Wanted to write a post about the decline of the US dollar and the indications that its free-fall is coming to a close (finally!) but I just don't have the energy really.
I realized that its been several weeks since my last blog and so much has happened. I had guests from the States come for their spring break and it was amazing. Matt, Kalin and I ventured to Paris for three nights and had a great time. I love those two! I'll be posting photos soon on my photo website.
At the end of their visit, I apparently contracted the flu, not fun. What is worse is that I was going to Spain four days later. Ugh. However, Malaga did not disapoint (okay, just a smidge, but who's counting, really). Abundant sunshine and a care-free environment was just what I needed. Although too cool to go swimming, I was able to tan! So i'm a much darker Christopher for the time being. Work resumed today and I was actually glad to be returning to the normal swing of things.
Trying to make it to Scotland in May. That'll be great. Other than that, lots of visiting of friends in Germany need to take place. I need to start looking at my plan for the next year. What am I going to do this time next year? Graduate school? Foreign Service? Stay in Germany?
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
From Politics to Pretzels
I was talking to my Mom tonight and we had an interesting conversation on politics. Of course my Mother's ADD means that she only listened to about 35% of what I said but thats okay. I love her anyway. :)
The predicament that the United States has found itself in is not all that different from the end of the 1960's. An expensive war (read: "Military Engagement"), a faltering economy coupled with out of control oil prices and a disenfranchised public have all contributed to pessimistic feelings about the United States.
I join the ranks of disenfranchised citizens. I think this upcoming election is quite important and I refuse to let my vote go to someone on the basis of one issue or the core of a few issues. Let's remind ourselves that no matter who is elected, they are still politicians. Politicians never follow through with that they say. Even if they want to, they still have to ask Congress for the means to do so. Sadly, the majority of American's are not informed about the American political system so all of our potential ends up going to waste.
Without flat out supporting any candidate, I'm going to outline what I see as the major pros and cons of each candidate. It really doesn't matter who wins anyway, we can only go up from what we currently have.
I'll begin with the Republicans. John McCain is going to win the nomination but for the sake of argument I'll throw Mike Huckabee up there too.
McCain is a great man, great cut-through-the-crap Senator and War Hero. What can you say bad about a man who spent six years eating gruel in Vietnam. McCain has a reputation for saying what he means and then doing it, and I like that. I think his experience in Foreign Relations would help revive the American image if he learns to court our allies instead of distancing them like GWB. However, he has been a part of the Washington establishment for too long and look where that has gotten us. I see McCain serving as Secretary of Defense or State. I would gladly be in the Foreign Service with Secretary McCain at the helm.
Huckabee is a newbie to politics and could perhaps foster the change necessary. However, no guitar playing Baptist minister has any business serving as President. I think he would focus too much on the "moral issues" (whatever that is) that are facing America and not the actual issues at hand (ie. education, defense, Iraq, budget crisis, etc). He caters to a certain group of people that I don't play well with and so for that reason, I'm biased. I do say, however, props to him for loosing 110lbs. I like the idea of a Huckaburger (lean ground beef/turkey with organic vegetables on a whole wheat bun). I say Mike should be the Secretary of Agriculture, fix those school lunch programs! Or even the director of the National Fitness Initiative. Besides, he's from Arkansas.
The Dems
Barack Obama is not a Muslim, in fact he's a member of the Church of Christ (shudder). His father is from Kenya, not Saudi Arabia. I've heard it one time too many (about six times) that he's a muslim and would turn America into an Allah loving country. Get over yourself. Obama is new to the establishment and that brings both pro's and con's. I see in him though similar traits to former presidents Lincoln and Kennedy (both later assassinated, lets hope the Secret Service doesn't bungle this one up too). He's not been in office so long as to have his butt imprinted into the Senate Chambers, once again a good thing. If the United States is going to bring itself out of this hole we've found our self in then we need change. However, Barack will have to surround himself with advisers from both sides of the aisle to bring together this divided country. We'll need Republican economic advisers dueling it out with Democratic education advisers. His lack of experience doesn't necessary signify a weakness on his part but it does make me cringe when he talks about invading Pakistan to get Al-Qaeda.
Oh, Clinton. I'm not going to lie, I don't like her. She's a cow...always has been always will be. She grazes on other people because she is a true politician right down to it. People voting for Hillary often think that things will be happy and nice again just like the good ol day's of Bill. I'm sorry to tell you but this isn't 1996 again and its not coming back anytime soon. Although I feel her policies on health care and education are good ones for America, I think she's also just interested in selling her product (herself). I can't vote for someone who once served on the board of Wal-Mart. However, all things aside, she's probably pretty good with a calculator and could be perhaps balance a budget (if she doesn't tax the hell out of us first) and I have no doubt that she's ballsy enough to go after terrorists but let's not forget, she's also from Arkansas.
The predicament that the United States has found itself in is not all that different from the end of the 1960's. An expensive war (read: "Military Engagement"), a faltering economy coupled with out of control oil prices and a disenfranchised public have all contributed to pessimistic feelings about the United States.
I join the ranks of disenfranchised citizens. I think this upcoming election is quite important and I refuse to let my vote go to someone on the basis of one issue or the core of a few issues. Let's remind ourselves that no matter who is elected, they are still politicians. Politicians never follow through with that they say. Even if they want to, they still have to ask Congress for the means to do so. Sadly, the majority of American's are not informed about the American political system so all of our potential ends up going to waste.
Without flat out supporting any candidate, I'm going to outline what I see as the major pros and cons of each candidate. It really doesn't matter who wins anyway, we can only go up from what we currently have.
I'll begin with the Republicans. John McCain is going to win the nomination but for the sake of argument I'll throw Mike Huckabee up there too.
McCain is a great man, great cut-through-the-crap Senator and War Hero. What can you say bad about a man who spent six years eating gruel in Vietnam. McCain has a reputation for saying what he means and then doing it, and I like that. I think his experience in Foreign Relations would help revive the American image if he learns to court our allies instead of distancing them like GWB. However, he has been a part of the Washington establishment for too long and look where that has gotten us. I see McCain serving as Secretary of Defense or State. I would gladly be in the Foreign Service with Secretary McCain at the helm.
Huckabee is a newbie to politics and could perhaps foster the change necessary. However, no guitar playing Baptist minister has any business serving as President. I think he would focus too much on the "moral issues" (whatever that is) that are facing America and not the actual issues at hand (ie. education, defense, Iraq, budget crisis, etc). He caters to a certain group of people that I don't play well with and so for that reason, I'm biased. I do say, however, props to him for loosing 110lbs. I like the idea of a Huckaburger (lean ground beef/turkey with organic vegetables on a whole wheat bun). I say Mike should be the Secretary of Agriculture, fix those school lunch programs! Or even the director of the National Fitness Initiative. Besides, he's from Arkansas.
The Dems
Barack Obama is not a Muslim, in fact he's a member of the Church of Christ (shudder). His father is from Kenya, not Saudi Arabia. I've heard it one time too many (about six times) that he's a muslim and would turn America into an Allah loving country. Get over yourself. Obama is new to the establishment and that brings both pro's and con's. I see in him though similar traits to former presidents Lincoln and Kennedy (both later assassinated, lets hope the Secret Service doesn't bungle this one up too). He's not been in office so long as to have his butt imprinted into the Senate Chambers, once again a good thing. If the United States is going to bring itself out of this hole we've found our self in then we need change. However, Barack will have to surround himself with advisers from both sides of the aisle to bring together this divided country. We'll need Republican economic advisers dueling it out with Democratic education advisers. His lack of experience doesn't necessary signify a weakness on his part but it does make me cringe when he talks about invading Pakistan to get Al-Qaeda.
Oh, Clinton. I'm not going to lie, I don't like her. She's a cow...always has been always will be. She grazes on other people because she is a true politician right down to it. People voting for Hillary often think that things will be happy and nice again just like the good ol day's of Bill. I'm sorry to tell you but this isn't 1996 again and its not coming back anytime soon. Although I feel her policies on health care and education are good ones for America, I think she's also just interested in selling her product (herself). I can't vote for someone who once served on the board of Wal-Mart. However, all things aside, she's probably pretty good with a calculator and could be perhaps balance a budget (if she doesn't tax the hell out of us first) and I have no doubt that she's ballsy enough to go after terrorists but let's not forget, she's also from Arkansas.
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