Evolution: The process by which we progress. Adapt. Survive. "The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth. The gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form."
We can choose to grow/get better, but that requires the belief in a value system that places some traits above others. There are genetic traits like skin color, earlobe attachment, curly/straight/wavy hair, height, being left or right (or ambi) handed, eye color/blindness/astigmatism, and weight distribution - just to name a few.
* of course these traits end up meaning different things to people, for better and worse.
Also known as: social constructs. Some traits have obviously been exploited and abused through history, leading to harsh realities and disparities today.
Pretty much everything you are organically, mechanically, physically speaking is the way you are because of genetics. Even then, augmentation is possible, even fun (yay piercings, tattoos, and blue hair!) But the traits I'm speaking about for removal are not genetic.
They're traits over which we have social control.
The worst traits in human history (in no particular order):
Cruelty: "Callous indifference to or pleasure in causing pain and suffering. Behavior that causes pain or suffering to a person or animal. Behavior that causes physical or mental harm to another, especially a spouse, whether intentionally or not."
Discrimination: "The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex."
Racism: "The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races. Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior."
Sexism: "Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women [while also having a negative impact on the conditioning of men], on the basis of sex. Synonyms: sexual discrimination, chauvinism, gender prejudice, gender bias"
Homophobia: "Dislike of or prejudice against homosexual people."
Transphobia: "Dislike of or prejudice against transsexual or transgender people."
Non-Consensual Sex/Rape: "Unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent—compare sexual assault, statutory rape" (Consent: Permission / Agreement / Mutual / Free of Coercion)
Classism: "Prejudice against or in favor of people belonging to a particular social class."
Ableism: "Discrimination in favor of able-bodied people."
Murder: "The unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another." (See: War)
Genocide: "The deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation."
Megalomania: "A pathological egotist, that is, someone with a psychological disorder with symptoms like delusions of grandeur and an obsession with power. We also use the word megalomaniac more informally for people who behave as if they're convinced of their absolute power and greatness." (Forgivable as a general mental illness, but alarming when found in those who hold powerful positions of authority and leadership.)
Authoritarianism: "Political scientists use the term authoritarianism to describe a way of governing that values order and control over personal freedom. A government run by authoritarianism is usually headed by a dictator."
Elitism: "The advocacy or existence of an elite as a dominating element in a system or society. The attitude or behavior of a person or group who regard themselves as belonging to an elite."
Greed: "An intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food." (Or non-renewable resources)
Anti-Intellectualism: "Hostility towards and mistrust of intellect, intellectuals, and intellectual pursuits, usually expressed as the derision of education, philosophy, literature, art, and science, as impractical and contemptible." (Only through sharing information and knowledge can we know what needs improvement)
Bigotry: "Intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself." (Intolerant as in seeking violence, imprisonment, murder, torture, and displacement against those with different views - people are often more open to listen if they feel a basic shred of respect and an acknowledgement of their own personhood - however undeserved you might feel that respect might be)
Another perspective is that we always need a little "evil" to balance out the "good". Personally, I'd prefer to live in a world where no one is afraid of being murdered. Not by police officers. Not by war. Not by the death penalty. Not by hate crimes or extremism. Not by each other.
Human Rights Watch 2016 World Report:
Specifically, here are the major issues we have in the world-at-large today:
Basic Freedoms:
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of Assembly
Freedom of Association
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Media
Freedom of Information
Freedom of Belief
Freedom of Movement
Right to Privacy
Women, Children, and LGBTQ:
Women's Rights
Gender Based Violence and Reproductive Rights
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
LGBT Rights
Early and Forced Marriage
Children's Rights
Child Soldiers
Violence Against Children
Youth in the Criminal Justice System
Sex Trafficking
Sexual Violence
Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls
Racism, Minorities, and Displacement:
Indigenous Rights
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Revocation of Nationality
Ethnic and Religious Discrimination
Rural Violence
Religious Minorities
Ethnic Conflict and Forced Displacement
Internal Displacement and Land Restitution
Travel Restrictions and Family Separation
Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality
Migration and Deportation
Discrimination and Intolerance
Treatment of Minorities
Migrant Workers
Denial of Citizenship Rights
Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice
Rights of Non-Citizens
Work:
Labor Rights
Overseas Workers
Mining Industry Abuses
Garment Industry Abuses
Public Sector Corruption
Forced Labor
Extractive Industries
Labor Rights
Child Labor / Domestic Labor
Sex Work
Law/Government:
Corruption
Civil Society
Judicial Independence
Foreign Policy
Free and Democratic Elections
National Security
Constitution
Accountability for Past Human Rights Violations
Legislative and Institutional Framework
Barriers to Education and Illiteracy
Access to Justice
Natural Disaster Recovery
Death Squads
Political Oppression
Political Pluralism
Rule of Law
Deepening Authoritarianism
Anti-Narcotics Policy/Drug Reform
Cult of Personality
War/Military/Police:
Armed Conflict
Accountability for Torture by Security Forces
Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism
Conduct of Security Forces
Police Abuse
Mandatory Military Service
Security Forces Abuses and Impunity
War Crimes Trials
Military Abuses and Jurisdiction
Public Security and Police Conduct
Violence by Armed Opposition Groups
Extrajudicial Executions
Guerrilla Abuses
Paramilitaries and Successors
Peace Negotiations and Accountability
Airstrikes/Cluster Munitions/Landmines
Indiscriminate Attacks
Impunity for Abuses and Violent Crimes
Imprisonment:
Prison Conditions
Torture and Ill-Treatment in Custody
Fair Trial
Death Penalty
Due Process, Prison Conditions, Mass Death Sentences
Arbitrary Detention, Torture, and Other Ill-Treatment
Political Prisoners / Camps
Harsh Sentencing
Poverty and Criminal Justice
Silencing:
Prosecuting Government Critics
Persecution of Lawyers
Arrests and Harassment of Critics, Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, and Trade-Unionists
Attacks on Health Workers
Detention of Activists Abroad
Right to Peaceful Assembly/Political Dissent
Abductions and Enforced Disappearances
Health:
Palliative Care
Disability Rights
Rights to Health
Anti-Narcotics Policy/Drug Reform
Reproductive Rights
Utopia: An ideal place "an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. The word was first used in the book Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More."
Definitions: Important because you never know exactly what a person thinks unless they tell you
And sometimes we mean different things at different times. "A statement of the exact meaning of a word, especially in a dictionary. An exact statement or description of the nature, scope, or meaning of something."
Imperfection: Something I am choosing to accept in order to write/post/share this. "A fault, blemish, or undesirable feature. The state of being faulty or incomplete."
As a whole, as one people, it seems to me that we cannot shake some arbitrary constructs.
They are holding us back from progress and creating a lot of unnecessary suffering in the world.
Arbitrary: "based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system."
Construct: "an idea or theory containing various conceptual elements, typically one considered to be subjective and not based on empirical evidence."
There is no definitive meaning in pigmentation, sexual orientation, gender, birthplace, IQ, mental illness, physical disability, or class level. You can find one of every kind of soul in every category through time. In other words, any one of these things does not necessarily dictate anything about you.
Yet, these things have been given connotations through history which haunt us to this day.
They have meaning within the system we've found ourselves born into.
This is a call to change that system - entirely.
Please don't think I'm denying culture, history, or identity; that is not my intention.
But on a long enough timeline, with a large enough sample size - looking at the big picture - if you are of a certain race, class, gender, or ability and you feel you cannot do or be something because of that status, with enough searching, you may find historic or current heroes who broke that mold. Who defy expectation, stereotype, stigma, and discrimination. You always have the option of being the one to set a new standard - to prove it is possible - or at least be one who tried, so that the next generation might be inspired and have an easier time.
When it comes down to it, there is no real difference between the sexes, between the races, between the hearts and minds of people from every walk of life. We were all children once. We all have needs. We all act based on a combination of what we have been taught, exposed to, limited by, and are compelled to do. Among the different people, you will find a strong man and a strong woman. A smart person of color, a smart white person, a smart person of mixed race. We are varied, but we've chosen to group ourselves by the most shallow categories. What was easiest for our ancestors no longer applies to our evolved world.
You are your mind. Your character.
Your desires. Your dreams. Your fears.
Your choices. Your mistakes. Your regrets.
Your output.
You are you. You are human.
We are only our history as far as we can remember it.
Remember it accurately.
And only as far as we choose to let it define us.
There are some histories we can be proud of.
Family we want to hold onto.
But even then, just because your ancestors were cool, or fascists, doesn't mean you are.
You still have to walk the walk.
You still have to be you, incorporating your history, for it to live on.
We can choose to evolve.
Choose to get better.
Keep what we want to pass onto the future. Leave the rest behind as a warning.
Diversity matters, and even with all the best intentions, it's unreasonable, impractical, for me to go through life as if no one else was raised to see and respond to these things - sometimes horrifically, in which case awareness is needed in order to help those who have been stigmatized.
I feel our goal should be in creating universal and nondiscriminatory human rights, but people need to be able to preserve their own identities as they see fit as well.
It might help to think of a short-term, and a long-term goal.
In the short-term:
Black Lives Matter. Indigenous Lives Matter. Minority Lives Matter. Disempowered Peoples' Lives Matter.
In America, and the world, we must combat the white privilege and elitist supremacy which is deeply rooted in our very foundation - to the point of invisibility. Re-write the history books to include heroes of color, women, and those who have had their lives re-purposed for another's profit and power.
But once, and if, we equalize the power, privilege, access, and agency of all our communities
in the long-term:
Individual Lives Matter. Human Lives Matter.
(If we ever meet the aliens) Earth Lives Matter. Universal Lives Matter.
That big list above, from Human Rights Watch, should help you understand where I'm coming from.
It can be overwhelming for anyone. It helps to know what to focus on. Where to start.
Focus on Black Lives Matter now. Focus on The Dakota Access Pipeline.
Focus on the biggest problems of our time:
Do yourself a favor and read all of this.
The report is on events of 2015...
Again, from Human Rights Watch:
United States
"The United States has a vibrant civil society and strong constitutional protections
for many civil and political rights. Yet many US laws and practices, particularly
in the areas of criminal and juvenile justice, immigration, and national
security, violate internationally recognized human rights. Often, those least able
to defend their rights in court or through the political process—members of racial
and ethnic minorities, immigrants, children, the poor, and prisoners—are the
people most likely to suffer abuses."
Harsh Sentencing
"The United States locks up 2.37 million people, the largest reported incarcerated
population in the world. About 12 million people annually cycle through county
jails.
Concerns about over-incarceration in prisons—caused in part by mandatory minimum
sentencing and excessively long sentences—have led some states and the
US Congress to introduce several reform bills. At time of writing, none of the federal
congressional measures had become law.
Thirty-one US states continue to impose the death penalty; seven of those carried
out executions in 2014. In recent decades, the vast majority of executions
have occurred in five states. In August, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled the
state’s death penalty unconstitutional, barring execution for the 11 men who remained
on death row after the Connecticut legislature did away with the death
penalty in 2007.
At time of writing, 27 people had been executed in the US in 2015, all by lethal
injection. The debate over lethal injection protocols continued, with several US
states continuing to use experimental drug combinations and refusing to disclose
their composition. In March, Utah passed a law allowing execution by firing
squad. In June, the US Supreme Court ruled that Oklahoma’s lethal injection
protocol was constitutional. Two prisoners executed in Oklahoma in 2014—
Clayton Lockett and Michael Wilson—showed visible signs of distress as they died."
Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice
"Racial disparities permeate every part of the US criminal justice system. Disparities in drug enforcement are particularly egregious. While whites and African Americans engage in drug offenses at comparable rates, African Americans are arrested, prosecuted, and incarcerated for drug offenses at much higher rates. African Americans are only 13 percent of the US population, but make up 29 percent of all drug arrests. Black men are incarcerated at six times the rate of white men.
A US Department of Justice report on the police department of Ferguson, Missouri, commissioned after the 2014 police killings of unarmed African American teenager Michael Brown, found that African Americans were disproportionally impacted at all levels of Ferguson's justice system - a problem that persists in justice systems throughout the country."
Drug Reform
"The federal government has begun to address disproportionately long sentences for federal drug offenders. At time of writing, President Barack Obama had commuted the sentences of 86 prisoners in 2015, 76 of them drug offenders. Yet, more than 35,000 federal inmates remain in prison after petitioning for reconsideration of their drug sentences. In October, the Bureau of Prisons released more than 6,000 people who had been serving disproportionately long drug sentence, the releases resulted from a retroactive reduction of federal drug sentences approved by the US Sentencing Commission."
Police Reform
"Once again, high-profile police killings of unarmed African Americans gained media attention in 2015, including the deaths of Freddy Gray in Baltimore and Walter Scott in North Charleston, South Carolina. The federal government does not maintain a full count of the number of people killed by police each year. The Bureau of Justice Statistics revealed in 2015 that it tracks only 35 to 50 percent of arrest-related deaths on an annual basis. A new federal law incentivizes the collection of data regarding deaths in police custody, but does not require states to provide that data and so fails to ensure reliable data on people killed by police.
In May, Obama's Law Enforcement Equipment Working Group released recommendations to better regulate and restrict the transfer of Defense Department equipment to local law enforcement."
Prison and Jail Conditions
"Momentum against the use of solitary confinement continued in 2015, but according to a new report, an estimated 100,000 state and federal prison inmates are being held in isolation.
In July, President Obama ordered the Department of Justice to review the practice of solitary confinement. Several states are currently considering legislative or regulatory reforms to reduce the use of solitary confinement. In New York, a proposed bill would limit the time during which an inmate could be held in isolation, and would band solitary confinement for people with mental illness and other vulnerable groups. California settles a lawsuit brought by prisoners and agreed to eliminate the use of indefinite solitary confinement at the Pelican Bay State Prison - a supermax facility - as well as significantly reduce the length of time prisoners in California can be kept in solitary. However, California's legislature failed to pass a bill the would have eliminated solitary confinement for children.
Jail and prison staff throughout the US use unnecessary, excessive, and even malicious force against prisoners with mental disabilities. Although no national data exists, research - including a 2015 Human Rights Watch report - indicates that the problem is widespread and may be increasing in the country's more than 5,100 jails and prisons."
Poverty and Criminal Justice
"Poor defendant nationwide are subjected to prolonged and unnecessary pre-trial detention because they cannot afford to post bail. Kalief Browder committed suicide in June, two years after being released from the jail complex on New York City's Rikers Island, where from the age of 16 he had been held for three years in pre-trial detention, mostly in solitary confinement, because he could not afford to post $3,000 in bail. His case catalyzed renewed criticism of money bail, prompting the New York City Council to announce the creation of a bail fund and city officials to embrace new pretrial detention programs.
A new lawsuit challenging money bail was filed in October in San Francisco, and the governor of Connecticut has called for a review of money bail in the state.
State and municipal practices that prey on low-income defendants to generate income gained increased attention after the Justice Department's report on Ferguson, Missouri described that town's municipal court system as little more than a revenue-generating machine targeting African Americans, with the Ferguson police as its "collection agency".
The privatization of misdemeanor probation services by several US states has also led to abuses, including fees structured by private probation companies in ways that penalize poor offenders or lead to the arrest of people who genuinely cannot afford to pay. In March, Georgia passed a law that imposes important new limits on the practices of such companies. Other states where private probation is widespread have thus far not taken similar steps, though awareness of probation-related abuses seems to be rising."
Youth in the Criminal Justice System
"In every US jurisdiction, children are prosecuted in adult courts and sentenced
to adult prison terms. Fourteen states have no minimum age for adult prosecution,
while others set the age at 10, 12, or 13. Some states automatically prosecute
youth age 14 and above as adults. Fifteen states give discretion to the
prosecuting attorney, not a judge, to decide whether a youth is to be denied the
services of the juvenile system. Tens of thousands of youth under the age of 18
are being held in adult prisons and jails across the country. The US remains the
only country to sentence people under the age of 18 to life without the possibility
of parole.
In 2015, there was some movement toward reducing the number of children tried
as adults. In Illinois, a new law ended the automatic transfer of children under 15
to adult court. New Jersey increased the minimum age to be tried as an adult
from 14 to 15. California, for the first time in 40 years, improved the statutory criteria
judges use in transfer hearings, which could reduce the number of youth
tried as adults."
Rights of Non-Citizens
"The US government continued the dramatic expansion of detention of migrant
mothers and their children from Central America, many of them seeking asylum,
though it announced some reforms mid-year. Human Rights Watch has documented
the severe psychological toll of indefinite detention on asylum-seeking
mothers and children and the barriers it raises to due process.
In June, the Obama administration announced it would limit long-term detention
of mothers and children who pass the first step to seeking refugee protection,
and cease detaining individuals as a deterrent to others. A federal judge ruled in
July that the US government’s family detention policy violates a 1997 settlement
on the detention of migrant children. While detention of families continues,
most are released within weeks if they can make a seemingly legitimate asylum
claim.
A federal lawsuit halted implementation of the Obama administration’s November
2014 executive actions to provide a temporary reprieve from deportation to
certain unauthorized immigrants, which could have protected millions of families
from the threat of arbitrary separation. Legislative efforts toward legal status
for millions of unauthorized migrants in the US continued to founder.
Human Rights Watch documented in June how the US government targets for deportation
lawful permanent residents and other immigrants with longstanding
ties to the US who have drug convictions, including for old and minor offenses.
State and federal drug reform efforts have largely excluded non-citizens, who
face permanent deportation and family separation for drug offenses."
Labor Rights
"Hundreds of thousands of children work on US farms. US law exempts child
farmworkers from the minimum age and maximum hour requirements that protect
other working children. Child farmworkers often work long hours and risk
pesticide exposure, heat illness, and injuries. In 2015, the Environmental Protection
Agency banned children under 18 from handling pesticides. Children who
work on tobacco farms frequently suffer vomiting, headaches, and other symptoms
consistent with acute nicotine poisoning. After Human Rights Watch reported
on hazardous child labor in US tobacco farming, the two largest US-based tobacco companies - Altria Group and Reynolds American - independently announced that, beginning in 2015, they would prohibit their growers from employing children under 16."
Right to Health
"Stark racial disparities continue to characterize the HIV epidemic in the US, as the criminal justice system play a key role as a barrier to HIV prevention and care services for groups more vulnerable to HIV, including people who use drugs, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender women.
A large outbreak of HIV and Hepatitis C infection occurred in rural southern Indiana in 2015, affecting more than 180 people who inject drugs. [GUESS WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THAT? OUR NEW VICE-PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE) A state law allowing needle exchange programs in response to outbreaks was passed but maintains prohibitions on state funding for such programs as part of a broader prevention approach."
Rights of People with Disabilities
"Corporal punishment in state schools is still widely practiced in 19 US states. Children with disabilities receive corporal punishment at a disproportionate rate to their peers, despite evidence that it can adversely affect their physical and psychological conditions. In contrast, 124 countries have criminalized physical chastisement in public schools."
Women's and Girls' Rights
"Despite Defense Department reforms, US military service members who report sexual assault frequently experience retaliation, including threats, vandalism, harassment, poor work assignments, loss of promotion opportunities, disciplinary action including discharge, and even criminal charges. The military does little to hold retaliators to account or provide effective remedies for retaliation. In May, Human Rights Watch released a report that found both male and female military personnel who report sexual assault are 12 times as likely to experience some form of retaliation as to see their attacker convicted of a sex offense.
In June, the US Supreme Court ruled that housing policies and practices with a disproportionate and negative impact against classes protected from discrimination violate the Fair Housing Act, regardless of whether the policy was adopted with the intent to discriminate. The ruling is important for domestic and sexual violence victims who can face eviction due to zero-tolerance policies - where an entire household may be evicted if any member commits a crime - or municipal nuisance ordinances that subject tenants to eviction is they call the police frequently."
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
"The US Supreme Court issued a landmark decision on June 26, 2015, that grants same-sex couples throughout the country the right to marry.
At time of writing, 28 states do not have laws banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, while three states prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation but not on gender identity.
In July, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited under the existing definition of discrimination based on sex in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In June, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) introduced a policy providing certain protections for transgender women in immigration detention. Nevertheless, transgender women in ICE custody continue to receive inadequate medical care and report verbal and sexual harassment in detention."
National Security
"The practice of indefinite detention without charge or trial at Guantanamo Bay entered its 14th year, at time of writing, 107 detainees remained at the facility, 48 were cleared for release, and the Obama administration had in 2015 transferred 20 detainees to their homes or third countries.
The administration continued to pursue cases before the fundamentally flawed military commissions at Guantanamo. In June, a federal appeals court over-turned the 2008 conviction of Ali Hamza Ahmad Suliman al-Bahlul, the alleged Al-Quaeda "public relations director" who was found guilty of conspiracy, soliciting murder, and providing material support for terrorism. As a result of the decision, at least five of the eight convictions imposed by the military commissions are now no longer valid.
Some detainees continued hunger strikes to protest their detention, including Tariq Ba Odah, who has been force-fed by nasal tube for several years and whose lawyers and doctors say is near death. The Obama administration opposed Odah's legal request for court-ordered release, even though the administration had cleared him for release five years ago.
Congress and President Obama signed into law the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which in recent years has included provisions on Guantanamo detentions. In 2015, the law tightened existing restrictions on the transfer of detainees out of Guantanamo. The provisions will make it more difficult, though not impossible, to transfer detainees home or to third countries, and maintains the complete ban on transfer of detainees to the US for detention or trial.
The release in December 2014 of a summary of a Senate Intelligence Committee report on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)'s detention and interrogation program uncovered new information on the methods and extent of torture and Bush administration efforts to avoid culpability. The summary sparked calls by Human Rights Watch and others for new Justice Department criminal investigations into CIA torture and other violations of federal law, and, should the US fail to act, for action by other governments, including renewed efforts in Europe where a number of cases related to CIA torture already have been filed.
In response to the Senate summary, Congress included provision in NDAA that requires all the US government agencies except law enforcement entities to abide by rules in the Army Field Manual on interrogation, and provide the International Committee of the Red Cross with notification of, and prompt access to, all prisoners held by the US in any armed conflict. The provision will bolster existing bans on torture, but without credible criminal investigations int CIA torture it is unclear how effectively the provision will guard against future abuse.
In June, Congress took a first small step towed curbing the government's mass surveillance practices by passing the USA Freedom Act. The law imposes limits on the scope of the collection of phone records permissible under section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. It also puts in place new measures to increase transparency and oversight of surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA).
The law does not constrain surveillance under section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act or Executive Order 12333, the primary legal authorities used by the US government to justify mass violations of privacy of people outside US borders. The law also does not address many modern surveillance capabilities, from use of malware to inception of all mobile calls in a country.
US law enforcement officials continued to urge major US Internet and mobile phone companies to weaken the security of their services to facilitate surveillance in the course of criminal investigations. In May, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression called on all countries, including the US, to refrain from weakening encryption and other security measures because such tools are critical for the security of human rights defenders and activists worldwide."
Foreign Policy
"In July, the US and other countries reached a comprehensive deal with Iran, restricting its nuclear weapons program in exchange for sanctions relief.
Although a full drawdown of US troops from Afganistan from planned fro the end of 2014, Obama ordered 9,800 US troops to remain in Afganistan through the end of 2015 and 5,500 to remain into 2017.
Throughout the year, the US conducted airstrikes against the forces of the armed extremist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS) in Iraq and Syria and led a coalition of Western and regional allies in what Obama called a "long-term campaign" to defeat the group. A US program to train and equip "moderate" Syrian rebels - costing hundreds of millions of dollars - only produced approximately 60 fighters, a number of whom were promptly captured or killed. The US continued to call for a political solution to the conflict in Syria without a role for President Bashar al-Assad.
In March, a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states began a military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen. The US provided intelligence, logistical support, and personnel to the Saudi Arabian center planning airstrikes and coordinating activities, making US forces potentially jointly responsible for laws-of-war violations
by coalition forces.
US drone strikes continued in Yemen and Pakistan, though at reduced numbers,
while US strikes increased in Somalia.
The US restored full military assistance to Egypt in April, despite a worsening
human rights environment, lifting restrictions in place since the military takeover
by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013. Egypt resumed its position as the second-largest
recipient of US military assistance, worth $1.3 billion annually, after
Israel. In June, the US lifted its hold on military assistance to the Bahraini military
despite an absence of meaningful reform, which was the original requirement
for resuming the aid.
In July, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria met with Obama in Washington;
the US then pledged broad support for counterterrorism efforts and the fight
against the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, as well as collaboration on economic
development and tackling corruption. Obama in July traveled to Kenya and
Ethiopia, where he urged respect for term limits across Africa.
More than 50 years since trade and diplomatic ties were severed during the Cold
War, the US officially reopened diplomatic relations with Cuba in August. Obama
also called for the lifting of the economic embargo, which would require an act
of Congress.
In September, Obama waived provisions of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act to
allow four countries—the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, and
South Sudan—to continue to receive US military assistance, despite their continued
use of child soldiers. Obama delegated authority to Secretary of State John
Kerry to make determinations under the act regarding Yemen, where child soldiers
are used by all sides to the conflict; at time of writing, all US military aid to
Yemen was suspended because of continuing instability there."
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There is much more work to be done.
And without accidentally repeating the past.
Ending bigotry and discrimination requires conversation, consciousness raising, emotional inquiry, and slow change. Imagine the movie where Trump is re-conditioned to be the greatest president that ever lived. We watch him transform from our worst nightmare to some unimaginable dream. What would be required - of him, and of those/that which changes him? What precise conditions would be needed for such a miracle?
Fantasies aside, what can we do to ensure a better future, for everyone, no matter what?
To Be Continued...
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