By William Markiewicz
(As other short items may follow, I've decided to group them together.)
Eternal War? (8/25)
Gen. James T. Conway opposes President Obama's withdrawal plans for Afghanistan saying this reinforces the Taliban's position. As I understand, the General wants the war to continue practically indefinitely. Does he have valid arguments to oppose the opinion of many, if not the majority, that the war in Afghanistan can neither be won nor lost; is the General persuaded that the United States is ready for eternal war in Afghanistan?
Obama’s Faith (8/22)
There is some debate going on in the States as to whether President Obama is Christian or Muslim. Personally, I couldn’t care less. From what I’ve heard and read, Obama’s father was Muslim with a reputation as an agnostic. His mother was apparently not connected with any church. In this situation, I wonder how the President could have received any religious orientation in his childhood. He has nice words for Islam; he praises the beauty and wisdom of the Koran. This may be his personal taste or influence of his Father’s origins. Perhaps his declaration of Christian faith is a political choice; he may want to be part of the North American general current. His expressed sympathies for Islam could also be political but, no matter how he butters up the Muslims and the Arabs, he is losing his time. The Arabs don’t care how sympathetic Obama is toward Islam or if he hires ‘devout Muslims’ in his Administration. What’s really important for them is American detachment from the war circuits in Central Asia (even if it wasn’t him who started it) and also, to make peace between America and the Arab and Muslim world, the settlers must retreat from the territories they squat on in the West Bank -- and this, in spite of the peace agreement signed between Israel and the Palestinians. Facts, not words, count in politics as in everything else. Right or wrong, the Arabs hold the U.S. responsible for the very presence of those settlers.
Religious Edifice at Ground Zero (8/15)
Pope John Paul said you don't have to build a monument to pray; you can pray everywhere. Building a monumental sanctuary to the glory of a particular religion at the place of universal martydom may not be the best of ideas.
British Intervention in Sierra Leone (8/08)
The ancient colonial master returns to restore order in a presently free, tormented country. I frequently encounter the question: is it neo-colonialism? The extreme right wing must feel triumphant, claiming that the White Man’s Burden was justified, still exists and that it will always be so. My point of view is that if the foreign powers come to take sides in a politically divided country it would indeed be neo-colonialism. But, apparently the rebels in Sierra Leone never showed any ideology. In this case, the war would be between organized crime trying to take possession of those diamond mines, and government forces that seem to be losing the battle. Probably the government can’t afford to pay its army enough while the rebels dispose, not only slaves, including children, but may give better pay to professional soldiers. This may be, in brief, the history of civil war in Sierra Leone and the British intervention may be a police action to fight crime rather than a colonial return. We don’t know exactly how the situation will develop. Certainly the British may fix a price but this is not colonial domination and the deal may be profitable for both sides.
Vagabond's Line (8/03)
I was asked why Vagabond doesn’t write about calamities like the Monsoon in Pakistan. Reports of world happenings, in general, belong to the information media. Vagabond expresses mostly opinion linked to events. What kind of opinion can we have about calamities of Mother Earth where human fault is non existent? We are hopeless, like everybody else. This is the reason why our opinion doesn’t really matter. We know that everybody who can and wishes, helps. This self evident fact doesn’t require comment. Perhaps the help is still insufficient but this belongs to experts on the matter, technologues. And here, all we can do is follow the collective wishes without pinpointing facts we don’t know enough about.
Recent Oil Spill in Kalamazoo River (8/01)
Experts predict that cleaning the oil spill will take months. People who have more financial power than vision for the future will always constitute a mortal danger for the planet.
Pakistan – Taliban (7/28)
Politics are tricky. The engaged West requires from Pakistan what they themselves have been unable to do up to now: victory over the Taliban. In reality, the best Pakistan can achieve with the Taliban would be to negotiate peace on condition that they stop attacking Afghanistan from Pakistan’s territory. To achieve this Pakistan should be more involved in Middle East matters. Pakistan must categorically side with the moderate Israelis, represented by “the angel of peace”, the deceased Yitzhak Rabin killed by Israeli “Taliban.” Along with this, Pakistan must side with the most tolerant of Arabs, Mahmoud Abbas from the West Bank. Considering Pakistan’s influence in the Muslim world, this engagement would reinforce the peace climate on all sides and might contribute to peace in general.
The Leak of Secrets in the U.S. (7/27)
I have only three comments:
1) We are a democracy.
2) These wars are the most stupid thing for democracy.
3) The paparazzi are doing their job.
Cruel Death for Women for Adultery in Iran (7/13)
Where are the women in the world to organize massive demonstrations under the banner: "Stop religious crimes against women or we'll stop diplomatic relations with Iran!"
Will There Ever Be An End To It? (7/12)
On a recent BBC "Hard Talk" program, Stephen Sackur interviewed Dr. David Kilcullen, Pentagon Counter Insurgency Adviser. Did we learn anything new? What I understood was that the problems in Afghanistan are not only military, but political, social, ethnic, etc. -- the old refrain about the burden of the Great White Western Man trying to put some order in the troubled World. Why do we have to hear again and again this eternal colonial lingo? Dr. D. Kilcullen, those are interior matters that any sovereign state must contend with. Be preoccupied with your own dirty corners, keeping due distance from others.
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William Markiewicz