Chaos in Myanmar

Article from, http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/09/28/myanmar.protests/index.html

Chaos erupted in Myanmar, commonly known as Burma after months of protest of their militaristic government. The military started using deadly force to disperse crowds and reports that as many as 35 bodies were already lined up in the streets with people praying over them. The anti-government protests were relatively peaceful with thousands monks dressed in red ropes leading a march a few days ago. The military insists it is using rubber bullets but with 35 people already dead I find that hard to believe. Also restrictions have been place that put in effect a curfew for all and making it illegal for more than five people to gather in one place at a time. Hearing this I am even more grateful for living in this great country and its' freedoms. The government of Myanmar also cut Internet connections to the whole country because video of the violence were surfacing and they don't want that. Officials for Myanmar said they were provoked into fighting but its doubtful when their opposition is a bunch of monks. Myanmar held elections in 1990 but the militaristic regime refuses to acknowledge the leaders chosen and arrested him. I am so glad I live in a country with freedom to do what I please. I believe everyone in the world should enjoy this freedom. Totalitarian governments can only last so long before the voice of the people finally say they have had enough of their rules and terror and overthrow the government. I think the U.S. should lend the protesters a hand and make it public, showing the world we support democracy everywhere and we don't always have to use our military to support it but that we have other means also.

Iceland Going Green

Doug's Blog #3

Article from http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/09/18/driving.iceland/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Iceland is well on its way to becoming the model country in the world for clean energy. But it did have a head start. It is located where hydroelectric power is abundant and geothermal power is readily available. Also only about 300,000 people live on this island so they do have an advantage over the rest of the world. However they do have their disadvantages, they have to ship all their oil in for their automobiles. The cost of importing oil to an isolated island in the harsh North Atlantic? About $8 a gallon, and we though our gas was high. However the environmentally minded Icelanders have a clean solution to this too. They are going to start converting all the country's automobiles to hydrogen power. The main ingredients? water and electricity, both of which Iceland has plenty of. This is going to be a great test ground for this new technology and should help hydrogen fuel cell cars to become available to the U.S. soon. The technology seems too good to be true. Fill your car up with hydrogen created from sending an electrical current through water separating the hydrogen and oxygen, filling up your car with the hydrogen, it travels through a fuel cell, and at the end of the day you have to empty your cars tank. The only byproduct of this process is water. Why hasn't this started full production in the U.S.? Well it takes a lot of energy to make the hydrogen and if the electricity doesn't come from clean processes then your not saving the environment. In my opinion I blame the oil companies for lobbying influential people from developing this technology. I believe this is the technology that will break our addiction from oil and it should be researched to the maximum.

President Bush Addresses the Nation

Doug's Blog #2

Article "Bush: 5,700 troops to return home by Christmas" from http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/13/bush.speech/index.html

President Bush addressed the nation in prime time last night to announce the beginning of troop pullouts. The conditions in Iraq have improved enough since the troop surge to bring troops home. 5,700 troops would be home by Christmas and another 30,000 by next July making 15 active combat units in Iraq as opposed to 20. Sectarian violence has gone down enough that the president feels they are no longer need or there presence in causing problems. I hope that he has good information on this and that its the best possible solution. I don't want to start bringing troops home just to see violence rise again. Hopefully the Iraqi's will see this as we aren't planning anything permanent in their country and were just there to help and once they are safe we will leave them alone. But some extremist may see this as a victory and celebrate the retreat of the Americans'. We definitely don't want Iraq to turn into a Vietnam. Bush also said that whether your democrat or republican, for or against the war that all Americans should come together for this cause and support the troops. I can't agree more with that statement, people should support the troops no matter what they are just following orders it wasn't their choice to go.

Progress in Iraq is Slow, But it's Progress

Doug's Blog #1

Article "Report finds little progress in Iraq" from http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/04/gao.iraq/index.html

When Congress set a war-spending bill in May they put the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in charge of keeping track of the money and making sure it's used for progress towards Iraq. The report they just gave shows the so far 11 of the 18 goals have not been met and 4 were only partially met. I think that we as a country don't have enough patients for the Iraqi's. Were in the age of microwaves and fast food where everything is the way we want it right when we want it. The spending bill and goal were set back in May of this year! It hasn't even been half a year and Congress is criticizing that the war and troop surge are failing. Give it some time. You can't expect a war torn country to be westernized in a few years. Sure one can say that we shouldn't even be in Iraq but the fact is we are and we need to stay there until the job is done. I think that meeting 3 of the 18 goals is good for 5 months. The goals they did meet were, ensuring rights of the minorities in their government, set up security stations in Baghdad, and setting up commitees working on insuring security in Baghdad. It sounds to me like they are well on their way to a successful democracy. Giving power to the people and equal representation in their government. Securing Baghdad will serve as a model for the rest of the country to follow. American's need to stop being so cridical of the way and looking at the negatives always and look at some of the postive things going on.