They’re crucifying The Savior!

Listening to: Travel Channel and chattering children

President Obama, we need to talk. I don’t know if you’ve notice this, but they’re crucifying you out here. I know you are just a mere mortal man, in spite of all the hoopla doopla about you saving America during the election. I also understand that most of this criticism is misplaced, since no one man can turn the direction of the ship on the turn of a dime. Still, you have to do something. Anything. I understand that you were smart enough to capitalize on the average American’s need for hope and change, but you gotta keep the ball rolling here. We need you to be the one who makes a stand on things that matter to the American people. I’ve heard of you changing your stance on a few things that you were pretty firm on, like Palestine. Please, please, please, don’t be that guy. We would much rather have a leader that takes a (educated, classy) stand on issues than pick one side and changes his mind later. Don’t.Be.That . President. I think most of us took a running leap onto the Obama bandwagon because you seemed to embody all of the things that Americans prize most in leaders. Things that your predecessor sorely lacked. Americans want, desperately, to believe that you will deliver on at least some of the promises that you made campaigning. Redeem at least some of the respect that America had dealing with other countries. We are sitting here waiting for you to step up again. You have the foundation to be one of the epic presidents that last in our folklore, you just have to reach out and grab it by the horns, and be that guy.

Becky

The Corruption of Karzai

Listening to: Olivia
Mood: Blah

I haven’t really been keeping right up on top of politics as of late, but I have been trying to hit up the BBC for my daily dose of what’s happening in the world. One of the major stories that my favorite news network has been covering is the elections in Afghanistan, and how president Karzai fixed the election and is now insisting that everyone just move on with life as they knew it.

For some odd reason, this really disappoints me. I couldn’t tell you why. After all, this is Afghanistan, great granddaddy of Pakistan’s craziness. I guess it’s just a little disappointing to see everything revert to craziness in spite of everything that has been done to try and counteract it. In a country famous for nuttiness, disorder, and rampant corruption, is it really so much of a surprise that a US backed leader would be true to his roots and revert back to running things in a way that benefits him. This all lies on the assumption that the charges are true. Anyone really want to dispute this? Didn’t think so. I think the really tragic thing is that no one will do anything about this. In all reality, what can be done? Even so, this sends the unfortunate message to both the Afghani people and others around the world that if you are backed by the most powerful people, corruption is sanctioned. This directly counteracts the message of democracy that we are trying to beat into others, and last time I checked, corruption was distinctly undemocratic.

Becky

Anticlimax

Listening to: One hit Wonders of the 80’s on VH1 classic
Mood: Crack head type awake

Apparently it’s been a LOOOONNNNGG time since I’ve been round to blog. Sorry about that! Life has been keeping me busy.

So. Let’s review the obvious. Obama won. By a landslide. He has hit the ground running.
Is it just me or has the whole process been totally anticlimactic? I mean, it really had to be the way he was tearing up the campaign, but still. To be fair, as I mentioned, he has hit the ground running and has been working hard to repair world relations. They have been working round the clock to manage the economic situation too. (if I hear one more person, doesn’t even have to be a talking head, calling it an economic recession, I will personally rip his or her head off)

So what now? Miracles aren’t worked overnight. Unless you’re Jesus or Sai Baba, which Obama is not. So now we have a rockstar in the office, how do we judge his success? I didn’t really want to put failure there also because I think it’s rather hard for us to head downwards from where we were. I still hold out hope that people wouldn’t make a worse choice than the previous one. So how do we judge his success? He promised tons of stuff, some of which he will be able to accomplish. So far, he’s been holding his own with class and good judgment. The issue in my mind is how to know if he’s really a rockstar, or just appears as one compared with his predecessor. President Bush was not a rock star. To call him competent at the office of president would be kind. So compared with such an example, is Obama really that wonderful? I guess, as President Bush was so fond of reiterating, history will be the judge. It’s kind of hard to judge his success so early on in his term.

I know one thing I don’t want to hear anymore about. Their dog. For the love of everything holy. The family has a dog. So frickin what? How many million families in the us have a dog? I also don’t really care if Obama takes off his shirt and goes swimming on vacation with his kids. People do that. After all, he is still a person. I don’t really care much about what Michelle is wearing either. They’re clothes people. She’s not a fashion plate, she’s part of the governing team of the US. If she’s well dressed and makes a good impression, fantastic. Beyond that, let it go.
Becky