Saturday, January 27, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
2008 Democratic Presedential Primary in the Web Information Age
Senators Hillary Rodam Clinton and Barack Obama have announced their intent to run for their party's 2008 presenential nomination.
Both are strong canidates within the Democratic Party.
Hillary's deep grasp of domestic and foreign policy issues vs. Barack's academicly tempered optimisim and general vision for change.
The talking heads seem to doubt the depth of Barrack's knowledge on the major issues facing this nation. I suspect this because those ideas are not enumerated on his presential exploratory committee website relative to Hilary's site. However his Illinois senate website is much more mature. Obama Senate Site: On The Issues:
Barack Obama Predential Exploratory Committee
Hillary Clinton Presedential Exploratory Committee
Both are strong canidates within the Democratic Party.
Hillary's deep grasp of domestic and foreign policy issues vs. Barack's academicly tempered optimisim and general vision for change.
The talking heads seem to doubt the depth of Barrack's knowledge on the major issues facing this nation. I suspect this because those ideas are not enumerated on his presential exploratory committee website relative to Hilary's site. However his Illinois senate website is much more mature. Obama Senate Site: On The Issues:
Barack Obama Predential Exploratory Committee
Hillary Clinton Presedential Exploratory Committee
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
What Should Be Done About Iraq?
By Marina S. Ottaway
Current History, January 2007
The Bush administration has finally admitted that the situation in Iraq can no longer be addressed by “staying the course.” Both the visible deterioration of the situation on the ground, amply demonstrated by the horrifying violence in Baghdad and other important cities, and the American voters’ rejection of the Republican Party and its policies in the midterm congressional elections make it imperative for the administration to announce a new course. But the options are limited.
Iraq today sits at the intersection of two clusters of conflict. The first is internal to Iraq, a result of the vacuum of power left by Washington’s success in overthrowing Saddam Hussein and its subsequent failure to restore security and governance. The second is regional, caused by the rise of Shiite power in Iran and affecting the entire area from Iran to the Arabian peninsula and the Levant. As a result, any new policy on Iraq needs to address both domestic and regional issues.
Complete Article
Current History, January 2007
The Bush administration has finally admitted that the situation in Iraq can no longer be addressed by “staying the course.” Both the visible deterioration of the situation on the ground, amply demonstrated by the horrifying violence in Baghdad and other important cities, and the American voters’ rejection of the Republican Party and its policies in the midterm congressional elections make it imperative for the administration to announce a new course. But the options are limited.
Iraq today sits at the intersection of two clusters of conflict. The first is internal to Iraq, a result of the vacuum of power left by Washington’s success in overthrowing Saddam Hussein and its subsequent failure to restore security and governance. The second is regional, caused by the rise of Shiite power in Iran and affecting the entire area from Iran to the Arabian peninsula and the Levant. As a result, any new policy on Iraq needs to address both domestic and regional issues.
Complete Article
Political Reconstruction in Iraq: A Reality Check
By Marina S. Ottaway, Judith S. Yaphe
Publisher: Carnegie
Policy Outlook, March 2003
Plans for the political reconstruction of Iraq are bound to fail if they do not take into consideration that Iraq is not a political blank slate to be transformed at American will into a democratic, secular, pluralist, and federal state. It is a difficult country with multiple social groups and power centers with conflicting agendas. The United States must not try to impose a system of its own devising on these groups. Loose talk about bringing democracy to Iraq confuses what external actors can do and what Iraqis alone can accomplish.
The United States should also not underestimate the extent to which broader U.S. policies toward the Middle East and its handling of Iraq's oil will affect the willingness of parties within and outside Iraq to cooperate in its peaceful reconstruction. Washington's next steps in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in relations with Iran, and in shaping a new regional security system will determine whether the Iraq war is the beginning or the end of regional crisis and bloodshed.
Article Here
Publisher: Carnegie
Policy Outlook, March 2003
Plans for the political reconstruction of Iraq are bound to fail if they do not take into consideration that Iraq is not a political blank slate to be transformed at American will into a democratic, secular, pluralist, and federal state. It is a difficult country with multiple social groups and power centers with conflicting agendas. The United States must not try to impose a system of its own devising on these groups. Loose talk about bringing democracy to Iraq confuses what external actors can do and what Iraqis alone can accomplish.
The United States should also not underestimate the extent to which broader U.S. policies toward the Middle East and its handling of Iraq's oil will affect the willingness of parties within and outside Iraq to cooperate in its peaceful reconstruction. Washington's next steps in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in relations with Iran, and in shaping a new regional security system will determine whether the Iraq war is the beginning or the end of regional crisis and bloodshed.
Article Here
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