Apr 22, 2009 9:44 AM Actor/activist Sean Penn knows a thing or two about playing a "tough guy." Penn addresses critics of President Obama who believe his "handshake and smile" with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was "wrong" and "weak."
Here's Penn:
"Once again the simple-minded media and its pundits are confused about the nature of Americanism and language. When President Obama today inferred consideration of holding former administration officials accountable to law, he was immediately accused of violating his belief that we should "look forward." Had President Ford "looked forward" in his decision as to whether or not to hold Nixon accountable, he perhaps would have seen the Bush administration abuse of power coming and chosen to be genuinely tough on crime -- you know, "tough on crime" -- sending Nixon to jail and deterring this recent avalanche of abuse.
Further, the criticisms of President Obama's warm greeting toward President Chavez of Venezuela have been the posturing of our nation's most bitter and humanly impotent voices. Why is anyone listening to former Vice President Cheney? He's the one person alive proven wrong on virtually every topic. Then there's Newt Gingrich, who commented on the Chavez greeting as being approached wrong. He suggested that the meeting itself may not be improper, but that it should have been handled with a cold demeanor. This is a pattern of bad acting advice from bad actors. (All wimps think playing a tough guy is done in one-note coldness.) With a friend, or an enemy, our president will gain greater strategic position with a smile.
I know President Chavez well. Whether or not one agrees with all his policies, what is certainly true of Chavez is that he is a warm and friendly man with a robust sense of humor (who daily risks his own life for his country in ways Dick Cheney could never imagine). To treat such a man coldly is akin to spitting on him. As a country we've done enough of that. Say what you will, but it has only resulted in the self-celebration of our smirking spitters, while costing us international respect, American lives, and left wounds in the hands of our children's future. The Cheneys, down to the O'Reillys and Hannitys and Limbaughs, effectively hate the principles upon which we were founded. They are among the greatest cowards in all of American history. I applaud an American President who's tough enough...to smile." Apr 17, 2009 11:09 AM "We have sent word to the U.S. government in private and in public that we are willing to discuss everything -- human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners, everything." - Raul Castro.
If what Obama said is true, that we are indeed "the ones we have been waiting for," then it is time to do the right thing and drop the embargo. It is old, stubborn and inhumane. And if you're not moved by inhumanity, then we can call it logistically counterproductive. Apr 16, 2009 10:50 AM President Obama should expect skepticism from Latin American leaders when he makes his first trip south of the border as president. While leaders across the Atlantic were just happy to receive someone other than a Bush, southern leaders will need convincing that this new president will stay truly engaged. There are a myriad of issues that affect everyone. The most obvious is Mexico's war with drug cartels, a 'war' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accurately described as 'fueled by our country's addiction' to drugs and the influx of illegal weapons. There's also the unjust and counterproductive embargo on Cuba that Obama will undoubtedly be pressed on by the left-leaning leaders. Most importantly however is for Obama to remember that although there is the ignorant assumption that all Latin American countries are exactly alike and plagued with the same problems, the truth is that each country is as different from each other as the US is with Canada.
And despite recent Latin American policy announcements and diplomatic overtures, Obama has been slow on some fronts. For example, he has not appointed a special envoy to the Americas as promised, even though he’s named envoys to several other parts of the world, including Sudan. It seems quite sensible to establish comfortable relationships with the leaders of countries where a large majority of our legal and illegal immigrants originate from.
"Hemisphere-wide summit conferences like the meeting in Trinidad have their place as a way of building communication and rapport, and they offer mutually convenient photo opportunities. But major progress on substantive issues can only be achieved with clusters of countries with comparable or complementary issues and concerns. Recognizing this reality should be the starting point for reframing U.S. policies in the Americas." - Abraham F. Lowenthal, professor of international relations at the University of Southern California, is co-editor of The Obama Administration and the Americas: Agenda for Change, just published by the Brookings Institution. Apr 8, 2009 8:24 AM Bob Dylan on President Obama in a way only Dylan can say.
"Well, a number of things. He’s got an interesting background. He’s like a fictional character, but he’s real. First off, his mother was a Kansas girl. Never lived in Kansas though, but with deep roots. You know, like Kansas bloody Kansas. John Brown the insurrectionist. Jesse James and Quantrill. Bushwhackers, Guerillas. Wizard of Oz Kansas. I think Barack has Jefferson Davis back there in his ancestry someplace. And then his father. An African intellectual. Bantu, Masai, Griot type heritage - cattle raiders, lion killers. I mean it’s just so incongruous that these two people would meet and fall in love. You kind of get past that though. And then you’re into his story. Like an odyssey except in reverse." - BD
Click here for the entire Times Online interview.
Apr 6, 2009 11:13 AM A disturbing look at the affordability of our nation's colleges and the 'bastions of inequality' the education system in general has become. Gated Communities of Learning. Apr 2, 2009 8:12 AM  (AP)
Apr 1, 2009 10:02 PM First meetings between American and Russian leaders have historically served as pivot points in the deterioration of their relations. With the world watching, how would President Obama and President Medveded appear to get along? Should we take heed in what was seemingly a warm introduction? After all, a new arms treaty, Afghanistan and Iran's nuclear ambitions are all at stake. If first impressions are to be trusted, we should be encouraged by what aides are calling a mutual commitment to a 'fresh start.'
These words from a joint statement provide a glimmer of hope for a new, and true era of pragmatism and diplomacy.
“We, the leaders of Russia and the United States, are ready to move beyond cold war mentalities. In just a few months we have worked hard to establish a new tone in our relations. Now it is time to get down to business and translate our warm words into actual achievements of benefit to Russia, the United States and all those around the world interested in peace and prosperity.” Mar 30, 2009 7:07 PM Is President Obama being tougher on Detroit than Wall Street? There is an apparent double standard between the administration's approaches to Motown and Wall Street. Below are some interesting viewpoints.
"But the bigger question for the U.S. is whether President Obama's intellectual toughness will extend to the financial industry. Why does the U.S. keep shoveling hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money into zombie banks without requiring them to produce the same kind of viability plan that the administration demands of the auto industry? - Peter Cohan
"Banks, mortgage companies and other bailout recipients aren’t being subjected to government meddling, or even much oversight. Why are GM and Chrysler being treated differently?" - Detroit Free Press
Mar 26, 2009 1:52 PM A few music lovers travelled the world to record street musicians performing different versions of the same song. With each installment, they put together a 'megamix' of the song Stand by me. The result is beautiful. Enjoy... Mar 25, 2009 9:01 AM "That whole philosophy of persistence, by the way, is one that I'm going to be emphasizing again and again in the months and years to come as long as I'm in this office. I'm a big believer in persistence." - President Obama
The president amply demonstrated his "philosophy of persistence" in responding to many of the 13 questions from the pre-selected group of White House reporters in his second prime-time news conference. To reform health care, energy policy and education, and adopting his $3.6 trillion budget, we will need to compliment his persistence with patience.
If the country allowed the last administration 8 years to get us to where we are, then let's allow this new administration at least 8 weeks to get us out of it.
The point I found most important, or at least most encouraging, is his insistence on making progress. He used the analogy of a cruiseliner to demonstrate a slow but steady righting of the ship. Never before have we been faced with a wider array of problems, and knowing someone is relentlessly confronting these issus is promising. I will say however, admittedly with a tinge of cynicism, that his unwavering persistence cannot become stubborness. But this president doesn't seem vulnerable to rigidity.
Critics of the president cannot have it both ways. He's either too passive or overly-exposed. He can't be both. We need someone who demonstrates a high energy level, complimented with an optimistic and serious demeanor. He has been the Energizer Bunny in his first 64 days, and I would prefer becoming bored of seeing our commander-in-chief too much, than wondering if he is the right man for the job. We should be wiling to support his agenda, knowing he adamantly believes that his persistence, relentlessness and intellectual grasp of complex issues is the right recipe. | |
