Tagged: George W. Bush
A call to peace…
On October 9, 2009. Barack Obama made history once again as he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. While the decision is being questioned unanimously all over the globe, there are many important elements that the world is overlooking:
It’s not just because he is charismatic, or because he’s a great speaker, but I’ve been a supporter of Obama since day one. The ideas that he proposed and the visions that he planned for America and the rest of the world were truly life-changing. He gave off that “if-i-can-do-it-you-can” type of motivation. Many said his aspirations were unrealistic. However, someone had to start somewhere in this world. If everyone continued to label their ideas as unrealistic, nobody would ever achieve anything in life. Not to mention that the world had to start fast and in a hurry after what the Bush Administration left behind. Bush had taken the world on a wild ride full of wars, violence, and blatant racism. Not only were Bush’s wars targeting terrorists, but they also targeted Arabs and Muslims all over the world.
While Obama may not have completed many of his plans, he was bold enough to initiate them. Currently, he is looking to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and he is also trying to bring Israeli-Palestinian peace talks back on the table. The president is also trying to fix a relationship that Bush was busy destroying for the past eight years: the Muslim world’s relationship with America.
It is no lie that by doing these things, Obama is playing an important role in international diplomacy. However, I do not believe that Obama actually received the Nobel Peace Prize for what he did, because let’s be frank, he has not accomplished much during the nine months that he’s been president. He was awarded the prize as an incentive to continue with his plans of peace and international diplomacy. This reward was truly, a ‘call to action.’ His plans to bring the world and America together are ideas to be admired, because when achieved, these plans will truly change the world.
In a way, Obama has already changed America and the rest of the world. This man actually got young voters in America dedicated enough to go out and vote for him, which is something that most candidates have been struggling with in past elections. Old and young Americans alike became extremely passionate during his campaign. And, after his inaugural address, he brought some people to tears. His campaign also forced America to become more aware of their current situation, and less oblivious to the rest of the world. People became more hopeful and willing to change, as his campaign asked them to. He also brought the world together in the same way. He gave the people of the world the hope that they were looking for.
However, the question we are left with now is: Will he answer that ‘call to action’ and fulfill those hopes and dreams?
Our world and what it’s coming to…
photo courtesy of www.brittanica.com.
According to CNN, Bin Laden has recently released another message to the western world. Like most of his messages, which are always ranting about how the ‘infidels’ will pay for what they are doing to the Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan, this message also carries the same tune. He is continuing to threaten those who side with America and warns them of his wrath.
A little side note for you: I’m no religious scholar, but any Muslim can tell you that if this man was really as religious as he says he is, than he would know that only God can truly judge people and show ‘wrath.’
Secondly, he does not even care about the Muslims or the ‘Ummah.’ All his moves are simply political and for his own personal gain. The sooner the world realizes this, the better things will become for all of us.
Aside from the fact that Bin Laden and his likes are actually the ones making Muslims all over the world truly suffer by giving us all a bad name, I’m angered that his messages are actually affecting some of today’s world leaders. His latest message, like all his messages, is spoken in Arabic. However, this last one also came out with German and English subtitles (it’s great that he’s thinking of the international community… so considerate of him, isn’t it?)
Anyway, here this message comes at a time when Germany is approaching elections. Obviously, Bin Laden and al-Qaeda want to literally scare the living daylights out of the Germans so they will elect a politician who will be more flexible and easily affected by Bin Laden’s messages. In fact, Bin Laden pulled the same move with the Spanish not too long ago. Spain’s prime minister-elect, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is opposing the war in Iraq like his life depends on it. According to The Associated Press, Zapatero has even gone as far as calling the whole war a ‘fiasco’ that is being led by the Americans.
Yes, Mr. Zapatero has a point. Things aren’t going so great in Baghdad right now. Yes, the war was terrible, it has gotten out of hand, and don’t even get me started on how the war was based on the lies of the Bush Administration. But, are we as a world now simply giving in to the threats of terrorists? By listening to these threats and taking what the world leaders today like to call “precautionary measures,” are we letting them think that their scare tactics are working? While many people might not look at this incident the way I do, I still can’t help but to believe that the terrorists are in reality, getting their way and nobody is winning the ‘war on terror’ but them.
