Obama Must Be Nervous After Ouster of Ukraine President

          The people of Ukraine have repeatedly shown their fortitude and resilience since they severed ties with the former Soviet Union and became an independent nation in 1991.  They stepped up to the plate again during the subsequent Orange Revolution of 2004 and 2005, forcing the results of a fraudulent presidential election to be overturned.  And this week, once again, these proud, independent people have taken their country back by ousting President Viktor Yanukovych.  Yanukovych’s policies were taking Ukraine back to closer ties with the Russian Federation, while the majority of Ukrainians wanted to foster their burgeoning relationship with Europe and the West.

A Rich Country

          Ukraine is known as the ‘breadbasket of Europe’ because of its abundance of rich, fertile soil that produces grain for export.  Its state (or oblast, as they call it) of Crimea sits on the Black Sea where the seaside city of Yalta rivals any town on the Italian Riviera.  Yalta was also the site of the famous World War II Conference between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin that took place in 1945.  The capital city of Kiev is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and is fast becoming a tourist mecca.  With so much going for it, along with this latest turn of events, it looks like Ukraine has a bright future ahead and can look forward to even closer ties with the West.  President Obama must be getting nervous after seeing how the people of another nation took back their country and ousted a president who did not reflect their values.

Egyptian Constitution Referendum

          Delivering a stinging rebuke to Barack Obama, Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, Egyptians overwhelmingly approved their new constitution in a two day referendum held last week.  Over 98% of the votes were in favor of the new constitution with more than 38% of the electorate casting ballots.  The new constitution was drafted by Egyptian leaders who would like to see the country move towards a democracy, after the military ousted radical Islamist Mohammed Morsi from power last July.  Morsi’s removal followed weeks of mass protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square against his increasingly authoritarian policies.

Washington Liberals Not Pleased

          One would think that this would be the perfect time for the United States to heartily congratulate the people of Egypt and welcome this first step in their journey towards democracy and restored relations with the western world.  Instead, Secretary of State John Kerry has done nothing but ‘raise concerns’ about these new developments.  And while all other news outlets are expressing optimism for Egypt, the New York Times has been patently negative in their reporting of this event.  And just imagine the chagrin of Barack Obama who supplied Mr. Morsi with F-16 fighter jets…or Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who told students at Cairo University two years ago “I would not look to the U.S. Constitution if I were drafting a constitution…”.  Guess we know whose side they’re on!

Walk Like an Egyptian

          Well, I for one am delighted and happy for the Egyptian people who have firmly rejected those who promote sharia law (also known as ‘hand chopping fascists) and instead have set their course toward democracy.  With a population of 84 million and a strategic location at the intersection of Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Egypt is poised to reclaim its heritage as an important world power.  All eyes will be upon them as they navigate uncharted waters in their voyage to a better life for all.  Egyptians will now have an opportunity to serve as a shining example for the people of other countries in the region who also long for the same simple pleasure of just being able to live, prosper and raise their families in peace and freedom.  We wish our Egyptian friends well and look forward to an ever closer relationship with them.

Carnage in a Russian City

          Islamic militants have killed more the 30 people and injured many more in two suicide bombings that took place in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad.  The first bombing occurred Sunday at the large Railway Station, which serves as a transportation hub for southern Russia.  Less than 24 hours later a second bombing occurred on a crowded trolley bus during the Monday morning rush hour.

Islamic Terrorists to Blame Once Again

          These bombings, both believed to have been committed by Islamic terrorists, come just weeks before the 2014 Winter Olympic Games are scheduled to begin in Sochi, located only 400 miles southwest of Volgograd on the Black Sea.  The terrorists are believed to be Chechen rebels who are trying to establish a separate Islamic state in the southern-most region of Russia, a strategic area which is part of the Caucasus situated between the Caspian and the Black Seas.  It is an important side note that the two brothers who committed the Boston Marathon bombings in April were from this same region and it is believed they shared the same cause.

Russians and Americans Should Be Friends

          Thus far, the United States has not seen the Russian Federation as an ally in the War on Terror and we believe this is a mistake.  Our on-again-off-again relationship with Russia should now be back on…full on!  One need only visit this beautiful country and meet its friendly people to realize that we have much more in common than we have differences.  Our experience has been that the Russian people have a favorable view of the West and of Americans in particular.  Both countries should take advantage of this amiable relationship and team up to defeat the scourge that has been threatening world peace for more than forty years.  However imperfect the leaders of our two countries may be, they both appear to operate in the same manner and this would seem to give them a starting point for a more productive relationship.

A Final Note

          It is a sad fact that almost every world conflict today involves Muslims.  We still believe that this can be attributed to a small minority of Islamic militants who have hijacked Islam for their own twisted purposes.  We would like to think that the 10% of Islam which is actually a legitimate religion is still worthy of our respect and that it is only the 90% of Islam which is a fascist political system that is our enemy.  We challenge all peace loving Muslims to stand up and take back their religion from the small group of extremists who have stolen their faith.  In the meantime, Americans are in solidarity with our Russian friends as they deal with the carnage left by the barbarians in Volgograd.  We salute the Russian Federation and support its campaign to deny even one square inch of additional territory to the terrorists.