"Day of Rage"

The eyes of all nations are fixed on the growing turmoil in the Middle East.  And what's most ironic is that this Friday, the Muslim day of prayer, protests and displeasure with the current regimes has reached a pinnacle.  In Yemen, pressure from the masses has forced long time President Ali Abdullah Saleh to capitulate and state his intentions to leave office when as soon as a stable transition can be reached.  In Syria, troops fired on protesters who had set a bronze statue of the late president aflame causing thousands to retaliate against government backers.  Bahrain has imposed martial law to prevent protesters from furthering inciting revolt against the ruling Al Khalifa family.  Even stable Saudi Arabia, saw protests calling for the release political prisoners and an end to Sunni discrimination against Shiites.

It seems we in the West are now witnessing what could be the greatest series of revolutions since the 19th century.  Corrupt and idle regimes have long exploited and treated their citizens with carelessness.  What is most interesting is how the current rulers are addressing these revolts.  In the United States and other democratic nations, our leaders take dissent into account and work to create compromises that satisfy the people.  We usually don't think about our blessed circumstances on a daily basis because we have become so accustomed to them.  In our society, the people rule the nation through the right to vote.  Conversely these Middle Eastern dictators and monarchs have used heavy handed tactics to deal with the displeasure of their citizens.  This demonstrates differences in values of communication between our two cultures.  Whereas the West takes into account opinions of the people and uses non-threatening, non-offensive language to address issues concerning the people, those in power in the Middle East have used more aggressive words and brutal tactics to deal with dissent.  In short, we should be glad that at least the rhetoric of our leaders shows us they care about our well-being.

BI-WINNING!

When asked by interviewer Andrea Canning on whether or not he was bi-polar, Charlie Sheen defiantly replied that he was in fact "bi-winning."  Charlie's life has long been under the microscope.  His father, Martin Sheen, is a highly regarded actor and much has been expected out of his talented son.  However, unlike his father's clean-cut persona, Charlie has long flirted with the bad boy style of living including drugs and wild parties.  Regardless of his faults, no one can deny Charlie's acting talent as his role in Two and a Half Men led it being the most popular sitcom for a good portion of the last decade.

Charlie Sheen has long had issues regarding drug addiction and his excessive lifestyle.  Most recently he served a sentence in drug rehab late in 2010.  Immediately after he finished his sentence, Charlie began to attack the creator of Two and a Half Men while demanding a raise to $3 million per episode.  As of this moment, Charlie has been fired from the show, has a restraining order against his twin sons, and has two live-in girlfriends that he calls his "goddesses."  And now he has begun a nationwide tour called "Charlie Sheen Live: My Violent Torpedo of Truth" which will just feature him sitting a chair talking, telling jokes, and just being Charlie.

Everyone who pays attention to the news knows what's going on with Charlie Sheen.  Some think he's despicable, some think he's hilarious, and pretty much everyone thinks he's a loon.  However, this says a lot about the state of the American youth because how much we pay attention to this nutcase.  In the recent video project that we watched in class that showed how little we know about our own government, it seems rather pathetic that in general, we would rather pay attention to the rants and raves of Charlie Sheen than the state of affairs in American economics and policy.  Why should we be spending money on watching a lunatic with diarrhea of the mouth sit in a chair talk about himself when we could be sending it to the Japanese tsunami victim?  And I don't believe anyone in this class would rather see Charlie than help Japan but I believe that as a whole the American people can do the right thing and not give Mr Sheen what he wants... Your attention.

No Go on No-Fly Zone Over Libya

Following the trend of civil unrest across the Middle East during the past month, Libya is facing the possibility of a government upheaval as rebels clash with the long-time dictator Moammar Kadafi.  Facing international pressure to relinquish his power, Kadafi has instead elected to stand firm against the recent uprising.  The Obama administration has made it clear that "all options are on the table" to remove Kadafi, but states an unwillingness to impose a no-fly zone over the embroiled state.  Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that a no-fly zone would be a major effort that could be interpreted as an attack on the Arab state.  However, many in Congress have embraced the prospect of a no-fly zone.  Senator John Kerry called for American action to prevent Kadafi from bringing further harm to his people.  Republicans have also endorsed the idea saying it gives the U.S. a way to "project power without getting engaged on the ground."  President Obama is being criticized over the disconnect between what he says his administration supports and what actions he is willing to take to remove Kadafi.

This is an excellent opportunity for President Obama to take a definitive stance on a foreign issue.  As Americans, we strive to live by the ideals of freedom and democracy.  It is then hypocritical to ignore the plight of the Libyan people under Kadafi.  As he kills his own countrymen, should we as Americans intervene?  While there are many complicated questions to be answered such as setting the stage for further revolution across the Middle East, sending our servicemen off on another war, or protecting our supply of oil, President Obama needs to back up his strong words with strong actions.  If he has allied himself to the Libyan public rather than Kadafi, it is time for President Obama to give the people American support.  It is clear now that removing Kadafi from power will take more than negotiation and sanctions.  The U.S. can at the very least threaten a no-fly zone to persuade Kadafi to step down.  This is an important moment in President's Obama first term as he has to show his support for the masses rather than those entrenched in power.