Since I've been here in New Zealand, I've developed a few routines. My possible favorite is my morning routine. Due to its general steady, relaxed, and consistent nature, it usually gives me the energy and peace of mind to work throughout the day and adapt to whatever confronts me no matter how rapid or extreme. Without making it too boring, I simply make a french press of good coffee and porridge, and read the news from three different papers from three corners of the world (Washington Post, New Zealand Herald, and Novaya Gazeta (sometimes RT)). Im not very conspiratorial, but the whole reading multiple sources is a pet peeve of mine that I developed a few years ago. It pays off.
It pays off on days like today. In the midst of all these Wall street protests, Im surprised some people in high positions still have the audacity to continue going on with activities that the protests address. [Quick note: The core idea of the protests needs to be the fact that the government is clearly not representing the interests of the US people anymore. Its in our country's foundations (DOI) to remove any system that no longer answers to its people: the power is literally in our hands. The rest of the grab-all ideas that the movement seems to have picked up can and will be discussed/ handled once we have mechanisms of handling that. But the idea now is to address something clear, concise, as well as something that we have a right to do.]
SO in the midst of this protest that should be addressing the above notion, our government is currently engaged in
1.) Holding the record for most deportations of any other term
2.) Continuing to develop a missile shield originally designed to combat the [now non-existent] USSR
3.) Sending more soldiers to Central Africa
*I'm sure there is more, but I have shit to do today. like earn money.
Starting from the top, I went to a university that was heavily Obama supportive (which ones werent really?). The idea that he currently holds such a claim is, quite frankly, a direct betrayal of the ideas of most of these people. It may be a long stretch of a comparison, but these people wanted Obama in office to get rid of things like Guantanamo, and to increase the rights of humans to be with whom they chose, and so on. Immigration policy is a bit different, i'll admit that. But when an incumbent does a better job at kicking people out of the country than the Bush's, something seems a bit estranged. [again, i need to develop this more, but the article really struck out at me today]
For anyone who knew me while i was in DC, you'll know that this missile shield is a really sore subject for me. Im a bit of a Russophile, and can't help myself for always being slightly more optimistic toward them than maybe I should be (perhaps it balances out the negative feelings). But this is a ridiculous idea. Its obsolete--the USSR doesnt exist anymore, Russia (no matter WHAT anyone says) is not a military threat to the US anymore. Its useless for the 'new' purpose--Iran and North Korea's missile capabilities are sub-optimal at best and the furthest they could reach is not even close to what the defense system can bring down. and third--how much money is this costing the US tax payer? They expanded the system two years ago, and are still doing so. Military tech of any nature is not cheap (maybe in the functionality way, but certainly not in price), and I believe that the US government could be using that money for better things. Its not like our economy is in the shit hole right?
And the story about troops going to Central Africa is hardly posted at all in US media. I resulted to finding the story in significantly less time in European media. Supposedly, these soldiers are only going to help training and advice to help the nation's forces 'remove Kony and any other high ranking officials,' which I believe is about the same terminology they used entering Afghanistan/Iraq.
Now, I'm not indifferent to what is going on in that region. Its an awful situation that no one is responding to, and is probably a better example of 'terrorism' than what the word is normally attributed to--mainly because what is going on in Central Africa causes people to literally live in terror every day (not fear- terror). One could get raped, killed, maimed, dismembered....its essentially living in a horror/slasher film. I'm not saying we shouldn't care. We should.
But i'm a Cosmopolitan economist: Nations mean nothing to me, but i still prefer to get bang for my buck. To clarify, I think our relationship as human beings should always be strong than our relationship as Americans, Germans, Russians, etc. But, If one were to drop everything and pursue a goal, chances are, that could be the only goal one accomplishes. Yes, we should be helping to alleviate what was going on in Central Africa.
...But we're also a suffering country ourselves. Not trivializing what is going on in Central Africa with an economic crisis, but we as a country have a lot going on- wars, crises-- We cant help everyone without taking huge sacrifices to ourselves. Something, in my opinion, we cannot do.
Not in THAT way anyhow. I'm tired of the wars in which the US is currently involved. Plus, its costing too much money. We're not helping anymore, we're hurting their people. Wars are expensive, and only created an economic stimulus ONCE, and that was for extreme reasons. In short, what I'm saying is that if the US really wanted to help Central africa, they should get out of the mess theyre currently in, and change the flow of support to something that they CAN help with--not something where they continue to hurt the residents, the soldiers of their own country, as well as their own economy, and reputation.
Still looking for something good to come out of the wars in the Middle east...
Oh! We havent had a terrorist attack on the US since then!
--thanks TSA! You know, that establishment we have on our own shores...
The point of this really has been that clearly, in a time where we have thousands of people protesting [or what they should be protesting] is that the government no longer represents their interests. The economy is dying, people have no jobs, and most of the money the US government receives seems to be going to select, people and then the warfront, or vice versa. Who knows what the priorities are anymore?: THATS THE PROBLEM!
