By William Markiewicz
(As other short items may follow, I've decided to group them together.)
Why is Tony Blair Glad to Have Deposed Saddam Hussein? (12/11)
Because he's glad to reintroduce Iraq to the Middle Ages. Is Iraq better off now?
The World Burns (12/08)
Iraq burns, Afghanistan burns -- clear defeat for the intervening West. Asia burns, Africa burns, Western interventions are less and less recommended. Obama is hyperactive in almost everything. Is it a tactic to direct Americans more toward interior matters than world politics? Obama bows to the Saudi king and it’s quite criticised but isn’t it a signal to Israel: take the Arabs seriously, even we do it and we cannot intervene on your behalf in every situation. Probably the only solution for America and its allies is to leave Iraq and Afghanistan to themselves no matter what cataclysms it may provoke. It is the only way possible toward ending intercontinental wars. What happens later will be purely an internal matter as it should have been from the beginning. The U.S. and the West don’t need a constant show of power. We all know who is the most powerful in the world and the bull in the china shop doesn’t need to repeat its act.
Obama's Speech: Message From A Superpower In Trouble (12/03)
The trouble was not created by Obama but inherited from his predecessor who was entangled with his partner, Tony Blair, in neocolonialist dreams. And those times are over. Certain mistakes belong to powers convinced that their strength protects them from all possible consequences. Today's power holder, trying to get away from uncomfortable circumstances, must convince his allies and adversaries that he's doing what he really wishes but the reality is too transparent. He must get away from the situation which, to begin with, he should never have been in, but the way toward exit is full of traps. He continues the war and the exit is largely unknown. The power holder plays the old game while others die. It could turn out to be what he dreads the most: never ending war(s).
More Obama (11/21)
I saw the YouTube video, "Obama Admits He is a Muslim", which shows Obama's connections to Islam. Does this collection reflect his true feelings or does he think that developing good relations with Islam will better protect America from Muslim terror than Secret Services and Armies might? We won't know if Obama is right as long as the radical settlers partially occupy the West Bank.
Obama Bows to Japanese Emperor (11/19)
There's a quote attributed to various philosophers: 'Sustain yourself on principles until they start to wobble.' Obama, broke a U.S. Presidential rule, not to bow to anybody. Playing devil's advocate, I assume that he can remain simultaneously a President and a human being. As a person he would pay respects to a millenary cultural tradition in the same vein more or less as one could bow to anybody whose authority transcends politics. Politically, let's not forget – the Japanese surely haven't – that the Japanese were victims of a deliberate Holocaust number two, in scope and time, when the sacrificed urban entities lost practically all inhabitants no matter what age, gender or social position. Maybe Obama had this in mind when he visited Japan and in retrospect, asked forgiveness and reconciliation. In reality nothing changes but the Japanese may feel better and welcome Obama's gesture. I believe that with this bow Obama had U.S. interests in mind.
Universal Remedy (11/16)
Those who favor transmission of mini-Gitmo to Illinois anticipate job creation,and those who are opposed fear for security. Instead of throwing the ball of danger from State to State let's keep in mind that while creating jobs is more a matter for individual States, security is a collective problem for all the United States. Danger must be eliminated for all at once; in this case by eliminating the useless wars.
Useless Wars in Asia (11/01)
The situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and maybe to a lesser extent in Iraq is not a fight against terrorism which is an artificial conception. It is really a matter of civil war. Even if the main leitmotif is religion, in those countries the enemies are divided, not only along religious, but also along ethnic lines. In Iraq, this is less pronounced while in Afghanistan and Pakistan the Taliban rebels are Pashtun. As the adversaries are mainly located in different territories, the best remedy against civil wars would be separation. Union has always been an instrument of misery. It is high time that opposing ethnies separate. Regarding the Taliban, Pashtun society, even though conservative, will not succumb to them as a Pashtun wrote to us through a previous Communication Page.
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William Markiewicz