You Are What You Owe

How will the U.S. Get a grip on its vast debt, which makes it the world's largest debtor after Japan? Do the leaders of a nation, $14.2 trillion in debt, have the courage to cut health entitlements or social security?
Power that is built on debt is often power that will crumble.
If federal debt is projected to reach 100% of US GDP, the US will be in an even deeper hole than bankrupt Ireland or Portugal.
How much patience does America's largest creditor, China, actually have? A populous and rising power that does not necessarily sympathise with US objectives. One can see why.
Sale of US treasuries seems like a proper and legal retaliation but it would produce dire consequences for the US
Its not too late for the US to get a grip and limit its vulnerability to its foreign rivals.

R2P

Its known as the responsibility to protect doctrine. The concept is simple; human rights are universal, every state should protect them, and if a particular state cant, others should!
Initially invoked in 1967 to persuade the West to intervene in Nigeria to end a Civil War. A conflict that resulted in the starvation of millions.
The Ivory Coast today, unable to protect the rights of millions of its people, a political agenda that would sustain given little or no humanitarian assistance from external bodies, would never have foreseen a military attack by the UN peacekeepers.
The R2P doctrine redefines humanitarian aid to incorporate elements of military intervention if doing so would overthrow a national leader and restore peace and structure in a nation unable to prevent grave human rights abuses.
The UN's armed forces intervention in the Ivory Coast may be the only way to end such terrible attrocities.
If applied selectivley, humanitarian intervention may save the lives and protect the rights of millions of innocent savilions in Libya.

Democracy

Revolutions are never pretty. The birth of justice is never easy. The fight for freedom, justice and dignity is what consumed the people of Egypt. Vicious clashes between those for and against Hosni Mubarak show just how ugly and unpredictable any revolution can get. Jan 25 marked the start of the end of Mubarak's 30 year rule. but is democracy sustainable in an Arab country where 82% of the population believe stoning is an appropriate punishment for adultery and 84% of the population favor the death penalty for Muslims who leave the religion?