America

Yours truly will update this post shortly with his reaction to the speech. Let’s just say I was pleased it didn’t excessively venture into La La Land territory, which is nice. Plus, many parts of it were surprisingly candid and straight forward.

Anyways, me will be back with more.

Meanwhile, you can dive in and drop your reaction. Good thing Mr. President mentioned Darfur once.

UPDATE: Been crazy busy, but had time to drop a quick comment here. If you’re curious about where Obama got some of his ideas for the speech especially in regards to which Quranic veses to use, then find out here. Meanwhile, me is keeping track of the situation in Iran.

Virtually all my Iranian friends (at least those who are not apathetic and who voted, the majority), are pretty pissed off at what happened, and rightly so. If one word can describe their fight both online and offline at protests, then it’s this.

Inspiring.

According to them, this time it’s different, and unlike any unrest before since the revolution took place. So, let’s see what happens, and how Obama will respond.

Here’s to hoping that filthy bitch called Ahmadinejad gets kicked out. While the lovely Mullahs and supreme leader will remain, it will still be a positive outcome.

You don’t usually come across such loud and candid public debates about Israel within the United States. Or well, at least I myself haven’t. This is certainly a first.

Throughout the debate I found myself agreeing most of the time with Avraham Burg, former speaker of the Israeli Knesset.

Michael Scheuer, a former unit director at the CIA, came across as a bit of an angry nut. Disloyal American fifth column?

Erm, okay.

As for Alan Dershowitz, and especially the former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Dore Gold… well, they certainly cracked me up with some of their ludicrous statements.

Here’s part 1 of 5.

Here’s the rest:

• Getting Tough on Israel - Part 2 of 5
• Getting Tough on Israel - Part 3 of 5
• Getting Tough on Israel - Part 4 of 5
• Getting Tough on Israel - Part 5 of 5

Given the results of the debate, can we predict the gradual downfall of the notorious AIPAC, and the eventual rise of the better J-Street as a replacement?

Looks like it.

However, with American public opinion on Israel seemingly shifting towards the left, we can only expect more friction between the US and Israel as Israeli internal politics tilt towards the right.

Hint: Lieberman.

Two articles. Two contradicting reports.

Alrighty, first article:

March 24, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government today acknowledged news reports that US air force conducted airstrikes against arm smugglers last January killing scores of people.

The Egyptian Al-Shurooq newspaper reported this week that US planes destroyed a convoy heading towards the borders carrying arms believed to be on its way to Gaza strip.

The report said that the convoy consisted of 17 trucks carrying 39 passengers that were all destroyed in the operation. None of the people on board the trucks survived the attack.

… The attack is believed to have occurred in a desert area in Northwest of Port Sudan city, near the Mount Al-Sha’anoon.

Okay, so America gets the blame in this one. But then a day later, another article pops up.

March 25, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — An airstrike that targeted a convoy of arm smugglers inside Sudan last January was launched by Israeli planes and not American ones, according to a US television network.

Now, Israel gets the blame in this one. So, who’s responsible? America or Israel? Ah, or as we like to say in Sudan, they’re both one and the same, except America is the body of the snake, and Israel is the head.

Joking aside though, where the hell did the weapons on the truck originate from? How did the US or Israeli air force know about them? Which group were the people on the trucks affiliated to? Who paid them to drive such a long distance? Why did it take two months for this news to surface?

Lots of unanswered questions.

Well, well, what do we have here.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A top congressional Republican on Sunday criticized President Barack Obama’s expected decision to reverse the Bush administration’s limits on embryonic stem-cell research, calling it a distraction from the country’s economic slump.

Yada yada yada.

… Obama’s move, scheduled for Monday morning, is part of a broader effort to separate science and politics and “restore scientific integrity in governmental decision-making,” White House domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes said Sunday.

Awesome.

… Because stem cells have the potential to turn into any organ or tissue cell in the body, research advocates say they could yield cures to debilitating conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and spinal injuries. But because work on embryonic stem cells involves the destruction of human embryos, many conservatives supported the limits former President George Bush imposed by executive order in 2001.

Erm, okay. I’ll leave it for Sam Harris to articulate.

More reason. Less unexamined faith please.

Sweet?

It’s been seven months since news broke out about the ICC’s pursuit of an arrest warrant for Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir, charging him with genocide and war crimes against humanity, a move that brought about entertaining Sudanese reactions.

Seven months, and it seems to me that there are some who can hardly wait for the issuance of this arrest warrant as if it’s some kind of magical solution that’s going to bring peace and stability to Darfur.

[click to continue...]

Americans are NOT stupid. That’s the sarcastic title of the video below. Well, after watching it, it seems to me that clearly a good deal are. Seriously, this is super hilarious. I guess too many of them are busy watching American Idol and the NFL instead of paying a little attention to CNN or something.

Phew! Thank goodness you’ve got many informed Americans engaged in the political process. Can’t be having those ignoramuses as the only voters. It would be a disaster. Can we unleash a Jihad for reason to enlighten those people, please?

Dear American readers, please don’t hate me for posting this. You know I love you guys!

Enjoy watching - and laughing - as I untangle myself from all the work I’m tied up in at the moment. Drima will be back soon.

I’m guessing he was recently watching Madagascar 2 or something.

“I like to move it, move it!”

Fast move, alright. Phew! That was pretty close huh? Hehe, sorry, can’t help it.

 Seriously, do NOT worry!

Dear Campell Brown, thank you so much for stating the obvious.

Here’s an interesting documentary you should watch. One of the things that struck me the most is the Muslim Somali driver who proclaimed he’d be willing to fight and die for America because of the opportunities she’d given him.

I don’t doubt the guy’s honesty. I’ve met my fair share of Muslim immigrants in America who are annoyed by numerous issues including foreign policy, but ultimately have a deep appreciation and love for their newfound home.

The Aljazeera dude making the documentary on the other hand attempts tirelessly to pull out all the negative comments he can, but fails most of the time. At least that’s my perception. Eventually he admits that the negative preconceptions he arrived to America with were pretty much wrong.

The documentary also points out some pretty intriguing symbolic references to Islam in the designs of buildings in Washington DC, and explores the long history of Islam in America going back to the days of slavery.

Here’s Part 1 of 4.

Here are the other parts:

• Part 2 of 4
• Part 3 of 4
• Part 4 of 4

So says Hitchens.

Sullivans isn’t happy either.

And neither am I.

In fact, here’s the relevant part from the “About Drima” section.

The War on Terror: I fully support it in principle but partially in implementation. The elimination of al-Qaeda is something I am proudly and staunchly in favor of. Many people tend to forget that it is we Muslims who are the number one victims of this heinous cancer and sickening brutality.

I supported the war in Afghanistan and still do as I believe it to be necessary. As for the war in Iraq, I was against it but given the new complex reality I now oppose a haste withdrawal.

The execution of the war and the use of unethical means – “enhanced” interrogation techniques, Guantanamo Bay, CIA-led outsourcing of torture – in the overall War on Terror are issues I’m harshly critical of.

Cool, so that says it all in a matter of few sentences.

Still, others disagree.

The best argument in favor of torture I’ve ever come across so far is by Sam Harris, NYT best-selling author of The End of Faith, which I immensely enjoyed reading twice recently.

I’ve got to say, while I have some very strong disagreements with some of Harris’s conclusions and stances, I have a significant level of admiration and respect for his ability to present powerful arguments eloquently, with reason and without resorting to political correctness.

Read his very thought-provoking defense of torture here.

I woke up early just to watch the damn thing. Hey, I’d be a complete idiot to miss such sweet entertainment.

After the two disastrous interviews Palin did, I was expecting Biden to tear her into pieces. He didn’t, firstly, because she’s a woman and that would be mean, and secondly, because Palin did surprisingly well considering her major screw ups previously. Nonetheless, Biden performed better overall I think, regardless of his stupid inaccurate comments about Lebanon and Gaza.

He offered solid answers and strategies. Plus, he wasn’t reading from his notes as much as Palin was. Sure, Palin was cute, animated and folksy, but her answers came across sounding memorized.

At this point of the race, I’m not bothered with cliche speeches about hope or cute smiles anymore. I’m just dying for some real concrete answers concerning foreign policy, especially towards Sudan, and BAM, Biden finally gave me that.

He’s not for forced intervention in Darfur using US troops anymore. However, he now stands for a more aggressive push aimed at putting all peacekeepers on the ground, and providing more security for the displaced populations.

Sweet.

I’m slightly relieved and now leaning further towards the Obama-Biden ticket, but I still await the remaining debates. Yes, yes, I know, I’m such a meticulous “voter.”

During the McCain-Obama debate, I thought McCain put up a better performance. Nonetheless, I’m appalled at his choice for VP, because it indicates a selfishness to put one’s self ahead of one’s country.

Seriously, who cares if Palin got the conservative base excited, the man is old, and let’s face it, his body might fail him. Does he really think Palin can lead if he goes bye bye?

That’s not to say that I’m in love with Obama like most of the world is. In fact, if I do end up picking him, I’m going to do it holding my nose.

If there is any video you watch online today, it’s this one.

It’s sooo funny, I almost died with laughter. Pure genius! Seriously, whether you’re a Donkey or an Elephant, you gotta admit that this is hilarious as hell.

Yeah, without the prepared and carefully worded speeches, Palin sadly exposed herself as a disaster, but on the bright side, we now at least have this priceless entertainment.

Gosh, I’m still laughing.

WATCH IT!

Can we get a McBama or a pre-Iraq war Collin Powell please?

No?

Oh well, good luck America. And great luck to the rest of us.

Uh, um, chili is not cold, and I went to the supermarket because light travels from the sun when I yawn and then he disagreed since 1987 beyond Tom Cruise until monkey banana.

Gosh, this is so bad, it’s not even funny. Heck over at Pajamas Media you even have people wondering whether Bobby Jindal would have been a better choice.

This is so absurd.

On the other hand, this is funny.

Seriously McCain, given your not-so-young age, the least you could have done is pick a more articulate and qualified candidate for vice presidency, you know, just in case God forbid the situation arises.