Thoughts from the News

10/20/2008
On economics
Gathered from reading the following articles at csmonitor.com
• A Financial New World Order? By Howard LaFranchi, from October 20, 2008 edition.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1020/p01s01-usec.html
• Credit Crisis Driving Global Cooperation, By Peter Grier, Robert Marquand and Mark Rice-Oxley, from the October 14, 2008 edition.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1014/p01s04-wogn.html
The world governments are starting to realize that in this new day and age they will need to be willing to not only work together and have a global regulatory economy, but be willing to work with groups they have left out in the past, such as China, South America, Latin America, Africa – and maybe even other groups like Iran and North Korea (if the North is actually contributing anything to the global market…). And while this is good, I still think it’s not acknowledging the coming economy. This convention and reorganization of the global market should have been done long ago. Now I think they will need to just redo it again in a couple decades, or they’ll just continue to encounter the same problem.
I say this just because of the fact that I still believe an open market is somewhere on the horizon. Even if it’s not, the problem will remain: pirating media is just the beginning of the problem, but it’s still a significant economic problem. There are billions in any country’s currency being lost because people are pirating the movies, music and media business. Some are doing it strictly for a profit, some are doing it out of spite. Whatever the reason the effect is still the same: potential billions are lost. I just think that the global leaders need to at least start acknowledging that it’s on the way and they need to start making plans for it…

On NGO’s
Gathered from reading the following article
• Afghanistan’s Emerging Anti-war Movement, By Anand Gopal, from the October 20, 2008 edition.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1020/p07s02-wosc.html
• Development: South America Fights Poverty in its Own Way, By Daniel Estrada, October 17, 2008.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44323
It seems that NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) are going to be a new major player in politics. Then again, they may also just be another name for “lobbys.”
In either case, it was neat reading the article about how the Afghanistans are starting to work on peace on their own, and recognize the need for it to come from themselves not wanting interference from other countries. More should follow suit. Of course, maybe more have, and I’m just now noticing.

10/21/2008
On US Relations
• Politics: New Cuba Policy in Sight?, by Patricia Grogg, October 20, 2008
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44356
The article notes how Obama has talked about starting talks back up with Cuba, but at his time, under his conditions. I think this Morales guy has a point. If Obama wants to talk with Cuba, he should be willing to work it out on both leaders times, and should allow for a joint decision on what will be discussed. And he shouldn’t even think about talking about the “freedom of the people of Cuba.” That’s just rude.
But in all honesty, shouldn’t this be the way American leaders handle all relations with foreign countries? Where we don’t take the “leading role” that’s gotten us into so much trouble before and allow for joint control? It’s hard to say we have the “most influence” any more when we exist in a global economy and political machine.