Why Coaching America?

I am a Life Coach and America is the Client. Like many of my clients, America is stuck.

I propose a conversation about America's challenges,to clarify our possibilities, and propose measures to get the country moving. Like my paying clients, I know America has the answers. I want to support the client in hearing how it thinks and acts, to see what are its dilemmas, comparing what it claims it wants with what it actually does. I invite all of you to be the Coach. I will get the process going, moderate the conversation, encourage everyone who visits to join in. Except for civility, no groundrules.

If I have to accept a political label, I choose Stoicism, the first Liberals. Benjamin Franklin and John Stuart Mill are my model citizens. I support equality before the law for all . I acknowledge that life is not fair and efforts of government to increase opportunity usually make things worse. I support absolute separation of church and state and voluntary effort. I support participation; I am for National Service but oppose a military draft. Government has an obligation to recognize and alleviate suffering, promote freedom, sustain equality. No principle which is upheld in the face of suffering - -hunger, lack of medical care, poor education, discrimination -- is a principle I recognize.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

CHINA AND INDIA SHADOW-BOXING IN BURMA

Burmese Squeeze

By TARUN KHANNA
FROM TODAY'S WALL STREET JOURNAL ASIA
April 10, 2008

An excellent piece on the competition between India and China over influence in Burma, India's neighbor, a gateway into SE Asia, a possible route for Persian Gulf oil and gas. For us, a reminder that there are other players in the world besides the U.S. Our failure to react to the destruction of the Soviet Union in any way other than to celebrate our "victory" played a significant role in the events leading up to 9/11, including our abruptly abandoning Pakistan and Afghanistan after spending a decade arming them to the teeth. Clinton's policies you will recall amounted to shooting a few missiles into the moutains. Bush still worse.
We need a new national security doctrine. I am going to post some thoughts on the issues involved in the coming weeks. This article is a warm-up. I will post more.