North Korea Wikileaks

Most have heard on the case being made against Wikileaks since new leaks just came out a couple days ago. Well, it looks like North Korean Wikileaks were a significant part of them. The New York Times has realized leaked cables in which diplomats talk about China and the downfall of North Korea. They discuss many hot topics like the probable collapse of North Korea after Kim Jung Il dies, the reasons why China does not want them to fall completely and a probable plan of U.S involvement IF it were to happen. These diplomats (both Chinese and American) were discussing that China does not think that North Korea is going anywhere anytime soon since Jung Il is still "sharp". China may not want complete collapse since that would mean a lot of North Korean refugees into China. Finally, if it were to collapse, they were discussing U.S (though Chinese would want to avoid U.S more involvement) and Chinese military involvement to keep the country in order. The makeshift government would be based in Seoul.  

Even with all these leaks, it does not necessarily mean that it is going to happen. People predicted the same thing to happen when Kim Il Sung died in 1994. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40422090/ns/us_news-security

Help! Call... I mean Text 911!

Okay so.... the FCC is thinking about about being able to text for help to emergency services. According to the article, government agencies had been thinking about expanding 911 service to the next generation. This is definitely a good use of technology expansion and trying to reach the new generation. The "Next Gen 911" project would allow people to not only text for help, but also upload images and videos. The department of transportation would put in experts to prioritize data and make the system more efficient. I am both thrilled and somewhat skeptical of the idea. I love the fact that texting would be available for emergency services. However, I don't know just how efficient that would be at first. People already call 911 for the dumbest reason and I can't even imagine what a joke some people are going to treat it as.  What if someone does not reply in a timely manner and someone dies in the process? On the other hand, it can help someone who needs serious help and cannot make a phone call. I just think that texting makes the whole "asking for help" thing kind of informal. I mean it is still in the planning stages, but I just do not see it happening anytime soon. What do you guys think?

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/fcc-send-text-messages-911/story?id=12222928

Politically Relevant Music

Music! Music touches almost every aspect of human life. Politics are certainly not excluded from the list. Dr. DeWitt assigned to choose two political songs of our choice and I think this assignment is a great idea. My two choices were from the band Muse. I love them for their deep meaning songs. I chose them for both my choices because I couldn't think of any other artists, but them at the time.


My first choice is the song Uprising from the album The Resistance:





The lyrics are the following:


The paranoia is in bloom, the PR

The transmissions will resume
They'll try to push drugs
Keep us all dumbed down and hope that
We will never see the truth around
(So come on!)


Another promise, another scene, another
 packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed
With all the green belts wrapped around our minds
And endless red tape to keep the truth confined
(So come on!)


[Chorus]
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious


Interchanging mind control
Come let the revolution take its toll if you could
Flick the switch and open your third eye, you'd see that
We should never be afraid to die
(So come on!)


Rise up and take the power back, it's time that
The fat cats had a heart attack, you know that
Their time is coming to an end
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend


[Chorus]
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious


Hey .. hey ... hey .. hey!
(repeat)


[Chorus]
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious


Hey .. hey ... hey .. hey!
(repeat)

The lead singer and writer of the song told MTV that,  “The lead single, ‘Uprising’, was kind of inspired by the G20 protests which took place last year. I was in London at the time and I saw it all going on outside where I live.”

He added: “I sort of found that whole protest quite inspiring really; just the idea that people just having a good time, putting together a peaceful protest but the police still do their best to make it become violent and I find that quite aggravating. So, that’s what the song’s about.”

The Muse front-man went on to explain further: “There was a whole economic crisis and the MP scandal which took place last year where everyone felt like they were being ripped off by the powers that be.”

“I sort of wanted to write a song that summed up that feeling like you’ve been done over by people you’re supposed to trust. That’s kind of where the song’s coming from really.”

I think it is also about government corruption and the lies that are hidden from people. 

My second choice is United States of Eurasia/Collateral Damage, also from the same album as the above. The video is not the original music video because they don't have one. However, this  fan made one pretty much sums up what I think the song is about. 

The lyrics are the following:


You and me are the same
We don't know or care who's to blame
But we know that whoever holds the reins
Nothing will change
Our cause has gone insane

And these wars, they can't be won
And these wars, they can't be won
And do you want them to go on
And on and on
Why split these states
When there can be only one?

And must we do as we're told?
Must we do as we're told?

You and me fall in line
To be punished for unproven crimes!
And we know that there is no one we can trust;
Our ancient heroes, they are turning to dust!

And these wars, they can't be won
Does anyone know or care how they begun?
They just promise to go on
And on and on
But soon we will see
There can be only one

United States!
United States!
Of...

Eurasia!
... sia!
... sia!
... sia!

Eurasia!
... sia!
... sia!
... sia!

Eurasia!
... sia!
... sia!
... sia!


I think the song is about war and the pointless politics that go into it. The unfairness of war and so called war crimes are questioned. The rights of others are sacrificed during this time, especially the rights of the country where the war is taking place. It reminds me a lot of Iraq and the video we watched in class on it. The song has nothing to do with the U.S, obviously, but I think it can certainly be applied to it. The lyrics are pretty clear and I don't think they need further explanation.


What do you guys think?!

Obama and the Lame Duck Session

ABC News reports that Obama came back from Asia much more reflective of the midterms elections and how he behaved. He apologized for putting some things on the backburner that is very important to people and for lack of bipartisanship. The tax cuts are going to be a big deal in this session and the article included comments from both sides about possible solutions. I thought it was very good of the President to apologize to the people for these two things. It kinda made a contrast to my last blog about Bush not really apologizing for anything. He is saying to the American public that he is aware of his mistakes. The president will also have to work with the lame duck Congress on the renewed cry to ban earmarks, lifting the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gay service members, and an upcoming vote on the strategic missile deal with Russia. He also stated that he thinks campaigning and governing are two very different things. We will have to see how the new Congress works with the president and how they can get along. 

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-lame-duck-congress/story?id=12146952&page=2

Dubya... a lot like the old one.

The New York Times did a critique of the interview between former President Bush and Matt Lauer. As a New York Times reader, I will be the first to admit the critique was a lot more critical. Just goes to show the difference stances of the different networks. In it, they discussed the lows and highs of his presidency. Bush is getting a lot more critiques for the saying Kanye calling him a racist as the lowest point of his presidency. Forget all the other mistakes he made and the terrible decisions. Not to mention the Former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder, who today said that Bush lied in his memoirs when he said that  Schroeder privately offered the president full-fledged support in 2002 should he decide to invade Iraq. He also lied in the interview we saw in class where he said they had no intelligence of the 9/11 attacks. I mean we all know that to be false yet he still said it. In class, we talked about how that could be seen as both good and bad. He could keep his stance to show solidarity or say he made a mistake and show weakness. A lot of things have been said about his interview and his book tour, what do you guys think?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/arts/television/09watch.html?_r=1&ref=politics

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/10/ex-german-chancellor-accuses-bush-of-untruths-in-memoir/#more-134656

Palin Endorsements will help in her future... maybe?

Now that the elections are over, it is time to start thinking about the 2012 election. So far, Sarah Palin has not been clear about whether or not she is going to run for President. According to the New York Times, her endorsements in these races will definitely turn out to be a good investments. While some of her endorsements did have some major losses like Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell, there were a lot of wins like Susana Martinez (which may help with the Hispanic vote). If she runs, these candidates can certainly help her growing popularity and MIGHT even snag a nomination. I don't really care much for Palin and quite frankly it scares me a bit that she might run, but there is no doubt that these endorsements were smart moves. Her growing popularity and almost celebrity-like status can definitely go far with the American public. We have been discussing in class that celebrity endorsements were more popular a long time ago and definitely had more impact. Now, not so much, but what about when these celebrity-politicians endorse people? With her new reality show, she will reach even more people if she hasn't already. However, if she is planning on running for President, she will have to be very careful with what she says on that TV show. Already people are discussing the comment she made while canoeing with her family. She said, "I’d rather be doing this than in some dumpy old political office,” Ms. Palin says in the ad. “I’d rather be out here being free.” I can already see this in a negative ad from her opponent one day. Anyways, it will be fun to see how this all plays out. 

If you guys have time, check out the sneak peeks from her show on the TLC website. They are quite entertaining. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/us/politics/04palin.html?hp

http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/sarah-palin-alaska/

Pledge to stop negative ads...I don't think so!

With only about a week till election day, California Governor candidates, Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown, sat down to an interview with Matt Lauer. Current Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was also there. He has not really endorsed either candidate yet, but is probably going for Meg Whitman since they are both Republicans. They sat down for a little chat about who they were, what they stood for, etc... Towards the end of the interview, Matt Lauer asked if they could stop the negative ads and focus more on the positive ones. Both candidates kinda laughed it off and said they would kind of, sort of stop. However, Matt Lauer asked them to shake on it. That is when Arnold came in and said that there was probably someone freaking out backstage about the issue and they could not commit to something in front of an audience. 

This just goes to show what we have been talking about in class. Negative ads is something we are pretty much never going to get rid of in the world of politics. They are the ones candidates rely on to slam the opposite candidate. We have said that positive ads don't really do much good at the end of the race. Voting is just days away and candidates are desperate to get their messages out there. For the uneducated masses, negative ads really can sway people's vote. It's unfortunate, but how can candidates be expected to not do them? What do you guys think?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/us/politics/27calif.html?ref=politics

Oh Sharron Angle, must you keep talking?

I think many have run across the above ad from Sharron Angle. The series of ads has been deemed controversial by many Hispanic and Republican groups because they stereotype Mexicans as the only undocumented worker group. It was also stereotyping the typical immigrant as if there were not 20+ countries below Mexico. There have been many arguments that this ad was just plain biased and trying to scare the typical uneducated voter about this issue. Yesterday, she spoke to Latino students at a high school and answered questions about this supposed bias. In the video below, she said that she didn't know what a illegal immigrant looked like. "She said that quite frankly some of them (Hispanics) looked Asian.



I can see why many Republican groups are not supporting her statements. She clearly does not have a mouth-filter. Next thing she's going to say is "you all look alike". I mean really! She was trying to make a point that we are all in a melting pot, blah, blah, blah. I really don't think this is a good way to get support from the largest minority group in the country. The use of this type of propaganda can certainly sway some voters, but completely alienate others. Especially when followed up with these types of comments. Many Hispanic people have already said that the Republican party are creating the perfect formula to alienate Latinos for a long time. She could have just admitted to creating a biased ad, instead of sticking her foot further up her mouth. This whole thing is just ridiculous. This woman is ridiculous.

Justice Done for Luis Ramirez

In July 2009, the two men above, Derrick M. Donchak and Brandon J. Piekarsky, along with two others, did one of the most horrible things a human being can do. They murdered Luis Ramirez by beating him to death. They kicked Ramirez in the head repeatedly after being down. When they accomplished their task, they tried to cover up the crime. When they were caught, the two men said it was a drunken fight fueled by testosterone and alcohol. A state court acquitted them of the charges. Today, Luis Ramirez finally got justice because these two horrible individuals were found guilty (by an all white jury). The judge denied bail and they could face up to life in prison. 

Well, Mr. Donchak and Mr. Piekarsky, I am thrilled that you both got what you deserved, but that is not going to bring back Mr. Ramirez. The hate crime these "men" committed was fueled by anti-immigrant sentiment because they did not want him living in their neighborhood. Mr. Ramirez left behind a wife and two daughters. They are now fatherless because of the anti-immigrant sentiment that is spreading like wild-fire across the country. Regardless of what one believes when it come to immigration, murder is murder and NO human being has the right to take it away from another. The mother of Mr. Donchak cried and said" Don't worry, we will appeal".  Yeah, okay. Let's go ahead and appeal this monstrosity.  

This is how they left him before he died two days later:

Even our Georgia State Representative, John Yates, advocates a "Shoot to Kill" policy on the border so that immigrants won't come here anymore because they won't want to risk their lives. Sure, let's go around killing people. I wonder why people are taking matters into their own hands like the above situation. Hmmm, wait I know. If people continue to believe these types of things, then there will be a lot more people being beat to death due to intolerance and hate. People need to wake up and see that immigration and being HUMAN are two different things that cannot be mixed together. All I know is that all these hate crimes against all kinds of people (gays, immigrants) are getting out of hand and people need to wake up. 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/14/pennsylvania.hate.crime/index.html?hpt=T1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5oXVu5VfA8

Losing the Votes

The New York candidate for governor, Carl Paladino, criticized his opponent, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, for walking during the gay pride parade. He also did it in response to the arrest of 8 men in a gay hate crime. He said that we should not be teaching our children that homosexuality is the right way to go. He said we should promote getting married and having kids as the successful thing to do. He also mentioned that we should not be setting this example on our kids and schools. Well, Mr. Paladino this is exactly why kids are hanging themselves all over the country. We are teaching our kids and future generations to be accepting of gays so that hate crimes and bullying stop. I guess that gay people can't be successful, get married, or have kids? It's not okay to be spreading these types of messages to young people. The message should be of acceptance and love. He should not be criticizing his opponent either because he wants everyone to be equal. Plus, is it ever a good to isolate a specific group and risk losing their votes? With what we have learned of the mass media and their power, I think this story can certainly steer gay voters from voting for him in the gubernatorial election. 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/10/new.york.paladino.gays/index.html?hpt=T2

Obama Clinton 2012 Ticket?

Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward states that the Obama Clinton 2012 ticket is a strong possibility and it "on the table."He makes a good point that Obama will need the Latino, women, and elderly support that Clinton had during her campaign for the presidency in 2008. So does that mean Joe Biden is out? I mean if it a possibility I can see why they would go for it. If Obama wants to be reelected, he will definitely need all the extra support. He mentioned that this would definitely lead into the 2016 elections where Clinton might possibly run again for the Presidency. He states that people around the world react to her as not just the secretary of state, but also as a possible president one day. What do you guys think of the likelihood of all these things being true?

Ellen speaks out!

A few days ago,  Tyler Clementi committed suicide by jumping off by the George Washington Bridge. He did it because his roommate posted a video of him having a sexual encounter with a man. After finding out, Tyler killed himself. Now, I don't want to talk about this issue, but I wanted to bring it up because his death has prompted a lot of outrage and concern for bullying not to mention discrimination.
In the video above, Ellen Degeneres spoke out against bullying and even gave a message to troubled teens about where they can get help. This is a prime example of someone like Ellen can use her media power, i.e show, and her image as a celebrity for good. She said she was heart broken over this and expressed deep concern for gay teens now who feel like death is the only way out of bullying. Bullying is a serious problem in the U.S and many people do not care about it enough until their kid jumps of a bridge or hangs themselves. I wish this was the kind of commentary news stations had when they are discussing his story. The ignorance of people is fueled even more by our own laws i.e Prop 8.....how can we expect children to be more open to everyone when many of our government laws discriminate against gays? I just had to post this because I thought it was great of ellen to bring attention to the issue from another light.

Dirty Politics

In 2007, Louisiana Republican Senator, David Vitter, admitted to having committed a "sin". His phone number was found in the list for a Washington prostitution ring. He was able to win re-election in his state by playing of a strong anti-Obama sentiment that took hold of many in the state. Now, his opponent for this year, Charlie Melancon, is going to release the above campaign ad about Vitter's forgotten crime. In the ad, his "constituents" testified and said that he should be punished because he broke the law. They criticize him for writing the laws and then breaking them. The ad itself is really long (for a campaign ad) and it almost seems a bit desperate on behalf of Melancon. I' am all for exposing politicians because it is hypocritical that they condemn certain actions and then they themselves do them. Vitter played of being a huge family man during his campaigns and look at him: a prostitute solicitor and according to the ad, a fast solicitor ( he wasn't there more than 15 minutes). 
Any who, i thought this ad was a prime example of several of the subjects we have been talking about in class. Just goes to show how careful politicians have to be. We just have to see how this affects voters. What do you guys think about this?

There he goes again...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy 

Ahmadinejad made a U.N speech criticizing the United States, yet again. However, this time he hit a very delicate issue. Ahmadinejad dared to blame the Untied States government for the attacks on 9/11. Now, many of us have heard of these crazy conspiracy theories about the government orchestrating the attacks. In the speech, he said most of the world including American believed this theory. He said they did it to reverse the declining economy and to save the Zionist regime of Israel. During the speech, United States and some European officials walked out. As they should, no one should have kept listening to his nonsense. Finally, he said the attacks were also used as an excuse to go into Afghanistan and Iraq. 

Oh man, this guy is just stupid. There are no other words to explain his speech. I guess by printing his story people are giving him what he wanted: attention. I really don't think the world believes the U.S government orchestrated the attacks. I mean the world already thinks he's a quack and then he goes around making these speeches...please! Osama Bin Laden orchestrated the attacks. Period.

The article also made a strong point that there is a lot of polarization going on in the world today. Right now, the world seems to be divided and it is a lot "US vs. THEM" going on. While that may be true, how can governments be expected to collaborate together when some quack is blaming the death of 3,000 people on their own government. 

Apology to Muslims

Two days ago, New York Times columnist posted an apology letter in the day's paper to Muslims. It pretty much covered my point of view on the matter. I don't want to keep adding to the Mosque issue because at this point it has become a moot point. Everyone seems to just be talking about the unfairness to the country if the Mosque is built. However, many people seem to forget the millions of American Muslims that are affected by all of this. In many cases, the feelings of opposition have even turned into bigotry. I loved this "Apology Letter" by Kristof. If only the media could use its power to educate the public of their unfairness to others instead of adding fuel to the fire. The article, posted below, is really good and worth reading. He talks about a situation that happened in Maine with the Portland Herald, which posted a story showing Muslims praying together to mark the end of Ramadan which was printed on 9/11....this apparently enraged people and the next day the editor did a front page apology to the public....why? For showing Muslims as humans? For praying? Last time I checked praying was good. Sure, sure people can argue that, "It's not the story, but the day it was printed." However, at this point I don't think it would have mattered the day or the time it was printed due to the unfortunate state of the country's opinion of Islam.

Finally, he also talks about the good he had seen of Muslims through his career. He makes a good point that the sad part of all of this is that good people are being discriminated against because of the actions of a few radicals. All religions have radicals and extremists.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/opinion/19kristof.html?src=me&ref=general

Lady Gaga not taken seriously anymore....

As we all know, Lady Gaga is outrageous. I should point out that I am a Gaga fan so no one think I'm bashing her. As the reporters are discussing in the video, Lady Gaga has been making some strong opinions lately about "Don't ask, Don't tell". We even mentioned in class her tweet to Harry Reid. At the VMA's, she was trying to make the point of standing up for our rights and standing up for what we believe in, otherwise we will all be worth as much as a piece of meat. I think these reporters are kinda right about her outrageous behavior getting in the way of her opinion. No one will really listen to what she is saying when all the media can focus is on her meat dress or "what will Gaga do next". Is her behavior getting in the way of people taking her seriously. Obviously, she can influence young people and get her word out there, but will the media report her views or criticize the outfit the is wearing? Are her outfits really getting old? Sooner or later, many people will start looking at her as just an act and doing things just for the sake of getting attention. If one is trying to make a point, this is not the reputation one seeks. What do you guys think?

Mexican Flag off limits...?

We have all seen editorial cartoons and the strong messages that many depict. This cartoon was drawn by cartoonist Daryl Cagle. Obviously, he did it to depict the horrible murders and killings going on in Mexico as part of the drug war. Sure enough he is getting some heat from across the border since the Mexican flag is sacred and off limits of any alteration or mockery. Many people are saying that there are other ways to graphically protest the situation in the country.

As a Mexican-American, I am not particularly offended by this depiction. It irks me a little to see the flag that way, but only because its true. I was just down there this weekend (I survived, Thank God) and people are scared. People go out into the street and you can see obvious tension. People are always locked in their houses for fear of robbery or kidnap and everyone knows someone that has been kidnapped, stopped, or killed by Los Zetas or the drug cartels. I think Daryl Craig was doing his job and obviously he did do it as part of an American newspaper. We have freedom of speech over here and that includes any comments or drawings of flags. I don't think the Mexican people should be mad. I know the flag is sacred to them, but editorial cartoons are powerful ways to make statements. This is a statement of fear and should rally people to demand more action from their government. Already people in Mexico are speaking of having a moment of silence during the famous El Grito (to ring in the bicentennial in a few days) as protest.

Even Daryl Craig said, "Another popular argument is that the “sacred” Mexican flag is just like the Prophet Muhammad, and no cartoonist should dare to draw the Mexican flag just as they wouldn’t dare to draw Muhammad. I generally respect religious beliefs and I shy away from religion bashing in my cartoons, but I don’t grant the same respect to governments. It is the role of editorial cartoonists to criticize governments and nations, and to use the symbols of nations in our cartoons". I couldn't have said it any better myself.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/09/03/mexico.flag.flap/index.html?npt=NP1

http://themoderatevoice.com/85153/my-mexican-flag-cartoon-and-angry-readers-guest-voice/

Who is it really about?

As many know, Miss Mexico is the new Miss Universe...yay! Today, the Associated Press did a little piece on her win. They did some talking on her dress and bikini, then went along to talk about Miss Venezuela being a sore loser ( yeah, yeah we know your country always wins). They probably just did that to lead into discussing Miss USA and her being a Muslim. They state, " The United States was represented by Miss USA Rima Fakih, a 24-year-old Lebanese immigrant from Dearborn, Mich. She was eliminated after the opening number. Her Miss USA win spurred celebrations among Arab-Americans. Pageant records aren't detailed enough to show whether Fakih is the first Arab-American, Muslim or immigrant to win Miss USA". Apart from questioning her nationality, they of course have a huge link about her thoughts on the Mosque being built two blocks from ground zero. Needless to say, she does not support the project. She said, "I totally agree with President Obama with the statement on constitutional rights of freedom of religion, but I also agree that it shouldn’t be so close to the World Trade Center. We should be more concerned with the tragedy than religion.”

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38814145/ns/today-today_fashion_and_beauty/


http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38816495/ns/today-today_fashion_and_beauty

I'm not really sure what to think of this article. First of all, I love how they tied Miss Universe to the Mosque. I guess they really know what people want to hear right about now. Sure Miss Mexico is the new Miss Universe, but that's not important when Miss USA is a Muslim, who added her two cents on the whole issue. In the end, I'm not sure who this piece was really about. Was it about Miss Mexico, Miss USA's identity, or about yet another way in which people can talk about the Mosque controversy. 

Introduction...

Hey Everyone!

If you are reading this, then you are in Professor DeWitt's class. Many people believe that the mass media is manipulated and has huge agenda setting power. I am 100% one of those people. I love it when the media is there to do wonderful things and enlighten people of the truth. If only the media served its original purpose to educate the public, then there would be a less biased public on many issues. Unfortunately, the mass media only reports the hot topics and focus on the scandalous part of the issues. I am excited to start this blog on current topics affecting the nation and how people differ in opinions. See you all in class!