McLaughlin Group: Issue 1- Hugo Chavez, Current prez of Venezula addresses the UN calling President Bush "the devil." A decidedly anti-American speech. Was he simply saying publically what lots of others around the world are thinking? Does Chavez represent the beginnings of a Clash of Civilizations? Chavez is a liberal socialist that enjoys great support from the poor, but is at the same time greatly disliked by the wealthy in Venezula. Why are we so low in world opinion right now? What can we do to make it right? We truly are the relunctant hegamon...we did not ask to be the world leader, but with leadership [whether one wants it or not]comes responsibility or instability and decline. These are interesting and compelling and vitally important questions. Unfortunately, these kinds of questions are not being asked of our elected leaders. We are all worried about the high price of oil...

Issue 2- The President of Iran. In his speech to the UN, he decries and blames the Zionists, not the Jews for the violence and instability in the Middle East. Such a differentiation , of course is insane. It would be the same as saying that he does not hate Americans, he just hates people that live in the United States. He is playing to the theocracy that really holds the political power in Iran.
Issue 3- Pope is in trouble with Islam for quoting a less than favorable take on Muhammad. That Islam has from time to time used violence in direct opposition to the fairly consistent religious notions of tolerance and love thy neighbors. The irony of the Islamic radicals burning churches and killing Christians in Gaza and other middle eastern hotbeds of Islamic radicalism to demonstrate their opposition to what the Pope said was not lost on many of my students…Go Pope!!!!

Start reading Chapter 2 & I will turnback Chapter 1 tests on Tuesday...Appeals for Chapter 1 test are due on next Tuesday.