it's a woman thing ...

on saturday, we watch hillary clinton withdraw her candidacy for the presidential bid, throwing her support behind barack obama, the defacto democratic nominee.

it's truly an historic and momentous occasion - witnessing the first woman ascend to this point on the political ladder - only to concede to the first african american to reach for the same goal. in many ways, it seems as if the reason we have so much more inclusion in this election season lies in the failed policies of the standardbearer of the landscape to this point - established white men. who, for the most part, seem to be out of touch with the realities faced not only by ordinary americans, but also by what other peoples endure daily around the world.

so we are lucky. lucky that we see other members of the planet represented right here, on main street usa. people of color. people of 'the opposite sex'. quite thrilling actually (although i do believe they've been electing women to higher office is lots of other countries for some time now!). does it mean that a black man, or a white woman, will necessarily make for a better presidency? no, of course not, but it's worth a shot.

and it DOES present a new and different visage to the rest of the world. america is a melting pot, and does on paper afford every citizen the same unbounded opportunities. so why shouldn't our candidates represent the myriad of people that make up the united states? many have said that the ongoing contest between barack obama and hillary clinton made for a weakened system. but in fact, quite the opposite is true - this reinforces the strength of our system, allowing for all voices to be heard, and for all opinions to be set forth.

bravo to both candidates, and in fact to the entire nation - for opening up these chances for all, and for showing the world that once again, america recognizes that it's time to reinvent itself, and to join the broader international community. let's all hope that this will lead to a more peaceful, more thoughtful society, at the ready, willing to solve our problems together ...

right aid

it is easy to get lost in the babble of the political season. as we wait out the seemingly never-ending term of george w., we eagerly await the changes that will be brought forth by the coming election.

the ineptitude and indifference of america's current administration is more shocking than ever. in our continuous war in iraq, we see soldiers and civilians perishing - for what cause? it's hard to understand all of this death and destruction, which seems quite pointless ...

today we see images of a burma (myanmar) ravaged by a catastrophic cyclone. a natural disaster reported to have killed 300 people in the early days ... now the death toll stands at close to 100,000 people, with over a million left homeless. more acutely, the militant and suspicious regime is nitpicking over visas for aid workers - all provisions have been packaged and sent to nearby airports (bangkok, dacca, dubai), and yet the lifesaving necessities can't make it into burma. this, yes this, is truly criminal.

why our country has invaded and stayed in iraq defies understanding. but why we stand idly by while a few despots in southeast asia stand between their 'people' - of whom they hold in the lowest esteem - and the food and medicine which could save them is beyond me. if we want just causes for military invasion (which is not at all what i'm advocating here - pacifism, not war), this is certainly one that springs to mind. or zimbabwe, where another unjust official (mugabe) hijacks elections and takes his country from breadbasket of africa to begging orphan. where were we when the taliban was blowing up historical statues in afghanistan?

the united states, and the world, should vehemently, and if necessary by force, intervene in burma. the nobel prize winning aung san suu kyi has been faltering under house arrest for years, and nothing has been done. vital supplies are not making it into the country. monks are repressed during non-violent demonstrations. and land is usurped in the absurd building of a new capital city, displacing thousands.

if america is really interested in standing up for freedom, democracy, and human rights, we must apply the same principles and measures to all countries equally - and not waiver because one country is where all of our walmart goods are made, or because another country holds vast oil resources.

human dignity is not an economic principle. it is a fundamental right which we, as privileged players, must uphold.