Politics 555 w/ TIZ – China & The Arabs

American citizens in a small Dallas town have been up in arms after their local paper refused to acknowledge President-elect Obama as the new President of the United States. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Sadly, no kidding, here.  Around 25 residents of Kaufman County arranged a protest outside the newspaper’s offices the next day to register their anger at not being able to acquire a momento a Mr. Obama’s election.  Even though the Terrell Tribune is more of a local story newspaper, it had devoted it’s election day front page to news of John McCain’s last campaign stops.  The publisher of the 6,000 circulation newspaper believe that the right decision was made, saying “We run a newspaper, not a memory book service…we covered the local commissioner’s race. We thought that was more important”….What’s wrong with the world today? Even though we are far into 2008 – complete with a list of milestones and technological advances that rivals even the most optimistic of the 80s and 90s – sometimes it feels like we are like first century China, with everyone warring with each other. You know, the period where the entire continent..er…country…er…region were literally made up of small provinces at continuous war with each other. Recently, Pirates hijacked a Philippines chemical tanker with 23 crew near Somalia.  The tanker was heading to Asia from Malaysia. This is the 83rd attack in waters off the impoverished African nation. 83rd!! Wait, there’s more… The UN Food agency is expecting another blow to the impoverished and full of political strife African nation of Zimbabwe.  The World Food Program said it needs more funds to continue to feeding program. The World has failed to respond.  This could see up to half of the Zimbabwean population in a state of starvation if food does not arrive by the next harvest in April. Hello, World? Anybody home?…Yes, there’s more. Osama Bin Laden, according to an Arab newspaper in London (Al-Quds Al-Arabi), is said to be reinforcing training camps and planning a new attack. And that’s about all the time I can devote to that ‘man’…More world madness?  North Korea has decided to sever ties with South Korea by announcing that it will halt cross-border traffic next month.  Tensions between the two nations have been at an all time high since South Korean President Lee Myung-back’s conservative government took over in February. See where conservatism gets you? Not a match, the board goes back…Car bombs recently were set off an Afgan gov’t office during a provincial council meeting on Wendesday killing at least 3 and wounding 28 as of press time.  Hours earlier, two men on a motorcycle threw acid on six Afghan girls walking to school. Two were hospitalised with serious burns. What is wrong with this world!? Do we live in 2008, or 208? And should the U.S., England, Canada and other leaders of the free world care?