Election Issues Today

In the wake of an overseas trip, that by most all accounts was a resounding success, U.S. President Obama has many problems facing him, some inherited, such as wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the global economic emergency, and new problems that loom ahead, including a resurgent power play by North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Il.

The recent missile test, which is regarded as highly provocative by both Japan and South Korea, underscores the continuing power play that Jong Il believes will strengthen his position in nuclear and economic negotiations with the West.

Although the missile test was overwhelmingly condemned, there was no attempt by the U.S. to “shoot down” the missile, evidently, trajectory data confirmed a course that would not threaten any other country. The U.S. says the missile splashed down in the ocean, North Korea press releases claimed that a satellite had been placed in orbit.

There is also an internal power play in North Korea that is of concern to Japan, South Korea, and western nations as well. Just how long Jong Il can hold on to power in view of his health problems is a question that remains to be answered, and just how firmly he remains in control will largely determine who will hold power upon his death and if a power struggle is likely to erupt. The possession of nuclear weapons (of any sort or degree of sophistication) by an unstable government will keep the U.S. military presence nearby and on alert.

President Obama’s surprise visit to Iraq shouldn’t really have come as a genuine surprise to anyone, it simply wasn’t announced and was “unscheduled” on his travel agenda. He stated that it was time for Iraq to be accountable for its own future. A great deal depends on the leadership of Prime Minister al-Maliki, President Jalal Talibani, and the new General in Charge of U.S. forces, Raymond Odierno.

I must express my disgust at how the entire World’s economy seems to have gone down the toilet due to the cost of WARS around the globe!

We note that Bill Clinton left office with over $120 Billion surplus, and today the USA faces a $1 Trillion deficit–this year!   President-elect Obama stated yesterday that he thinks the USA must endure several years of $Trillion dollar deficits–due to federal bailouts, economic stimulus packages, tax cuts, and shrinking revenues.   But what has really destroyed the U.S. economy–and that of the rest of the World–are the costs of WAR.  

Wars in the former USSR states, the horn of Africa, and the Gaza strip affect ALL NATIONS!  The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are draining the United States treasury at such a rate that ordinary middle class taxpayers can not even comprehend the amount of money involved.  Staggering.  We can’t continue this.  It reads like a plot in a spy novel: Third world dictators and terrorist organizations undermine the economic well-being of the United States and Europe in order to further disrupt the civilized world so they can take over.

While our kids and small-minded adults of all ages fiddle with cell phones and gps devices, the serious enemies of our entire World structure are busy plotting how to destroy us.  They also use cell phones and gps devices–but to much more devastating effect. 

While Food Banks are hard-pressed to provide for all the needy in the United States, and the United Nations struggles with food for peace programs and health programs around the world, the USA, Europe, Russia, and Israel spend Billions on bullets and bombs and warships and soldiers.

I don’t know what the solution is, but part of it has to be for the civilized nations of the World to come to terms with each other–for our mutual benefit.  Dragging down the USA and Europe would destroy all of civilization.  We can’t start the World all over again.  It doesn’t work that way any more.  

The Arab nations must get past the ancient insults and colonialism and “jew” preoccupations and develop their societies within the structure of muslim-acceptable economic systems that will generate JOBs and FUTURES for all the young men of those countries who have NO JOBs, NO EDUCATIONS, NO FUTURES, NO WIVES AND FAMILIES, AND NO HOPES FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE–SO THEY JOIN UP WITH TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS THAT OFFER THEM SOME SENSE OF PRIDE AND PURPOSE–ALBEIT INSANE TO MOST OF US.

We need to extricate foreign armies from what amounts to inter-tribal rivalry and nation-state building in both Afghanistan and Iraq.  They have to do it themselves.