planet earth looks blue

As President Obama presses on back in the States, in the 700th laborious hour of trying to birth the economic stimulus, the rest of the world is still waiting, but not so patiently anymore.  Today Hamas sent a letter addressed to the President, making Senator John Kerry the messenger.  Kerry, who is head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is visiting Gaza to acknowledge the humanitarian debacle of the Palestinian people.  He arrived just in time to see first hand the normal run of affairs between Hamas and Israel, as rockets were fired by Hamas Thursday morning, and Israel confirmed that they had re-started their airstrikes.  There is no word so far what is in the letter, or even if Kerry accepted it.  But here is an attempt at first contact.  They have something to say to American, and although Kerry is not Secretary of State, he wanted the position.  I hope we hear what they wrote, and that this doesn’t go quietly into the abyss of under-reported news while we get bombarded with the economy and Caylee Anthony.  

Meanwhile, Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke in London yesterday.  One of the focal points of his speech was President Obama - the first black President, with a father from Kenya nonetheless, who is running the risk of falling short even with the African people.  Tutu warns Obama to take action.  That all the words and promises of Obama and Secretary of State Clinton need to be backed up with, well, something.  He even suggested apologizing for the Iraq war and the mess that it has caused.  A smart move, if he didn’t have the GOP and scandal drunk media machine back home waiting like vultures.  Tutu also recommended reaching out to more nations, making connections, listening to what they have to say, and pressuring African dictators.  And as far as the international community at large, he suggests getting in line with the Kyoto Protocol and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.  What Tutu says is true, Obama needs to address these issues.  The question runs back to, can he do it, with his Bush era inheritance, the state of the economy like a giant elephant sitting on his back?  It is a race against patience, but in the end, if Obama produces for people outside of America as well as within, we’ll all forgive him a little time.  

President Obama is not wasting any time.  Wise, considering time is one thing that is not on his side.  He does have, however, the overwhelming support of the American people, and of the world.  

The 44th President stepped into the Oval office this morning at half past eight.  A little later than the planned 7:45 meeting with his advisors, but after all that dancing, a man’s got to get a few hours of sleep.  After reading a letter from former President Bush, a tradition of American presidents, President Obama called the leaders involved in the short war between Israel and Gaza.  Israel moved out of Gaza at the same time that Obama was taking the oath of office.  

After attending church service at the National Cathedral with his wife, President Obama did what he’s been preaching all these long months.  Rolled up his sleeves and cleaned house.  Obama immediately changed some of Bush’s most unpopular orders.  He made moves in ethics, putting a pay-freeze on his staffers, and regulating the move of government employees to the private sector, where in the past they were immediately moving into high-paying lobbying positions.  He put a temporary freeze on all last minute executive orders put in place by the Bush administration.  He also repealed Bush’s “Mexico City” order, which withheld funds from any organization that offered education or support to women facing abortion.  Regarding the oil wars, Obama planned as commander-in-chief to announce his new military order - leave Iraq as soon as possible, leaving the country to the people.  And of course Guantanamo Bay.  President Obama had the trials suspended for 120 days so that his administration could have the chance to step in and see what is really going on.  

Not bad for the first day.  President Obama managed to sweep away some of the former President’s unpopular legacy.  As for Bush, well, he didn’t look very excited during the inauguration.  Eight years of being all-powerful probably does wonders for a man’s ego.  He’ll have to return to Texas, with the title of most unpopular American president ever, followed by a man compared to Lincoln, Roosevelt, King, and even Jesus.  

President Barack Obama was sworn in today, on a frigid January day, millions stood outside on the mall, toes freezing, but smiles on their faces.  And tonight there will be celebrations, and I’m sure a lot of hot coffee and chocolate.  But what will be the dawn of tomorrow?

President Obama spoke of unity, amongst this nation, and others, reaching out to the Muslim world, offering and asking for “mutual respect”, promising the poorest nations an end to apathy, help for sustainable farms and clean water.  And a union among friends and past foes to “lessen the nuclear threat” and global warming.  A world leader asking us all to tear down the walls that have separated us as human beings.  Kumba-Ya.  

Aim your arrow towards the sun, and it will go far.  I am glad that President Obama is setting up the highest expectations for the world.  But where will our arrow fall in the next few years?  How much can we overcome?  With America falling deeper into debt, people losing their jobs left and right, just today the Dow fell below 8,000, dropping 332 points from fears of the banks slipping even more, how much can we do for the world?  What example are we setting if we are still planning on fighting a war in Afghanistan?  I do believe that Obama has a positive plan, and will do all he can to implement it.  And I do believe the people are inspired to do their part.  But what about the “nobility”.  The class that has always held the reigns, that the leader can’t act without, the Senators, the CEO’s, those who write the media’s messages.  Are they going to fall in line with Obama’s humanism?  

Regardless of what we are all worried about, today was an amazing day, watching the President and his First Lady, braving the cold, walking down Pennsylvania Avenue.  It is a beautiful thing to believe in your President again.  To look at him as a grand possibility.  I am grateful for that.  

One sector is benefiting from the rising unemployment rates - the military.  As jobs dwindle and people aren’t able to support themselves or their families, they are forced to find other options, ones that they wouldn’t normally have chosen.  One of those choices is the military.  Men and women, young, and old are being drawn by the promises of economic security, benefits, and education.  Where years ago we were a nation talking about the possibility of a draft for the unpopular oil wars, today people are lining up to join.  Last year all active-duty and reserve forces met or exceeded their recruitment goals.  That hasn’t happened since 2004.

Pretense along with increased funding for recruiting efforts by the Army and Marine Corps are at play here.  People believe that with Obama stepping into the White House, the likelihood of superfluous combat will decrease.  They reason that they can last the recession/depression in the safety of the military, and then come out on the other end with training and savings, and possibly even an education.  Sounds like a good deal for the desperate, doesn’t it?  

We are all responsible for making our own decisions.  And choosing to join a war effort based on what a recruitment officer, who will be financially compensated for your signature, says, or based on a marketing campaign isn’t the wisest of things to do.  For those who decide to join the oil wars, that is their decision, their right, but wouldn’t it be wise to further investigate such a grave decision?  

Take, for example, the experience of Iraq War Veterans.  The organization, Iraq Veterans Against the War have compiled a fact sheet, the Truth in Recruiting.  According to this fact sheet, the recruiters out there are offering up a host of promises that are not kept, and neglecting to inform possible recruits of, well, the negative statistics.  

One assertion they may make is that, depending on the field you choose, you definitely won’t be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan.  The truth is that the recruitment officers have no say in who is sent.  Personnel from all sectors are pulled to go abroad.  The Marine Corps has even sent band members to Iraq combat missions.  Another is the terms of the contract.  They say you can choose the length of your commitment, a couple years, maybe four…but the truth is that all contracts are for eight years.  Also, the contract only bind you, not the military, so they can change it whenever they want.  This has happened already to 120,000 men and women, who’s contracts were involuntarily extended.  They claim you will be given money for college, but there is a catch.  If you don’t start putting your own money  into your education fund from the day that the military starts paying you, then you are disqualified.  In reality only 5.6% of GI Montgomery Bill recruits use all the money that is said to be available to them.  

So there is the fine print, and then there are also a few bleak stats that anyone considering military service should think about.  Nearly one third of all women report being raped.  One third of all homeless people are veterans.  So for those entering for financial security, think again.  Veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as everyone else.  

I understand that people have to make certain decisions, but at least make informed ones.  So many people enter the war, and come out of it feeling like a victim.  Or worse yet, don’t come out at all.  

Soon to be President Barack Obama is own his way to Washington DC for his inauguration.  Starting out in Philadelphia, Obama is traveling by train, the same historic route that Abraham Lincoln took in 1861 to introduce himself to the populace that had elected him.  Obama is stopping in cities and small towns along the way to speak to all those willing to come out in the sub-freezing temperatures.  In some places, people were waiting for hours, just for a glimpse of America’s 44th President, and more importantly, the first black President.  In Baltimore alone, more than 40,000 people were waiting for the Obama train to pass through.  That’s devotion.

And what does Washington look like?  Well, they’re already starting to close the bridges, the traffic is insane, there are tents and port-a-potties everywhere, all in preparation of the Big Tuesday.  DC expects 2 million people in the city.  All bridges from over the Potomac will be closed, making traffic into the city impossible, but a necessary step as there won’t be any space in the district for cars, let alone the people.  The population of DC is only 600,000.  To have four times that many people, and everyone concentrated into the downtown area and the national mall, is going to be a historical crowd.  Bush attracted about 300,000 to his inauguration.  Not that its a competition, of course.  

How many people will brave the cold, the crowds, the security, and the jam-packed metro?  I think he’ll attract the millions they’re predicting.  Like moths to a flame, this one man has inspired all of us.       

Obama plans to dissolve the prison at Guantanamo Bay within the first week of his first term in office.  This is a huge representative gesture to the world.  It says that we will no longer allow torture and indefinite imprisonment.  The prison itself has become a politically charged symbol of America’s illegal action in the oil wars.  Although many people believe that the accused have done wrong, we still need standards if we want to pretend we live in civilized times.  

Even the Bush administration has wanted to jump the train back to reality, releasing three detainees in December.  They were deemed innocent by a Bush appointed Judge - Richard Leon.  They had been accused of plotting to bomb the US Embassy in Sarajevo.  Two more men were also recommended to be freed by Judge Leon, but they remain imprisoned.  They were Algerian men living in and returned to Bosnia.  I do wonder why they were arrested in the first place, if they had nothing to do with any plots.  Was is specifically because they were Algerian and living in Bosnia?  

There are still 200 men with cases pending, and 250 total inmates left at Guantanamo.  What will be their fate at the end of January?  They will probably come to the States to be tried.  After years of being tortured and held without trial, only five men confessed to plotting against Uncle Sam.  I wonder what the federal courts will find out when everyone has a chance to have their day in court.  I also wonder what people want to hear.  Will this be a spring board to go after the leaving administration, or do people want to believe that the detainees are really the evil-doers that they were accused of being during the oil inquisition.  

2009-01-12