Seeing as I'm currently living in the Middle East/North Africa, we'll begin there:
Less than a month ago, the Muslim community in Pakistan and the surrounding area of Kashmir suffered one of the worst humanitarian crises in years when the earthquake hit, killing over 20,000, and leaving thousands of others homeless and suffering. Pakistan has criticized the international community for not sending sufficient aid, and the U.N. has recently called on its members to supply more than $550 million.
However, rather than reaching out to their Muslim brothers and sisters who are in need of help now more than ever, some Muslim countries (I won't even discuss the pathetic response by non-Muslim countries to this crisis), namely Iran, feel that it is more productive to focus on groups supporting "The World Without Zionism." Iran's esteemed President MahmoudAhmadinejad, told the group of 4,000 students that the only way to prosperity is that Israel "must be wiped off the map." This statement was in preparation for Iran's yearly demonstration against Israel, held on the last Friday before the end of Ramadan. (Wait, isn't Ramadan supposed to be a Holy month? About peace? About God? When did bitter human conflict get thrown into the mix?)
Ok, so most Arabs have a grudge toward Israel. Understood. But why is "wiping someone off the map" getting bigger headlines than "helping those in greatest need?" While Iran may legitimate its position by claiming to help its Palestinian Muslim brothers, they clearly (and not only in my rather undistinguished opinion) are not helping those who are most in need. Not only that, but what a perversion of religion by politics. Of course this has been the game for centuries.
Let's now turn to the state of affairs in America (I could bitch about the state of world affairs for another 10 pages, but I'm running out of time. And there's nothing that would make me miss out on my poetry class--at least there is a little humor from these guys.) America: Karl Rove, Scooter, and the Dick (Cheney that is). I won't torture anyone with details of the PlameGate fiasco (I think any Washington Post reader is all too familiar), but the fact that this sort of dirt happens in America, in a country I continue to brag about with incredible pride because of its great freedoms, ideals, and sense of justice, MY country, my beautiful country...well it just infuriates me. Why are these scoundrals running our country? And worst of all, who helped put them there? America--why do you vote for these people?!! I know they pull their dirty little tricks on all of us, but where is the accountability? And Democrats! Where are you? Would Karl Rove be sitting on his plush pig leather couch, crossing his fingers for indictments? Of course not! He'd be out on the front lines, tearing through the flesh of any Dem who even had the audacity to show up to work five minutes late. The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican.
However, I won't miss the opportunity to quote one of my favorite Bush buddies, Mr. McClellan, the voice of the White House. When asked about the current going on's of the PlameGate investigation, Scotty simply replied, "We've got a lot of work to do, and so we don't have a lot of time ot sit back and think about those things." He couldn't have nailed today's White House philosophy better than that. I mean come on, we've got things like---holy shit, taking away civil liberties, abortion rights, and other fundamental rights of freedom (let's not forget the Holy Crusade--did I really say that?--to worry about). Hail to America.
P.S. Maybe Mr. Ben Ladner, now "former" president of American University will be able to get in touch with Mr. Rove's lawyer if he gets off easy in the next few weeks. Of course now that he's got a couple $mil in the bank who really needs honor?
posted by Katie Warren @ 10:43 AM
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