Holding Pattern

Errata: Change ''FEC'' with ''SEC''.

I recently retired after spending a lifetime teaching school in south Los Angeles. I've sort of adopted Obama as one of my honorary former students because he embodies many of the ideals that I attempted to teach my students. One of my former students, a candidate for graduate school, sent me an email calling Obama Barack O'BALLA.
Actually that's not a bad nickname. Let's examine our Arch-Enemy, Iran as an example Obama is in control of the ball. He's got a leading score (Among the young in Iran, he's probably more popular than the mullahs) , time clock is running out (Iran's elections are slated for June 2009), and he's got control of the ball. What would any serious "balla" do?
Obama has proven to be wise, prudent, and cautious. He has refused to take any foreign policiy initiative now because he firmly believes there's only one president at a time. He seeks consensus rather than division. This will serve him well in the field of foreign policy. Obama may well follow many of the recommendations listed here.

Globalization and war are two sides of the same coin. Throughout many parts of the world, including Central America, there has been little ???hidden??? about the links between corporate interests, globalization, and militarization. Under the guise of the war on drugs, the war on terror, Plan Colombia, and lesser-known programs like the ???humanitarian??? NewHorizons, U.S. military forces are backing U.S. corporate and geopolitical interests from Iraq to Colombia, from Honduras to the Philippines. We can see it in the war on Iraq and how USAID awarded ???reconstruction??? contracts to corporate backers of the Bush Administration and we see it in plans for a U.S. free trade agreement with the Middle East by 2013, based on a network of bilateral FTAs with individual Middle Eastern governments. We can also see it in the Mexican government???s continued war against Indigenous Peoples in resource-rich areas like the Lacandon jungle, home to the Zapatista Army of National Liberation and their supporters. We can see it in the renewed U.S. military presence in South East Asia, especially in their joint exercises with the Philippine military. Their mission is to make the world safe for capitalism and the U.S. empire and to crush communities and economies organized around different values and principles.

Meanwhile, the US has "rewarded" its allies in the "war on terror" (e.g. Australia and Thailand) by negotiating FTAs with them. And it has demanded that the governments of Gulf countries scrap their boycotts of Israeli goods as part of FTA negotiations.

Besides the obvious ways in which US geopolitical concerns are embedded in Washington???s pursuit of bilateral trade and investment deals, other countries are also pursuing bilateral free trade and investment agreements to further geopolitical goals. Increasingly, we can see access to energy resources (eg. oil, gas, uranium and water) as a factor in determining the priorities of signing bilateral FTAs for countries such as China and Japan.

Dont Blame others ,This the Price America has to Pay dearly when adopted Neo -policy . The End Average Americans cannot compete and have to Suffers deeply.

Comment: This just in: GOP does not own GOD!

Many who voted for Obama prayed he would win, including myself. I guess the GOP does not own God afterall!

Palin prays and God says 'no'! So who exactly is she praying to???

All of the GOP supporters that came forward and said, 'we lost fair and square', I applaud, and respect their integrity. All of you others that are trashing the new president with lies and fear smears, well, you suck and deserve to be losers.

It was a hard fought campain from all sides and it just blows me away how small minded some are. t is sad, but true that we live in a divided country and many want to keep it that way.

I love basking in the GOP's loss. They have been so oot of touch, and the Bush supporters are just lost in the pile of dung they created for themselves. It is funny how they still hang on to that turd. They are as bad losers as they are winners.

They never deal with issues, they can't. They use lies and distortion like little children. That is what they have been taught, that is how many of the hypocrates operate.

They get smashed at thier own game on the playing field on the world stage. Instead of being constructive they attack with Drudge level comments that remind us of what we teach our children not to do. Very immature, very out of touch and very much a thing of the past.

After all the screaming about Bush's foreign policy, now Newsweek says "relax", there's actually nothing to do????? lol. Hindsight bias. No surprise.

Obama has a huge mandate from the American people to do everything he promised to do. He's no Tricky Dick Nixon with a "Secret Plan". His initiatives have been in bold print on his website for at least two years now. Republicans -- and Hillary -- have ridiculed Obama and his plans for two years, YET we elected him in a landslide. Anything less and in four years Republicans will claim he was all talk and no action.
awaway. Much of it I did

This article completely misses one of the most critical issues tied to the economy: CHINA. This country has stolen billions of dollars worth of technology through corporate espionage and counterfeiting goods. The seem unable or unwilling to deal with the problem as long as it benefits their economy. Furthermore they're continuation of a devalued currency is still hitting our trade deficit hard. We're also seeing dangerous and toxic items coming out of China ending up in our food supply and children's room. Now we learn the Chinese may have been hiring hackers to attack the white house and Obama/McCain's campaigns. All the while the Chinese side is completely protectionist; it's incredible difficult for foreign companies to operate with sales in China. Something's got to give, I suspect Obama will need to seriously review our current trade policies with China. Free trade is largely a good thing but in this case something needs to be done and fast.

I detect confusion on the portion of NEWSWEAKS latest Obama scribbler. He forgets that the ''long ''months''required in order to build Iranian rapproachment will allow Medvedev,and Putin,to further cement ties to Tehran [as they have already accomplished],that will not require a standdown on the Russian deployment of SS-26 missles within the range of these American anti-missle platforms in Poland. Barry is unable to discern how ''American training'' of Pakistani officers and men in their army will not eventually,as with the Muhadjideen,turn out more effective jihadists. [The Pak Army is rife with pro-al Qaeda factions]. Using US troops as a ''last ditch'' source of protection conjures up Bataan,Khartoum,Roarkes Drift,and Saigon does it not?
Africa is again ignored. Rwanda is now in the Congo fray,where tens of thousands are dying again,and China moves forward with its partnership with the government in Sudan. Obviously,Columbia,in both GOP and Democrat administrations,was never left to the devices of South Americas regional powers alone. Nor will Venezeula if or when it acts in a unstable or reckless manner aimed at its neighbors,or seeks greater ties with Russia,whom Chavez allowed to port at his country only last month with naval ships bearing nuclear weapons.

''Relax''........?