The Bad Castro...

Last week, two Presidential (?) candidates, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, made irresponsible comments about Cuba. They have confirmed that they are not fit to be President. We just do not need another narrow-minded and shortsighted Republican in the White House.

Readers of New York Times have again expressed their anger in the section “Caucus”. Once more, we show the rest of the world our ignorance, arrogance, and reasons why we can not be trusted as a fair broker. The following is just one of several comments, published on June 21, from the article: Giuliani on Citgo, Cuba, Gays, and Hollywood.

# 16. 9:03 am
The Bad Castro, but the Good President of Pakistan, the Good Family of Princes in Saudi Arabia, the Good Sadam Hussein before 1990 and the Bad Sadam Hussein, after. The Good supporter of 1/3 of 1% of the population (located in Miami) and the Bad people who represents 99% of “we, the people”. Rudy and McCain have shown that both of them will just be another disastrous foreign policy, Cheney-Bush Team 2. — Posted by Texancan
# 21. 9:27 am
The comment 16 on “The Bad Castro….”, posted by Texancan on June 22nd, is just fabulous!
— Posted by Joaquin

By visiting: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/06/21/giuliani-on-citgo-cuba-and-um-gays-and-hollywood/#comments, you can read all other comments. Very interesting, amusing and instructive.

In our archive of September, our article "Readers of New York Times", September 6, has mentioned that a great majority of them (91%) were favourable to Cuba, Castro and/or blaming the White House Administration. It seems that “we, the people” are more clairvoyant than most politicians. We believe in a real democracy where the will of the many prevails over the will of the few, especially when the few represent less than 1/3 of 1% of the population, and, in addition, they are not real Americans.

The ex-Cubans in Miami should be Americans, first, and surely not take advantage of their concentration of votes in Florida for damaging our future, with the Real World. At least, our politicians should have more courage, and not be afraid to lose the Florida electoral vote, for the good of the great majority, and the future of our children. Perhaps, a honest and sincere politician, could lose the cuban vote, but still win Florida, if Floridians learn how to vote, how to count, and get rid of the sycophants from the other Bush. Heck of a family.

Because of Cheney-Bush-Rice-Bolton, Europe is starting to develop their own power, and gain more independence from the United States. We have already lost our prestige and influence in Asia and Middle East. Bush is just kidding himself when he dares to declare that the cold war is over. Cheney-Bush-Rice-Bolton are precisely responsible for igniting a new Cold War.

Our best and most strategic offensive should have been with Latin America, a market of 500 million people, at our door. Unfortunately, we also blew it there. Like it or not, Castro is well respected, South and North of the Border, much, much more than our present leaders.

By attacking him, we are just damaging our reputation and credibility. As a matter of fact, our stupid and childish approach with Cuba, for the last 50 years, have just raised the stature of Castro. We are ourselves responsible for the importance and respect given to him. He was smart enough to capitalize on our mistakes. And we continue to repeat them. So far, among the candidates, none of them seem to have understood anything. And they want to be President? For who? Themselves, and their backers, or for us, we, the great majority?

The Facilitator

Our collapsing value....the dollar

“Mom, it’s not fair”. No, it is not Paris Hilton crying, but our own Congress and the sycophants at the White House. We blame Iran for our fiasco in Iraq, China for our trade deficits, Chavez for the leftist trend in Latin America, Russia for reviving the Cold War, France for the French fries, etc.. We always have someone to blame, but ourselves.
And we dare to be arrogant, and lecture the world via a series of ignorant missionaries. Every time they (Cheney, Rice, Bolton, Negroponte) talk, we lose more friends and create more enemies.

Meanwhile, the value of our dollar has been collapsing in the last four years, about 35% versus the Euro, the Japanese yen, the Canadian loonie, and most Arab currencies. We will ignore other collapsing values with the rest of the world: ethics, moral, credibility, trust,fair play, etc.
According to Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of our Federal Reserve Board, there is little reason to fear a wholesale pullout by China out of U.S. government bonds.
“The reason such a withdrawal is unlikely is that China will not have anyone to whom to sell the securities” dixit Mr. Greenspan..
Mr. Greenspan reinforced the nervousness, saying that a global liquidity boom which he traced back to the end of the Cold War would not go on forever. “Enjoy it while it lasts,” he told an European audience, last week.
What is revealing here is the fact that no one will be interested in buying American debts owned by China. What’s the meaning of this? No international fund managers trust our Treasury Notes? Are they worthless?
So, why China should re-evaluate the yuan? They are not that crazy for decreasing the value of their own credit with United States. We might have stupid politicians to believe Chinese are stupid, but this is not the way the world works anymore. The only way for China to protect the value of their US credit, will be to convert the US Treasury Notes and Bonds into assets, in other words, by buying American stuff. (Stuff happens, as said by a great diplomat and clairvoyant ex Secretary of Defense).
For those who know there is a Real World, outside our borders, we have noticed that China is diversifying its holdings, buying less and less American debts, while acquiring strategic assets in other countries. China has another major advantage: there will be no astronomical bill to pay because of Iraq-Afghanistan, and our naive policy with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
What’s the position of China? They can not get rid of their US credit. There is no buyer. They could make a garage sale, but their net end-result will be drastically affected, and the US dollar will reach an alarming low figure.
Being host of 2008 Olympics, China does not want to disturb the world currencies. Also, before the Presidential election, China does not want to become the target of irresponsible politicians. So, we can expect serious turbulence in our interest rate, in less than two years.
It is amazing, and discouraging, to hear remarks by certain Senators and Presidential candidates. We did invade Iraq, against the advice of Canada and Old Europe. We have brought chaos in that country, and now we are blaming the Iraq Government for not fixing the problems we have ourselves created. Then, we see (and unfortunately, hear) Senators, Presidential candidates and Members of Congress coming with their own recipe for Iraq, without having a clue about their culture, and history. Four years ago, they even did not know where Iraq was on the map. Now, they know how to solve their future. The White House and Pentagon have already done enough damage. It seems that certain politicians will never learn.
Now, our great clairvoyant politicians would like China to solve our trade deficits.
"We hope the U.S. Senate and Congress can view from a strategic perspective the importance of the healthy development of China-U.S. economic relations...and not politicize economic and trade issues, and not resolve issues by exerting pressure," Qin Gang, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, have recently told reporters.
Qin also said such issues should be resolved "through dialogue and equal consultation.".
Unfortunately, a dialogue for the White House is their way, or no way. We have seen the results in the last four years. The Real World is not impressed anymore by the United States. As a matter of fact, no one is listening. It seems that certain Senators, Congress Members and Presidential candidates did not learn anything. Hope their respective constituents will learn to be smarter, and not re-elect them, next time.
It is time, and more than time, that we, the people, take our own responsibility, and protect our children. It is more than time to fire politicians who rule for the few, not the many.
The enemy is not outside, he is in the mirror. We have gained friends in the past, we have lost most of them, now. Friends might come and go, but enemies, stay and accumulate. Heck of a job, Bush family, and your sycophants.
The Facilitator.

Booed, and more boos to come

Last week, Miss USA has been booed at the Miss Universe Pageant in Mexico. Surprising that Donald Trump was surprised. He should have fired the President, a long time ago.

Unfortunately, we will hear and witness more and more boos in the next five years, at various international events attended by American delegates and athletes. For those who do not understand, sorry, but please, do not travel abroad, and continue to listen to FOX News.

The Summer Olympics will be held in Beijing, next year. Our athletes will be under tremendous pressure, not necessarily from the Chinese people, but from participants from other countries, including athletes, fans, media representatives, executives, etc.

We just hope someone at the American Olympic Organization will prepare our athletes accordingly, and teach them how to behave abroad, and customs of the host country. In other words, some manners and respect for others will be appreciated. Forget the arrogance we have seen by the White House, in the last six years. We will be more than pleased to make a contribution.

Boos are only one facet of the sad reality facing us in the future. Chicago is applying to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, and will be competing against Madrid, Tokyo, Prague, Rio de Janeiro, and probably a country in Africa.

A great majority of the population of the great majority of countries do not respect us anymore. We have lost our credibility and trust. Thanks to the Bush family and their sycophants. Thanks to a spineless Congress.

What city will receive a friendly support? Anyone, anything, but Chicago. How about other international events, conventions, contracts? Again, we will be on the losing track.

As we have seen with the recent events at World Bank, there is a good chance, that the future President will not be American. There is a strong possibility to see a diminishing role for the World Bank, as it is today, with alternative Banks in Europe, and Latin America. Thanks to our Dear President for naming another incompetent, and arrogant person, with no ethics, no moral, in spite of the warnings. Same mistake with John Bolton, a non-diplomat ambassador to UN.

It will take a generation before gaining back the trust and credibility with the Real World, if, as and when, we learn to elect a President who has some clairvoyance and "savoir-faire". Our next President will need management skills and appropriate judgment for selecting our Ambassadors, people with manners and culture, who knows how to get along with the host country.

Amazing to notice that Bill Richardson who claims to have a great expertise in Foreign Affairs, dared to talk, at the New Hampshire Debate, about a possible boycott of 2008 Olympics. Surprising also for an Ambassador who did not know the custom of Arab people, including to make sure not to show the sole of his shoes. Richardson is surely better than Bolton, but not enough to restore our future credibility.

Also, we desperately need a President who will have the courage in politics to change our childish policy with Cuba. It should have been done a long time ago. The Real World is laughing at us. Because of our narrowminded approach, we have provided Castro with an international forum of heroism, and gave him most of the prestige he brillantly succeeded to capitalize on.

It is discouraging to notice (and live with) that one third of one percent of our population, the ex-cubans in Miami, have bungled our Foreign Policy and penalize 99% of Real Americans.

At the first debate, Bill Richardson has shown that he will just follow the Bush disastrous philosophy. So far, no Republican candidates, at the exception of Ron Paul, is in a position to make a significant and positive contribution to our Foreign Affairs.

Never too late to learn, but we do need, right now, a White House who already knows what to do, and anticipate. For the last six years, we have been led by sycophants who did not know there was a real world outside our borders, a world with their own identity, culture and history.

To the White House displeasure, those "others" decided to stand up against arrogance, lectures, bully tactics, from our irresponsible and rowdy politicians who have shamely used the weaknesses of democracy, for taking advantage of the ignorance of a population, combined with compliant media. We all pay the price today, and tomorrow will be more costly.

We, the people, deserve better. For doing so, we must also deserve the right to deserve better. Let's see if a majority of Americans know how to gain respect, and elect, this time, representatives who will respect the will of the many, by not ruling for the will of the few. This is how to promote democracy, by practising it at home. Foreigners will follow, if they so desire.

The Facilitator.

If I were Bush

A thin majority of Americans oppose the Immigration Bill. A great majority favor the end of the Iraq invasion. Our Dear President has a great, and unique opportunity to enhance his legacy. Probably his last chance to finally do something positive for our country.

First, if I were George Bush, I would order Dick Cheney to go abroad, for a full week. Any justification will be good. Nobody is listening to him anyhow, but FOX News.

As soon as Cheney is out of the country, I would call both party leaders in Senate and in House, and offer them the following proposals:

1- you (Congress and Senate) make sure that the Immigration Bill is passed
2- I promise the most secure border with Mexico for generations to come
3- I withdraw 50% of our troops in Iraq by September
4- I recall the other 50% by next January.

There is no use to solve the present problem with 12 million (?) illegal immigrants, if, in five or ten years, we still have another 12 or 15 million more illegal permanent visitors.

There are better, and cheaper ways to protect our border with Mexico, which covers 1,951 miles, than to erect a wall, over a period of years (no one can tell the total cost and the exact number of years).

We know, or should know, (because the real world does), that our presence in Iraq has contributed to the cloning of hundreds and hundreds of Al-Qaeda groups and supporters. Perhaps, we should clone another Saddam for taking control of Iraq.

Like it or not, there were three main sects for centuries (we should have known that before), they are still there today, they will still be there tomorrow...unless, we assist to a total genocide of one group.

There are two theories:

i- our presence in Iraq contributes to develop more enemies at a faster tempo that we succeed (or fail) to eliminate them;

ii- if we leave, we will assist to a civil war (too late, already in force), or a greater chaos (already worse than the Saddam's regime).

A large segment of the population in Iraq would like us to leave, including important groups in the present Government. As well, if we leave, the stability in Iraq becomes Iran’s problem.

We can leave now while saving face, regaining some credibility, and respect from the rest of the world. Let's see, first, the benefits in leaving Iraq.

We could use our 147,000 soldiers to secure the 1,951 miles with Mexico. Imagine, we do not need a fence anymore. One soldier every 210 feet, with three shifts per day. We could save billions by not having to ship equipment overseas. We could create thousands of new jobs here, in United States, by not outsourcing billions and billions of dollars in food, shopping, fuel, repairs, and various articles. This should definitely pleases Mr. Lou Dobbs of CNN: less outsourcing and a soldier every 210 feet for a more secure (and humane) border.

Not only we could save $1.2 billion by not erecting the fence, but also, much more by decreasing the need of electronic equipment and high-tech TV cameras. Our soldiers could be on the front line with the assistance of our border patrol as back-up or second levee, in case there is a breach on the front line.

We could also use the thousands of trailers paid for Katrina, presently sleeping in the middle of nowhere, for assisting our troops. Who said that the aftermath of Katrina was poorly planned?

A United Front: the army, the reserve, the national guard, the border patrol....How better can we show the world that we are United..... After all, we are the United States of America....standing on guard, protecting our Mexican border, from Pacific Ocean to Gulf of Mexico.

Additional benefits: it will be much easier to recruit new volunteers....less pressure tactics....Who would not like to serve our country in guarding our border against illegal immigrants or potential terrorists.

It is becoming harder and harder to fight the enemies abroad, instead of having to fight them at home. The problem: abroad becomes, more and more, a broader abroad, much longer and larger than 1,951 miles. It should be easier to stop the terrorists at our door.

We should remember that the actors of 9/11 were from inside. We will never succeed to stop the thinking of outsiders.

Father Haliburton will be mad, with such a scenario. This is the reason I would send him away for a week. He will not disturb a sane conversation. If we want to promote democracy, we must show, and proof, that the will of the many, prevails over the will of the few.

With such a scenario, I, George Bush, am confident that Historians will remember how I saved $100 billion per year, installed a more secure America, and created thousands and thousands of new jobs, at home.

If I were Bush……oops, I just wake up. I had a dream.
The Facilitator