Bush and his confederates lied in the faces of massed Black congressional representatives in the days leading up to Aristide’s departure (see “US House Members to Bush, Powell: Don’t Usurp Aristide’s Power,” February 26), with assurances from the President that, "We still hope to be able to achieve a political settlement between the current government and the rebels." We now know that the Bush men and France were even then seeking "perfect coordination" in removing Aristide. Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice sat like bookmarks at Bush’s side as he lied to nineteen Black members of Congress.

Are these two conspirators fit to speak at any Black gathering, ever again in life? Who in the Black community will debase their organizations with the presence of such “role models?” An invitation to Powell or Rice should be viewed as proof of a moral deficit on the part of the inviter.

Godfather Colin Powell, The Gangster of Haiti
by Kevin Pina

...As the round-up continued, some Americans raped the girls. Then, under orders from junior officers on the ground, soldiers began emptying their M-16s into the terrified peasants. Some parents used their bodies futilely to shield their children from the bullets. Soldiers stepped among the corpses to finish off the wounded.

...Several months later, the American's brutality would become a moral test for Major Powell, too.

A letter had been written by a young specialist fourth class named Tom Glen, who had served in an American mortar platoon and was nearing the end of his Army tour. In the letter to Gen. Creighton Abrams, the commander of all U.S. forces in Vietnam, Glen accused the American division of routine brutality against civilians.

Glen's letter was forwarded to the American headquarters at Chu Lai where it landed on Major Powell's desk.

...After that cursory investigation, Powell drafted a response on Dec. 13, 1968. He admitted to no pattern of wrongdoing. Powell claimed that U.S. soldiers in Vietnam were taught to treat Vietnamese courteously and respectfully. The American troops also had gone through an hour-long course on how to treat prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions, Powell noted.

"There may be isolated cases of mistreatment of civilians and POWs," Powell wrote in 1968. But "this by no means reflects the general attitude throughout the Division." Indeed, Powell's memo faulted Glen for not complaining earlier and for failing to be more specific in his letter.

"In direct refutation of this [Glen's] portrayal," Powell concluded, "is the fact that relations between American soldiers and the Vietnamese people are excellent."

Powell's findings, of course, were false, though they were exactly what his superiors wanted to hear.

Behind Colin Powell's Legend
By Robert Parry & Norman Solomon

When he was invited to attend New Orleans Biennial, he went to the AIT to apply for a U.S. non-immigrant visa (business/tourist visa) at 12:45pm on September 23, 2008. When he delivered his application documents, he was told that there was an error in his document. He asked what the error was, but the officer yelled at him arrogantly, “Come here! Do you want to argue with me? I suspect that you intend to stow away to the U.S.”

After the accident, he left the AIT and claimed,

我當然要拒絕被這樣的羞辱，更不會再去申請美國簽證。

Moreover, he invited others to share their experience if they faced a similar situation. He said,

我相信這個世界總是被點點滴滴的緩慢改變，我誠摯地邀請有類似經驗的人，無論是親身經歷、身旁朋友的經驗，或是你曾目擊的過程，都希望你能在這個部落格上留下你的見證。當這許許多多的經驗聚集起來時，或許能幫助我們想：我們為什麼會被如此對待？我們可以如何改變它？

There are many people supporting his protest. usa ng is one of them.

我很好奇為什麼有人會認為：用粗暴的語言和態度對待一個文件沒有填妥的簽證申請人是合理態度。

Anonymous left a comment on his blog,

美國政府賦予簽證官員懷疑簽證者有偷渡嫌疑，卻沒有賦予官員有污辱人的權力。官員有權拒簽，卻不能口出惡言。

Some people shared their sad stories of the consequences of their failures applying for U.S. visas. “Juliet” talked about what the AIT official said when her visa application was rejected before her grandpa in the U.S. died.

爺爺在美國病危… 面試官只花了3分鐘看我的文件, 還是把我的資料退回. 我用”英文”說明這位親人已經是”美國公民” 只是想看我一面而已. 我當時在台灣有工作, 也不打算當個無業遊民. 面試官回了我一句話: Then you can ask airline company to send your grandfather back … 我只冷冷的回他一句話: You're heartless (你沒心干的) 就走了. 3天後我的爺爺去世, 我自從1997年就再也沒有再見過他.

“Luka's” mother did not get a visa to attend her wedding ceremony in the U.S., and “Luka” does not think AIT's reasons for rejecting her mother's application are convincing.

我剛和美國公民結婚. 一年當中,幫我媽媽申請了三次觀光簽證…第一次是AIT懷疑我會跳機,連帶拒絕我媽媽的觀光簽證申請, 面試時一個問題都沒問媽媽, 就被拒了…第三次,媽媽帶著我美國結婚證書正本,證明我在美合法性. AIT在不到三分鐘的面試當中, 說”你已經有被拒的紀錄,規定就是不行, 下一位!”…我老公以美國公民身份請美國參議員發函至AIT, 詢問到底要怎樣才能讓我媽來美國…AIT回覆美國參議員,說我媽媽無法提供跟台灣社會上, 經濟上, 家庭上足夠的聯繫(Tie), 所以無法通過. 可是AIT面試時完全乎略我媽媽在台灣有其他兒子, 女兒, 孫子的事實…只教條式認定, 喪偶的單身女子, 無工作, 無大存款, 等於”想偷渡”. 就這樣, 上星期六我們過了一個沒有女方家長的婚宴…

Some stories are less sad. “Akemi” criticized that AIT officials misuse their power.

這位先生，他竟然告訴我，如果我不告訴他我要上班，他就不讓我過關…就這樣我就莫名其妙的在一個外人威脅下在一大堆陌生人面前宣示說，好啦我一定會快點找工作，來換取我的美國簽證。

“Anonymous” tried to analyze why applicants have so much psychological stress when going to AIT.

美國的資料顯示,台灣人辦美簽被拒絕的比例約是4-5%,但卻有那麼多人對美簽有那麼多“害怕辦不過“或是不滿的情緒,顯示這當中不只是refusal rate的問題,而是在過程中是否受到合理的對待? 是否在辦的過與半不過之間我們可以找到一套合理的標準,而不是主觀的,情緒性的判定。

On the other hand, some people, including “anonymous”, reflected on how the Taiwanese government issues visas for foreigners.

除了新聞播出的外籍配偶面談常被刁難與問一些隱私問題外…（在越南）當地人為了辦 來台簽證要花好幾天輾轉搭車到市區,然後在門外排好幾天的長龍,進去申辦也會被刁難,不見得一次拿得到簽證,所以仔細想想,我們跟美國其實也是5步笑百步.

WASHINGTON—

At a press conference on Monday, members of the Vietnam Veterans Alliance blasted Democratic nominee Barack Obama for his failure to serve in the Southeast Asian war that ended 33 years ago, alleging that during the conflict the candidate frequently engaged in games of T-ball.

“While our boys were dying in Vietnam, Barack Obama was running around a little league field, laughing and having fun without a care in the world,” VVA spokesman James Lowry said. “John McCain left his wife and three children behind and fought bravely, but I guess Sen. Obama decided that practicing cursive and learning how to ride a bike was just more important than defending his country in her hour of need. I bet he wasn’t even able to point out Vietnam on a map.”

Lowry later speculated that if Obama had been sent over to fight in the conflict, he probably would have peed his pants and cried for his mommy as soon as he touched down in Saigon.

Jennie S. Bev is proud of Obama. She lived in the same district where Obama stayed in Jakarta:

“Both Barack Obama and I once lived and grew up in the Menteng district of Central Jakarta. He went to SD Negeri 1 Menteng, while I went to Saint Theresia. Both schools were within a few minutes drive from each other, but of course unless time was a Mobius strip, we would not have met each other.

“I am proud of him, not just because we shared some commonalities in our upbringing, but because we believe in the promise of the future and that together we have the capacity and the courage to make meaningful changes.”

Asri Wijayanti from Indonesia is now in the U.S., and is wondering why there are few election posters in the streets:

“I was thinking, that the Americans were so fascinated, as much as I was, about this election. I imagined the stacks of posters and banners all the way, as crowded as it is in Indonesia at the campaign phase, but I was wrong.

“It was pretty surprising for me to see NOTHING related to the national election on the way. No photos of the candidates, no posters, no banners, nothing. I walked through the bus stops, campus corridors, downtown area, wondering. Why? Is it because everybody knows Obama and McCain so well? But are the people sure that they are going to vote?”

Then she notes the lack of voters' education in media:

“I then learned that voter education is something rare in national media. I watched news channels, and I hardly see neutral electoral ads, or the ads that merely encourage people to register and cast their vote. Instead, compared to the dynamics in Indonesian election, the voter education activities in United States, in my eyes looks like underground phenomenon, the off-mainstream media programs, as the channels are more interested in the political waves itself then the encouragement to the people to be aware of their political rights.”

Patricio Mangubat from the Philippines is curious about Obama's anti-terror platform in the Asia-Pacific region:

“Obama has yet to address the increasing problems of terrorism in the Asia-Pacific region. We presume that Obama will continue the existing US policy against terror in the region, yet, up to what extent? Yes, anti-terror campaigns will definitely continue under either an Obama or a McCain presidency, but who'll be more vigilant and more vigorous in chasing after these Islamic terrorists? Given the record of Obama, will he be implementing a “softer” approach to this global menace?”

Khoo Kay Peng from Malaysia recognizes the need for politicians to show decisive leadership in times of crisis:

“US and Malaysia are facing the serious problem - but of different magnitude - with their domestic economy. It is probably much worse in the US than here. But there is a stark difference in the way politicians from both sides responded to the problem…We need politicians to show leadership during difficult times. Here in Malaysia, politicians busy jostling for positions.”

Asian Americans comprise a significant number in the United States. Who will win the Asian American vote? Jay encourages Cambodian Americans to actively participate in the election process. Brain Bang advises the Democrats on how to win the Filipino-American vote. Lao Voices highlights the poor economic situation of Lao Americans to argue against another Republican presidency:

“The situation for Lao Americans is far worse. According to the 2000 census, Lao Americans obtained a per capita (per person 25+) income of less than $12,000! Ironically, this is almost one tenth of the threshold where they benefit more from Republicans. Most will never make the Rep honey pot in their lifetime. More than one third of the Lao Americans even live below the poverty line. An estimated 98.5% of all Lao Americans will pay more taxes under McCain than under Obama. Go figure.”

Ridz.sg from Singapore is obviously not a fan of Vice President candidate Sarah Palin:

“Watching Sarah Palin is worrying though because the more I listen to what she has to say, the more of a joke she becomes to me. She evades every damn question. Wrong. She doesn’t even evade. She just talks about some other point and completely ignores the original question.”

On the other hand, CK's Musings is supporting Palin:

“Palin has struggled all her life, so I'm sure she'll understand the struggles the common people are going through when she is in the White House. She also speaks better and I don't feel like she's talking down to me. Biden and Obama are just too elitist, they make me feel like I'm a peon and that they hold all the answers.”

Hanqing values the experience advantage of McCain over Obama:

“Bottom line, the US (and the world) is going through a pretty trying period right now. I don’t think people really need to hear words of empowerment or inspirational sound bites that make them feel warm and fuzzy. They need to be reassured that they have a leader who has enough experience and mental toughness to help a country weather a crisis. And though John McCain may not be nearly as polished as Barack Obama is, his experience seems to make up for it.”

Akomismo from the Philippines compares McCain and Obama:

“Obama and McCain are yin and yang. Of all their contrasts, the assessment I agree with most is that they represent an America at the crossroads of two generations. One is from the America that has always been there: strong, triumphant, and takes pride in longevity and experience. The other is from an America that is just being born: cosmopolitan, global, and takes pride in diversity and change. What makes this election so close is that these two paradigms present equally valid ways of dealing with the present economic crisis, the lingering wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, and the standing of America at home and abroad. Thus, this isn’t about partisanship anymore, it’s about leadership. Who has what it takes to live out the vision of America they present?”

If informal surveys are to be believed, it seems Obama is more popular in the region. An Obama victory will be welcomed in Indonesia. Mum's the Word (or Pa) from Singapore believes it is impossible for McCain to win in the elections. Beyond SG discusses the role of social networking sites in today’s politics. A Vietnam non-profit group borrows the soundbytes of US candidates to promote their newsletter.

Why isn’t John McCain red-hot angry at the long association between Barack Obama and Bill Ayers? By all rights, he ought to be.

©2008 PoliGazette. All Rights Reserved.

So what do the Vietnamese, Vietnamese Americans and those with knowledge about Vietnam and the war, think of McCain and his time in the Southeast Asian country?

Vietnamese Guy from SF writes in his blog, tinou’s 730 steps, that he supports McCain:

“I've called Hillary a “bitch” and McCain a “sell-out”. Obama, he's just annoying with his head tilt. But in all seriousness, between Obama and McCain I have no choice but to support McCain. Here is why:
When I was born, my father was not around. Not because he was a dead beat dad, but because he was in a North Vietnamese “re-education” camp, a euphemism for prison. See, my father had gone to Europe for university then came back to Vietnam to work for Esso (Exxon). This, in the eyes of the Communist North Vietnamese, was traitorous, and deserved punishment. And so I was born without being held in my father's arms while he suffered in his own Hanoi Hilton.
If there had been more John McCains instead of John Kerrys my father might not have languished in that prison camp for years. He might not today wake up in the middle of night, sweating and disoriented, from horrific flashbacks. John McCain is a man of honour and courage. A man who fought for my country, my father and me when his country called upon him. For that, I am forever indebted.”

The Vietnamese Guy from SF then ties in the Vietnam War with Iraq.

What Barack Obama wants to do today in Iraq is what John Kerry did back then: undermine our opportunity for victory. Barack Obama has never seen war, has never witness the pure evil of Communism, radical Islam and the like. He sits in his Harvard office, strategizing how to withdraw from Iraq instead figuring out how to win the war so that Iraqi fathers and sons will not suffer the same fate as my father and I. When Barack Obama and his friends declare that the war is lost, they are sending Iraqi fathers to labor camps, and making sure that Iraqi sons are born without being held in their father's arms.
John McCain is fighting for those Iraqi fathers and sons. And for that, he has my vote.

Journalist and Hanoi resident Matt Steinglass, writes in his VietQ News blogger writes about Tran Trong Duyet’s public endorsement of McCain and what the “liberal press and liberal bogs” are writing.

Duyet talked about having McCain into his office for private chats. They argued about the war, he said. He called McCain a ‘frank man’, he said he was ‘loyal to his country and the American ideal’. In other words, he respected McCain’s behavior while in captivity. He confirms that McCain was not disloyal to his country during the years he was a prisoner of war.

What is interesting that the part the liberal press and the liberal blogs pick up on is that Duyet states that he never tortured McCain or any prisoners who were in the Hanoi Hilton. These liberal blogs ignore the obvious contradictions in Duyet’s statements. That he found McCain to be frank and loyal, yet lying about torture. That he has followed McCain’s career with interest, appreciates the work McCain has done to mend ties with Vietnam, but doesn’t know how McCain might react to seeing him again.

The blogger then goes on to write about why the colonel respects his former enemy.

For anyone who knows anything about warriors, you know that even though men might fight on opposing sides, a good soldier understands and respects the qualities of his enemies. World War II vets admired the discipline and tenaciousness of the Japanese and German warriors. The Japanese and Germans admired the shear naked courage of the Americans.

Author Irwin Tang, writes in his blog about McCain’s usage of the word “gooks.”

McCain’s most famous quote among Asian Americans. “I hate the gooks,” John McCain told America, “I will hate them as long as I live.”

John McCain’s decades-long habit of referring to Vietnamese people and individuals as “gooks” in the American mass media. He said that he only applied the racial slur to his captors, which is a lie. He also said that he would stop using the racial slur because he did not want to “feel the fire” for being racist.”

Tang ends his post that McCain makes similar racial slurs about Iranians.

He has already started the process of “gookification” of people in Iran by singing “bomb, bomb Iran” at rallies and commenting that perhaps the U.S. can “kill them” [people in Iran] through cigarette addiction.

A recurrent theme among the “France for McCain” blogs is the need to counterbalance what they perceive as an unfounded, superficial “Obamadulation”.

Rachid Kaci, UMP (French  Ruling Party) executive adviser and president of “Droite Libre” explains why John McCain is the president America needs:

“Si les Etats-Unis venait à céder une once de sa force et de sa détermination à lutter contre les nouveaux totalitarismes alors nous sombrerons dans le chaos le plus total… Barak Obama et sa volonté d’être perçu comme le réconciliateur absolu, le trait d’union entre les peuples et les religions apparaitra aux yeux des fascistes de tout poil comme un faible, à l’image de ce que représentait un président comme Jimmy Carter dont le bilan présidentiel a fait de l’Amérique la risée de tous les dictateurs au début des années 80.”

Were the US to yield a bit of its power and its determination to fight a new totalitarian regime, then we will all surely sink into absolute chaos… Barack Obama and his willingness to be seen as the absolute unifier, the bridge between different people and different religions will be a sign of weakness for the fascists everywhere, the same way Jimmy Carter was perceived in the 80's and whose presidential mandate was ridiculed by dictators all over the world.

He adds:

“Personne n’aura à se réjouir d’une Amérique affaiblie, surtout pas la France [..] les soutiens dont il bénéficie ici en France trouvent trop souvent leur raison dans l’origine ethnique du personnage et non dans son programme politique..”

No one would benefit from a weakened America, especially not France [..] The support he (Obama) gets here in France, too often originates from his ethnic background and not his political program.

Luc Gaubert, member of the France for John McCain committee, argues that there is a cultural warfare against western civilization and that John McCain's biography indicates that he is the right man to defend it:

” Aujourd'hui, face à un candidat démocrate trés jeune, inexpérimenté, idolâtré, il représente une valeur sûre, rassurante d'un homme capable de prendre des décisions difficiles, alors que la sécurité du monde libre peut être facilement menacée, son livre de chevet étant “Grandeur et Décadence de l'Empire Romain”, livre qu'il a pu lire plusieurs fois.
Son élection ne concerne donc pas seulement le peuple américain, mais tout démocrate qui pense que notre civilisation occidentale est menacée et que les théocraties qui la supplanteraient ne seraient pas idéales pour l'ensemble de nos contemporains. “

After Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama made a speech early last month in front of a group of South Asians, he reiterated how different he was from past candidates. The democratic nominee also stated he was a “desi,” an informal term meaning “South Asian.” Although, his comments and public image have captured the interest of many minorities – it didn’t do much for AliBabaIncorporated of Hong Kong and blogger for YellowWorld.org.

“The outreach is nice, but NO, having an immigrant father, some Asian friends, and a few years in an Indonesian school and a few more in Hawaii doesn't make you Asian, and it certainly doesn't make you Indian.”

But on the flip side, not only does Obama appeal to Christina, an Asian-American teenager - his speech at the Democratic Convention brought her to tears. Christina, who is still too young to vote, stated that Obama knows what issues are most important and what needs change in her blog, The Obsessions of Two Asian Teenage Best Friends.

“I know that being an American, we don't always expect the government to be there. We like to keep a distance from our government but at this time, this period, we need our government desperately. I see the economy, homes, families, and people crumbling before me. I know of the problems that exist in this country and Obama does too and he has pinpointed and addressed every one of them.”

While the Asian teenager is in support of Obama, Asian American author Irwin Tang has written a book titled Gook: John McCain’s Racism and Why it Matters. Paul Schmelzer, managing editor for the Minnesota Independent and blogger Eyeteeth: A journal of incisive ideas, writes about Tang’s book.

“‘I hate the gooks,’ McCain said in 2000. ‘I will hate them as long as I live.’ A war veteran who was tortured by Vietcong captors, McCain later apologized for the comment, but as Tang argues in his new book, it still matters. The Texas native says that “gook” is “both a term of war and a term of racism, and John McCain is very active in both areas.” The word goo-goo, he explains, was used to describe Filipinos when U.S. troops occupied the country, and it morphed into “gook” when the U.S. occupied Haiti. In Vietnam, as in other conflicts, it was used to de-humanize the enemy.
The author of Gook: John McCain's Racism and Why It Matters, Tang concludes: ‘If he had used the n-word rather than the g-word — ‘gook' — we would've disqualified John McCain for the presidency immediately.’”

AngryABCGirl, another blogger of YellowWorld.org, further analyzes McCain’s comment. The Chinese American writes that his comment questions his overall character.

“The fact that someone running for public office—the President of the United States, no less—would unabashedly use this term, and then repeatedly refuse to apologize for it (he eventually did), is reasons enough for me to question his character. We as Asian Americans are no strangers to racial epithets being thrown our way, whether they're meant as “jokes” or meant to cause harm. Here, “gook” was clearly being used as expression of resentment. The fact that McCain was a P.O.W. does not excuse him from harboring these feelings. Why is this even under debate?”

Despite McCain’s comments and the ranging views of Obama, both candidates still have a large group of Asian supporters – whether the majority is swinging left or right will soon be determined.

I intend to win the war, and trust in the proven judgment of our commanders there and the courage and selflessness of the Americans they have the honor to command.

Faced with similar challenges, previous generations of Americans have passed such tests with honor. It is now our turn to demonstrate that our power, ennobled by our principles, is the greatest force for good on earth today.

Strategy for Victory in Iraq