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Posts Tagged ‘USA’

We all like a clearly defined villain, someone we can all hate without fear of contradiction that we as individuals have made a mistake. There have been two stories in the past year running in the UK that have both these elements: MP’s Expenses and Banker’s Bonuses.

In both cases I believe that the “Perceived Wisdom”is totally wrong, worse a “cover up” and President Obama’s threats to limit American Banks in both size and scope, probably foolish and his message is more ‘politically populist’ than the sound of common sense. The reality behind both of these stories is something called complacency…

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Some days ago we learned that the three main political parties – Conservatives, Labour, LibDems, have agreed to hold TV Debates during the run up to the General Election which of course has immediately led to protest from the various Celtic Nationalist Parties as well as UKIP and presumably, the BNP.

The real question though is whether it adds anything to British Politics or is it just something that excites the ‘Media People’ only. I must be honest and say that my viewpoint starts with a healthy dose of total scepticism. I am sure the first one will be watched by many though even then, only the committed and/or angry and the following ones by very few.

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I suppose with the year drawing to a close it would be obvious that there would be lots of “assessments” by journalists concerning Obama’s first year in Office and how the Hope he bought for change and a different approach has actually played out during that time.

Inevitably there will be many who start to wonder whether he will turn out to be a “One Term President”, my gut instinct is that it is far too early to say because often it is the unforeseen “events” which determine the fate of Presidents and Prime Ministers based upon how they react.

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If politicians would only think of the Country first, their Parties second and themselves last of all, there would be very different outcomes to many things and in the case of Gordon Brown, we would have had an Autumn Election. However, it seems that their petty egos carry more weight that any other consideration.

Gordon Brown has shied away from any election contest that he could but this one is unavoidable unless he is removed from office by his own side or leaves Downing Street feet first. Just why he is clinging to power is unfathomable, a week may be a long time in politics but he has been so unlucky for these past two years, just what does he expect to happen that will rescue him ?

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Although not my favourite Candidate for the US Presidency, the choice of the American electorate was Barack Obama and I admire his efforts over Healthcare Reform, he is right and I am sure he will be judged so over time. I personally don’t care too much for his style because to my mind he is far too laid back and often seems somewhat disconnected and right now over Afghanistan, this is very dangerous.

The biggest single problem currently is not whether the Americans send in more troops or just how many if they do, it is President Obama’s dithering over the matter and Karl W Eikenberry, a former General and now American Ambassador to Kabul, with his leaked communication advising against further reinforcements, really doesn’t help anyone whether they are in favour of getting troops out or, of hanging on in there. The advice given to parents about not arguing in front of the kids, comes to mind, the White House seems to be in total disarray.

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Although I don’t always comment and likely sometimes comment too much to stuff on the web but, an article by Dominic Lawson on Afghanistan in the Independent and the reader’s comments that followed, did make me stop and think for awhile about the predicament we are in currently. /www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/dominic-lawson/dominic-lawson-the-only-options-are-to-double-up-in-afghanistan-or-leave-1817739.html

Combined with Remembrance Sunday, the nasty little Sun inspired row on Brown’s handwriting and 6 British Soldiers bodies being repatriated today, the concentration of most people is on the “particular and specific” which is understandable. However and without wishing to be an “Armchair General”, we must also have an awareness of the broader picture too in deciding policy and as citizens, supporting that policy.

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Today being Remembrance Sunday and the sad news that we have suffered the 200^th casualty since operations started in 2001 with the fall of the Taliban. Although British casualties were light up until 2006 when the then Defence Secretary John Reid announced a significant troop deployment to Helmand Province, they have accelerated since and will no doubt continue to do so.

Should we, will we leave Afghanistan ? The answer of course is Yes but not in the immediate future and certainly not within the year. President Obama is obviously struggling with this one on many levels and frankly the withdrawal plan will be initiated by the US not so much because of military but rather with “political and prestige” reasons uppermost, these are not trivial considerations.

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As this boring “MPs Expenses” saga goes through its death rattle, every idiot and their Mother is trotting out their pet ideas which are motivated by either personal interest or just plain ignorance, in the latter case the National Tooth Fairy would do them just as well, Boogie Woogie have a sixpence Click Clack !

If you are Nick Clegg and a Libdem, the fact that the Liberals lost their “Radical Party Crown” to the Labour Party a hundred years ago and haven’t managed to reclaim it back from them because of the Liberals own lack of imagination and drive, clearly needs Proportional Representation to make up for their past failures under our “first past the post system” – “Change the system to suit us and our total lack of competence is their cry…” Enchanting and I think not !

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As I watch on TV the highly varied “protester groups” demonstrating on the streets of London, I am reminded that today indeed is April Fools Day for the whole thing has the air of a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. What do Anarchists, Green Movement, Peaceniks, Old People who have lost their savings, people who have lost their jobs, people who blame the Bankers…have in common ?

What remedies would suit them all ? Is there a universal panacea ? The answer of course is no because most are just wanting to go back to how things were 18 months ago and the “usual protesters” are hacked off because the economic downturn has made them irrelevant. For them, its a bit like Hunt Saboteurs suddenly finding out that everyone has given up hunting with hounds – it’s bloody tough having both your job and raison d’etre taken away from you…

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There was much talk during the American Presidential Campaign as to how Barak Obama and his team had “harnessed the web” to help him secure his victory. He had not just used it to project his message but also as an effective means of fund raising. The question being posed in the UK was whether a British politician or Party, could do the same.

For a whole number of reasons, I was already looking into various aspects of this for my own reasons and if of interest, in the following I will share my thoughts:

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