Why and how do we have prisoners at Guantanamo? As part of the war on terrorism, President Bush issued an order that suspect terrorists are not entitled to the rights of the Geneva Convention. To try to get useful intelligence suspected terrorists were subject to renditions at black sites off the radar in places like Egypt. How much useful intelligence was gained is a matter of debate. The Gitmo prisoners end up in a “no man’s land” because of the lack of choices. What now? I’ll take that up next. What do you think?
All posts by suzanne
Why Do We Have Guantanamo in the First Place?
The deadline for a decision on what to do with the Guantanamo prisoners has come. But why are we in Guantanamo in the first place? We have had a protectorate over Cuba since the Spanish American War. Our Guantanamo Bay base has unmistakable strategic importance. Even Castro’s Cuban Revolution didn’t change this. It is a secure military base, actually an ideal place for detaining potential terrorists.
Do We Have Anything Like This Election in Our History?
It seems like everyone and his brother is running for President. In 1912 we had four different parties running. Teddy Roosevelt was the first ever to use the primaries to try to gain the nomination, and he managed to split the Republican Party and started the Bull Moose Party. In that election, Eugene Debs was a true Socialist riding the high tide of socialism in the U.S. In the volatile political environment of 1912, anything could happen, and the same is true today. What are your thoughts?
North Korea’s ICBM’s and Hydrogen Bomb in Context
To put the North Korea’s ICBM’s and its purported underground test of a hydrogen bomb into context, it helps to review the background of the split between North and South Korea. I’ll talk next time about key similarities between North Korea and nations in the Middle East. I’m always interested in your comments.
Will Sanctions Work to Restrain North Korea?
There’s a lot of noise lately from North Korea. Execution of a General is nothing new, but we should pay attention to their reaction to sanctions in response to their recent ICBM launch. The escalation currently happening shows North Korea’s unpredictability and willingness to take actions that are to the detriment of the North Korean people. I don’t think we’ve heard the end of this? What do you think?
Execution of Shia in Saudi Arabia: What Are the Implications?
Saudia Arabia recently executed 47 Shia including a leading Shia cleric. Why did this happen? What are the implications? The public execution was a slap in the face to Iran. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia are busy protecting their interests in the Middle East. The ring of Shia-controlled territory in the fertile crescent from Lebanon to Iran presents a real collision for the Saudis. This has been a brewing contest for some time, but now it has become public.
Why Is Saudi Arabia in Collision with Iran?
Saudi Arabia, the head of the Sunni world, is in collision with the Shia Iranian regime and is trying to build a Sunni coalition. During WWI, the Hashomite family, which traces its descendancy from Mohammed, was the keeper of the holy places of Mecca and Medina and expected to retain this power. The Middle East would look much different today if the Hashomites had been able to stay in control, but the bedouin Saud family was able to force the Hashomites out. The Saud family is wedded to the strict Wahabi version of Islam, which gave birth to Al Quaeda and ISIS.
Who’s Who in the Sunni – Shia Split in the Middle East?
It’s easy to confuse the cast of nations. A good starting point is to sort out the Sunni – Shia split, though the mix of minorities in these nations makes the picture more complicated. This five-minute audio also explains some of the distinctives of Shia faith.
Signs of Hope for Our Political System
I hear a lot of complaints about the dysfunction of our current political system and make a few of them myself, but there is hope. When the best of the right and the best of the left can be combined in a way that makes sense, we can make progress The best historical example of this is the Tennessee Valley Authority. It took political leadership and a blending of ideas, but the impact was enormous, and the TVA still works today. The issue of poverty in America demands this sort of cooperation and creative thinking. It’s possible!
To Understand Donald Trump Remember Huey Long
Are there historical precedents for the phenomenal success of Donald Trump’s preidential campaign. Looking at how Trump resonates with so many people brings to mind Huey Long’s political dynasty in the 1930’s. He was able to gain a great deal picturing himself as an outsider who understands the common man. He made very appealing promises to gain support and was willing to say just about anything to gain and hold power. FDR thought Huey Long could defeat him. We’ve been here before.