Libya: Hope After Qaddafi

Last weekend, the Libyan people went to vote in the first election since dictator Muammer Qaddafi was killed last year.

Despite a hodgepodge of 142 parties and 2,500 individual candidates coupled with concerns about the political clout of Tripoli relative to the Eastern and Southern portions of the country, the overarching feeling of many voters throughout the country has been one of hope and optimism for the future.

Many analysts are not exactly sure what might come out of these elections, though Islamists are expected to do well.

The reason for such uncertainty is because many voters voted for local candidates unaffiliated with a political party. This is a sound strategy in the first election after a repressive dictatorship. Voters hope by choosing local candidates that they know, they can prevent the creation of another Qaddafi.

Madness in Maine

Mitt Romney defeated Ron Paul by 194 votes last Saturday in the Maine Caucus. This victory still appears in doubt because Washington County cancelled its caucus due to weather and several counties who scheduled their caucuses for after February 12 have not had their vote totals included. Even worse, some counties that did caucus did not have their totals listed in the final count.

Now, a full recount is unlikely because these caucuses are run by the Republican party within the state of Maine, rather then the national Republican party. Maine is largely a beauty contest where results are non-binding in terms of selecting delegates--that’s a second state run process.

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2012/0215/Should-Ron-Paul-demand-a-new-vote-count-in-Maine.

If I was a Republican, I would be embarrassed. This is the second caucus state officials may have screwed up. This makes the party look incompetent on some level. This is the party that wants to unseat President Obama, but yet screws up their nominating process in at least one, if not two states.

This has serious repercussions for voters, why should anyone go to a caucus or primary, if the state party apparatus can make such a mess of things? Voters want to know that their vote matters and the results are tallied accurately.

Without this, the party opens itself to conspiracy theorists, who would claim some pro-Romney agenda. I am not touching that one.

Back to the Falklands

Britain and Argentina are fighting over the Falklands yet again. The Falklands are about three hundred miles off the Argentine coast, though Britain has ruled them since 1833. Brittan has no intention of giving the islands up and accuses Argentina of colonialism for pursuing its’ claim.

 The two parties fought a two month war in 1982 that killed 905 British and Argentine soldiers. Tensions rose in 2010 as British ships began to show an interest in oil exploration in the Falklands. Argentina decreed that ships passing through its waters to the islands would require permits. Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0201/Why-Britain-and-Argentina-are-tussling-again-over-the-Falklands

There is a fairly simple solution to the problem of the Falklands. The population of the Falklands should be allowed to vote whether they want to be considered British or Argentinean citizens. Of course, the battle over natural resources will complicate things.

Natural resources present on the Falklands could be considered a national interest, which will prevent either party from just stepping aside. That’s why we need a vote. Letting the people decide this matter, resources and all, is the best way to decide this conflict.