When foreign policy becomes campaign focus, who wins?

Editor's note: Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author of "Jimmy Carter" and of the new book "Governing America." (CNN) -- Politics has returned to the water's edge. In the past week, we've seen how international events can suddenly dominate a political campaign, at least for a few days. The uproar in the Middle East over a YouTube video that featured anti-Islamic messages triggered widespread protests. An attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya left four people dead, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Protests in Egypt were equally intense as some people in a crowd of more than 2,000 scaled the walls of the U.S. Embassy. Protests spread to 20 other countries in the Middle East and beyond. In Tunis, protesters destroyed a school run by Americans while in Afghanistan protesters lit with a torch an effigy of Obama, the U.S. leader once hailed as the president who would repair America's image in the world, and watched it burn up. Added to this brew was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's warning that, in his mind, President Obama has refused to be tough enough with Iran on its nuclear program and the prospect that Israel could take military action against Iran on its own.These issues immediately entered into the campaign. Speaking of the tragedy in Libya, President Obama reiterated that "We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. But there is absolutely no justification to this type of senseless violence. None." Mitt Romney, mistakenly interpreting a statement released earlier by the U.S. Embassy in Egypt, before most of the protests, criticized the administration's statements as "akin to apology." Democrats complained that Romney was politicizing this tragedy. One of Obama's campaign officials, Ben LaBolt, said "We are shocked that, at a time when the United States of America is confronting the tragic death of one of our diplomatic officers in Libya, Gov. Romney would choose to launch a political attack." When foreign policy crises intrude into presidential elections, they have the ability to shake up campaigns and force candidates to adjust their plans. Sometimes foreign policy can benefit an incumbent. Republican Dwight Eisenhower, who was a military hero before becoming president, survived crises overseas in October 1956 and emerged on Election Day with a decisive victory. Eisenhower had come under criticism from congressional Democrats for being so consumed by balancing the budget that he had supported military cuts that they argued would endanger the nation.In late October, Israeli and British forces attacked Egypt, which under President Gamal Abdel Nasser had taken over the Suez Canal and nationalized the British-owned corporation that managed the area. After the attacks on Egypt, and Soviet warnings that they would intervene, Eisenhower worked hard in public and behind-the-scenes to defuse the situation and force Britain, France and Israel to back down. The other crisis, which also took place in late October and early November, was when the Soviets proceeded to crush a rebellion in Hungary against the communist regime. Eisenhower decided not to respond, fearing that U.S. interference could trigger a nuclear war. Democrats argued that the refusal to respond revealed that all the talk by conservatives about liberating Eastern European people was false. In Detroit, Eisenhower's opponent, Adlai Stevenson, warned that "whatever the provocation, aggression can no longer be tolerated in the atomic age." But these crises only ended up bolstering the image of Eisenhower as a strong commander in chief who could coolly guide the nation through crisis. The president coasted to re-election with 457 electoral votes and 57.4 percent of the popular vote. But on other occasions, a foreign policy crisis greatly damaged the incumbent. In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The invasion, which took President Carter by surprise, played into the hands of Republicans, who were arguing that the White House didn't know how to handle these kinds of situations. Even though Carter responded to the Soviets by calling for higher levels of defense spending and announcing a buildup of forces in the Persian Gulf, Republicans accused him of doing too little too late. With U.S. hostages already being held in Iran, Ronald Reagan and other conservatives pointed to this as more evidence that Carter could not be trusted as leader. The Republican National Committee said that the "policy of patience" from Carter was the "policy of weakness." While this was certainly not the sole issue that handed Reagan his victory, it played an important role in pushing the electoral map in favor of the Republicans. What will happen if the current crises continue or get even worse? For President Obama the risks are very clear. If the situation deteriorates, these hot spots will offer the GOP evidence that the president is not an effective leader. Republicans will argue that this proves all the talk about the successes of his foreign policy record is overblown. The danger is particularly acute with Libya and Egypt, two countries that have been described as relative success stories in the Obama era of foreign policy since autocratic leaders were overthrown. These crises will also force the president to devote more attention to working in the Oval Office rather than spending time on the campaign trail. The risks are also great for Mitt Romney. The crises could easily benefit Obama just as they did Eisenhower. Anything having to do with overseas issues takes attention away from the economy, the area where Obama is most vulnerable. source Read more......

What is Gangnam Style ??

Topping the YouTube and the U.S. iTunes charts, Korean Pop King PSY’s number ‘Gangnam Style’ is the current rage. I’m afraid you have no choice. Get off your high horse and onto that invisible one. Hands in front. Gallop. Shuffle. Imaginary lasso. All done Gangnam style. Gangnam what? Well, you know… the latest viral video, by PSY. PSY who? Come on, he’s the current king of K-Pop. K-Pop what? Oh dear. Let’s start at the beginning. In fact, we’ll be really nice and hand you this cheat sheet. Now you can look cool when you hang with your better-informed ten-year-old nephews and nieces. What is Gangnam Style anyway? On July 15, Korean Pop (K-Pop) video ‘Gangnam Style’ by PSY was posted on YouTube. Just 51 days and it had 100 million views. It zoomed to the top of the YouTube chart beating Carly Rae Jepsen and Justin Bieber. A few days ago, the song made it to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes Top Song chart, which it entered in late August at No. 58. The singer, PSY, recently taught Britney Spears how to do his ‘galloping horse dance’, coining a new popular catch phrase “Dress classy and dance cheesy.” He also performed live at the Rockefeller Center in New York City for NBC’s Today show. It’s an accomplishment, considering the song is in his native language, with no translations. PSY is the first Korean artist to go mainstream in the United States. This was largely possible because of the Internet, since the song went viral via mobile phones and computers, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. So far the official video has 190,978,897 views. Numbers just keep going up.What’s special about it? Depends on who you ask. The aggressively hypnotic techno trance beat that seems designed for hard-core clubbing. The eminently catchy tune, with its peppy chorus, which children love. The dancing with its repetitive steps. Think ‘Macarena’, or the ‘Birdie Dance’. Only this is hipper, slicker and slightly more challenging. Designed for blasé audiences with short attention spans. High octane pop illustrated in a fresh, flashy video, bouncing with bubble gum bright colour. Scene changes are as rapid as they are random, in PSY’s romp through conventional urban spaces. He’s snoozing in a deckchair under a bright pink umbrella. He’s in a horse stable in Seoul. He’s spoofing cult videos, walking through an abandoned parking lot in fake snow. It gets more bizarre. Here he’s dozing off in the sauna wrapped in a baby blue and pink towel. There he’s bouncing around a tour bus, jiggling with disco balls. Next comes the march of Korean celebrities. A solemn dance off with comedian Yoo Jae Suk, dressed in Canary Yellow. The ‘elevator dance’ replete with pelvic thrusts, featuring comedian Noh Hong-cheol. Finally busting some moves with svelte redhead, Kim Hyun-a, the popular K-Pop girl group 4Minute. Short, plump and bespectacled, PSY’s an unlikely star. Especially in K-Pop where the girls are pretty and the boys prettier. However, his ‘everyman’ persona seems to be his not-so-secret weapon. He’s willing to laugh at the world, and himself. And this sharp subversive humour is what elevates the song from catchy to memorable. Is PSY his real name? You wish! Born Park Jae-Song, he’s a 34-year-rapper from South Korea. His stage name comes from his first album Psy From The Psycho World released in 2001. He studied at the prestigious Berkeley College of Music in the United States. You will probably see more of him now that he has signed a contract with American label Schoolboy Records after being spotted by music producer Scooter Braun. (Best known for discovering Justin Bieber.) Braun famously toasted PSY over glasses of Korean Soju saying, “To PSY, to Korea, to breaking down barriers, to the future.” But we still don’t get ‘Gangnam’? It’s a wealthy district in Seoul, South Korea, where people go clubbing, brunching and shopping for new noses. As famous for luxury boutiques as it is for cosmetic surgeons. The song can be interpreted as an attack on the world of the over privileged. Ironically, the district is drawing tourists because of the song. Korea Tourism has responded to this interest with their ‘One day Gangnam tour’ that begins with some ‘gangnam styling’ at a beauty salon, shopping at the Apgujeong & Cheongdam boutiques, a quick luxury coffee and brunch, followed by the casino and clubbing. Can we sing it? Of course. Even if you can’t master the Korean verses, chant the chorus ‘Oppan Gangnam Style’ which roughly means something like ‘Your man has Gangnam Style.’ PS: Although ‘Oppa’ literally means ‘big brother,’ it is also a term girls use to address older boyfriends, or — gasp — sugar daddies. Don’t say we didn’t warn you! Keywords: Gangnam Style, Korean pop king, PSY, latest viral video, YouTube chart. source. Read more......

Test your stress levels on a regular basis

Toddlers and Seniors generally see the following picture as a static image / immovable object.

Adults will see movement in the picture. The faster movement of doodle you can see a reflection of the high level of stress you experience at that time.
Slow movement of Conversely, if you can see, means you're low stress levels

Test your stress levels on a regular basis

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CONTEMPLATION

HASRAT UNTUK BERUBAH

Ketika aku masih muda dan bebas berhayal,
aku bermimpi ingin mengubah dunia.
Seiring dengan bertambahnya usia dan kearifanku,
kudapati bahwa
dunia tidak kunjung berubah.

Maka cita-cita itupun agak kupersempit,
lalu kuputuskan untuk hanya merubah negeriku.
Namun tampaknya,
hasrat itu pun tiada hasilnya.

Ketika usiaku semakin senja,
dengan semangatku yang masih tersisa,
kuputuskan untuk mengubah keluargaku,
orang-orang yang paling dekat denganku.
Tetapi celakanya,
mereka pun tidak mau diubah!

Dan kini,
sementara aku berbaring saat ajal menjelang,
tiba-tiba kusadari :

“Andaikan yang pertama-tama kuubah adalah diriku,
maka dengan menjadikan diriku sebagai panutan,
mungkin aku bisa mengubah keluargaku.

Lalu berkat inspirasi dan dorongan mereka,
bisa jadi aku pun mampu memperbaiki negeriku.

Kemudian siapa tahu,
aku bahkan bisa mengubah dunia”


Terukir di sebuah makam di Westminster Abbey, Inggris, 1100 M

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Tar balls reported on Mississippi mainland; Alex heads into Gulf

Mississippi officials reported oily tar balls washing up on their mainland shores for the first time Sunday, as authorities throughout the Gulf Coast region kept a wary eye on Tropical Storm Alex.

"It has hit our shores," said Pascagoula, Mississippi, Mayor Robbie Maxwell, adding that tar balls washed up on a nearby stretch of beach during the afternoon Sunday.

"This is what we've been expecting. We had hoped and prayed we would somehow miss this, but it's hit us now. The good news is that for the last five or six weeks we've been preparing to attack it when it hit our shores, and that's exactly what we've done," Maxwell said.

A 23-person crew was out on the beach Sunday afternoon, collecting tar balls, he said.

"Now that we have it on our shores, every day it'll have to be attacked again," the mayor added.Mississippi officials said while tar balls and glob-like "mousse patties" washed ashore in at least four locations, the areas affected were relatively small and no beaches were closed.

Meanwhile, Alex restrengthened into a Tropical Storm Sunday night as it headed into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Weather Service but it is expected to steer clear of oil-affected areas. The storm had temporarily weakened to a tropical depression as it passed over Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

"We think the storm is going to stay on a more southern track. That would be good news because it would avoid the area near the oil spill," said Todd Kimberlain of the National Hurricane Center.

However, forecasters have not ruled out an easterly shift in Alex's path.

"We all know the weather is unpredictable, and we could have a sudden last-minute change," said Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the federal government's response manager.

The governors of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama declared Sunday a day of prayer in their respective states as efforts to cap the massive gusher continue.

Researchers have estimated that between 35,000 barrels -- about 1.5 million gallons -- and 60,000 barrels -- about 2.5 million gallons -- of oil are gushing into the ocean every day.

If Alex forces a work stoppage at the ruptured BP well, officials fear that as much as 2.5 million gallons of oil could flow into the Gulf for two weeks. That is because it would take 14 days to put everything back in place -- meaning the containment cap would be off for that period, allowing oil to flow freely, Allen said.

BP plans to place a third rig called the Helix Producer at the well site next week, which will increase the amount of oil being captured to 53,000 barrels a day, Allen said. That, too, could be disrupted if Alex affects the area.

Alex is the first named storm of what is expected to be a fierce Atlantic hurricane season. It formed in the Caribbean on Saturday.

Tropical storm warnings for the coast of Belize and the east coast of the Yucatan were discontinued earlier Sunday, the hurricane center said. Alex soaked Belize after making landfall in the Central American nation several hours earlier with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.

After dropping in wind speed over the Yucatan, Alex's winds increased to 45 mph with higher gusts Sunday night, the National Hurricane Center said. The system was moving west-northwest at near 7 mph.

"Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Alex could become a hurricane in the next 48 hours," the hurricane center said. Alex is expected to make landfall Thursday morning near La Pesca, Mexico.

In the meantime, forecasters said Sunday that Alex was expected to dump 4 to 8 inches of rain over the Yucatan peninsula, southern Mexico and Guatemala through Tuesday, with 15 inches possible over mountainous areas.

"These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the hurricane center said.

Oil company BP said the storm has not forced any evacuations at the oil spill site. But, to the south, BP and Shell were evacuating all nonessential personnel from oil platforms as a precaution.

Gulf Coast residents feared that high winds and storm surges could spread the slick and push more oil ashore into bays, estuaries and pristine beaches, exacerbating the oil disaster triggered by BP's ruptured well.

"The greatest nightmare with this storm approaching is that it takes this oil on the surface of the Gulf and blows it over the barrier islands into the bays and the estuaries," Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida said. "And that is where you really get the enormous destruction, because it's just very difficult to clean up those pristine bays."

If the storm heads to the east of the oil spill, it would send the oil farther out to sea.

If the storm heads more directly toward the central Gulf and Louisiana, it might push the oil toward Florida.

"We've never been in this situation before," CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis said. "We've never seen an oil spill that encompassed the Gulf like this, end up so close to shore." Source Read more......