What Republicans Should Care About

Hello Bloggers! I hope everybody is having a great Summer 2010! I'm enjoying it so far. Btw, to be precise, the definition of perspective I'm referring to is "the faculty of seeing all the relevant data in a meaningful situation."

I admit that I still have blog fever (the bad kind) and will continue to stay away from serious political blogging (I've decided the insanity and absurdity of today's far right can cause cancer), but I thought it might be fun to create an interactive blog game of sorts for those who occasionally stumble across my blog - and wish to vent. If you want to read about serious politics, feel free to browse my past work.

So, to my blog game. I call it What Republicans Should Care About (yet Ignore). Yes, it is a game, not a political debate. It's a place for progressives to vent their frustrations with the other side. Republicans can go play their own blog games. So, I'll go first, and if you like it, feel free to join in by contributing your own within the comments section of the blog.

What Republicans Should Care About (yet Ignore) #1 on 06/22/10

How their blind support of America's military-industrial complex and war-mongering is a leading cause of America's debt, leads to a culture of corruption in Washington, produces few jobs, pollutes our environment, costs our government billions annually, and leads to thousands and/or millions of deaths (American and foreign) based on an unsustainable, false pro-democracy-at-any-cost, divine-right, far-right culture that insists America is the right hand of God in the world  - in other words, the world's police force.

My Reaction

To both Republicans and war-friendly Democrats, WE are not the world's police force. WE cannot afford it. WE do not have the money anymore. We Democrats are not going to allow you to destroy our social systems, including our recent health care changes, to police the world at all costs. We are not going to allow you to whittle our government down to two items: defense and corporate welfare.

WE are sick and tired of the corruption, the secrecy, and the lies. We need to figure a better way to work with other FRIENDLY nations to free us from carrying this enormous burden alone. NATO is a starting point, but we need more cooperation and international investment to form stronger worldwide defense forces against terrorism and evil governments. It is possible. The right always screams bloody murder about world governments and a world police force, unless they're controlled by America, and for America.

The right's narrow-minded belief in American exceptionalism and moral authority is going to drive this nation into bankruptcy if they are allowed to lead us again. Time is running out on any Democratic leadership's ability to repair the damage without sacrificing some of the best parts of what is left in civilized politics. Time is running out. Social justice and moral responsibility is doomed in America if the Republicans regain power.

What Republicans Should Care About (yet Ignore) #2 on 06/22/10

How their blind support for Israel is one of the most exhausting, demoralizing, hard-headed and deadly issues in the world today. America and Israel are paying the price for conservative, stubborn pride and personal and national realism every damn day. Instead of trying to build bridges, conservatives choose to remain opposed to anything that might look like a compromise. Instead of being forced to get along, conservatives take the tough stand and hold their ground. Instead of trying to create mutual understanding, conservatives stand against the world based on an absurd idea that Israel can do no wrong.

My Reaction

This has to stop. It's destroying Israel's chances for a prosperous future. It's causing American conflict (and death) globally. Most important, it's crazy. Israel is a democracy, but that doesn't give it the right to take what isn't and wasn't theirs. It's time America pulls the plug. WE need to force Israel to accept its pre-1967 borders, sue for peace with its neighbors, and end this ridiculous conflict for good.

More to come! Have a great day - Michael!

The Quiet Before the Storm?

Good Morning Bloggers! Michael Jackson's death - may he rest in peace - came at a fascinating and highly uncertain time geopolitically, distracting us from a darkening political storm in the Middle East.

I'm talking about the clear rejection of religious fundamentalism in Iran - despite the government coup, which I will ignore to make a point. When you combine it with the anti-fundamentalist victory in Lebanon a few weeks ago, the two are very significant. Sadly, they may also represent bad news. Why? I have a theory.

President Obama's speech in Cairo went a long way to encourage moderates in both Lebanon and Iran to get off their backsides and vote against the mullahs. Of course, the Iranian government helped by giving it's electorate every indication their votes would count. They even held a few debates. Amazing, what were they thinking?

Those victories prove to many Middle East experts that people want more freedom, and that things may start to change even more - if Egypt begins to fracture, watch out. The problem is that whenever moderates stand up to extremists all kinds of bad things can happen, such as in Iran. Change that spins out of control can be disasterous, such as when the entrenched leadership begins to feel threatened. The way they are feeling today in Iran, and possibly even Eqypt.

Don't get me wrong, I realize the status quo doesn't work, and we all loved it when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, but it's clear the Middle East is a powder keg and once ignited it could lead to worldwide conflict. One very dark sign is the growing Iranian-Russian-Chinese alliance - in various forms. Another is the possibility of a fundamentalist crack-down across the Middle East, igniting chaos. I'm convinced that's why more leaders aren't speaking-out. Nobody wants to be responsible for open conflict and mass murder.

Bush was the beginning. He lit the Middle East fuse with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - two places ill-equipped to handle Western democracy and the freedoms that come with it. Nevertheless, his actions started the pieces moving across the board. Sadly, despite his potential for domestic success, Obama's legacy will most likely be seen through the same presidential prism of the Middle East. Did he control events in the Middle East after Bush, or did he allow them to spin out-of-control?

You see, there is one very hard-to-predict variable. He is the very hard-headed, right-wing Benjamin Netanyahu. I would like to think that he's a Nixon-China kind of guy, but my gut tells me he's more from the Bush-Iraq school. If I were to see the glass-as-half-empty, I would guess he's the George W II. That to me is a terrifying prospect.

He's already ignoring the significance of the Iranian-Russian-Chinese alliance (a typical neo-con), as well as Obama's request to control settlement construction and focus on the Road Map. Instead, he seems to be taking his marching orders from the Republicans and the far-right in America.

Personally, I think he's in bed with the Bush-Cheney branch of the GOP, who are all pushing Israel to bomb Iran before it has the chance to threaten the existence of Israel - no matter what Obama says about it.

If Israel bombs Iran, then President Obama and the Democrats will lose their entire agenda - both domestic and international. The Republicans would use the conflict to divide, conquer, win votes and take back power. Right or wrong, as usual they would maneuver to benefit from the chaos. Poor Obama would be forced to spend his time and energy cleaning-up another conflict created by an irresponsible, paranoid and pernicious far-right.

Of course, the scariest outcome is that America could be dragged into a regional or world conflict. One clear sign of chaos would be a potential threat to President Mubarak in Egypt. Don't scoff at the possibility. It may even be secretly supported by Russia and China; the two powers who would love to see America's primary African ally on the Nile fall to extremists - at least the kind they could do business with.

Despite all my hope for Obama and my glass-is-half-full mentality, I'm terrified of the uncompromising and paranoid extremists embodied by the neo-con Republicans, Netanyahu and Ahmadinejad. President Obama and Secretary Clinton must pull off a diplomatic miracle soon to make sure the international far-right doesn't get another war.

Netanyahu must be made to tow the line. Ahmadinejad must be undermined to prevent Israel from using him as an excuse. Obama must lead and control events in the Middle East to prevent more conflict.

I also think Obama needs to act quickly to fire most of the Bushies still in government - especially those within the DOD, STATE and INTELLIGENCE. He should not trust them. They represent a possible shadow government operating within his own Administration. Unless he acts quickly to make sure that he has full control, anything is possible. This is something that has been worrying me since he took office.

It's clear that President Obama is a change agent. Now we need to make sure the change is the right change. There are hot spots throughout history involving change - think the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Kristallnacht and 9/11, and I think we may be witnessing another one about to hit - for good or bad.

Let's hope that while most Americans are spending this weekend mourning the death of the King of Pop, a potential Earth-shattering clash isn't brewing in the Middle East between East and West. Let's hope that President Obama can control the international far-right agenda led by the GOP and Netanyahu, and that angry religious fundamentalists don't light the world on fire.

Sunday's Political Rant - Michael