ryan evans

National:
This past Tuesday, Mitt Romney won the Michigan primary. He crushed Sen. John McCain by about nine or so percent. This continues to leave the Republican Party without the slightest idea of who will receive their nomination. There is absolutely no front runner. However, in South Carolina, it is reported that Sen. McCain and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee are neck and neck. The vagueness of the Republican campaign trail is astounding. This is a completely wide open race. Also, with Rudy Guliani stocking support in Florida, we see many more complications as he very well might win there and in New York. The plot thickens…

Opinion:
This is getting way tiring. I am beginning to lose faith. As of now, I cannot see any of these GOP hopefuls emerging and defeating either Ms. Clinton, or Mr. Obama. However, that is just my sentiment at this moment, it could very well change in a few hours or so. I cannot recall any sort of election such as this one. The opinion of these political pundits is useless. Whatever they say will happen, the opposite will likely happen. They completely failed to call New Hampshire. Anyway, I do not know how to think or feel right now.

National:
The mudslinging has begun in South Carolina. Many of the presidential hopefuls have been the victim of many false allegations. Many South Carolinians received bogus Christmas cards. They were apparently from Mitt Romney and the return address was to a Mormon Temple in Boston. Barack Obama has also been under attack. Pamphlets have been passed out around South Carolina that he attended a radical Islamic school while growing up in the Middle East. This only perpetuates the history of South Carolina’s hardball politics.

Opinion:
This type of campaigning is ridiculous. It is outright rude to slander a candidate in that regard. However, it is indeed quite effective. If one candidate is able to corrupt the voters over the values and background of another, then the original candidate wins. It is quite a cheap way to win if you asked me, but again, it works. Maybe a dead skeleton is good in getting publicity from a careless nation, but in the long run it is lame. Answer the question and promote yourself. Do not bring down others!

International:
Flour shortages and rising food prices are now plaguing the nation of Pakistan. This is already adding more danger to a plagued country in disarray. The price of a forty-five pound bag of flour had gone up from $4.30 to $8 in less then two months. Smugglers are also stealing flour from Pakistan and going into Afghanistan to sell it for a higher price. This food shortage will be a key issue in the upcoming Parliamentary elections. The Pakistani people are tired, and reeling from terrorist attacks. Now they cannot even get food. This is a true crisis and something needs to be done.

Opinion:
I truly feel bad for these poor, poor people. No civilians deserve to be treated this way. The Islamic radicals and Pakistani government are getting in the way of democracy. These people have never felt true freedom before. Food prices and devastating living conditions are now hurting the people as well. Some sort of intervention is needed in this country. These people need peace, rest, and food. Democracy needs to be made effective in Pakistan, and it needs to happen soon.

International:
A radical Islamic group in Somalia is currently making a resurgence against the weak central government. Rocked propelled grenades and mortar shells killed twenty today in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu. The Somalian government has been in disarray since 1991, when the Islamic insurgence took over. Recently, Ethiopia has become allies with the country but to no avail. The government is unable to sustain any sort of attack from the insurgence.

Opinion:
As you can read, radical Islam is not at all good for the world. The Ethiopians are not helping much. This religious insurgence, which is frequent throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and the South Pacific, is spreading like wildfire. Soon enough, the United States will have to intervene even more abroad then we already are. This violence has to stop. Unfortunately, these radicals do not talk, they kill!