Pirate Problems

This pirate problem is getting out of hand. Today it was announced that the American captain that was captured by the Somali pirates was just rescued. Now Pentagon officials are deciding a course of action. With Obama saying that he will “halt the rise of piracy”, what exactly needs to be debated?

These pirates are not the long bearded English drunks with hook hands; they are teenagers on speed boats with guns. They are the mafia of the Indian Ocean. Right now there are about 270 crew members of different ships from around the world that are being held captive by these Somali pirates. One of the fears of letting the navy blast the pirates off the globe is that the shipping lanes will be disrupted - this is a problem. Disrupting the shipping lanes means that all trades that go through the Suez Canal would have to stop until the dispute was resolved. This could happen… or we could approach the issue globally. Yes, shipping would be slowed, but with global help and understanding, the canal could be monitored and watched carefully.

Why does America have to be the only one to address and resolve this issue? This is almost the text book example of why the United Nations was created. The only way these organized teens can be stopped is if we can come together - globally - in understanding of the goal. Then, after the Suez Canal gets cleaned up, these pirates need to be attacked and wiped out at their source: Somalia.  

The First Lady of Fashion

In these past few days I have been noticing how the media has been portraying Michelle Obama as a fashion icon. I normally do not pick up, and or care, about these types of news stories but after seeing it on the news multiple times, I could not avoid the topic.

I would first off like to announce that I know very little about fashion. “Brown shoes, brown belt; black shoes, black belt” is about the extent of my knowledge. To me, Michelle Obama looks appropriate at each function, but does she have good fashion? I don’t know. Last week during the G20 meetings, her outfits and fashion of each day could have been found on: Yahoo News, CBS News, CNN, The Examiner, Fox News, New York Times, Google News and probably every other news source known to man. Many times, she has also been referred to as the first, First Lady of Fashion. Yes, they are saying that no other first lady in the history of the United States was fashionable. Has the media forgotten about Nancy Reagan, the actress and first lady of Ronald Reagan? Has the media forgotten about Jackie Kennedy?

I am just curious as to why the media is constantly telling me about how great of a choice Michelle’s dress was. What is their motivation? Is there really nothing else to report on about Mrs. Obama? I am very sure that there is much more to Michelle Obama than her wardrobe, and I find it extremely shallow of the media to report only on her fashion. Leave fashion to E! 

N. Korea – A Child with Matches

In every elementary class room across the world, there sits a child that constantly seeks attention. Attention from teachers, from peers, from his elders and his juniors. When they do not get the attention they want, they do more drastic things. It starts with something small, but if the issue is never addressed, it can turn into something huge. These children can become rebellious; they can become bullies; they can be a danger to themselves or others. As you have probably guessed, North Korea is this attention obsessed child.

A Los Angeles Times headline stated: “As North Korea readies rocket launch, U.S. turns up pressure”. Are we surprised? It seems like every week N. Korea is doing something to instill the world of fear. This week they are “readying” rocket launches, last week they are threatening the world about something that is now irrelevant. Just like the elementary child, N. Korea is insecure. Just as an example, North Korea has been working on a Hotel project to bring in tourism since 1987. Shortly after the building’s skeleton was complete the project ran out of money and construction was put to a halt. For 16 years the building sat there uncompleted. To this day, over 20 years later it is still considered “under construction”.

North Korea cannot be ignored. It does have threatening capabilities, but instead of publishing their “goals” (which we have seen is not a reliable source of information) in our daily papers, why not put them in their place? Not in an aggressive war-like way, that’s what they would want, but in a intellectual way, such as trade. This North Korean situation is getting old; I predict that next week, N. Korea does something to try and intimidate the world. The worst thing the world could do is actually let N.  Korea think they have control over people’s fear. 

Political Spotlight: Timothy Geithner

Geithner, as of right now, has one of the most stressful jobs in the country. Previously he was the chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, but president Obama nominated him for the Treasury Secretary position in January.

Although it may seem as if Geithner is rather new to the job, he has been working on this financial mess for quite some time. One year ago, he organized the rescue and sale of Bear Stearns. Giethner also played key roles into organizing the AIG bailout, and deciding not to bailout Lehman Brothers. Obama has mentioned many times that he would not accept Mr. Geithner’s resignation if he offered.

Thursday Geithner asked lawmakers to enact the most revised and comprehensive changes to the financial market since the New Deal. He also is in control of $340 billion dollars of the bailout that he can use in any way he feels would benefit the economy the most. According to the WSJ, there are four aspects of Geithner’s plan: “limiting risks that could threaten the broader economy, enhancing protections for investors and consumers, closing gaps in regulatory oversight, and coordinating any actions globally.”

Nearly everyone has disagreed with him on one issue or another, but he is someone that is not afraid to get things done. Government regulation and control seem to the theme of this “Newer Deal”. FDR would be proud of Geithner’s work, whether this is a good thing is your opinion. 

Forest Laboratories Accused of Fraud

The manufacturer of Celexa and Lexapro, Forest Laboratories, is in deep trouble with the US government by failing to report the negative side-effects of their drugs on children. Their studies showed that the drugs were not very effective in children and that they could lead to suicidal feelings as well.

By hiding these facts, Forest did not adequately inform the health care industry about the detrimental effects of their drugs, which is illegal. This led to doctors prescribing drugs that they did not know the whole truth about; therefore, the government is suing Forest for 3 times the amount of federal money spent on all pediatric prescriptions for Lexapro and Celexa.

In addition, Forest also used incentives such as gift certificates to restaurants and paid vacation to entice doctors to prescribe their medications. When Celexa’s active ingredient became generic in 2002 (citalopram), they marketed Lexapro, which is a different version of citalopram, an anti-depressant.

An article in the New York Times suggested that this is a common situation with many antidepressant manufacturers. Antidepressant makers try to hide the negative symptoms to further promote their drug. Most antidepressants can have negative side-effects, so doctors should take extra care when prescribing them.

Many doctors require a check up with patients several weeks to a month after prescribing the antidepressant to verify that the drug is doing its job. This is the best way to approach the problem because it minimizes potential problems caused by antidepressants. The healthcare industry is a lucrative business, but patient care must continue to be the highest priority for doctor’s in order to further benefit the health of our nation.

Political Spotlight: Bobby Jindal

Whether you are a Dem or a Repub, liberal or conservative, socialist or a capitalist, you need to keep an eye on Bobby Jindal. He is a young, fresh face in the Republican party, and presently the Governor of Louisiana. Jindal could be considered a threat to the Dems in future presidential elections.

Jindal called Obama’s stimulus plan “irresponsible” and even turned down over $95 million that would have gone to pay for unemployment benefits. He has a back bone and is not afraid to say what he believes. Jindal was scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention this past August, but cancelled his plans to focus on Gustav, the hurricane that was on its way to hitting his state. Yes, he sacrificed a huge political advancement to help his state.

Although I do not agree with many topics Jindal stands for, he does seem to be less of a politician and more of a real person. He could care less about what the press says about him, and cares more about helping his state. Jindal is currently the youngest governor in the country at 37 years old, and there is much more political career ahead of him.

Election Process

From the beginning the Dems made it very clear that Obama was going to be their presidential candidate for the 2008 election. On the other hand, the Repubs had a tougher time. As we all know the “McCain Train” was chosen to represent the party. Looking back now from our current situation, we must ask ourselves, “Would McCain really have been chosen if the current economic crisis was present one year ago?”

McCain never hid the fact that economics were not his expertise, but instead used his knowledge on foreign policy to get him as far as he did. Rudy Giuliani on the other hand, talked only about economics, but presented himself and his whole campaign very poorly. As time over this past year went by, economics became a more pressing issue, but the Repubs were stuck with McCain.

It takes two years to vote for the president of the United States. This is much too long of a process. No one can pick someone today to solve the country’s problems of tomorrow. By shortening the election process, even by a few months, would let Americans be able to choose a candidate that is more relevant to the present times.