Another assassination anniversary: Nov. 22, 2011

I taught JFK's administration and assassination two weeks ago in my Modern American History class. It brought back not only the "standard" memories--where I was when I heard that he had been shot, watching Walter Cronkhite on TV, then watching the funeral followed by Jack Ruby shooting Oswald--but how different classes over the decades have viewed JFK. In the 1990s, at Denison University there was a bit of laughter and smirking over Kennedy as a womanizer. That is what they had learned about him. But in the last ten years, in New York, at different colleges, the students have been far more interested in the man, his presidency, and the fatal day of his death. The most poignant reflection by a student was on a final exam at FIT. A young woman wrote a compelling essay on JFK and then stated that until she had see me tear up she had not completely understood the significance of JFK's death on my generation. She equated it with her own reaction to the 9/11 tragedy. In teaching JFK, I have used Sean Wilentz's piece in the New York Times, "What if Kennedy Had Lived." I highly recommend it as a teaching tool. And I am on a waiting list to read Chris Mathews new book on JFK. His words tonight as he closed out his MSNBC "Hardball" were moving.

Dead in the Street

Alzaeera is carrying photos of Qaddafi in the street, dead. Another dictator goes down. What a turning point for Libya. And Hillary Clinton was just there a day ago. As the President said, these tyrants must wake up and smell the coffee--they must be on the "right side of history." Despite factions and splits, and a chaotic atmosphere, Libya now has its "Spring." Congrats to all the rebels and to NATO who helped speed along this day.

THE JOBS GENIUS

Steve Jobs created a passion for Apple Products; in the process he produced product loyalty. The head of Fed Ex expressed his thanks to Jobs on CNBC today. All those Apple I Phones, etc. shipped to China created a lot of jobs at Fed Ex. The layers of Steve Job's vision and pragmatism will remain for a long time. Just as my students learn about Henry Ford and recognize their connection to him, Jobs will be admired and studied in the years ahead. The fact that Jobs came out of a California culture of the 1970's, traveled and became a Buddhist is essential to our understanding of him. He had a counter-culture streak. Hard to put one's finger on. Certainly through his illness he kept on the path. And we went with him. We have a moment in American history when jobs are/is on our mind. May he RIP.

The Paralyzed President

Many pundits have analyzed Obama's lack of emotional connection. His recent multiple appearances only underscore that he is in neutral while the rest of us are in high or low gear. He seems hamstrung. The word that is being bandied about is feckless. Unless he shows more juice, more intensity, more leadership he is going back to Chicago in 2012. I think the markets have tumbled in part because of European Debt Crisis, our debt ceiling muddle, and the stalled economy. But most of all there is a lack of confidence in the President. He let the tea party run right over him. The middle is not working. Maybe he should try to show some spine. In my mind, he'll be worse than Jimmy Carter if this continues.

Spiraling Down

To all but a small band of very wealthy Americans, the country is in a state of stagnation. Any stall or downward spiral of the economy could cause a very bad double dip recession. The President is reduced to talking about 100,000 jobs for veterans if he gets business support. This is a drop in the bucket. He spent far too much time on his health reform plan and its passage, and far too little energy, political capital or money on a jobs program. We've got the worst structural unemployment problem (millions out for over 40 weeks)since 1952. We can all abandon hope because that train has left the station. Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride to November 2012.

The Presidency is not too big to fail

The jobs report for today is dismal. But more distressing is that the President had few good ideas to share with the American public when he spoke about l hour ago. If you put his list of items that might help us together with Bernacke's grave comments on housing foreclosures and the unemployment rate you see that we are stuck. Atlantis launched but that is about the only upward trend for today. Will the President sell out his liberal base in the debt ceiling talks on Sunday? He was supposed to be transformational. But the only thing that has transformed is the candidate of 2008 to the man we now see before us. It's not only that he has more gray hairs. He spent all his political capital on the Obama health reform which admittedly is historic. However, it may have been a tremendous miscalculation. We need a 3rd party Independent candidate who can take on the Right Wing and rally the country and who can foster better ideas for ending this economic disaster. Time to move on.

Nile-ism
February 10, 2011

After a tremendous build up of expectation and excitement, H. Mubarak dug his own grave deeper tonight with his speech to the nation. He acted as a patriarchal father and pretended that he was in the process of helping the nation transition through constitutional changes before the September elections. Thoroughly out of touch with the millions of young Egyptians who are well educated and who want change, this man is still in denial. He is worried about the economy but he's hindering the nation from moving on to its next
stage of development.

Congressman Ron Paul had a sharp rebuke to our administration and to previous ones that supported this dictator. He points out that we wasted our millions/billions of dollars because it didn't buy us "security" in the final analysis. He repeated his call to bring the troops home from Afghanistan. For Paul, the founding fathers did not want us involved in these entangling alliances and we need to stop our interventionism.

An Egyptian interviewed on CNN remarked that President Mubarak is not using his brain. He proceeds as if he didn't have huge crowds screaming for him to leave.

Why did Leon Panetta release a statement earlier today that Mubarak was going to step down tonight? What is wrong with American intelligence? This continues the murky and muddled understanding that our government has of the inner dynamics of the Egyptian government.

(Apologies for the layout/format problems of the post. Will try to correct asap)

Superbowl Sunday 2011

Our "informal" ambassador whom the President sent to Cairo, Frank Wisner, is home now and causing some major problems. He is defending Murabak's decision to stay in office during the transition up until September. I saw a clip of him this morning, and he was channeling Mubarak. Very strange.

For a smart and nuanced look at the region, I recommend that you follow Peter Bergen.

Peter Bergen is a print and television journalist, and the author of Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden ( 2001), which has been translated into 18 languages and The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of Al Qaeda's Leader (2006). Both books were named among the best non-fiction books of the year by The Washington Post, and documentaries based on the books were nominated for Emmys in 2002 and 2007. His most recent book is The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda (2011). New York Times book reviewer Michiko Kakutani writes, "For readers interested in a highly informed, wide-angled, single-volume briefing on the war on terror so far, “The Longest War” is clearly that essential book." Tom Ricks, also writing in the Times, described the book as "stunning."

Charlie Rose pulled Henry Kissinger out of moth balls and did an interview with him. I saw it repeated late last night. He supports the Obama administration which he noted is under "extreme pressure" in this Egyptian crisis. But he warned that we can't show Mubarak the exit because other allies in the region and around the world will question our fidelity to them. I remember Dean Rusk said exactly this same thing in the PBS American Experience Series on
the Presidents. He appears in part II when LBJ's Vietnam Strategy is highlighted.

It is really bone chilling to see this outlook repeated without reexamination.

Thoughts?

Pat

Feb. 5th, 2011

The U.S. used to impose and depose dictators. I believe the last one we knocked off was Diem
in S. Vietnam. Then we passed legislation outlawing taking dictators out. Be careful what you wish for.

President Obama has used psychology, sociology and perhaps economics to nudge Mubarak.
They haven't worked thus far. The five stages of facing death are ongoing. Mubarak is caught
in "bargaining" and can't move on to acceptance. He may need a private therapy session with
our President.

Today a very savy Middle East analyst stated that Pres. Mubarak has never taken a vacation outside of Egypt. The only foreign place he has gone is Germany for medical treatments. He's unlikely to wind up in Berlin, Paris or London. Today I ruminated on whether he could go to Israel!! They like him there and it is the same part of the world! I know--gallows humor.

Again my mind turns to H. Karzai. Another corrupt devil with whom we have fashioned a unique tie. Illegal elections, corruption, stamping out opposition? President Karzai can deliver all of this and more. It doesn't augur well for our future or for the future of the Middle East that we
have forged such dark alliances. In political science jargon we are caught between being realists
or idealists. So many of these relationships haven't turned out well. Is there another path?

Cairo at Crossroads

The United States is once more caught at the crossroads. Loyalty to an ally in the Middle East
who is a dictator (e.g. Mubarak) is dicey. We've seen this situation before. But not with the
texting, tweeting, and cell phone cameras out in full force.

Israel fears that if Mubarak exits immediately, the political vacuum will be filled with anti Israeli forces. So do we.

But peaceful transition may no longer be an option.

What is the lesson? Be careful whom you support and pick as an ally. Does Hamid Karzai
not remind us of Mubarak? These murky men are thorns in the side of the U.S. We need to stop
supporting corrupt politicians in the Middle East.

Peacepat