11/29/09

In the article I read in the previous post to discuss Obama's new Afghanistan War Plan I also stumbled upon this excerpt:

"McClatchy Newspapers reported last month, the Obama administration has been quietly working with U.S. allies and Afghan officials on an "Afghanistan Compact," a package of political reforms and anti-corruption measures that it hopes will boost popular support for Karzai and erase the doubts about his legitimacy raised by his fraud-tainted re-election."

This raises a lot of red flags in my mind and strikes me as very un-American. Why not investigate whether or not the election was legitimate? It seems to me the American government is just trying to brainwash the people of the Afghanistan rather than deal with the consequences of putting the allegedly corrupt leader and others into office. This is unacceptable, the American government has to live what it preaches. If we are trying to impose democracy into regions that have never had it as a part of their history and getting American citizens killed in the process why are we bastardizing ourselves by being undemocratic in the processes by which we maintain democracy? It's one huge paradox that won't stop unless the American people hold the government accountable for it's actions. I see that it is a form of damage control but it is about the principle of the thing.

11/29/09

bagley.jpg

Above is a link to a political cartoon depicting Obama using a U.S. Soldier as a shield against bullets. It appears Obama is pregnant with "Afghan War Plans". This is a visual representation of Obama's most recent plans to deploy 34,000 more troops into Afghanistan over the next nine months. The soldier is asking Obama to hurry up. This cartoon is stating that the deployment will not be effective because of the amount of time it will take for reinforcements to arrive. I have to agree. 34,000 troops over the next nine months is a bit more like giving the opposition more targets than it is an effective war plan. Obviously a "troop surge" is out of the question because Obama does not have the vote of the people or the resources for such a thing but to me the proposed plan is a very weak one.

Sources:

http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/front_page/article_7e3b0970-1342-586e-a010-9111827d656c.html

11/29/09

Confession of a Dove in Afghanistan

I was very interested in the piece we read in class about Code Pink's visit to Afghanistan. I think a lot of the time people will just say things like "we should get the hell out of there" or "It's all Bush's fault" like it is something that could be easily fixed. Even I have said things like this but the fact of the matter is there is no Win-Win situation. Now the responsibility is fallen on Obama and I hear the same comments that were directed at Bush just a few months ago. The Code Pink blog helped me realize that the American people cannot pass judgement on the situation because they have not been there and experienced firsthand the situations in Afghanistan. If the experience could change the hearts of some of the most extreme people what would it do to a person with balanced views? The blog was very thought provoking and I would like to read more on their trip.

11/4/09

Eminent Domain vs. Property Rights

Eminent domain is no longer relevant. In the beginning stages of the development of the country, eminent domain was important because road systems and things like this needed to link America together. America is very developed now and eminent domain should not have precedence over property rights. The potiential for abuse of eminent domain is huge and the American government has a history of it. Therefore, eminent domain should not ever be enforced.

11/4/09

What about the filibuster? Is this good or bad for democracy?

The filibuster is horrible for democracy and I really don't see why it is still in use. It is childish and immature to waste american tax

dollars stalling so a bill won't pass. The time spent talking about meaningless things should be used to talk about making a compromise.

Granted it doesn't typically last that long but particularly with this health care bill it is becoming a liability. Americans need some sort of healthcare

reform. That much can be agreed on by both parties. They need to find a compromised and get it passed quick before it is too late to fix anything.

Filibusters are bad for democracy and the closure rule makes it difficult to stop it. Something should be done to put an end to this archaic and

meaningless practice.

10/20/09

Term Limits?

I think term limits are a fine thing to have for congressmen. Generally, the incumbent will win the elections for Congress positions because of the lack of motivation the American people have towards voting. However, these short two-year terms allow for fresh blood to get into congress and also represents (sometimes) the ever changing interests of the American people. If anything not have term limits is undemocratic because in this republic we elect officials to represent our current interests. Term limits help this process and is just other way of limiting the governments power in Congress which is the strongest of the three branches.

10/4/09

Is America giving up it's freedom in exchange for safety? Whether or not we are officially at war the protection of our domestic freedoms is much less passionate. This is because people are living in fear. Fear created mostly by the media and the government. Since the government cracked down on security there hasn't been another terrorist attack on US soil and that is a good thing. But at what cost does safety come? The governments domestic spying policies are unacceptable and unconstitutional. There should at least be a warrant process involved if the government is going to search through a one's personal records. The government is throwing procedure out of the window and using fear to cover up the fact that it is missing. Obama is trying now to renew the patriot act which I view as an offense. He should be drafting another piece of legislation that will keep everyone safe and minimize the violation of personal rights to American citizens. Why would he want to renew a terrible unpopular Bush-era policy? This spells trouble for the new presidency in my opinion.