This proposal has been offered, but it is not a good idea, IMO.

Lebanon: A New Federal State?

Since the census of 1932 the political breakdown of Lebanese politics is thus:

President is a Maronite christian

Prime minister is Sunni

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies is a Shi’a.

This is one of many problems in Lebanon. opponents say this formula is out-dated and should no longer apply. The cite the changing demographics of the country. There has been a move or at least the suggestion that Lebanon could benefitr from the Federal system. Not everyone agress. But many political analysts see federalism as a formula to effectively divide Lebanon into sectarian cantons, with ethnic divisions dislodging the unity of the country.

Nadim Shehadi, associate fellow for Chatham House’s Middle East Programme, said: “The question of federalism was brought up [during the civil war], at a very different time when divisions of the country were of a more sectarian nature. I think it’s come back because of the political deadlock, whereby the differences with Hezbollah are seen to be irreconcilable.

“But federalism wouldn’t work as the assumption of federalism is sectarian division and right now the division within the country is political and cuts through all confessions.”

Kamal Salibi, a Lebanese historian, says Lebanon is too small for federalism to be effective and advises the country to be patient. But many political analysts see federalism as a formula to effectively divide Lebanon into sectarian cantons, with ethnic divisions dislodging the unity of the country.

Nadim Shehadi, associate fellow for Chatham House’s Middle East Programme, said: “The question of federalism was brought up [during the civil war], at a very different time when divisions of the country were of a more sectarian nature. I think it’s come back because of the political deadlock, whereby the differences with Hezbollah are seen to be irreconcilable.

“But federalism wouldn’t work as the assumption of federalism is sectarian division and right now the division within the country is political and cuts through all confessions.”

Kamal Salibi, a Lebanese historian, says Lebanon is too small for federalism to be effective and advises the country to be patient.

If federalism will not because of sectarian divide, then what makes the world think it will work in Iraq? It is failing and no one wants to admit it. People are dying to test an experiment that will not work. Why not try a different tact? surely, well paid analysts can find a better way or here is a novel idea, why not ask the Iraqi people? Silly I know bu they may have a good idea.

CHUQ

26/06/07

Lesson Learned

There are all sorts of plans being prepared for implimentation in Iraq. Soon, very soon the top general in Iraq and the ambassador will be coming to the Congress with their report on how the “surge” is working and will possibly tell the Congress all about the ‘benchmarks’ and if they are being met or not. Well the first thing that comes to mind is NOT!

In the past the US has employed several plans of action that has been tried in the past and failed. One was the ‘foreign’ administrators to oversee the running of the government. It was a dismal failure, all the guys chose to run the government were ‘outlaws’ from the past. They are trying building a wall to separate the different factions from each other so they would learn to play nice. It did not work in China, it did not work in Northern Ireland, it does not work.

Today I read that the Pentagon is review the French tactics in Algeria against an insurgency. As in Iraq, a foreign, largely non-Arab military occupied an Arab country. The French forces also faced a protracted insurgency that used “extreme and systematic use of terrorism” and was aided by neighboring countries, says Harmon.

In response to those conditions, the French built a complex system of barriers that effectively shut Algeria’s borders. In the Battle of Algiers, the French mapped out city residents and their social networks. This understanding of the society helped in the successful operation to win control of the capital and shut down bomb-making rings there. They also identified local leaders and then held them accountable if someone in their area attacked the French. Small groups of French soldiers were also stationed among the general population, getting to know the communities they were trying to control. This last tactic is now being employed in Baghdad.

Groups of Algerians who disagreed over whether to fight the French or to negotiate. “But in the end, we got united because we knew it was the only way to fight France.”

Unlike the Iraqi insurgency, that unity helped Algerian insurgent leaders develop a strong campaign to undermine political support for the French occupation. They established formal diplomatic ties with other African countries and in Asia and pushed for the United Nations to help end the war and grant Algeria independence. There were also attacks in France proper by Algerian insurgents that killed some 5,000 people, Harmon notes, “to frighten France and make them stop the war.”

After reading and thinking on the subject, I came up with this: France lost their colony! So once again the US is not studying history and in doing so has furthered the violence.

Why does the Bush Administration continue to pursue failed policies and tactics as a ‘way forward’? Your tax dollar at work.

CHUQ

29/06/07

While most you were concerned about the state of Paris, your Congress passed a bill for them to get a pay raise. While most of the Us is lapping up all the bullshit from Paris, the Congress, especially the Dems, were breaking some of their election promises, those of cutting spending and such.

I hate to say, “I told you so”–that is lie! I love saying! Dems are NO DIFFERENT, than the ones they replaced. So STOP deluding yourselves that you have any change with your vote!

OK the bitch is out of jail, are you happy now? The concern for a broad that could care less aboiut the rest of the states is just so damn moving, makes me proud! BTW, that is called sarcasm!

Newsworthy? At least for CNN. Anderson Cooper dedictated his 360 to Paris and my fav was Larry f*cking King–He bumped Michael Moore, so he could interview Paris…..thinking……I knew he was a hack, but I had, in the past given me the benefit of the doubt. No more! He is a HACK!

OK, for all you mentally challenged, gthe Paris story IS NOT NEWS! At best, it is GOSSIP!

The only newscaster that I will give props to is Mika Brzenzski. Zbig’s daughter, she refused to do the story tuesday morning and put it through a shredder on camera. May we move beyond this spoiled little bitch and get back to the news that will effect our daily lives? I may only hope!

CHUQ

If you are old, like me, you will remember the domino theory from SE Asia, where if one country went communist they all would fall to the commies. Did not work out so well, some fell most did not!

The new theory I say is one in the ranks of the pro-war people. Yesterday sen Lugar a long time repub supporter came out against the war. Voivich also came out. Sen warner said that after the 4 july break more would fall.

Bush will lose all support soon and then we will see the war being seriously considered and hopefully, Americans can stop dying and come home to their families.

CHUQ

Here some stuff to be proud of (sarcasm intended)

Characteristically, Cheney left no tracks.

The Klamath case is one of many in which the vice president took on a decisive role to undercut long-standing environmental regulations for the benefit of business.

By combining unwavering ideological positions — such as the priority of economic interests over protected fish — with a deep practical knowledge of the federal bureaucracy, Cheney has made an indelible mark on the administration’s approach to everything from air and water quality to the preservation of national parks and forests.

It was Cheney’s insistence on easing air pollution controls, not the personal reasons she cited at the time, that led Christine Todd Whitman to resign as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, she said in an interview that provides the most detailed account so far of her departure.

The vice president also pushed to make Nevada’s Yucca Mountain the nation’s repository for nuclear and radioactive waste, aides said, a victory for the nuclear power industry over those with long-standing safety concerns. And his office was a powerful force behind the White House’s decision to rewrite a Clinton-era land-protection measure that put nearly a third of the national forests off limits to logging, mining and most development, former Cheney staff members said.

Shall we call him an assh*le?

CHUQ

Who’s plan is this? Got to be a Bush/Cheney/ Rove thing! Why would he be a good ME envoy?

The quartet gathering came a day after the Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders held a summit in a unified stance against Hamas and its stunning takeover of the Gaza Strip. Monday’s summit at an Egyptian resort on the Red Sea was meant to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Western-backed Fatah party was severely weakened by the Hamas victory. The Hamas takeover has left the Palestinians with two governments: Abbas’ new Cabinet based in the West Bank, and the Hamas rulers of Gaza, who are internationally isolated.

Is this an attempt to try and find peace? Or is it just a pay off for all his “blind” support of the Bush game. Since Blair is a Bush mouthpiece, why would he be an asset in a region that Bush has f*cked up?

CHUQ

Today is my B’day so it will be a short day for posts. How old!?! So old I f*rt dust!

Bloomberg–The Rest Of The Story

Michael has decided he is no longer a Republican, kinda like a few years back when he decided he was not a Democrat. Gee, this guy changes affliation quicker than I change socks. What is behind it? Easy! Answer EGO!

Let us look at the possibility of him running for pres. Here are just a few good calls on his part.

1–Can pick and choose the party he wants to run under or run as an independent.

2–He can wait and let the field thin abit as the annouced candidates snipe at each other until they start dropping like flies.

3–Since he has played in both parties, he has the appearance of possibly being bi-partisan.

4–Has more money than GOd so he can wait and wait for the best time to act.

5–Because of his cash, he can finance his own campaign, thus eliminating special interest influence.

IMO, these are just a few of the reasons he may run for president. At least there is something of interest to watch instead of the normal 2 party rhetoric.

CHUQ

24/06/07

I have mentioned this organization several times in my blog and thought this would help inderstand why I do so.

Unity08–Now Is The Time!

A new NEWSWEEK Poll, conducted Wednesday and Thursday nights, suggests a majority of registered voters agree with Bloomberg: 57 percent say the two-party system does not do a good job addressing issues important to Americans, according to the poll. The same percentage of registered voters say the country needs a third political party. That’s up from 46 percent in 2003—and virtually identical to the 58 percent who said they favored a third party back in 1996, the year Ross Perot mounted his second independent run for the presidency.

While voters may support the notion of a third-party candidate for president, they aren’t necessarily sure Bloomberg, the billionaire business-news entrepreneur now weighing a run for the White House, is the man for the job. According to the new poll, nearly two out of three registered voters, 65 percent, say that if Bloomberg runs they are “not too likely” or “not at all likely” to vote for him—including 55 percent of independents. (Only 5 percent of registered voters say they would “very likely” vote for Bloomberg, while 21 percent say it is “somewhat likely” they would support him.)

It seems that the people are not to impressed with our represntatives right now. The Pres approval rate is 26%, not even Nixon can say that. Congress approval rating is 23%. Even with the so-called mandate with the last election, they are getting nothing accomplished. The American people are starting to come out of their self-induced coma they have been in for years and are realizing it is time for a change of leadership.

That brings me to the point! The best, IMO, chance of a third party in the next election is for the group called Unity08. This is from their website:

What We Believe

Unity08 believes that neither of today’s major parties reflects the aspirations, fears or will of the majority of Americans. Both have polarized and alienated the people. Both are unduly influenced by single-issue groups. Both are excessively dominated by money.

For most of the 20th Century, the contest for the U.S. presidency was waged over those “in the middle.” Recent Presidential elections, however, have not been focused on the middle but on the turnout of each party’s special interest groups — with each party’s “base” representing barely ten percent of the American people.

We believe that, while the leaders of both major parties are well intentioned people, they are trapped in a flawed system — and that the two major parties are today simply neither relevant to the issues and challenges of the 21st Century nor effective in addressing them.

As a result, most Americans have not been enthusiastic about the choices for President in recent elections, the key issues they ran on, or the manner in which the campaigns were conducted.

Therefore Unity08 will act to assure that an alternative ticket is presented to the American voters in 2008.

If you truly want a change in Washington and in your life, then I recommend Unity08.com. Get involved, make a difference, you children and grandchildren are depending on you.

CHUQ

23/06/07