The Maestro…..the Obama doctrine…... by Jamil Shawwa

Everyone right now talks about the two doctrines, well, maybe not everyone but those that are nosy like me. The Bush doctrine was based on “either with us or against us" no other choices. That doctrine came to life after the terrorist attack on America. At that time, in my opinion, the US did not have any other choice. We needed to confront that wave of terrorism and we needed to act immediatly. We did not have to negotiate, convince, or wok to find common ground. We still managed to form a huge alliance much bigger than we did in WWII when we confronted other groups of criminals against humanity. Now the situation is different, we do not need to use the Bush doctrine, we are doing a fantastic alliance building against a psychopath in Libya. The Maestro is taking position and is taking center stage, the orchestra is ready, he has to lead, there is no other choice, but he cannot lead alone, the orchestra has to match, has to play the right tunes, and has to deliver the right rhythms. America will continue to be the leader in world affairs, and in the Middle East, there is nothing but the US. Having said that, it is not a blind leadership, but a smart one, it is a leadership that based on many pillars, the UN is one, NATO, and within those two, we have the European alliance with Russia's tactical silence and the Asian's with China's always accommodating. England right now is managing the political efforts to topple Qazzafi and it is working very well. Cameron and Hague are transforming England back to world stage after years of irrelevancy. They are polishing the old empire, and they are renovating a role that is important to be palyed right now in the Middle East. France and England are the leading players in the orchestra with the Maestro making sure that they deliver the best they can. Qazzafi is already gone in my book; it is just a matter of time. But the doctrine will not go, this is the new role of America in the world, to lead with partners and with groups and with alliances, it has been like this but now America is giving more respect to those important partners and the partners just love the new American style. America’s strength resides in its ability to move and maneuver, in its ability to create win-win situations, and in its ability to preserve the balance of powers and in its genius in inventing ways to inspire others. Behind all this is a talented maestro that needs to continue to show his talents daily, or at least until November of 2012. If he is reelected, very possible, I do not see so far any other viable candidate on either side, Obama’s doctrine will flourish in ways that will make the 21 century another American century.

For Israel and For Palestine...a Table for Two. By Jamil Shawwa

The forces of darkness, evil, and hypocrisy continue to drag this poor but not naive people, the Palestinians, into the abyss. They go to homes and kill families and they expect the world to watch and say hurray. They are Satan in long dirty beards and without beards, wearing the flag of peaceful divine religions and brainwashing the innocent and the not so innocent. They blow buses, launch rockets and expect the world to sympathize and applaud. They are and the rest of those lowlifes, are the ones that keep making sure that the West Bank and Gaza never even come close to enjoy what the rest of the humans are enjoying; an independent state in the West bank and Gaza, where people can go to work, dream of the future, plan vacations for themselves and their families, travel and see friends and relatives and explore the world and it's beauties. The forces of evil and despair that are wearing the beards of hypocrisy are killing every hope in the land of peace and in the land of the three divine religions and they keep delaying the final status. But they are not alone, on the other side of the Isle, in the State of Israel, there are those that match them in fanaticism and hypocrisy, Their job- elements in the two societies- is to silence the moderates on each side and make them as despair as the rest and make them believe that the two cannot live together in two states and make them believe that an eye for an eye to the rest of it.  Abbas is crying and weeping like a  boutique girl in Amsterdam getting caught in the act, not ready for the next client, asking this and that to save him or asking this or that to tell Israel to do this or stop that. Those forces of darkness, some in their lousy, pretentious beards, in their deceiving appearance, in their criminal minds, are the wardens of the Israelis and the Palestinians and they are the tyrants that make sure that the Palestinians never wake up, make sure the stigma of terrorism is their name or their middle name. The Palestinians and the Israelis- maybe unintentionally- are helping the forces of evil; in Palestine, they are electing them, and in Israel, they are not clear on the policy and the future. Imagine the hypocrisy of a people, or maybe not, maybe it is not hypocrisy, maybe it is despair, maybe the Palestinians are desperate but they are afraid, they look around and they are afraid, they do not want to be called that they have forgot the forgotten cause, and that they do not want to be called the generation that has allowed what the previous generations did not allow. Well, I have news for the Palestinians, rise, and rise now, look around, and throw out your jailers and your wardens, kick them; vaccinate yourselves against them so they do not infect you again. Rise, go to the streets, no one can stop you, you, the Palestinians, can now make a difference, can now get rid of Hamas and the PLO and can now, elect people and can now call Bibi and Ehud and Shimon- as a sign of respect to the elder statesman- and tell them, I want to set now with you- I can provide the table and four chairs, ok maybe five but not more than six- and we are not going to leave the room until the Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza is born and we are not going to leave until every Arab and Muslim country recognize the ultimate right of the State of Israel to live in peace in it’s  internationally recognized borders with Jerusalem as it’s capital and the same Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza…What are you waiting for- I'm almost done- go to the streets, you have been manipulated by choice, for tens of years, maybe it is enough, maybe you will start dropping hypocrisy and self-deceive for other choices. Try, the Palestinians and the Israelis, something else, a new approach, and a new perspective and see if it works; you might be amazed beyond your wildest imaginations. Now is the time to act, because if not now, when.

Dancing and Singing at an Airport...Lebanon 2011 by Jamil Shawwa

The Lebanese are singing for their country; they are saying that their country has civilization. I know one thing about the Lebanese, all of them, they love Beirut. But, in a minute, they can destroy it in the name of their sect, religion, their political affiliation and their love. They have done it before.  The Lebanese are dancing in Beirut International Airport. I do not want to spoil the video but the Airport in Lebanon is under the control of Hezbollah. Those Lebanese are interesting human beings, they can dance together now, and tomorrow ...the same dancers could be fighting each other. The airport now is called Rafik El-Hariri International Airport. Hariri, the former prime minister of Lebanon, was killed in 2005. An International Court is looking to subpoena Syrians officials, Hezbollah officials and Lebanese former military commanders for his murder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccy-EQPH3LU  

The West Bank and The Gaza Strip…Rise….Part III- No historical or Religious Claims- Ongoing by Jamil Shawwa

The news reported yesterday that a person went and committed a crime, killed a family in a settlement in the West Bank. The State of Israel has the right to defend its citizens everywhere as many countries believe and might take action against individuals or against groups either in Gaza or in the West Bank. The cycle continues, once Israel takes action, some Palestinians might feel that they need to retaliate and take action against those that took the previous action. The cycle continues, killing and retaliating and organizations and individuals claiming historical or religious rights to this piece of land or that piece of land or over the whole land. Some might say that the settlements in The West Bank are illegal as they are built on a disputed land or lands that are still waiting for the final solution, others would reply and say no, these settlements will stay regardless and the people there will be citizens of the state of Palestine in the West bank and Gaza and some will say, wait a minute, these people have the right to settle anywhere in the land of Israel. The end game, not sure, it seems that everybody or the policy makers and certain groups behind them in both entities in Palestine and in Israel are content somehow with the status quo. Satisfied with the regular interactions that take place there and has been taking place since even before 1948. The problem is not outside the control-maybe- of both Israel and Palestine. The problem is not in the international community, or the great powers, the problem is there in the West Bank and Gaza and in the State of Israel and the solution is also there in Palestine and Israel. The first step is stop the talk from some Arabs and Israelis or some religious Muslim Arabs and some religious Jewish people about historical claims to the land, it will not work, both sides not only will bring so called facts or religious verses that support each side but will also bring the continuous cycle of hatred and the continuous cycle of wars and violence and will continue to feed those monsters on all sides of the isle that do not want to see a flourishing State of Israel and a flourishing State of Palestine. Leave history behind and look at now. Now we have the State of Israel and we have the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, period, nothing else, no other countries. We also have Jerusalem as an open city and a capital for both. We also have religious places that a skilled manager can manage for both people, if things get complicated and both continue to fight about "management". History right now is irrelevant in the land of peace and history is irrelevant in the land of the three divine religions, what is relevant is now, and the people that live there and the facts on the ground. The facts reflect the ultimate and the undisputed right of the Jewish people to enjoy their country, the State of Israel, as it is now. The facts also reflect the ultimate and the undisputed right of the Palestinian people to have their state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. History can be rewritten now, and history can be remade now. History starts now and not prior to 1948.

Tsunami in the Pacific and a Tsunami in The Middle East….Shockwaves…by Jamil Shawwa

What a trying day across the shores of the Pacific, it is reaching Hawaii and maybe the beaches of California. Warnings are issued for about fifty countries as news reports stating.  It seems technology did not predict or gave early warning to this ocean earthquake. Same as in the Middle East, the Arab and Iranians dictators did not know that their people are alive and breathing and did not see the early warnings smoke. The earthquake in the Pacific is claiming innocent lives as the one in the in the Middle East. We all want to control the Pacific earthquake, although it is impossible to prevent, but easy or easier to predict, but most of us want the human tsunami in the Arab countries and Iran to continue, hopefully peacefully, to drive those illegitimate dictators out of power one by one.

The Arab Monarchies…..Red Flag by Jamil Shawwa

I think *Jordan and Morocco can lead the Arab royalties into the first constitutional monarchies where the prime minister- from the party the wins the majority seats in parliament- would be the executive like in England, Japan and other countries in Europe. The royal families in Morocco and Jordan have the street-smart politics talent and this could be an ingredient for their survivals. Very tough though but let us see how they would evolve.

The rest of the monarchies, **Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and the other Gulf countries so far have not shown signs of the changing times, The bottom line is this; the monarchies in the Arab countries must evolve to endure.

   

*Read my piece about Jordan and the Hashemite on http://arabamericanwire.blogspot.com/2010/10/storythe-10-years-old-boy-in.html

**Read my piece about the evolution of Saudi Arabia on   http://arabamericanwire.blogspot.com/2010/12/prince-bandar-machiavelli-and-future-of.html

      http://arabamericanwire.blogspot.com

*In The Name Of The Divine Religions… A Bow by Jamil Shawwa

Compare the Westboro Baptist Church and the Congressman from New York, Peter King, and the suicide bombers in Pakistan that blow funerals. What is the common ground between the nuts, the fanatics here and the criminals in Pakistan; not much, both hijacked a religion and both in the name of a divine religion created new religions and new wave of hatred. No faiths, religions, or philosophies throughout history suffered as much as the three divine religions, not from sources strange to them but from those that claim that they belong to them. In America, the Supreme court said that it is legal for the Westboro Baptist Church to disrupt –by shouting and cursing- the funerals of the fallen soldiers, in Pakistan, they take liberty to kill themselves and others in the suspicious shadow of the silence of the law.

* facebook post 03/09/2011
Check my posts from 03/09/2011, 03/02/2011 and 03/04/2011

“The West Bank and The Gaza Strip…..Rise.. Part II”….detour by Jamil Shawwa

The new Palestinian State in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip should not identify itself with a specific religion. Religions are personal business; they are not a State business. The West Bank and Gaza should embrace the three divine religions in particular because the bastion of the three religions is Jerusalem, the Capital of the State of Israel and the Capital of the State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza side by side with the State of Israel. Hamas must understand; it is up to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to make both Hamas and the PLO to understand that the land does not belong to either one of them but to the people there and to their free well to elect those that can carry the message of peace and tolerance. I really believe that the time is now for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to rise, and rise high against the PLO and Hamas and all other organizations that failed the Palestinians in the past generations and decades and elect new people, strong, confident, popular individuals to take charge. The Palestinians live in a nightmare right now that is called Hamas. Every time they talk, Hamas, they remind me of those idiots’ hypocrites in Iran

Jamil’s note on China--------------- Across the Pacific with Jamil Shawwa

News Reports: China wants to crack down on possible demonstrations asking for freedom and democracy and the end of the totalitarian communist party rule.

My Comments: You cannot be the second most powerful nation on earth and in the same time suppressing and oppressing your people, over one thousand and three hundred million of human beings. You cannot continue to claim that politics belong to the party, the communist party, and that the Chinese should be happy by just living well, and eating well, and driving cars. Not at this age and time that you can get away with such dictatorial hypocritical slogans. The Chinese products are all over the globe, well made, cheap and practical, now the world is returning the favor and exporting to China its most valuable commodities, freedom and democracy.

“Mrs. Abdeen…..Allow Me To Think loudly" by Jamil Shawwa

I hear your voice right now, Mrs. Abdeen, telling me that Abdeen is written with an I and not double E. I still do not do it, Mrs. Abdeen, the same mistake it seems, not sure, if it is stubbornness or what or is it slow thought process, in other words, if I am out of it. But how can I be out of it if I recognize it, how can anyone  be out of something if they know what they are doing, and they know that it might be wrong but still doing it. See, I am writing it with double E again. My name could be written with an I or double E but I have always wrote it with an I, but for some reason, I write your name with double E. The point I am trying to make- about time I think- is that both could be right, so why we humans sometimes torture ourselves in trying to be perfect and usually in the process, we become far from perfection. I have many more questions, Mrs. Abdeen, but I do not want to bring back too much memories of that pupil you had in Jerusalem in 1974, who was an ok student but a student who was full of questions, probing everything you say and requesting sources and backups until your eyes would start rolling and then and only then, he would stop asking.  “Listen” that was your favourite word for us to become quiet or refocus. I do not look back, Mrs. Abdeen, I cannot, I do not live in the past Mrs. Abdeen, I just cannot, and I do not cry over something that is done, although it might have been a treasure that was lost due to stubbornness or stupidity or both. Still, Mrs. Abdeen, it is the same problem, knowing something that is not good but still doing it. Maybe it is the trial and error that we humans must live by; it is the nature of the curious human to test, to try, to examine, to push the boundaries further. I think this is how great things happen in life when we just try, when we do not stop, when we do not get timid and afraid. There is something going in the Middle East right now Mrs., Abdeen, in the Arab countries at this moment, people are going to the streets but they are not sure of the outcome, they are not sure if what they are doing is right or wrong, they are just going, and they are venting and for the first time in the history of the Arabs, the rulers are listening, they have no choice anymore, Mrs. Abdeen, but to listen, who would have thought that this day would come, who would have thought that the poor, the hungry, the disfranchised, the hopeless, the humiliated in the streets of  Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Bahrain, Algeria, Tunisia and every other Arab country would just say Enough, we have had it, and just rise like a bright summer morning sun . I wonder Mrs., Abdeen, what would have happened if the people just sat back and just thought if what they are doing or going to do is right or wrong.

Amr Mousa; Wrong for Egypt………Stop Sign by Jamil Shawwa

I have monitored Amr Mousa, the former Egyptian foreign minister and the current secretary general of the Arab league, over the years and came to the conclusion that this person is the last one Egypt needs to have as president at this stage of its history. When Amr Mousa talks, you get the feeling that you are before a person with no skills or intellect. When he acts, you feel as if he still belongs to the same school that ruined Egypt for the last sixty years. I saw him once in the World Economic conference in Davos on stage with the Israeli president Shimon Peres and the Turkish Prime Minister Ardogan, he was setting and looking like a trapped mouse, pretending that he was not listening to Peres and in the same time pretending to cheer Ardogan. A fluid man, not a compliment, and a mild personality. A typical government employee, not a leader. Egypt needs a parliamentary system where the parliament rules and a prime minister as the head of state as in Israel and Iraq, England, and other countries. Bring Mousa to office and you will have another carbon copy of Mubarak but on a lower scale and lesser brightness. Now of course if he gets elected in free elections, then that is another story, but I think the Egyptians who suffered for thousands of years from the rule of the ancient and modern pharos are smart enough not to elect this boring, annoying, talentless person as their president.