Election Day is Finally Here

The day that everyone has been waiting for is finally here! Finally we will know who will be the president of the United States. Regardless of who is elected president either candidate will set historical records. If Obama wins he will become the first African American President of the United States. On the other hand if McCain wins, he will become the oldest president of the United States. Election Day has always interested me, but it has never meant as much to me as it does today. I am finally old enough to vote. Being a college student I realize how expensive it is to obtain an education, and how the person who is elected President will influence my social and economic situation for the years to come. I was so anxious about the outcome of this election that I had a hard time going to bed last night, so I stayed up discussing the election with my roommate until about 3:30 am. She was concerned about the national security of this country and how each president would defend it. I found that my biggest concerns revolved around education and foreign relations. We both agreed that no matter who is elected it is going to be extremely difficult to become president of a country whose economic situation is in such deplorable conditions. Even though we disagree on many subjects when it comes to politics, we both shared an anxiety about what is in hold for the future of this country. This is a feeling that I found common among those who were getting ready to vote this morning or those who voted early and were sitting around the pit carrying conversations about the election. Regardless of the different views about the election, the important thing is that everyone takes the time to vote. Vote for the candidate you feel will truly be the best at the job. If you want this country to change you have to make your opinion count and hope that everything turns out for the best.

Wonderful blogs

Even though I feel that foreign policy in regards to Colombia is the only topic that needs to be discussed in this election.... just kidding! I am aware that many other topics are incredibly important in this election and in the future of this country. It is important that we examine each candidate and their stands in regards to a wide variety of issues. That is essential to truly decide where we as voters stand, and to expand our knowledge about this Presidential election that will inevitably affect each and every one of us. This said I have had the opportunity to read insightful blogs that talk about the other issues involved in this election. Below are the ones that I find the most thought provoking and interesting. Please take the time to learn about them, you won’t regret it.

Renewable Fuels: Search and Transition by Kevin
I think this blog is very important because it discusses the necessity of finding alternative energy resources in order to end the foreign dependency on other countries that are causing an increase in the prices of gas. The blog also discusses how our dependence on nonrenewable resources affects our environment. Kevin expresses the importance of finding alternative energy resources, and talks about a wide variety of renewable energy resources, and the effects that each of them would have on our country. Through his blog you are able to see that even though both presidential candidates are in favor of renewable energy resources, each of them has a very different approach. This could be one of the factors that will play an important role in helping you decide which candidate you support.

Illegal Immigration and Immigration Reform by Duckblogger
Definitely this is the blog that moves and makes me question my principles the most. Through his blogs, Duckblogger has shown his view on illegal immigration. I think this has been one of the blogs that has developed the most. At first he focused more on defending his point of view and failed to question many of his opinions. Now he has found a balance that allows him to take a stand for his opinions and values, but that also allows him to realize that to every issue there are always two sides. He talks about both presidential candidates and their plans in regards to immigration. He shows that both candidates have different approaches but that ultimately neither of them is truly prepared to fully deal with immigration and the reform that is necessary. I feel that this is difficult topic to talk about and Duckblogger has so far done a great job and exposing his readers to a wide variety of important information about immigration.

Bailout or Failout by Merritt
This blog deals with the terrible economic situation as well as the desperate actions to repair it. It focuses on the bailout plan and the effects that this plan will have on our financial situation in the present and for years to come. Merritt’s main focus is on discussing how each presidential candidate is prepared to deal with the economy if elected President. She outlines both of their plans and points out that while Obama’s plan seems great, it lacks details as to how it will be funded. She notes that McCain… well he doesn’t have much of a well structured plan. She points out that McCain has even said that our economy is just fine.. leaving me speechless. This blog is a source where you can find any changes to the bill and our economic situation.

The Links Post

The election is finally coming to an end. Many have already chosen the Presidential candidate that they support. However polls show that many are still undecided as to which candidate they will vote for. On my earlier posts, I mentioned that educating ourselves about the policies each candidate supported was essential for this election. Through my blogs I have tried to express how each candidate feels about Plan Colombia as well as the effects that U.S. intervention has had on the country. If I haven’t been clear enough in regards to the subject, below I have posted some links that should further clarify where the candidates stands as well as the approach to win the war on drugs.

http://www.cipcol.org/?p=693
This link talks about the Presidential Candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. It focuses on the previous experiences that the candidates have had in dealing with Latin American countries. They talk about how both candidates support Plan Colombia but show the different approaches that each would take if either were to become President based on previous decisions each has made in regards to Latin American Countries. This is a helpful link if you still find yourself somewhat confused about where each candidate stands.

http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/fs/2001/1042.htm
This link describes Plan Colombia and shows the original idea behind it. It talks about why the U.S. assistance is necessary as well as explaining where and how the money would be used to end the war on drugs as well as improve the lives of those who live in the country and are many times deprived of their human rights.

http://www.waronwant.org/Plan20Colombia2020a20plan20for20war3F+3469.twl
This link shows how Plan Colombia has failed to end the war on drugs and has accomplished and increase in poverty and destruction in the Colombian country. This site mentions the realities the plan has accomplished. Many times all the media talks about are the accomplishments the plan has obtained, failing to mention what has been sacrificed in order to achieve the result.

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/cha042407.htm
Finally as I mentioned before the voter has to form their own opinion. For the sake of that above is a link that talks about why the plan is necessary and should therefore be supported. Hopefully the links that I have posted above will help you solidify your beliefs in regards to the issue and maybe make it a little easier to decide which candidate you will support.

Self Analysis Post

Now that I take a look back at my blogs and analyze how much I have learned about Colombia I realize that when I wrote my first blog I had a limited knowledge about what was happening in the South American Country. The information that I knew about Colombia resulted from being born in Venezuela and attending school for many years in the country. We had classes that focused on Latin America and therefore I knew that Colombia was known for having one of the best coffees in the world as well as being a main producer of illicit drugs like marijuana and cocaine.
I had also heard my parents talk about the “Guerrilla Colombiana” but it wasn’t until 2002 that I realized the serious threat this armed force represented for the Colombian country. During this year the FARC guerrilla kidnapped the Colombian Presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt as well as other congressmen with the hopes of exchanging them for rebel commanders that had previously been captured.
At the time I was still very young and Venezuela had their own headache to worry about, President Hugo Chavez started approaching his goal of turning the country into a socialist… more like communist nation. So I thought that the guerrilla was simply Colombia’s Hugo Chavez.
Then I was confronted with choosing a topic to blog about during this election. I chose to talk about the U.S. foreign policies in regards to the South American country. I wanted to simply talk about foreign aid to the nation but I didn’t understand the link between aid, drugs, and armed forces. I felt like the drug problem and the armed forces were simply and internal problem like many of those that take place in third world countries. Then I started researching about Plan Colombia and many of my initials blogs dealt with how the plan was structured, its goal and what it was actually accomplishing. I focused on the damage and unbalance that the Colombian country was suffering as a result of being the center of the war on drugs. It was then that I realized that the U.S. was linked to the Farc Guerrilla. The fumigations of crops drove the country into a deeper poverty because it damaged all sorts of crops. This increased recruitment for the Guerrilla. The military equipment designated to dispense the pesticides were being used by the guerrilla as military equipment.
The country that was already in difficult conditions began to fall even deeper. People were getting sick from the pesticides and the war on drugs was unsuccessful since coca is stronger than many of the other crops and can grow in difficult soil. It just moves from one place to another without much difficulty. I thought that the poverty of the country was simply caused by lack of natural resources, but the reality is that the U.S. intervention has caused an unbalance in the country, aggravating the already unstable conditions. It was then that I started questioning the power the U.S. had to intervene in other countries without acknowledging the damage this intervention will inevitably cause. At first I thought the U.S. was concerned about Colombia and wanted the best for both nations. But after reading more in depth I realized that this was another one of the U.S. interventions that are made only for the sake of American country. They had a problem with drugs so instead of fighting it at home they figured it would make more sense to fight the war in another country. I realized that the country of Colombia finds itself in a more difficult situation each day. How are they ever going to have a sustainable legal economy when the countries natural resources are being destroyed? The formation of the armed forces and the production of drugs in the country were not caused by the U.S. but the intervention has damaged their ecosystems, strengthened the rebel group and definitely increased the production of drugs. So the “internal” problem I once believed to be simply another form of rebellion in the third world country is now a big part of the country and has linked itself to its economic system.
Reasearching this topic has made me realize that as a power nation a country should not only have priviliges, but it should also have responsibilities. The reality is that America goes on power trips and intervenes whenever the oportunity is available if they see something that will benefit them. Sadly it is safe to say that this clear violation of other countries sovereignity will continue to take place in the years to come. The U.S. has a long history of intervening in other countries affairs. They currently find it beneficial to intervene in Middle Eastern Countries as well as Latin American countries and always find "problems" they need to immediately "help" the chosen country to deal with.

Guaviare, Colombia Might be an Alternative

This war on drugs has been strategized by spraying the illicit crops. However, these pesticides also kill many legal natural resources. This has brought an economic destabilization in Colombia. Guaviare, Colombia is a region where natural resources including coca are predominant. A small business in the region could be considered an alternative to the production of coca. Tulasi is the name of this business that works with the exotic fruits and legal plans of Colombia. Instead of funding to spray coca crops the money of Plan Colombia could be used to help small businesses like this one progress. This would help the country solidify its trade and marketing business for the country of Colombia. However, small businesses like this one don’t have the technological equipment to make this a steady income for the country. “Effective diversification will require improvements in rural infrastructure, contract forming, marketing alliances, access to land and credit, and innovation strategies for small farmers.” This could be the best alternative to using force in the war against drugs. Below is the video of the person in charge of Tulasi, please check it out.

Implications Post

When considering the relations of the United States internationally, Washington said "the Great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign Nations is in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible." These words have been ignored by the United States. The fact that the U.S. is a power nation is no secret. This sense of superiority can be viewed in many Americans who seem to believe that because they are “superior,” they have the right to tell other nations what to do. Teddy Roosevelt proclaimed that the United States, because it was a "civilized nation," had the right to stop "chronic wrongdoing" throughout the Western Hemisphere. This power has allowed the United States to continuously violate the National Sovereignty of other countries. They intervene in any country that is of economic interest to them. This United States intervention has been known to cause euphoria in many countries in many countries. Recent countries include many Middle Eastern Countries as well as Latin America. This intervention destabilizes those countries, destroying their political, social and economical system. The U.S. tries to shape countries in which ever way proves more beneficial for its own interests. This intervention also has negative effects on the U.S. It creates a negative view around the world in regards to this country. People all over the world view America as a country who thinks they have the right to do as they desire. This makes it easier for countries to form alliances against the American government. These rocky relations with other countries affect the economic situation of the U.S. since difficult trade relations in regards to oil are present with countries like Venezuela as well and Middle Eastern Countries. “Every U.S. policy shift, every military intervention, every CIA plot has been carried out to secure one main aim: to ensure the cheap and plentiful flow of the world's most important energy resource--oil.” If this need of interrupting other countries in order to solve domestic problems doesn’t stop it could cause the alliance of many countries against the United States and its undemocratic policies.

Theory: Reform of Plan Colombia

I have mentioned in my previous blogs that both Presidential Candidates seem to support Plan Colombia, but while John McCain believes that a free trade agreement with the country is necessary, Obama opposes it on the basis of not wanting to negotiate with a country that violates human rights. Aside from their disagreement in regards to Colombia, the reality is that Plan Colombia has caused great harm to the country and needs to immediately be reformed. The main cause of failure is that Plan Colombia was written with the purpose of convincing the American congress. The plan had to focus on stemming the tide of illicit drugs, not on fuzzy notions of how to strengthen a wobbly government or on old ideas of how to defeat communist insurgents. This is another plan created for the benefit of America. An attempt to win the war on drugs by intervening in another country. Limiting the consumption of drugs in the U.S. is something that many believe necessary. However, the problem lies in the approach taken to decrease the consumption. While some believe that Plan Colombia is the best solution, because it attacks the source; Others believe that as long as a demand exists, there will always be a source to supply it. Therefore, they believe that the war on drugs should be a local one that focuses on funding projects to help decrease the demand for it. What lies behind Plan Colombia is nothing more than a matter of National Sovereignty. The main problem with this intervention in Colombia, lies in that America seems to believe that there are no limits to the American Power. They are attacking the weakest point with all the damage that this means for the indigenous and peasant farmers who live in the area of coca cultivation.They spray their farms cause sickness among the poor civilians of Colombia and eradicate many of the food crops they are being encouraged to grow. They don’t care about the people of Colombia or the damage that they are causing while trying to find a solution for this war on drugs. The U.S. has been known to act only for their own benefit. The War in Iraq is another U.S. intervention that is still taking place. This World Power Nation takes advantage of their position and imposes itself among other countries that are not as powerful. They destabilize other countries in order to accomplish their goals. The U.S. violates the National Sovereignty of other countries. They are a powerful nation and without any doubt they use this power in very destructive ways in another nations. Even in negotiations with other countries the U.S. only worries about their profits "When they talk about "free trade" in countries like Colombia, they seek to conceal their real intent, which is to dominate that country's energy and other resources to serve the needs of the United States. The same is true for every country they sit down to negotiate with." The only way to put an end to polarized sides is for the United States to respect the sovereignty of other countries. To find solutions within the U.S and limit intervention in countries where the majority resents the imposed U.S. "help". The U.S. needs to realize that just because they are powerful, doesn't mean that they can step all over other nations.