Strength and Weakness

I see the US is to build an embassy in Baghdad. Not the open, friendly place you would normally associate with an embassy whose job is to promote peace and harmony between nations - no, a fortress costing millions of dollars, guarded day and night against attack by "insurgents". We make war on your country, we kill and maim the guilty and the innocent, we dominate your politics by imposing our "democracy" on a people which neither understands nor wants our version of it. We do it in the name of freedom. But you won't be free to talk to our representative in your country. The guards will only let those people in who comply with the rules, made by George W and his ilk. The illustrious President Bush, aided by those who think that they have to kow-tow to him (Blair etc) stated that the war against Iraq was won. This is why we still have American, British and other troops occupying the country. This is why Iraqis who join the security service are killed and maimed by their own people. This is why the Americans are to build a bomb-proof embassy. The fortress only goes to prove the weakness of the hold the troops have on the country and the system in Iraq. Bush won the war. Some victory . . .
Kennedy is a name known and revered across the world. Charles Kennedy? Who is he? For those of you who don't know he is the leader of the strongest of the minor political parties in UK. There are always visions of the two-party system being turned into the three-party system by the Liberal Democrats, thus making extreme policies impossible to carry through to law because no one party would hold an absolute majority. Many think this would be a good idea. Mr Kennedy showed real (some would say foolish) courage today by announcing that he had a serious drink problem which he had now overcome, thus acknowledging a major weakness. It had been evident in some previous public appearances that he had been drinking to excess but until today he had always denied it. His announcement today was accompanied by the fact that he would stand again for re-election as leader of his party. Initial indications are that this has rallied his party around him and many notable figures in the group have openly stated that they will not stand against him. Some would say this is pure bravado - bluffing out the problem to regain full control of his party. But many hold the view that today's events show true strength on Mr Kennedy's part. Whatever the outcome Charles has to be admired for his candidness. And his strength in recognising and overcoming his problem.