Privacy Turned Publicity

America is known as a country of freedom, but occasionally we run into conflicts of what freedoms we have and how they might infringe on others. Lately the NBA's owner of the Clippers, Mr. Sterling, has recently been accused of racism and may be forced to relinquish his team due to these instances. The details are relatively sketchy, but it is believed that Mr. Sterling was having a conversation over the phone with his lover when she began recording the phone call. Over the phone during what Sterling believed was a private phone call he made several racial comments about his employees and how he didn't appreciate the company of African-Americans. This has led to his ban from the NBA and a 2.5 million dollar fine. This week marks the start of the court cases that will more than likely advance all the way to the Supreme Court because it is a possible violation of the First Amendment for banning Sterling based on his private conversations. Others believe it is acceptable to ban him because of his racism.

There is a massive push expected from the NAACP in the coming weeks much like they had during the Treyvon Martin case. Other groups are expected to get involved as well as it is a serious matter of civil liberties and can become a precedent case if it makes it to the Supreme court due to all the back and forth that is expected to come.

I believe that although what Sterling did is wrong on a massive scale I don't believe that the fine or lawsuits are acceptable. He was privately making these comments over a phone call he believed would never be heard by another person. There are several issues with the lawsuit as well, this woman legally could be counter sued because the tape was captured without his consent. The other issue is does this violate his first and fourth amendment rights that give him freedom of speech and the right to privacy. Just some food for thought.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/01/us/nba-committee-meets-on-sterling/index.html?hpt=us_c2

US Becoming Active in Response to Putin

2014 can be summed up pretty simply when it comes to foreign policy, and it can be stated like this, "Welcome to the 60's". This whole event involving Russia is an all to real reenactment of the Cold War, but with potentially higher stakes. Earlier this week US troops were finally deployed to the region, which is a step further than what had been occurring during the Cold War. These troops will be assigned to aid NATO nations along the border of both Russia and Ukraine. Oddly enough the US didn't deploy any troops to the Ukraine, which may be a concession by the US realizing that it is tactically impossible to deal with the militants in Ukraine without taking control of the country like we had with Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our government can be classified as hypersensitive to foreign affairs, which can be understood because we were the original nation of freedom fighters. We find it our business to involve ourselves with the affairs of the world and at times it has perks such as the relationships built during the World Wars. However other times can harm us much like Libya, Afghanistan, and Iraq had internationally due to our willingness to involve ourselves in just about anything. This is classic America and at times it wins the love of the people, but most times it creates resentment and leads to problems within the nation.

I believe that although it is a good step in a direction the United States needs to take with Russia, it hasn't been enough. Our willingness to leave Ukraine to hangout and dry due to Russian control of the Eastern portion shows that we don't want a fight, and the we really aren't to willing to fight for them. It does show our willingness to fight if Russia doesn't stop however due to the troop deployment into other nations of NATO. Overall war seems to be looming based on trends in American efforts to control foreign policy.

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2014/04/23/tsr-dnt-sciutto-ukraine-crisis-latest.cnn.html

NATO Becomes a Presence Once Again

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has began to revamp its presence in Europe, which was hoped would never be needed again after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. NATO was one of the many alliances the U.S. created during the Cold War to help protect the globe from the effects of Communism. Although NATO was never formally disbanded after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, their presence across Europe gradually decreased to a point where the coalition was thought to be useless as it had been replaced by the strong bond formed in the United Nations after the Soviet Unions collapse. NATO however may be needed once more as Russia continues to apply pressure in Eastern Europe causing tensions to rise to a level that rivals the Cold War, hence the return of the alliance.

So how does this apply to America? Well firstly America is responsible for the creation of NATO and is also one of the alliances strongest members. America generally heads all military pursuits and is one of the biggest influences on the decisions of the alliance. NATO's resurgence suggests that the American foreign diplomacy is moving away from the UN and back into its habits of strong arming other nations much like we had between World War II and Afghanistan. Until the crises of Northern Africa, and Eastern Europe the UN was never given a true chance to function as the police of the world, however since Obama has taken office he has attempted to put the fate of the globe in the hands of the UN and it has worked to a degree, but to many nations are hesitant to act with force allowing nations such as Russia to pummel it way through opposition. Due to the inability of the UN it seems the the United States is being pushed onto another route and attempting to reawaken the alliance that once threatened the Soviet Union and kept the communist nation at bay. However today the face a new type of enemy, a politically stable Russia with the support of its nation capable of waging war nearly anywhere across the globe, fueled by a people of pride who are willing to fight for their leader.

NATO is hopefully once again just a measure to deter Russian aggression, but only time will tell. The hopes across the globe is that the crisis in Ukraine will end with a peaceful means. However with the current progression of events it is all to possible that American bases across the globe will be on stand by for war in Europe once again.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/03/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2

Obama Abroad

Obama as a President has possibly been the greatest ambassador our nation has ever seen. One of the Presidents many jobs is to go around the globe speaking with the leaders of other nations and making sure that relations and influence stays strong across the globe. Obama as well as many of his predecessors realize the advantages of being a global nation allowing him to fully address the challenge of being an emissary for the American people. But Obama has taken a step that may improve relations at home, as well as abroad with his last visit. The President recently met with Pope Francis in an attempt to strengthen the relations between the Vatican and the US, which over the last few decades has been on a steady decline due to new views in both politics and society. The President also used this time in Europe to visit and address several other American allies in the hopes to rejuvenate the weakening of United States ties. Foreign diplomacy has always been a strong suit for President Obama although his foreign action has been lacking. As a diplomat it is easy to say that the Democrats do the best on keeping the relations of the US and other nations strong while many Republican focus on the State of the Union rather than the state of the globe.

The President met with the Pope to discuss the affairs that are taking shape in Eastern Europe as well as to discuss the future of American and Papal relations based on the way that American legislation is moving in respect to gay rights, contraception, and even abortion rights. The meeting seems to have gone well ending with the presentation of gifts. The Vatican received a box made from the timber of the first Catholic church constructed in the United States while Obama was presented two medals as a symbol of Americas role as a peacekeeper throughout the world.

To read something like this in such a tough time in the world bring some weight off my shoulders. Today the media focuses to much on the negative that it becomes hard to watch the news without losing faith in humanity. But to see the President doing so well outside of our borders in an attempt to strengthen relations is a good sign for the American people. The visits the President continues to make all seem to be leading to a point in which the giant Admiral Yomomoto referred to may finally return to sleep after 60 years as the worlds policeman. This possible attempt to build strong relations would allow the United States to return to isolationism which would benefit the economy in a way that hasn't been experienced since the Roaring 20's.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/26/politics/obama-pope-meeting-politics/index.html?hpt=po_c2

Violent Vladimir and Rowdy Russia

Vladimir Putin has continued full steam ahead on what seems to be his war path. I know that this topic seems to be a recurring theme among my posts but I find this to be extremely important, especially with a highly involved military family meaning that a war of this scale could effect my whole life. Another issue with this event is the possibility of a draft being initiated if Congress eventually decides Russia's actions require the United States to go to war in defense of the globe. I know the history of pre-World War II, and the events developing in Eastern Europe resemble the German rise to power in a shocking way.

Here is a little background, Germany elected Hitler and the Nazi party (initially a political faction) to lead their nation. Russia elected Putin and his party to rule Russia, but Putin has vastly expanded the power of the Russian government much like Hitler had. After being elected Hitler won over the complete and total trust of nearly every German citizen, and everyone was convinced he was the man to bring German pride back from the dead. Putin is the same figure in Russia today, maybe even more so godlike creating a deadly mix history has seen before. With the faith and support of a whole nation behind him Hitler started his mission, defying international laws and nearly doubling the size of Germany before any true conflict had broken out, and by that time it was too late for Europe to react to the Blitzkrieg Hitler had set the stage for, especially with America's weakened economy due to the Great Depression. That was 70 years ago, think about how far the technology has come, and how much more developed war is. Now apply the same level of national pride, a leader with an ambition to return Russia to its former glory, an irresponsible international system, an America nearly as weak as in the 30’s with a failing sense of national pride, and the technology to travel across an entire country in hours rather than weeks. What does that make for? Well you do the math.

Recently the United States has been creating economic sanctions on Russia as our only response to Russian aggression in the Ukraine other than threats. But today Barrack Obama signed an executive order, a power reserved only for the President that is to be used in times of extreme distress as a way to almost order Congress on how to respond to certain events. Congress itself still hasn't made any suggestions of declaring war yet, and although Obama is capable of deploying troops for 60 days under the War Powers Act, he would need Congress to sign such a declaration for troops to remain on sight any longer. These events that continue to develop in Eastern Europe create fear every time Americans turn on the news. The worst event that some experts have begun to predict is Russian interests possibly returning to Cuba. A possibility that can occur if tensions between the UN Security Council continue to escalate.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/20/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

$15 For Flipping Burgers?

One of the heaviest debates to ever exist in our nation, is where minimum wage should be set. For the most part the government has done fairly well with providing strong federal legislation to regulate wages, compensations, and worker safety across the nation. Recently McDonald's employees have created a battle for the minimum wage to increase causing a ripple effect across the nation. But does 15 dollars an hour seem reasonable for someone who flips burgers?

Many people with college degrees are lucky to start at a rate equal to 15 dollars for every hour of work, but when they do gain jobs of this nature, it is easy to say that they were well earned through hard work and dedication. Yet the employees of McDonald's now believe they are entitled to a minimum rate of $15 an hour. In my personal opinion I don't find this fair at all, I work at a grocery store where I make $7.50 which is just barely above minimum wage, but in my honest opinion the work I do, the people I deal with, and the situations I find myself doesn't warrant double my current wages.

There is currently a federal lawsuit against McDonald's corporation and its franchisees for not providing their employees with proper wages. The American government will have the official last say on this case yet it may just be the reason as to why more Americans push to support Obama's plan for higher wages. The power to raise minimum wage lays with congress though, and with the current ability of congress to solve issues, I don't see it happening anytime soon.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/13/news/companies/mcdonalds-wage-theft-class-action/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

The Next Iron Curtain?

Vladmir Putin, the Russian President, has recently created a world of tension among the global community. Russia is one of the globes superpowers in military strength and earlier this month, they made sure that it was clear to the rest of the world. So what exactly has happened within the last week?

• Russia has effectively seized control of the Crimean Peninsula which belongs to the sovereign nation of Ukraine
• Russia recently proceeded with its testing of ICBM systems
• Authorized show of force in Ukraine in order to control ground

The world has been thrown into chaos as one of the members of the UN security council has become a threat to world peace. Putin has claimed that his actions are only to protect the ethnic Russians that live in the peninsula, while many other nations have claimed it is a stunt to secure military power in the black sea. This stunt is seen by many as an international crime and may be leading Russia on a path to economic sanctions, or even war.

Many people in America don't understand history at the level many Europeans do. In the late 1930's Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party used the excuse of protecting German nationals to gain lands in Czechoslovakia and Austria, and now we can see similar tactics being used by the Russian government. However their claims may be true and it may be solely based on the protection of Russian nationals, however if these Russians are living in the Ukraine, they technically aren't a responsibility of Russia and should only be offered refuge within the established borders of Russia. This new advancement by the Russian military could be leading to an all out war as Ukrainian soldiers are on station as well and any excess action between either side could set off another shot heard round the world.

I personally see this creating a global issue, and although many Americans don't believe we should take part in another war, this may be a time where we either act or we allow our home to become the next target. A prime example was when we refused to enter World War II and Japan bombed us at Pearl Harbor crippling our war machine for an extensive period of time. The same event could be possible hear yet on a much larger scale due to new advancements in technologies that are developed everyday. This will be a real test of America's foreign policy to see just how willing the nation is to continue our policy of international policemen.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/05/opinion/stanley-hillary-clinton-hitler/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Has Obama labeled minorities?

Earlier today, President Obama made his announcement on 'No Excuses' which was a direct challenge to minority men to make better choices with their lives. Although he didn't directly say it, President Obama was making a clear statement to "Young men of color" to make better decisions, break the label of the stereotypical African-American male that society sees. Another statement by Obama involved his past home life, in which he related to kids of all ethnics when he spoke on his lack of a father at home. He claims this had led him to make some bad choices and the only reason he got on the right track was through his community.

After his talk about his target group, Obama continued on to the funding of his operation, and at the moment has a 5 year plan to pump $220 million dollars into at risk areas for early education to help keep kids on track. This coalition for the greater good may just be the start of something bigger in Obama's road to equality. However this does bring in a major question into play.

Just what is equality, because based on my interpretation of the Presidents comments it seems that his focus lies more in the African-American population, rather than all children at risk. Although I support the Presidents new initiative to improve the nation through vast donations from public corporations, it seems that he may be treading on thin ice. His focus on a single minority is almost an open invitation for criticism and attacks from a broad spectrum. I believe the Presidents intentions are pure, but the concept of aiding a singular group seems to be against the American belief of equality that we recently learned about.

What has politics come to...

Arizona is widely known to pass legislation that is consistently considered questionable to the American people as a whole. But this is there second attempt at legislation that could possibly permit active discrimination. A past attempt included Arizona’s Immigration bill which was later repealed due to its infringement on international territory. Now the specifics of this new bill are still unclear to most of the population, however it appears that it will look something like this. Small business owners will be given the right to deny service based on sexual orientation as long as a religious claim is made.

So far this bill is well underway to becoming an Arizona state law that could open the path to other laws of discrimination in the future. However this bill has to pass the Arizona governor whom many can see supporting either side of the argument. This bill may become law at some point, but the life expectancy on a bill such as this one can be expected to be extremely short due to its nature. Within a year if this bill is ratified we may see it on the steps of the Supreme Court.

Many Americans use their religion as an excuse to look down on others when the principle of nearly every religion is to treat others in a manner that you would like to be treated and that all beings are equal. To see a law like this even considered due to religious reasons is an abomination on what religion stands for. Across the globe foreign nations fight for the right to speak out against their governments, to act against crimes against humanity, and to be secure in their own devices. In America we have given those rights to every human that lives within our borders, and now that we have so little left to fight for we have turned to a point where we wish to restrict the rights of others that we don’t see eye to eye with. It has come to a point where every citizen attempts to limit one another. The NAACP has come so far and accomplished so much for the rights of African Americans, but they fail to see that legal equality has been reached, and now many Americans see them as a threat to the rights of others. Factions similar to the NAACP exist all across the nation and now pose a threat to the rights of others.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/21/us/arizona-anti-gay-bill/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Paul takes Obama to Court

It has been found that government secrets within the pentagon become common knowledge during wars when the American people become discontented. Many people across America love to think that the United States government hides things, or creates conspiracies to influence the American people. It is believed that they hide items of information that could affect you, me, and everyone around us if they were known by the general public. The government’s power and influence allow our National Security Agency to keep any secrets they posses secure during times of peace to protect us, and times of war to strengthen us. I personally believe that the what the NSA does is in the hopes that it will protect the American people from harm.

Although their intentions may have been in the interest of America it seems that the NSA could have severely betrayed the trust of the American people. The NSA has the means to monitor every American citizen extensively. The NSA can tap any phone, monitor every email, and as it has been revealed by Edward Snowden, have the ability to save every bit of data they wish. Some Americans believe this is too much power for them and that it violates the rights of citizens. Now President Obama and a few Directors of government agencies have a lawsuit in their lap that will take MTAP to a federal court for a class-action suit. Senator Rand Paul is filing a class-action suit against portions of the Obama administration saying they are abusing certain powers and that it takes effect on all Americans and is a complete and total violation of our Fourth Amendment rights. The Fourth Amendment as stated in the Bill of Rights gives us the right to be secure in our effects (this includes phones because they are a possession) against unwarranted searches. It allows us to feel safe in our own homes, protection from police harassment, and even profiling. It has been claimed the MTAP violates this amendment because through its three hop collection it is actually gathering data on nearly every phone call in America due to the network of human interaction. But does the NSA actually violate Fourth Amendment rights? Arguments can be made by either side and its apparent that strogn cases will be made for both sides. We will all know the answer however when the Supreme Court gets to decide as it is apparent they will have to in the end. In the upcoming months we will see this trial between government and citizen develop. As for me, I feel that the federal, or supreme courts will uphold the actions of the NSA due to necessity.

CNN believes that this lawsuit has more purposes though. According to their article they believe Rand Paul's challenge of the United States policy is a political attention grab that is motivated by the idea of Paul vs. Candidate X in 2016. If this is true it is an ingenious move for a power grab and has the ability to work due to bipartisan support. If he continues on this path of unifying ideas of both parties he may gain the ability to win the 2016 election.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/12/politics/rand-paul/index.html?hpt=po_c2

The American people leave their faith in the power and authority of the US constitution to protect them from harm and ensure them the ability to live out the American Dream. However as government power has grown since the first federal aid programs founded in Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal it has become more apparent that the rights of American citizens are getting closer and closer to being eliminated. Politicians are failing to recognize what their responsibility is as representatives of the American people. Rand Paul's stand happens to be a beacon of hope through his actions in the defense of civil liberties. 

Is Religion Evolving?

Many Americans find the Freedom of Religion to be important for any person, whether they believe in a faith or not. That is why the freedom of religion is in the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights guaranteeing that no persons faith could ever be limited by the United State government. So what exactly happens when the US holds a debate on creation vs. evolution?

It looks something like this:  Bill Nye and Ken Ham

This debate was considered highly controversial because a small amount of evolution is taught in science classrooms across the United States. However creationalist views are not allowed to be taught in schools due to their relation to religion. This debate began to spark the idea that perhaps religion is no longer as free as it had once been and that perhaps evolution is being taught even though it could be considered infringement on the freedom of religion. For those of you who enjoy studying the topic of evolution don't worry. The Scopes trial, which was settled by the Supreme Court, stated that evolution was allowed to be taught in schools because it is not a religion rather scientific evidence.

So what exactly happens in the Government less than a week after this debate was held? Let's just say that the President himself feels that religion may be threatened by many factors of modern society. However, the President wasn't referring to the United States. His focus was and still is that the position of countries across the globe controlling the religion of others. Theocracy controls the Middle East, destroying all opposition and even creating religious groups of terror. Another example is North Korea in which its people are forced to worship the Kim Jong family which are represented as gods.

Obama's Thoughts

While Obama is not truly allowed to comment on any one religion due to the separation of Church and State, he has openly expressed support for the Pope who continues to be a missionary for the world. Although it is impossible for Obama to try and combat the growing apathy for religion across the globe, he still continues to support the religious refugees across the globe and hoping they here his prayers, as well as the other faithfuls.

My Thoughts:
I believe that at this point it has to be understood that to take a side in this argument is completely based on a personal mindset. Those who believe in Creationism or Evolution have every right to do so without fear of persecution. This debate made one step forward but two steps back for both sides. A debate of this topic isn't meant to be made public because it leads to the idea that the two ideas have to conflict with each other and have no way of coexisting. The easiest way to solve the problem of religious persecution in the United States is for people to realize that it is a choice, and every choice made is made based on personal reasons that nobody can understand.