The lead up to America’s July 4th celebrations have never been filled with so much global tension in recent history. The question on everyone’s mind: will North Korea provoke an international conflict? With an increased appetite for missile tests and a Japanese intelligence report suggesting an attack on U.S. soil around July 4, the world is certainly monitoring North Korea’s every move. Caution is wise but hysteria is unwarranted and this is why. Despite an alleged underground nuclear test in May and recent missile firings by North Korea, I do not think North Korea is foolish enough to fire a weapon beyond its borders. Chairman Kim Jong-Il is clearly a stubborn dictator vying for attention from the world. He is the leader of a country that can not feed its own citizens and relies on countries like China for sustenance aid, but yet he has the resources for advanced military developments. The only way that North Korea will abandon its belligerent attitude towards the West is through increased pressure from its largest trading partners and neighbors, China and Russia. The U.S. government should engage North Korea via Russia and China and not directly because tensions will only continue to mount. If you thought Iran’s Ahmadinejad really abhors the United States, let’s just say that Kim Jong-il wants for the U.S. what Ahmadinejad wants for Israel. Chairman Kim Jong-Il is leading North Korea into a self-destructive state and this is why he is a leader I love to hate.
In other news, U.S. unemployment numbers for June hit a 26 year high of 9.5% according to the Department of Labor. This is a 0.1% increase from last month’s figures, which indicates a slowdown of unemployment and jobless claims. For many, such as the Obama Administration and myself, this is good news. However, this is news I hate to love because I believe that by the end of the next quarter (September) the percentage rate should substantially increase to around 10% or greater if it doesn’t reach there by August. The reason for the surge in unemployment will come from the public sector as state and local governments battle budget deficits and fail to reach budget deadlines. July 1st signals a new fiscal year for many state and local governments and states such as California and Illinois have failed to reach a budget consensus, which will eventually lead to more layoffs and possibly a lot of bounced checks. One can only imagine where the unemployment rate would be today if Obama’s Administration had not acted quickly with its past stimulus plans.
The abbreviation, USA, may soon have a new disambiguation. Terms such as “United States of Africa” and the “United Strive for Agriculture” come to mind. Okay, maybe the latter term was a stretch but the “United States of Africa” may soon become a reality in the distant future. Tomorrow concludes the 13th annual African Union (AU) Summit in Sirte, Libya. The Summit is similar to the World Economic Forums or the G-20 meetings but it only focuses on Africa’s changing political and economic climate. The goal of the annual Summit is to foster a more united African continent that is self-dependent through a better agricultural infrastructure; Libya’s leader and AU Chairman, Muammar al-Gaddafi (pictured), introduced the idea of a “United States of Africa”, similar to that of the European Union (single currency, etc.), in the past and he is adamant on seeing that this becomes a reality during his lifetime. Not many people know about Gaddafi but his image is one of great transformation. To explain briefly, Gaddafi overthrew Libya’s monarchy in the late 1960′s to obtain power “for the people” but he currently runs the country as a dictatorship with some democratic and socialist aspects. Initially he was very much anti-Western and directly supported terrorism, but after a “change of heart”, international diplomacy and pressure, and some large financial transactions, he later adopted a moderate view of politics and he is one of the few leaders of an Islamic government that champions human rights, specifically women’s rights. He lives in modesty, unlike most dictators, and travels everywhere (and I do mean everywhere) with his all-female bodyguard team and a custom tent for lodging. I liken Gaddafi to Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez because they are both leaders I hate to love. Chavez has donated millions of dollars worth of free heating oil to low-income American families via the Citizens Energy nonprofit program and Gaddafi led a bloodless coup to control Libya in 1969 and he is an unorthodox religious leader.
Happy 4th to all!