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America sits in 2008, a place craving change, empowered by messengers that claim change will come or enraged by suspected empty promises to speak out against those that use the word “change” an a mantra they feel hypnotizes and blinds the easily swayed. As the economy, the infrastructure, the media, the government, and even our own public fails us- and leaves us wanting more, we sit back hoping change for the better will come. But while we focus on our place in the world, and even tighter on our place in the country, our communities, and our jobs (or lack there of in too many cases), we must make sure we don’t become so narrow viewed as to neglect everything that happens in the rest of the world. With that in mind, here are some of the happenings from around the globe in brief (or not so brief) form.
We’ll start with a little U.S. citizen abroad news- Barack Obama has pulled out yet another wining nomination against Hillary Clinton in the Democrats abroad vote. This brings it now to 11 straight victories for Obama. Particularly of note for this vote is the fact that it was the first time online voting was permitted. “(S)aid Christine Schon Marques, the group’s international chair, in a phone interview from Geneva. “Many people overseas are very concerned about the war in Iraq; they’re looking for change.”” There’s that magic word again… Change. Also of note is the fact that Republicans do not hold global primaries. So I guess Republicans who work in Antarctica are S.O.L.
In nuclear news, forgetting the fact that we don’t want anyone (read: Iran) getting nuclear power, or the potential for nuclear weapons… oh wait… India is reaching the end of it’s deadline for a pact with the U.S. allowing the U.S. to send nuclear fuel and technology to India. Yes, that’s right, while we sit and stress over the fact that Iran wants to gain nuclear power for it’s country, here we seek to increase the potential for an already nuclear country to build more nuclear weapons. Regardless of whether the country is an ally or not- there are fears that this move could lead to a new nuclear arms race in the region- given that Pakistan and China are already nuclear as well, and the Communist parties in India fear that the move could give the U.S. too much influence in their country.
You know, mentioning nuclear armed Pakistan, a “friend” of ours who really always has our best interests at heart- it’s important to note what’s going on there given that many of the terrorists we’re fighting and searching for are training and hiding out in the mountains around their borders. The elections that took place in Pakistan have really shaken things up in that country, taking the bulk of power in parliament away from current President Pervez Musharraf’s party the PML-Q, and giving it to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the Independents, and the Pakistan People’s Party. The PPP (the party of recently assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and the PML led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif are now seeking a way to work together despite political differences, to reform a more democratic Pakistan, moving away from the military based rule of Musharraf- who is blamed for recent increases in violence, lack of democracy and rights, and increasing living costs with decreasing quality of living (sounding familiar?). Of course, to make matters more complicated- not only do the two new majority parties have different aims in their political agendas, they also will be unable to elect their current leaders should they seek to build a new governing body- due to the fact that they did not contest seats in the elections. The candidate from the PPP who did contest a seat- is dead. And we thought our election system was screwed.
To make matters the world over even more fun- there’s a whole new country that the governments of the world are split on whether to recognize or not, and even the people in this new country aren’t all in the boat that they want to be divided away from the country they used to be part of. Of course, I’m speaking of Kosovo recently declaring it’s independence from Serbia. So heated is the split between Serbian loyalists, and the Ethnic Albanian government and majority of the citizens, that violence is breaking out at an alarming rate. Most recently Serbs displeased with the recent independence have lashed out- destroying the U.S. embassy, as well as UN and NATO property.
Kosovo, which is 90 percent ethnic Albanian, has not been under Belgrade’s control since 1999, when NATO launched airstrikes to halt a Serbian crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists. A U.N. mission has governed Kosovo since, with more than 16,000 NATO troops and KFOR, a multiethnic force, policing the province. But Serbia — and Kosovo’s Serbs, who make up less than 10 percent of Kosovo’s population — refuse to give up Kosovo, a territory considered the ancient cradle of Serbs’ state and religion.
Earlier Thursday, police estimated that about 150,000 people had attended a rally in the Serbian capital. The crowd waved Serbian flags and carried signs reading ‘‘Stop USA terror.’’ One group set fire to a red-and-black Albanian flag.
Another country’s people who fear that the U.S. is having too much influence in their homeland- to really drive home their point, not only did the destroy the embassy- but “(g)roups also broke into a McDonald’s restaurant and demolished the interior.” Ronald McDonald could not be reached for comment.
I know I’m probably preaching to the choir here- but too many folks I know talk about how much they don’t care about what happens in the rest of the world because it doesn’t affect them, but if it can’t be seen how all of these events influence what is, and what will be happening in our country in the future, and by influencing our country- having effects on our own lives, then maybe I’m just wrong and have lost the thread, and should go pick up an issue of People or US Weekly, watch a little American Gladiators, and go to bed.
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