America

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.

A friend of mine sent me the following article to dispute an earlier post I wrote.

Here’s the excerpt I want to highlight.

Nationwide, there are about 42 million registered Democrats and about 31 million Republicans, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press.

The Democrats have posted big gains in many competitive states, including Nevada, New Hampshire, Iowa, Colorado and Florida. They have also been targeting historically Republican southern states.

Hmmm…

That’s a huge difference, a difference of 11 million voters.

Americans in da house, what do you guys think? Historically, has there ever been such a big difference in the numbers of registered voters in both parties?

Sarah Palin without a doubt has invigorated the McCain camp in a pretty significant way.

I mean let’s face it. Just about a week ago, McCain was the old, dull and boring guy that the media couldn’t be bothered too much with. It was Obama fever all over the place, and when Biden got into the picture, the fever got even hotter.

Then unexpectedly, Palin comes onto the scene and BAM, attention shifts. The Alaskan politician who only just days ago was virtually a no-name politician in the United States, is all of a sudden the most talked about woman in the whole damn world.

I bet McCain is happy with his VP pick and how she’s brought the spotlight.

Palin’s entry should not be ignored and perceived as inconsequential to the race. While I think the overall momentum at the moment is still left-leaning, I think McCain has a pretty good chance of winning now.

Sure, most Americans still dislike Bush, and they’re unhappy with the economy and the higher unemployment rate, but by just going through the comments sections of blogs in the American Rightosphere, you can see a huge boost in enthusiasm.

Previously, most comments reflected lots and lots of frustration and bitterness towards Obama. The Elephants’ self-esteem didn’t look too good. The media was all over Obama. Plus, McCain is not exactly known for being an excellent orator.

The dinosaur puts me to sleep sometimes.

Enthusiasm is important, because if potential voters get enthusiastic enough, they will show up in bigger numbers at the voting booth.

Karl Rove helped Bush get elected and then re-elected because he knew exactly how to mobilize the conservative base. He turned things like gay marriage and abortion into red hot issues that got conservatives all worked up… worked up enough to show in bigger numbers. That was his genius.

Palin managed to really pump up things for people on her side. She turned into a loved figure over night amongst many, if not most conservatives. Furthermore, she could turn drilling and energy policy into a key issue, and hence, establish herself as a credible authority on the subject. But more importantly, she has made conservatives excited.

She uplifted their morale.

Given things as they are right now, I still believe Obama has the bigger chance of winning BUT… if Palin and the McCain camp manage to get their base mobilized fast and adequately enough, they just might end up grabbing the White House.

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

As for what I think, I gotta say that while I love Palin’s fierceness and libertarian leanings, her religious worldview turns me off in a heinous way. It’s disturbing to know that somebody who blurs the line between separation of church and state like she does, can be a heartbeat away from the presidency. As for Biden, I’m very reluctant to embrace him thanks to his interventionist stance on Darfur. His addition to the Obama camp means more hostility towards Sudan, which brings me to this.

Too little pressure, like what the Elephants are doing now, and the situation won’t change much in Sudan. Too much pressure and hostility, like what the Donkeys might very well end up doing, and you risk screwing up the situation badly turning it into a Somalia-like scenario.

This doesn’t even begin to go into Iraq, Iran, genuine support of liberalism and democracy, terrorism,  the re-rise of Russia, boosting the global production of Prozac, protecting endangered pandas, and legalizing marijuana.

Hmmm…

I gotta admit, trying to be a non-partisan “independent” can be a total bitch sometimes. Not only that, but at times, I really do feel that ignorance is indeed bliss.

I’m going for a swim.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin fever continues.

And I mean literally deadly diarrhea…

… then on one hand, we could end up with an old dude who’s heavily experienced, and one the other hand, we could end up with a hardly experienced woman from Alaska.

Given the ages of Obama and McCain, there’s a higher probability we could end up with the Alaskan inexperienced female as President of the USA.

Sweet right?

But hey, there’s more.

Today’s highlights are none other than these annoyingly amusing statements made by Obama and Palin about the war in Iraq.

Okay, so let’s get started with Obama:

LANCASTER, Pa. - Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said Thursday that the escalation of U.S. troops in Iraq, which he had opposed, has succeeded in reducing violence “beyond our wildest dreams.”

But Iraq still has failed to achieve the political reconciliation and self-sufficiency that is required, he said, and he vowed to withdraw American troops and end the war.

Awww, so he admits the Surge succeeded but nonetheless still wants to withdraw asap and squander all the significant progress that has been made in the last few months?

Wonderful!

I prefer McCain’s position and I’m glad the Elephants finally stopped being stubborn and started talking to Iran… but, I admit I do get ticked off when I read things like today’s second highlight, a super comforting comment by Palin:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told ministry students at her former church that the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a “task that is from God.”

… “Our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God,” she said. “That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God’s plan.”

Thank you dear. That’s just the sort of thing we need: more religion fused with politics.

Yup, so we have the “hey, look at me, I’m from a working, middle-class background” Biden and then we have the Alaskan Palin, and damn is this process starting to get entertaining again.

I gotta say, my very initial reaction to Palin’s selection was utter surprise, but when you think about it, this could be a super smart move. I can’t be sure at this time. If McCain wants to grab the disgruntled Hillary fans, then he just might have found a pretty good way to do so. Plus, Palin is a fresh and largely unknown face which is attracting a lot of media attention, and that can’t be bad for the McCain camp.

Ah, so much fun ahead, I predict.

Let’s get the debates started asap please.

Rob Crilly is not one anymore and boy am I glad.

My lurch from left-wing idealist living in Britain, to right-wing realist in Africa continues apace. This time it is The Spectator that seems to have nailed the analysis of Darfur…

The exclusive focus on bashing the government has emboldened the rebels, encouraging them to keep up the fight and shun the negotiating table. The peace process, as a result, has collapsed. Though uncontroversial among seasoned Sudan watchers, such a view is politically incorrect in the West, where the debate has been held in the shadows of a glossy campaign long on sentiment and outrage, short on measured analysis.

Rob is one of the few people in this part of the blogosphere neighborhood who has a pretty solid understanding of what’s going on in Darfur and Sudan. Be sure to check his blog every now and then.

~*~*~*~

Even now, after all this time, I still get pretty annoyed by how the debate on Darfur in the West is still mostly based on a simplistic narrative of good Vs bad. Not just that, but the opinions of real experts, heavy weight Sudanese analysts and knowledgeable opposition party members, are not taken into sufficient consideration.

Less feel-good activism, more dispassionate analysis please.

… and then later had to apologize for the crude remarks which he didn’t know were being recorded. Jackson might have had a point about Obama not addressing black issues enough if he wasn’t so wrong and frankly even stupid for having such a position in the first place.

Obama is not MLK. He’s not out there dedicating so much time and effort solely to help advance the cause of civil rights, equality and justice, a cause people like Malcom X and Rosa Parks worked tirelessly for. He’s not running for the President of the United Black States of America. He’s running for the President of the USA.

Enough said.

I’m not a fan of neo-cons, but not necessarily yesterday’s, not this one. Oh no, not this one. This was a different kind of neo-con. Actually, I’m not even sure if you can call him a neo-con. He was a neo-con far from perfect, one with mistakes on his record worthy of strong criticism, and yet he was a perfectionist, a perfectionist at least in his oratory displays. He is the neo-con who was even praised by the Donkey Obama. He is the neo-con who destroyed communism, torn its iron curtain, and as a result brought freedom to many millions of people in Eastern Europe, a magnificent achievement deserving of much praise. He’s the man today’s Elephants can only dream of being like but can never truly match. Hate him or love him, he is Ronald Reagan, and this is the excellent speech that launched his political career.

P.S.: I know some people will fume over this post (and rightly so) probably for a number of reasons already mentioned here (I only agree with parts of the piece). Like I said, the man did make some messed up mistakes (including initiating the damaging marriage between his party and Christian evangelicals). Still though, I have never really understood why so many liberals hate Reagan so much. Is it because he represents what they’re staunchly against i.e. smaller government, lower taxes and a strong emphasis on military power?

P.P.S: Even though the speech is more than 40 years old, it still sounds fresh and “speakable” in today’s American political context.

P.P.P.S: Okay, so it’s no secret that I like dude (while I recognize his mistakes). He’s done more good than bad.

An interesting development.

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki raised the possibility that his country won’t sign a status of forces agreement with the United States and will ask U.S. troops to go home when their U.N. mandate to be in Iraq expires at the end of the year.

… Maliki acknowledged that talks with the U.S. on a status of forces agreement “reached an impasse” after the American negotiators presented a draft that would have given the U.S. access to 58 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace and immunity from prosecution for both U.S. soldiers and private contractors.

The Iraqis rejected those demands, and U.S. diplomats have submitted a second draft, which Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih told McClatchy included several major concessions.

Among those would be allowing Iraq to prosecute private contractors for violations of Iraqi law and requiring U.S. forces to turn over to Iraqi authorities Iraqis that the Americans detain.

Here’s what Mohammed at Iraq the Model had to say about this issue previously:

For our government, I hope that accepting or rejecting it would be based on its impact on Iraq’s interests.

Will Iraqis accept the agreement? No one can tell at this point, and this is the difference between democracies and non-democracies.

Indeed

Had the question been posed in Iran or Syria, it would take one man’s word to offer an answer. I am pleased to see that our government is dealing pragmatically with the issue and is seeking the opinion of countries that have experience with long-term U.S. military presence. The government sent delegations to Germany, Japan, and South Korea to listen to what they, not the mullahs, have to say about it.