Manuel Valls and the Second Chance

Of course Francois Hollande nominated Manuel Valls to Matigon, there was no other choice for him, a man whom I consider rather bland, charisma-less and incapable of sticking to a decision. After dangling the glorious suggestion of a Martine Aubry prime ministership, Francois Hollande settled for the safest pick. A change in government was needed, and after the crushing defeat that was suffered by his PS in the municipal elections, which are always used as a confidence vote to the party in power, nominating Valls looks like a sensible choice.

China in France and the Coming Changing of The Guard

This week France received the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, to great pomp and circumstance for his first ever State visit in France. No expense was spared in welcoming the head of the second most powerful country and the fastest growing economy in the world. As usual there is always a little hypocrisy involved when the head of a western country receives a Chinese delegation, there were no mention of human rights etc. a stark contrast let's say if Hollande were to receive the President of Cameroon or any other impoverished nation, human rights would be at the forefront.

Dire Times for Ukraine

Guys (by that I mean my few sparse, readers, joking!) I am following this Ukraine situation like a hawk because it basically reads like the old timey maneuvers by the USSR against the United States and like many people, I am beginning to think that the cold war is back. I'm still travelling so these post will be shambolic and rather badly written and for that I am truly sorry.

Show of Power Needed in Ukraine (Updated)

The situation in Ukraine is fairly bad. After rejecting Putin puppet, Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine is threatened by Russia. Russian soldiers have taken over airports, parliament and government buildings in the ethnic Russian dominated Ukrainian border with Russia, Crimea. Like they did with Georgia when they invaded in the summer of 2008, they are distributing passports to anti government militia and will use the excuse of protecting their citizens for an invasion.

Thoughts on My Brother's Keeper.

Today with all the fanfare, splendor, pomp and pulpit of the presidency , President Barack Obama launched his new initiative, My Brother's keeper, designed to help young men of color and reduce the opportunity gap between them and their caucasian peers. I am traveling so this will be brief so pardon the hurriedness.

Yanukovych has fallen!

Late last year I wrote about the protests that were happening in Kiev's Maidan Square when they were in their infancy, I fully supported the will of the Ukrainian people in having their country's fortunes united with that of the European Union, given that being a client and puppet State to Russia had brought them nothing but misery and oligarchic corruption. Well, today it's my pleasure to announce that dictator-lite and Putin wannabe, Viktor Yanukovych has lost control of all state organs, the parliament has decided to vote him out, and the police and the interior ministry have now joined the people, it looks as if his tenure of terror is over.

Is Executive Action, the Solution to Second Term Blues?

The president will be delivering his fifth State of the Union address to Congress tomorrow, his people have given some hints that, to be honest, I found boring except for one. Floated by Jay Carney, of all people, is the idea that the presidency is getting ready to bypass congress and use executive orders to further his economic goals like income inequality and minimum wage. It's interesting because maybe it is telling us how the president plans to finish his last term in public office.