Week 6 – Blog 2

Discussing last week the four principles of Neo-conservatives I wondered if these principles caused a just war in Iraq.  I believe everyone knows by now that I feel that Iraq was a just war but I would like to hear from everyone else. 

 

Principles

1)      Concerned with internal practices of other countries

2)      American power should be used morally

3)      Being strong as possible and not relying on other groups/countries/United Nations

4)      Social engineering – to not start changing from the top but start from the bottom and make change. 

 

I think that each one of these principles can be linked to the Iraqi war.  Let me know what you think.

Week 6 – Blog 1

I hope Professor Sweetman does not take any offense to what I am about to say because I do respect his ideas and beliefs.  Last Wednesday Professor Sweetman told the class that his beliefs on military actions in foreign policy were that he did not agree with them and felt it was the wrong way to handle our foreign problems.  He said that he believed that the United States military should not have gone into Afghanistan after the September 11^th attacks on America.  His belief was that we should not use military action but be able to compromise and also find the ones responsible for the attacks, such as those who helped pay for it and helped train them. He believes that we would be able to bring those to justice by capturing them and bringing them to the world court and have them brought to justice.  This is a very insightful way of handling things because he believes that no one will be killed in the process. 

            First off I would like to say, once again, that I respect Mr. Sweetman’s beliefs and ideas on this issue.  Me personally, I believe that we as a country need a military to do the actions of foreign policy.  I feel that the military would need to intervene with all the times that force by others comes up within foreign policy.  I personally feel that the United States did the right thing by using our military to take care of business in Afghanistan after the attacks of September 11^th.   I feel that the terrorists do not want to listen to us and would not be willing to negotiate.  I feel any way you handle the people responsible in Afghanistan you would have to use military action because it is needed to even capture those who are guilty of the 9-11 attacks.

I enjoyed Professor Sweetman discussing his beliefs and ideas with me and the rest of the class.  I had fun hearing about his stories and hope he will do more of that in the near future.  I would like to hear what other peers from the class feel about this subject that was brought up in class.

Week 5 – Blog 2

I was reading the CNN website to get some news from Iraq the other day and found some pretty good information in the war front.  The pentagon reported to congress that the violence in Iraq has gone down since the surge of troops came this past year.  Even though there is still a threat by the Jihadists that are loyal the Al Qaeda there has been a huge decrease in threat and are still capable of making a big attack against American troops. This troop surge is brought to push out the Al Qaeda insurgents.  By this troop surge the safety in Iraq has brought a lot of time for Iraqi political leaders to set up stability within the country. 

            To me this is great news to show that the Iraq war is finally looking up.  Of course no one wants war, especially not me.  The death toll in Iraq has gone down from eighty percent to forty percent.  I feel that if the troop surge has brought more safety to the American troops fighting over there then so be it.  I would like to hear what others think about this news and if there is another solution that you would think would work in Iraq.   

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/06/23/iraq.security/index.html#cnnSTCText

             

Week 5 – Blog 1

Last week we watched a movie on the uprising of Bosnia’s government.  It was quite interesting to see how a bunch of young students could go from doing a couple of protests to end up bringing a whole nation together to up throw the leader of Serbia.  It started with a small group of students gathering together to propose that the current leader of Serbia to step down.  They were able to work from the bottom where the people are to the top where there were a number of politicians who opposed the current leader of Serbia.  This young group of students was able to spread their influence throughout the whole country of Serbia. Different slogans and that icon of the fist were put all around on shirts and in different cities.  It got world wide attention and brought everyone to their feet. 

            I admire what these people did.  This was something that has changed history.  I could not imagine the amount of people who drove to the capital and raided the parliament.  It was hilarious to see how the police put a blockade on the road to the capital but when the people came the police force let them just move the blockade and drive right by.  There was no control over the police because they ended up joining the revolution.  I feel that it was quite amazing to see something build up to get to high politicians in the country.  It gives me hope to think that if a group of young students can make so much into overthrowing a dictator then what if that could happen here with any other problem.  I think this movie showed the rest of the world that anything is possible.  I think it shows that people are the true source of power. 

Week 4 – Blog 2

I was watching the Today show the other day and I heard on the news that the United States is in the middle of negotiations with Iraq for oil.  Some say it will lower and cut the gas prices in America. I sure hope so because we are really in need for lowering gas prices.  There was a time when all I needed was 25-30 bucks to fill up my vehicle and now I am paying close to 50 bucks.  From what I hear people in Saudi Arabia are paying something like 18-50 cents a gallon for gas.  It is killing me to think all of my hard earned money that I am making by driving to work is being spent on gas.  I do not care what the United States does, but I hope these negotiations end soon so we can lower the gas prices and things can get to where they used to be.  

Week 4 – Blog 1

Last week in class, professor Sweetman asked us two questions that I thought about for the rest of the day.  The first was if we were able to vote in the 1992 presidential election between George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, who would we vote for?  To much surprise I saw a lot of peers around me raise their hangs for George H.W. Bush , but then again maybe it was the angle at which I was sitting.  I myself would have voted for Bush, from knowing what I know now.  It has nothing to do with Republican or Democrat for me because I have come from a family of different party interests.  Though I may have different values and beliefs than other people I vote for the person that I think will do the best job.  In my opinion by looking at history I feel President Bush did a much better job at foreign policy than Clinton did.  All that ever comes up about Clinton was the mistakes he made with Rwanda, Somalia, etc.  Though he may have been good on an economic note, on a bad note a lot of my family members that I have in Pittsburgh and northern West Virginia lost their jobs in the steel mill to Clinton’s foreign policy agreements with Japan and China.  So that has overall stuck with me.

The other question was whether we would vote for George H. W. Bush or George W. Bush, and to no surprise majority of the class picked Bush Sr.  I believe that me and 3 other peers chose G.W..  In my opinion I chose George W. Bush because I felt he was the best leader we could have had during 9-11 and also because I feel he finished the job that his father never finished, which was overthrowing Saddam Hussein.  Other people have the opinions and I respect them and I hope to hear them on my blog.  

Week 3 – Blog 2

Last class we took a couple of minutes to discuss the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  I could tell you before looking this thing up online I really had no idea about it besides that it is a bank that can be found throughout the world.  The IMF is an international organization that basically looks over global financial systems by looking at the impact of the exchange rates and the balance of payments.  By doing this it can supervise it’s the world’s international payment system.  I first asked myself, what is so wrong with the IMF trying to help out organizations, but I ended up doing my own research and found a lot of criticism by others.   The organization supports over 20 countries that are under military dictatorship.  This has been very controversial to a lot of people sense the beginning of the Cold War.  It is said by the anti-globalization movement that the IMF is hostile to views such as democracy, human rights, and labor rights.  Just like the IMF the World Bank also does this.  The organization has had criticism of giving loans, debt relief, and bilateral aid with interests with the idea of international development that would profit the organization and not the country. 

            I, myself, have never had any problem before with the International Monetary Fund.  By looking at it I found some pretty tough things to consider.  This organization does help countries that are like the United States and Great Britain but do support countries that are of military dictatorship and some who are own enemies.  It seems like an organization that is neutral in everything but only exists to make money for itself.  It gives me the idea that if one of these dictator countries wanted to fight America and they wanted to finance a military take over the IMF would be financing our enemies.  There is also the part where they are doing business with people who violate human and labor rights.  This is something that I do not believe in and feel that IMF is a pretty bad organization, when it comes to these priorities.  Then again the IMF is not the only organization that does this.

Week 3 – Blog 1

As I was reading through the CNN website yesterday it told of Iraq funding that will last till the middle of 2009.  It said that both democratic and republican leaders in the United States House of Representative were able to compromise on legislation to funs the wars in Afghanistan in Iraq leading up to 165 billion dollars for both of the wars.  This funding for the Iraq war will be lasting until President George W. Bush’s successor has come into office.  White House Budget Director Jim Nussele said that this funding was quote “A major victory” because it not only meets President Bush’s priorities but also is able to live within the funding request from both sides. A lot of people believe that congress, sense it is run by the democrats, should have made a bill to withdrawal the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.  If they were to do this it is promised that President Bush will veto it.  By surprise, it is also said in the article that the legislature does not demand that the troops be pulled out.  So this keeps both sides happy, throughout the whole congress all the ay up to the presidency. 

            I personally feel that this is a great decision for the nation but also for the troops that are risking their lives to fight for our nation.  I feel that our troops deserve better while they are fighting over there.  This funding will give them more materials that are needed for battle, whether it is vests, weapons, safer humvies, etc.  This money is well spent in my opinion and shows that our nations leaders have not forgotten about our troops overseas. 

 

 http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080619/pl_bloomberg/axfv4g9qgyiw

Week 2 – Blog 2

Last time I was in class, Professor Sweetman said something about the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.  I decided to look up and felt that it was quite problematic solution that it was signed by different nations.  It brought a boundary that every country should follow.  I also found that there was a sort of squabble by the United States towards this treaty because it was unfair to America’s economy and security.  Looking at the treaty it was not fair to free market and seemed to favor the economic system of what used to be communist states.  I personally felt that we are not apart of the United Nations and that we should not have to go by what a group of countries set for themselves.  We should go by what is in the best interest of the United States economy and its national security.   

Week 2 – Blog 1

 As I was reading through the news the other day I came across an article called “What Iraq tells us About Obstacles.”  I read it and was amazed at how the author said that it is sown into Americans cultural DNA that we believe that when we say that all men are created equal that behind all native, culture and traditions, that everyone is held to be the same.  The author told how Americans try to bring the world into a unified and globalization progress.  I’d like to quote Patrick long Jr. “To be blunt, our foreign policy tends to be predicated on the idea that everyone wants to be an American.  In the months leading up to the start of the Iraqi war it was common to how seemingly educated people say that Arabs, particularly Iraqis, had no way of life worth saving and would be better off if all ‘that old stuff’ – meaning their traditions, social institutions, and values – were done away with.”  Our leaders did not believe that and felt that they could help the Iraqi people.  The article portrays our leaders as navigators showing the way to a bright future, basically through our own culture.  I have the idea of why not help this country.  Through past projects I have done on Iraq I found Saddam Hussein to be an evil man.  There was the Halabja gas attack that killed thousands of innocent people in his own country, not to mention Saddam’s secret police carrying out orders by committing murders, tortures, and using chemical weapons on his own people that violated the Human Rights Act.  I personally believe that Saddam Hussein’s death was justifiable.  To me the Iraqi people, including friends I know who are Iraqi, needed help from this evil dictator.  Through my eyes I feel that we are not just expanding democracy on the country, but helping the Iraqi people from being under the dictatorship of evil tyrant.