The UN Security Council last week approved the institution of a no-fly zone over Libya in order to “protect civilians” from Colonel Qaddafi’s merciless force of mercenaries. The United States, England, and France, along with members of the Arab League, have offered to lend planes and warships to uphold the no-fly zone. President Barack Obama has stated that the United States will soon take a back seat in the operation, eventually ceding responsibility to either NATO or the European nations, but many have criticized him for the use of force.
Much of the criticism comes from President Obama’s deployment of warships into the Mediterranean in order to comply with the Security Council resolution, as many state that the president does not have the authority to launch strikes without congressional approval. The famous War Powers Resolution, passed under Nixon, states that the President can deploy forces only with approval from congress or if the United States is under direct attack. As the president did not receive approval from congress, the question is whether or not the president overstepped his bounds.
While it is not within presidential powers to deploy forces without congressional approval, the Constitution does not have any provisions mentioning forces under international treatise or an international organization, such as NATO or the UN. The document was originally written to prevent the eventuality of a monarch or a dominating house, such as congress, which is why military powers are divided among the two branches. The document does not lend any credence to international organizations or coalition militaries, which is why, in a case such as this, the Constitution may have to be circumvented.
I am not saying to completely disregard the Constitution; there is no slippery slope here. We must accept the limits and faults of the Constitution and be willing to step into a world where international cooperation is becoming a fact rather than a hypothetical action. If we cannot cooperate willingly and amiably with the world, we set a poor example as the self-proclaimed world leaders. What needs to be done in Libya will be done, and after the necessary amount of time, strategic forces will move under an allied command. There will be no ground troops committed, no American armor fighting Libyan armor, no American soldiers teaching Libyan rebels how to march, nothing; there will be the enforcement of a no-fly zone, and that is it. Those with the delusion of another formal (or informal) war should recognize that this situation, in all of its minute details, is infinitely different.
Showing posts with label clinton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clinton. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
President Clinton visits Rutgers
If one happened to saunter down to the Rutgers Student Center on College Avenue, there would be the unmistakable sight of atrociously long lines, backed-up traffic, and political eagerness. This, if you were unaware, greeted the likes of former President Bill Clinton, speaking on behalf of Jon Corzine for his gubernatorial re-election campaign. Droves of people attended the event, with more tickets likely given out than there were seats available.
Former President Clinton headlines the event as Governer Jon Corzine seeks a victory over his Republican rival, Chris Christie. Corzine needs all the support that he can garner, as recent poll numbers indicate that Corzine only has a 1-point lead over Christie, at 41% to 40%. Christie led the poll numbers earlier in the campaign with as much as a 6 point lead in July. He has seen his lead vanish as the Corzine campaign has begun to run more acerbic commercials and advertisements against Christie, mainly attacking his “Bush-era policies.”
Both political parties were in attendance at the event, as a group of Rutgers Republicans protested outside the Gymnasium. One man, dressed as a giant, rubber, yellow chicken held a sign stating “Cluck-U Corzine” in objection to Corzine’s current tax policy.
However, with help from former President Bill Clinton, Corzine is hoping to keep his poll numbers up, especially among those aged 18-25. Clinton boasts one of the highest approval ratings of any president in the last several decades, and continues to be popular today.
Recently, the former president traveled to North Korea in a move not sanctioned by the Obama Administration, meeting with North Korean Premier Kim-Jong Il to negotiate the release of two American journalists that were being held. The trip was a successful one, though it has been both lauded and belittled by both sides of the political isle.
A rather surprising welcoming speaker, Rutgers President Richard McCormick, was greeted to a flurry of boos and cheers upon taking the stage. McCormick has come under fire for his allocation of state funds given to Rutgers, as well as the many problems facing Rutgers, such as lack of housing for undergraduates and a budget deficit. At mention of the new Rutgers football stadium, the crowd erupted into a sea of anger and booing, as many detest the fact that so much money (more than $100 million) was spent on non-academia.
There was much berating of Corzine’s opponent Chris Christie, as Middlesex Country Freeholder Christopher Rafano stated “Christie is bad for Middlesex County, bad for New Jersey, and bad for education.” Freeholder James Polos, continuing the theme of his compatriot, extolled the benefits of Corzine: “There is only one candidate that can help New Jersey, and that is Jon Corzine.” He berated the Republican party, stating that they “did not care about health care, public education, the environment, and cut programs across the board” while he worked under a Republican administration.
A former Rutgers student that works closely with the campaign continued to speak on behalf of the Democratic party of New Jersey until cries of “R! U!” and the Obama campaign slogan “Yes We Can!” reverberated throughout the gymnasium.
After a perpetual line of current local Democratic candidates and an extraordinarily numb butt from sitting for so long, Corzine entered with emphatic applause, but Clinton was the aim for the crowd’s glee. The decibel level struck deafening each time that Clinton was mentioned. Applause and cries of “We love you Bill!” poured from every corner of the gymnasium. Corzine continually extolled Clinton’s present initiatives, such as global warming, as well as his past achievements, such as the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs during his presidency. He also announced the ostensible results from the Bush Administration, such as the war and the failing global climate. It was obvious that the crowd was waiting for Clinton; Corzine stated rather correctly “I won’t talk very long because I know that you didn’t come to hear me.”
I nearly lost my hearing when Clinton spoke his first word; the screams of joy were deafening. He had to pause several times to allow the crowd to settle down; at the announcement that his wife was nearby, the cheers were only slightly less emphatic.
The former President spoke to the students about making a difference in the world by taking action and “being winners.” He then did what was expected of him, speaking on behalf of Corzine by reading a list of his accomplishments, mainly in the area pertaining to education. This was an obvious move, as the student vote is a decent plurality of the overall vote in New Jersey.
Continuing on the theme of the night, Clinton then belittled Christie’s policies much to the approval of the crowd. He then highlighted some of his accomplishments in relation to Corzine, thus giving Corzine the image that he will be as “cool” as Clinton was regarded during his presidency.
Clinton also touched upon the current policies of the Obama administration, commending Obama’s current efforts regarding education, the environment, and his overseas efforts as well. At the end of the night, it was not Corzine, but Clinton who had won. He was showered in appreciation and eager hysterics. One message that he gave was clear and heard by all: “It is your future that is on the line.”
Perhaps some people in the gymnasium heard him.
Former President Clinton headlines the event as Governer Jon Corzine seeks a victory over his Republican rival, Chris Christie. Corzine needs all the support that he can garner, as recent poll numbers indicate that Corzine only has a 1-point lead over Christie, at 41% to 40%. Christie led the poll numbers earlier in the campaign with as much as a 6 point lead in July. He has seen his lead vanish as the Corzine campaign has begun to run more acerbic commercials and advertisements against Christie, mainly attacking his “Bush-era policies.”
Both political parties were in attendance at the event, as a group of Rutgers Republicans protested outside the Gymnasium. One man, dressed as a giant, rubber, yellow chicken held a sign stating “Cluck-U Corzine” in objection to Corzine’s current tax policy.
However, with help from former President Bill Clinton, Corzine is hoping to keep his poll numbers up, especially among those aged 18-25. Clinton boasts one of the highest approval ratings of any president in the last several decades, and continues to be popular today.
Recently, the former president traveled to North Korea in a move not sanctioned by the Obama Administration, meeting with North Korean Premier Kim-Jong Il to negotiate the release of two American journalists that were being held. The trip was a successful one, though it has been both lauded and belittled by both sides of the political isle.
A rather surprising welcoming speaker, Rutgers President Richard McCormick, was greeted to a flurry of boos and cheers upon taking the stage. McCormick has come under fire for his allocation of state funds given to Rutgers, as well as the many problems facing Rutgers, such as lack of housing for undergraduates and a budget deficit. At mention of the new Rutgers football stadium, the crowd erupted into a sea of anger and booing, as many detest the fact that so much money (more than $100 million) was spent on non-academia.
There was much berating of Corzine’s opponent Chris Christie, as Middlesex Country Freeholder Christopher Rafano stated “Christie is bad for Middlesex County, bad for New Jersey, and bad for education.” Freeholder James Polos, continuing the theme of his compatriot, extolled the benefits of Corzine: “There is only one candidate that can help New Jersey, and that is Jon Corzine.” He berated the Republican party, stating that they “did not care about health care, public education, the environment, and cut programs across the board” while he worked under a Republican administration.
A former Rutgers student that works closely with the campaign continued to speak on behalf of the Democratic party of New Jersey until cries of “R! U!” and the Obama campaign slogan “Yes We Can!” reverberated throughout the gymnasium.
After a perpetual line of current local Democratic candidates and an extraordinarily numb butt from sitting for so long, Corzine entered with emphatic applause, but Clinton was the aim for the crowd’s glee. The decibel level struck deafening each time that Clinton was mentioned. Applause and cries of “We love you Bill!” poured from every corner of the gymnasium. Corzine continually extolled Clinton’s present initiatives, such as global warming, as well as his past achievements, such as the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs during his presidency. He also announced the ostensible results from the Bush Administration, such as the war and the failing global climate. It was obvious that the crowd was waiting for Clinton; Corzine stated rather correctly “I won’t talk very long because I know that you didn’t come to hear me.”
I nearly lost my hearing when Clinton spoke his first word; the screams of joy were deafening. He had to pause several times to allow the crowd to settle down; at the announcement that his wife was nearby, the cheers were only slightly less emphatic.
The former President spoke to the students about making a difference in the world by taking action and “being winners.” He then did what was expected of him, speaking on behalf of Corzine by reading a list of his accomplishments, mainly in the area pertaining to education. This was an obvious move, as the student vote is a decent plurality of the overall vote in New Jersey.
Continuing on the theme of the night, Clinton then belittled Christie’s policies much to the approval of the crowd. He then highlighted some of his accomplishments in relation to Corzine, thus giving Corzine the image that he will be as “cool” as Clinton was regarded during his presidency.
Clinton also touched upon the current policies of the Obama administration, commending Obama’s current efforts regarding education, the environment, and his overseas efforts as well. At the end of the night, it was not Corzine, but Clinton who had won. He was showered in appreciation and eager hysterics. One message that he gave was clear and heard by all: “It is your future that is on the line.”
Perhaps some people in the gymnasium heard him.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Das Püp!
Hello Earth/internet/extra-terrestrials/World of Warcraft players,
I am a man. To be precise, I am a human being amongst the other 6 billion human beings to inhabit this pale blue dot in the middle of nowhere. You may be asking yourself what is so special about me to warrant a blog; to that, I respond wholeheartedly, "I dunno."
I am not unlike every other human. 2 legs, 2 arms, a head, a circulatory system, neuro-synapses, etc. I am pretty cut and dry, except for the fact that I am, right now, doing what you see in front of you: continually typing words. Man, I am a boring person.
My life is no more interesting than yours. Sure, you may think that just because you're Brad Pitt, or own a Mustang, or have had sex with multiple people (genders unknown) at the same time that you are the greatest thing since, well, the last person to have sex with multiple people (genders unknown) at the same time. And if you do, well, kudos to you. Life handed you lemons, and you said "To hell with the lemonade" and bought a Ferrari. Yes, a very random sentiment, I agree. It's just a random tangent.
Speaking of tangents,
y=f(a)+f!(a)(x-a).
To be a bit more personable, I am currently a single, straight, intellectually-bored college student studying Political Science (a.k.a., nothing really important) and Psychology (double unimportance). Essentially, my life's goal is, to, well... find a goal. I've been a stalwart dilettante for most of my academic career, and after a while, it just gets damned tiring. Sure, I could give you pretty good insights into politics, law, philosophy, economics, psychology, natural sciences, physics, astronomy, classical music, classic rock, history, kung-fu movies, good books, meditation, and exercise (among other things), but what would that get me in life? I would be no more than a wandering philistine. Today's world is about the simple-minded objective of screwing people over in favor of accruing wealth. For that, I could care less.
The funny thing about money is that if enough people devalue it and consider it worthless, well then...it's worthless. I think that I'll end my little diatribe here.
Vaya con dios,
Das Flüg
I am a man. To be precise, I am a human being amongst the other 6 billion human beings to inhabit this pale blue dot in the middle of nowhere. You may be asking yourself what is so special about me to warrant a blog; to that, I respond wholeheartedly, "I dunno."
I am not unlike every other human. 2 legs, 2 arms, a head, a circulatory system, neuro-synapses, etc. I am pretty cut and dry, except for the fact that I am, right now, doing what you see in front of you: continually typing words. Man, I am a boring person.
My life is no more interesting than yours. Sure, you may think that just because you're Brad Pitt, or own a Mustang, or have had sex with multiple people (genders unknown) at the same time that you are the greatest thing since, well, the last person to have sex with multiple people (genders unknown) at the same time. And if you do, well, kudos to you. Life handed you lemons, and you said "To hell with the lemonade" and bought a Ferrari. Yes, a very random sentiment, I agree. It's just a random tangent.
Speaking of tangents,
y=f(a)+f!(a)(x-a).To be a bit more personable, I am currently a single, straight, intellectually-bored college student studying Political Science (a.k.a., nothing really important) and Psychology (double unimportance). Essentially, my life's goal is, to, well... find a goal. I've been a stalwart dilettante for most of my academic career, and after a while, it just gets damned tiring. Sure, I could give you pretty good insights into politics, law, philosophy, economics, psychology, natural sciences, physics, astronomy, classical music, classic rock, history, kung-fu movies, good books, meditation, and exercise (among other things), but what would that get me in life? I would be no more than a wandering philistine. Today's world is about the simple-minded objective of screwing people over in favor of accruing wealth. For that, I could care less.
The funny thing about money is that if enough people devalue it and consider it worthless, well then...it's worthless. I think that I'll end my little diatribe here.
Vaya con dios,
Das Flüg
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