Iran is at the threshold of a momentous change. Presently a tussle is going on in that country which could turn out to be decisive in the modern history of Iran. In this tussle on one side are psychopathic Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and his master Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and on the other side are defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and his supporters.
The intellectually challenged Republicans, who neither had any idea of what art of diplomacy is nor have any idea now, want President Obama to jump in the Iranian fray. The saying ‘a fool’s bolt is soon shot’ couldn’t be more true in case of these numb-skull Republicans who think that the whole world is their fiefdom and the US can be a gun-toting policeman who can walk in to any country and meddle in its internal affairs.
But the right wing media who may be deeply intellectually impoverished are not so impoverished or idiot not to know the consequences of blatant interference in any other country’s internal affairs. Still they would like President Obama to commit a gaffe and make a mess of Iran issue.
There is another saying ‘to cut one’s nose to spite one’s face’ – this saying seems applicable to the attempts the scheming schmuck right wing media is making to build a hype on their channels that US should overtly step in to Iranian affair right away. They know that it would be a folly to do so, but then who cares of national interest when personal grudges reign supreme.
One could see the above mentioned nefarious strategy on a well known global news channel the other day. The anchor, who has clearly not yet been able to stomach Democrats ascendancy at Capitol Hill and White House, tried his best to put words in the mouth of an expert on Iran to extract some statement, like, US should overtly interfere in Iran’s affairs. The said anchor looked clearly disappointed when the expert didn’t fall for the bait.
President Obama knows the dirty tricks of these people who place personal defeats – political or idealogical – above the interest of the country. Obama has handled the Iran issue very astutely so far. However, he needs to be on guard against any knee-jerk action to counter the Republican pressure which is being purveyed by the likes of the television anchor mentioned in the foregoing.
A sidebar comment: No wonder Obama made the aforesaid tv anchor butt of his joke at RTCA gathering held in June. This anchor, who seems to have come up to this level in life more by stroke of luck and literally sucking up to right benefactors rather than his genius, probably thinks he can sustain at that level by licking the boots of his patrons, never mind even if they are downright rogues and/or stupid in regard to their approach to what is basically good for US and what is not.
Anyway, it is heartening to see that the current president of US has treaded on the Iran affairs very appropriately. Overt meddling may not be called for at this stage; in fact, the western world, supported by Israel, could provide all the help and succour the Mousavi supporters need in disseminating the information from Iran to the outside world – be it pictures, recordings, written material, whatever.
The world needs to provide all and every help to the Iranians who want freedom from repression of the clerics who are insanely living in the medieval ages and are given to savage like behaviour and temperament. Every modern gadgetry and means that can provide some assistance towards realizing the aspirations of those Iranians must be made available by the western world.
Right now concerted covert operations duly supported by measured overt diplomatic game must be the order of the day. That being said, there also needs to be a readiness in terms of gun boat diplomacy, just in case. The US military is stretched in terms of ground forces, but the naval and air force wherewithal should be adequate to put the irrational savage clerics on the defensive. US must rally its allies to support the cause of the democracy loving citizens of Iran.
The Iranian society is now polarized between saner and fanatical elements. Now is the time to drive the wedge harder to let the saner elements win. But in the process of accomplishing this, the US and its allies should avoid falling in the trap being attempted to be set by the disgraced, vanquished and self-seeking political opponents (and their lackeys) of Obama and the Democrats.
If the western world can play its cards properly, surely the Iranian society could be freed from the tyrannical and repressive elements of that country. Quite often a cool and methodical approach works better than shoot-from-the hip approach. The modern world is not the Wild West of 19th century United States – it is now an internet and satellite driven world of the mentally sharp and balanced!!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
ALBERTA VICTIM OF CANADA’S VOTE BANK POLITICS; AND, UNEMPLOYED SUFFERING DUE TO DELAYS IN EI DISPENSATION
Amidst all the recent brouhaha related to auto industry’s near closure situation in Ontario province, the plight of huge unemployed work force of Alberta has got submerged and forgotten. No doubt thousands of workers were axed by GM, Chrysler and Ford and potentially many more may have been affected indirectly, but the fact remains that Alberta also saw massive lay offs from Q4 2008 till Q2 2009 – it is still going on.
The precipitous fall of crude prices led to cancellation of many oil sands projects. Coupled with this, falling prices of natural gas caused big cut down in new wells to be drilled. This dealt a double whammy to the Albertans and resulted in job losses not seen in decades. As well, there have been thousands of bankruptcies in the province which was riding wave of prosperity until a year ago.
But the unfortunate part is that while auto sector workers have got all the attention from the Federal government in terms of bail out funds and other help, no body has bothered to look at the plight of the massive number of laid off workers of Alberta. A substantial portion of people were laid off from the engineering companies and these people have no other job options because there are hardly any oil and gas projects elsewhere in Canada.
The Federal government seems to be keener in looking after the Ontario workers because the number of Parliament ridings is far more in that province than Alberta. Obviously, the vote bank politics is prompting the government attitude rather than the compassion or humane side of things. The Alberta workers have been left to fend for themselves with very little government support coming forth.
To make matters worse, the EI support to the laid off workers has been very slow to come. There doesn’t seem adequate staff to cope with the deluge of EI applications in Alberta. EI support cheques should start arriving within couple of months of having got laid off, but reports suggest longer waiting period for the laid off workers.
People in the other part of the world may have a perception that in Canada things happen in a non-partisan, fair and equitable manner but in reality that seems to be more of hogwash, complete rubbish. Hypocrisy rules the roost in Ottawa it would appear, securing vote bases for future parliamentary elections seems to be more important than the predicament of the suffering folks of provinces which do not send MP’s in droves.
Shameless self-seeking schmuck politicians do not exist in the developing countries only, they are present in Canada too; the difference may be only in terms of façade or polish that is maintained in this North American country.
One wonders when the conditions would turn around in Alberta, and the thousands of hapless engineers, skilled workers, and other laid off work force would get employment and lead a reasonably un-stressful life. It seems only God can provide some succour to the suffering and the dejected. The question is: when would He decide to shower His Grace!
The precipitous fall of crude prices led to cancellation of many oil sands projects. Coupled with this, falling prices of natural gas caused big cut down in new wells to be drilled. This dealt a double whammy to the Albertans and resulted in job losses not seen in decades. As well, there have been thousands of bankruptcies in the province which was riding wave of prosperity until a year ago.
But the unfortunate part is that while auto sector workers have got all the attention from the Federal government in terms of bail out funds and other help, no body has bothered to look at the plight of the massive number of laid off workers of Alberta. A substantial portion of people were laid off from the engineering companies and these people have no other job options because there are hardly any oil and gas projects elsewhere in Canada.
The Federal government seems to be keener in looking after the Ontario workers because the number of Parliament ridings is far more in that province than Alberta. Obviously, the vote bank politics is prompting the government attitude rather than the compassion or humane side of things. The Alberta workers have been left to fend for themselves with very little government support coming forth.
To make matters worse, the EI support to the laid off workers has been very slow to come. There doesn’t seem adequate staff to cope with the deluge of EI applications in Alberta. EI support cheques should start arriving within couple of months of having got laid off, but reports suggest longer waiting period for the laid off workers.
People in the other part of the world may have a perception that in Canada things happen in a non-partisan, fair and equitable manner but in reality that seems to be more of hogwash, complete rubbish. Hypocrisy rules the roost in Ottawa it would appear, securing vote bases for future parliamentary elections seems to be more important than the predicament of the suffering folks of provinces which do not send MP’s in droves.
Shameless self-seeking schmuck politicians do not exist in the developing countries only, they are present in Canada too; the difference may be only in terms of façade or polish that is maintained in this North American country.
One wonders when the conditions would turn around in Alberta, and the thousands of hapless engineers, skilled workers, and other laid off work force would get employment and lead a reasonably un-stressful life. It seems only God can provide some succour to the suffering and the dejected. The question is: when would He decide to shower His Grace!
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