Obama Taking Away Rights of Prisoners

Tonight, on the Rachel Maddow Show, Maddow is discussing the issue of Habeas Corpus and whether these rights should be given to "third country prisoners." Although Obama has said before his election that he wanted third country prisoners to retain human rights and access to a courtroom trial, he is now repealing the rights of prisoners in Bagram, Afghanistan, a Guantanamo Bay kind of prison.

This is one of the first times I've seen Rachel Maddow disagree with Obama, so as a Communications student, I find this coverage especially interesting. As someone who is known as one of the most influential liberal news anchors, it is kind of a big deal that she is having such a large segment discussing the negative outcomes of the decision Obama made on Friday.

Maddow is worried that Obama will follow the Bush Administration's lead on interrogation of prisoners. In addtion, she noted how many policies Obama has agreed with Bush on lately, which seemed to trouble her. She hopes that Obama will rethink his decision before everything becomes official regarding the issue later in the week.

Although this is a tough issue since it involves morals and ethics, I agree with Maddow, and not Obama. Even though the prisoners of Bagram are indeed, prisoners, this doesn't mean they are no longer people in the eyes of the law. Whether one is a prisoner on United States soil or in Bagram, he or she deserves proper treatment, in addition to having an option to have a fair and equal trial.

Obama Making Efforts at Global Diplomacy

Tonight, on the Rachel Maddow Show, Rachel discussed Obama's efforts at new global diplomacy, a diplomacy where no country is excluded. According to the show, the time when the United States and Russia were "enemies" are now over. In addition, Obama plans to work with China to work hand in hand to improve the current economic crisis.

Coincidentally, Rachel interviewed Colin Powell earlier than day, and he was able to share great wisdom on Obama's efforts to spread diplomacy, especially in areas where our reputation has withered away. Powell praised Obama for attempting to improve relations with Afghanistan, despite our failures and war on their soil. He believes that improving relations with the Middle East, with leaders from Afghanistan and Pakistan, is essential, even if they were or still are our enemies.

From a communications standpoint, this story is certainly framed to make Obama and his efforts of diplomacy look good. Although this should be expected from a liberal political analyst, I think Obama is doing a great thing in trying to heal wounds with the Middle East, Russia, and China. Nowadays, everything is global. We can't afford to have enemies around every corner, nor would it help us in any way. Having alliances will also help the current recession by having countries aroumd the world giving ideas and help. Working closely with China and Russia especially is a great step for the United States, and I look forward to seeing our countries accepting one another, rather than feuding with each other.

Mexico: Home to pristine beaches, guacamole, and...drug wars?

When I watched "The Rachel Maddow Show," along with checking out the MSNBC website today, I was shocked to see how intense the Mexican drug cartel war has gotten. Has coverage of this shocked anyone else this much, too?

According to msnbc.com, "The concern is very real. Mexican drug cartels already control about 90 percent of the cocaine trade across the United States and most of the market for marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin, with operations in 230 cities, according to the U.S. Justice Department’s National Drug Intelligence Center...Mexican drug-trafficking organizations — known in law enforcement lingo as DTOs — “control drug distribution in most U.S. cities, and they are gaining strength in markets that they do not yet control,” the National Drug Intelligence Center reported in its 2009 National Drug Threat Assessment. The report warned that violent urban gangs connected to Mexican cartels were extending their network “from inner cities to suburban and rural areas. Its conclusion: “Mexican DTOs represent the greatest organized crime threat to the United States."

Have U.S. government officials been silenced about this issue? How has there been barely any media coverage of the Mexican drug cartel until recently? This surely has not fallen out of thin air. If not followed up with properly, this could lead to major international conflict. Janet Napolitano, Obama's Homeland Security Secretary, however, seemed confident that this conflict and threat could be dealt with efficiently. Let's hope this is the case.