To arm or not to arm rebels in Libya? Obama report card - how do you like him now? Is Cuomo's New York state budget a California blueprint? Creative headlines are under-rated.
To arm or not to arm rebels in Libya?
As civil war continues to rage in Libya, the United States faces increasing pressure from the international community to assist in arming the rebel fighters. The Obama administration, citing the gravity of the issue, is not committing either way, but keeping its options open. France, which is heading up the coalition against Qaddafi’s forces, is urging the U.S. to act soon. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has indicated that it would not be out of America’s jurisdiction to supply the rebels with arms, even though there is a Libyan arms embargo, as it would be construed as a move to protect civilians. The main issues which give the White House pause, however, are a desire to avoid being further embroiled in another country’s civil war and how the arms would be used after the war. Supplying Libyan forces with American weaponry could require trainers being sent to the country, which might conflict with Obama’s statement that he would not commit ground troops to Libya. The uncertainty of how the arms might be used post-war is of particular significance to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who saw American armed Islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan revolt against the Soviets in the 1980s become part of the Taliban. Furthermore, Adm. James Stavridis, the NATO commander, cites intelligence reports with evidence of Hezbollah and Al Qaeda members amongst the rebel forces. Should the U.S. stand up to Qaddafi and arm the rebels in hopes of expediting the war? Or is it too risky of a proposition considering how other armed insurgencies have turned out? How long can we afford to hesitate either way?
Guests:
Kalev Sepp, Senior Lecturer in Defense Analysis, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School
Hal Kempfer, Retired Marine Lt. Col, executive director of KIPP, Knowledge & Intelligence Program Professionals, a firm that provides business and government clients support in security, intelligence, strategy and managing risk. He served in Kuwait for 5 months, helped set up the response to chemical, biological weapons on the battlefield.
Obama report card: How do you like him now?
Since taking office in 2009, President Obama has faced a myriad of difficult challenges – wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, an ongoing economic crisis, a tough battle over health care reform legislation, and a mid-term “shellacking.” Now, there’s turmoil rocking the Middle East, a controversial intervention in Libya and a looming government shutdown. Throughout it all, we’ve examined the president’s performance and so have our listeners. Naturally, the President hasn’t pleased all of the people all of the time. In fact, he has critics on both sides of the aisle. But what do you give him credit for? How would you say he’s doing overall? Has your opinion changed since he was elected? In terms of priorities, how do you feel he’s doing juggling foreign vs. domestic interests? What positions has he taken that you do or don’t agree with? And to paraphrase Sarah Palin: how’s that whole hope-y change-y thing goin’ for ya?
Should CA be in a NY state of mind?
Early this morning New York state legislators approved Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $132.5 billion spending plan marking the state's first on time budget in five years. Meanwhile news on the California state budget front remains grim. Governor Jerry Brown walked away from the negotiating table on Tuesday, citing an inability to come to an agreement with Republican lawmakers on the details of exactly how to close California’s $26-billion deficit gap. As Gov. Cuomo expressed gratitude for what he is calling the state legislators’ "demonstration of competence,” Republican party leaders in California are touting Cuomo's success as an example of how to get things done. What is the takeaway for Sacramento? How can Gov. Brown apply Gov Cuomo's tactics to achieving consensus? Or is it comparing (big) apples and oranges?
Guests:
Thomas Kaplan, New York Times Reporter, Albany Bureau
Senator John DeFrancisco, R-NY’s District 50, which includes the city of Syracuse and its suburbs; Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee
Senator Michael Gianaris, D-NY’s District 12, which includes Western Queens
Jessica Levinson, Attorney and Director of Political Reform at the Center for Governmental Studies; and Adjunct Professor at Loyola Law School, teaching Campaign Finance
Creative headlines are underrated
Today AirTalk kicks off a semi-regular series on creativity that looks at emerging research in the field. In terms of science, creativity often gets a bum rap for being overly squishy or merely mystical. But researchers say there’s a strong correlation between creativity and happiness, which makes it worth study and discussion. When it comes to creativity, we often think about the Mozarts and Bill Gates of the world. But creativity isn’t limited to Big-C geniuses. Nor, is it limited to little-c everyday creativity like trying new restaurants. There are models in between and ways for kids and adults to cultivate more creativity in their lives. We’ll talk about those models and methods and explore real-world applications. How is creativity measured? Can anyone be creative? Is creativity appreciated or discouraged in your workplace or your kid’s classroom?
Guest
James Kaufman, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Psychology at the California State University at San Bernardino; author of Creativity 101 (Springer Publishing 2009)