The Mount Holyoke News » Perspectives

Sarkozy hangs by a thread as elections loom closer

Deea Ariana — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:05:59 +0000

Graphic by Noa Kasman

In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy was elected as the 23rd president of France. Previously, he was the leader of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), a French conservative party. In his victory speech, Sarkozy said:

“The French people have chosen change. This change I will put into action […] I will do so in the spirit that all can find a place in our Republic, that all will feel recognized and respected in their dignity as citizens and humans [...] All those who feel that despite all their efforts, they still have nothing, must know that they will not be left aside and will get the same chances as everyone else.”

Five years into Sarkozy’s term, instead of bringing stability and progress to the country, his crumbling leadership has only managed to upset the French who have “chosen change.”

Henry Samuels, chief France correspondent for The Telegraph, wrote that today the majority of the French reject and despise him “to almost an irrational degree,” as France enters its third year of economic gloom. Unemployment especially has increased in the country since the Eurozone debt crisis began three years ago.

According to an article in Reuters, Sarkozy hosted talks with unions last December to work out a “crisis plan” to
curb unemployment. He said he would raise consumer, or “value-added taxes,” to make French companies more competitive and reduce the national budget deficit, reported the New York Times.

In spite of his attempts to save the economy in the eve of the presidential race, Sarkozy lagged behind his rival, the Socialist Party’s (PS) candidate, Françoise Hollande, in opinion polls.

This might be due to Hollande’s economic and social program which is inspired by the European socialist tradition. Hollande for example wants to keep the possibility of a low retirement age—but only in certain cases.

In an analysis of his program in the magazine Le Point, editors explain that this is only possible when the pensioner has paid into social security funds since they were 18 years old.

Many French citizens who are frightened by the recession and the consequent cuts in the French social security and welfare system, feel that the PS, and especially Hollande’s social and economic program, are more responsive to their needs and fears. Ever since the beginning of his term. Sarkozy is known under the nickname “the bling bling president.”

In a television interview with four journalists last Sunday, Sarkozy spoke of the economy, unemployment and the strife of last year due to the Eurozone crisis, but not about his candidacy in the upcoming elections. The hour-long interview attracted sixteen million viewers.

Sarkozy portrayed himself as a “sober realist and pragmatist who would notmake unachievable political promises,” the New York Times article continued.

Yet it appears that Sarkozy is strongly aware and admits that defeat in the election is a strong possibility. “In any case, I am at the end,” Sarkozy remarked to aides and a pool of accompanying reporters in the off-record comments that were leaked to the French media on Tuesday. “For the first time in my life I am facing the end of my career,” he said.

Sarkozy further said that should he lose the two-round election on April 22 and May 6, he would quit politics and retire for a quieter working life with four day weekends, according to Reuters.

He also said he would announce his re-election bid close to March 16. Should he run for another term, he would have the support of his close ally, Chancellor Angela Markel of Germany, who revealed that she would back Sarkozy’s re-election campaign.

Political analyst Dominique Moisi explained that Sarkozy may be attempting to reinvent his political image during his television appearances, from the old “bling bling” Sarkozy to a more experienced and wiser man. But Moisi was less than certain that it was enough. “People just don’t want to vote Sarkozy. They’ve had enough of the man,” he said.

In face of oppositon, a chatty Putin

Fikriye Idil Kaya — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:23:47 +0000

“The Russian Spring in the dead of winter was a direct consequence of the Putin-Medvedev swap announced on Sept. 24, and the equally shameless fraud in the parliamentary elections. Suddenly it became clear that Russians would no longer tolerate such stuff. They had grown up, and the authoritarian diapers had become too tight,” said the Russian writer Boris Akunin in the New York Times.

Two rallies on Dec. 10 and 24 showed very clearly the public outrage that Akunin alludes to in his comment. The Kremlin, depicting the protesters on the state media as more radical, cracked down harshly on the demonstrations.

BBC News reported on Dec. 10, “Demonstrations in the immediate aftermath of the election saw more than 1,000 arrests, mostly in Moscow, and several key protest leaders such as the anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny were jailed.”

Navalny, the founder and author of the popular anti-corruption blog Rospil, is arguably one of the more controversial opposition leaders. While he is popular among Russian youth, he also supports nationalist movements that don’t match up with his proclaimed liberalism. His 15-day arrest augmented his popularity and his fame even further, and also made him known in the West.

In response to the protests, Prime Minister Putin launched a campaign website for voters to voice their complaints. There have been speculations that some of the comments were censored. Not all of the voters’ needs were answered. Putin supporters explained that as far as election campaigning was concerned, no party could be expected to tell the whole truth.

Putin also declined the offer of a live debate, saying he was too busy with his work as a prime minister. His supporters agreed that his previous experience sufficed as a legitimization.

At the same time, however, he recently began publishing a series called “Ideas for Russia” to meet voters’ expectations and address protesters’ concerns. It adds most of Medvedev’s policy trademarks such as putting an end to the economy’s reliance on oil and gas revenues, and an increase of production to his traditional program. It also promises that the state will be held
accountable for its actions against the citizens.

While picking up some of Medvedev’s policy ideas, Putin tries to distance himself from his former wingman, implying that he would do a better job during his next term; he especially criticized that, although Medvedev had been trying to establish a business culture, there were no real improvements in the economy.

A surprising concession was also his admittance of systemic failures in the federation that he had largely helped to shape: “We need to reconsider all the systems of protection of public interests, and turn away from its repressive inclination[...] Such a situation deforms our society, makes it morally unhealthy.”

“Today people are talking about various forms of renewal of the political process,” Putin further said, “but what are we supposed to be negotiating about? About how our power should be structured? Whether it should be given to ‘better people’? And after that—what? What will we do?”

Is Syria going into civil war?

Jinyoung Park — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:18:57 +0000

United Nations Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay addressed concerns over upisings in Syria in an emergency meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Dec 2, warning of the possibility that the uprising could develop into a civil war. “The Syrian authorities’ continual ruthless repression, if not stopped now, can drive the country into a full-fledged civil war,” Pillay said.

Uprisings in Syria started in March by protesters in an effort to overthrow the current regime of President Bashar Al-Assad, who distanced from socialist policies advocated by his father that helped boost a new vibrant merchant class that transformed the economic landscape of Syria. Time reports that about 4,000 people have been killed in the uprising since its outbreak in March and almost 1,000 killed in November alone, marking it as the deadliest month. About 10 percent of casualties were children.
The Human Rights Council was not the first to point out the possible outbreak of civil war in Syria. On November 17, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov expressed concerns over the situation in Syria. “Today I saw a television report about some new so-called rebel Free Syrian Army organising an attack on the government building, on the building belonging to Syria’s armed forces… This was quite similar to a true civil war,” he told reporters at Al Jazeera.

For now, there is dissent over the topic of officially labeling the uprising as a civil war. The threshold most often quoted for civil war is 1,000 killed with at least 100 dead on each side. In this context, the revolt in Syria would fit the definition. However, some argue that it’s unclear how two-sided the uprising in Syria is. “It’s a kind of a civil war,” said Andrew Tabler, a Middle East fellow with the Washington Institute based in Washington D.C. However, James Fearon, professor of political science at Stanford University, said “The U.N. is using it as a way of saying this could get a lot worse.”

Despite the conflicting opinions over the topic of labeling, experts agree that Syria’s case is more complicated and multidimensional than expected, as argued by Majid Rafizadeh, an Iranian-Syrian scholar and a columnist for Harvard International Review. Rafizadeh wrote in The Huffington Post that there are several contradictory interests from both domestic and international level about ousting the Al-Assad regime.
Opposition groups involved in protest have conflicting objectives. Average citizens who are protesting on the streets don’t feel connected to protesting groups which are systemically organized. Although there is general consensus within the international community that they should assert political actions to force Al-Assad to step down, Russia shows unwillingness to join the effort as it is reluctant to abandon its closest ally in the Middle East. However, as the violence continues to rise in Syria, killing more civilians, there is a large possibility that it will eventually escalate into an all-out civil war.

An urge in reforms, a first in 50 years

Deea Ariana — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:14:31 +0000

Last week saw the landmark visit of U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, to Burma, the state known officially as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Clinton became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Burma in over half a century since John Foster Dulles’s visit in 1955. During the three-day top-level diplomatic mission, Clinton met with the new military-backed civilian leadership and held discussions with pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to urge reforms.

Noa Kasman

Clinton’s visit to the Southeast Asian country comes in the midst of a “massive political thaw,” according to an article in Newsweek. The U.S. maintains tight sanctions on senior leaders in Burma, which was ruled by a brutal military committee from 1962 until 2010. However, change is sweeping the country with its current government showing signs of a “liberalizing shift,” Newsweek wrote.

The newly elected President Thein Sien has already initiated radical reforms throughout the country by legalizing unions and public protests, facilitating a more free state press and releasing hundreds of political prisoners. Last year, the previous military regime released Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), after 20 years of house arrest. Clinton’s visit marked another milestone.

Clinton first met with Sein, Burma’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin and officials from Parliament in Naypitaw, the new capital. Clinton said that she had “candid, productive” conversations and offered some rewards for reform in Burma, saying that the U.S. would back more aid and consider returning an ambassador, The Guardian reported. Clinton further urged Burma to take steps to release remaining political prisoners and end ethnic conflicts in the country. She explained that ties with the U.S. would be impossible until Burma stopped its dealings with North Korea.

The following day, Suu Kyi invited Clinton to her home in Rangoon for a private dinner and face-to-face conversation regarding Burma’s road to democracy. Clinton told the BBC that she had followed Suu Kyi over the years but had never met her until now. “It was like seeing a friend you hadn’t seen for a very long time even though it was our first meeting,” Clinton said.

During the 90-minute meeting, Suu Kyi and Clinton spoke of the need to support Burma’s development, particularly in the areas of education and healthcare. However, U.S. sanctions that were imposed because of rights abuses and the suppression of democracy were not discussed. Suu Kyi said, “Before we decided what steps to take, we have to find out what are our greatest needs are,” stating that rule of law and association to the civil law. “All hostilities must cease within this country as soon as possible.”

In addition, Suu Kyi said that the U.S. must remain watchful so that the new army-backed civilian government does not halt or roll back political and economic reforms that have gained pace in recent months, according to The Guardian. “If there are again arrests of those who are engaging in politics, then I think you would need to speak out loud and clear,” she told the U.S. reporters.

Suu Kyi confirmed that she would run in the upcoming elections, as the NLD was re-registered as a political party. Initially NLD won a landslide victory in the elections in 1990 but the military ignored the result. Suu Kyi said that Clinton’s visit represented “a historical moment for both our countries.”

Obama’s decision to send Clinton to Burma was well-received in Burma. Aung Thein, a prominent lawyer and a member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party said in a Al Jazeera English’s report, “The visit clearly demonstrates that the United States is stepping up its engagement policy. It is better to see Myanmar’s political situation on the ground rather than watch from a distance. We welcome the visit.” With regards to Burma’s changing socio-economic and political situation, Obama said, “After years of darkness, we’ve seen flickers of progress in these last several weeks.”

Clinton’s historic visit coincided with the arrival of the prime minister of Belarus, Mikhail Myasnikovich, in Burma. According to reports by Reuters, there were “no crowds, no festivities, no flags and seemingly few preparations aside from some policemen” to welcome Clinton’s arrival. The Burmese media displayed markedly less interest in her historic visit than in the imminent arrival of Myasnikovich, The Guardian reported. While the government’s official newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar, devoted its front page to Myasnikovich, Clinton was dedicated only two paragraphs inside.

China’s one-child policy widens the gender gap

Simone Cote — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:00:46 +0000

With over 1.3 billion people, China remains the world’s most populated country. As the world’s population hits seven billion people, China fears a skewed gender ratio where there are more males than females, despite tight control over its population.

One of the reasons that population experts are seeing this gender imbalance is largely due to the one-child policy, a family planning policy implemented in China in 1979 as an effort to control China’s rising population by restricting couples to one child. What has continued to fuel the imbalanced sex ratios is China’s one-child policy that has resulted in female infanticide, abandonment, and sex selective abortions, according to The Guardian.

But in a society where men have traditionally been more valued than women and where population control has determined the family size, China is now facing the question: where have all the young women disappeared to? The Chinese National Census reported that for every six boys born in China, there are five girls. There are currently 37 million more men than women in China. China is not the only country that is facing a skewed sex ratio, with more male children being born than female children.

India is also facing a similar situation with sex ratios. According to a report by The Economist, India’s 2011 census counted only 914 girls, aged six years and under, for every 1,000 boys. If sex ratios in India stay the same, India will expect to see a generation of over 10 million trafficked women sold and abducted for India’s bachelors. China is already beginning to see this pattern emergingwith tens of millions of men across the country facing a future as bachelors, reported The Guardian.

Compared to what is considered the normal human sex ratio of 106 males for every 100 females, China’s sex ratio has risen to 118 males for every 100 females. Professor Li Shuzhuo of the Institute for Population and Development Studies at Xi’an Jiaotong University explained, that this means 30 to 50 million men will remain as bachelors over the next two decades, which has already led to the abduction of thousands of young Chinese women.

Kay Johnson, professor of Asian Studies and Politics at Hampshire College also attributes the one-child family planning policy as the main factor behind the imbalance of males to females in China. The policy, which marked its 30th year of implementation last September, has had a major impact on birth rates across the country. Johnson said in response to the world’s population hitting seven billion people that China will use it as way to propagate the family planning policy as effective in curbing population growth. “They use [the world’s population] to rationalize and justify the effectiveness of the policy,” Johnson said.

The Telegraph also reported that the Chinese government believes that the implementation of China’s family planning policy has prevented over 400 million births, which would have stretched the economic resources. But Johnson says there is no solid proof that the family planning policy had boosted the economy of China. “It has not played a major role in the economy,” Johnson added.

Economy aside, the future for China’s generation of children part of the current one-child policy is uncertain. Johnson explained that the sex ratio has already created a society with millions of male bachelors. This leads to issues surrounding violence, crime and instability. Johnson also noted that it is not that Chinese families do not want or value daughters, but they want both a son and a daughter, a misconception held by outsiders looking at the policy.

The one-child policy in China represents many complex layers of issues at hand. But one thing for certain is that the policy has left the country with an uneven sex ratio with more males than females. Population experts are urging the country to make changes, so that the sex ratio imbalance does not worsen. Hu Angang, a director of China Studies at Tsinghua University told The Telegraph that now is the time to remove the one child policy completely. “I proposed at the end of last year a two child policy and while the government has not adopted my proposal, senior officials have stopped praising the one-child policy. The challenge now is to avoid a hard landing,” Angang said.

With the world population reaching seven billion people, China’s fear is not about the increase in population, but rather about the future regarding the lost girls of China and the millions of bachelor men who will be searching for brides due to the gender imbalance.

What’s your number?

Deea Ariana — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:00:15 +0000

As the world population is said to hit seven billion this year, find out where you fit in with the BBC World News website’s population calculator. Enter your birth date, nationality and gender and it churns out your numerical position in the world population, your country’s population and the average life expectancy.

The BBC site also features an interactive population demographic chart illustrating the world population every year since the year 1500.

According to official reports based on U.N. demographic reports, the BBC reported that the world population is growing by 200,000 people a day. The U.N. estimates that the world population will continue to exponentially increase in the decades to come.

But according to the U.N.’s Population Estimates Chief, Gerhard Heilig, the population growth figure comes with a one to two percent margin of error. Heilig told the BBC that today’s population could actually be 56 million higher or lower than seven billion. Errors in the world population count, Heilig said, are due to limited population recording systems in plenty of countries, including Nigeria. Some countries have not even held national censuses for decades, according to the BBC.

Visit the BBC World News website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15391515

Word population demographic. Courtesy of The Economist

Earthquake in Turkey is largest to date

Summiya Tasnim — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:00:52 +0000

On Oct. 23, an earthquake of 7.2 magnitude struck eastern Turkey. It was confirmed by the Prime Ministry’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (DEMP) of Turkey that 534 people died and 2,300 were injured from the incident. This earthquake is believed to be the largest to hit the nation since the one that struck Istanbul in 1999.

The government of Turkey, along with foreign aid assistance from countries such as Israel and Japan, has provided in total over 35,000 tents to the regions of Turkey that were the hardest hit by the natural disaster. According to the BBC, Ercis, a town in southeastern Turkey, suffered the most severe death toll and wreckage. The town of 75,000 people had 80 buildings collapse and reported 169 deaths. Vans, a city in southern Turkey, also suffered substantial losses with 96 deaths.

Victims of the earthquake have publicily expressed sentiments of discontent with the government’s slow reaction time. BBC reports that “some commentators criticized the government’s inadequate controls over building standards after the quake, near the city of Van, causing many buildings to collapse and killing hundreds of people.”

Critics also criticized the initial shortage of relief supplies, which was believed to be largely a result of the government’s strife with the Kurdish population. For years the government of Turkey, composed primarily of ethnic Turks, has been at odds with the small minority of Kurds, who happen to live in the most largely affected regions. Despite what happened initally within the days after the earthquake, the government of Turkey soon addressed the needs of the victims. Anatolian, a local Turkish news agency quoted Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay, “We see that everything is normalizing. Temporary housing has been provided in Ercis and Van center. There is not a lot of rush anymore. By tomorrow (Saturday) night all emergency needs will be met.”

International relief, along with local efforts, have substantially helped to ease some of the burden felt by government officials and citizens of Turkey. The Turkish Red Crescent, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have provided food, water, tents and blankets to help those left homeless by the quake. Recovery is well underway but the prospect of aftershocks is a daunting thought that is still very much a reality for the people of Turkey.

Yesterday, Nov. 10, another earthquake struck the eastern Turkish province that was affected by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Oct. 23, killing at least three people. The aftershock was measured to be 5.6 magnitude.

In Van, 700 miles east of Istanbul, where 600 were killed by the earthquake two weeks ago, rescuers were struggling to find the survivors from the collapsed buildings. Among the two hotels and twenty-one other buildings that collapsed, the Bayram Hotel had dozens of occupants in the building at the time of the quake. Most of them were aid workers and journalists, according to CNN Turkish television. So far, at least 11 were rescued alive but it is believed that about 50 people are still trapped inside the rubble of the hotels, waiting for help. Besides the hotels, a majority of the collapsed buildings were uninhabited, as the owners were informed that they were not safe for housing.

“We’re hoping the loss of life won’t be too much but we’re taking all the action we can, as fast as we can,” said Besir Atalay, in televised remarks. NTV television reported that the Turkish Red Crescent sent 15,000 tents and 300 rescue workers to the destructed site.

Yet people are worried about their well-being and still waiting for the help. “We don’t think anyone will help us tonight, so we will stay on the street tonight,” said Sahin Tokay, a restaurant owner in Van in an interview with Al Jazeera. Muzaffer Baca, vice president of the International Blue Crescent, a Turkish aid agency, also told Al Jazeera that as the winter weather will hit the area, “heaters, blankets and tents for shelter” are most needed.

Jinyoung Park also contributed to this article.

Japan copes with radiation after devastating earthquake

Marion Messmer — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:00:46 +0000

The catastrophic meltdown following the earthquake and tsunami at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan, remains an issue in the country. The recent decision to restart one of three inactive reactors at the Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga, which had been shut down a month ago for routine checks, has refueled the public discussion on whether Japan should rely on nuclear energy at all. According to the New York Times, Japanese reactors have to be shut down every 13 months in order to undergo a number of safety checks. It is still unclear whether the remaining two reactors will be restarted; the reactor at Genkai is the first reactor to restart since the meltdown.

After the disaster in March, high levels of radiation escaped these three reactors. As a consequence, the area around the power plant was evacuated and remains locked down in a 20 km (12.5 miles) radius. The population was deeply affected by the catastrophe that came as a shock to the already disaster-stricken country. On top of having to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake and the tsunami damage, whole regions of Japan, among them Tokyo, were unable to drink tap water because of high radiation levels. This made attempts to provide emergency rations, especially to the children and the elderly, even more difficult.

Opposition to nuclear energy skyrocketed among the general population after the accident. To reassure them, new legislation was introduced that requires nuclear power plants to receive the permission of the local administration to restart the reactors that had been shut down for maintenance. As a result, only 10 out of Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors are currently operating. This is a sharp reduction for the country; before, 30 percent of its energy was supplied by nuclear power.

But while the government and the energy sector would like to see Japan return to a reliance on nuclear power, the population’s awareness of the dangers attached to this particular technology has not decreased, and demands for alternative sources of energy are growing. Journalist Evan Osnos raised the question in his recent column in The New Yorker whether Japan needs to use nuclear energy at all. Wealthy Japanese entrepreneurs, like Masayoshi Son, have already offered to replace Japan’s lost nuclear power with Japanese-made renewable sources of energy within six years, according to a report by the Rocky Mountain Institute.

In fact, the country is ideally suited to exploit different sources of renewable energy, especially wind and solar power. Part of the reason why it is further behind in the alternative energy sector than most other developed countries, despite having the richest potential, is an aggressive nuclear lobby paired with the absence of an independent grid operator. It is completely up to the power plant owners to decide among themselves which energiesto allow on the grid.

Another source of discontent in the population has been the slow distribution of compensation payments that Tepco, the company that owns the defunct Fukushima power plant, is obligated to pay to victims of the nuclear accident who had to leave the area because of the excess radiation. But because of the loss of earnings through the accident, and the high compensation demands, the company is under financial pressure. The Japanese government recently approved plans to support Tepco with payments of up to 900 billion yen (11.57 billion US dollars). The company can also very likely count on receiving another 120 billion yen (1.54 billion US dollars) in compensation payments from the government.

At this point in time, it is still impossible to evaluate the complete damage done to the environment. But it is sure that the area around Fukushima will remain uninhabitable for decades to come; unlike the tsunami and earthquake damage, the radiation will linger, an invisible, albeit real, menace.

Thailand underwater: residents evacuate Bangkok

Simone Cote — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:00:35 +0000

On Thursday, Oct. 28, tens of thousands of people in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, were evacuated from their homes to escape the major flooding that has hit the country. The flood, caused by monsoon rains inundating rivers throughout the country, has already claimed the lives of roughly 400 people and has affected over 9.5 million in the country.

Water levels in Bangkok are predicted to reach as high as 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) throughout different parts of Bangkok. Thailand’s Prime Minister Yinluck Shinawartra had ordered sandbag barricades to be built before the water runoff was expected to hit the northern area of Bangkok, but even the huge sand barricade was not enough to protect the city from one of the worst floods the city has experienced in the last half century.

Thailand’s government has declared a five day holiday to encourage people to leave Bangkok for higher, elevated areas. But where exactly does a city of more than 9.5 million people flee?

Over 1,700 temporary shelters are set up nationwide, and so far over 113,000 residents throughout the country have taken refuge in them. But some residents on Thursday who had not yet fled to sheltered areas moved all of their belongings to upper floors of their homes and took refuge in Buddhist temples, many of which were already surrounded by water.

While some residents remained behind and took refuge in higher buildings throughout the city, many crowded the bus and train stations and cars congested the highway out of the southern part of the city.

Not only has the flood left families in Bangkok homeless, but it has also left many without access to clean running water. International relief organization Save the Children spokeswoman Annie Boder-Roy said, “There is a real risk of waterborne or communicable diseases such as diarrhea and skin infections taking hold if families can’t maintain basic standard-of hygiene.”

The rush to leave the city of Bangkok also included thousands of migrant workers from neighboring Myanmar. Government authorities said they have had to move prison inmates from three different facilities to different provinces.

In the district of Sai Mai, located in Bangkok’s northern area where the flooding hit hardest, waist-high flooding turned roads into rivers and swamped businesses and homes throughout the district.

Hundred of residents boarded packed military buses and trucks with whatever belongings they could carry, but there was not enough government aid to help everyone.

“We haven’t been able to get one [military truck]. We have been waiting for an hour,” Saman Somsuk, a 71-year-old resident of Sai Mai told MSNBC. “There aren’t many trucks.” But for those who could not wait for government assistance, residents used paddleboats, inner tubes and makeshift rafts to stay afloat.

Jong Sonithmen, a 57 year old woman and factory cleaner was one of the many who was fearful and wanted to leave the city immediately when she realized the climax the flood was already reaching. She said to MSNBC, “I decided to leave because the water came in very fast.” In addition to the shelters that the Thai government has opened, the Don Muang airport has become a shelter to over 4,000 people.

The massive flooding is expected to leave both economic and emotional hardship for the country. But for now the people of Thailand are trying to take one day at a time, hoping that eventually they will be able to return back to their homes.

The recent bout of flooding which has been fueled by the heavy monsoon rains that began in northern Thailand in July, have also evidently taken a toll on feelings of security and safety throughout the country.

Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said, “After months of flooding, 107,101 Thais have been diagnosed with stress, 6,214 with depression and 878 at risk of suicide. In all, 1,356 persons were under observation by health officials,” according to Mass Communication Organization of Thailand (MCOT).

While some roads throughout the capital of Bankok remain open, thousands of Bangkok’s residents remain in the government run shelters, hoping at some point that they will get to return home. But for now, they wait for the water to subside until they can return to what is left of their homes and work.

Gaddafi’s death: A “warning” to Middle East leaders, said Obama

Summiya Tasnim — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:00:18 +0000

Drains where Muammar Gaddafi was hiding before he was captured in Sirte. Photo courtesy of REUTERS/FILE October 20, 2011

The recent death of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi sparked several reactions in the U.S. capital last week as the news circulated through Washington. Just minutes before appearing for press interviews in Kabul, Afghanistan, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton learned of the news from an aide’s Blackberry. “Wow. Huh. Unconfirmed. Yeah. Unconfirmed,” the message said.

The “unconfirmed” reports made Libyan state officials weary of declaring any confirming statements concerning Gaddafi’s death,which in turn delayed responses from U.S. officials. Once reports were validated, Clinton told the assembled media on Thursday that “the death of Colonel Gaddafi has brought close a very unfortunate chapter in Libya’s history. But it also marks the start of a new era for the Libyan people.”

Stunned but optimistic for Libyans, members of both Congress and the Senate, along with President Obama, have commended the Libyans for enduring the struggle. U.S. government officials consider this event a message for all authoritarian leaders across the globe resisting the push towards democratic reforms. According to the Libyan Tripoli Post, Obama stated from the White House Rose Garden this past Thursday that Gaddafi’s death should serve “as a warning to authoritarian leaders across the Middle East that iron-fisted rule inevitably comes to an end.”

Despite general consensus amongst U.S. politicians in welcoming Gaddafi’s death, opponents of the Obama administration expressed their disagreement about U.S. policy addressing the remaining North African crisis. Several members of the Republican Party considered President Obama’s strategies in addressing the issue a failure of asserting American global power. “If you go to war, go to win. Don’t lead from behind,”said Senator Lindsay Graham, chastising Obama’s strategy on the issue. His approach cast the U.S. in a supporting role for the Libyan mission, allowing other key players in the mission such as NATO and the Libyan rebels to take full control. Senators claimed that the U.S. could have removed Gaddafi from power earlier had the U.S. taken more of a definitive and substantive stance on the issue.

Tea Party activists have also expressed disapproval of Obama’s policies on the Libyan conflict, and many remain skeptical of the region’s peace and security. They argue that Gaddafi’s death alone does not ensure the region’s safety or stability. In a recent interview with FOX News, presidential candidate Rep. Michelle Bachman suggested that the possibility of uprisings and violence still ensuing in the Arab world is still very real. “We knew who the devil was but we do not know who the next one will be,” she said.

Although some criticize President Obama’s approach to the Libyan conflict, the White House argue that his methods “bore fruit when rebel forces took Tripoli, and it used Gaddafi’s death to reinforce that argument,” according to Reuters.

Although the death may have sparked political dispute, many Americans rejoiced upon the announcement of the death of the former Libyan leader. According to Newsweek, the families of the victims of those who died from the bombing of Pan American flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 and a club bombing in Berlin targeting American military soldiers in 1986 were especially relieved to hear of the death of Gaddafi. These two attacks were believed to be linked to the Libyan government during Gaddafi’s reign as Prime Minister.The Lockerbie bombing involved an aircraft explosive on board the flight which killed all 243 passengers and 16 crew members. The 1986 club bombing, on the other hand, was a result of a bomb placed under the table in a club in East Berlin that is frequently visited by U.S. servicemen. It killed three, injured 230 people, including 79 American servicemen. The wife of one the victims killed during the Berlin incident told Reuters that she hopes “Gaddafi’s in hell with Hitler.” Many Americans feel justice has been served with the killing of Gaddafi. His death marks an end to yet another turbulent period of violence while simultaneously welcoming in a new phase of democracy and peace.