Saddam Hussein

Daily News Roundup: Obama’s Leaky Transition Team

Friday, November 21st, 2008

Obama’s cabinet picks continue to be leaked. Hill’s almost certain as Secretary of State, and now, rumors are floating that New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson —after being rumored to be in conention for Sec. of State—is being tapped for Commerce Secretary. Meanwhile, Arizona Governor, Janet Napolitano is being tapped for Homeland Security.

Just as we were beginning to breathe a bit more easily…We hear that the stock market’s falling again, the credit crisis worsening and the recession set to become a likely mainstay in our lives for a longer, more difficult period of time than most had expected…

But there’s a silver…er gold…er whatever color it is…lining in gas prices we’ve witnessed finally come down slightly from their frightening heights in the $4 range to a more approachable $2.

Iraq remains a hotbed of chaos and discontent as today’s uproar centers around a George Bush effigy, located where Saddam Hussein’s statue once did, a thousands-strong crowd burned to protest the more than likely continuation of an American presence in the country until 2011.

Political junkies still hankering for an election fix can count their lucky stars for the Minnesota recount. Norm Coleman’s lead has been whittled down to less than 100 over Al Franken. However, there are still 800-plus challenged ballots, and more than 49% of precincts to be counted. Sure to be a nail-biter.

Angelina doesn’t simply have Brad whipped, she’s got the media under her thumb, too. Lara Croft’s got news outlets and tabloids doing her bidding. A saavy auto-PR maven, she’s become the uber-star at regulating her image. Seems if mags like People want photos of her nestlings, they can’t simply pay up with cash (which ends up in charity), they have to write about the causes Ms. Jolie supports. While it’s admirable to use popularity for a good cause, but if this rumor’s true, then how else can the media—and journalistic standards—be manipulated toward an infotainment end?

Black Muslim Says Race, Not Religion, Is the Issue

Monday, October 27th, 2008

He looks like most Americans (well, African Americans). And you definitely can’t tell he is a Muslim by his appearance. So, it would be difficult to target him based on his religion.

“I look like a regular black man in Washington, DC,” said Omari West, a 35-year old American Sunni Muslim. “Do I get targeted as a black man, now that’s another case?”

Although West acknowledges that religious bigotry against Muslims exists in the United States, he believes the primary issue is still race.

Some Americans still “cling” to the inaccurate beliefs that Sen. Barack Obama is a Muslim or was sworn into Congress on the Koran instead of the bible. And as shown in a recent McCain rally, there is a portion of the American population who believes Obama is an Arab. And they’ll shout it as an insult to prove it.

West, who was born into his Islamic faith, says the Arab slur is a cover for their true beliefs.

“It’s no longer politically palatable for people to openly admit that they don’t favor a candidate because of his skin color. [African Americans] have gone through a long hard battle in this country to win the right of dignity and respect, at least in the public square.”

West attributes the veiled use of the word, Arab or Muslim, as a code word for “other” or an even more derogatory word used against Black people.

“It’s more convenient and less controversial for someone to call Obama a Muslim then it would be to call him the n-word.” That’s how the coding works.

(more…)

The World in Brief

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

Laughter was Forgetting? Recently released Soviet era documents, though often considered questionable sources, have revealed that Milan Kundera, celebrated Czech author of such works as The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting and Ignorance–most dealing with themes of displacement, sacrifice, sex and Totalitarianism–may have informed on a spy friend in order to keep his place at the university after being expelled from the Communist Party.

Not All Quiet on the Afghani Front…There really is nothing amicable about “friendly fire”; it’s simply a fatal error. And today marked another nine of them. An American air attack on an Afghan army post resulted in nine deaths and three critical injuries.

Throwing Rice at their Wedding The Bush Administration sent Secretary of State Condoleezza to Puerto Vallarta in order to meet with Mexican counterpart, Patricia Espinosa. Mexico’s drug cartel violence has reached a fever pitch loud enough to make adjacent U.S. feel threatened and of the mind a diplomatic intervention is required.

Rock and Hard Place Sandwiched between Russia to the north and Iran to the south, Azerbaijan has ever been in an uncomfortable geographic and political position. Since the Soviet Union fell, the oil bearing country has been able to keep Russia at bay while courting the interests of NATO and the U.S. Following the former’s war with Georgia, however, striking that balance has proven quite the challenge.

Shiites Restive in Sadr City Despite the relative calm washing over the city since its cease-fire, Shiites within its confines have grown increasingly angry regarding a government they consider “worse than Saddam Hussein['s].” For now, their fury has been kept in check, but how long before their pots boil over?