Documenting a New Landscape for the Undocumented

As the landscape of undocumented immigrants is being evened out, the number of immigrants living in the shadows is dwindling as well.  This is painting a different perspective on the group of 11 million or so. A new study done by the Pew Research Center, "found that half of nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants have lived here for at least 13 years and as many as 4 million have U.S.-born children." This is good news for the parents of those U.S.-born children because they might benefit from President Obama's plan on immigration.  An executive order much like DACA--Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals--could bring temporary relieve about 36% of the immigrant population.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/illegal-immigrants-more-likely-to-have-lived-in-the-us-for-over-a-decade/2014/09/03/50f70120-3382-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html

Illiberal Regime: Democracy, Afghanistyle

On September 27, The Economist the published an article titled: Democracy, Afghan-style.  It talked about changes happening the executive branch in the country of Afghanistan.  Elections in June fell under investigation after the losing candidate, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, claimed fraud on behave of his opponent Ashraf Ghani.  The investigation was overseen by the United Nations and the results were not made public, so it can be assumed that fraud was committed by both parties.  Like any other illiberal regime--which is how Afghanistan can be categorized--it appears to be a democracy on paper, but whose practices are questionable.

<http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21620242-deal-between-two-presidential-candidates-share-power-best-outcome>.

Ebola Strikes The Lone Star State

Thomas Duncan was a Liberian American who contracted the Ebola virus and died on October 8, 2014.  this has caused initiative to take measures to screen airline passengers after their arrival to the U.S.  Duncan was questioned for symptoms and found to be free of any, so they sent him home.  He was admitted into a Dallas hospital in Texas after feeling symptoms and seeking help there.  Would he have been hospitalized early on from his arrival to the country, he would have had a better fighting chance.  President Obama has pushed for the screenings to be exercised in 5 of the major international airlines that travel to areas in Africa that have a high concentration of contamination of Ebola--Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/first-ebola-patient-in-us-dies-as-officials-announce-new-airport-screening-measures/2014/10/08/cfc95670-4f15-11e4-aa5e-7153e466a02d_story.html

Nigeria's Actions Contain Ebola

Ebola has become a notorious virus that has become synonymous with the word death.  Any person that becomes infected with the virus dies within a short time span.  Nigeria, one of Africa's most populous countries, recently had an outbreak of the virus.  This is cause for alarm given that countries like Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have not been able to placate the fatal illness. Nigeria has surprisingly accomplished such feat by working with such organizations such as “the Health Ministry, the C.D.C., the World Health Organization, Unicef, Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee for the Red Cross.” (NYTimes)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/health/ebola-outbreak-in-nigeria-appears-to-be-over.html?_r=1

People's Republic of China New Leader on Mission to Promote Self.

The President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, is acquiring much popularity.  He has become the popular guy.  He has almost reached the type of popularity that  Mao Zedong had when he was chairman of PRC.  All this popularity is thanks to a secret committee that Mr. Xi has brought about to promote himself.  He is making an effort to build his reputation being that he is the paramount leader and because he intends to shadow his rough start as president of the republic.  He is making efforts to stop corruption and to do this he needs to reform policies that would allow him to monopolize power.  This will allow him to dismantle monopolies of the state that have too much power and give room to checks and balances. Is the People's Republic of China slowly headed towards the path of democracy?

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21618780-most-powerful-and-popular-leader-china-has-had-decades-must-use-these-assets-wisely-xi

ISIS

The Long Haul

President’s words on the eve of 9/11 were words that proposed cautious action in the middle east, but will his plan be successfully executed?  For this to happen some of the chaos has to cease in order for America to act as a leader for a coalition against IS.

                Obama has been wrong about Iraq when “downplaying” the threat of IS, but time has turned his judgment around.  Now, time is what Obama need the chaos to subside.  It is, though, a double edged sword.  In one hand, time can rebuild Iraq and Syria as countries and give time to build an army to break down IS.  On the other hand, time can also break the loose coalition by resurgence of rivalries in the area and this will make the U.S. lose legitimacy.  

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21616955-americas-plan-decent-onebut-it-will-take-worryingly-long-time-bear-fruit-long-haul

An Attempt at Uniting States With a Divided Congress

President Obama attempted to united the nation and congress in his speech on the eve of the 13th anniversary of 9/11 by "degrading and ultimately destroying" the ISIS with Airstrikes and International Coalitions.  Rep. McConnell and Sen. Reid seem to validate Obama's strategy, but with midterm elections two months away, a bipartisan union was unlikely to happen.  Sen. Reid is more than supportive with the president's strategy to avoid any actions that might have severe reprecussions, but was quick to criticize Rep. McConnell on taking advise from Former Vice President Cheyney.  McConnell responded to Reid by saying that he simply "urged to pivot" to a more military robust and forward leaning stance because Airstrikes and a few hundred troops are not enough to get the job done.  Reid's rhetoric might be an attempt to "obscure" the public from the complex debate despite lawmakers belief that airstrikes wont suffice.  Rep McConnell warns Obama not to "manage" the threat and pass it on to his "successor", but there has been no president from either party who has successfully eliminated such terrorist threats.  It might be that midterms are around the corner and the nation has a serious foreign issue on the table, but the real truth is that complete elimination of any terrorist group such as ISIS is improbable due to "factors out of U.S. control".  Anthony Cordesman from CISS painted a reality that President Obama is "preparing" the nation with the idea that such groups ISIS is a problem to be resolved not by his presidency alone but possibly a next as well.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2014/0910/Islamic-State-strategy-Divisions-in-Congress-surface-ahead-of-Obama-s-speech\