The politics of hope, deeply rooted in the American spirit,must favor Obama: He has risen from the the bottom to the spotlight, from a turbulent youth to stateman. He is a self-made American, who has proven that you can face obstables and still make it in America. His presidency would make America anew, shine its face and soften its grim past, rekindle its idealism,...
Republicans, who have long opposed Affirmative Action in preference for Meritocracy have to be drooling at the chance to show America (and the World) how exactly they respect a self- made man and not quotas.
John McCain, the hero of America's past, who once stood for principles -even against his own best interest- has to put ego aside and play the voice of age in an Obama adminsitration. The real platitude in his recent show of temper is the rejection of hope as a tool to revive the American psyche, wounded in the sixties' assassinations, the seventies's high profile resignation, the eighties' high inflation, the ninenties' impeachment and gridlock, and the 2000's big corporates' profiteerism.
It would be disingenuous for our Viet Nam hero to bust Obama halo as America's savior in her time of need while offerring himself (McCain) as a tested leader at the time of terrorism and, as he put it " Islamist fascism"). Four years ago, the maverick Mack stood against the establishment and that endeared him to Americans. Recently, however, he has courted the establishment for personal blessings above America's interests he has fought for. Obama has not yet done this about face. This has to trouble Mack.
Hillary's role as Obama's opponent is one to celebrate. The history of a Hillary's adminsitration will be the coronation of a huge trailblazer. Love Hillary or hate her, she has endured public humiliation and rejection as well as successes. My daughter will see in her the heroine that crushed a male chauvinistic world. For over two centuries, America, the billboard of democracy in the world, has shamelessly condoned slavery, exclusion of women and minoriy in leadership, internment of Japanese Americans, Jim Crow's laws and aristocracy. Only 13 women have served in the senate at one time while women constitute more than half the US population- making the US senate an exclusive club of White, well almost.
But Chelsea's mom, whose rare displays of emotions constitute the face of strength and tenacity, is an iron leader who only understands but won't feel after years of stoicism. She is like a soldier at war, whose instinct is simply to read the signs of time and pounce on the opponent. She has highly superior techniques in working: She would make a superior secretary of state but a heavy handed president.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
International Politics
There is a Nation that has bad timing for its events: The Democratic Republic of Congo:
In 1960, while the World was in Cold War, it followed the winds of change to secure its independence from the Kingdom of Belgium. The subsequent rebellions and secession attempt drew little attention- even as its nationalistic leader disappeared. Big international players imposed their will, new structures were set up and the train wreck was in motion.
Fast foward 40 years: The process restarted: Perestroika winds would blow and Mobutu would relinquish his total grip on then Zaire, only to end in exile seven years later. Although only international greed would parachute other allies in Mobutu's spot, history repeats itself when on September 11th, 2001, the World's attention is whisked away to regions of international interests due the war on Terror.
(In the August-September 2002 issue of The Kansas City Call newspaper, we warned our local communities - and through them, the whole World- that "casualties from the Congolese impasse would rise to dismal numbers, making the atrocities of the Rwandan genocide pale in comparison)
The death toll in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now reached well above 5 million, and inching ever so closely to the dreadful Holocaust toll of 6 million martyrs.
Right after the Rwandan genocide, President Clinton promised that the world would no longer sit idly by while another tragedy took place. So far, the promise has rung hollow as the Congolese river of death crests and another storm is blowing through Darfur.
The world's answer often seems to be indifference and avoidance. (we are not saying this out of cynicism and in the effort to drown sincere philanthropic efforts). We count few actors in the size and class of the French Foreign minister. The Humane society garner more resolve in saving one dog lost at sea than Humanity in confronting what seems to affront all of us.
Maybe true humanity should be measured - not by the ingenuity of our inventions and comfort of living but- by our respect to the dignity of our essence no matter where we are represented.
Confronting terrorism is a tiny dimension of that. It is a band aid to an immense mission of restoring dignity to all of Humanity and keeping that mindset.
In 1960, while the World was in Cold War, it followed the winds of change to secure its independence from the Kingdom of Belgium. The subsequent rebellions and secession attempt drew little attention- even as its nationalistic leader disappeared. Big international players imposed their will, new structures were set up and the train wreck was in motion.
Fast foward 40 years: The process restarted: Perestroika winds would blow and Mobutu would relinquish his total grip on then Zaire, only to end in exile seven years later. Although only international greed would parachute other allies in Mobutu's spot, history repeats itself when on September 11th, 2001, the World's attention is whisked away to regions of international interests due the war on Terror.
(In the August-September 2002 issue of The Kansas City Call newspaper, we warned our local communities - and through them, the whole World- that "casualties from the Congolese impasse would rise to dismal numbers, making the atrocities of the Rwandan genocide pale in comparison)
The death toll in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now reached well above 5 million, and inching ever so closely to the dreadful Holocaust toll of 6 million martyrs.
Right after the Rwandan genocide, President Clinton promised that the world would no longer sit idly by while another tragedy took place. So far, the promise has rung hollow as the Congolese river of death crests and another storm is blowing through Darfur.
The world's answer often seems to be indifference and avoidance. (we are not saying this out of cynicism and in the effort to drown sincere philanthropic efforts). We count few actors in the size and class of the French Foreign minister. The Humane society garner more resolve in saving one dog lost at sea than Humanity in confronting what seems to affront all of us.
Maybe true humanity should be measured - not by the ingenuity of our inventions and comfort of living but- by our respect to the dignity of our essence no matter where we are represented.
Confronting terrorism is a tiny dimension of that. It is a band aid to an immense mission of restoring dignity to all of Humanity and keeping that mindset.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)