Four years ago on November 4 2008, Barack Obama became President Obama.
The man was the object of such expectations from all over the World that short
of turning the planet into a marshmallow-covered roses and peaches valley, he
was doomed to have come short.
Obama got Osama! Not enough! He cured the ( some of America’s ) sick too.
Not enough! He even got a Nobel Peace Prize although it still isn’t clear why.
Not enough!
Then again there are a few unkept promises and loose ends, that may be it?
In Libya today, attacks happened again. One in the capital Tripoli and one in Benghazi, the town where the US ambassador and three other Americans were killed in September. Because the central government now in charge just cannot rein in armed bands of many types. I want to explain again to my readers how this situation came to be. When the West decided that Muammar Ghaddafi was not a nice guy anymore, probably getting its memory back from when he came in power and they hated him for a long while as he pranced around North Africa through his country’s armed forces or sheltered terrorists, a choice was made. The choice not to put boots on the ground. Air domination of the battlefield, yes. Close air support, yes. No more. Actually, we all know that a couple Special Forces teams or operatives went down there. Here to provide Intel, intelligence or information if you will, there to accompany a weapons’ shipment that did not take place and instruct on their use. But no more. Why?
Because after the Iraq superfluous blunder and the Afghanistan necessary quagmire, it was thought best not to “invade”, as the media and population would eventually call it, another Arab nation even though it certainly was not Islamic before the events by any measure.So no troops sent in but rather a collaborative effort with a few Arab mates thrown in for representation purposes aimed at boosting legitimacy. So that the place was liberated, yes. By just about anyone who had a gun and an idea on what to use it for. And they now form a mosaic of sometimes conflicting interests. In Benghazi yesterday, the police was attacked which may help demonstrate that the violence is not solely aimed at Westerners. What we now witness in Libya is the feral side of a place where the government does not hold power*, where law and order have subsided to chaos. Let’s hope we do not regret later doing only half the job. Libyans in general probably regret it already.
Syrian “Freedom fighters” are assembled in the Qatari capital town of Doha; good luck preventing what I just described above, people.
In Egypt, the Coptic Church has elected a new pope. The hope of the 10 million + community is that this new Pope will be able to represent them to the Muslim-inspired new government. By the odd tradition of their creed, the pre-selected names of three esteemed leaders were put in a chalice and one was picked by a blindfolded young boy. As strange as it may seem to some, this may not produce worst results than standard democratic practices have at times. Hitler, after all, was elected by the German people.
And that brings us back to today as we can imagine thousands of households in America where folks are gathered around the table and discussing what will happen on Tuesday.
The electoral map is the focus of all the experts attentions. Swing states may decide it all. I had the discussion with three different friends in the last few days. Obama should carry it but it is just as easy to find a tipping point in uncertain states in favor of Mitt Romney.
How simpler it would be if the Presidential election was a direct vote. Maybe it goes by Great Electors just to keep the suspense running until the end? Maybe all of democracy should be run thus to give a better show? Seeing how many utterly uninteresting shows void of any redeeming values they have us hooked on, they may even have a chance at improving zombies t … huh duh sorry, voters turnout?
Good afternoon all, Tay.
* Case in point, the assumed terrorist in the Benghazi September events that was uncatchable in Libya is now in custody in Tunisia.
Definitive Lapse of Reason 