Tag Archives: WeTheCommoners

Confronting Afghanistan: Day of Darkness

Posted on by under 9/11, Global Issues, History, Political commentary, Re-blogs, Social commentary

I wrote last week regarding my concerns over the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, my fear that the Afghani people will be subjected to harsh treatment by cruel, evil men who respect none, and the concern that the Taliban, once back in power, will retaliate once again against the U.S.  Our friend Quentin at We the Commoners blog has written an excellent analysis of the situation as it stands today.  Thank you, Quentin … great work, as always!

Confronting Afghanistan: Day of Darkness

By Quentin Choy

The scenes in Afghanistan are chilling. As the Taliban slowly conquered regions over the last few weeks, their march on Kabul was imminent.

President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was the correct decision in the long-term, but the devastating short-term consequences we are seeing are haunting.

Following two decades of war in Afghanistan, the U.S is ending the longest war in its history with very little to show for it.

“Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been nation building.  It was never supposed to be creating a unified, centralized democracy. Our only vital national interest in Afghanistan remains today what it has always been: preventing a terrorist attack on American homeland.”

President Joe Biden

Read the rest of Quentin’s post here

The Dark Road Ahead: The Future of U.S.-Iranian Relations

Posted on by under Global Issues, Political commentary, Re-blogs

A few days ago, I re-blogged a post by new blogging friend Quentin over at WeTheCommoners.  The post detailed the history of U.S.-Iranian relations and provided a timeline of how we got where we are today.  At time, I asked Quentin if he might consider a follow-up giving his assessment of where we go from here, where he sees the relationship heading over the coming years/decades.  This post is a result of that conversation, and I think you’ll find that Quentin has a good understanding of the relationship between the two countries and has provided a thought-provoking assessment.  Thank you, Quentin, both for this post and your permission to share it!

The Dark Road Ahead: The Future of U.S.-Iranian Relations

By Quentin Choy

July 30, 2021

One of my most popular posts “How We Got Here: An Illustrated Timeline of U.S.-Iranian Relations” went over the last couple of decades of U.S.-Iranian relations. The illustrated timeline showed the events that deteriorated relations to the poor point at which they now stand.

In this post, I’ll discuss what I believe the future will look like for U.S.-Iranian relations based off of current political and diplomatic trends.

Continued U.S. Escalation Through Rhetoric and Sanctions

The U.S. and Iran have engaged with one another in a tit-for-tat fashion over the last few decades, with the C.I.A. coup in 1953 and subsequent Iranian Revolution in 1979 serving as catalysts toward disaster. The kidnapping of American hostages in the Tehran embassy will always serve as a hot point between the two nations as well.

The return of American hostages from Iran.

Following attempts to restrict Iranian access to nuclear weapons through the Iran nuclear deal, the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018 with then-president Donald Trump citing that the deal wouldn’t sufficiently ensure that Iran would not gain access to nuclear weapons.

The United States has placed sanctions on Iran for decades, and those sanctions continue on to the present day.

… Read more of this post

The Rise of the American Left and Nina Turner: What Her Win Would Mean

Posted on by under Election 2022, Election 2024, Political commentary, Re-blogs

Today I would like to share another post by our new blogging friend Quentin over at WeTheCommoners.  Quentin talks a bit about some of the up-and-coming new faces in the Democratic Party, or the ‘Left’, and then he posits that the new blood in the party needs to stand firm, that they aren’t being forceful enough and have been afraid to utilize their power.  Now, up to this point, I fully agree with him … the Democratic Party as a whole needs to be more forceful, not allow the ‘other side’ to walk all over them as they are so often doing these days.  But he takes it a step further and there is a point where I’m not quite 100% in agreement with him.  However, I want you to read this post with an open mind, for he makes many excellent points that should be given thought, so I won’t express my reservations just yet … perhaps later on in comments.  Thank you, Quentin, for a very thought-provoking, well-written post!

The Rise of the American Left and Nina Turner: What Her Win Would Mean

The American left has slowly risen in power. Would Nina Turner’s potential win in Ohio give them the energy they need to fight their own party?

By Quentin Choy

July 27, 2021

If you’ve paid any attention to American politics over the last five years, you’ve noticed several upstarts on the political left.

An unknown Senator from Vermont almost defeated Hillary Clinton and the Democratic machine in the 2016 primaries.

A young bartender in the Bronx defeated a 10-term Congressman. Over in the north Bronx, a high school principal defeated the chair of the House Foreign Affairs committee just two years later.

Please read the rest of the post by clicking on the link!

An Exciting New Blog …

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Global Issues, Political commentary, Re-blogs, Social commentary

Today, I would like to introduce you all to a new blogging friend, Quentin Choy, who has recently started the blog WeTheCommoners.  His blog, per his ‘About’ page …

“ … Aims to create a place where a multitude of political and non-political ideas are shared and challenged.

WeTheCommoners comes from the phrase “We the People,” found in the Constitution. The word commoner is used instead of people because a clear divide has been established between ordinary, working-class Americans and those who are meant to represent them in Washington. Many in Washington view normal people like you and I as “commoners,” or as people who come second to political parties, lobbyists, and campaigns.

In a polarized America, many are afraid to discuss things that are even slightly political, and WeTheCommoners hopes to change that. With blog posts from ordinary people with a wide range of political beliefs, your personal beliefs will be challenged. Bloggers on WeTheCommoners are upfront about their opinions and political stances and come from all walks of life.

I hope this blog inspires you to share your political opinions, normalize having political conversations, and maybe even become actively involved in the political world!”

I don’t often promote new blogs, but when I see a blogger’s work as exceptional, beyond the pale, then I like to do my small part to help them grow their blog.  I think Quentin’s blog is worth that effort.  He first caught my eye when he commented on my post about Jeff Bezos’ space excursion and how much money was simply burned up while people go hungry every day in this country.  Curiosity piqued, I paid a visit to Quentin’s blog, liked what I saw, and I want to help him if I can.  I well remember my early blogging days when, after a year, I had 30 followers and thought I was in the big time!

Quentin’s latest post is one that I think is well worth reading … he traces the recent … last 70 years or so … history of the relationship between the U.S. and Iran.  He reminds us of some things we may have forgotten, and answers the question:  How did we get where we are today?

Sometimes it’s easy to think that the country we live in is the entire world.  Oh sure, we all know there are other countries out there, and that our government, no matter what country you live in, interacts with the governments of all these other countries, but … we live in the moment.  And the moment, for many of us, perhaps most of us, is what’s happening outside our back door.  Here in the U.S., it is the rampant toll of the coronavirus pandemic with all its variants, having taken more than 625,000 lives thus far.  It is far right radical politicians turning our government into a three-ring circus.  It is the threat of one of our political parties shredding our Constitution and turning this nation into an autocracy worthy of third-world status.

But … the internal problems can become somewhat less relevant in a heartbeat if a global threat should occur.  I once worked for a professor of International Relations and did some of the research for his academic paper about how some nations use an external threat, real or designed, to ease bring about internal cohesion.  The examples are many.  Think on that one for a minute, my friends.

I hope you’ll take a look at Quentin’s blog, give him a word of encouragement, and stay tuned for more!  A brief sampling of his latest post …

How We Got Here: An Illustrated Timeline of U.S.-Iranian Relations

By Quentin Choy

I remember being afraid that an actual hot war would take place between the United States and Iran a few years ago. Being at the prime age for the military draft, I was greatly concerned. I wrote to my Congressman Ed Case, trying to figure out what Congress was doing to get the situation under control.

I clearly remember thinking to myself, how did we get to this point? In this post, we’ll explore a timeline of events that deteriorated the U.S.-Iran relationship to a breaking point.

1953: The C.I.A. launches a coup in Iran, overthrowing democratically elected PM Mohammad Mosaddegh following plans to nationalize Iranian oil. The Shah takes power and is friendlier to the West.

To see the rest of this timeline, please visit Quentin’s post at WeTheCommoners