American Triumph: Fall of the Evil White Man

(Hugh Martin is an associate columnist with the National Alliance Foundation. As with all opinion columns, his words do not forcibly represent foundation beliefs, yet we greatly appreciate his addition to the socio-political debate).


No, I my intention was not to ignite any sort of firestorm over this issue--but then again, it's unlikely one will be regardless of the title to this particular article. As an African-America, some might even wish to indict me in the courts of racial legacies for daring to put forth what I inevitably must over the following sections, but I'll truly be damned if it manages to impede my goals with this written piece.

Ever since I can remember America has been on a path to more empowerment; in fact one might just say we have reached a pinnacle of success, with the still recent election of Barack Obama as our chief executive a sure sign. Despite the downsides of the segregation and slavery histories of the past, the Land of the Free continues to live up to its unique title, blessing thousands of immigrants and native citizens each year with a tremendous opportunity at personal liberty and financial achievements. Besides African-Americans, Hispanics and other minorities are seizing scholarships, attending universities, and forging their own part of our wonderful marquee of freedom.

But the grace of success is not limited to male members of a minority group. Even now women outperform the opposite sex in education, job superiority, and as more become bold, American Politics. So we might tend to view everything in our modern day like a perfected fantasy--where liberty and multiculturalism reign victorious as the cataracts of ancient discriminations fall to present day intellectualism. Except for a tiny fact. Far as we have come as a nation, the casualties of our racial advancements can clearly be understood in the almost universal pillaging of the white male image in American society.

Like I refused to deny earlier, I am African-American, but as much as I welcome the empowerment of my race and others I am forced to pay tribute to the white male's rather alarming movement from equal status in America to the new social untouchables; denizens who are characterized as categorically racist and steadily have lost basic chances at success with the rise of balanced racial standing. Lower income whites hold the highest nationwide poverty levels, for example, yet the guise of progressivism has lobbied for minority-only scholarships and university slots which have begun to remove what were once standard routes for success available to average males citizens who, by virtue of their birth, are Caucasian.

                                                   (Photo courtesy of blog.cleveland.com)

Too often we are treated in the modern day to the stereotypical white corporate inhuman in popular media whose sole purpose is to line his own coffers or those of his Wall Street cronies by employing corruption and abusing minorities. When James Cameron's smash hit Avatar soared into theaters at the end of 2009, its stunning visuals gained instant appreciation, even to the extent as to cause its followers to attempt suicide in order to reincarnate as a peaceful Na'avi alien on Pandora, where everything appears to be in sync with nature through Cameron's dazzling styles. Notwithstanding the digital gold, Avatar's simple and straightaway political message manages to weave its two bastardized villains as the commonly-imagined white corporate bad boy and crew cut Caucasian Army Officer who leads a band of redneck-like soldiers in their pursuit of "unobtanium," a rare fuel type required for production by the military industrial complex. The heroes of course remain a white and a Hispanic woman, and the aliens, who look like a cross between Native Americans, African-Americans, and cats.

Although James Cameron's fantasy is in the media world, the reality of white male treatment in the media is hardly any better. Senator John McCain was maligned by the new outlets as being a hard-line "old rich white man," in their portrayals during 2008, and even President George W. Bush's generous provisions of AIDs cure research funds to Africa and military defenses to Colombia were lost to their fixed mindsets. Never mind President Obama's scaling back of both these programs, as he seems immune to their drivel given his racial status.

The reality of the modern day remains bleak if one considers that regardless of attitudes, white males still make up a majority of the population. While it can be said definitively that mistakes were made by their forefathers, criminalizing them in the modern day for transgressions long since passed is not only unfair, but also destructive to American hopes for full equality. Creating a disadvantageous situation for a major group in society will not help our nation in the long run, even if the racial extremists feel retribution is due. Though slavery and racism did occur in our country in the past, many Caucasians of today are descended from families who came after the end of slavery, or from countries which simply rejected it entirely. At the same time, dictators in Africa today have turned things around, targeting white farmers with racist policies to force them into exile.

We cannot hope to be perfect, yet playing races off one another for the sake of some poisonous multiculturalist fantasy is lopsided towards mental unreadiness. As Americans we should remain united as an image of racial moderation, representing a nation where anyone can succeed, and no person's birth status denies them that treasured hope.




Hugh Martin

Adjunct Writer, Liberty for the Union Blog.  

The Importance of Respect: Michelle Obama

In an age of rambling dialogs and vitriolic speech spewed out by both major ideological clusters in the United States it can become difficult to discern from what is within the limits of acceptable debate and activities or communication procedures that fall into a desperate and ignominious category of low-brow attacks. Sad as it is to say, observers from both sides have taken the point too far again with their inconsiderate and baseless assaults on the image of Michelle Obama, the American First Lady.

(Photo courtesy of hispanicallyspeakingnews.com)

To understand the degree to which these shameful attacks extend requires a visible portrait of her background and personal accomplishments. Obama was born into a disadvantaged family in Chicago, yet she fought for herself steadily, entering Princeton and later completing a law degree at Harvard before becoming a legal counsel and managing hospital firms in Illinois. While her husband labored to become a politico, Michelle reached out through charities and brought in the real financial support, eventually allowing Barack to take a Senate seat which otherwise he might have found difficult to run for without proper funds. Indeed, the $317,000 per year which she earned dwarfs any of her partner's measly salaries, so one could argue the absence of her abilities in his life would have cut his political ambitions short.

Finances aside, the First Lady's image is not one which should attract justified partisan jabs and punches. Although she did make a major gaffe during the 2008 race, her demeanor and attitude has been far more of the Jackie Kennedy and Laura Bush lite than Eleanor Roosevelt or Hillary Clinton. So far she has abstained from injecting herself openly into the political process, dedicating her resources instead to health advocacy and nutrition initiatives with the goal of decreasing obesity rates among young Americans. There is no domineering Clintonite behavior to be had here; only the simple charm and earnest concern of a woman whose husband occupies the executive's chair in Washington.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and an assortment of radio hosts have targeted her for this absolutely understandable advocacy, stirring up unneeded controversy which throws the system further into disconnect. Rather than seek to come in the way of the woman's voice for common sense and health, these figures should drop the partisanship over this entirely non-political issue and stand alongside her for the good of the nation.

What unavoidably is a good thing for America must be cherished for the future,not spat upon due to association-is-composition sorts of ideology. Michelle Obama may be married to Barack, yet she embodies the nation as First Lady, and all bystander should come to a level of kindness and moderation as to respect her role in the issues and events of today.




Cate Ashton

National Alliance Vice President for Domestic Issues

A Democratic (Fascist) Party

(Ted Daniels is a good friend of the National Alliance research team, yet his views in this article are not necessarily those of the foundation. We sincerely appreciate his contribution however).

One has to admit; the Democratic-labor alliance is great at publicity, with recent protests managing to draw the attention of the doting news outlets and a massive movement in front of the Hall of States in Washington D.C. which demonstrated the full extent of the SEIU's ability to conjure up support against the movement to stabilize state budgets with generally moderate reform in collective bargaining rights and pension contributions. While their expertise with public relations is no doubt brilliant, the masses of signs painting Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin as Adolf Hitler seem ironic considering how in-step their activism is with he former Nazi leader's governmental system.

(Photo credit goes to Life.com)

As the nation now better understands, 14 Democratic senators from Wisconsin chose to leave the state in order to prevent quorum for the passage of a union reform bill aimed at cutting down the 3 billion dollar shortfall which the former governor of their own partner left when his term expired last month. According to the Democrats, these childish actions represent a stand for Wisconsin families and worker's rights, but their argument misses a critical point: it bashes democracy.

Perhaps we have become all too accustomed to politicians breaking their promises, yet Governor Walker is an example of a man striving to maintain his commitment. Last fall he won a simple majority with 52% of the vote, promising throughout the campaign to implement the standing reform, and the voters of the state agreed. Walker, who has been mocked for not completing college due to family ties is simply keeping his promise, no matter the obvious negatives it holds for him politically.

Wisconsin budget proposals reveal senator salaries of just below $50,000 annually, hardly a pittance compared to the pro bono status of legislators in neighboring provinces, yet the Democrats still feel justified in hiding out in Illinois to prevent the vote--all while taking in the lucrative aforementioned funds. At the very least, they should relinquish their salaries or resign the senate; holding back simply roles them into our next category: haters of democracy.

Republicans did not always agree with the Democrats during the tenure of Governor Jim Doyle and his bicameral majorities, yet never once did they prevent quorum from materializing, as this directly contradicts democracy. When dictators come to power, they silence the voices of those who oppose them and rule without limitations. Although the leftists may feel a tingle of glee at the thought of bolstering union power, their backing of these fleeing public servants is an endorsement of arbitrary rule by one voice rather than through the forces of transparency and open debate. In leaving their responsibilities out of disagreement, the party is preventing the minority's voice from being heard and simultaneously promoting a fascist state without good cause. Their responsibility as elected leaders is to represent the smaller group in the capitol, not leave them without voice due to interest group concerns.

Regardless of how the leftist machine may whitewash these protests by the officials, the Democratic Party and gone too far in it supporting the undermining of hundreds of years of American democracy. These are actions similar to those by men who shake the fascistic flag, hoping to silence any view or dissidence which is not in line with their own beliefs. As liberals and conservatives, it is up to us as Americans who love freedom to reject this political perversion before it manifests in higher chambers of power.



Ted Daniels

Writer, Movement for American Federalism Blog  

A Deadly New Axis

Something very troubling should stand out to all the more educated and clear-minded individuals residing in the United States of America as the protests of the Middle East take full force. Egypt managed to denounce and remove its president, and the signs of change are visible in Libya, Yemen, and Bahrain. Yet unlike the fantastical image which the media likes to portray, these movements are no more beneficial to American security and prosperity than the rise of Nazisim was to industry during the 1930s, something which many came to regret following the Great War. By rejoicing over these negative issues American citizens are placing themselves on the chopping block for future conflicts in which front line soldiers will be expended to recreate national security on a larger  and more international scale.

 (Courtesy of travelnotes.org)

Make no mistake, the revolutions are exciting, yet even as they reach climax their results leave behind a muddy trail of violence and extremism that threatens to solidify into new radicalized states with common goals of anti-westernization. This is why all the freedom-lovers of our nation have been cutely suckered into the vision of new democracy amidst the reality that most of them do not fully understand how its manifestation will take place in the Central East.

Traditionally power in the region has been regulated by a crescent axis around the State of Israel, America's foremost ally and the one more democratic nation there. About its borders, the breakdown allows for a number of more secular governments and religious authorities to "balance out" the rhetoric and thus keep each other safer. Unfortunately the rising protests in Egypt and other nations threaten to throw this division into upheaval by placing more radicalized dictators into power. With Iran and Egypt the larger secular countries both under the dominion of extremist ideologues, international security suddenly becomes more complex than the average foreign service member is used to.

It may be easy to feign security, but the reality stays that the nation which has most forcefully responded to the rioting citizens is not the demonized Mubarakian Egypt, but the intensely fundamental Iranian government. Why? Because Iran's leadership wants to join not Mubarak or Ben Ali's fate; they want to be at the helm of the Syrian-Lebanese-Muslim Brotherhood Alliance that will seek to destroy Israel for the sake of religious achievement once America's former allies have been swept from the territory.

In simpler terms we will face the quagmire of maintaining Israel's position while the more wealthy Middle Eastern bloc remains cemented against both American foreign interests and the Jewish State.

Though this reality is less than satisfying, the incapable response of President Barack Obama is more discouraging. For an executive who is well-educated and spoken, his grasp of the problems facing the region are rudimentary at best. Rather than supporting the 2009 Iranian Revolution, he stepped back under the guise of multiculturalism, losing an opportunity when bloodlessly the U.S. could have instated democratic reforms by assisting the activists with clandestine support. Now the government is using force as a response, and the president has failed on a major level to realign the axis to partial secularism.

Little can be done to predict the future, yet the track record of the region is primarily one of fission, not its counterpart. Missteps like the one made by our president only excerbate the issue of maintaining international security for the long-term.




Michael Veramendi

National Alliance Vice President for Foreign Issues

Cut NPR--not PBS

Republicans have gotten giddy with their new chance at Washington governing and understandably so, yet with leadership comes the reality of sacrifice, and the individual who holds the purse strings must also be ready to command a degree of professional restraint rather than arbitrarily calling down orders of change because of position. It cannot be said that the budget needs no cutting, yet silencing the voice of a beneficial program which has historically been a tremendous aid to children is not prudent in the long term scenario of American prosperity.

National Public Radio has existed now on forty-one years, yet the results have been at best, disappointing. Poor broadcasts, little reliability, and questionable impartiality are all marks of a weak and ineffective news system, making the desire to cut funding for it more rational as a pursuit. Worldwide the factors remain similar, and one might point to only the fleeting successes of the BBC, which at best lives on because of intensified government intervention.

Alongside this however, the prospect of eliminating the Public Broadcasting System is depressing at best because it cuts off a viable source of positive learning and entertainment for the average American schoolchild. From the days of Mr. Rogers to the beneficial programs of the modern day, PBS is a vital aspect to child learning which contrasts to the more mindless content of Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network that now propagates cable. The station's broadcasts also include useful programs regarding education and learning enforcement which would likely go out of business without the support of the taxpayers in America and the federal direction that it presently enjoys.

Americans have already come to the reality that cutting the budget is necessary, yet this is one area inside of which deductions would be negative to the future development of the younger generations in America. Cuts need to be focused on wasteful spending that has no foreseeable benefit to the coming generations and on departments which push more papers than provide for the public good. At the end of the day, what works well in society and more importantly that which has its sources in the government must be kept for the welfare of the people. Eradicating tenets that build up our country as a whole  should be last on the list of trimming, even in desperate times, as the cost of their vanishing cannot be easily measured or recovered during the short term.

Conservatives deserve credit for trying, yet there remain some untouchable regions which are best left to serve the public.




Cate Ashton

National Alliance Vice President for Domestic Issues

The Case for Compassion

It seems today the goal of all politicians seeking the presidential nomination from the American center-right to attempt across the board to out-conservatize each other in hopes of attaining the spot at the top of the selection list. This also includes the rather distasteful aspect of immigration, an issue which many have made forthright in their bids for the nation's top office. Not being a strong armed figure on the border suggests a flimsy character and disregard for the well-being of the country in the modern day. Unfortunately the largest American party which currently occupies the executive's chair and the Senate know how critically this can be turned against the raucous conservatives to secure victory in the constantly-discussed race of 2012. Thus the Republicans need to adopt a new policy before they risk alienating what might be a strictly reliable supporting base.

Immigration is a structural problem in our country not made better by the regular Mexican-American alliance of labor and remittances which prevent the latter nation from taking sensible action on the issue. As such it is not entirely the fault of immigrants from the Central-South American region that they desire to escape the cartels and come to a new land where general safety is a more regular facet of life. But the rolling plains of the American past are gone, instead giving way to the urbanized and government-supported regions pf the present in which social democracy tends to prevail, thus putting a burden on the federal and state branches who offer mandated services.

Republicans are simply answering the call of many concerned citizens of various races about the dangers of unchecked immigration, yet the Democratic Party in its classic style is using the issue to drive a wedge between their opponents and the ever advancing Latino populations. Carefully they have set the stage to play the helpless minorities against the evil and ancient white majority, a trend which by all calculable methods has worked. In 2008, the GOP got a measly 21% of Hispanic votes, and current polls do not show a tremendous change in opinion from the ethnic group.

At the heart of this the GOP faces a critical issue in managing to reach out and form coalitions with this rising community which has already began to propagate and culturally pluralize in southern regions of Texas,Florida, and California.  With the Latino society generally a more traditionalist model, it is difficult to see why the two bodies would be incompatible, yet the Democrats have succeeded in spinning the message of racism into the discussion, undermining a potential alliance between them.

Historically the GOP has been the least ready party to adapt to the issues of the present, but this one poses a greater threat with the legacy of Barack Obama now at stake. His reelection garners the center-left with a figure of general success which only impeachment or resignation could ever begin to discourage. Like Clinton, Obama will ride the storm if reelected, leaving historians to categorically attribute him as a isnpirational vote-getter despite the central faults of his character and policy.

No one should hope that the GOP drops the immigration factor entirely, yet making it centerpiece in a year when so much is at stake would be a critical error. Job creation and tort reform must be the foremost elements of the discussion, as they are squarely in the president's no-go zone in his performance as the commander-in-chief. Immigration reform should be implemented but only once the 44th President is on his way out so that Hispanics do come to the party. Failing to make that connection and neglecting to tone down the anti-immigrant rhetoric can only result in a six--and not four year wait to return a leader to the Whitehouse.



Jordan Wells

National Alliance Vice President for Policy

Bankrupt of Honor

(This piece is authored by our organization's president, but it falls under the category of opinion with the inclusion of personal statements. It is not a policy article or issue analysis contribution).


"Alas, for they mock the threads which make them whole, inspire the disregard of elder time, and fail to remember their roots. I can only beseech them to avoid treading on the symbols of freedom lest those symbols one day trample them. I--we all can learn to forgive the ignorance of youth, yet those who have fallen give no council; their images are left out in the darkness to fade in silent melancholy."

I chose to open with this old quote from a source who passed on after World War II because it captured perfectly what I felt was an absolute maiming of regulatory honor and respect for the legacies of the past coming from the youth today. As perhaps less than a majority are aware, countless Japanese-Americans fought with distinction and pride during the conflict even as they endured the racism from whites and African Americans regarding their similarities to the Axis force of their motherland. In what can only be viewed as a sad and regrettable moment in American history, many citizens of Japanese origin were quarantined and held for years under the suspicion that they might be aiding or abetting the opposing nation in the war effort. FDR's Democrats had few reservations about the measures, and the reality leaves a painful stain on our nation's history which we remember even as so many of the ethnicity served honorably for the Allies during the 1940s.

As such it is not hard to understand why I was more than a bit aghast to catch site of several youths defacing the Japanese-American Veterans Memorial north of the capitol in Washington D.C. by performing skateboard tricks over its surface. While one might have expected the usually high class Washingtonian police to have taken more immediate action over the travesty, they gave rather a lukewarm response contrasted with the firm discipline which was obviously needed.

Though I feel the officers deserve the benefit of the doubt considering that this may be regular or even commonplace behavior which they have no control over, something else remains which cannot be so easily forgiven. These children, young as they may be, seem to have no calculable respect for the legacy of the nation or those who died preserving its freedoms. In the end it might be caused by a lack of education, yet the beautiful marble engraving spells out clearly its purpose in such a way which leaves no doubts. So despite the possibility that the teen violators were unaware of the historical importance surrounding the assembly, they cannot be excused for failing to read the evident title of the structure and knowing to stay outside of it.

America can not hope to preserve educational parity forever as the stark differences between private and public as well as district will predominate any forms of complete equality, yet the area which we can not afford to lose ground within is the impression of this nation's civil religion upon the succeeding generations. Not every citizen will become a statesman, yet it is far more ideal to have a society which embraces nationalism at all social brackets than a country where the youth take their freedom for granted and disrespect the source of that gift.

May God bless the memories of these great heroes, and may He change the hearts of the young to pay respect to their forefathers' service to this fine and enduring nation.





Gabriele Vogt

National Alliance Chairman

The Death of Euro-Nationalism

The leaders of Western Europe are crying out and desperately calling for reform, yet they are all but doomed to fail, for five generations of inadequate policies have crippled their grip on cultural supremacy until now the present state of the Euro bloc is destitute by all considerations. Following the Second World War it became commonplace for European nations to encourage multiculturalism as a reparation for their self-disgust over the atrocities of the conflict and the repercussions of their imprint throughout the Middle Eastern and African colonies. Unfortunately that policy has morphed into a far more sinister apparition: the dangerous and unpredictable force of neomulticulturalism, an ideology and joint movement which threaten the very security and endurance of European historical lifestyles.

Neomulticulturalism is a major issue because it eclipses older histories and cultural beliefs through the eradication of everything in a process of concessions aimed at pleasing the incoming ethnic or religious group. In Great Britain, Muslims receive unbelievably great rights despite their general lack of assimilation into the culture. The argument that these individuals come for economic sustainment is flawed owing to the raging numbers of them at the welfare lines even while Britons of similar status work for a living.

Further laws passed in 2006 only inflamed the problem when Tony Blair declared special punishments for inciting racial or religious hate against the large group of Islamic believers in British society. At the same time, mocking the Queen or laying similar blows towards the beliefs of another faith in the country is repirmanded by a slap on the wrist rather than similar consequences.

But the problem is not only resident to the former world empire. Italy's southern coast is becoming steadily more Sunni while the passive culture of the region scrambles to keep up with the sad remains of its once grand roman popularity. Germany is not insulated from this problem either, with guest workers aplent streaming in from Turkey and pushing their own views as a model for the massive Euro economy. And France, ever burned by its image of weakness in the world is now making movements to stricter cultural policies to combat the rising tide of this new ideology.

Grim as the outlook remains, the once dormant eastern bloc countries appear to be awakening to the harsh realities of the modern world at a faster rate than their Old World counterparts. Poland, Georgia, and Serbia have all announced policies to end the give none, take all attitude that has brought the other nations to a dramatic error in the present day. Even in Russia, the authorities have put forward direct agreement with the coming change of views following a string of crippling terrorist strikes.

One must still ask however, what is to become of Great Britain following its years of allowance with little request? Were it not for the royalist history and the regalia of the Monarchy, its is unlikely the country would be farther away from this approaching condition. Indeed, nothing short of mass deportations (which are doomed to little success) or an ethnic cleansing (which would be immoral), would be required to give it hope for pluralistic survival.

Western Europe is lost; and so the rest of the world must avoid a similar pattern in their own nations.


Michael Veramendi

National Alliance Vice President for Foreign Issues

Saluting a Patriot

Senator James Webb recently announced his decision to not seek reelection to the upper body in 2012, paving the way for a likely showdown between his predecessor, George Allen, and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine. A summarization of the election is inevitable in coming days, yet instead Virginians and Americans should stop and pay tribute to the utmost service granted by Webb to his country over the past forty-five years, both in an outside of uniform.

Upon his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy, he entered the Marines and served honorably during a tour in Vietnam which would come to give him a bronze star for valor and service. Returning home, he attended law school at Georgetown and was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Ronald Reagan. He would serve for almost 2 years before leaving and following his journalistic interests around the world.

An accomplished author, Webb has written countless articles, several novels and autobiographies, and even a film script, adding to his repertoire of life.

In 2006, he entered the Virginia race for the United States Senator, overcoming low name recognition and a strong incumbent to defeat George Allen and swing control of the deliberative body over to the Democratic Party by a margin of 9,000 votes.

Despite this slim and controversial victory, Webb wasted no time in making himself known as a steward of bipartisan issues in the Senate, and his work resulted in the reform of the GI Bill to benefit veterans across the nation. His work on social justice is also notable, and his office wasted no time in helping local colleges to receive additional funding from the federal coffers.

No matter what one's views may be, Senator Webb is deserving of the complete respect from Americans of all race, creed, and affiliation for his undying service; without a doubt, he is a truly great American hero.



Andrew Rimmer

National Alliance Vice President for Communications

Breaking Free (Not Apart)

For generations the argument has been made that the position of the nation of Italy is hopeless, with the prosperous north destined to remain dominant and whatever joys of the south simply drifting away into oblivion as the region becomes progressively less capable of sustaining spread wealth. Observers have almost conceded that it is a forgone conclusion, yet they miss a viable point which is causing Italy to rot from within--and the place where it can be resuscitated: strong federal leadership.

During the twilight days of World War II, Benito Mussolini made a considerable name for himself as the efficient caretaker of Italian dreams for the future. His methods were brutal, his process mechanical, yet for many citizens, it was a welcome break from the shoddy socialist parties of the latter 1800s which had done little to preserve national unity. Regardless of where he started, the Duce made a point to build up the army, consolidate power, and create an effort to dramatically restructure society so as to help each section of the country.

Even in the depths of the South, Mussolini employed federal funds to build schools and provide jobs to the citizenry, planting seeds which would momentarily lift Sicily out of its historical recession state before his empire came crashing down as the Allies prevailed in Europe.

No one is out to justify what Mussolini did besides those which can be looked to as merits, but he illustrates the sort of leader needed by the Italian state in order to hold a balance between the modernized northern tier and the Romanesque geography below it. If the picture is not clear enough as it stands, look to the election of media mogul playboy Silvio Berlusconi in 2001. Despite unorthodox tactics of control and partial suppression, the premier's overall leadership has brought about a period of stability in Italy's government which was unheard of since his fascist predecessor.

Yet it comes down to character, and therein lies the issue with both men, notwithstanding their considerable successes. A leader must appear to hold standards for their self, otherwise the people lose faith and eventually come to distrust  their would-be savior. In such this way it is not an Italian who can save the country, but an Italian who understands Western rhetoric and spirit. The general chances of a Northern League member winning the executive-ship is low by all means, and so the only solution is someone who can build a strong southern coalition of fused parties and then use Americanism to empower those still in the region. Better governance would involve efforts to draw American companies to the southern zone, employing people there and allowing the positive ethic of hard work to settle in where government dependency is rampant.

Weak governments are problematic because they cause the people to lose hope in the ability of their officials to rule impartially and without purpose of evasion. Even the most elite offices become simply rotational positions for those who can rub elbows with the rich--or the criminal.

Thankfully the future offers a plethora of opportunities for change, and with the migration to Italy from many other nations, a change for the better is more viable with each passing day; it is just up to the citizens to accept the benefits of new action.



Andrew Rimmer

National Alliance Vice President for Communication

Vita per Africa

Mayhap  it's too predictable to discuss the desperate need for international action across Africa, but in this case the dire consequences of not doing so are all but totally compromising. For years after its ravaging by the colonialists the cluster of diverse nations has suffered from poorly drawn boundaries which incite ethnic uprisings and governments with little intent but to better themselves financially while the population suffers. Throughout the strife, possibly the worst factor is that those who might reach and positively influence the outcome to be better often fall silent when given opportunity, as if they can do nothing more but authorize the check necessary for funds to the region.

At the core of Africa's struggle is the lack of water supplies available to the populace in many regions, and therein lies the point at which the West can make a meaningful impact to save lives and defeat the dreaded history of anarchic policy throughout the continent's provinces. While much of south-central Africa is vegetated and ideal for growing crops, the northern tier is smothered with a blanket of deserts which make development of agriculture difficult beyond passive attempts at pastoral habits with few yearly gains. Families in this region who are not supported by a small business or government employment often end up staggering to last in the harsh wastelands of the Saharan plain due to skimpy natural resources.

To the northeast, the Nile provides sustainment for the civilizations about it, yet the western side of the continent still reeks under the hot sun and loses much of its potential as the weather acts adversely alongside elected officials to prevent progress. So the Western powers of the 21st Century must unite to construct a river through western Africa for the good of its people and long-term security. The channel would most logically run from the Western Saharan straight through northern Mauritania, the northern part of Niger, and Algeria, thus allowing for more cultivation of earth through irrigation techniques.

This "river of life" would work because unlike general aid projects, it might actually institute security for the future that no allied power can begin to comprehend. Even the occasional check from America or Europe can  hardly begin to change things in Africa, yet a body of water changing the scope and conditions of the problem would certainly turn tables on those who prefer the continent remain sunken in the past.

Like anything else, the river would need to serve the West's purposes in order for its to realistically gain support, yet the reasons for its benefits are immediately apparent. In Italy, the government has maintained a long struggle to prevent excessive immigration from North Africa, but this river project would reverse the need for so many refugees to live. After all, a land where a man can farm and stand by himself is more likely to be attractive than a ravaged and restricted province.

Difficult as it might be for the West to fathom, its reach is not unbeatable or everlasting. Eventually new leaders will rise up, yet it should be in the interest of those today to establish the basis for fundamental transformation in the places which today still lag behind. Africa should not have to--and likely will not remain stagnated, but it is up to those who act in the name of democracy to assist with that movement as much as possible.



Michael Veramendi

National Alliance Vice President for Foreign Issues

Dial R for Radicalism: the Case for Mubarak

It's become commonplace for the West to enjoy jumping up to side with revolutionary forces in nations without much grasp of the target nation's histories or its importance as a stable diplomatic and commercial acquaintance. As should be expected, a great number of Americans have seized unto the protests in Egypt as a positive sign of the country's progress while at the same time disregarding the usefulness of its current leadership to both Middle Eastern stability and their own personal lives. Americans and other westerners are on the brink of igniting a radical movement in Egypt which promises to provide the region with added strife both politically and militarily in the time yet to come.

Hosni Mubarak's concession of his power which may even devolve into resignation was welcomed with open arms by much of the West in the last 24 hours, including statements of favoring by leaders like former U.S. Governor Mitt Romney, who is readying for a presidential campaign. Unfortunately, his exit also leaves the country weakened and at the mercy of a perhaps worse force: the Muslim Brotherhood and Mohammed ElBaradei.

The latter has poised his movement as a democratic change ideological concentration attune to those prevalent across African states, yet his true intentions are veiled by a sketchy record of divided commitment to the West and his own ideological foundations. Best known for his work as an international nuclear power inspector, ElBaradei certainly has made a career for himself--though regrettably through means contrary to the good of the Egyptian people and Americans. When a missions directed him to Iran, he gave a vague report which seemed almost sympathetic to the Shiite power and its executive of questionable mental capacity. This activism has certainly ennobled him to minorities in the Middle East, yet it poses a threat if he becomes president and allies with the Persian nation to destroy Israel.

Perhaps this implication is in poor taste, but with the strictly fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood standing tall behind him, one must proposition to understand how a fiercely anti-West organization will refrain from implementing its own ideologies if immersed in the pools of government at the heart of Cairo.

Americans must consider the negatives of a non-Mubarak government as well. With control of the Suez Canal so critical to our shipping, one can only speculate at the severe cost should a fundamentalist government choose to restrict passage and play American companies off of our country's support for the State of Israel. ElBaradei by his own accord is hardly a pro-Jewish figurehead, and there is little reason to expect him to remain neutral should a conflict arise.

Possibly more unnerving is the coalition of theocracies which might very well form should Egypt fall to ElBaradei and his allies. Lebanon's Saad Hariri's government left office weeks ago and was replaced by Hezbollah-backed ministers of state, Jordan's government recently resigned, and Iran has been dominated by the Ayatollah for the better section of 31 years. Adding Egypt to that coalition is hardly wise, even if the prospects seem endearing from afar.

Countries like Egypt need change, but as the world witnessed back in 1979 with the Iranian Shah's defeat, revolutions have consequences which can remain for years on end. Progress must be gradual and wise, or it will likely turn into a new possessive and unrelenting nation of directorial government, albeit with a new flag.




Ayla Samadi

National Alliance Vice President for Cultural Issues