[I have made a few modifications to this blog that I wanted to point out.
First I have updated my links, and added a BlogRoll so that people can have an idea as to where I get my information, inspiration, relaxation, desperation... basically the things that help me write in this blog. I do not agree with all the sites in my blogroll, but I figured fairness required me to include a few blogs with opposing points of view. I included more than blogs in the Blog Roll. Among the sites, both the English and French sites of the UN Mission in D. R. Congo (MONUC) are included, as well as Indian Country Today, a very enlightening magazine about Native American Affairs. I highly recommend Jewels in the Jungle, Black Star Journal and McRae 5 for African news/opinions, and Bitter-Lemons International for the Middle East. For the French Speakers among you, I highly recommend Afrique Centrale.Info for news about Central Africa.
Second, I added a "Recent Comments" section in the Sidebar, so people can see what the last comments have been (I know, that's stating the obvious). I figured it would be easier that way for people to know whether I - or someone else - responded to their comments, or just what posts have been read. I hope you like it.
Third, you may have noticed the "Make Poverty History" ribbon in the right hand corner. It is a worthy campaign, and i encourage all of you to join (click on th ribbon).
Once again, I am in a little bit of a slump this week, so the posts will reflect that a bit, and I appologize in advance. I should be back up to speed this weekend, or next monday.]
In the mean time, can someone take me out of the nightmare I am going through with this Wolfowitz nomination? Someone please tell me that all hope of fairness is not gone. All the International level nominees of this administration - Rice (State Dept), Hughes (State Dept.), Wolfowitz (World Bank) and Bolton (UN) - are people that hate the UN, have shown total disregard and disdain for the organization and its branches, and are hellbent to use the UN as a mere tool of US foreign policy. If nations of the world don't even have the barely leveled playing field of the UN to balance out some of the US's 'cultural-economical empire' ambitions, and the legacy aims of teh Bush administration, is this a new era when "Washingon, DC" becomes "Washington, District of Ceasar", for real? Is the hegemon finally decided to impose its power? I wonder... (Okay, I am exagerating, and being overly cynical... but one has got to wonder, doesn' one?)
Angela Merkel on Putin, Trump and defending her legacy
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The former German chancellor talks about Ukraine, Putin’s nuclear threat -
and how she handled Trump.
57 minutes ago
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3 comments:
"Is the hegemon finally decided to impose its power? I wonder... (Okay, I am exagerating, and being overly cynical... but one has got to wonder, doesn' one?)"
Far from being cynical, you're probably stating things quite accurately.
Using the UN as a tool of US foreign policy has long been the status quo in Washington. The main difference is that previous administrations were much better at diplomacy and thus couching the real intentions. The Bush administration, totally devoid of diplomatic skill in the first place, has simply dropped the pretense.
From a purely Machiavellian standpoint, this is the major blunder of the Bush administration. Previous administrations have done this stealthfully and thus not incurred quite the same ire. In dropping the pretense and going out of its way to insult the rest of the world, the Bush administration has provoked a backlash which previous US administrations have generally been able to avoid.
And I guess my point is that the new attitude of the US has simply burst a growing bubble of resentment in many parts of this world, and the US can no longer afford to treat the entire world like a lost child that needs to be vrought back to the right path, i.e.: the US will and interests. I mean, many Congolese people here in the US support Bush; not because they particularly like him - they don't - but because they say that he is the first that has shown the inherently Machiavellian nature of the US foreign policy, and at least they know what to expect, and they know that they can find a solution for Congo, by guaranteeing Bush economic interests in the future nation... Basically suck up to him, until we get what we want, and he gets what he wants. Oppotunism is the lesson Bush is teaching the World... and there will be a HUGE backlash.
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