MLS Shirt Sponsorships – Negative or Positive?
The San Jose Earthquakes became the newest sponsored club in MLS with a $2 to $3 million deal closed with Amway. They join the ranks of Chicago Fire (Best Buy), Chivas USA (Comex), Columbus Crew (Glidden), DC United (Volkswagen), Houston Dynamo (Amigo Energy), Los Angeles Galaxy (Herbalife), New York Red Bulls (Red Bull), Real Salt Lake (XanGo), Seattle Sounders FC (Xbox 360 Live), and Toronto FC (BMO). This leaves only Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, Kansas City Wizards, and New England Revolution as the only teams without shirt sponsors.
It is a source of pride for many fans that the Wizards have yet to succumb to the multi-million dollar deals that imprint advertisements on club shirts. In many sport leagues across the world, shirt sponsorships are the norm, especially in soccer. But in the United States, most of the sports outside of auto-racing have resisted and banned kit sponsorships – except in MLS. MLS has set a baseline of $500,000 to become a shirt sponsor with MLS taking in a flat fee of $200,000 per deal. It is lucrative and enticing for a league that is struggling to build popularity and success for soccer in a country that lacks a popular soccer culture. Shirt sponsorships help to ensure profitability for clubs and thus MLS. And in a sport where there are no time outs, constant visible sponsorship translates to no television advertisements during the game.
But shirt sponsorships dirty the sport. If any fan is asked any where whether they like the look of their club’s kits, most would respond yes except for the sponsor. The presence of the advertisement tarnishes the generations old and loved kits of Europe and South America. Though MLS lacks the century old memories of teams, advertisements are not any cleaner on an MLS shirt. They are eyesores, and depending on the sponsor, can be insulting to the sport.
For instance, Amway, Herbalife, and XanGo are all pyramid scheme based companies known for marketing products that have been the source of lawsuits and negative studies regarding their impact. MLS does ban gambling and hard liquor sponsors, but not companies with negative connotations. And though Best Buy, Red Bull, and Volkswagen do not have quite the same negative connotations, many fans regard them as the butt of jokes, eyesores and dirtying the art and passion of a club’s kit.
So far the Wizards have not been reduced to a shirt sponsor, but the incentives are there and will most likely win. So when the Wizards do succumb to the profitability of a sponsor, there should be some considerations about who they choose. First consideration would be the integrity of the sponsor. The Wizards should not choose a company whose product is liable to lawsuits (such as Herbalife), negative marketing schemes (such as Amway, Herbalife, and XanGo), or whose company name or product has a negative connotation (such as Amway, Herbalife, or XanGo). The second consideration should be to promote a local company to become the sponsor.
A few examples of the choice companies Kansas City has to offer are AMC Theatres, Applebee’s, Garmin (who sponsor Middlesbourgh in the EPL), H and R Block, Hallmark Cards, Russell Stover, Sprint Nextel, and YRC Worldwide. And Cerner would be a readily available, though not very visible, sponsor for the Wizards since OnGoal, LLC (owners of the Wizards) was founded by the founders of Cerner (Neal Patterson, president and CEO of Cerner) and Clifford Illig (board member of Cerner). A much less viable but happier alternative would be sponsorship from Kansas City’s beloved Boulevard Brewery.
Charles Aaron Nickless
27 January 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
Wizards Stadium Begins With Bannister Demolition
LANE4 Property Group has begun the exterior demolition of the Bannister Mall. In its place they will develop a 467 acre mixed-use project including the Wizards Stadium. For Wizards fans, MLS fans, and soccer fans this is a crucial event.
According to www.thetrailskc.com:
The Trails encompasses more than 400 prime acres in the heart of the Kansas City metro, and is accessible to more than 1.1 million people within a 20 minute drive or less. The various components of The Trails are designed to draw shoppers, sports fans, workers and diners during the day, evening, weekdays and weekends. These visitors will enjoy a meticulously designed, highly creative community that will become a favorite destination for years to come.
The Trails will feature an 18,500 seat stadium that will be home to The Wizards, Kansas City’s Major League Soccer team. The stadium, which will also host concerts and other events, is complemented by 12 state-of-the-art tournament soccer fields that will host more than 750,000 players and their families each year. Offices will play a prominent role at The Trails. At completion, there will be more than one and a half million square feet of office space in a campus-like setting that will be home to more than 4,000 working professionals.
The Trails will feature stores and restaurants that serve both the surrounding community and visitors seeking a unique and entertaining experience during their visit to the stadium, soccer fields or other destinations. At completion, there will be almost 1,000,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and hotels at The Trails. Visitors to The Trails will be able to experience some of the country’s most sought-after retailers along with many unique local favorites.
After several years of planning and discussing it would appear that the project cannot be halted and that the Bannister area will be injected with redevelopment. The most important aspect of course is the Wizards finally will their own soccer specific stadium.
The crime in the Bannister Mall area had hit a plateau but it was still an aspect of the area giving it a negative reputation. This redevelopment mainly of the area where the mall stands will replace a nearly emptied structure with several new and diversified businesses that will bring jobs and patrons to the area. LANE4 Property Group already has the biggest draw with the 18,500 seat Wizards stadium and plan to have an anchor retail store and an anchor office tenant.
The idea of mixed-use is to counter the dead and empty space surrounding the Truman Sports Complex where no businesses have developed to capture the nearly year round visitors attending sports games. The Trails with pre-planned retail, restaurants, and office space will provide year round traffic with the boost of spectators coming to Wizards games and the twelve tournament soccer fields.
This unfortunate marriage between MLS stadiums and youth fields is unfortunate but since soccer has yet to emerge as a major spectator sport, any added draw is needed to justify public funding. In contrast, major sports like baseball, basketball, and football need no justification even though by scale the soccer funding would be no less expensive or risky. And to add to the humor for Kansas City, while a useful and well-planned endeavor is happening in Bannister, an arena is empty except for scattered exhibition games and concerts Downtown. It would seem that a well-planned and sustainable project cannot muster support whereas an ill-planned and unsustainable project can just because it adds flash to the city (when in fact there is no substance to add flash with outside of its flying saucer architecture).
The only problem foreseeable now with The Trails project is whether they can attract tenants. With retailers closing stores and businesses laying off employees, the demand for The Trails might not be there. One could argue that this project, which had been discussed and even planned to some extent, should have been given clearance earlier to avoid this problem. The obstacles were mostly in Bannister neighborhood groups wanting to save the mall for community reasons and the state government, despite having the necessary information, failing to act in allocating money to The Trails. Of course, if The Trails had been built earlier, it would still face the problems of store closings and layoffs.
But the prospect of a permanent and soccer specific home for the Wizards is good one. The stadium will provide traffic March through October. This should boost the draw and survival chances of some retailers and restaurants. And in addition, a soccer specific stadium should help the Wizards draw more people to games and pull a profit. This is a trend throughout the MLS as teams build soccer specific stadiums. Spectators are more willing to go to soccer games in those stadiums compared to going to large cavernous football stadiums where the crowds are dwarfed and their sounds are too thin. Also, by occupying soccer specific stadiums, teams do not have to pay the overhead costs of running stadiums that are three or four times too large.
But no matter how long it will take to fill office and retail space, the Wizards stadium should provide a positive catalyst for the region and Kansas City. It will provide consistent traffic because of one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. This should ensure that The Trails will succeed. And unlike the Truman Sports Complex, the pre-planned office and retail space once filled will provide constant traffic and revenue in the area.
But most importantly, the Kansas City Wizards will finally have a place to call home.
Charles Aaron Nickless
22 January 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
Obamalution: The Inauguration
Today, 20 January 2009, Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. It was a momentous event as Obama marked the first time an African-American was voted president. It was revolutionary in perspective of America’s history. Four decades since the zenith of the civil rights movement, two generations removed from segregation and accepted personal and state sanctioned prejudice, the United States voted for an African-American as President of the United States. Over a million people crowded the streets and parks of the District of Columbia to witness this significant occasion. Across the fifty states and the countries of the world, the people watched and listened, they cheered and cried with tears of jubilation.
Following the swearing in of Vice President Joseph Biden, Obama took the oath of office. He interrupted Chief Justice Roberts and he forgot a line, but if those insignificant mistakes are but representatives of his future administration, they can easily be forgiven. Obama follows eight years of hypocritically conservative rule where isolation in decisions preceded unilateralism in actions. Obama follows eight years of an administration whose party espouses small decentralized government but in action increased the government size and consolidated more power in one position.
The beginning of the Obama administration will hopefully mean change to the United States. The misconceived and illogical isolationism and unilateralism of the Bush administration will hopefully give way to the common sense of internationalism. The deficient economic policies of upper income tax cuts and lax to non-existent government oversight will hopefully be corrected to cut the deficit and to curb wasteful and ill-used government spending. The socially conservative views, that if had held sway forty years would not have elected Obama, hopefully will become moderate, and maybe even liberal.
There is no doubt that Obama’s election as President of the United States will singlehandedly change the world, but hopefully his election marks the beginning of a culture evolving. As the President of the United States, hopefully Obama will not act as if he is the American representative, that he is the final decision maker, and that his policies are the only ones that matter. Hopefully Obama will work within federalism, and enlist the support and legislation at all levels of citizenry. But hopefully Obama will spearhead and lead the redevelopment of American industry, the continued growth of American education, the revitalization of world democracy, and the revolution of world energy.
Maybe that is too much to ask for in the president. It is not an authoritarian office, unlike what some Bush supporters might have imagined. It is an office that should enact legislation and create leadership for legislation. To pull together so many elected officials from so many disparate environs representing so many people and such divided party lines will be a near impossible task. But as Obama said in his inaugural speech, the American public’s “spirit is stronger and cannot be broken.” It was in reference to outside pressures but is relevant to the issues dividing public opinion.
Obama is not a revolutionary, and as can be seen from his cabinet nominees, may not even be a liberal. But he is a step forward, possibly even two, for the United States. If Obama can create a united legislated front his policies will hopefully stem the tide of recession, promote more energy efficiency, and support democracy.
His economic policies might only create or save enough jobs that are to be lost; his energy policy might only marginally decrease the American carbon footprint and increase more energy efficiency; and his foreign policy would only pull American soldiers out of a country that America helped build and then destroy before a long-term peace, stability, and democracy is achieved, and his foreign policy would only slightly strengthen the international military presence in a country that harbors and trains international fighters bent on the destruction of the United States and the promotion of a reactionary religious idea. But Obama represents a cultural shift, a new world view, of the American public.
It may not last long. France, a country that prides itself on equality, has had recent ethnic riots and lacks substantial ethnic representation in its legislature despite significant minority populations. The United Kingdom has only had one female prime minister and she was a bastion of conservatism begging the question “could Thatcher have won if she was liberal?” Despite the historically low numbers of minority senators and representatives, hopefully Obama’s election signals that though the United States may not always be first, it will be long-lasting and better than others.
Of course, in time, all powers fade, such as the Roman and British Empires, but ideas will remain. As long as the United States remembers, understands, holds on to, and practices the ideas of personal freedom, and continues to embrace newer and better ideals, then the United States will continue to be a leading country in the world. In time the United States will probably not be the superpower it is now, but like its founding country, the United Kingdom, hopefully the United States will continue to promote freedom and democracy, and hopefully like all the people from all the different countries that make up the United States, it will continue to embrace and promote more and new ideas.
This continuance of the United States, of the ideas of people everywhere, this is the importance of Barack Obama.
Charles Aaron Nickless
20 January 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
Wizards 2009 SuperDraft Picks
The 2009 MLS SuperDraft has ended and the Kansas City Wizards look to make improvements to last year’s 11-10-9 record. After several seasons plagued with goal scoring, holding, and set piece problems, Wizards fans were hoping to shore up the midfield.
First round draft pick Matt Besler mostly played as a central defender with the University of Notre Dame, and will be a wanted piece to the Wizards central defense. Since the Wizards main problem last year was not scoring enough goals this was the first of a couple of puzzling picks. But it is hoped Besler will help provide more back coverage as well as support the offense. He is considered a good replacement to Tyson Wahl and is hoped will partner well with Wizards captain Jimmy Conrad. In addition, Besler is a local kid from Overland Park where he helped Blue Valley West win the Kansas Class 5A 2005 Soccer Championship.
In the second round, the Wizards had two picks and chose first Doug DeMartin from Michigan State University then Graham Zusi from the University of Maryland. DeMartin was a surprise because as a forward he will be competing with four other established Wizards forwards: Adam Cristman, Herculez Gomez, Claudio Lopez, and Josh Wolff. Though the Wizards did not stand out in goal scoring (and to be fair it was Lopez’s first year in the MLS and Wolff only came back from Europe in the autumn), those four are considered competent enough if given support from the midfield. And to add to his grade, DeMartin failed to impress at the MLS combine.
This is where the pick for Zusi makes more sense. Zusi was the offensive MVP of the College Cup where he scored the only goal for Maryland for their national title. As an attacking midfielder he should be a welcome addition to complement head coach Curt Onalfo’s attacking aspirations. But attacking college players do not always translate well in the MLS and usually take time to settle and mature. Though Zusi was a MVP, he was not the most outstanding midfielder of the college season. But if he does settle and mature in time, Zusi will be a great pick for the Wizards. If not, as the most highly rated pick for the Wizards, it could spell continuing woes for the team.
From St. John’s University, the Wizards picked goalkeeper Neal Kitson in the third round. His pick was puzzling considering Erik Kronberg and Boris Pardo behind Kevin Hartman. In the fourth round the Wizards picked Akeem Priestley from the University of Connecticut. He is a midfielder with experience playing for the U-23 Jamaican squad. It is hoped his international cap experience and solid college play will translate into additional attacking options.
Overall it was a disappointing draft for the Wizards. The midfield has been considered the major obstacle to success for the Wizards and the lack of attention to this deficit may mean the Wizards organization is lost in how to win. Though the choice of Besler was good considering the interest in him from other clubs and that defense wins championships, the follow-up with DeMartin was poor. The Wizards would have been better off picking a midfielder to go along with Zusi. That way the Wizards would have options in configuring the best team to win games.
While a disappointing draft, it is still hoped that the additions of Besler and Zusi will strengthen the team’s spine. If so, there is a good chance that Kansas City will be back in the playoffs this year. But hopes for a championship still seem far off.
Charles Aaron Nickless
16 January 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
Scott Pioli – The New King of Kansas City
Scott Pioli is now the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs and throughout the Kaw’s mouth region people are celebrating. Pioli has an impressive resume including stints helping the New York Jets to the playoffs and of course helping the New England Patriots win three Super Bowls. But with such a past career can Pioli help the Kansas City Chiefs?
After the dismal 2-14 2008-2009 season the answer is yes. Barring unfortunate freak accidents or the possibility that Pioli was just a puppet then his influence in the Chiefs organization should drastically improve the franchise. Of course a drastic improvement would be 8-8. What Chiefs fans want though, is what they were promised at the beginning of Carl Peterson’s reign – a Super Bowl, and hopefully a win, though four and out like the Bills wouldn’t be the worst possibility.
Pioli will definitely bring change to an organization in the process of rebuilding. It is a perfect fit. But who will be the casualties? Head coach Herm Edwards seems to be the first on the chopping block. A few players’ futures also hang in the balance of Pioli’s evaluation of the team.
Running back Larry Johnson would top the list with his subpar season, expensive salary (expensive to Kansas City), and off and on field troubles. The quarterback position also raises a dilemma for Pioli. Brodie Croyle has now proven he is too injury prone to be a starter if even a backup; Damon Huard is beginning to show his age and was never an outstanding quarterback; and Tyler Thigpen, while demonstrating moments of skill and leadership, was inconsistent with his only saving grace being his young age and inexperience.
And then there is Tony Gonzalez, the best tight end in the NFL. He demanded a mid-season trade because of the horrendous prospects of the Chiefs. Gonzalez is the Chiefs best weapons and to lose him would be a massive blow. But he is nearing his mid-thirties and, despite his support of Kansas City and his regret at wanting to leave, Gonzalez has shown his unhappiness which could translate to poor performances.
Will Pioli completely overhaul the Kansas City Chiefs? It almost seems so. And would it be a bad thing? Probably not.
The biggest block to change might be conservative head coach Edwards. Though a defensive minded coach, he has proven to be too cautious. The major obstacle would be that he has one year left on his contract. Pioli could hang on to him for this next year in the hopes of hiring a better coach than the options available at the moment.
The New York Giants defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo had high potential until the Giants end of season losses and playoff losses diminished that potential. But another potential candidate might be better if Pioli waits for him in a year. The University of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has demonstrated his ability to turn around the Iowa football program. The drawback is his lack of NFL experience. But if Pioli wants to overhaul a program and start from scratch, Ferentz might be the right person at the right time for the job.
As for Larry Johnson, he did show bursts of his strength and some running maturity. But overall Johnson underperformed for his salary and his own hype. His attitude and actions are a liability on the field as well as off. And his running style, a powerful head on approach, is too reminiscent of the great Chief, Christian Okoye, whose career was cut short due to injuries from a similar running style. Pioli might do better to cut Johnson and focus on Kolby Smith and Jamaal Charles while drafting a third running back such as Shonn Green, LeSean McCoy, or Knowshon Moreno.
The quarterback dilemma seems to be ever present for the Kansas City Chiefs since Len Dawson. While the Chiefs have shown moments of brilliance there has not been a year in and year out consistent quarterback since Dawson. Blackledge was a flop, Montana was at the end of his career, Green was injury prone, and DeBerg, Krieg, Grbac, Gannon, and Huard have all been professional backups displaying moments of good play but in the long run have been inconsistent.
But Tyler Thigpen has begun to shine through. His passer rating overall though below average, showed a burgeoning quarterback. He suffered most of his worst moments in the beginning of the season when he went from third string to first because of injuries and towards the end, especially during the sub-arctic weather against Miami. Besides being a young third string quarterback, Thigpen was playing in an offense he was not used to. But the Chiefs changed to fit his style and demonstrated some success. And as the spread offense becomes a reality in the NFL, Thigpen’s knowledge and success with it could be an asset for Pioli.
But the biggest challenges facing Pioli should be the lines – both offensive and defensive. The offensive line failed to fully protect the quarterbacks which in turn could be considered a factor in many of the quarterback mistakes and the injuries to Croyle and Huard. The offensive line’s performance also stymied the running game.
The defensive line, and the entire Chiefs defense, failed to apply pressure to any quarterback which in turn put more pressure on the Chiefs young secondary. In addition, the defensive line opened the opposing teams running. Dorsey, Hali, McBride, and Tyler have not lived up to expectations though in the case of Dorsey, McBride, and Tyler they are still young enough to be given another year or two. Of course, along with the problems of the defensive line and the defense in general, might be defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham. It is possible he has stayed too long, run out of ideas, and has failed to evolve tactics with the evolution of NFL offenses.
Pioli definitely has a chance to control, for the better, the fortunes of the Kansas City Chiefs. While a complete overhaul is needed especially with owner Clark Hunt’s decision to rebuild, there are glimmers of hope already in place.
Pioli might think twice before sacking Edwards prior to the end of his contract since it is only one year away, he is a defensive minded coach, and he has displayed an ability to nurture young players. But if he is kept it must only be for that one year.
Johnson, though, must go. His expenses outweigh his contributions, and Charles has demonstrated that with the help of a second running back as well as Smith that the Chiefs can have an effective running attack.
Thigpen must stay to demonstrate that he can start in an offense built around him, and because drafting a first round quarterback as shown by Blackledge can be dangerous. If anything, Pioli should wait until next year for Bradford, McCoy, or Tebow.
The lines must definitely be overhauled with both needing better personnel or at least in the case of the defensive line, good depth support if the young players are failing to perform. And Cunningham should be reviewed. It might be his time to go.
Charles Aaron Nickless
15 January 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
Israel and Palestine – A Review and Criticism, Part 3
The central theme to this conflict is religion (though it is worth noting that the Jews are an ethnic group as well). Historically the Jews have been persecuted in almost every period of foreign conquest. Reasons for this would be hard to surmise, but one simple conclusion would be to ask “who would want to surrender to another power, especially when a way of life is threatened?”
By the 20th century, most Jews lived outside of their historic homeland of Israel-Palestine. The majority were European though with substantial Arab and Persian populations. Muslims were in the majority in Palestine with a small minority of Christians. All three religions consider the area of Israel-Palestine to be of great historical and religious importance. So with the influx of Jews, and foreign Jews at that, religious tensions arose (underscored by ethnic tensions because Jews hold both distinctions).
To say that it was the Muslim Arabs homeland and the Jews had of right to return forgets the Jewish historical roots. It also forgets that the Arabs moved into the area after the Jewish Diaspora. To allow the Jews to return and set up a state, though secular still expounds Judaism, complicates many international problems and conflicts. Under this argument, American Aborigines could claim right of return in any part of the Americas (but especially the Eurocentric United States and Canada) and set up a state ala Israel.
But this still simplifies the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict because there is no third party such as the Christians who, because of religious, and on the part European Jews, ethnic similarities, feel more inclined to support the cause of the Israelis. And this still deludes the historic and religious motivations behind the Christians (many American Evangelicals feel that supporting the state of Israel will hasten or support the coming of the Apocalypse).
To say that the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, the Holy Land, is a mess is a vast understatement. Because of the multi-national spread of both Christianity and Islam there is interest from almost every part of the world save the Hindu or Buddhist dominated countries such as India and China.
What is the answer? Is it possible that after all that has happened, that after lives have changed, that the Jews or other foreign Israelis should be removed? Or does the world except their part, that they helped industrialize the region, and let them stay at the expense of the Arabs? Do we follow through in support of the two-state solution? Or do we recognize historically and presently that it does not appear to work? For the sake of preventing worse fighting and destruction, there must be an answer soon as the Arab population booms in the face of the Jewish population.
One distinct, though presently politically suicidal possibility, is a political and religious neutral state administered by the United Nations. To do this though would require military support from the leading countries of the world and especially from the leading Christian and Muslim countries. The only drawback would be the lack of a Jewish representative country (for the moment it would be assumed the western Christian countries with the largest Jewish minorities would fill that gap).
This option would require fighting to neutralize all extremist and nationalist groups that would understandably fight back. But in the long run, it has more potential for halting the fighting. It possibly would also support the tourism trade for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. This is itself a financial incentive. But, like all the other options, requires major life changes.
But in the end, would any of these solutions really work permanently? Probably not when viewing the historical movements of people throughout the world. And then when considering the religious implications of side by side existence while espousing only one truth, the folly of any attempt at peace becomes laughable. Possibly the only true solution is total world-wide domination. But by who?
Charles Aaron Nickless
14 January 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
Israel and Palestine – A Review and Criticism, Part 2
The Arab inhabitants of Israel and its two Palestinian Territories, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, have lived violently side by side. Many Palestinian authorities refuse the legitimacy of the Israelis and in the case of the organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, continue to wage war.
Hamas has been the most vocal and aggressive since they are based out of the Gaza Strip while Hezbollah is based out of Lebanon and Syria. Hamas also has legitimacy as the governing party of the Gaza Strip after official elections. To their detriment they were not recognized due to the previous and ongoing violence that the party espouses and executes. Infighting with Fatah, the leading Palestinian party, caused a massive rift with Hamas controlling defacto the Gaza Strip and Fatah controlling the West Bank and maintaining the international face of the Palestinian movement.
While Fatah has been able to subdue most counterinsurgency activities in the West Bank, Hamas has promoted and carried out much of the violence in the Gaza Strip. It was their continued firing of rockets without much aim into Israel that lead to the present Israeli operation. Though the casualties and damage have been negligible, they are still dangerous and violent acts.
That Israel has held prior restraint in the wake of other, larger countries’ recent military reactions as well as their long victorious track record, is hard to believe. One idea is that they were held back by American political opinion and now with the American government in transition, have taken the opportunity to strike back. An example of this happening but without the retaliation is Washington asking Tel Aviv not to strike back at Iraq during the Persian Gulf War after Iraqi missile attacks.
The present Israeli attack, Operation Cast Lead, will supposedly minimize the political and military operations of Hamas. Instead of the tactics used for the previous few years of bombings, raids, and assassinations, Israel is conducting full military operations within much of the Gaza Strip and especially the urban centers.
The operation continues the statistics of mostly Palestinian casualties and few Israeli casualties. And while there are outcries of massacres, the Palestinian advantageous tactics of asymmetrical warfare will always put the public in danger. And while the Israeli response of limiting outside contact and aid may be considered inhumane, it is the most viable support they have while conduction such sweeping operations.
But the Israeli government has always restricted Palestinian movements. And this may be considered a major catalyst for the present situation. If a country is built by aggressive tactics then it will be considered a pariah. Israel was built by such tactics and continues to use them. Segregation and discrimination are reminiscent of treatment used against the Jewish populace, but in Israel are used against the Palestinians. And while the evils of the 20th century towards Jews are unacceptable and horrendous, Israel must be held responsible for their actions against the Palestinian people. Of course it is difficult not to respond when an enemy refuses to quit until your country is obliterated.
Charles Aaron Nickless
12 January 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
Israel and Palestine – A Review and Criticism, Part 1
The Israeli military began operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It is a conflict reaching back over a century, and without an end in sight. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a complicated crisis encompassing socio-historic, religious, socio-economic, and imperialistic components.
Its definitive history begins in the late 19th century with the Zionists – a political movement to found a Jewish Homeland in their historic homeland of Israel and Judea, now modern day Palestine. The driving force behind this movement was nearly universal persecution of Jews. Massacres and pogroms were not an uncommon happenstance in Europe at the time, especially Eastern Europe. The Zionists called for Jews to return to their historic lands where they would be free to live as Jews.
The problem then and now is that those lands now called Palestine were and are occupied by the Arabs – linguistically related but culturally and genetically different as most Jews, and especially most Zionists, were European. The Arabs at the time were mostly rural and made up predominantly by Muslims though there were substantial populations of Arab Christians and Arab Jews. The European Jews brought with them an urban European existence that at the time was driving paradigm behind industrialization and provided apt at creating successful communities while excluding the local populace.
The policy of Zionism was supported by the ruling Ottoman Turks as their empire was in decline and a focus on Turkish nationalism was emerging. At the end of World War One the Ottoman Empire lost and was broken up with the British Empire taking over Palestine. European control opened up Palestine to more Zionist settlements that continued to exclude Arabs leading to moments of violence. The British authorities did little to quell the violence taking shape on both sides.
Industrialization and the Great Depression began to affect Palestine. Arabs began to urbanize and to move into closer quarters and thus conflict with Jews. The emergence of fascism in Europe facilitated the movement of substantial European Jews to Palestine. Arab riots and revolts transpired as Germany began to gather and murder its and its conquered Jewish populations. In Palestine, some Arab leaders identified with the Nazis.
At the end of World War Two and with the founding of the United Nations, one of the foremost questions was what to do with Jews. The general idea was a two state existence for Jews and Arabs. But before any solution was solidified the British Mandate of Palestine was about to end, and not too soon as Jewish terrorism had begun to target their authority. The Jews feared widespread violence if any uncertainties about the state were left, such as the example of the Partition of India.
In 1948, Israel announced its independence and statehood. This action has sparked war after war which have all been won by Israel. But the victories have all been incomplete as the state remains surrounded by hostile neighbors and encompasses territories filled with angry, isolated, and alienated Arab citizens and refugees.
Charles Aaron Nickless
9 January 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
Obamalution: A Review of the Obama Administration, Part 2
What can be seen, though, are Obama’s attempts at a smooth transition to power. With the previously mentioned cabinet and cabinet level appointments, Obama has appeased the powerbase that is the moderates of the Democratic Party. Even further demonstrating his willingness and ability at bi-partisanship is his retaining of present Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. Another Young Republican, Gates is a career public servant. He started with the Central Intelligence Agency and remained mostly in its employ except for periods with the Air Force and the National Security Council. In the latter half of the Reagan administration, Gates became the Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. During the George H. W. Bush administration, Gates was the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor before becoming the Director of the CIA. Gates was investigated during the Iran-Contra Affair, and though his position gave him access and relationships with those involved, he was not prosecuted. From Bill Clinton’s election to president to his appointment as Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush, Gates was mostly an academic figure including the President of Texas A & M University. Gates was chosen to succeed Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense, and passed a Senate vote nearly unanimously. The only dissenters were both Republicans. Gates has gained praise for his quick action relating to military and veteran medical conditions but also criticism for his support of the 2007 American troop surge in Iraq.
For his choice as Secretary of the Treasury, Obama has chosen Timothy Geithner, the current President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Geithner has previous experience in the Treasury Department. He joined in the late 1980’s and was promoted several times during the Clinton administration. In 2003, Geithner became the New York Fed president where he was involved with the sale of Bear Stearns, the bailout of AIG, and the refusal not to bail out Lehman Brothers. Geithner has garnered praise for his willingness to experiment with financial crises.
As his Secretary of Labor, Obama has chosen Hilda Solis, a U.S. Representative from California. Solis has become known for her environmental, labor, and women’s rights activism. Solis has supported pro-labor legislation such as the Employee Free Choice Act, opposed the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and has spoken out against the horrendous murder statistics regarding Columbian union members and organizers. She has supported immigration reform and immigrant rights including allowing immigrants to become United States citizens after one year of military service. Solis was a supporter of Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nominee.
Janet Napolitano, Obama’s choice of Secretary of Homeland Security, was a U.S. Attorney appointed by former president Bill Clinton in 1993. In 1998 she became the Arizona Attorney General and then governor in 2002. She is a prominent female member of the Democratic Party.
If confirmed by Congress, Eric Holder will become the first African-American Attorney General. He is another Clinton appointed U.S. Attorney, a position he accepted after being appointed by Reagan as a Superior Court Judge of the District of Columbia. Ironically, Holder was involved in the expansion of Independent Counsel, Kenneth Starr’s investigations that led to the impeachment of Clinton. Holder was also involved in the presidential pardon of Marc Rich. During the Bush administration, Holder practiced private law which included defending Chiquita Brands International for giving financing to the United Self-Defense Forces of Columbia, an organization declared by the State Department to be terrorists. Holder supports closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Campy though he also refuses to recognize the prisoners as prisoners of war.
For his National Security Advisor, Obama has chosen James Jones, a former four-star Marine general. Jones has served in Vietnam, Iraq, and the former Yugoslavia. He was commandant of the Marine Corps as well as Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Jones was chosen as the chairman of the Independent Commission of the Security Forces of Iraq where he found the Iraqi security forces were seriously deficient. Jones was also on the Board of Directors for Boeing Company.
The Secretary of Energy chosen by Obama is the physicist Steven Chu. Chu has been a researcher at the University of California and Bell Laboratories. He was a professor at Stanford University and the University of California. Chu also was the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Chu is an activist for alternative energy including nuclear power.
Arne Duncan, Obama’s choice for Secretary of Education, has worked for the Ariel Education Initiative and the Chicago Public Schools. He was appointed as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools in 2001. Duncan is known for his work within urban education.
Though not a complete list of Barack Obama’s proposed administration, it encompasses most of the major positions. Many of the appointed have had relations with the Clinton administration. And many have shown moderate and even some conservative tendencies as opposed to liberal. Whether this is a sign of Obama’s political savvy or a revelation of his true politics is yet to be seen.
But he is a new president and was even just a junior Senator. His voting records from the Senate attest that he was never a 100% liberal, garnering only a 90% liberal voting record from Americans for Democratic Actions. The high liberal expectations for change from the Obama administration may not be well based. Though the administration will be change from the current outgoing administration of President George W. Bush, will it be a true step forward or just a step towards the policies of the Clinton administration?
Some would argue that that would be a positive. Others would argue that the Clinton administration, as shown by many of the political positions of Obama’s proposed administration, was a moderate administration. Many of his actions, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Communications Decency Act, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Defense of Marriage Act, the Iraq Liberation Act, and support of the World Trade Organization point to a moderate agenda instead of a liberal agenda.
And Obama has made moderate statements regarding his presidency such as threatening military action within Pakistan without Pakistani approval (an action the President Bush has followed though whether the Pakistani government is covertly allowing it is not known) and his stance against gay marriage. But he has also made liberal statements such as a tax increase for the $227,000+ tax bracket and a tax decrease for lower tax brackets. Obama also supports withdrawal from Iraq, and even has revised his strategy to ensure Iraqi security forces are capable of defending Iraq externally and internally (an important move considering the collapse of Afghanistan following the removal of American support after the Afghan-Soviet War as well as the devastation in Iraq by American forces).
Obama has a chance lead the United State back into a world leadership position instead of pariah position, but at the same time he is a politician and elected official. The constituents of the United States must make sure that he leads us forward and does not neglect or renege on his stated proposals and beliefs. It is the citizens of the United States that voted for him so we are ultimately responsible, as we are for the previous administration, for what happens next.
Charles Aaron Nickless
7 January 2009
Kansas City, MO
Obamalution: A Review of the Obama Administration, Part 1
Barack Obama will officially begin his presidency in two weeks. The election and Electoral College confirmation that has ushered America’s first African-American president to power will be followed by the Congressional count of Electoral College votes then the Inauguration.
But what will be the make-up of the Obama administration. His personal convictions and political perspective will not and have not been the only measures of deciding who will be a part of his administrative cabinet. Already the influence of the Clinton faction of the Democratic Party is being felt as numerous appointees have had previous relations or appointments with former president Bill Clinton’s administration.
The most prominent Senior Advisor to the President is David Axelrod, the former Chief Strategist of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Axelrod has ties to Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, a former member of the Clinton administration. He also has worked with former First Lady and former Senator, Hillary Clinton. Axelrod’s connections with Obama do run deeper though as the two have known each other for over a decade. Axelrod is credited as the major force behind Obama’s “Change” message.
As mentioned previously, Obama’s Chief of Staff is Rahm Emanuel, who worked on the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign and who was also a Senior Advisor to President Clinton. Prior to the end of the Clinton administration, Emanuel was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) by then President Bill Clinton. Emanuel also served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois. During his time spent in Congress he sided with the Democratic hawks in supporting the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. In gaining and maintaining his Congressional position, sixteen of Emanuel’s twenty top donors were financial and realty institutions.
Interesting to note is that both Axelrod and Emanuel are from Chicago, Illinois, the home of Barack Obama. This can easily be dismissed as regional favoritism since both men were well known figures within the Democratic Party. But the Clinton connections are far harder especially when considering Obama’s Secretary of State.
After a primary filled with vicious attacks and accusations, Obama has appointed his fiercest rival to the position of Secretary of State. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a polarizing figure. She is best known as former president Bill Clinton’s wife, but in addition she has built an impressive political resume. This former Young Republican became a partner with the Rose Law Firm whose largest client is Wal-Mart. Clinton herself became directly involved with the controversial corporation when she was appointed to its Board of Directors. As First Lady, Clinton was renowned and vilified for her hands-on approach to the title.
And with the end of the Clinton administration, she did not sit idly by. The Clinton’s bought a house in New York so that Hillary Clinton could run for a soon to be vacant Senate seat. She won the Senate seat in a state she had never previously lived in. As a United States Senator, Clinton voted for the USA Patriot Act as well as the military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Senator Clinton did vote against President George Bush’s tax cuts that would have lowered taxes but at expense of the ballooning deficit. Clinton also led the failed legislation to form an independent investigation into the Hurricane Katrina disaster. In the aftermath of the Grand Theft Auto III sex simulation controversy, she again led failed legislation to prosecute video game manufacturers and distributors for distributing video games with adult content to minors.
In a reversal of her earlier support of the military action in Iraq, Clinton voted against the 2007 troop surge and voted for a troop pull-out deadline which was vetoed by President Bush. Clinton was also a vocal critic of former Attorney General, Alberto Gonzalez, after accusations were made that Gonzalez illegally fired seven United States Attorneys.
In response to the perceived looming recession, Clinton voted in favor of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 and the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. Both acts were passed to stop what was considered the threat of recession, but which is now recognized as the second year of a recession. While the stimulus package provided tax relief and business incentives the stabilization package was really a Federal buyout of several failing financial institutions effectively erasing any investor risk at the expense of the American taxpayer and without any prominent government oversight. In addition, many of the institutions being bought out have used the stimulus package to award bonuses to their executives who were essential in creating the financial crisis as well as steering their organizations into failure.
Leading up to the 2008 presidential election, there had been numerous rumors that Clinton would run for president, to which her response was the announcement of her candidacy. Her campaign was notorious for vicious attacks on her opponents especially Barack Obama. Both her and her husband, Bill Clinton, made controversial racial comments directed towards Obama. Only before the 2008 Democratic Party Convention, when it was apparent that she could not garner enough support to the legitimacy of her candidacy, did Clinton relent and throw her support behind Obama. His response has been to name her his Secretary of State. Whether this is a calculated political move to keep her from challenging his presidency in 2012, a response of gratitude towards her capitulation, or another demonstration that Obama is truly a moderate is yet to be seen.
Charles Aaron Nickless
6 January 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
