It does not take a leap of faith to realize that the United States is not achieving its goals in Afghanistan. The Afghan government has little reach outside of Kabul and for the most part, life has not improved since 2001. The tacit protection the Taliban receives on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line has been the chief impediment to nation-building efforts in Afghanistan. The view that Pakistan is the weak link in the chain has gained strong ground in academic circles and is now widely held by Western policymakers.
As an American, you should be able to hear Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain vehemently campaign in person for your vote this November. You should have the opportunity to meet, interact and shake hands with them as you learn about their positions on all of the issues. In many parts of the country, this is considered normal. But alas! You have one unfortunate circumstance: you live in California.
In the early 1980s, AIDS and HIV became prevalent. Terrified, America put forth a ban that prevented HIV-positive foreigners from entering the United States. Just two months ago, the ban was lifted. It has been removed as part of the latest aid package, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working to revise the rules in accordance with the "spirit of the law." However, due to the deliberative rule-making process, the HHS hasn't come out with a finalized protocol, and foreign citizens diagnosed with the virus are still unable to enter the country.
In a 2002 Newsweek article entitled "Adultolescents," studies showed that an increasing number of Americans in their 20s and 30s are still financially supported by their parents. In most cases, this new breed of young adults consists of recent college graduates who have decided to move back home with mom and dad.
Change—it's what everyone yearns for when there's an overwhelming sense of political frustration and economic depression. But where does real change come from? In the weeks prior to the presidential election, a much-needed discussion about change has been prompted, but not just about external change. It is a change of mentality, not from the American people, as Barack Obama has rightfully addressed, but from the presidential candidates themselves.
After John McCain throws everything in, including the kitchen sink, who does he call? "Joe the Plumber." The last debate on Oct. 15 produced a new sideshow in the list of circus characters that have popped in and out of this year's presidential election. McCain invoked "Joe the Plumber" as he tried to put a face to Obama's tax policies. Joe Wurzelbacher, as he explained, was a plumber in Ohio who wanted to buy a business, yet under Obama's policy he would be taxed more. This was McCain's last-ditch attempt, at least for now, to depict the Obama campaign as actually bad for the middle class. Did it work? No. The first thought that came to my mind was, "A plumber is making $250,000. Why am I in school?"
Voter fraud is an endemic and prolific problem in contested states and predominantly affects Republicans. Democrats use the same, empty rhetorical trick to facilitate it: race baiting. Meanwhile, groups like the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) generate thousands of fictional voters (among them a Mr. Mickey Mouse) in poor areas, throwing up a smoke screen of "Republican racism" to conceal their tactics.
