McCain's Foreign Policy Speech

John McCain, not having to worry about a primary battle anymore, traveled to Iraq and other locations in the Middle East last week, and got to look very Presidential in the press coverage - a big advantage of having the nomination sewn up.

He returned and made a major policy speech on foreign policy. You can read about it in The Seattle Times. Now, I take campaign promises with a grain of salt, and I'm not sure about how McCain will specifically do these things - I didn't hear details in the report on the speech. However, foreign policy is supposed to be his strong suit and I was happy to hear him say two things:

1. He believes the U.S. needs to work to restore it's image around the world and adopt less of a "go it alone" attitude that we have seen from the Bush Administration.

"Today we are not alone," McCain said. "Our great power does not mean we
can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the
wisdom and knowledge necessary to succeed."

2. He called for a reduction in nuclear arms. McCain called for U.S.-led worldwide reduction in nuclear weapons:

"We do not need all the weapons currently in our arsenal." He offered no
specifics.

3. He said that America should not torture prisoners and should close Guantanamo Bay.

Unfortunately, McCain is going to have a hard time (in my opinion) convincing the rest of the world that he is a different sort of President than Bush unless he begins to indicate that we will do things much differently in Iraq and begin to withdraw our troops from that country. Much of the world, rightly or wrongly, sees our presence there as a manifestation of American arrogance, and that won't go away until we take some meaningful action. Closing Guantanamo Bay will not be enough - we must also reduce our military presence in Iraq as soon as possible.

Violent Clashes in Iraq the Week

The overall level of violence in Iraq has been down the last few months. However, this week, new violence has emerged both in Baghdad and especially in the southern city of Basra where there have been clashes between the Iraqi security forces and militas that are loyal to a Shiite religious leader named Moqtada al-Sadr.

Sadr's forces have been observing a cease-fire for the past 7 months, but there are fears that the cease-fire may be coming apart. The militias feel they are being unfairly targeted by the Iraqi government headed by Nouri al-Maliki, who has giving the militias until the end of the week to lay down their arms. There is coverage all over the news, but a good place to start might be with the BBC, "Milita Battles Threaten Fragile Iraq", and thy have links to background reports as well to help you understand what is going on.

The Christian Science Monitor's coverage also helps you understand what is going on between the rival factions in Iraq: Basra fight widens rift among Shiite factions

Should China Be Hosting the Olympics?

I think it is a tough question. The Chinese government is steadfast in it's refusal to acknowledge or improve the human rights situation in their country. They have obstructed efforts to bring the government of Sudan to account for the atrocities in Sudan, and are blaming the Dalai Lama for what is going on in Tibet.

The fact is, though, that the Olympic Torch is making its way toward Beijing and most people would argue that it isn't fair to the athletes to pull out of the Olympics.

However, a high profile event like the Olympics does give protesters a chance to bring to the world's attention the misdeeds of the Chinese government. Exhibit A is the protest that occured this week in Greece.

How Many Have Died in Iraq?

It isn't an easy question to answer. As the official toll of U.S. military deaths creeps closer to 4,000, it is still very difficult to assess how many Iraqis have died as a result of the conflict. The British newspaper the Guardian explains in this article.

5 years of war in Iraq

I heard in the car on my way home from MRHS that at the beginning of the war on March 19, 2003, 70% of the American public was in favor of the war. I wasn't. I still have my "NO IRAQ WAR" sign in the trunk of my 1985 Honda Accord (that no longer runs).

Today, over 53% of Americans believe it was a mistake to invade Iraq. (Also, I would add that it was a clear violation of international law - look it up and decide for yourself.)

President Bush gave a speech today saying the war was the right thing to do. He claims the "troop surge" has been a success as violence is down from one year ago. Still, Iraq is a mess, and Bush says we need to stay longer to "finish the job". His poll ratings are at an all time low. (So are those of Congress.)

What are your thoughts on the war and where we go from here?

Click here for lots of good coverage, including multi-media.

Obama Gave a Very Important Speech

UPDATED POST - 6:00 pm.
If you read Kimberly's post from last week, or followed the campaign news over the weekend, you know that there has been an uproar over parts of sermons that the pastor of Barack Obama's church gave in the past.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the now-retired pastor, had used some very strong language critical of the United States and U.S. foreign policy. (BTW - most of these sermons were given a few years ago, before Obama became a senator. But what some people are asking is how could he attend a church with a pastor that would say such things.)

Obama gave a speech yesterday, that not only addressed his relationship with Rev. Wright, but really laid out some important issues that we are dealing with in this country. At least I thought it was a great speech. What did you think?

You can listen to it here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hisownwords/ ; read a trancript of the speech here, or read the coverage in any of the major news outlets.

I am so curious to see how America receives this speech. But I am fearful that people will not look at the complexity of the issue Obama tried to address. The intellecutally lazy will be tempted to simply retreat back into old stereotypes of what "blacks are like" and what "whites are like". Obama was calling on blacks, whites, and also Asians, Latinos, and others to try to understand each others attitudes and to reach out to one another to bridge the differences that we have inherited from a divided an ugly history of race in the U.S. It is so important for all of us to understand that history, and to understand how to use our constitutional system to make "a more perfect union".

I loved this speech not only because I support Barack's candidacy, but the message he was trying to get across is one of the goals upon which I have built my teaching career - trying to get diverse Americans to empathize with, and understand one another. Only Barack can deliver the message much more effectively and reach a lot more people than I ever will.

Tibetans Rise Up Against Chinese Rule

Peaceful protests by monks led to a violence after Chinese police harshly cracked down on them late this week.

Some video from the Associated Press has been uploaded to youtube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nAsIpm_Wvw&eurl=http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn

UPDATE:

The violence has continued, with the Chinese police cracking down hard on Buddhist monks and others who have demonstrated against the Chinese government. They are accusing the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the protests.

The Communist Party that controls China is not only cruel, but foolish, and an embarassment to itself. Denying basic political freedoms to 1/6 of the world's population will never make them great leaders.

The question for us, is how do we stand in solidarity with Chinese dissidents and hold the government accountable?

Here are some links to coverage of this important story:

Tourist video shows riot, flames in Tibetan capital (from CNN with Video)

Police keep tight lid on Tibet after protests
The region sees its biggest demonstrations in 20 years.

China blocks YouTube, reporters over Tibet news
Broad Internet controls have blocked YouTube and most chat rooms.

Why Tibetan monks are protesting now
The Olympics in China offer Tibetans a chance to draw world attention to human rights issues.

For Beijing, Tibet threat is 'life and death'
Officials say exiled leaders seek independence to break up China.

Q&A: China and Tibet

Profile: The Dalai Lama

more on obama

(CNN) — Barack Obama's Chicago minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, is under fresh scrutiny, after an ABC News report Thursday shed light on some of his controversial sermons.
In one delivered last December, Wright argues Hillary Clinton's road to the White House is considerably easier than Barack Obama's because of his skin color.
"Hillary was not a black boy raised in a single parent home. Barack was," Wright says in a video of the sermon posted on YouTube.
"Barack knows what it means to be a black man living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people. Hillary! Hillary ain't never been called a 'nigger!' Hillary has never had her people defined as a non-person," a fiery Wright also says.
Wright, who retired from his post earlier this year, also is seen saying in the video, "Who cares about what a poor black man has to face every day in a country and in a culture controlled by rich white people?"
Wright's sermon shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorism attacks is also under scrutiny, during which he said America had brought on the attacks with its own practice of terrorism.
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," he says. "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant. Because the stuff we have done overseas has now brought right back into our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."
Obama and Wright have long been close. Obama has been a member of Wright's church since his days in law school, and Obama's bestselling book, The Audacity of Hope, takes its title from one of Wright's sermons. Wright also married the Obamas and baptized their two children.
But Obama has long maintained he is at odds with some of Wright's sermons, and has likened him to an "old uncle" who sometimes will say things he doesn't agree with. He has also specifically denounced Wright's 9/11 comments.
An Obama campaign spokesman also said Thursday the Illinois senator "deplores divisive statements whether they come from his supporters, the supporters of his opponent, talk radio, or anywhere else."
UPDATE: Speaking with the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Obama said, "I profoundly disagree with some of these statements."
"Here is what happens when you just cherry-pick statements from a guy who had a 40-year career as a pastor. There are times when people say things that are just wrong. But I think it's important to judge me on what I've said in the past and what I believe," he also said.






so i'll post alot about obama usually because he is definitely who i want to be pres =D . anyway i hate how people are judging him on what his pastor said not what he believes. its not fair to him. why should it even matter in the first place. anyway let me know your thoughts =D

No Random Student Drug Testing in Our State!

Article in this morning's Seattle Times. I gotta go get ready for work, and can't comment in depth, but as someone who prizes civil liberties, I'm happy to see our WA State Supreme Court make this ruling. A great example of individual liberties vs. promoting the general welfare, with regard to search and seizure.

Woo-Hoo!

I found my glasses!

PS - this post doesn't count for current events.

The other thing about Spitzer

The question many people are asking is "What was he thinking?" Eliot Spitzer comes from a family of tremendous personal wealth, he has a wife and three daughters, and a dazzlingly successful political career. (Well, he had one.) What drove him to seek out high-priced prostitutes knowing full well the consequences he would face if it ever became public?

There are a lot of possible psychological explanations (see Blame It on the Primal Brain of Homo Politicus), but I'd like you to think about a political phenomenon known as the "arrogance of power". It basically refers to people in power (and this was something Clinton admitted was a part of why he had a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky) thinking that they are above the law, or at least above getting caught.

Is there something about having power that makes people lose respect for the rule of law? It is such a basic, fundamental principle of our system of government, yet so many have disregarded it: from historical figures like Richard Nixon, to contemporary examples such as ex-House majority leader Tom DeLay, Senator Larry Craig, and N.J. Governor Corzine. (I would also argue that an arrogance of power led many in the Bush Administration to believe they could disregard fundamental liberties and international law in fighting the "war on terror". I think it has been proven by now that our government thought it could be excused from following national and international laws, treaties, etc., against torture, mistreatment of prisoners, denying due process, and waging offensive, unprovoked war.)

Okay, no one is perfect, and that includes the people who serve in public office. Have you read/heard/seen any interesting commentary or analysis on these questions in the media? Share with us! If you can't find any, you can start with this from CNN: Experts analyze Spitzer's thinking

Eliot Spitzer

Wow. I was shocked by this, and apparently so was everyone else. The popular Governor of New York resigned today after it was uncovered that the man who made his career as a tough crime fighting district attorney had been involved in soliciting a high priced prostitution ring. (Story here and just about everywhere else in the media.)

It is unclear whether or not he will be prosecuted for a crime, but the public shame and humiliation were too much for him to continue, which brings up a number of questions:

Americans have become very used to politicians "shading the truth" and "spinning news stories" for their benefit, but Americans have little patience for politicians who claim to be just, moral, and dedicated to upholding the law, only to have a shadowy dark side that they hide from everyone else.

What have you read/heard/seen about this case that makes you think about the bond of trust between citizens and the government officials they elect to represent them? Should Spitzer have resigned? What does this case say about the line between public and private morality? In the case of President Bill Clinton, people were outraged at his immoral (though not illegal) relationship with Monica Lewinsky, but ultimately didn't support his being tossed out of office.

(It should be noted that the crime Clinton was guilty of was lying about the relationship with Lewinsky under oath in a deposition for a civil case being brought against him by another woman, Paula Jones, for alleged sexual harassment. Clinton was suspended from practicing law for five years, but he wasn't going to be getting back into the field of law anyway.)

I think Spitzer did the right thing by resigning - there was no way he was going to be an effective governor for N.Y State with this controversy and legal investigation swirling about him. He disappointed a lot of people who saw him as a true "law and order" guy that wanted to clean up corruption in government.

The guy who will be replacing him is someone I've only read a little about in the last day or two, but is an interesting person, David Paterson. You can read or listen to a story about him here and here.

Modern Day Slavery in our World

Read or listen to this story on NPR about the slave trade that exists in many places around our world. I knew about this, but not some of the details and the amount of slaves around the country. The modern practice of slavery is often referred to as "human trafficking". Here is a brief description from Amnesty International:

Trafficking is modern day slave trading. It involves transporting people away from the communities they live in by the threat or use of violence, deception or coercion so they can be exploited as forced or enslaved workers. When children are trafficked, no violence, deception or coercion needs to be involved: simply transporting them into exploitative conditions constitutes trafficking.

Trafficking is a worldwide phenomenon. Victims are trafficked into a range of hazardous labor including farm work, sweatshops, domestic servants, forced prostitution and subjected to sexual abuse and other forms of violence. Each year, an estimated 600,000-800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders according to the US Department of State.

Keep in mind that slavery is not only illegal in the United States, but is in violation of Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

I found this story very sad and disturbing. We need to do more to defend the human rights of the defenseless. If you want to do something about it, you can start taking action at Amnesty International's pages that deal with "human trafficking".

Good Idea vs Bad Idea

So lets have a bit of good idea vs. bad idea.
Good idea: Runing for president in 2008 as a Democrat following one of the most dissapointing and disapproved Republican Presidents.
Bad idea: Running for president in 2008 as a Republican and having your number one tag line be "Experience" when the last 8 years have far from a good experience.
Good idea: Having strong endorsements in said race in order to pick up as many on the fence votes as possible.
Bad idea: Having one of the nations most disliked president's "approval" and endorsement.
Good idea: Bringing inspriration and hope to millions of citizens in the U.S. with personal stories and speeches that bring new life to American politics such as the ones from Barack Obama and even Hillary Clinton.
Bad idea: Running as a Rublican and having almost no conservative views and values.

The bad ideas are some of Sen. John McCain's stats if you will. While many people are cuaght up in the Democratic race for nomination which is one of the closest races in years. The Senator from Arizona picked up an endorsement from the White House. That's right President George W. Bush endorsed McCain yesterday, Wednesday March 5th. Although having this endorsement gives McCain many bonuses, such as money and the aura and name of the presidnecy, it may have drawbacks that are not so visible. For one McCain has talked a lot about experience and has made it apparant that he has more than enough to lead the country. But with all the experience he has he has also spoken about learning from the past and not making those same mistakes. With the American peoples experiences from the last 8 years being not so good, will the name of the president who led our country through all that be an endorsement or just add to the weight that McCain has to carry in order to gain the presidency. With Barack and Hilary gathering so much attention, and the public perspective that we need change, this race doesn't look so good as is for McCain as well as the Republican party. Whether this endorsement helps or hurts we won't know quite yet, one thing is certain though, John McCain is going to have a tough trip in order to be the one being sworn in next January.

WASL Insanity

It is that the time of year again when I start to feel really depressed about what the WASL and the No Child Left Behind Act has done to our public schools.

Next week, our school's schedule will be all out of whack to accomodate the WASL. Lots of classes will have a lot less instruction going on because many students will be missing from class because of the WASL. All this will happen for another week in April. Students only have 180 days in the school year to learn all they are supposed to learn, and a lot of instructional time is lost to these tests.

The Washington State Constitution guarantees all students the right to an education. But I really believe the WASL exams are doing more harm than good.

Even the State Legislature is having to face some of the reality about the cost of the system. According to an article in today's Seattle Times, more changes may be made to the elementary and middle school level tests because they cost so much to grade. They already caved in on the math WASL because so many students failed it. Is all of this money and time really improving instruction?

I don't have a problem with the idea of finding out if students can read, write, and do math before we give them a diploma. I do have a problem with the way the tests are administered, and how so much of a student's educational career rides on this one test. There are a lot of students that get incredibly stressed out during these exams.

I would propose that the state put MORE money into the tests, and give the tests outside of the school day. Have testing locations and test dates on weekends like they do for SAT exams. We have testing locations for driver's exams.

Let our 180 school days be a time for learning, not turning everything upside down to meet governmental testing requirements. A lot of teachers are going to be spending a lot of their time proctoring tests, and baby-sitting bored students who can't do much of anything when they finish the test, because students aren't allowed to leave the room, have certain types of school work out, or listen to music with headphones.

Our first and second periods are going to be well over an hour long, but the others will be shorter than normal. Most classes will waste part of those long classes because the students aren't used to focusing on one subject for that length of time. Other classes will have less time to keep up the the 1st and 2nd period classes. Teaching young people is a challenge. It is much more challenging when we have unusual schedules. Students have been trained to believe that days like these are ones where we "shouldn't have to do anything". Most teachers fall for it. I know there have been times when I have.

Read about it and share your thoughts.

Doh!

Tuesday night was not a happy result for Obama supporters. I think Hillary is great and all, but I was really hoping the Democratic Party would be on its way to unifying behind Obama. Instead we are facing many more weeks of our two top candidates going after one another while John McCain gets to hang out at the White House and look Presidential.

I'll leave it to you to find some links to political coverage, do you think these developments will hurt the Democrat's chances of winning the Presidency in the fall? There are some that think it isn't a bad thing for the eventual winner of the Democratic nominee.

Meanwhile, if you were wondering, here is the lowdown and the upcoming contests:

Countdown to Wyoming: 2 days

Countdown to Mississippi: 5 days

Countdown to Pennsylvania: 47 days

Countdown to Election Day 2008: 243 days

Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 320 days

It's Sorta Super Tuesday

Primaries and caucuses in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont today. Election results should be coming in any time now. We know that McCain may clinch it all in the Republican race. As for what is at stake on the Democratic side and a breakdown of the numbers, this is what the Washington Post had to say:

"Obama began the day with a total of 1,386 pledged delegates and unpledged superdelegates, compared with Clinton's total of 1,276, according to an Associated Press tally.

At stake today are 370 Democratic delegates.

Texas is the crown jewel of the day -- doling out 193 delegates in a hybrid primary-caucus process. The primary vote, which concludes when polls close in West Texas at 9 p.m. Eastern time, apportions 126 delegates based on the percentages of the vote Obama and Clinton carry in the state's 31 state Senate districts. The other 67 delegates will be awarded in a caucus process that starts tonight and ends at the state convention on June 6. Ohio will award 141 delegates, Rhode Island 21 and Vermont 17."

More interestingly, Bill Clinton put it this way in a speech in Texas a few weeks ago:

"If she wins Texas and Ohio I think she will be the nominee. If you don't deliver for her, I don't think she can be. It's all on you."

Clinton did have a big lead in Texas and Ohio, but Obama has closed the gap to a dead heat in Texas. Ohio polls still have Hillary ahead by a bit. But those are just polls - we will start getting real results soon.