Trump’s Last Stand
Constitutional principles regarding the separation of powers would become meaningless rhetoric if such attacks resulted in zero accountability. Principles that should be above partisan politics. The gravity of Trump’s actions merits a conviction in the Senate, a conviction that shows bipartisan support for higher constitutional values.
Streets of Rage
For over 10 days, Americans have watched as protests paralleling the civil rights movement erupted across the country. The majority of protestors have taken to the streets by speaking the language of Martin Luther King Jr: the peaceful protest.
Peace with the Taliban?
Unfortunately, the graveyard of empires will almost surely enter into another phase of a war after this agreement. There may be sporadic US involvement initially, but eventually, the instability that triggered the civil war after the Soviet invasion will lead to a continued state of war. After 18 years of war, the people of Afghanistan cannot be abandoned this way. A true peace plan would have had representatives of the people of Afghanistan.
After Acquittal
While it is true that our problems are different from the problems in the US and it is impossible to make an apple to apple comparison, it is also true that the scourge of unchecked, unaccountable power has been a bigger problem for our country than theirs. It has now risen in India and in other countries around the world. We cannot allow it to return here. We need to learn to prevent it by seeing the signs of its rise early and nipping it in the bud.
The Trial of Donald J. Trump
From an objective lens, it is clear that Trump should be removed from office. However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the Senate is controlled by Republicans led by Mitch McConnell. McConnel did not mince words in indicating his intent to protect Trump, whatever the cost. This would of course mean violating his oath as a Senator, but that hardly seems to matter in a polarised Congress
Bolton’s War
History has a strange way of repeating itself. Perhaps that is why people should be more careful about learning from it. Not so long ago, we had another inept president of the United States and a warmonger pulling his strings from behind the scenes. The Bush-Cheney team that tore down Iraq over fictional weapons of mass destruction. Cheney, like Bolton, thought the only way forward for Iraq was through regime change. He, too, didn’t mind bending the rules (or firebombing them) to achieve his goals.
A Dream of Peace
Without resolving the hostility between the Taliban and the Afghan government, the US may be leaving behind a land ripe for civil war. Consider the statement of the Taliban’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, who has said that he expects the Afghan army to be disbanded after a peace deal.