Random Autumn Notes

It's been a busy fall season, working at RCL during the weeks and with Sportvision during the weekends. Thus far I have worked football games at Michigan, Michigan St, Ohio St, Illinois, and soon to be Wisconsin over Thanksgiving. I must admit that work has definitely drained me out, yet I am very grateful to be busy and making money. Trying to pay off my credit debt and student loans with this extra money. Seems never ending though!

In family news, Jackie has recently married Pedro, a division II baseball player, who could be going professional for the San Diego Padres. We had a very nice wedding at our house at Keikionga Shores on October 15th. And Gily recently gave birth to baby Natalia, with her boyfriend Stiven. I was made Natalia's Godfather, and we had the baptism ceremony on October 23rd.

On a technology note, I am still quite obsessed with Streaming Netflix. Movies have always been a part of my life, and a I try to watch one almost every night. Thanks to the many movies, documentaries, and TV series on Netflix, I no longer have to make trips back and forth to the library. My Android smartphone, has also changed my mobile life, bringing the world at my fingertips at every moment. It has saved me numerous times on the road. To have the internet with me at all times, makes me feel quite in-sync and informed, especially with the handy newsfeed program, Twitter.

Over the past few months, I have become quite the political and diplomatic news junkie, perhaps because it's been such an interesting year. On foreign issues, the year began with the Arab Spring, successful revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, and a civil war in Libya that brought the end to Gaddafi's 41-year dictatorship. The civil unrest continues in places such as Syria, where President Assad, refuses to relinquish his power and is openly killing civilian protestors. Another major foreign news event was the death of Bin Laden in May, which has made President Obama quite successful on foreign issues. However the European Economic Crisis has now taken center stage.

On domestic-economic issues, President Obama has been struggling to get anything done thanks to a "do-nothing" congress. The congress has put forth heavy opposition to practically every proposal from the president with simple intentions to sabotage his re-election campaign. At the moment the Congress has an approval rating of 9%, the lowest in history. A super-committee was established in the late summer, after the debt ceiling negotiation, to add 1.2 trillion in revenue. The deadline however comes in a few days, Nov. 23rd, and it seems both sides are still gridlocked between cutting government spending or raising taxes on the wealthy. This is a continuous theme in American politics, and perhaps the main reason for the recent insurgency of protests such as Occupy Wall Street.


On a musical note, I have been quite into Bob Dylan, listening to his music on my long drives. I have always enjoyed his musical style, yet have recently tried to follow and understand his metaphoric lyrics. His music ranges from protest music, folk stories, and love songs that capture the essence of the American counter-culture. Although his highlight period was from 1961-1966 one cannot deny that he was one of the greatest poets and folk singers of all time.

I've been working on a memoir, a biography of the 1st quarter of my life. It's been an extremely nostalgic experience reflecting on the various phases of my life. I think everyone should do it! Coming soon, an update of my top 50 favorite movies and top 50 favorite musical artists.

Movie Masterpiece: Biutiful

This movie has been on my watch-list for over a year now, bringing together some of the biggest names is Latin/Spanish Films. It is directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, (21 Grams and Babel) and produced by his two pals Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron. It stars Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Vicky Christina Barcelona) as the driving force behind the story, and is backed with an incredible score from the guitarist, Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain, Motorcycle Diaries, Babel). With big names like this it should come as no surprise that this movie went above and beyond. It is a powerful film, that I recommend watching more than once to truly appreciate.

Biutiful is an emotional, character-driven story set in Barcelona. It revolves around the extremely complex character of Uxibal, played by Javier Bardem. Uxibal is the father of two children, has a bipolar ex-wife, works as an underground middleman, communicates with dead spirits, and to add to all this he is dying of cancer. His face is pale, with a lifeless expression, and he grows weaker throughout the film. Yet throughout his pain, he is constantly thinking of others, setting his affairs straight before he crosses over to the other side. Bardem gives an Oscar-worthy performance, portraying this complex, dying character. 

The filming style is quite similar to Babel; with an intricate storyline, cross-cultural settings and characters, poetic lines, and massive mood swings. In the midst of this depressing story, Inarritu often delivers sudden spikes of happiness, such as a birthday celebration or an abstract nightclub party; quite similar to the flashy one in Babel. These mood swings are enhanced all the further by Santaolalla’s musical style of sentimental minimalism. 

Yet the finest sequence came at the end of the movie, where we witness Uxibal’s slow transition from life to death. This same sequence was played at the beginning of the film, yet has a far greater emotional power at the end. Bardem lies on a bed next to his daughter, speaking of past memories, while he slowly fades away. Inarritu does a masterful job in demonstrating the journey from life into death. This transition takes place through Uxibal's eyes as well as a sharp contrast in the color of his face. The viewer is slowly transported from Uxibal's bedroom to a winter forest, representing heaven. In the forest, Uxibal stands with his father, laughing and telling jokes. It is an extremely artistic sequence, a masterful ending that is quite deserving of its title, “Biutiful”. 

Historical Look: The Arab-Israeli Conflict

The Arab-Israeli Conflict has been a major story of political tension for the past century now, intensifying after the statehood of Israel. I have always been very interested in trying to understand this diplomatic situation, and must stress how extremely complicated the whole thing is. In this post I want to give a very basic outline of the past 50 years of the conflict. I am in no means trying to favor one side over the other. I'm just trying to understand the roots of the problem, and its long history of tension.

Liberation from the Ottoman Empire

It all began in the early 1900s, with the Jewish movement of Zionism, a cultural belief that the Jews should return to their homeland of Israel. Before the outbreak of WWI, many Jews had already begun purchasing land in the Arabian territory of Palestine, that would later become Israel. At the time however, this land was under the control of the Ottoman Empire, and was populated by many Arabs and Palestinians. During WWI, the British supported an Arab Revolution against the Ottoman Empire led by TE Lawrence. Lawrence was successful in defeating the Ottomans, and achieving Arabian liberation from the Ottoman Empire. Although the Arabs were now free, their territory was under the control and influence of Britain.

After WWI and the liberation of Arabia, many Jews began migrating to the land of Palestine. By 1931, nearly 17% of the population in Palestine was inhabited by Jews. After the rise of Adolf Hitler, and his anti-Semitic views, this migration to Palestine nearly doubled in size. Of course quite naturally Palestinians grew very annoyed with this sudden influx of Jewish people taking over their land, business, and identity. Demonstrations and Protests began to fill the streets of Palestine, against the Jewish take-over. From 1936-1939 there was an Arab revolt in Palestine, that was eventually surpressed by the British Army.


Nation of Israel (1948) 

By the start of WWII, Nazi Germany had begun an intense campaign to persecute the Jews. This terrible atrocity known as the Holocaust, was the final straw for Jews to flee from Europe, and partake in the Zionist Movement. Jewish refugees began swarming into the Middle East,and settling in Palestine, which of course angered the Palestinians all the more. The British Mandate tried to regulate and restrict the immigrations, yet were unable to come up with a resolution, and eventually turned to the newly established United Nations.

In 1947 the United Nations presented a "two-state solution" for both Jews and Palestinians. The Jews agreed to this, while the Arab League strongly opposed it. Britain supported the UN's legitimacy, by terminating it's mandate from the Palestinian territory, thus leaving the problem in their hands. This of course led to the first major war in the region between Arabs and Israelis known as the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Israel was attacked simultaneously by Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq from multiple fronts, and yet somehow managed to repel each attack and win the war. Israel was thus able to expand it's land, leaving the Palestinians the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In May 14th of 1948 Israel declared it's independence as a sovereign nation. Over 700,000 Palestinians became refugees and were forced to leave the new state of Israel. The head of the Zionist Movement, Ben-Gurion, became Israel's first Prime Minister.  



Suez Crisis of 1956


In 1956 Egypt's newly elected president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, nationalized the Suez Canal in order to block Israeli trading in the Straits of Tiran. This was seen as an act-of-war, and Israel responded by attacking the Sinai Peninsula, with support from Britain and France. However both the United States and the Soviet Union intervened in the conflict and called for a ceasefire. (Both Super-powers at that time, had their diplomatic motives) The Israel army occupied the Sinai Peninsula until March of 1957, and the Straits of Tiran were once again re-opened. The United Nations Emergency Force was created to stabilize the border tension between Egypt and Israel.


Six Day War 1967

In 1964 the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was established to defeat the Israeli Zionist Movement. A few years later, President Nasser, expelled all UNEF officers from Egypt, once again closed the Straits of Tiran, and sent over 100,000 soldiers to defend the Sinai Peninsula. In what became known as the Six-Day War, Israel responded with a swift and successful air assault over Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. Israel was once again able to expand their territory into the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, eastern Jerusalem, Shebaa Farms, and the Golan Heights.  

This swift victory for Israel, infuriated the Arab Leaders all the more, who called for a new campaign against Israel. Their resolution became known as the "Three No's". No Recognition, No Peace, and No Surrender. This led to a War of Attrition, against Israel that lasted from 1967-1970. The war came to an abrupt end following the death of Egyptian President Nasser.



Yom Kippur War 1973

On October 6th of 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during their holy day of Yom Kippur. Both Egypt and Syria, were supplied by the Soviet Union, and pushed hard to regain the territories of the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Israel was unprepared and suffered heavy blows in the early days of the war, yet were eventually able to launch a counter-strike with American aid. The United States and the Soviet Union nearly entered the war against one another, until they were finnally able to agree on a ceasefire.

In 1978 President Sadat of Egypt and President Begin of Israel were invited by US President Jimmy Carter, to an enclosed negotiation at Camp David. The two spent nearly two weeks working out an agreement. Finally they agreed on The Camp David Accords, which essentially gave the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt, and the Gaza Strip to Israel. This was a significant treaty between Egypt and Israel, however still would not quell the many surrounding Palestinians and Arabians.  

Black September

In 1970 a period known as Black September, King Hussein of Jordan began expelling Palestinians from his country. This lead to a civil war in Jordan, which resulted in thousands of dead Palestinians. The PLO was driven out of Jordan, and took refuge in Lebanon. In Lebanon the PLO began new raids and attacks on Israeli borders, which eventually ignited the 1982 First Lebanon War. The fighting lasted nearly a year, in which Israeli forces managed to occupy southern Lebanon. This eventually led to the expulsion of Palestinians from Lebanon, and the establishment of Hezbollah. The PLO relocated to Tunisia, and eventually dispersed throughout the Middle East.

Palestinian Terrorism

Unable to match Israel's firepower, the Palestinians eventually turned to terrorist and guerrilla tactics. In the early 1970s terrorist organizations such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Palestine People (PFLP), Black September, and the Red Army Faction began new operations to get world attention. The first major terrorist attack was the Lod Airport Massacre that killed 26 people in Tel Aviv, Israel. Then came the infamous Munich Massacre, carried out by Black September that killed 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Israel responded with a top-secret underground operation to eliminate many of these terrorists. One of the most notorious of these terrorists was a Venezuelan man named Carlos the Jackal, who joined the PFLP and led various diplomatic assaults such as the OPEC headquarters.  



The Oslo Accords

In 1987, during the First Intifada, Palestinians began an uprising on Israeli-occupied territory throughout the Gaza, West Bank, and East Jerusalem. This was a series of demonstrations, protests, civil disobedience, general strikes, and boycotts against Israeli products. Although the Palestinians did not achieve independence through their massive revolution, they were invited once again to the United States to work out a negotiation with Israel. In 1993 President Bill Clinton welcomed the leader of Palestine Authority, Yasser Arafat and Israeli President Yitzhak Rabin to sign the Oslo Accords. This agreement recognized the Palestinian Authority and called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and West Bank. 

Second Intifada

Most Palestinians were still unsatisfied with the Oslo Accords, and by the early 1990s, a political-military organization known as Hamas, grew popular amongst Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territories. Hamas began new campaigns of terrorist attacks against Israelis. By early 2000, Palestinian tension once again spilled out into the streets with the start of another uprising known as the Second Intifada. This uprising was much more violent than the first. Israeli managed to quell the tension along the West Bank, however things got extremely heated over the Gaza Strip. By 2005, Hamas had taken over the Gaza Strip and Israel was forced to withdraw. The Israeli forces, however, returned in 2008, to reclaim this territory by launching an air assault during the Gaza War.

Meanwhile, in 2006 the Lebanese organization of Hezbollah, began a new campaign of raids on northern Israel, that sparked the 2006 Second Lebanon War. This conflict lasted for 34 days, and resulted in a UN resolution that called for the disarmament of Hezbollah, while Israeli forces withdrew from South Lebanon.


Recent Diplomacy

The Israeli-Palestinian tension continues to this day, with ongoing border disputes. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have tried to push for new settlements and diplomacy between the two. President Obama has made great efforts to reach out to the Arabs, by calling for a consideration of the 1967 borders. This was however, unacceptable to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. The Palestine Authority Chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, has thus began a new diplomatic campaign to call for Palestinian Statehood. This recent development has caused some major division amongst the United Nations, of whether to consider their request or to encourage bilateral negotiations.

This is an extremely difficult situation for President Obama, who wants to work with the Palestinians, yet must ultimately side with Israel and encourage bilateral negotiations. However it appears, in my opinion, that Netanyahu has no desire whatsoever to recognize Palestine as a state. Meanwhile the United Nations has already begun to move forward, in approving various aspects of Palestine Statehood. Once again this puts the United States in a very awkward position, who have always sided with Israel and just recently were forced to pull their funding from UNESCO. At this point my hope is that America will not pull it's funding from the United Nations, in order to support Israeli stubbornness.

Final Opinion


The Palestinians have a right to be angry with the Israelites, who practically took away their land. It's a situation very similar to our Native Americans, who were slowly relocated and removed due to a belief known as the Manifest Destiny. However to be fair, the Zionist Movement is a little different because at least the Israelis had ancient roots in the land and therefore should not be considered conquerors. To add to the complexities, was the atrocities of WWII, the Holocaust, and a growing fervor of antisemitism. The nation of Israel finally gave Jews a place to establish their identity. Of course it was at the expense of the Palestinian people.

Throughout the past 50 years of armed struggle, Israel has managed to keep quite an impressive hold on this promise land, surrounded by Arabian opposition, much thanks to financial and military support from the United States and Britain. I feel however that both sides (the Palestinians and the Israelis) have a fair argument in this conflict, and should be handled with a balanced diplomatic approach. 

Current Politics: The GOP Presidential Contenders

The Sport of Political Campaigning

Normally I wouldn't follow a Republican Primary, yet cannot deny the excitement of a political campaign, especially one as important as the Presidency of the United States. The process of political campaigning is very intense, a continuous competition for popularity. Each candidate must compete for votes, through means of advertising, public relations, interviews, and vicious debates. I see it as a sport or game of social tactics.



Easy Sailing for President Obama

Few months ago it seemed no one could challenge President Obama. Back in April, following the death of Osama Bin Laden, his approval ratings reached a new high point of 56%. Yet his presidency took a sudden turn due to heavy opposition from the newly elected Republican Congress. By the end of the summer, following the debt negotiations, President Obama's approval ratings dipped to a new low of 33%, and he was soon being labeled as a weak leader. The GOP was once again on the rise putting all the blame on Obama.

The GOP Rises

So now it has become quite possible that President Obama could actually lose this election in 2012. He is facing a global economic crisis, high unemployment rates, high poverty rates, and especially a "Do-nothing Congress". Although most of the blame should fall on Congress, Obama has more to lose as the executive leader. So he's definitely got his work cut out for him, if he wants to win in 2012. The GOP candidates will easily gain steam on the issues given the state of things. They will disregard the Do-Nothing Congress and put the entire blame on Obama. However the real question is if they can compete with Obama's appeal, which always wins over the independent voters. So here is a brief look at the Republican Presidential Candidates. 



Mitt Romney

 Resume:

• CEO of Bain Company; one of the most profitable investment firms
• Organized the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics
• Governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2007 
• Ran for Presidency in 2008; lost to John McCain

Strenghts:

• Has experience in both the private and public sector. 
• Is a moderate conservative, most likely to work with both Republicans & Democrats
• Has lots of money (18.5 million)

Weaknesses:

• His Health Care plan in Massachussets is very similiar to President Obama's health care plan
• His Mormon faith, may not go over well with the majority of Christian Conservative voters
• He tends to be a little wishy-washy, and socially awkward 

Rick Perry

Resume:

• House of Representatives of Texas (1985-1991)
• Commissioner of Agriculture of Texas (1991-1999)
• Governor of Texas (2000-present)

Strengths:

• Has nearly 30 years of experience in government
• Has a strong physical appeal and charm
• Is a devout Christian

Weaknesses:

• He's not a quick thinker, uninformed on the issues, and a terrible debater
• Wants to do away with Social Security

Herman Cain

Resume:

• CEO of Godfathers Pizza (1986-1996)
• Chariman of the Federal Reserve of Kansas City (1992-1996)

Strengths:

• He is very likable, confident, and a good sense of humor
• Has created a very simple economic tax plan known as 9-9-9 (9% personal tax, business tax, and federal tax)

Weaknesses:

• He has no political experience
• His 9-9-9 plan is a little too simple; only gives tax breaks to the wealthy, and doesn't consider the middle-class

Newt Gingrich

Resume:

• US House of Representatives from Georgia (1979-1999)
• Minority Whip (1989-1995)
• Speaker of the House (1995-1999)

Strengths:

• The most experienced politician in the field, having served in federal public office for over 20 years
• Very knowledgeable on the issues

Weaknesses:

• Has had three wives
• Not much physical appeal; old and obese
• Not very likable; grumpy

Ron Paul

Resume:

• Received his medical degree and practiced medicine throughout the 1960s and 1970s
• Served as a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force (1963-1968)
•  US House of Representatives from Texas (1997- Present)

Strengths:

• Very Wise; Considered the intellectual leader of the Tea Party Movement
• Brings a libertarian ideal to the field, with minimal government, and an end to all wars
• Lots of Money (13.5 Million)

Weaknesses:

• His libertarian ideals may be a bit too radical for some moderate and independent conservatives, especially his views on the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq
• Not much appael; old and scrawny and sometimes grumpy

Michelle Bachmann

Resume:

• Member of the Minnesota Senate (2001-2007)
• US House of Representatives (2007-Present)

Strengths:

• The lone woman of the field, with an energetic charisma
• A strong supporter of the Tea Party Movement

Weaknesses:

• Not much political or federal experience
• Not very informed or quick-thinking on the issues

Jon Huntsman

Resume:

• Staff Assistant for Ronald Reagan (1980s)
• US Ambassador to Singapore (1992-1993)
• Governor of Utah (2005-2009)
• US Ambassador to China (2009-2011)

Strengths:

• Has an impressive political resume, especially with foreign and diplomatic relations
• Moderate-Conservative willing to work with Democrats

Weaknesses:

• Has a weak persona of civility, a soft leader

Rick Santorum

Resume:

• US House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (1991-1995)
• US Senator from Pennsylvania (1995-2007)

 Strengths:

• Solid political resume in federal public office
• Catholic-family man

Weaknesses:

•  Minimal Campaign Funds ($600,000)
• Extremely flabbergasted and anxious persona

RCP Average: Oct 17, 2011

26.0 Herman Cain:
25.5 Mitt Romney
12.5 Rick Perry
9.2 Newt Gingrich
8.5 Ron Paul
4.8 Michelle Bachmann
2.0 Jon Huntsman
1.6 Rick Santorum

My Prediction: Mitt Romney seems like the most realistic candidate for the Republican Party. To be quite honest the field is not very impressive, and each of these candidates seems to have more weaknesses than strengths. Their greatest advantage going into the 2012 election, will be the current state of the economy, which they will be able to push hard against President Obama. I feel it could be a very competitive election, and perhaps a close one. However in the end, I feel Barack can once again pull it off, thanks to his personal appeal of intelligence and likability. 

Current Topics: The Occupy Wall Street Movement

Economic Inequality

The movement against economic inequality has finally taken hold within America, and it could not have come a moment too soon. For the past three years now, our global economy has been in a sharp downturn, beginning with a 2008 recession at the end of the Bush presidency. President Obama did his best to turn things around, yet the crisis had already spread like a bad virus growing worse into Europe and Asia. Businesses began to cut spending, jobs began to disappear, and the world governments began to shut down.

Government Defaults

This year saw the beginning of many government defaults and bail-outs, such as Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. Protests have amassed all throughout Europe, against austerity measures and salary cuts. This past July our own government, divided by politics, came days away from a potential and historical default. Congress managed to pass a temporary bill, that raised the debt ceiling yet ultimately pushed the problem aside. It seems the world leaders are divided between two solutions to this economic crisis; Cut Government Spending or Raise Taxes on the Wealthy. This is a problem that will only continue to grow worse, until a radical economic reform is put into place.

The Arab Spring

Yet the first real hope in this crisis came from the public of the Arab Spring, where the people of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, and many other Middle Eastern countries began to unite and speak out against their corrupt governments. Thousands of people filled their town squares, to speak out against poverty and corruption. Countries such as Tunisia and Egypt were successful in their revolution, while other countries such as Libya, have averted to civil war. Although the Arab Revolution is mostly targeted against authoritarian governments, it also targets economic inequalities. The Arab people have clearly demonstrated a strong message of unity, that has inspired both Europeans and Americans alike, who also share similar frustrations. 

Occupy Wall Street

So after our debt-ceiling soap opera, it became quite apparent to the public, that our economy was in a dire condition, and that our government was unwilling to compromise to solve this serious matter. With growing unemployment and poverty rates, it seemed the only solution was for the people to take action and speak up. It began in a park in New York City, on September 17th, near the Wall Street financial district, where a small group of protestors began to make their accusations heard. Accusations of wealth inequality, corporate greed, and a broken government.

Through the use of internet and social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, their numbers grew and the movement quickly expanded. It received minimal media coverage at first, yet after a pepper-spraying incident on Sept. 24th, it seemed the movement had finally won it's due coverage. On October 1st, 700 protesters were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Occupy Wall Street Movement had suddenly become world news. Last night on October 5th, the movement had it's biggest demonstration yet, joined by the unions, they gathered together near Wall Street with over 20,000 people.It was an inspiring and peaceful demonstration.

The Technology Factor


Similar to the Arab Spring, technology has played a major factor in organizing this movement. Through the use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, cameras, and smartphones, people are able to instantly connect, share pictures, live videos, and live feeds. With such a growing movement, Occupy Wall Street had to create a network of websites, to unite in it's general purpose. This main network has become known as Occupy Together, and has begun to organize movements in many major cities throughout the country.

Occupy Together

Through the development of Occupy Together, this can now become an American Revolution, and not just a New York Revolution. Protests similar to Occupy Wall Street have already begun to gain media attention in Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, and San Fransisco. Many other cities will soon join in, on this united message; a people against the power elite.

Already a Victory! 


This movement has already succeeded in bringing attention to a very serious matter that is far too often overlooked. Capitalism may work for 1%, but not the other 99%. It is a cause that a majority of Americans should agree on, no matter their political affiliations, race, gender, religion, sexuality, or philosophy. It's a movement that will only grow stronger, and  will not go away, until this economic crisis goes away.  It is a peaceful movement with a powerful message of unity; "We are the 99%"