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WEEKLY ARCHIVES

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2009

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AUGUST 17, 2009 - AUGUST 23, 2009

WORLD

AFGHAN ELECTION — THE TALIBAN CHALLENGE

In his thesis Heroes of the Age, David B. Edwards states Afghanistan’s problems come from the moral incoherence of the country itself, in that Afghans share a myth of the nation, but not an idea of the state. The crux being that the principles of Islam, honor and state governance are all respected, but too often incompatible. I wonder what the actual rural Afghan thinks of elections outside of Kabul?

Whomever is elected, because it isn't clear Karzai will receive enough votes to give him a large enough margin to prevent a challange, must recognize the importance not of central power, but that of "local" power.

While the U.S. expends precious resources building up Kabul, the Taliban are focusing their efforts on Afghanistan’s local political structures to their advantage. The next Kabul administration would be wise to look back on Afghanistan's most stable period, the Musahiban dynasty which ruled from 1929 to 1978, and who understood the importance of the tribes and the local power they wield.

So in the end, it doesn't really matter who is elected to sit in the presidential palace in Kabul.

{SLATE/Thursday's electilon reminds us what we are figthing for in Afghanistan.]

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Just look back at what happened again and again in Pakistan with the Taliban making deals with the government and breaking them--until they were within miles of Islamabad. There are fighters we can win over, but negotiation with the Taliban leadership isn't going to work. Either way, these are the guys we should be fighting--and we could have had this wrapped up earlier if we hadn't gone into Iraq and Rumsfeld hadn't left the northern border wide open back in '01. Americans need to remember what happened eight years ago--we must stay in Afghanistan, coordinate with Pakistan, and improve our strategy until the job is done.

[NEW YORK TIMES/Peace talks with Taliban top issue in Afghan vote]

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Many admirable Swedish, European and American NGOs, as well as fine individuals with the highest motives, want to help the Afghan people. All their noble efforts are negated in the face of ruthless savagery of some extreme militants and also due to the erroneous policy of aerial strikes by the Western military which kill Afghan civilians. The Afghan people need to be left on their own to sort out their internal power struggles. After that, Afghanistan will be ready to interact with other nations as a free country led by their own leadership.

Before the Soviet invasion, Afghanistan was a prospering and forward-looking Muslim state with equal rights for women and all its citizens. Radical Islam was imported into Afghanistan due to Western policy to overthrow the Soviet-backed regime and then the “usefulness” of the mujahideen ended. The West tried to remove their influence with disastrous results as the Taliban moved into the vacuum.

[AL JAZEERA /Will Afghanistan's election bring stability?]

AFGHAN WOMEN - NEW LAWS OF SUBMISSION

I spent the best part of a year living in a mountainous religiously conservative village in an untouched part of Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation. The village's social and physical infrastructure was virtually as it had been for centuries.

The most striking difference between these peaceful villages and the refugee camps was the plight of women. Despite being a "fundamentalist" village women were essentially the backbone of the community.

Most of the agricultural work ie. the life-blood of the village was done by women, the milling, cooking, caring was essentially female based. The men did rock breaking, woodcutting & construction & other heavy work which was non-essential to daily life.

The women knew the village could not function without them & were not hesitant in reminding anyone who crossed them as to this fact.
It is war & the alien extremist thuggery from the middle-east which has brought the current wretched status of Afghans in general and women in particular.

The notion that you could starve an Afghan women to death is an absurdity. There is an Afghan saying much quoted by the village menfolk "The man who mistreats his wife will wake one morning with a knife sticking in his eye."

[U.K. TIMES/The demands of democracy.]

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First, the non consensual use of the sexual organs of another person's body amounts to rape, in this case its marital rape. This violates the very essence of a person's being, violating their very purpose in the deepest way. Secondly, "starving" of the wife is also a violation of primary human right of existence. The act will not only leave a wound that never heals to just the individual but to human kind as a whole. This is anti-islamic, barbaric and it's taking us back to the Jahiliya( ignorance) period. The Afghan government should learn to respect its people and women in particular and should realize the true value of sexual intimacy in its proper context.

[U.K. DAILY MAIL/Afghan husbands allowed to starve their wives of she refuses sex.]

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The condition of women in some Afghan rural areas is now such that probably any codification of sexual obligations might seem to some of them better than nothing.

In their understandable "shock horror," not enough people have wondered about the purpose of this law - relating only to the Shia. Is it proposed to counter some fast-growing tendency of Shia Afghan women to outrageously refuse their masters sex and expect still to eat? I rather doubt it.

Probably it is more that in a flush of law-making Kharzai is simply trying to appeal to the Shia by offering them codification of custom across the board, to flatter them and soothe any ethno-religious fears.

This does not make it more excusable by our standards. Having strongly objected to the first formulation, we probably have to put pressure on Kharzai now at least to delay the law, or we shall lose face with everyone. That is a particulaly non-trivial consideration in Afghan politics. It's no big problem for us, because the Shia are not going to support the Taliban for fairly obvious reasons unrelated to sexual politics, and if they don't support Kharzai, that's Kharzai's problem, not ours...

Meanwhile, for all that this law looks and is so unpleasant, we should be realistic. For all the wailing, there is some progress on women's and human rights, education and so on underway. Limited, sure, but better than nothing.

[U.K.GUARDIAN/Afghanistan passes 'barbaric' law dimninshing women's rights]

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Afghanistan is not a nation but a tribal area with tribal leaders seeking to maintain control of their little area.

No one has ever conquered and/or controlled Afghanistan for any length of time and actually improved the lot of the people, especially women and girls.

The men have been in control since the beginning and refuse to change. And why should they? They have everything going their way with every female as property...

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We are wasting lives, money, material, and time.

[U.K.GUARDIAN/Afghanistan passes 'barbaric' law dimninshing women's rights]

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AUGUST 10, 2009 - AUGUST 16, 2009

WORLD

SENTENCE OF SHAME - AUNG SANG SUU KYI AND THE AMERICAN SWIMMER

Burma has two sides. One is the repressive regime of the Generals, which carried on untroubled all the way through the cold war, and the other is the true leader of the country who won the popular vote over a decade ago.

What can we do short of invading the country and clapping the regime in irons? We can hope. We can pray. We can be active in the Burma campaign. The thing is Aung San SuU Kyi and her party have already won it is just that the military regime has not realized this.

The future belongs to free and fair democratic regimes, regimes such as this one and others around the world are dying off, they are too corrupt to continue.

Time is on the side of the righteous and these despotic regimes know this. We look to our governments and the UN to provide a lead in these cases, that is why they exist. History, hopefully, will tell the truth and stop these situations arising again in the future.

[U.K.GUARDIAN/Aung San Suu Kyi found guilty of breaking house arrest]

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It's a matter of lasting shame for the world generally and especially for India that a regime like the junta in Burma can do this and get away with it. This also proves that the UN is a toothless thing: it will not lift a little finger to help the lady who has spent a lot of time in prison because the junta thought she was too much of a threat to them if she were left free.

None of the great powers thought that there was need to do anything about this or about any of the other places which are similarly under rulers who have the least legitimacy to be in power. It is difficult to visualize a mechanism for dealing with such cases because anything suggested will look dangerously like great power interference in the internal affairs of other countries, which some other of the great powers shall be sure to oppose.

[U.K.TIMES/Aung San Suu Kyi found guilty - sentence will keep her out of election]

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Mr. Yettaw is an American citizen, 53 years old. According to reports, he is a veteran who suffers not only from post-traumatic stress syndrome but also from epilepsy. He had a vision that someone was going to attempt to assassinate Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi and swam over to warn her. He has been sentenced to 7 years in prison, 4 of them to hard labor. He is in the hospital for epilepsy at this point. So the "idiot," "stooge," "clueless idiot" and individual whom some of you are so glad is out of the way, has served his country, is suffering from at least two illnesses and will probably die in a Myanmar prison. Your compassion and concern is stunning, as is your willingness to jump to conclusions. But then, he's a nobody, right? Which is why he was barely mentioned in this article. Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi at least gets to stay at home.

[NEW YORK TIMES/Pro-democracy leader is convicted.]

AFGHANISTAN - STRATEGY SHIFT

Russia learned many lessons in Afghanistan and now we're learning ours. We have new technologies that give us advantages. This type of warfare has helped us to develop lots of new devices, improved night vision techniques, advanced drones, etc. Boots on the ground is needed to separate the Taliban from the peaceful villagers.

Building roads, providing education for Afghan girls, allowing their democracy a chance to take hold; these are worthwhile goals. If modernization and less oppressive tribalism can take hold, the future could be much better for them.

I see Afghanistan support the same as South Korea support, it will be for the long haul. Corruption and drugs are other battles to be fought.

[DAILY BEAST/The Afghan Surge ]

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The problem with Americans is we have a hard time living with uncertainty, or with the possibility we can be attacked without being able to stop it. The Europeans get bombed, (nothing near 9/11, but you get my point) yet you don’t see them waging preemptive wars or occupying countries to prevent possible attacks. It has nothing to do with the evil military or ignorant politicians (even though some of that is to blame). It has to do with the fact that policy makers know that Americans will not look to kindly on any Administration that packed up its bags and let Al-Qaida reconstitute itself, and launch another successful attack on the country. That is why we are occupying Afghanistan in an effort to eliminate them and prevent any other group like them from setting up shop in that country.

If I were in charge, I probably would have pulled out all forces after we dethroned the Taliban, and then flooded the country with low footprint special forces, to live and form alliances among the locals, to interrupt terrorist operations in that country. The problem with this approach for most Americans is that it involves some risk. There is always a chance Special Forces won’t be able to break up all operations in that vast country, and an attack may end up proving imminent. I can live with uncertainty and the threat of destruction-most Americans cannot. Of course I wasn’t in NY when 9/11 went down, so maybe it is easy for me to say this.

So Obama is doing his best to fight the (supposedly) good war and make Afghanistan a place where Al-Qaida can’t operate with total impunity to keep everyone safe. Problem is Americans have been spoiled by quick (relatively) bloodless wars like Desert Storm and traumatized by no win scenarios like Vietnam.

I remember right after 9/11 everyone was hell bent on blowing something up, and were all for attacking Iraq. If you suggested that doing so was the wrong thing to do, you were accused of being un-American. Now everyone is against the wars (even the good one) and trying to spread revisionist history on how they were against the whole mess that we got ourselves into as a result of 9/11. The irony is, those same individuals now against the wars, and who blame the previous Administration for taking away our freedoms, were the ones who sat by, supported, or acquiesced to it all. All because more than anything else, they wanted to be safe and not have to deal with uncertainty, or with the possibility that they could be attacked. Don’t like the ways things turned out? Don’t blame Bush, Cheney, or the military…blame you. [WASHINGTON POST/In Afghanistan,  U.S. may shift strategy ]

HILLARY CLINTON'S AFRICAN ODYSSEY

The posts condemning Hillary as undiplomatic, proof that no woman could be president, etc. — all on the basis of a 5-second response to an inane question — are ridiculous beyond words.

Never mind that she had spent the previous week working 20-hour days in areas of Africa with the most difficult, depressing and intransigent problems on the face of the earth, visiting some of the most dangerous places on the planet, talking with people at every level of society and political/economic power, from the mightiest to the most impoverished, participating in meetings and forums and gatherings of all types, and hearing from the women of Africa the most heart-wrenching stories of extreme poverty, victimization, illness, brutality, and political/cultural oppression.

Never mind that through all of that she was brilliant and effective and actually made a real, positive difference in the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

No, what really matters is those 5 seconds of her making it clear, in no uncertain terms, that she, like most women, has a mind of her own — an idea that some people (including, sadly, some women) still find startling and unacceptable.

[NEW YORK TIMES/ About Clinton's rumble (and grumble) in the jungle.]

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I was primarily upset with the media for making a mountain out of a molehill. Hillary is doing extraordinary work as Secretary of State, working her heart out, as she always does no matter the role, operating on almost no sleep in Africa, and out of thousands of words spoken, this small exchange had reporters biting at the bit to embellish, and describe as "meltdown" and "outburst".

The entire episode went something like this: What does Mr. Clinton think through the mouth of Mrs. Clinton, and what does Mutombo(basketball player sitting to her left) think. How demeaning to our Secretary of State!

Hillary had not long ago left a meeting with rape victims, which was horrific, and then she is met with this insensitive question. Even if the translation was incorrect, she was still seen as completely irrelevant to this male college student. In Congo, women are devalued, and brutalized more than any other part of the world. Hillary was justified in her response!

[BOSTON GLOBE/Hillary's human moment]

PAKISTAN'S TOP TALIBAN LEADER SLAIN?

Killing Mehsud is not a long term strategy, and I'm certain that Obama is wise enough to understand that. However, taking out these brutal ideologues whenever the opportunity arises has the effect of making their lives, and the conduct of their operations more difficult while longer term strategies are implemented. The "tribal" and "extremist" problems of Afghanistan and Pakistan will take a generation or more to resolve to a manageable point.

While it is regrettable that Pakistan cannot find the will to eradicate these dangerous psychopaths, I am happy to know that whenever a new leader appears, he will live his miserable existence knowing that at any moment, he, his family, and anyone else who might make the mistake of associating with him could be vaporized without warning.

[HUFFINGTON POST/Baitullah Mehsud, Taliban chief, reportedly killed in U.S. strike. ]

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They've been too well trained in the cell structure to be stopped by individual losses. The cell is reassigned another controller or one from within steps up and the cell contracts. A leader's death will not make a single iota of a difference to their overall aims. Plus they have the added bonus of our tactics being freely available to all via the media re their positioning and formal conduct laws.

Adding motivation to volunteers queuing up is the inestimable advantage of the opposition in knowing that this country is supporting our armed young men yet detesting the clumsy reasons for continuing action.

Either we fight the war properly and give news weeks late, if at all, or we suffer guerilla warfare defeats kevlar armour two feet thick and fifty extra helicopters will never hope to win.

[U.K.GUARDIAN/The Taliban will survive Baitullah Mehsud.]

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AUGUST 3, 2009 - AUGUST 9, 2009

WORLD

N.KOREA: BILL CLINTON TALKS THE TALK

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Republicans, and I am one, need to come to the realization that Bill Clinton is not evil. If anyone knows how to use language to outsmart someone, it's Bill Clinton, and he outsmarted Jong-Il on this one.

Jong-Il however, is either evil, crazy or both. Taking two U.S. citizens out of North Korea gives them ZERO leverage against the United States in further negotiations. Jong-Il now cannot say he will refuse to give back our citizens in his custody unless we leave him to his own devices and weapons program.

There is absolutely no down side for the U.S. to this mission by Bill Clinton. The only down side is for North Korea, they outsmarted themselves They've broken agreements before, and they'll do it again if breaking the agreement suits Jong-Il's momentary interest. Therefore whatever Obama may have told Clinton to promise them will become null and void when Jong-Il does something stupid again and violates whatever agreement he made with Clinton. Yes we "apologized" for what happened, but every other world leader knows that was only for PR purposes.

Negotiating with Jong-Il and promising him things would be one thing if he was a rational, calculating, politician. But he's not, he's a wanna-be Stalin, but not as bright.

Any U.S. "appeasement" of North Korea will last only until Jong-Il's next stupid decision. He blew agreements with Clinton and George W. both, if Clinton actually made some agreement on Obama's behalf, Jong-Il will blow that one too.

There is no downside here for the United States. This is going to be a continuing problem and periodically the U.S. is going to have to bribe North Korea into keeping the peace. It's a problem that will not go away until after Jong-Il is dead, and depending upon his son's beliefs, maybe not even then. [WASHINGTON POST/North Korea says two U.S. journalists pardoned]

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Pyongyang is very much aware of US politics- they have been beating us at poker for over 50 years now - our hand has always been weak due to the sketchiness of our understanding of them.

This visit by Clinton will usher a major breakthrough. It will be used as a legitimizing event for the North, but so what if that brings the journalists home, and helps reduce the threat of war and proliferation that has been the status quo for too long now. [NEW YORK TIMES/Clinton leaves North Korea after two journalists are pardoned]

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Kim is a strange little man, one with nuclear weaponry at his disposal, and he seems to hold all the cards in his relationship with the US. He asks for Bill Clinton, and he gets it. Lost in all of this is the fact that, unlike a lot of such cases, for once NK has a legitimate case -- on the surface -- in detaining these reporters.

They didn't have permission to be in the country, and they were filming things the government would not allow them to film. I fully believe that we would have done the same thing, or at least I hope so.

The release is obviously a relief for the journalists and their families, and many of us as well, but it is a stretch for anyone at this point to call it a "win-win." Sure, the journalists won their freedom, but they never should have lost it in the first place by knowingly crossing into North Korea (have you seen their film footage?).

We had to send a former President -- at Kim's request, mind you -- to plead for their release, at considerable cost...not only for the price of the trip itself, but for whatever concessions (and you know there were concessions, can't wait to hear what they were) Clinton had to promise Kim in exchange.

And needless to say, Kim is thrilled with the propaganda he can dish out to his subjects in the coming weeks. His message to them: "Stand up to the bully, and he will give you what you want." Not the kind of message we want them to have right now. It will be interesting -- and critical -- to see how we deal with them going forward.

[POLITICO/North Korea releases U.S. journalists]

RADIO VENEZUELA PURGING THE AIR WAVES

Okay, there may be some people who have some respect or appreciation for Chavez' identifiable accomplishments for Venezuela or who are alert to frequently encountered fraudulent or overblown charges by Chavez opponents. But it's quite reasonable to look upon this and other proposals directly seeking to apply the law and prosecution to broadcast content as quite worrisome.

Chavez and allies claim that this is about a broader struggle to 'democratize' the electromagnetic broadcast spectrum, and to favor some type of public or community access over the entrenched elite private media. But you don't have to trust those claims.  It may not be impossible, but it's also reasonable to see this as a type of crackdown.

The Venezuelan anti-Chavez opposition is as incompetent, clownish, insensitive, and conspiratorial as they come -- but this doesn't mean that the government should act or be allowed to act as if this would forever be the case.

What if the opposition got its act together, won the next elections, and then had too many tools of media control at their hand?  What then?

This is not quite as simple as a free speech / not free speech issue, but it's true that how the Chavez government acts upon licensing questions can have long-lasting repercussions on the types of dissent encouraged.

After all, even in purely practical terms, if you suppress the decent opposition, then you're going to be left with the indecent opposition. [DAILY KOS/Thug Hugo Chavez shuts down 34 opposition radio stations.]

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As a Colombian, I am quite aware of the heavy price our country has paid in order to be a democracy, however imperfect it might be.

Chavez is just another roadblock to democracy in the region. Every time Chavez's word is challenged he takes it as a blasphemy. No one can challenge his word. If you still doubt it, ask the TV networks that he has closed, or the 240 radio stations that he will be soon unplugging.

He has "frozen" relations with Colombia because our government asked him about the Swedish arms that were in Farc's hand. The Swedish government asked him for an explanation, one that has not been given. So why doesn't he take diplomatic actions against the Swedes if all of this is a comedy sep ut against his government?

This is really a very sad episode in modern Latin American affairs. He has financed the presidential campaigns of several presidents...Ecuador, Argentina, Nicaragua, Honduras, all of whom "owe" him favors, and speak out on his behalf.

We are dealing with a pathological clown here, a populist leader who is using his people petrodollars for his own Napoleonic dreams.

[NEW YORK TIMES/Venezuela still aids Colombia rebels, new material shows]

NIGERIA  THROWS THE BOOK AT BOKO HARAM

I come from Nigeria. Northern Nigeria is sometimes as different from Southern Nigeria as if they were completely different countries. The oil resources of Nigeria has nothing to do with this Boko Haram. They have said thier aims clearly - and it is to impose Sharia law throughout Nigeria.

The positon of the people of the Niger Delta is very difficult from that of the people of the North. They resent what they see as thier wealth being taken to develop the North at their own expense. This is because Nigeria has been ruled by Northerners for 42 out of its 50 years or independence. Therefore, rightly or wrongly, they attribute their plight to the Northern dominated Government.

You will observe that, in all thier fights, agitations, etc., whether they be Ogonis or the Movement For the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, all blame the Nigerian Government and Oil Companies, you will not hear then place blame on the Western Governments, This is only done by CIF commentators. (BTW, I am from the Middle Belt, which is poltically part of the North.)

I would however disagree with the columnist that the disturbances may spread to other countries. Secterian clashes, whilst unfortunate and deadly, are depressingly common in Northern Nigeria, but always remain there, and rarely spread beyond it. Despite Boko Haram's contentions, this is unlikely to buck the trend, particulalry since their angst was not against non Muslims only, but actually challenges the authroity of the Government. That is one reason for it to be crushed. [U.K. GUARDIAN]

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My heart grieves for the those who had nothing to do with this, who try to live their lives free of this quasi-religious power struggle. That said, the Nigerian army is well within reason acting against an existential threat to its government's ability to function. Say what you will about the effectiveness of said government -- oil and other natural resources tend to have a negative effect on that score -- but this showdown has been looming for a while and a swift, decisive outcome is in the best interests of Nigeria's long-term security. [HUFFINGTON POST]

SOUTH AFRICA - BACK TO THE RUBICON?

'Tis the moment that has taken 15 years to arrive. The beginnings of true change were delayed through the brief "easement and appeasement" phase of the living icon, Mandela. Sadly, the venal, dithering, racist, pseudo-intellectual Mbeki choked the life out of the flowering democracy 18-months after the first free elections in SA, when he and his stooges took over the running of the country. (Mandela effectively handed control to the Mbeki gang far too soon to become a global living legend and begin enjoying the global limelight.)

Individual black-enrichment flowed to the chosen few who enjoyed and bought Mbeki's favour. He, in the meantime, re-racialised the country, succeeding in destroying the goodwill engendered by the inter-regnum of that reluctant democrat de Klerk.

The largely white business sector saw huge opportunities to manipulate the BEE programs and many of the individuals involved. It was "business as (better than) usual". Global greed turbo-charged the moment. And it didn't really matter that none of them knew the name of Mbeki's wife. Pass the caviar. The dark echo of a winter in 1917 in Russia or an even earlier one in France was not even noticed by most.

For the masses -- those way below the well-feed unionistas -- little had changed. But it had to.
Thus began the moment for the grass-roots populist Zuma, SA's first leader with "cut-through". And he will, for he must.

The patient masses, mostly black, with a tiny number of whites, must finally be heard in their shanty towns, in the far-off rural areas and their maids' quarters

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True social democrats around the world should welcome and support Zuma's intuitive moves to complete the peaceful revolution which stuttered into life in 1994 and do whatever possible to ensure that the people of SA -- as a whole -- finally enjoy the benefits the vanguard has squandered for a decade and a half. [THE ECONOMIST]

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Careful where this discussion is going. I am Zimbabwean, black, and also at a point in history was prey to the issue of race being shoved down my throat to explain the disparities in the haves and have nots. Yes it is a historical fact but it is more now the creation of an elite class for both black and white that should be discussed here.

When governments fail to deliver they need a scapegoat. for the government is is the third force( we heard it too in Zimbabwe) and for the poor electorate it is the whites. But, it is not whites who are telling ministers to invest in luxury vehicles with money that could be invested in services. It is not whites that are creating corruption in the tender processes. These issues have been raised before in the media and much of the response is it is white controlled media that wants to maintain the status quo. Well that may as well be but the status is for some white AND the black elite.

Let us get real and hold leadership to account on the basis of their record not the colour of their skin. Learn from Zimbabwe, now that the whites are out we have no one to blame but ended up turning on each other. This too WILL happen in SA if you are not careful. [SA MAIL & GUARDIAN]

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JULY 27, 2009 - AUGUST 2, 2009

WORLD

ISRAEL AND IRAN: P0INT COUNTER POINT

Iranian military threat, Israelis have analyzed, is real and is potentially deadly to Israel, its people, Jewish civilization as we have known it, to the entire region and beyond.

Iran which does not even border Israel has amassed troops over the years on Israel's northern and southern borders: Hizballah in the north and Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the south, while it has incorporated Syria and its army, on Israel's eastern border, into its coalition.

Iran has financed, trained, equipped and continues to supply its front troops with the war material necessary to launch an orchestrated attack on Israel from all direction, while it has been producing the long range rockets, the chemical, biological and now nuclear weapons to ensure its role in such attack is substantial.

The goal, of course, has been to wipe Israel off the face of earth and erase any trace of Jewish existence from the country, the cradle of Jewish civilization as its leaders have been pronouncing regularly, leading their supporters in Iran to call "death to Israel" as part of their weekly Muslim religious gatherings.

It is time to stop them! Shouldn't Israel be ready to face the worst and if necessary prevent it before it is too late...[NPR]

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Israel is quite used to taking American tax dollars while telling us what our foreign policy positions should be in the Middle East. But can someone please give me some concrete reasons why - in 2009 - propping up Israel is in America's vital strategic interests.

If Israel wants to bomb Iran, that's their business - they can do it and fight the resulting war themselves, with their own money. Iran, like Iraq, didn't attack us on 911. Our war is with al Quaeda and Taliban in a dangerous part of the world that ALREADY HAS nuclear weapons. Let's get out of Iraq and focus our resources where they are most needed.

Who knows maybe pulling our props out from under Israel would encourage them to sit at the bargaining table with their neighbors. [NEW YORK TIMES]

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The goal of Middle East peace is not to help Israel. Israel of course wants it, because Israel is not governed by a gang of thugs who want to oppress their own people for their own benefit. That description belongs to Khameini and Ahmadinejad, Qaddafi, Assad, Abdullah, Mubarak, and every other government in the Middle East.

Those regimes use the Arab-Israeli problem as a way to divert attention--both internationally and domestically--from the cruelty and ineptitude of those regimes to govern in a fair and reasonable way. The human rights abuses in these countries is not limited to chopping off hands for thievery, but rather the terrorizing of citizens, denial of due process, and unwillingness to deliver basic freedoms and education, as well as a stable and prosperous economy.

Israel ought to be arguing these points, because people care more about those points than they do about Israel. Most people still see Israel as "that whiny Jew" of a country, and don't want to hear about how Israel is picked on by the rest of the Middle East, regardless of the overwhelming truth of the matter.

If there were peace with Israel, all the Middle East regimes would have to deal with their domestic issues, and they would be crucified for it. But the denial of education and free press causes enough confusion that the regimes can get away with running a dictatorship. But civil war in those countries--like in France and throughout Europe after the Dark Ages--is not far off. And Israel is not the one in danger. [WALL STREET JOURNAL]

NORTH KOREA - SOUND BITES

As much as a person should firmly believe in diplomacy and all attempts to ease tensions in any conflict without the use of force, the leadership of North Korea in the form of the Kim family has demonstrated time and again their utter disdain for any outside opinions or influence. While we have condemned other petty dictators around the world, and occasionally acted on them, the Kims have continued to act only in the interests of themselves, and not of their citizenry or the country or the region, let alone the world. Unfortunately, in a pure dictatorship where one controls the means of enforcement and even the enforcers fear you, to ever break free is extremely difficult.

What is the answer? Is there an answer? World condemnation and isolation haven't worked because it allowed the Kims to internally isolate their people even more and control their understanding of the outside world. Force? We've tried that one to. Although it would be unlikely in the event of North Korean aggression that the Chinese government would interfere in any direct manner as they did a half century ago. But they wouldn't have to, they could show support by cutting America's credit line.

Secretary Clinton has a tough job dealing with an unmovable object. Let us hope she can find some sort of solution for the good of all.[HUFFINGTON POST]

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You can think all you want about the other side in diplomacy but a true professional avoids such characterizations and sticks to the problems and issues between the parties. Issuing judgmental and demeaning opinions is not going to serve the country you represent. North Korea has always been a hard bargainer, a very hard bargainer, and they are expert in spotting openings and weaknesses.

They are like automobile dealers exploiting the waning patience of a customer trapped in the showroom wanting a deal. We just have to be psychologically tougher than they are and stop reacting to their provocations. They are not stupid, deranged or irrational. Such, and similar, terms should always be avoided. [WASHINGTON POST]

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Hillary purposely provoked North Korea to show others how empty their posturing is. She was able to get "support from many delegations" and "rallied international isolation of North Korea . . ." Good that she also brought human rights into the discussion. The Hillary haters no doubt will enjoy the insults the North Koreans threw at her, but she has proved that the North Koreans have no friends left. [WASHINGTON POST]

CHARLES TAYLOR ON TRIAL AT THE HAGUE

A detailed account of the Sierra Leone and Liberia atrocities is in the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee on Sierra Leone. It is, bar none, the most hideous thing I have ever read.

Charles Taylor not only ordered the commission of heinous acts against his own countrymen, but also funded, armed, and commanded the brutal RUF that terrorized Sierra Leone and committed many of the worst atrocities in that country. Without Taylor's active support and command, the RUF would have been little more than another of a half-dozen bothersome militia roaming the countryside.

Taylor made it into the infernal scourge it became, and used it to brutalize Sierra Leone so that he could plunder her diamond mines with impunity. History will count him among the most evil people who ever lived. [ABC NEWS]

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It is a sad day today because it reminds me of the years lost by Sierra Leoneans and Liberians under such a brutal and manipulative butcher. First of all he is still defiant and persuasive as before, no remorse. Thank God my beloved sister who fell in an ambush during an attack by the RUF will finally rejoice in heaven while Taylor, Issa and others are facing the full force of international law.{BBC]

JULY 20, 2009 - JULY 26, 2009

WORLD

REFLECTIONS ON APOLLO 11

Without a doubt, Neil Armstrong was the right man for this mission. His extensive experience as a naval aviator in Korea, as a test pilot for several high performance aircraft to include the X-15, and as mission commander for Gemini VIII made him uniquely qualified to handle the unknowns of the first lunar landing mission. His ability to snatch victory from multiple life threatening situations during his career was impressive. Had it not been for Armstrong’s superb analytical abilities, keen judgment, and coolness, it is quite likely that he and Dave Scott would have been America’s first in-flight casualties on Gemini VIII.

Furthermore, it’s refreshing to see an individual who has not become corrupted by his or her fame. Neil Armstrong has set the highest standards of leadership and personal demeanor both before and after the lunar landing. Being a leader and a role model for others does not mean giving into the excesses of celebrity as some of the posters on this article would have us all believe. Recently Michael Collins, one of Armstrong’s crew mates on Apollo 11, stated that he was dismayed at the negative impact that the celebrity culture has had on our society today. I wholeheartedly agree.

At least Armstrong and his fellow astronauts did great things with their lives that give us all inspiration. Unfortunately, there are too many bitter and intellectually lazy people who have nothing to show for their limited lives other than the useless commentary they have provided here and in other articles. These people could do better with their lives if they would put down the remote control, take up a book, think, and dream of what could be. This is the spirit that made this country great, not sitting back and criticizing others who did something with their lives. [WASHINGTON POST]

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U.S. space experts estimate that for every dollar the U.S. spends on R and D in the space program, it receives $7 back in the form of corporate and personal income taxes from increased jobs and economic growth. Besides the obvious jobs created in the aerospace industry, thousands more are created by many other companies applying NASA technology in nonspace related areas that affect us daily.

One cannot even begin to place a dollar value on the lives saved and improved lifestyles of the less fortunate. Space technology benefits everyone and a rising technological tide does raise all boats.

The Space program is cheap compared to what we have received back from it over the decades. The technological advances and creation of new products, which in turn has created jobs and and increase over the GNP has more than paid its way. I challenge anyone to name one government run agency that has actually paid for itself like the space program. [FOX NEWS NATION]

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If you take a tour of EPCOT at Disney, you see something that would startle and outrage old visitors.

The "Community of Tomorrow" is all about today. Gone are the grand visions of living in space. Gone are the grand visions of living underwater. What's left? Mostly displays of gee-whiz current technology and advertising for existing products - or near term planned products.

American leadership has abandoned the future for the here and now. Companies have shuttered their research facilities. Their "laboratories" focus on reverse engineering of competitor's products and doing off-the-shelf redesigns and reconfigurations.

Bell Labs? Gone. The Westinghouse Research Labs? Gone. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory? It no longer does anything but write specifications. MIT Lincoln Labs and Draper? Same thing. Feasibility studies and software models. Sandia? Georgia Tech? Piddling along on solving immediate problems. No grand future, and no basic research.

Where has it all gone? Europe is resurgent. CERN, and the collider (we shut efforts down in 1989).

Monsanto labs? Gone. Corning? Gone.

Gone or sold overseas - like Bell Labs.

We need a future to inspire our next generation of scientists and engineers. But the current generation has had nothing but disappointments as they were turned from researchers and developers to integrators and repair.

It started in the 1970s, with the abandonment of the space program. In the eighties, research became to expensive for industry, so it was mostly offshored. In the 1990s, the military shut down it's labs and facilities. The great engine of American Technology coasted on the boost from the 1960's military, space and industrial research and reached it's apogee in the late 1990's before cresting and turning down. And it's been in free fall ever since.

Take a look at the science conferences. The papers are dominated by European and Eastern authors. Hugely so. Take a look at science and engineering enrollment. Again, dominated by foreign enrollment.

At this rate, we'll watch our economy crash and burn - and find ourselves the cheap labor source for Europe and China. [USA TODAY]

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The challenge of sending people to other planets isn't just about building big rockets; it's about the science and technology that will allow those people to survive the journey and be able to live on a different planet for months at a time.

Two inventions that came directly from NASA are the kidney dialysis machine and the CAT scanner. Can you imagine the lives that have been saved by those two inventions? Do you really think that those inventions would have come about if scientists hadn't been looking for ways to make space travel as survivable as possible for human beings?

At least the Americans have a space program, what exactly has britain got to be proud of? It would cost us £5 billion a year to have a globally competitive space effort. That is less than 1/10th of what we spend on the NHS and less than 1% of what total government spending is.

Are the British people so imaginatively challenged that they can't see the potential benefits that could come out of a space program? Are we really so selfish to say, what is the direct benefit to me and if there isn't one i don't want anything to do with it?

What a shameful little country we are becoming. [U.K.TIMES]

WAS MOON LANDING FAKED?

You know, the silliest thing about the "it was all faked" conspiracy theories is the notion that the government could do something so elaborate -- not just the "faked movie", but all the thousands of NASA people who must have been acting a part -- and KEEP IT SECRET for forty years.

Aside from a few other questions like "Where did the Saturns go?" - I personally watched a Saturn launch. Probably, the number of people who have done so is a least a million. BIG rocket, towering pillar of exhaust, goes up and out of sight. Where did it go? Where did they all go? They were radar-tracked to the moon by dozens of sites, many of them not in the US. Was the conspiracy so large that the USSR (our mortal enemies at the time) was in on it? Because, they would have to be -- they could track the Saturns just like we could track their launches.

For dessert, consider that the Apollo crews left more behind than flags. In particular, they left a corner reflector mirror, which various universities around the world have been bouncing laser pulses off of (to measure changes in distance to the moon) for forty years. So all that work must be faked too.

And not one person has ever come forward and said "Hey, I was part of this fake". [HUFFINGTON POST]

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The government loses things we would find important all the time, that's been noted in these comments before. The fact is it was more likely to lose things 40 years ago than it is now.

This is particularly true of video footage - the footage was transmitted from the moon to be used in television broadcast - video was not the medium it is today, photos, moon rocks, these were important data, video was just fluff. And as for those magnetic tapes - it's easy to imagine storing everything for posterity now, when all that video can be carried on your key chain, but when all your data was on identical magnetic tapes and it took whole rooms to store as much data as an iPod holds now it was a different matter.

Finally, it just doesn't make sense that they could fake the moon landing in 1969 but could not just create a better fake now instead of pretending to lose the tape. If the moon landing was faked, they would never have admitted the tapes were lost, they would have improved the original fake tapes, if need be. [ NPR]

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I was in the Navy in July, 1969. My carrier (USS Bennington, CVS-20, commissioned in 1944) was in dry dock for an overhaul at the Naval Base in Long Beach, Calif. A bunch of sailors (including me) rented some awful little apartment with a bed that pulled down from the wall. Other sailors across the hall did the same. Only they had a TV, we did not.

When the Eagle landed, all of us, from both places, we jammed into their apartment, staring at the screen in complete disbelief. When Neil Armstrong climbed down the ladder to the moon's surface, it was...the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. I hear that some years ago Armstrong kicked one of those non-believers in the butt. I don't blame him in the slightest. [HUFFINGTON REPORT]

MEXIC0 - THE DRUG WAR

This is not a war the Mexican government can loose. This is a fight for its’ very survival. If they fail to bring the drug dealers to heel, the whole apparatus of the state will effectively collapse under the weight of lawlessness, corruption, and fear of the common citizen. While some level of criminality can be expected in all societies, the levels of corruption and impunity in Mexico are too high.

The US bears much responsibility as the supplier of funds and guns to the criminals in this war, But in the end this is about Mexicans. It is the Mexican people and their elective representatives that must do what is necessary to enforce the rule of law. To put criminals and the gangs they lead in their place. [NEW YORK TIMES]

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Considering that the Mexican drug cartels are funded and armed mostly by U.S. drug consumers, I would say you have an obligation to do something about it. Also, the U.S. insistence on prohibition is the only reason the cartels exist. Mexico has tried repeatedly to decriminalize drugs only to be told to back down by the U.S. State Department.

As one who recently fled with his family from Mexico for the same reasons these people are seeking asylum (I went south, not north, because they're penetrating the U.S. as well,) I can tell you categorically that there is no safe haven in Mexico.

The system has been thoroughly penetrated by very well organized criminal organizations at the federal, state and local levels. There is nowhere to hide and no one to turn to. If you use a cell phone or ATM card, they will find you. If you register a car or apply for a driver's license, they will find you. If you make a long-distance call to a relative, they will find you.

Take an airline flight and they'll be waiting for you at the airport. Every organization, including police departments, banks, cell phone companies, even hospitals, have been thoroughly penetrated. Everyone's information is for sale and the sellers don't ask the buyers what it's for (though everyone knows).

Failed state. [HUFFINGTON POST]

A UNITED IRELAND?

I am Irish. If asked, I would always have said I was for a united Ireland. Britain involved itself in our affairs hundreds of years ago, acquiring most of our land and wealth in the process. After years of political and bloody struggle Irish Catholics earned the right to vote and attend parliament. After more struggle, Ireland obtained its independence, which brought about a treaty that created Northern Ireland. It always seemed wrong to me, so my desire was always a return to the status quo.

Thankfully, the more recent history between our nations is generally one of accord and where we have differences, we battle it out in a political arena (or on the rugby field).

My views on Northern Ireland have shifted. I don't think a united Ireland is fair anymore. While I find the unyielding nature of some branches of unionism a little tiresome, I sympathies with their position. They are not Irish, and don't want to be a part of it.

Just as the colonization and settlement of Ireland was wrong to begin with, so too would be an attempt to reverse the process, against the will of a majority of its inhabitants.

Gerry Adams can speak all the rhetoric he wants, press all the right diplomatic buttons, but an united Ireland should not be the end goal. A peaceful Northern Ireland where people's religious and cultural identity is accepted should be the goal.

That is realistic and will happen. [U.K. GUARDIAN]

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I think one of the enduring problems about the Irish-British relationship is that, viewed from the Island of Ireland it may be possible to perceive it as the single most important issue facing the two peoples, but viewed from the island of Britain this just isn't the case.

Though I can see it must be infuriating if you're Irish, British governments usually have bigger fish to fry. And that usually means their obsession with kowtowing to Washington.

With every passing year (and the huge leaps society has made in the Republic in the last two decades) there is less and less rational reason to object to reunification. However, it'll only happen if and when a majority of the people in the six counties want it to - and I suspect overt attempts to force the pace may just backfire.

As for the quality of the Irish-British relationship, I'd say it was pretty much one of equals these days. [U.K.GUARDIAN]

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JULY 13, 2009 - JULY 19, 2009

WORLD

AFGHANISTAN - THE SOLDIER'S WIFE

My husband recently came home from his second tour of Afghanistan (thanks be to God).

Unless you have someone close to you in the Armed Forces you cannot imagine how it feels to be left behind whilst your husband goes to fight a fight that he doesn't want to fight. When every day passes, you say a silent "Thank you, God" because that day you never got the visit everyone dreads getting.

Sometimes you cry until your heart breaks as you sit alone and watch the coffins come home on TV. You feel so sad for those they have left behind but you are thankful that it is not you. During those treasured short phone calls you put on a brave face and insist "Yes, darling I'm OK"(oh he so worries about me, my brave warrior) and then you break down when once again the line goes dead.

R & R comes ("HURRAH!") and they are sent home to you, dusty, thinner, face burnt brown, shell shocked and worn out and you thank God again that they are home, only to have to wave them off back to hell 2 weeks later. [UK DAILY MAIL]

PRESIDENT OBAMA IN AFRICA

Living in Africa and seeing the day to day corruption that has infected the societies from top to bottom, although I agree with much he said, I don't think he went far enough. Many of those wars over resources are fueled and equipped by western powers, the US very much included. STOP ARMING THE TYRANTS, and there will be a lot less wars.

Demand the end of the corruption and stealing of the money from the donor nations, by closely auditing how it is spent. For every dollar misappropriated take ten from what they get the next year. You will quickly find out that the crooked will be thrown out.

The American taxpayer deserves to not have his tax dollars wasted on mansions for the elite. Demand that former thieves of money be thrown in jail or worse. Any country that can't or won't live by the se simple rules, cut off all aid.

Next, Africa has the highest birth rate. I know of men who have fathered up to 40 children and the government keeps telling the people to have more because much of the aid is based on population. Until governments put effective population control in similar to what China did 20 years ago, aid should be cut back.

Lastly, the West has got to stop feeling sorry for the "poor Africans". That is a form of racism. Demand that the government's act responsibly and for the benefit of all their people without consideration for tribal identification. [HUFFINGTON POST]

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Bravo! Bravo! President Barack Obama, you succinctly and eloquently point out what is ailing Africa, more especially, Kenya, your father's country. Most of us, Kenyans see the Kenyan leadership from your frame of reference and perspective. Kenya is endowed with fast natural resources and human labor that should put it on an industrialized, developed and hence self-sufficient level. [STANDARD, NAIROBI]

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As the first American Black President with ancestral linkage to Africa and his growing up experience in America as an African American, Obama has the vantage point of speaking genuinely from the heart to his African audience in Accra, Ghana.

He has clearly presented what Africans (especially, African leaders) can do to position the continent on the path to progress. The to-do list includes two important elements among others: 1. eradication of corruption and 2. ethnic conflicts.

Africa has enough resources still left untapped in spite of the fact that colonialists raped the continent of most of its natural resources to enrich their nations and people(s) at the expense of the Africans.

We must not continue to duel on the past and blame the colonial masters for ever, since what happened then cannot be changed just as we cannot bring back the dead to life. My heart bleeds even more, when the rapists of African recourses today are some Africans themselves, especially the leaders of various countries in Africa. Their shameless and heartless looting of the national treasuries to stash away their billions in foreign financial institutions, constitutes treasons and ant- progress. I can pardon the colonialists, but I cannot forgive some of our African leaders for what they have done to reduce Africa, the once cradle of civilization, to a continent of poverty, hunger, illnesses.

Therefore, when President Barack Obama referred to corruption and ethnic conflicts as the key impediments to progress in Africa, I think he is speaking the genuine truth from his heart. The “future of Africa is in the hands of Africans” and it is for us Africans to change Africa for the better. [ALLAFRICA.COM]

PAMPLONA - DEATH IN THE MORNING

And how many bulls were killed that day after being driven into the ring and stabbed to death?

It's tragic that this man lost his life for a lark, but at least he chose to take that chance. In contrast, countless bulls have been forced into fixed and fatal "fights" so some guys in capes can ritualistically prove their manhood.

The Running of the Bulls is part of bullfighting, which is a pathetic "tradition" that shames Spanish culture, and both should be banned on ethical grounds. [DAILY BEAST]

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In Spain we revere the bulls, we respect them and their instincts. It's our totemic animal.

In Spain wild bulls live in semi-freedom for years until their deaths, they have disappeared centuries ago from the rest of Europe.

Of course it’s a cruel “fiesta”, but it's one of the last places where the animal can express his own character as an individual; he’s even allow to kill a man!

Every scholar knows that the bull named “Islero” killed the matador Manolete in 1947.

Do you know the name of the cow that you ate yesterday? [NEW YORK TIMES]

POPE BENEDICT ON ECONOMY

Most of the Vatican's moveable wealth was hauled off by Napoleon. My understanding was that little of the Holy See's holdings were in derivatives, so I believe they weathered the financial crisis fairly well. The Holy See also has a large amount of qualifying factors it has to meet before it invests: no weapons manufacturing, no pharmaceuticals that produce contraceptives, no hotel chains that show pornographic movies, etc.

And just to put John Ceneviva's mind at rest, I can't remember the last time I was threatened with eternal damnation if I didn't donate. Donations come not from fear but from love. Having read the encyclical over a couple times, I haven't seen anything that threatens capitalists with hell. Nobody believes in capitalism without laws--at very least contract law and price-fixing law.

The pope is urging that we rethink the ends of the laws that we have that govern capitalism in order to harness capitalism to more equitable and sustainable long-term ends.[NPR]

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If you're a Catholic who truly believes in the infallibility of the Papacy, then you must recognize that the infallible moral authority of the Pope includes his economic and social council. Given the severe inequities present in the world economy, the Pope chooses to address economic and social issues as a moral concern - hence 'social justice'. Everything in Papal encyclicals is considered the infallible instruction of the Pope, and social justice has been a recurring theme since Rerum Novarum.

Catholic 'morals' cannot be limited to token issues like sex, homosexuality, abortion, etc., as the conservative right would like - that's nonsense. Catholic moral teaching should be - and has been throughout the Church's history - about how to live a good christian life, which in no way excludes 'economic and social issues'.[POLITICS DAILY]

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JULY 6, 2009 - JULY 12, 2009

WORLD

AFGHANISTAN - FEUDALISM

The basic problem in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Somalia is that Western politicians don't understand feudal societies.

They wade in with their wonderful high-tech armies thinking they can control this or that 'country', as though there were some central point from which power could be taken and exercized. But they just become one more element in the feudal mix, which they thoroughly destabilize with their huge external resources.

And the feudal players know that they'll have to get back to some new balance of shifting alliances when the deluded westerners finally get fed up and go home, taking their vast resources with them.

You can't change the sociology and power-structures in these societies in one generation, let alone one military incursion.

As the more intelligent British administrators finally realized, toward the end of the Raj, the best policy is to get experts to analyses the complex feudal dynamic of a region like Afghanistan or the Northwest Frontier, and try to steer the shifting balance in a more or less 'friendly' direction from outside by quietly supporting certain factions rather than others, and setting the external parameters in which the internal feudal mix operates.

Petraeus finally started to do something rather like this in Iraq. Like several people I've talked to, I often feel Afghanistan is the one policy area where Obama just doesn't 'get it'.

But perhaps I'm wrong. With Petraeus now in overall charge of CENTCOM and Obama as C-in-C, perhaps they really are working with something like an old British model of 'internal disengagement and external engagement' - but can't for PR reasons be more open about their strategy - which might upset too many gung-ho media warlords back home. [U.K. GUARDIAN]

CHINA - HISTORY AND THE RIOTS AT URUMQI

This is the worst result of the reverse-discrimination ethnic policies practiced in Xinjiang. Han started to rule Xinjiang long before Jesus was born, when Uighurs were not even a word. They migrated to that area when Mongolians conquered China. Han people were genocided in that area by the Mongolians and the Uighurs, who then claimed the territory.

Han people reclaimed that area about the time Columbus rediscovered America. Han people have the most complete and longest written history in the world.

All these can be confirmed by the written archives of these time periods. The government is afraid of the Muslim world who regards Uighurs as their brothers. Han people are not allowed even to carry any knife but Uighurs can and are not hesitant to use (force) against Han people. I am really frustrated by the government dealing with the Uighurs. Law and order are sacrificed for the appeasement. [NEW YORK TIMES]

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The Chinese government has been using ethnic 'reorganization and redistribution' for decades now and it looks like 'the locals' have had their fill. Is the violence right? Of course not...it's barbaric. But is it understandable? Yes, entirely...the violent reaction to 'outsiders', especially those perceived as 'preferred', is written into our still tribalistic natures.

If the Chinese government wants to start playing those 'demographic games' instead of trying to engage different ethnicities in a mutually acceptable power-sharing formula, this is what results. How would you like it if certain settlers were encouraged to migrate to your area where they are likely not wanted and maybe even reviled? How well is that gonna go over in your redneck of the woods, conservative Canada? It's gonna fly like a granite dirigible. [CBC]

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The reason communication is being suppressed is to stop communications between organizers. This region is a part of China whether the minorities there like it or not. As long as it is part of China then the Chinese government has the right to handle what goes on in their own country as they see fit. Or shall we be the world police? Shall the citizens of other countries who also have flawed governments push their version of rule on other countries?

The real crime here is the lack of accurate reporting by the western media. My girlfriend is from Urumqi and her family is still there. What has happened is the the rioters began attacking the police and citizens during their protest. If this happened in your country I wonder how many of you uninformed bleeding hearts would reject the idea of a harsh lockdown to stop the violence. I think most of you would be happy to see a swift response to violence that is endangering your family friends in your own hometowns. But because it is a half a world away in a country you real don’t understand then it is a huge political injustice. [CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR]

HONDURAS - OUSTER OF ZELAYA

Even if we accepted all the editorializing that marks the Honduran media coverage, and has seeped into all the English language coverage that repeats that Zelaya is "leftist" and simplifies today's vote as aimed to extend his term in office (rather than, perhaps, allowing him to run again in the future), we should think carefully before endorsing the forcible removal by the military of any democratically elected President. The 2005 election was observed internationally and there is no doubt Zelaya won it. His term does not end until January 2010. Yet the US is not protesting the illegality of removing him from office.

Does the US government think that abduction, beating, and forcible exile are legal in Honduras? They are not. Does the US government think that a member of Congress in Honduras can declare himself President legally? If so, the US is complicit in the creation of a dictatorship, months before a new presidential election in which many parties were fielding candidates-- including Cesar Ham, candidate of the Democratic Unification Party, who stood with Zelaya this week, and whose political fate now, along with those of other constitutionally nominated candidates, will be in grave doubt.

The US should stand with the EU and OAS and demand the reinstatement of the legally elected President of Honduras. The Honduran Congress can hold impeachment proceedings to deal with his allegedly illegal actions. But using the army is a step back more than thirty years.[HUFFINGTON POST]

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Zelaya was removed from office by the military enforcing a court order handed down by civilian authorities. This was not a military coup d'etat as has been reported my many so called journalists.

Zelaya was using a tactic right out of the Hugo Chavez playbook which would have allowed him to change the constitution and stay in power indefinitely. It's the same thing Chavez did in Venezuela and Correa did in Ecuador. Chavez has been giving financial support to Zelaya for some time now, and just this week several planes from Venezuela were seized full of US dollars that were to be delivered to Zelaya. This money was more than likely to be used by Zelaya to bribe his way into a second term in office. Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua and close friend of Hugo Chavez had been building up his military on the border with Honduras and had threatened military action if Zelaya was removed.

The Supreme Court of Honduras, the final constitutional authority had ruled that this referendum was illegal, Congress (the elected representatives of the people) agreed, the military agreed. In spite of all this Mel Zelaya publicly stated that he would not obey the rulings of the Supreme court or Congress.

With all of this happening, and not one country, including the US and Canada showing even the slightest bit of support, the people of Honduras had no other choice but to take action before their country was stolen from them.

The people of Honduras have lived under dictatorial rule before and have no intention of returning to that way of government, no matter what it is disguised as. So before all of you start making judgments about what is going on down there I suggest you do some research.[WALL STREET JOURNAL]

JUNE 29, 2009 - JULY 6, 2009

WORLD

NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR THREAT

It would be a mistake for any of us to "minimize" the regional threat to peace and security posed by NK. The threat as of today are those approximately 700K "forward leaning" NK troops deployed within 90 miles of the DMZ equipped with 8000 artillery pieces that would turn Seoul and much of northern SK into rubble in a very short period of time after the onset of hostilities on the peninsula.

The nuclear option? Not so much, at least not in the short term due to the challenges NK is facing in their efforts to weaponize their nuclear technology. NK is definitely not a "paper tiger" in that region of the world with respect to her conventional forces strength.

Any war on the Korean Peninsula will be very violent, incredibly devastating to people and infrastructure, and as wars go, relatively brief. NK will lose and lose big if the curtain does go up on this act, but she will lose only after having destroyed much of SK, and after having committed national suicide. [HUFFINGTON POST]

NORTH KOREA SANCTIONS

While NK hasn't been too responsive to sanctions in the past, the most important thing here is that China and Russia joined in on passing the resolution. The crucial test will come when a ship is stopped based on "suspicion" that it is carrying banned cargo. What intelligence was used to garner that suspicion? Is that country going to be willing to share that intelligence with other members of the SC? If, under the authority of the resolution, the US stops and attempts to search a "suspect" vessel, how can we be assured that China and Russia will backstop us against any NK retaliation? This is mostly form over substance, but, again, the most important thing is that the resolution was passed by the SC unanimously. All we can do is hope. [WALL STREET JOURNAL]

AFGHANISTAN - OPERATION KHANJAR

To those of you who think fighting in Afghanistan is a waste of time or a lost cause ... how quickly you forget that the anarchic mountains of "useless" Afghanistan is where the 9/11 terrorists trained, and is the place that remains at the heart of Islamic fundamentalist terror activity. Afghanistan is the training ground where the haters learn to kill. Taliban-like control of Islamic countries has always been the goal of Al Qaeda and other IF groups. Opposing that organization on its home turf has historically (i.e. in the last 8 years) been the best way of reducing terrorist activity around the world. Is it difficult? Of course. Is it dangerous? Of course. Have others tried before and failed? Of course. Are those reasons to give it up? Of course not. [NEW YORK TIMES]

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You all need to stop looking at the Taliban like they're some kind of invincible race. During the 19th Century the British never tried all that hard to subdue Afghanistan, because it served its purpose as a buffer against the Russians whether it was Raj territory or not. [U.K. TIMES]

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Stories of operations like these make good news headlines and excite our militaristic , patriotic fervor, but I (as a former US Marine) ask: why are we spending so money and resources on such an undefined mission? How long will it take to "secure" and develop Afghanistan?

America is going deeper into debt every hour, and part of the problem are the expenditures on these long, protracted "wars on terror" that have clear defined end state.

Its not a stretch to say we have too many problems at home to deal with than to conduct these expensive overseas misadventures.[NPR]

IRAQ CITIES - U.S. TROOPS WITHDRAWAL

June 30 is an important date for Iraq to get back more of its sovereignty, but it is more symbolic than anything else. Americans will still be with Iraqi units as advisors, out in the provinces as reconstruction teams, and in Iraq’s ministries. Iraq has far more problems than the Americans anyway. Iraq’s elites are caught up in an on going power struggle that could lead to either a democratic tradition of ruling and opposition parties, or lead to autocratic rule. The dispute between Arabs and Kurds is also heating up, which could threaten the unity of the country.

Because of these problems, the economy, services, and refugees are largely being ignored. The economy is still a mess, services do not meet demand, and only about 5% of Iraq’s refugees have returned. Corruption is still rampant. It’s a shame that Iraqis still face these problems after three wars, international sanctions, and the ending of Saddam’s dictatorship. musingsoniraq.blogspot.com  [NPR]

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As my son and two nephews are deeply involved in the liberation of Iraq from tyranny I would like to say that I have not forgotten or ignored this milestone. I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to all of the people involved who have made this event possible. I pray that those who choose to resolve conflicts with the use of violence will contemplate another way. Violence does not resolve conflict. The function of the military is to provide a safe space to allow the resolution of conflict. It is the responsibility of the rest of us to take advantage of this space to create this peace. While my son and all the other soldiers involved hold open this door, with their blood and their lives, please consider becoming a creator of peace, in whatever forum is open to you. [WASHINGTON POST]

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Are they ready to deal with the insurgency? No-one was and no-one will be. Fact is they are more than ready to decide how to rule, how to govern and how to run Iraq. Iraqis are amazing people, proud, determined and strong. They will find a way to work for a better future while all the worlds armchair warriors look for someone to blame for a war that happened, right or wrong it happened. Iraqis don't care what we think. They care about a better tomorrow... and they intend to be "to blame" for that! [BBC]

IRAN ELECTION 2009 AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS?

I am a fifty four year old African American male and I was brought to tears upon seeing Neda take her last breath, dying for the right to have her vote count. I grew up during the Civil Rights era in the United States when all sorts of tactics were used (bombings, lynchings, and shootings) to keep African-Americans from voting and having their vote count. I wrote President Obama to strongly condemn the violence used against the Iranian people who just want to have their vote mean something. What good is a negotiated nuclear treaty with this violent corrupt Iranian government be, when in the background Iranian voters are being murdered in the streets for exercising a fundamental freedom. [TIMES, U.K.]

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We are not backing down from our basic human rights, such as freedom of speech and the right to gather peacefully. We as Iranians all know that if we don’t persevere together, the Government will hold a mass massacre in a very short period of time. These are hard lessons that we’ve learned in the past 30 years! This time we are determined to not make the same mistakes again. [NEW YORK TIMES/INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE]

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To those who would like stronger rhetoric from the White House, I would point to the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. While Radio Free Europe was broadcasting encouragement to the Hungarian revolutionaries and the State Department was giving mixed and various supporting messages, there was never any intention whatsoever of supplying military support.

When they did revolt, the western powers on the sideline stayed on the sideline. Even as the Soviets were crushing the resistance with tanks and air support, there were still wild rumors of US troops on their way to Budapest. Thousands died, thousands more were sent to Soviet prisons, and thousands more than that fled the country.

Unless we are willing to commit troops to the Iranian cause, urging a doomed movement to throw itself to the Revolutionary Guard is irresponsible. To do so as a political ploy to make the administration look ineffectual is morally bankrupt. Lets think before we rattle sabers and turn up the gravitas dial.[NPR]

NETANYAHU - PALESTINE

Saeb Erekat says that Netanyahu won't find a Palestinian leader to negotiate with if he searches for 1,000 years. How amusing! The world has been waiting for 62 years, starting long before Netanyahu's speech, for a leader of the Palestinian people to step forward and accept a 2-state solution. So far? Leaders of the Palestinian have repeatedly answered "No!" and followed up with terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians. Meanwhile Egypt and Jordan have offered Israel its minimum demands for peace (same as Netanyahu asks for) and both countries reached a peaceful settlement of differences with Israel AND were ceded land by Israel. [WASHINGTON TIMES]

RACIAL PROFILING IN FRANCE

Its funny how people seem to "discover" things now and then. I'm French, and let me tell you cops here have ALWAYS used ethnic profiling to perform I.D checks on individuals. It has become a norm, almost common sense, that when you are young, black or arab, you WILL be stopped and searched if you hang around an important subway station, for example.

This is outrageous, I agree. It has been since the first sons of immigrants got harassed by the police when our dear "cités" were just slums and humanitarian disasters.

The riots Ghede talks about fit exactly in this context. Back in March 2005, all the world talked about were these riots. All we talked about in France was how CNN and Fox misplaced our majors cities on the European maps they aired.

My point is that we usually face problems when they slap us in the face. The riots passed, lots of promises were made, but none of them were held. Some cities in the suburbs don't even have a movie theatre or a decent library, 3 years later.

I'll conclude with an experience of my own:

As we were going to our homes after a party, a friend and I got I.D check by some undercover cops. There was no actual reason for this check, besides that it was 1 a.m. and I guess this was suspicious enough. They roughed us up a little bit (verbally) just like they always do. Then they said to my friend: "Si je pouvais, je t'en foutrais bien une dans la tête à toi..." "I'd put you one in your head if i could..."

Oh yeah , my friend was of Arab origin, and I'm European-looking. His papers show that he is French, just like me. But I guess that's not enough. [BOING-BOING]

FRANCE - BAN THE BURQUA?

Should France ban the burka? Why not? When Western women move to Islamic countries they are required to observe their customs and often have to wear some sort of head covering in many (though not all) of them. To ask people living in your country to observe your country's accepted way of dress, though in imposition, is not the worse thing you can be asked to do. Nowhere in the Koran does it state that women HAVE to wear a Burka. It is a cultural, rather than a religious, custom.

Is a woman any less Islamic for not wearing this type of dress? Obviously not, yet religious fanatics attach belief to cultural practice and sell it as dogma. This, of course, always in detriment of women. I think it is plainly obvious that the main problem with Islamic fanaticism is its treatment of women rather than if women have a choice to wear the burka or not. If you are the type of man who will not allow his wife to leave the house covered from head to toe, then Western society has a problem with your treatment of your wife, not with your religion, unless your religious views color your actions in regard to your wife. [HUFFINGTON POST]

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JUNE 22, 2009- JUNE 28, 2009

WORLD

IRAN ELECTION 2009 - THE YOUNG WOMAN'S NAME WAS NEDA

The young woman's name was Neda, which translated means Divine Message or Voice; she was killed in Iran today. I mourn her loss and the loss of so many others.

I am not sick of talking about Iran, or the Sudan, Somalia, North Korea, Zimbabwe, etc. - among the many places that are being sucked dry in the name of some despot - some like Mullahs and Ahmad wrapped in religious trappings; others like Mugabe or the vertically challenged "dear leader" - just power mad and ugly for all to see.

It is fantastic that we can talk about these things, real time, while the events unfold. This is an unprecedented time in history and my hope is that as a planet we will soon be able to move from just talking about these things to doing something about them. Someone said earlier today that the people are tired of having to live under the boots of these oppressive regimes. It may be talk now, but it will hopefully lead to action soon.[DAILY BEAST]

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The Iranis managed to accomplish a similar thing in 1979 with minimal loss of life. They got past a monarchy every bit as nasty, brutal and bloody as Saddam's dictatorship. Their desire for an Islamic democracy created what is to our to our eyes a very odd government. (See the chart above if it's still there.) The mullahs who theoretically controls the army are one branch. The executive, including the para-military Guard, is a second; and, the legislative is the third. And, no, I'm not calling it a democracy; but, neither am I calling it a theocracy or a dictatorship.

In fact, the Mullahs are in the mix not to thwart the will of the people but to prevent yet another Islamic military dictatorship. [Ahmadinejad] is trying to install a dictatorship. The people, maybe most of them, are trying to oppose him. The mullahs, some of them, are trying to forestall both a civil war and a dictatorship. Don't demean what's going on over there by comparing it to our relatively piddling political problems of the past decade. It's like comparing a broken arm to a broken back. We've been fortunate for 150 years to progress and improve as a polity. Let's wish the Iranis well in their effort. [HUFFINGTON POST]

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An Iranian president is not the commander in chief and does not control the army, intelligence, or security services. Ahmadinejad does not have the power to go to war. In Iran's theocratic system these powers fall to Supreme Leader Ali Khameini. For a United States with an extensive history of meddling in the region, Ahmadinejad has proven a useful foil.

There is reason to be suspicious of the election returns, particularly in the largest cities such as Tehran and Tabriz, the capital of Azerbaijan, where Ahmadinejad has been criticized on several fonts, including his comments about the holocaust and control of the media.

That said, both Ahmadinejad and his main opponent, Mousavi, stated support the Palestinians and advancement of nuclear technology. These are the main issues in contention with the US and Israel, and a different election outcome would have made no policy impact.

It must be emphasized that the US has a long history if intervention in Iran, going back to the coup by the CIA in 1953 that deposed democratically-elected Mosaddeq in order to gain control Iran's oil resources. In 1979 the pro-western Shah was violently overthrown in the Islamic Revolution, which opposed a Iranian leader beholden to the US. This effectively paved the way for the current theocracy under Supreme Leader Ali Khameini today. [BOSTON GLOBE]

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JUNE 15, 2009 - JUNE 21, 2009

WORLD

Iran Election 2009n -- Measuring the Response

I appreciate the well thought out comment made by Kissinger. There is a time when country before party alignment is first and wisdom prevails. John Mc Cain and all the others that insist President Obama rush in with a banner in the midst of a sovereign nation election...is elementary in nature. It is the same mind set that does not filter into the equation that the possible negative aftermath of such an intrusion.

Can you imagine that we had an election in our nation and China start weighing in on which side they would prefer to be occupying the White House and start putting pressure on us to comply with their wishes. There would be outraged and we would be insulted that they had the gall to interfere with our democratic process of election. Even if there was a hint of fraud...we would not appreciate that kind of outside forces seeking to dictate from abroad.

Why do Mc Cain and others keep forgetting that these people would feel the exact same way about their country. And not to mention ...the incumbent would use that kind of intrusion as a catalyst to oppose the reformers as puppets of the United States. [HUFFINGTON REPORT]

Air France Flight 447

Today, demands upon our pilots to arrive on-time and with minimum fuel usage, has never been so intense. Pressing on into worsening weather conditions is cheaper than flying around ...I'm a pilot who knows.

It's called: get there itis, and is probably the single biggest factor in fatal air crashes [TIMES UK]

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Why did the Titanic sail full speed into a sea full of icebergs?

Blind confidence in the infallibility of human technology . . . [GLOBE & MAIL, TORONTO]

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JUNE 8, 2009 - JUNE 14, 2009

WORLD

North Korea Jails Two

I love this "blame the victim" mentality here. So typical. The reporters were doing their job, reporting on an issue from the Chinese-North Korean border. It has not been proven that they actually strayed inside North Korea. It's possible that DPRK troops crossed into China to grab them. It wouldn't be the first time.

The fact remains that North Korea is the aggressor here, not the 2 US citizens they hold prisoner. It's not like those two ladies WANTED to get arrested and put on trial. Our efforts should be directed toward freeing them, without giving in to North Korean blackmail. [CBS]

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It looks like we have a lot of North Korean apologists out today, with this "they should not have been there" attitude. Do you not think that it is important that the world me made aware of the trafficking of women? They were led off course by a guide on a border that is not clearly marked--assuming that they even entered North Korea. Yeah it was risky, but where would we be if journalists did not take risks. Would the world have known about My Lai is Ronald Haeberle had not been there to take photographs. [Huffington Post]

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North Korea is ingenious in its villainy. Punish it in the slightest way and it is an "act of war"; do nothing and they escalate their nuclear program; reach out in friendship and they abuse it and take advantage. The best course is to put the hammer down because at least then they will feel some negative consequences. Unfortunately we cannot be hamstrung by the 2 journalists, there are millions of people who will be affected by our choices. I say put on maximum sanctions and inspect their ships for nuclear material and if North Korea chooses to lash out in war then it is they who are the aggressor.[New York Times]

Mexico -- The Drug War and The Demand

We are poor not stupid. If "first world" countries stopped consuming drugs our streets wouldn't be laden with people willing to produce/transport them. Unfortunately for every spliff you silently enjoy in your house a Mexican has been shot, kidnapped, decapitated or otherwise mutilated.[Times - UK]

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If there was no demand for drugs in the United States, there would be no drug violence in Mexico. Mexicans by and large do not use cocaine, marijuana, or meth; the citizens of the United States do and the Mexicans see opportunity to make quick money supplying those drugs. I've been down to Mexicali, Ensanada and other towns associated with the Baja California wine country a lot over the past two years and have not seen or witnessed anything like this.

However, people I know who take drugs or traffic drugs in San Diego get tangled up in violence all the time, many of them killed or kidnapped for their money. The police on both sides of the border I have talked to as part of some research I am doing for a book tell me that when you see an "innocent" American citizen kidnapped or caught up in the violence, just scratch the surface a bit and you will find some connection to recreational drugs. [Seattle Times]

China - Remembering Tiananmen Square

Coming from the land that spawned the saying "the ox is slow but the earth is patient." This last twenty years for all the great changes it may have brought remains a mere flicker in the fabric of time. I stood on the very ground not a year ago and felt no less daunted by its past perhaps because an awful truth seems unresolved there. Both hope and fear seem omnipresent alongside the sense that only the progress of freedom in China can ever serve to exorcise her demons.

[ABC - Australia]

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JUNE 1, 2009 - JUNE 7, 2009

WORLD

Pakistan's Misplaced Ideals

Pakistan is paying a price for its misplaced ideals and goals. Their military leaders have led their nation to utter failure by not allowing the civilian government to grow, groomed and bred Islamic radicalism in their military and intelligence units, engaged in constant war machinations and insurgency inside India, created the Taliban, trained Al Qaeda and other insurgency groups, burnt Kashmir and now they are facing the barrel themselves. Their military has misled its people by creating war hysteria and fear of India. [U.K. Guardian]

North Korea's Wild Dreams

Like a possessed person North Korea sees wild dreams tuned to its hidden desire. Going for all the offensives in the name of self defence and with a self created hysteria about some imaginary American invasion to throw off the communist govt., even if America doesn't speak of any such intention whatsoever, North korea under this dictator is committing all sorts of insensible and reckless acts that go beyond the limits of toleration.The responsible international community must act with all the reasoning to tackle this North man and all his wild desires in appropriate fashion. [Daily Beast]

Israel-Palestine and the Two-State Solution

For by now the two-state solution is no longer viable, given the massive Israeli settlements and appropriation of water resources in the Occupied Territories. The real question is that of the nature of the inevitable one state. A truly democratic state for all its citizens would mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state, while anything else would be an apartheid state. This is the inevitable conflict of the future, and it will be fought not so much between Israeli and Palestinians as between religious Israeli and secular Israeli. It won't be resolved in our lifetimes, no matter what they say or do in Washington. [Daily Kos]

President Obama Addresses Muslim World

While I agree with many aspects of Obama's speech, what truly troubles me is that he give credence to the whole concept that Islam is a unifying force across the Middle East and South Asia. An educated middle-class Egyptian, a Pashtun herdsman in Afghanistan, a farmer in Indonesia, a Saudi woman, and a Persian Shia, have very little in common except the broad tenants of Islam (they disagree on the details). Islam as a unifying force, under one caliphate, is precisely what Al Qaeda is fighting for.

Obama should not address "the Islamic world". He should address the issue of Iranian nukes, of the Israel-Palestinian conflict in a regional setting, but not in a pan-Islamic one. Women's rights, political rights, and the degree of democracy also differ widely from country to country in the "Islamic" nations. So too do their economies...not all are oil based. It simply does not make sense to dump Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iraq, and say Malaysia in one category, and especially to have religion be the unifying force.

In the middle ages, Europe had one thing in common ...Catholicism (prior to Martin Luther), yet each country had its own geopolitical interest and constantly fought with each other. The only thing that came out of the "unification" under deference to the Vatican was the persecution of Jews, Muslims and other "heretics". [NY Times]

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Why is it the President felt the need to address a religion? Has he ever addressed any other religion? Has any President? Where are the libs complaining about separation of church and state? Why do Muslims deserve a special appeal? He didn't address the "Arab World" or "Arab Nations" or "The middle east"... no, his stated unequivocal purpose was to address and reach out to a religion. Islam is not a nation. It is not a race. It is not an ethnicity. It is a religion and for all it's protestation it is the most violent one in our day and age. What, are we going to have Islam Day or Muslim Celebration Month now? Why hasn't he addressed Buddhism? Or Hinduism? or Wicca? or Taoism? or God forbid, the "Christian" world? How bout Catholicism? unbelievable. They'll expect and demand more. More placation, attention, funding blah blah blah. There's your leader. [NY Post]

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By not acknowledging that the Palestinians have repeatedly rejected having their own state side-by-side with Israel, Obama creates the impression that Israel is the obstacle to the two state-solution. Actually, Israel isn't the obstacle to the two-state solution but to the one-state solution -- a Palestinian state that would replace Israel. [Jerusalem Post]

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