Christian Milord

Deal-Breaker, or Deal-Maker?

By Christian Milord | 06/24/09

With Iran possibly heading toward a revolution and/or civil war, who possesses the chameleon instincts and survival skills to avert a bloodbath?  Well, there is one resourceful individual who has survived purges and has been a key figure since the Islamic revolution.  Many faces have come and gone, but this clever cleric endures.  Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani probably has just as much, if not more influence now than Ali... read more »

Obama's Lousy Example

By Christian Milord | 06/23/09

The Chinese have an expression that goes like this, "When the people at the top make a policy, the people at the bottom find a way to get around it."  That's probably what will occur after Pres. Obama signed a "tough" anti-smoking law.  The goal of the law is to authorize the FDA to punish tobacco companies that try to market tobacco products to young people, and to warn youngsters about the dire health... read more »

So Many Open Questions

By Christian Milord | 06/22/09

I'll probably get some flak for mentioning this reality, but here goes.  If you look it up in the news such as the AP, and many other outlets you'll find that shortly after the Iranian polls closed on June 12th, Mir Hossein Mousavi claimed that he won.  Following his statement, Iran's government run media agency declared that Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the victor.  Why was this story buried?  Were news... read more »

Will The Protests Endure?

By Christian Milord | 06/19/09

Apparently, discontent over iron fisted rule has been brewing in Iran for quite some time, and frustrations finally erupted over the weekend.  It's great to see Iranian voters demanding their inherent rights to democracy, and fair elections.  They certainly have gotten Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Guardian Council to pay attention.  After a few days of mass protests, Ahmadinejad has... read more »

Musical Chairs In Iran

By Christian Milord | 06/14/09

The recent election in Iran has triggered some hand-wringing by politicians such as Hillary R. Clinton.  Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Clinton said, "We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran, but we, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide."  First, its' very difficult to monitor what's happening in Iran due to censorship and internal... read more »

"Tough" UN Is Toothless

By Christian Milord | 06/13/09

Recently, the UN Security Council agreed on "tough" sanctions against N. Korea's nuclear weapons program.  Ships suspected of carrying illicit cargo headed toward N. Korea, or departing from N. Korea must undergo an inspection.  However, if a vessel refuses to be searched, it is directed toward a convenient port to be inspected.  Yet, the resolution doesn't authorize forceful measures if the... read more »

False Economic Comforts

By Christian Milord | 06/09/09

Is Pres. Obama trying to comfort himself, or the American people when he proclaims that his stimulus plan will create 600,000 jobs this summer?  Whoopee!  Three times that number of labor slots have been lost since the "stimulus" was announced.  Many of these "created" jobs will be temporary, even if the actual job numbers actually see the light of day.  Does Obama get these numbers out... read more »

Is Europe Teaching Us?

By Christian Milord | 06/08/09

For over two centuries, America has taught the world about democracy, individual liberties, and free market capitalism.  The American experiment has created the most dynamic culture and economy on earth, and other nations have tried to emulate that success.  However, in recent months and years we have witnessed an erosion of liberties that threatens to chip away at the foundation of this noble experiment. Isn't it ironic that... read more »

Questions For Sotomayor

By Christian Milord | 06/07/09

The wisdom of our system of checks and balances is the fact that higher level judges aren't merely appointed, but they must endure the confirmation process (advise and consent) of the Senate.  Pres. Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to be the next Justice of the Supreme Court to replace David Souter.  The role of a Justice is to interpret the law under the Constitution, and render opinions based on each case... read more »

Stay True To History

By Christian Milord | 06/05/09

Pres. Obama's latest quasi-apology tour had some positives, although it would have been better if he had taken time to visit Israel.  On Saturday he'll stop at Normandy with French Pres. Nicholas Sarkozy, which is appropriate for any head of state.  Of course, it ought to be natural to visit the wounded veterans at Landstuhl military base in Germany.  Moreover, Obama actually... read more »