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Amanpour viewers contemplated the devastating consequences of the drug war in México. The majority felt that the legalization of drugs could end all disputes among governmental entities and citizens of México, the United States and generate profit. Speculations about the U.S. admittance of transport of drugs in and out of the border with México were a subject of debate among many, along with conflicted thoughts by the audience on alleged U.S. cooperation with cartels in México. Additional topics that were discussed lightly included the new global threat, an online war that viewers considered true and the portrayal of China by the audience as a “country that has no respect for human rights.”
What are your thoughts? Please share your thoughts with us! In addition, if you missed the show go to http://www.amanpour.com for more information.
Below, you will see some opinions from viewers like yourself. We would love to hear what you think.
Email comments
This is an absurd farce! It's outrageous that we send both the money and the guns that slaughter the people of Mexico. OF COURSE Narco-trafficking would end when the U.S. ends the money funneling into the black market. Please use this show to tell the evident truth, Ms. Amanpour, that legalization is the only answer to this solution. We have blood on our hands.
Patrick McKernan
Hampton, NH
I watched with interest your interview with the two Mexican representatives of present and past Mexican administrations and both are in agreement that the drug war and resultant death toll is terrible for their country. They also feel that this is going to be a long and costly war, given the amount of money generated by drug traffic. I find it also interesting that a portion of the blame is leveled at the U.S. for being a large buyer of illegal drugs and for allowing a weapons flow across the border entry points to arm the cartels. This would seem a good point for you, in presenting at least some question of the latter point, to ask if Mexico already has some of the most restrictive gun control laws in the world. How much help have these gun control laws proven to be?
Lee Cokley
Astoria, Oregon
Obama's foreign policy in gridlock: former national security adviser
(CNN) - President Obama's foreign policy agenda may have "run out of steam" and he must now take risks and provide effective leadership, former U.S. National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski said Friday.
In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Brzezinski said Obama's foreign policy agenda is suffering from gridlock in Washington.
"I have the feeling that because of domestic problems, he has run out of steam, and I don't know really how determined he is to resume what he started doing so well, which is to engage the world constructively," Brzezinski said.
Brzezinski, who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the only way to break the stalemate is for Obama to take the lead.
The president can show leadership, he said, by "persuasively going to the country directly, mobilizing the support, taking on some difficult foreign challenge, and prevailing."
Tom's Take
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On AMANPOUR. today, as U.S. military forces stand down in Iraq, the relative calm has been disrupted by new bombings and a political dispute over the contentious issue of banning 500 Sunni parliamentary candidates from the upcoming elections. The Sons of Iraq, the mostly Sunni group largely credited for the recent lull in the violence, is saying it is not being given due recognition and wants all its members fully integrated into the Iraqi Security Forces. What does this political turmoil tell us about the future of Iraq? Christiane spoke to Iraq’s Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi on Friday and her interview will air today. Iraq is one of the stories in our news roundup this morning. Here are some perspectives.
Tom Evans
Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.
IRAQ – Do attacks on Shia pilgrims indicate that sectarian violence is increasing and political divisions are increasing?
– Iraq reeling from series of attacks on Shia pilgrims in holy city of Karbala and elsewhere last week that killed dozens of people
– Fears attacks could prompt sectarian backlash by Shias against minority Sunnis that could undermine elections due to be held on March 7
– U.S. blames al Qaeda for attacks, with Centcom chief General David Petraeus calling the bombings the “barbaric actions” of a morally bankrupt al Qaeda
QUESTION: Can Iraq’s political leaders remain calm in face of attempts to provoke sectarian explosion ahead of elections?
Mexico's Consul General takes your questions
We took your questions from Facebook and Twitter and put them to Mexico's Consul General for New York, Rubén Beltrán:
Former Chinese official sees 'dark clouds'
By Tom Evans; Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.
(CNN) - Declaring "I see a lot of dark clouds on the horizon," a former top official in the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the U.S.-China relationship is at a critical moment and any further deterioration will not be good for world peace.
Victor Gao, a director of the China National Association of International Studies, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that China views the recent U.S. arms sale to Taiwan "as a major kind of a step to upset China's national interest."
Gao said U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to sell $6 billion dollars worth of weapons to Taiwan and to meet with the Dalai Lama in Washington this month are "miscalculations" based on a misreading of Chinese positions on what he called "these fundamental issues."
His comments came as U.S.-China relations are under increasing strain on a number of fronts, not just the issues of Taiwan and Tibet. There are also frictions over charges that China has hacked into Google, over trade relations, and over U.S. allegations that Beijing is manipulating the value of its currency to benefit Chinese companies.
And now your feedback
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The new regulations that some European countries felt the need to implement such as the ban of the Burka generated an overwhelming response among the Amanpour audience. An intense debate took place regarding the ban of the Burka and extreme opinions were expressed. The majority described Muslims’ disapproval of the banning as hypocritical because according to most, the Muslim religion freely exercised the ban of other religions in their countries of residence and when foreigners visited their countries, “women had to dress like Muslim women.” Additionally, it was mentioned that France had every right to determine the way people could dress in their country and some commented “It is strange that there isn't many women in Burka on Facebook talking about THEIR wants...but we hear their men talking, thinking, seeing, feeling, living for them!!” The minority disagreed and thought Muslims had the right to cover up “their women” in any country.
What are your thoughts? Please share your thoughts with us! In addition, if you missed the show go to http://www.amanpour.com for more information.
Below, you will see some opinions from viewers like yourself. We would love to hear what you think.
Email comments
How much sense does it make to rebuild Port-au-prince on a fault that is sure to suffer another earthquake sometime in the future? Same sense it makes, I guess, to rebuild New Orleans below sea (river) level. In my opinion, absolutely none.
Ivan
Florence, Alabama
Dear Christiane,
If Turkey has a problem with the headscarf, isn't it understandable that European nations have a problem with chadours, burquas, et al? I do not think this is either fearmongering or fanatacism. It is a reaction to extremism that goes against the established norm in the society in which we live, Having come to Greece in 1970 as a young woman raised in the USA, I found it a bit baffling to see why My wearing a mini skirt or a pants/tunic outfit was unacceptable, but I went along with the norm since it was MY choice to live in Greece. And I see no reason why the siyuation of muslim women is any different. Had I not been able to fit in, it would have been concumbent on me to leave.
Maureen
Islamic Headscarves
Tom's Take
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On AMANPOUR. today, we focus on the rising tensions this year between the U.S. and China. As the U.S. enters a rough patch in relations with this rising power over arms sales to Taiwan, a much delayed meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama, and the Google censoring dispute, are we witnessing a realignment of global power? How should the rest of the world respond to the shifting tectonic plates in the U.S.-China relationship? China and the U.S. top our roundup of the top stories of the day. Here are some perspectives.
Tom Evans
Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.
CHINA/U.S. – What lies behind the growing friction between Washington and China?
– Beijing today hits back at U.S. on trade and economic policy, saying its currency is at a reasonable level and American companies are not at a disadvantage in China
– Washington and China already at loggerheads over other issues, such as Tibet, arms sales to Taiwan, and censorship and hacking targeting Google
– China’s economy, which weathered recession far better than the U.S. and Europe, is poised to overtake Japan as the world’s number two this year
QUESTION: Is China’s growing assertiveness on the world stage the beginning of a new era in China’s relations not just with the U.S. but the rest of the world as well? FULL POST
And now your feedback
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Amanpour viewers pondered about the impact that the Mexican government has exerted in México’s drug violence. Former Mexican foreign minister, Jorge Castañeda and Consul General, Ruben Beltran shared their plan to encourage the Mexican military and the President’s initiatives to counter such violence and viewers expressed hope. The most commented solution the majority of viewers proposed was to legalize marijuana and tax it. This suggested solution by the audience was in an effort to end violence and increase the economy in México.
What are your thoughts? Please share your thoughts with us! In addition, if you missed the show go to http://www.amanpour.com for more information.
Below, you will see some opinions from viewers like yourself. We would love to hear what you think.
Facebook comments
Marìa Eva Otero I live in Argentina.
My questions are:
1) Why when there treats itself the topic of the cartels of the drug, does only speak about the " Mexican problem "? When there is a conflict of this nature, there are two involved sides: one that provides and other that consumes, both promoted themselves.
2) do'nt you believe that USA has not made, up to the present, a rational analysis on his role, in this tragedy that lives Mexico, and because of it it has not been solved but the stage has worsened?
And this question counts also for the inmigratory topic....
Maggie Andras I live in Southern California..Question.. Why is it with as many Federal and local officers I see when I've gone to Rosarito Beach, Mexico almost every month,you have such a problem with drug cartels?? We handled our Italian Mafia, you should be able to handle your Mexican Mafia.
Thomas J. Colatrella Legalize Marijuana and rob these murderers of 70% of their income. of course our corrupt bankers who laundered $384 billion in drug money last year alone are completely against this...and the Bankers rule America..and Obama..!
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