The Economist, one of the worlds most respected journals and one whose point of view is one with which I have serious disagreements, ran an editorial condemning the prison at Guantanamo Bay, calling it “a deeply un-American disgrace.” If America’s friends feel this way, one can only imagine how isolated the United States is on the matter. The prison belies all the American rhetoric about respecting human rights. President Obama argues that it is the responsibility of the Congress to close the base. I respectfully disagree–it was a Justice Department ruling that established the presumed legality of the prison.
President Obama is visiting Mexico, and there are a host of issues to discuss, such as drugs and immigration reform in the US. The backdrop of the visit is the impressive rise in manufacturing capability in Mexico, as Mexico begins to compete effectively with Chinese exports to the US. The stage is set for a new relationship between the two countries, and we should hope that the more volatile issues do not obscure the mutual interests that are incredibly important.
The National Front Party in Malaysia has ruled in that country since 1957. The current Prime Minister Najib Razak, however, faces a hotly contested election with Anwar Ibrahim, a long-time rival to the National Front. The issues in the country are incredibly complex, but there is, apparently, as general sense of dissatisfaction with the long-ruling party and that it might be time for a change. If the opposition does win the election, it will be a telling statement about the weakening power of incumbency.
World Politics News 
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