Syria, the Office Potluck of International Relations

by with One Comment Uncategorized

“When you’re invited to the holiday or general office potluck, there’s a natural reluctance to jump right in and grab a plate. The United States engagement with the Syrian Civil War is no different. The reluctance to intervene should be maintained for as long as possible.” 

There’s a wide range of opinions on the current Syrian Civil War. I can bet dollars to doughnuts, no one who isn’t in Syria or Syrian has a true clue on what they’re talking about. That goes from the President of the United States to the AmandaRyan Facebook page of your high school classmate and husband who post their very narrow suburbs of Atlanta point of view of the conflict. The Syrian conflict is much more layered than seeing awful video clips of children being rushed to hospitals, and the knee jerk reaction post of the AmandaRyan account, stating, “Why don’t we do something?!”

Speaking of AmandaRyan, one of them thought it would be a good idea, instead of getting catered food, for the office to have a potluck. Potlucks are a hairline above spaghetti night at vacation bible school. And no, I’m not a foodie or food snob, I just don’t like bad food and neither does my stomach. And potlucks produce nothing but questionable looking and even more questionable tasting food. Why? Cause people can’t cook, just that simple. Some people have no business dabbling in the world of cuisine for they don’t know what they’re doing. They prepare and cook based on what they think should go into a recipe, or worse based on how they think it should taste. The result is crockpots full of boiling goo that’s supposed to be jambalaya. No, thank you.

Back to Syria.

Syria is in a sense a potluck. For starters most don’t even know where Syria is, they don’t understand the variables involved in the Syrian war, and they don’t understand why. Yes, in a simplistic way the Syrian war is between the government of Bashar Al-Assad vs rebellious forces vs a group who calls itself the Islamic State. The group was said, by then candidate Trump, to have been co-founded by Hillary Clinton and President Obama. The denouncement Trump gave is equal to someone saying, by me not liking the Backstreet Boys, it led to the creation of One Direction, crazy! Anyway, there’s three legitimate groups fighting. None of them are factions in which the United States should side with. None have pure intentions in their actions – meaning neither of the factions are fighting to establish a wholesome, non-oppressive, democratic society. No, all sides are fighting to control Syria the way they see fit, and we simply don’t know enough to understand or decide which fit is best. Which is bad.

Potlucks are generally bad for their cuisines made to the liking of a specific individuals. Unlike restaurants or people who cooked something so good all types of people request it from them, the United States should never get involved in a foreign affair in which the clear purpose and clear reasons is not understood by both the United States and the people we’re supposed to help. Simply go down the list of every bad American intervention and I don’t have to explain myself.

For a potluck, the best plan of action to avoid eating and being labeled antisocial is to simply go into the break room to show you’re aware and your presence will be noted. However, at no point are you getting a plate. The United States has already made its presence known regarding the Syrian conflict, and there’s no need to do more. Syria may look like jambalaya and we know how to get down on some jambalaya, but in actuality it’s a cold and unseasoned minestrone soup. 

Eagles Decline the White House

by with One Comment FeaturedSports

This past week Philadelphia sport fans have been celebrating the city’s first Super Bowl Championship, FINALLY! Along with post-win celebration comes, usually, the invitation to the White House. Some Eagles players have already publicly stated that they have no intention of going, and that’s their right.

The notion that teams or team members who respectfully decline the White House are anything but respectfully allowed to do so, is misguided frustration about ideas of tradition, patriotism, racism, and a variety of other ‘isms. Citizens can be critical of the country or unsupportive of the president and still love, respect, and support the country, as well as respect the office of the president. These ideas are not mutually exclusive.

They have every right as a team to decline the invitation. Their decline was respectful, and they’re are allowed to say no. Respect for anyone, even the president, does not mean acquiescing to every request and whim.

Response: Tell us what you think! Should sports teams be able to decline White House invitations?

Schumer Takes One for the Country

by with No Comment Uncategorized

He almost lasted a whole year. President Trump’s first government shutdown comes even with the Republicans holding all the cards.

Chuck Schumer had the upper hand in this shutdown but was forced to give in by agreeing to support a deal to keep the federal government open until Feb. 8, leaving immigrants who came to the U.S. at a young age in political chaos.

Last week, Senate Democrats were holding their ground for full protection for the Dreamers but settled for an ambiguous promise to discuss the crisis. Even if the Senate does debate a bill in the next month or so to protect the Dreamers, there will be little to hold Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to his promise to schedule a vote. What makes this situation even more taxing, is if there is a vote and it ends in their favor, there is little-to-no guarantee Trump will sign it.

Schumer held a lot of power in this situation. He had the president and the GOP majorities in Congress cornered with the pressures that was built up to protect the Dreamers thanks to the public outcry for more options, but let it slip away.

Had Schumer waited for a few days, Republicans might have folded and bowed to the public pressure to keep the government open and protect the Dreamers. But now, we won’t ever know if the Republicans would have learned an important lesson in humility.

In the next few weeks we will learn how much the American people who are more liberal-minded, and the dreamers who are holding on by a thread, will have to pay to keep things somewhat balanced.

If we can even call it that anymore.

Training for the Government Shutdown

by with No Comment News

“Let’s be clear, the government shutdown could have been avoided. For a federal shutdown is not about lack of funding, but literally because of political agenda indifferences, congress has decided to place an “out for lunch” sign on the federal government.”

In Training Day, Alonzo asks Jake “you want to go jail, or do you want to go to home?” to pressure him into looking past the criminal actions of his scandalous drug unit, for the betterment of his own career and the actions his unit committed against a drug dealer. So, no love lost. The “go to jail” part, would be Alonzo and his unit framing Jake for the outright murder they committed on the drug dealer. Jake, had the initial inclination to report that the murder was unwarranted. The “go home” Part, would be a recommendation from Alonzo to advance Jake’s career in the future and Jake could get Alonzo another day. Jake decided to “go home”, movie-wise not really, but you get the point. He waited to go after Alonzo on another day.

So how does that relate to the government shutdown? The principals involved.

Trump and the Democrats in Congress have used their push of personal political interests to allow spending for nonessential federal services to stop. Pathetic.  The Democrats for months have been working with Trump and the Republicans in Congress to resolve issues surrounding DACA. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) and immigration as a whole was one of the core issues that propelled Trump to the presidency. Trump has insisted issues such as funding for the wall be a part of any immigration deal; the Democrats essentially told Trump to kick rocks, which led to an impasse on the issue and the subsequent government shutdown. The shutdown, which has nothing to do with immigration or any political issues for that matter, has been used to prove a point.

In Training Day, Alonzo and his crooked clan of cops shot and killed a drug dealer in his home to steal thousands he had underneath the floor. Alonzo needed that money to pay off a Russian mob debt he accumulated in Las Vegas. Given this is an election year, Trump must pander to his following and stay true to his wall claim and about being tough on immigration. The Democrats must pander to their following and fight on behalf of those who fall under the guidelines of DACA. And like Alonzo they took benefits and money away from the American people, by shutting down the government, for the betterment of their own agendas.

I told you I could relate the government shutdown to Training Day!

So, who is going home and who is going to jail? Trick question. For both the Democrats and Trump have realized how bad it looked for them to stop the operation of the government for their personal gain. They both don’t want to go jail, which would be political backlash, and both have decided to go home and fight this another day.

In the movie Training Day, Jake went through a lot to eventually get Alonzo, but eventually he went down. The Democrats allegedly pulled all the stops to try and satisfy Alonzo, I mean Trump, including adding funding for the wall on the Mexican border. The DACA issue is important, however the Democrats should not put themselves in the position of using political issues against the primary duty of their job, running the government. A lack of duty that will not be forgotten at the polls. In Training day Jake eventually brought Alonzo down, a combination of his intervention and Alonzo’s crooked history brought his demise.  Trump’s continual doubling down on his outlandish ideals and agenda, which are highly unpopular outside his base, should hurt Republicans in November. The Democrats just have to construct a feasible plan for their agenda, go home, and watch Trump go to jail. At this rate not just figuratively, but possibly literally.

The (White) Women’s March

by with One Comment Uncategorized

This past weekend, on the anniversary of Donald Trump’s inauguration, people from all walks of life gathered in the streets to bring awareness to sexism, sexual assault, misogyny, reproductive rights, and feminism, as well as celebrate equality and the power of women’s (and allies’) voices in this nation. Seeing people all over the country take to the streets for a second year in a row to protest our current administration and its policies as well as celebrate the power of women, is a welcomed resistance against the current and historic oppressions facing women and other marginalized communities.

However, the marginalization and alienation that The Women’s March and resurgence of the feminist movement exist to fight, lives within these movements. Even in a collective, all our voices are not heard. The traditionally marginalized voices of women of color and POC members of the LGBTQ+ community are still muffled, if not ignored all together.

True progress comes when black women’s issues are women’s issues, when trans issues are women’s issues, and when having a seat at the table is more than a token appearance, but an investment in the thoughts and minds of those who are different from yourself.

The feminist movement historically and notoriously ignores intersectionality, and has never been inclusive of all groups, making it a somewhat problematic movement. That is not to say its problematic nature invalidates its main goal of equality. The Women’s March and the feminist movement are making progress in society, but not progress for everyone. The change being made is positive, but as a society, we’ve still got a long way to go.

Oprah is Not the Answer

by with 2 Comments FeaturedPolitics

The response to one unqualified celebrity is not another unqualified celebrity from the opposing side. Although Trump and Oprah are completely different as individuals, business people, pop-culture personalities, and potential politicians, neither are qualified to run the country. The notion that Oprah would win because she’s more widely liked, is great, I’m all for a minority as president, or a woman president, or both. But, of course Oprah is well liked, the entirety of her successful career was built on winning the hearts of middle-American housewives. Although I’m sure Oprah is well intentioned, and she probably aligns with many people’s political views, but she’s still not qualified for the intricate and critical role of President of the United States or to make her political leanings a legislative reality.

We shouldn’t be recreating a bad situation with someone who’s personality the country likes a little better. I understand that the last election was unbelievable and unprecedented. But now that there is a precedent for a celebrity president, doesn’t mean we should do it again. We’re talking about The President of the United States, a position we used to think required a competent, qualified individual with a proven track record in a relevant field. That may not be in the job requirements anymore, but look what it’s done for the country; possible nuclear war, poorly handled natural disasters, immigration and foreign affairs nightmares, and racial tensions and hate crimes at an all-time high. Oprah, as much as she is a savvy business woman, cultural icon, philanthropic juggernaut, and well-liked by almost everyone, she is not qualified to be president.