Frankly, I'm sick of hearing "it's the economy, stupid," both the medium and the message. Yes, it was a catchy Carville phrase 18 years ago, but, in the meantime, it's lost its luster being uttered by every talking head and tucked into every blog post each time any elected official shows any sign of being politically confused. I get it. It's no longer a fresh idea; it's a crutch used to embody a stale philosophy when one's got nothing new to say.
A new public service announcement on Haiti from the UN Foundation shows how the UN is helping Haiti.
A hit job on Susan Rice written by John Bolton's former spokesperson is making its rounds on the internet. The author, Richard Grenell, tries to make the case that Rice is forsaking her duties at the United Nations in order to spend more time in Washington, D.C. His evidence?
If that headline strikes you as surprising, you are not alone. I, for one, thought that the IAEA had enough on its plate acting as the world's nuclear watchdog, but, it turns out, they also run a "Department of Technical Cooperation," which fosters "the role of nuclear science and technology in sustainable development." How cool?
Just a taste of some recent projects:
By Myriam Annette
More than a week has passed since a 7.0 earthquake shook Haiti and its capital city, Port-au-Prince. from the rubble tent cities have sprung up throughout the capital and in other affected areas of the country. For tens of thousands, bits of cardboard, a sheet, or perhaps a tattered mattress is now home.
Afghanistan’s electoral body announced yesterday that parliamentary elections originally scheduled for May 22 will be delayed until September. The announcement was welcomed by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), whose head Kai Eide said the delay “provides time to make improvements to the electoral process based on lessons learned during the presidential and Provincial Council elections in 2009.”
At Small Wars Journal, Gary Anderson offers some advice to military personnel trying to provide humanitarian assistance in Haiti. It’s a great article – plain spoken and based on personal experience. His recommendations run from getting permission to fly non Department of Defense personnel in military airplanes to not starting air drops.
Two points really stood out for me:
Afghanistan is at a critical juncture. That sentence has become cliché, but it is no less true for being so.