YEAR IN REVIEW

2008-2009

Final Campaign Map

• Former Gov. Tom Vilsack, D-Iowa (Agriculture)• Former Gov. Gary Locke, D-Wash. (Commerce)• Current Defense Secretary Robert Gates (Defense Secretary• Arne Duncan (Education)• Steven Chu (Energy)• Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, D-Kan. (Health and Human Services)• Gov. Janet Napolitano, D-Ariz. (Homeland Security)• Shaun Donovan (Housing and Urban Development)• Sen. Ken Salazar D-Colo. (Interior)• Eric Holder (Justice)• Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif. (Labor)• Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. (State)• Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill. (Transportation)• Timothy Geithner (Treasury)• Retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki (Veterans Affairs)

• Obama announces the closure of Guantanamo within a year

• Banned torture and other interrogative techniques

• Allowed states to raise emission standards past the national average

• Expands the Children’s Health Insurance Program

• Creates President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board

• Signs the 789 billion dollar American Recovery and Reinvestment act of 2009

• Overturns rules that limit the Federal funding of stem cell research

• Renews economic sanctions on Iran that were first imposed in 1995

• Signs Omnibus Public Land Management Act into law

• Signs a presidential memorandum eliminating limits on Cuban-Americans governing family visits and remittances sent to the island

• Promises to aid Mexico in the fight against the drug lords

• Goes to G20 summit to meet with the leaders of the world

• Holds a summit with Afghan and Pakistani presidents

• Announces new automobile fuel efficiency standards requiring cars and light trucks to average 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016

• The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act are signed into law 

• Nominates Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court Justice

• President Barack Obama gives a speech in Cairo, Egypt, to repair the image of America around the world.

Senate and House Elections

Senate

• 35 out of 100 seats are contested

• Republicans lose 8 seats,

Democrats gain 7

• Republicans still hold filibuster

• Senate Majority Leader - Harry Reid

• Senate Minority Leader - Mitch McConnell

House

• All 435 voting seats up for election

• Dems gain 21, Reps lose 21

• Speaker of the House- Nancy Pelosi

• Minority leader, John Boehner

• Majority leader, Steny Hoyer (our guy!)

Governors

• Elections held in 11 states and 2 territories

• Missouri goes Democratic

• Notable governors: Bobby Jindal - Indian American Louisiana Governor (Republican), Sarah Palin, Martin O’ Malley (Maryland)

Major Domestic Issues

• Climate Change• Baby Boomers/Social

Security• Healthcare/Medicare• Economy• Drug Trafficking• Gun Control• Taxes• Homeland Security • Offshore Drilling• Immigration• Infrastructure• Education

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

From HUGE Hummers …to… Hybrid cars

We are realizing that we can no longer produce muscle cars with high gas mileages that also produce mass amounts of carbon emissions; however, we are realizing that we can change our inventions, such as cars, to be more “green” and eco-friendly.

New Forms of Energy

Solar power

Water power

Wind power

Carbon Emissions

• Even if the United States were to cut back on carbon emissions, China and India would still be producing so much that the effort would be pointless.

2100??• What is global warming going to do to our environment?

– How will animals adapt to the changing environment?– How many places will drought cause people and

animals to move/migrate to areas with water?– Are we exhausting our natural resources to the point

that we will not have enough food to feed the human race?

– Are we not going to be able to get ahead of environmental problems? Did we start too late?

– Is the sixth extinction coming?

However, we DO know that WE are the ones causing this severe crisis.

Social SecurityMedicare

80 MILLION

BABY

BOOMERS

• Benefits exceeded program income for Medicare last year.

• This will happen to Social Security in 2017.

• Social Security will go broke in 2041.

• Medicare faces insolvency in 2020.

• Current baby boomer income exceeds needs and is being spent because of deficit spending.

WWII Generation

(Denny’s Parents)

BABY BOOMERS!!!

(Denny)

YOU!!!!!!

Treasury Secretary Snow: “Leave no question that Social Security reform is needed and it is needed

soon. Reform of this system, for the sake of our

children, grandchildren and the financial future of our country, is a very real

and pressing matter."

• Solutions–Dramatically higher taxes (YOU)–Massive borrowing (deficit up, debt

up, interest on the debt up)–Severe cuts in spending

• Social Security benefits (YOU don’t get it)

• Other govt. programs (that YOU need)

Economy in Review:

2008 - 2009

The Perfect Storm

The Housing Industry

• 2007 Housing Boom• Rates and values increase• Excess Confidence in

the market• SUBPRIME LENDING• Interest Rates • ARM’s• 10 million Reverse Mortgages

HOME FORCLOSURES!!!

• 9,000 DAILY!

• OVER 2.5 MILLION

AND COUNTING

• VERY LARGE DECREASE IN

VALUE!

Mortgage Backed Mortgage Backed

SecuritiesSecurities–A “new” thing–Value plummeted, but was unknown how much money was really lost

»Stocks plummet and mortgage investors go

broke

BANK FAILURE!!!

• Homeowners can’t afford to pay• Banks left with homes and in debt

• STOP LENDING!

THE CREDIT CRUNCH

• Now less $$$$ available

• Collapse of auto

and construction industry

MAJOR UNEMPLOYEMENT

• 8.1% in February 2009• 12.5 million

unemployed• 4.4 million jobs lost

LESS SPENDING LESS SPENDING AND AND

LOW CONSUMER LOW CONSUMER CONFIDENCECONFIDENCE

• More businesses fail!• More unemployment!• No job, no home!• No spending!• No investing!• No loans!• So therefore…

STOCK MARKET CRASH!!!

DOW 50%

$11.2 trillion lost in financial

markets and housing

So How Do We Fix it??

Federal Bailouts

• Bear Stearns: $30 billion

• Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac: $200 billion

• Merrill Lynch: $50 billion

• AIG: $150 billion

• Citigroup: $247.5 billion

• TARP: $700 billion

What Else?

• Lowered interest rates

• $789 billion stimulus plan

• $75 billion in home relief

• $1 trillion to ease credit

• Stress tests on banks

• Create four million green jobs

• Spending to get people spending!

The “BIG THREE”• GM, Ford, Chrysler• $25 billion from TARP

– Dealers, green conversion, auto parts

• Ch. 11 Bankruptcy• Up to $50 billion more

to GM• Workers• Pensions

After bailouts and printing money…

• Devaluation of

the dollar!

• Inflation!

• Higher oil prices!

• Costly imports!

Obama Budget:

$3.5 Trillion

Predicted Deficit:

$1.75 Trillion

• Ballooning yearly deficits

• Results in massive debt

• Debt: $13 trillion

• 1980: $1 trillion

• $451,154,049,950.63 paid in interest in 2008 fiscal year

  If you laid 13 trillion one-dollar bills end-to-end they'd reach from the earth to the sun and back...five times over. That translates into 946 million miles of greenbacks.

$13 trillion in one dollar bills weighs 28 million pounds.  That's as much as 87 blue whales or 462 Statues of Liberty.

Mexican Drug War

Cartels

• Drug production is a billion dollar business in Mexico

• Mexico is the main route for the trade.

• Cartels use fear and terror tactics to protect their business.

AFTERMATH OF MORELIA GRENADE ATTACKS IN 2008

The War

• Is a turf war between two sides– Gulf Cartel and

Sinaloa Cartel

• So far, 10,000 people have been killed during the conflict

Sinaloa is headed by Most wanted drug trafficker

701st wealthiest man in the world

LOS ZETAS TIJUANA CARTEL

JUAREZ CARTEL

Guns’ Origin

• 90% of guns originated in USA

• Only 5% of trucks going through border are checked for firearms and other weapons.

• Guns come from other countries besides USA.

The War

• Massive corruption within the Mexican police force. Several arrests of high ranking officials.

• Cartels use trucks, planes, and narco submarines to smuggle drugs

Effects in America

• Cocaine seizures on U.S. soil dropped 41%. Price of cocaine per kilo has increased dramatically.

• Mexico has spent $7 billion on war.

-U.S. Justice Dept. considers Drug cartels the greatest organized crime threat to USA.

-19 Americans killed in 2008.

OBAMA’S PLAN

• Will deploy 500 agents to the Mexican border and fund $200 million to combat smuggling.

• Governors of border states requesting assistance from federal government.

- The U.S. government is even considering the National Guard if things get out of hand.

-The U.S. government is skeptical of Mexico’s ability to handle the situation.

AFRICA

Zimbabwe

Hyperinflation

-allowance $1-2 U.S.

- $1U.S.=10 trillion Zimbabwe

Land Redistribution

-farms taken

- whites leave, blacks out of work

Cholera outbreak

-3630 deaths, 69,000 infected

The Problem?

• The president is Robert Mugabe.

-1980 -power sharing

with Morgan Tsvangirai (prime minister)

Uganda

Museveni

Child Soldiers

LRA- Lords Resistance Army

- 90% abducted children

Invisible Children

1 million residents displaced

Sudan

-Black vs. Arab

-Janjaweed

GENOCIDE

REFUGEES

TACTICS

Never Again!?

Rwanda

Bosnia

Darfur

Sudan/Darfur

• Omar Hassan al-Bashir– Charges of

genocide(3), war crimes and crimes against humanity(5), murder(2)

• 300,000 victims• Displacement

– 2.7 million

But Wait…

• The violence has spread to Chad.

-refugees fleeing Sudan

• Civil war between gov’t

and various rebel groups

since 2005.

• Intermingled with

Sudanese conflict.

BORDER RAIDS

Somalia• No effective government

• Sharif Ahmed

• Pirates

– Gulf of Aden

– U.N. and 15 international ships patrol waters

– $200 million dollars have

been stolen

– Awaiting trials

– 42 ships seized

Attacks on ships

• By 2008 they have attacked 111 ships with 42 seized.

Biggest ship ever taken by pirates. Its faraway location from Somalia’s coast indicates that they’re operating in an area of 1.1 million square miles!

International Response

• A coalition of ships from various nations now patrol the Gulf of Aden and other areas where attacks are common.– Includes India, China, USA, UK, Australia,

Russia, Canada, France, Japan, and numerous others.

– UN has agreed to toughen resolutions based on confronting pirates.

Somalia

• G8 nations looking to put pirates on trial

• Most nations are in NATO or EU– Being called on for

help.

• Most pirates are poor local fishermen.

• Piracy• 111 attempts in 2008

– 42 successful

• April 2009– Maeserk Alabama– Captain Phillips– 4 men, armed w/ AK-

47s– sniped

Europe

Large Hadron Collider

• Largest in Existence

• Built by CERN

• Collective European Effort

Iceland

• Largest economic collapse in history (relative to Country)

• Banks fail, holding 80% of national debt

• Market falls, inflation rises

Greece

• Sparked by police shooting

• Building razed, rioters arrested

• Lasted several weeks

G20 London

• Objectives are:– Revive economy– Reform financial sector– Reform international financial institutions

G20 Cont.

• France/Germany want regulation

• US/UK want bailout

• All hate tax havens

• In end, funds given to IMF, Hedge funds regulated

• Decreased US influence

Other

• Sark becomes last country in Europe to abandon Feudalism

• Czech Republic takes leadership of Council of the EU

• Slovakia adopts Euro

Georgia v. Russia

• Territorial conflict• South Ossetia and Abkhazia

want to split from Georgia

and join Russia (ethnic

Russians)• Natural resources - (oil pipeline) Russian

inventors, independence recognized by 2 states• Russia invades to protect ethnic Russians• Strained relations between the U.S. and Russia

Russia v. U.S.• 1) Missile Defense- Czech Republic (NATO-attack on

1 is attack on all)– Poland (satellite Soviet)– 10 interceptor missiles, Poland soil, and Patriot

missiles– Russia Threatens attack on Poland (nuke?)– Ukraine's gas cut off by Russia for accused

stealing• 2) Georgia• 3) Iran – Russian against sanctions• 4) Iraq - Russia against invasion• 5) Putin undermining democratic foundations

(former KGB)

People to Know

Al-Maliki- Prime Minister of Iraq

Zardari- President of Pakistan. As you can see, he has his game face on.

Karzai- President of Afghanistan

Ahmadinejad-President of Iran

People to Know

Kim-Jung-Il- Military despot of North Korea.

Netanyahu- Prime Minister of Israel

Mubarak- Egyptian President

King Abdullah al Saud- King of Saudi Arabia

Israel-Palestinian Statehood• US supports Israeli democracy & 2-state solution• Oslo 2-state solution 1993

– Created Palestinian Authority (PA) – Fatah main political party

– Broke down in 2000, led to intifada and lead to rise of extremist Hamas

– Hamas kicks Fatah out of Gaza

• Fatah in West Bank still working towards political solution – U.S. “Road Mapfor Peace” ineffective

Gaza Strip• Is on the border of Egypt and

Israel on the Med.• Hamas: An extreme opposition

to Fatah. Does not accept Israel’s existence.

• Hamas projects violent responses to Israeli occupation; checkpoints, new settlements.

• ’08-’09 Hamas launched rocket attacks into Southern Israel

• Israel violently reoccupied Gaza. (many casualties)** What came first,

the chicken or the egg? (Hamas or Israeli reaction?)

Lebanon

• ’07-’08 Hezbollah (also does not accept Israel and supported by Iran & Syria) launches rockets into Northern Israel.

• Israel invades Lebanon – many civilian casualties

• June 2009 election: Hezbollah narrowly defeated by pro-U.S./West government

• Middle East peace?

Obama’s Major Shift in Cairo!June 4, 2009

Middle East• Find peaceful middle

ground

-common enemy= extremism

-common interests

-rid poverty

“move forward”- no nukes

Israel-Palestine• 2 state solution is

needed!

Israel- stop settlements, stay out of West Bank

Palestinian Authority must stop Hamas’ violence, Hamas must accept Israel

*First time US tells Israel to back off

Problems with Shift

Middle East• 57 Islamic nations = ½ of

US GDP• Poverty leads to

unhappiness/anger- easier targets for extremist propaganda

• Anti-west hatred!• Resentment of own

autocratic governments• Women’s rights?

Israel- Palestine• Netanyahu- hardliner!• Pro-Israel lobby in US

won’t stand for it• Palestinian governments

are dysfunctional (Hamas overthrew Fatah)

War on Terror

• U.S. appeals for more NATO support– Minimal response– Worst yr. for U.S. casualties

– 425 coalition casualties– Civilian casualties rose 40%

(55% Taliban-39% coalition forces)

• Too many– Roadside bombs– Suicide attacks– Air strikes

• Obama approves 30,000 additional troops to join current 30,000

• 9/11: Taliban protected bin Laden/al Qaeda

• U.S. invades ’01

• President Karzai

• Iraq pulls force away

• ’03-’09 resurgences of Taliban

• Opium trade flourishes

– 93% global output

– 53% GDP

– War/drug lords control most of Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Iraq• Sunni put under US

payroll – local security (former insurgents)

• Obama

– Most out by Aug. 2010

– 50k – 142k stay till 2011

• Sadr chills

• al-Maliki wins major

re-elections

• Britain officially starts withdraw

• Issues of concern:– Reconstruction?– Power/revenue

sharing?– Ethnic conflict

(Shi’a/Sunni/Kurds)– Govt. viability? – Foreign jihadists?– U.S. “occupation”– Iranian influence

Surge

• The deployment of more than 20,000 soldiers into Iraq, mostly to Baghdad.

• Not enough troops to control the level of violence!

• ’08-’09 with Sunni conversion, the surge helped to reduce level of violence and allow the U.S. an exit strategy.

Mumbai

• 11.26.08• India• Multiple hotel

bombings• First major• Warning was received• Just like warning

before September 11th.

• Group in Pakistan responsible– Deccan Mujahideen– Lashkar-e-Taiba

Swat Valley

Located in Pakistan

near the Afghan border

Swat Valley Conflict• Used to be a big tourist resort area

• Taliban imposes violence

– 800 people died in 6 months from suicide bombs

• Government tried to remove the Taliban, but lost

** People in Swat Valley DO NOT support the Taliban**

• 20,000 Pakistani ground troops sent into Swat

• Pakistan government made an agreement with local Islamist leaders to impose sharia law in Swat Valley

– In exchange for peace in the area

How does Sharia affect Swat?

• Sharia is used to refer to the Islamic system of law and the totality of the Islamic way of life – Should involve no violence

– Also found in; Saudi Arabia and Nigeria • Makes Swat a safe haven for Taliban

– They can re-group, re-organize, recruit, and train • Makes Pakistani military look weak to the people• May inspire insurgents to push harder for

imposition of Islamic law in other regions

Why is This a Problem?

• Similar to events in Vietnam War– Vietcong retreat into Laos, Cambodia

• US wants to fight Taliban, but can’t in Swat– Pakistan is US ally

• Pakistani government not in control/unstable– Unstable gov’t = good for terrorism

Iran-United StatesA Difficult

Relationship

After World War II• U.S was concerned about

Soviet Influence• Britian lost oil fields to

nationalization in Iran• Encouraged the CIA to

overthrow Iranian govt.• Mossadeq

– Nationalist/Popular– Communist ideals– Anti-west– Autocratic

• The U.S brought back the Shah– Hated by the people

Khomeini

• Strongest opponent of the Shah

• Khomeini accused the Shah of anti-Islamic behavior

• He sent radio messages from exile about his ideas of the new Iran to followers in Iran

Military• During the 60’s and 70’s

Iran invested in high technology weapons from the U.S. to become a regional power

• The U.S supported a pro-U.S. regime.

• People were resentful of the Shah and Khomeini gained support

Iranian Revolution

• Under President Carter’s term the Shah was overthrown by followers of Khomeini

• Khomeini instituted a strict Islamist regime that was very anti-U.S.

• Resulted in U.S. Embassy hostage taking

American Hostages and Lebanon

• Iranian college students conquer the American embassy in Teheran and take 60 Americans hostage

• Terrorists funded by Iran attack 241 American’s marines in Beirut, Lebanon a few years later.

Adversarial Issues• Iranian nuclear program• U.S. accuses Iran of

developing a weapons program

• U.S. accuses Iran of supporting Hamas and Hezbollah with weapons to fight the U.S and Israel

• U.S. accuses Iran of supporting insurgents in Iraq

Election in 2009

• The election in Iran could be a major turning point in the relations between the U.S and Iran

N.Korea/Iran – Main Issues

North Korea• North Korea has always been a danger to stability in its surrounding

area. For example:• North Korea has reactivated it uranium enrichment program, which

increases its capability to build nuclear weapons.• North Korea currently has around 6 to 8 nuclear weapons• North Korea is extremely unstable, isolated, and very aggressive

towards it’s southern neighbor, not to mention almost everyone else.

What Kim-Jung-Il N. Korea wants to be. What North Korea actually is.

Reality (and a egotistical megalomaniac ruler)

+

=

North Korea, cont.• North Korea reactivated its nuclear program last year after a

suspected long-range missile test under guise of a satellite launch. • This led to the disengagement of the six-party talks, which were

negotiations between North Korea, South Korea, Russia, China, Japan, and the U.S.

• North Korea also began a flurry of activity shortly after the six party talks were dropped. It tested numerous short-range missile tests, massed Artillery at its western coast, hosted numerous military parades, as well as amphibious drills for its ground forces.

• What do we do?

North Korea also held and incriminated two U.S reporters, sentencing them both to 12-year terms. This issue has yet to be resolved.

The Saga continues!!!

Be informed!!!

Get involved!!!