barack Obama confronts issues insures that he might be seen in the long run as a genius, or as a total disaster. Certainly, he can be said, like Harry Truman, to have guts and courage. The question is whether that will be enough to promote success.

The Republicans Give Barack Obama A Gift!

Ronald 6 Comments

The Republican party in Congress just gave President Obama a gift he could not have imagined: independent support!

What Joe Wilson did on Wednesday night–show disrespect and lack of decorum during the President’s health care speech–and the fact that all kinds of right wing nuts came out of the woodwork to support Wilson, including the extremist talk show hosts on radio–only makes those who are registered independents realize that the GOP as a party, with only a few exceptions, is allowing itself to be hijacked by extremist right wing elements, who are unwilling to consider negotiation and or compromise with the Obama Administration, and are determined to destroy and wreck, rather than construct and contribute.

This will contribute to the deterioration of the GOP further than the defeats of 2006 and 2008 in Congress, and only when the party falls even further and hits rock bottom in support and membership,will they maybe, hopefully, finally repudiate the extremist elements and come back to moderation, and to an image of respectability in American politics.

So President Obama has received a gift which will definitely benefit not only him and his party, but the American people at large. This nation will say NO WAY to a party that has nothing constructive to say or do, and is only too willing to let radicals and troublemakers seize the machinery of the party!

The True Message Of The Eighth Anniversary of September 11

Ronald 1 Comment

It is hard to believe that it has been eight years since the shocking events of September 11, 2001. It was the most transforming and tragic day in American history since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and it has had many implications, not all good ones.

September 11 made us realize that we had been lax about our security and very cocky that we would always be safe. In that sense, the events of that day woke us up, and we have been fortunate enough, with the assistance of security specialists in our government at all levels, to prevent another attack. That alone is something to applaud and be thankful for.

But September 11 has also led to abuse of presidential power under the Bush-Cheney administration; the violation of the Bill of Rights, often unjustified; the growing danger of nativism, racism, and racial profiling; the demagogery practiced by many Republican politicians and a smaller number of Democrats; the growing irresponsibility of talk show hosts on radio; and just generally the growing social division of this country which only inspires the evil terrorists who set out to destroy this country.

If we are not careful, the terrorists will ultimately win by being successful in pitting Americans against Americans and destroying our democracy.

The nation must be dedicated to promoting a stronger homeland security, but also promoting a sense of togetherness and unity, bringing us to a state of strengthening our freedoms and civil liberties, because without them, we have lost the struggle against evil. We don’t wish to emulate the terrorists and enemies we have, but to stand out as a shining example of a truly democratic nation!

Joe Wilson And The Tea Party Patriots, Talk Show Hosts, Gun Nuts And Secessionists

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The United States is seriously in danger with the growing power and influence of the right wing talk show hosts, the Tea Party Patriots, the gun nuts, and the secessionists, all of whom have found a new “hero” in Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina, who yelled “You Liar” at President Obama during his speech before a joint session of Congress, and has now been defended by all these zealots and extremists.

Wilson broke a Congressional rule and should be censured by the US House, and many decent Republicans, led by John McCain, rightfully condemned his outrageous behavior. It is not only the bad manners displayed by Wilson that is the issue, but also the fact that it was not Obama who lied, but rather Wilson, in claiming that illegal immigrants were indeed covered in the health care bill, which is a total falsehood.

Wilson has been known for constant lying on many issues, and now the right wing whackos are rallying to him as a way to promote their cause of secession, states rights, promotion of guns, advocacy of violence, and even talk by some of overthrowing the government by force.

We are more in danger of a true FASCIST takeover by these dangerous elements than we have been since the age of Hitler and Mussolini, when during the New Deal and World War II, we had many apologists for these dangerous dictators and their ideology.

Now we have home grown Fascists, who promote hate and racism and anti Semitism and nativism, and claim to be following the Constitution. The Founding Fathers are turning over in their graves at what we have come to, when ANY American can even conceive of supporting such dangerous extremists who wish most Americans nothing but ill intent.

It is hoped, and assumed, that the FBI, the Secret Service, and police agencies all across the nation, are keeping a tab on these extremist elements, and are ready to step in, if necessary, to stop their evil intentions and planned deeds.

It is time for the American people to make it clear: We will not tolerate these threats to our freedom and liberty, and will not accept the dictates of these zealots who are false prophets of American patriotism!