Originally purposed for MTV.

This week’s piece is about seven young students. Not all Americans, but all in America.

Stan’s parents are French. Benedict has lived in the States since ‘98. Eliza is half Swedish, half American and is Co-Editor of the school’s newspaper, the International Dateline.

Then there is Leena, who is a junior who has relatives in Lebanon - and Alex, the American, who calls himself the “least interesting kid in the school — culturally.” Yet somehow his presence is so rare it’s original.

Together, these kids make up the student body of the Washington International School (WIS). In a city with 170 Embassies and 10,000 core diplomats, the District transforms from a poor urban area to a Capitol city with international culture.

A few Saturday’s a year, the newspaper class meets to lay out the upcoming edition. They all write about different things - from the Hip Hop Appreciation Club to Google’s new browser – and offer their insight on DC gentrification and world conflicts. Some want to be journalists – others are there for fun. Something about it is so classic high school.

As for the America they live in, Benedict, the soft-spoken Brit, said, “I think (WIS) is the melting pot they claim America is.”

A Global Clique  

After the Show Info:       

for·eign pol·i·cy:
A set of goals outlining how the country will interact with other countries economically, politically, socially and military (Wikipedia).
 
The diplomatic policy of a nation in its interactions with other nations (Free Dictionary).

Senator John McCain (R-AZ)

Senator McCain’s web site does not have a specific place for the complete policy of the U.S.’s interaction with other sovereign nations. For that reason, I pulled some of the positions that speak to the American presence economically, politically, socially and military abroad.

JohnMcCain.com
· Strategy Victory for Iraq http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/fdeb03a7-30b0-4ece-8e34-4c7ea83f11d8.htm

· Climate Change http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/da151a1c-733a-4dc1-9cd3-f9ca5caba1de.htm

·Border Security and Immigration http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/68db8157-d301-4e22-baf7-a70dd8416efa.htm

·Technology http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/cbcd3a48-4b0e-4864-8be1-d04561c132ea.htm

·National Security http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/054184f4-6b51-40dd-8964-54fcf66a1e68.htm

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)
BarackObama.com

·Foreign Policy: http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/foreign_policy/

On any given day at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, a face-off will happen. Whether it’s from within the house walls or on the blacktop where tourists and activists gather, belief systems are tested, tourists sometimes troubled and locals carry out many missions.

Last weekend, I caught up with a few people picketing at the White House. The picket was organized by the Campaigns Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) and calls into question President Bush’s intentions towards Iran.

In a New Yorker article by investigative reporter, Seymour M. Hersh, “Preparing the Battlefield,” sources confirmed the White House asked for, and received, $400 million for a major escalation of covert operations against Iran.

While the White House sells the idea that Iran is an immediate nuclear threat, a 2007 U.N. nuclear inspection reported that there is no evidence Iran was working actively to build nuclear weapons. Instead, concerns were expressed that the escalating rhetoric from the U.S. could bring “disaster.”

Here is a short video I created from that White House picket. It was great interviewing the activists - and then in pure contrast asking for the reactions of tourists. I even found an Iraq Vet along for the show.