Why Weather?

Everybody loves to talk about the weather.  I personally have been a weather enthusiast since the 4th grade when I was assigned to be the weather reporter for my class.  When people have nothing to talk about, they talk about the weather.  It's too hot, too cold, too snowy, too dry, too wet, too windy, not windy enough, etc.

But why do we talk about the weather so much?  We talk about the weather so much for a few reasons.  The first is that in this era of technology, heat, air conditioning and the modern luxuries of the 21st century, we still like to be reminded that there is still a natural environment; something that cannot be controlled.  When elements are beyond our control it is easier to watch and admire, precisely for the reason that we have no control over it and more importantly, we usually have no stake in it.

Mets fans, myself included, get depressed when the Mets miss out on the playoffs year after year.  When watching the awe of a hurricane from afar, a blizzard from indoors or a tornado on TV, there is no lingering disappointment if the blizzard falls apart, the tornado fails to touch down or if the hurricane goes out to see.

In this chaotic world of terrorism, financial crisis, genocide and political turmoil, the inherently neutral phenomenon of weather is a welcome reprieve from the inundation of negative stories that flood our day.  Even though weather causes thousands, if not millions of deaths worldwide each year, studying this last untamed natural frontier is awe-inspiring.

The way in which the Gulf Stream affects the weather in Greenland and the Pacific Ocean temperatures affect the drought in Africa is amazing.  I am not a religious man, but the small part of me which clings on to some bastion of spirituality sustains itself from the existence of the intricate and well oiled machines of weather and life.  The interconnection between the weather and life cannot be overstated.  We need the rain, we need the sun and we get both.  If it was too windy, like it is on other planets, we would be blown off the surface of the earth, but with no wind there would be no rain.

The crash of the financial markets inspired me to write this article.  I cannot click on CNN or any other news websites without feeling a pit in my stomach, reading about the billions of dollars ordinary Americans lost today.  When I click on ESPN.com, I see that Reyes is injured again.  Where do I go for news that will neither upset me or elate me?

The weather channel.  I pop it on and watch the meteorologist talk about the tornadoes in Kansas.  Try it.  Even better, when there is a thunderstorm approaching, walk outside and watch it come in.  See the dark clouds move in, the wind pick up, the thunder increase and the lightning crackle.  There is nothing man-made that can rival the power and the tranquility of an approaching storm.

This is why people talk about the weather.

Let's hear what your favorite weather event is, comment or take the poll on the right.

Fair and Balanced?

I have tried to keep this blog relatively "fair and balanced", declining to take sides on certain issues.  I clearly lean left, however, I am by no means a liberal.  With that in mind, I need to dedicate a short post to the joke that is Fox News.

Fox News is a joke.  They rose from obscurity in the late 1990's and only gained "legitimacy" in the mid-2000's.  They supposedly usurped CNN as the most watched news channel, however, I believe there are other factors leading to that calculation.  Fox News is the only radical right wing television station, while there are several centrist/left leaning stations, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, etc.  Therefore, to claim that you are the most watched name in news is a joke, if you are the only producer of right wing material.  For example, if 33% of the population is liberal, 33% conservative, and 33% moderate (intelligent), and everyone who is conservative watches FoxNews, then FoxNews gets 33% of the viewers.  The other 66% may have three or more options to watch balanced and centrist minded broadcasting, therefore, if there are three other channels, each gets 22% and Fox News wins with 33%.

Now they may be correct that more people watch them than any other news channel, however, it would be more accurate to claim that they are the most watched news channel because their marketing brand was created to attract the aforementioned 33%.  To imply you are the most watched name in news, implies that your opinions are valid, your editorials on point and that your perspective reflects that of the average American.  This too is a joke.

The average American knows that Fox News is a joke.  Fox News and their hardcore (moronic) following are the only people who fail to realize this.  When your headline icon is Glenn Beck, who failed to graduate college, which is not a bad thing in and of itself, but when you are claiming to be all knowledgeable on history, economics, foreign policy and social welfare, a college degree can be useful, you are a joke.

The real reason Fox News is a joke is because their slogan is "Fair and Balanced".  This is what inspired me to write this post.  Immediately after Obama signed the debt deal and every other website on earth had a picture of Obama signing the bill, Fox News had the FAA strike (what?) as the lead story.  So for the 3 weeks before the bill was signed, and the 3 days since the bill was signed, Obama has been portrayed in the Fox News Headline as the problem, the divider, the failure, the tax increaser, the cause of our economic failure, etc. Yet when he actually signs the bill (a positive act), the headline is the FAA strike!  What a joke.  How obvious can a news organization get that it is radically right, yet still have the motto, "Fair and Balanced".

That is like the Nazi Party using its official name, the "National Socialist German Worker's Party", or China using its official name, the "People's Republic of China", or North Korea using its name, the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea."  What does Fox News have in common with these dictatorships?  They are trying to brand themselves as being the opposite of what they really are.  Which is radical right wing, unfair, unbalanced, bigoted, hateful, ignorant, hypocritical (their worst quality) and more.  I could write a well supported thesis on why Fox News is a joke, but I have a job and you, the readers, have lives.

Fox News revealed itself as the biggest joke of all when it forgot to comment on the News of the World story in England.  Imagine a liberal paper was accused of hacking into phone records of dead children, soldiers and 9/11 victims.  Fox News would go nuts.  What happened when it was a right wing, co-owned newspaper, nothing, Fox News failed to report the story.  That's right, they censored...themselves.  Much like the North Korean government controls all television seen by North Koreans, Fox News actually decides what is and is not news.  Why not let the people decide what is and what isn't news?

Why not?  Because Fox News is a joke.

Should Weiner Resign?

Anthony Weiner is an idiot.

Anthony Weiner is an outspoken, liberal Democrat from New York City.  He is one of the few Democrats with the guts to defend his sometimes unpopular opinions and is a likeable guy.  He was running for mayor of New York and probably would have won.  He had just married his wife.  Everything was going well for Mr. Weiner.  Until his well, his weiner, got the best of him.  This is what made him an idiot. 

So Mr. Weiner texted/tweeted/Facebooked pictures of his body to women and had inappropriate conversations with random women he met on the internet, while being a married man and a sitting U.S. Repesentative.  Mr. Weiner claimed not to have sent the photographs, and later retracted.  He is an idiot for how he handled the crisis and the media alike.

So should Mr. Weiner resign?  Should he step down from the post to which he was elected by his consitutuents by a 20+ margin in a tough year for Democrats.  He is wildly popular in New York. Is stepping down the right thing to do or the mandatory thing to do?  I submit to you that he need not resign for two reasons.

First, Mr. Weiner was hired by the people of New York to represent them in Congress.  He was hired to represent their interests, fight for their district, write and pass bills for their benefit and to represent them in the U.S. Congress.  Did Mr. Weiner do his duty?  By all accounts yes, in fact, he has performed this duty more effectively than many fellow representatives who make much more kosher personal decisions.  In my opinion, it is the people of New York who should decide if Mr. Weiner shall continue to represent them.  It is not for Eric Cantor (hypocrite), Nancy Pelosi (follower) or Sean Hannity (blow-hard idealogue mega-lo maniac) to decide.  This is the point of representative (which Mr. Weiner is) democracy, we decide who represents us, NOT the media or fellow politicians, it is the constituents who decide.

Did Louisiana kick out Republican Senator David Vitter for hiring prostitutes and violating the laws of that fine state? No.  He is still in office.  Mr. Vitter broke the law.  He hired prostitutes, yet he is still a sitting Senator.  Today, Eric Cantor, the Republican Representative from Virginia, and political opportunist, said that Mr. Weiner should step down, without mentioning David Vitter.  This hypocrosy is stunning and embarrasing.  Eric Cantor is a rising "star" in politics.  He is akin to New Gingrich and Karl Rove in terms of his ruthless, win by any means mentality.  "Scandals" such as Weinergate reveal the true hypocritical nature of our elected politicians and media, both Republican and Democrat, Liberal and Conservative.

Clearly, Mr. Weiner did not act like a "model" citizen.  He had inappropriate contacts with women and lied about it.  I personally would not elect him as my Representative following that behavior.  But, it is not for me to decide, because my Representative is Gary Ackerman, not Anthony Weiner.

Second, Mr. Weiner should not resign because it would feed into the media circus that has become American politics.  I must reiterate that Mr. Weiner did not break the law.  If he did break the law, I think he should be impeached or resign.  He did not break the law and the media (mainly right-wing) is making his tweeting the main story for over 2 days now.  Not the recession.  Not the deaths of five American soldiers in Iraq.  Not the reality that Republicans are playing chicken with our debt ceiling threatening an American default on our loan payments.  Instead, we are focusing on Mr. Weiner's weiner.  If Mr. Weiner resigns it will lend creedence to the sad reality that we are not in fact a representative democracy, but a hegemonic, corporation controlled (via the media - Fox-News owned by News Corp, CNN - Time Warner), pundit influenced circusocracy.

America is the greatest country on earth.  We have the best political system on earth.  One of our main flaws that has developed in the past 20 years, however, is confusing great leaders with great people.  JFK was a great leader.  He was not a great person.  We have named an airport after a man who cheated on his wife in the oval office.  Imagine there had been internet in those days?  The man who defused the Cuban Missile Crisis and assured the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (he did not sign it because he was assasinated right as he was about to sign it) would have been kicked out of office.  My point is that just because Mr. Weiner is an idiot and not a great person does not mean he is not a great leader or representative.  I say, unless Mr. Weiner broke the law, let the people who did the hiring, do the firing.

What do you think? Vote in the poll on the right to voice your opinion.

THREE LESSONS FROM A BACHELOR PARTY

I just returned from a bachelor party in Atlantic City for two high school friends of mine, both of whom are marrying two girls who are themselves, best friends.  I am not going to divulge the details and stories of the weekend, however, I will reveal the three lessons to be learned from bachelor and bachelorette parties.

The most obvious lesson to be learned is by the bachelor to be no more…the one for whom the weekend is about.  While away from his soon to be bride and surrounded by booze, women, roulette tables and his crew, he will learn if he is ready to get married and if he is marrying the right woman.  If the bachelor feels like he is a dog let out of a kennel while on his bachelor party, and goes absolutely crazy, then maybe he is not marrying the right woman.  A man, or woman, should not marry someone who makes them feel suffocated and trapped, or who prevents them from living the life they want to live, or close to it.

Another way a man can tell if he is marrying the right woman is if after a day or two of partying with the guys, he misses his fiancé.  If a man is surrounded by the aforementioned vices, and still misses his woman, then it is clear that he is making the right decision to get hitched.

The second lesson to be learned is by the fiancé who is not on the bachelor party.  If your man is at a bachelor party and you are at home, or with your friends, panicking and worrying what he might be doing, then you may not be marrying the right one.  However, if you know your man is surrounded by booze, strippers, gambling and other fun, and you are actually happy for him and fully trust him, then you have the trust your relationship needs to succeed.

The final lesson to be learned is by the fellow bachelors, or married men, on the bachelor party.  It is a time for reflection on their own relationships and romantic situations.  A good friend’s marriage without a doubt causes those around them to question whether they should make the same move, and whether they are with the right woman.  If a fellow bachelor finds himself missing his significant other, or on the contrary, partying like John Belushi, he should take heed of the signs.

A bachelor party is one of the first real tests of the strength of a relationship.  It tests the trust between the couple as well as the bachelor’s desire to either party with the guys or settle down with his lady.  It gives a sneak peek into the future dynamic of the marriage.  It is a good gauge of whether either spouse will feel jealous, neglected, smothered, suffocated, lonely or hopefully, happy.  Unfortunately, by the time of the bachelor party, it is too late for the fiancés to change their minds, but for those who are not yet engaged, it is a great opportunity to examine their own relationships.

Take the poll on the right and test your own feelings on your significant other's bachelor or bachelorette party adventures.

IS IT WORSE TO BE FIRED OR TO FIRE?

Before reading this post, please take the poll to the right on whether it is worse to be fired to to fire.

A lot of people I know have lost their jobs recently, from pregnant fiances, to single mothers and it clearly hurts to lose your job.  But is it worse to lose your job or is it worse to be the person who has to pull the trigger?

I have been fortunate enough (knock on wood) never to have been fired or had to fire anybody.  From the stories of these recently unemployed people, the anger, frustration and pain they are experiencing is tough to see.  They all had friends at their jobs who over the years become their family, with whom they shared their happy moments and relied on during tough times.  A job is more than just a paycheck, it is where most people spend the majority of their lives and build some of their strongest relationships.

But what about the evil employers who have to make the tough, or sometimes not so tough, decision to lay off a worker.  Is it hard for them?  If so, how hard?  First, we need to remember that employers are ordinary people just like the employees they may have had to layoff.  They have families, mortgages and car payments to make.  They are also responsible for the financial stability of entities which support large numbers of families.  They may justify their decision to layoff a worker on the greater good, that without this layoff, the company could not make rent or pay suppliers.  But what I wonder is, how much these employer-terminators think about the effect that laying off a worker has on the employee.

Personally, I would rather be the fired than the firer.  On a lesser scale, I have experienced that doing the breaking up is always more difficult than being broken up with.  After a break up, the guilt is nearly unbearable, along with the double guessing and self-doubting.  Knowing that I am going to make a decision that will without a doubt hurt somebody and make me hated is much more difficult than being broken up with.  The broken up with, or the brokenee, can say F.U. to the other person and move on.  The breaker upper, or the brokenor, must live with the fact that somebody out there very likely hates them and that they may have ended a relationship that was in fact, in some cases, meant to be.

Is it the same with employers? Do they feel this guilt when they cut off a mother's ability to feed her child? I would like to believe so, but never having been in such a position, I cannot say.  To those who recently lost their jobs, I would say to relish in the strength of your F.U. approach.  To those who just did the laying off, I would say, I hope it was worth it.

CAN YOU LIVE WITHOUT MUSIC?

 

Can you live without music?

Why are we so addicted to music?  What is it about music that forces us to have it around us at all times everywhere we are?  The answer to this question is complex yet simple at the same time. 

            What IS music in reality?  You can’t see it, you can’t feel it, or taste it. It just comes out of the air right?  Well, yea it actually does.  Music is simply the sound that vibrating air molecules and particles make in reaction to exterior stimuli.  Whether a guitar, drum or vocal chord, the movement of these objects sets forth a steady stream of vibrations into the air and into our souls.  It’s a wonder that all of those little vibrations can translate into one flowing, organized sound that we appreciate as music.  What is even more amazing to me is that we all recognize certain patterns of vibrations, or songs, to be good or bad.  That is, we prefer to hear one pattern of vibrations over another.  That however, is a concept for a philosophy class and not for this article.

            So now that we know what we are listening to, we need to look at how widespread it is and understand that music is around us all day.  How long do you go during the day without hearing music?  The answer is much shorter than you think.  Music is played at weddings, parties, funerals, religious services, parades, bars, in television shows, in movies, in the elevator and even when you turn on your computer!  To see just how widespread music is, look how many devices we have from which to play our beloved music.  Ipods, walkman, car radios, stereo systems, computers, cd players, record players, you get the idea.

            But why is it that we need and love music so much?  That answer is simple.  Because it sounds nice and makes us happy!  And as a 5 year old would ask, “yes but why?”  I have always wondered why I love music so much and I believe it goes to the core of who we are as conscious beings, aware of our mortality, and in touch with our emotions.

            When my mom died in November of 2008, I had never felt more alone and depressed.  I could not find a way to express my sadness or explain the emotional rollercoaster my mom’s death threw me on.  As I lay awake in the nights immediately after she died, I went on Youtube and starting playing Pearl Jam’s, “Release”.  There is a line in that song that says, “I’ll wait up in the dark for you to speak to me.”  That line, along with the song’s overall musical theme and melody, helped me soak in the emotion that I was feeling.  The music allowed me to mourn and be sad, and yet it comforted me all the same.  I was waiting up in the dark, waiting for my mom to speak to me, and hearing a song by someone else who thought the exact same thing helped to calm me down.  And I was not alone.  On the Youtube comment section, most of the posters had just lost a loved one and had flocked to “Release” as a tool by which to properly mourn their loved ones.

            So music allows us to express and feel emotions that we may not have understood otherwise, or may have never told another person.  Music makes us feel less lonely.  If you break up with your girlfriend, you can just turn on the radio and hear a love song that in your eyes perfectly describes what happened to you.  We all hear the same songs and feel similar emotions.  Music unites us into one cohesive emotional body as we embark on our mortal journey.

            For many people music is a motivator.  At clubs, music helps people to dance and move their bodies in ways that may or may not make them more attractive to the opposite sex.  Slow dancing can be a very intimate experience as two people move in unison to a slow melody while tightly embracing one another.  Music helps to motivate us at sporting events, campaign speeches and rallies.  The upbeat rhythms tempt us to coordinate our movements to their tempo. 

            I was talking to my friend John earlier today, and I told him about this article I was planning on writing.  He told me that he could live without music, and I said “ok, what about movies and television shows?”  I said, “Imagine an action movie with no music, a horror movie or a drama.”  You can’t, because music is what makes the majority of movies work.  Music is what helps movies communicate the emotion and feel of a moment when words alone are not enough.  That’s why people play the soundtracks for movies alone, like “the Bodyguard.”  At the end of the conversation, John realized that he too could not live without music.

             I know many people who have made music the focal point of their lives, without music being their profession.  My friend Josh is a music addict.  He has more cd’s, music downloads and music files than anyone I know, and he constantly sends all of his friends links to certain concerts.  He is obsessed.  My girlfriend Jess should be a professional singer, but has not yet caught her break, and she too has made music the center of her life.  We even met at a Phish concert. My friend Ben’s screename included the words “Benbejammin”. Music is just a core element of who he is.

            I am listening to Phish’s “Harry Hood” as I am writing this article (listen here).  I recommend that everyone listen to this song to experience the energy that comes from it.  You cannot describe it.  First time Phish listeners may not fully grasp the uniqueness of a Phish song until they let it play out and listen to it a few times.  Phish exemplifies the power of music. And it is the difference between a Phish song and a Pearl Jam song that makes music so beautiful.  Music has the ability to capture the entire spectrum of human emotions and circumstances from cradle to grave, and for that reason we just cannot live without it.

 

WHY EVERY MAN NEEDS A DOG

They say a dog is man’s best friend.  Every man has friends in his life, good friends, so why do we need a “best friend” who is furry and needs to be fed and walked?  I didn’t know the answer to this question until recently when I took in two dogs, one a small overweight Chihuahua, Jumbo, and the other a Terrier, Chihuahua mix, Muscles. 

I have always been a very allergic person.  Cats, dogs (so I thought), pollen, mold, mites, milk, you name it and I am allergic to it.  So when the prospect of living with two animals was presented to me a few months back, I was cool to the idea, to say the least.  First, I had never lived with animals, and second, I thought I was allergic to dogs.  Turns out I am not, a fact which has drastically changed my life in the past two months.

Muscles is an outgoing, loveable, energetic and playful dog who loves to hangout and relax all the time.  As soon as I come home from work and open the door he runs over to the spot on the couch where I watch TV and rub his belly.  It sounds slightly nauseating to hear the details of this pattern, but it is only nauseating to non-pet and specifically non-dog owners.  Two months ago I was one of these narrow-minded non-dog owners who would not have understood how rewarding it could be to return home and have that four-legged friend waiting to play.

So why does every man need a dog?  I think there are three reasons.  The first reason is that it is a huge stress release to have a close relationship with a dog.  I never understood it, but having a mutually beneficial relationship with a being who has unwavering loyalty and who desires nothing more than to play and be rubbed lowers my stress levels unlike anything else.  Not only is it nice to rub something soft everyday (yes, even grown men can admit its nice to rub something soft) but also the reciprocal licks from my best friend are extremely stress relieving.

Much more significant is how having a dog prepares a man for the most feared stage of his life…no, not marriage (which might a be close second for some), but having kids.  For those like myself who never had another being to feed and take care of, becoming responsible for the care of a dog is a life-changing experience.  I am no longer that selfish kid who wakes up when he pleases and lives according to no other schedule than my own.  How the hell can that kid possibly expect to get married and in a few years time be ready to be a father? 

I don’t know if anyone is ever really ready to have a kid, but living with and taking care of a dog surely moves one closer to a stage of readiness.  Even the most macho and toughest of men want, or accept the reality that they will one day have kids.  In my opinion, every man needs a dog to prepare for this process.  The man’s new best friend can guide him through the process of fatherhood by instilling within him a sense of responsibility while simultaneously providing the new father with the stress release and playtime that all grown men need. 

Finally, having a dog prepares a man for poop.  My only experience with another beings poop was when I took care of my nephew for a week.  That week was a mess, both figuratively and literally, for both my nephew and myself.  But walking the dogs and picking up their poop in the poop bag has numbed my gag reflex to the point where I am confident that I could deal with the poop of any animal, especially one with my own DNA.

So while Muscles has become my new best friend, I have learned some important life lessons and taken a significant step in my own development.  Having a dog is a unique experience that both relaxes yet educates a man at the same time.  Every man could use that.

Also, an important note, please be sure to adopt a pet from an animal shelter as opposed to buying one from a pet store.  

WHY METS FANS JUST CAN'T BE YANKEES FANS

Baseball season is upon us.  And Mets fans are just bracing for what could possibly the worst season since 2003.  The past few years have been terrible.  First it was the 2006 loss to the Cardinals, then falling one game short in 2007, and then 3 games short in 2008, and then of course the entire 2009-2010 seasons.  Can it get any worse?

As all baseball fans know, it can and has gotten worse.  The Mets are being sued for 1 billion dollars as a result of the Madoff scandal.  Gerry Manuel and Omar Minaya are gone.  The team is in shambles (even though Castillo and Perez have been released).  Our star center fielder now right fielder cannot run on his knee...his good knee.  We have no catcher.  We have no second baseman.  We have no pitching.  So what will I be doing on April 1st?  Watching the Mets season opener against the Marlins. At 7:10 p.m. like every single east coast nighttime Mets game.  Why will I be doing this?  Because I have no choice right?  Well...no, I do actually have a choice, and therein lies the problem.  The choice.

The choice is the New York Yankees.  In fairness, the Yankees have had it tough lately; they didn't win the World series from 2000-2009.  However, during that time period they only failed to reach the playoffs once, and when they did not reach the playoffs, in 2008, they still were 16 games over .500.  The Mets in 2008 actually had the same record as the Yankees, however, they collapsed down the stretch to make it feel like they finished at 10 games below .500.  But how are the Yankees looking this year?  Well C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Arod, Teixiera, Cano Granderson, Joba...well...they look pretty damn good. They always look good though. ALWAYS.

If I was a rational human being or had any common sense I would root for the Yankees.  Why? Because people like to win, even if it means a bunch of millionaires who you root for on television. Winning feels good, therefore, picking a good team to root for makes us feel good.  So why the hell isn't every New Yorker a Yankees fan?  Why are there any Mets fans at all?  The Mets channel shows Mets Classic games and it is the same 10 game rotation.  The Yankees channel shows classic games and it is a 200 game rotation.  Sometimes they just show an entire season because they were so good.

So will I root for the Yankees? No.  I won't. I never will because the Yankees are evil.  The Yankees represent corporate America, monopolies and everything that is wrong with everything.  The players don't seem to enjoy playing.  Watching AROD hit a HR is excrutiatingly painful, not only because I hate him, but because he smirks and that smirk says, this is so easy, I don't need to celebrate because it is no big deal, and then he smacks his gum.  You know what I am talking about.  The Yankees have ruined baseball for the 25 teams who cannot compete with them for a player.  The Yankees outbid every team to get the best players, time and time again.  Siding with the Yankees would be siding with the bully.

It's not only that the Yankees are evil its that they are boring.  The best Yankees season since 1996 was 2009.  Why? Because they won for the first time in a decade. Absence makes the heart grow fonder (so Mets fans REALLY are very fond) so that when your team wins the big prize, it means that much more.  If you expect your team to win, it is like coming home to your favorite meal every night, it gets boring, routine and eventually you lose interest.

So this season I will be routing for the Mets, as Beltran goes on the DL, Santana goes into a Pedro Martinez style decline, and Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez become All-stars on the Phillies and the Nationals.  As depressing as this will be, I am just glad I am not a Yankees fan.

Lets Go Mets...

LIBYA: OUR FIRST INTRODUCTION TO THE REAL BARACK OBAMA

My first post will address the military operation in Libya and how it has revealed the true character of President Obama for the first time.  The issues to be discussed on this topic are never ending. From regional geo-political history to American politcs, the forces at play and history driving these forces are much more complicated than portrayed by the media, both left wing and right wing.

It is obviously common knowledge that Northern Africa was once, and not that long ago, colonized by Europeans.  This region was even fought over in World War II.  Only 60 or so years have passed since many of these countries in North Africa and the Middle East have had their independence from their colonial master.  The significance: North Africans and Middle Easterners do not like intervention in their affairs by Europeans, including Americans.  It is with this in mind that terrorists such as Bin Laden exploit the colonial past and imply that it is not so past at all.  In other words, these people believe that they are in no certain terms, still colonized by Europeans and Americans.

Is this true? The obvious answer is no, not practically or politically.  But there is some element of neo-colonialism that does exist economically between Europe and these regions.  France, Britain, Spain, Portugal and other former colonial powers still have advantageous trade agreements with their former colonies.  These trade deals are similar to those that Britain had with the 13 colonies, even if unspoken.  You send us the raw materials, we will process it, and then sell it back to you.  In essence, they are buying your resources from you on the cheap, say a bushel of sugarcane for $10, and then sell it back to you as  molasses or powdered sugar for $25.  Yes it boosts your economy, however, in the end you lose $5 on the deal.  Sounds like the old colonies got the raw end of the stick.

How does this relate to Libya?-Oil.  Italian and French companies have very advantageous oil contracts with Libya and get large quantities of their oil from the country.  Is this why France was so keen on "protecting the civilians" in Libya?  Recently, Italian ministers indicated their suspicion of French motives and the possibility that they might end up with all of the migrants and none of the wealth.

I am not a liberal who believes that we invaded Iraq for oil.  I think we invaded Iraq because George Bush believed that Saddam had WMD's and that they were dangerous.  I think that George Bush carried a huge burden of protecting this country after September 11.  He made it his main cause and central theme to defeat those who brought down the towers.  This not only meant Al-Qaeda, but anyone who helped, might have helped, appeared to have helped, wanted to help, might of wanted to help...This is where Saddam and the WMD's came in.  I did not agree with the invasion of Iraq but I do not believe that it was for oil.  It is a cop out and a liberal cliche that we did.

But Libya. The French were smart about Libya.  The French knew that if they were seen as the saviors of Libya, the rebels, who if the French helped defeat Gaddafi, would be in control of the oil and in a position to offer oil contracts to the French.  The French sent warplanes to Libya that allegedly took out 4 tanks. 4.  Are the French the saviors of Benghazi now? The Americans fired 110 Tomahawk Missiles the first night of the military action. 110. These missiles costs 1 million dollars each. Not to mention that the U.S. sent over F-16's, B-2 Bombers and other aircraft.

Let's not fool around here.  The French were very smart about Libya.  They knew that the U.S. had the best resources to carry out this mission and that the Americans would be doing most of the heavy lifting.  But this is not deemed an American event...but more a French/European led event.  Why is this?  Well the obvious answer is that French planes arrived first and that President Sarcozy was the most outspoken leader regarding protecting the Libyan citizens.  Was this a ploy to get Libyan oil or a genuine concern for the Libyan people...who knows.  But WHY really is this event not seen as an American event.

Obama.  I am a Democrat and I voted for Obama, but he has failed to lead when the country and the world need him most.  We all need Obama right now to take control of the situation in Libya.  The situation in Libya is that the European countries cannot figure out who will lead the mission, either NATO, the French, some sort of council of invaders, or the Arab countries even.  The debate amongst these powers reminds one of the era of multilateralism.  Multi-lateralism consisted of a free-for-all of European powers fighting for control of land and resources.  When large empires and superpowers arose, the European countries took a back seat to the wishes of the U.S.  We took the lead role in almost every military action in which we participated. It was only proper that we took this lead role because we were expending the largest amount of resources in these military actions.  Shouldn't that be the same now?  Why aren't we in control?

Obama.  He needed to be the man to say, "look, we will do this, but we are in command", or, "look, if you want this to happen, you need us, and it will only happen if NATO is in control."  THEY NEED US.  The Europeans could not have done this without us, yet they get the credit and control of the mission.  Would Bush have stood for this? Clinton? The U.S. took a lead role and NATO took charge of the Bosnia and Kosovo missions.  Reagan? Definitely not.  Obama is scared that he will be seen as fitting into the mold of all of other U.S. presidents that have given the U.S. a "bad" name.  He does not want to be tough, opinionated, pushy, controlling, aggressive, and most importantly, he does not want to piss anyone off.  Well, I am sorry Mr. President, but as commander in chief of the U.S. Empire you need to be all of those things.

This is not the article for a debate on the U.S. Empire, but what is relevant is that we are the world empire and yet our leader refuses to acknowledge such.  Empires conquer and then pillage.  Empires get the spoils and the control.  Here, we conquer and France and Italy pillage. A council of Europeans has control.  What the hell is Obama thinking.  If we are spending millions and undoubtedly BILLIONS on this mission, we better get SOMETHING out of it, if not goodwill.  But no, we cannot even get goodwill because Obama does not want anyone to know we are even engaging in war-like behavior.

So while American teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, professionals and others are losing their jobs because of a lack of government funding, we can spend billions to bomb Libya. And get NOTHING out of it.  Not oil. Not control.  Most people would be astounded by a Democrat crying over Americans not getting any oil or control out of Libya, but this blog is about pragmatism.  Cost-Benefit Analysis.  Goodwill and good standing in the world MIGHT be worth it, but we will never know because our President is afraid.  Our President is afraid that he will have to act like a typical American President who takes charge and leads the international community.  Unfortunately, despite Obama's fears, we really need a typical American President right now.

My question to the reader is, would the Libya situation have been handled better by a different U.S. President?

TOPIC IDEAS

This is the section where people can suggest topics to discuss.  Just post your idea in a comment and we can get the discussion rolling.

Introduction

This is the first blog entry.  I must begin by saying that I am not a blogger and I am not internet proficient.  This blog is just a place where normal people can discuss everyday topics, from Sports to News to Weather, while having mature and rational discussions.

I am a 26 year old attorney living in Long Island, New York.  I am annoyed by the fact that most news websites and political forums are filled with hate and ideology.  If you are one of these people, this blog might not be for you.   That does not mean people cannot debate the relevant issues of our day.

My goal is to form a large cohesive movement in this country of non-ideological citizens who want political solutions based on pragmatism and results rather than ideology.  This is not limited to politics, as all topics are free game here.  I expect to be discussing soccer, baseball, current events, politics, music and other topics on this site.

Stay tuned.

Please feel free to post any comments with your ideas on this blog.