Archives: 2007 June

One of the unpleasant effects of global warming and the resulting climate change is the enlargement of areas impacted by desertification.

A new report by the United Nations University suggests climate change is making desertification “the greatest environmental challenge of our times”.

It seems to me that we have plenty of “greatest environmental challenges” all occurring at about the same time but no doubt desertification is one of the most urgent ones.

The UN study indicates that up to 50 million people could be severely effected within just one decade.

Within the nest fifty years over one third of the world’s population of about 6.5 billion are expected to be effected by climate change. 

A serious consequence of desertification is that with so many people displaced the ability of neighboring countries and areas to resettle them becomes unmanageable. Millions of displaced people wandering around trying to find a new place and way to live creates turmoil and strife.

The competition between native people and newly displaced people arriving by the millions does not bode well for world peace.

Urgent study needs to be undertaken by international organizations to attempt to head off what may become an acutely serious problem within ten years.

The world is moving into a crisis mode. In order to lessen the effects of desertification and other climate change issues a high level of international effort and cooperation will be required between all nations.

Are the world’s political leaders up to the task? Based upon recent performance the answer to that important question has to be a resounding no.

Rather than waste precious resources on useless wars the leading governments of the world had best refocus on issues that if unattended to may well lead to a degradation of life on this fragile planet for all.

As expected Tony Blair stepped down as the British Prime Minister on June 27th, 2007, and was immediately appointed as the Middle East envoy working on behalf of the US, Russia, the UN and the EU.

While I wish Mr. Blair all the best in his new role on the world center stage I fear that he may be taking on the position as damaged goods. The perception by many on the Palestinian side is that Blair is too close to United States President Bush and to Israel interests to be an impartial envoy.

Still Tony Blair has a lot of experience at the top levels of government. By operating without the restrains of being the British Prime Minister he may be more effective at his envoy position than many now think he will be.

What everyone can agree on, even the Russians, is that Tony Blair’s new job is an extremely difficult one. The interests of the various factions fighting for power in the Mid East are so many and diverse that it will take a super human envoy effort to even come close to solving the major challenges.

The least we can do is to wish Tony Blair good luck as Mid East envoy. He will need it.

Tomorrow is the big day for Tony Blair.

The man who risked all and lost all with his support of the George W. Bush invasion of Iraq will stand down as British Prime Minister after over ten years of service.

In Britain Blair’s popularity plunged after he followed Bush’s lead and deployed British troops to Afghanistan and then Iraq. He never fully recovered from his “lapdog to Bush ” subservient image. He is leaving office a little sooner than he would like as a result of his unpopularity in Britain.

It is hard for a world leader to step off center stage. It has to be plenty cool flying around in private jet planes and helicopters, staying at five star hotels, drinking and eating the best in food and beverages, hanging out with Bono, and all of the other neat things that world leaders get to do at taxpayer expense.

No wonder there are so many candidates for the 2008 US race for President and why Gordon Brown was so keen in taking over as the British Prime Minister. The perks that come with top political jobs are incredible. 

Tony Blair is still a young man. And he clearly enjoys being in the spotlight. So with the support of his US friend, George Bush, he is being considered for a special envoy role as an emissary to promote peace in the Mid-East. Blair seems to be keen to be appointed to this plush job by the Quartet of Middle East mediators.

The European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the US - make up the Quartet and are meeting at the US consulate in Jerusalem in an effort to decide if Blair is the right man for the job.

Health care is an issue that those candidates who are running for President should have put a lot of thought into.

This is an issue that is near and dear to Hillary Clinton’s heart and hopefully will get a lot of play in the remaining debates. Health care is one area that America is lagging behind on compared to most developed nations.

If you are an individual who needs health insurance, need family coverage, or a small business owner who needs to provide coverage to your employees, you had best not wait for the politicians to get their act together.

Better, more affordable health care is an issue that has been discussed for a long time in America and apparently will require a lot more debate and discussion before anything is done at the federal level.

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Mitt Romney as President should please America’s businessmen and corporate executives. After all, he has impressive credentials as being a highly successful picture perfect corporate executive.

Mitt Romney received his B.A., with highest honors, from Brigham Young University in 1971. In 1975, he was awarded an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was named a Baker Scholar, and earned a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

That’s a good start to become part of boardroom America.

From 1978 to 1984, Mr. Romney was a Vice President at Bain & Company, Inc., a leading management consulting firm.

In 1984, Romney founded Bain Capital, one of the nation’s most successful venture capital and investment companies. Bain Capital helped launch hundreds of companies on a successful course, including Staples, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Domino’s Pizza, Sealy, Brookstone, and The Sports Authority.

Bain Capital has an outstanding track record as a venture capital firm earning triple digit returns a year for its partners. Mitt Romney knows a thing or two about American style capitalism.

Elected as Governor of Massachusetts in 2002, Governor Romney managed over a dramatic reversal of state fortunes and a period of sustained economic expansion. Without raising taxes or increasing debt, Governor Romney balanced the budget every year of his administration, closing a nearly $3 billion budget gap inherited when he took office.

Mitt Romney is a proven businessman as well as an effective manager in the public sector.

So what is the uncertainly about Romney’s campaign? It’s certainly not his ability to raise money.

He is ahead of the other Republican candidates in the polls, and his business connections have him leading the Republican fundraising race by banking $23 million in the first quarter.