Interesting Political Comics

Sometimes a picture with a caption can make for so much more conversation than an article,  and remember; I don't own ANY of these. Leave the lawyers at home, people. Enjoy.

To Imagery,
David.

Moammar Gaddafi Is No More...

After months of rebellion and assaults, Moammar Gaddafi has finally met his fate and was killed Thursday by gunshot wounds. Libya's revolution has reached a milestone that guarantees the liberation of the people after decades of Gaddafi's rule. New questions arise though:

What will Libya transform into?
If Libya becomes an Islamic state, will NATO intervene again?
Will the killing of Gaddafi result in an increased hostility among the Arab populations currently living in dictatorships?

Short and simple, what are your thoughts on not only Libya's future, but the region's future?

- David.

Occupy Wall Street: Precursor to a Revolution or A Leftist Tea Party?

In the past few weeks, a small group of protesters on Wall Street have caught the attention of the mainstream media. In what was originally a small gathering of people protesting economic inequality and the greed on Wall Street, the protest has spread to several major cities and towns throughout the United States. The protest in New York City has also rekindled a number of questions concerning economic inequality, class warfare and the Obama Administration's ability (or inability) to take on the demands of the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Some see the protesters as the precursors to civil disorder and revolution..

Some see the protesters as naive liberal unemployed Americans..

Some see the protesters as the Left's answer for the Tea Party Movement..

Me? I'm glad to see Americans are gathering in the thousands to protest our government.. PERIOD. I don't care if you're protesting the atrocities from the Bush administration or the Obama Administration's inability to handle the economy and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fact that Americans are coming together to oppose failed and flawed policies of our government, present and past; I'm relieved to see that Democracy is in fact, at work. This protest highlights an important aspect of our nation, that is that the government is failing in it's role as portrayed in the American adage that it must work "In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union."

Wall Street Firms haven't quite been the most constructive of institutions, both before the 2008 financial collapse and after. Most are very apprehensive of the regulations being proposed and those already passed after the collapse. For this reason, I believe the protests are sparking much needed discussion between regular people, government regulators and wall street firms. The reactions from all will determine how much progress or mayhem is to be brought on by these protests.

I will admit though, I have several concerns with this protest; many of which I share with the Tea Party Movement as well. I'm concerned that this protest will enrage the poor and middle class against the wealthy and vice versa. My biggest concern is that these two protests will polarize the country and its policies at a time when unity is desperately needed. Many people will genuinely believe this era is one which became a time of the rich vs. the poor. Between the unemployed and the ultra wealthy, a national crisis could hurt the middle class the most. I feel that should this spiral into a dispute of "Occupy Wall Street vs. Tea Party Movement", more crises are to arise and the messages of both protests stand to be watered down.

My other concern is that Occupy Wall Street will become a political tool for the left as the Tea Party Movement is a tool for the right. It's clear that far right policies haven't fixed the economy in the 8 years under Bush and the far left policies of the Obama administration are only making matters worse. I feel that not enough Americans are gathering to just admit "The Republicans AND Democrats got this all wrong; Therefore I won't vote for either of them." Not enough discussion has been made (yet) of doing the impossible: Creating a major third political party. Recently, Moveon.org and Labor Unions decided to endorse and take part in the occupy wall street protests. This is reminiscent of when right-wing organizations and companies decided to take part in the tea party movement protests. Once outside money and influence is injected in these protests, the message is hampered and the protests become politically polarized; something that hasn't worked for us as a nation.

My hope is admittedly, a long shot... That the Tea Party Movement and Occupy Wall Street protests decide to combine their demands and efforts in a way that compromises their own ideals yet contributes and creates a movement that unites the country and institutionally reforms the flawed policies and programs within our government and public policy.

Below is a video I found VERY interesting and informative. Please watch the whole video and give me feedback on how you interpret this man's message and ideas.

In Hopes of A Greater Democracy...

- David.