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POPSThe Biggest Threat to the West Lies Within Itself, Not with Islam Simon Jenkins on threats to peace and democracy. This defeatism led the American Congress to allow its president to authorise torture and detention without trial in what Senator Robert Byrd called “the slow unravelling of the people’s liberties”. It enabled a British Home Office to curb free speech and habeas corpus. It arms police, fortifies buildings and impedes the free movement of citizens. It makes every Christian suspicious of every Muslim.
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POPSPalestine: The State History Forgot Is it a joke of history that before there was the states of Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Syria, etc there was Palestine? Now they all exist and Palestine doesn't yet. You will read that there never was a Palestine from a certain quarter and how can you miss what you never had. How you know they are lying! They'll say that as they are all Arabs that there's enough room for them all. It's like saying that the Scots Welsh and Irish are all Celts and one state would do them all! Yes, there was a time when such thinking was regarded as valid. If we had the Age of Imperialism back then the Brits might validly have a claim on the USA and most of the rest of the world. In the present imperialism, if the existent holder of the gunboat diplomacy role, the USA, decided to sort out Palestine's present difficulties it could in a breath. Hopefully in a more honourable fashion that the last gunboat holder did.
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POPSYankees Go Home: US 'diplomacy' in Ecuador Did anyone imagine that the last fascist state in South America, Columbia could cross Ecuador's border without sanction of the Yankee master. I hadn't known about the primary reason for the US stirring it with Ecuador previously. I hadn't know the the US lease is up on its Ecuador and wouldn't be renewed unless Ecuador could have a similar base in Miami!!! The nerve of Correa! Did you know of this affront to Bush imperialism? I'd say he's getting off light with the blatant incursion into his territory! Probably only round one.
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POPS Peace activist Abie Nathan dies, aged 81 - respect "Nathan burst onto the world of Middle East diplomacy in 1966 with a dramatic solo flight to Egypt in a rattletrap single-engine plane, more than a decade before Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty. Although he failed in his initial bid to talk peace with the Egyptians, his daredevil escapade won the affection of many Israelis and launched a long and often eccentric one-man crusade to end the Arab-Israeli conflict."
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POPSMuslim true/false What you think you know about them is likely wrong -- and that's dangerous. By John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed
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POPSEurope Must Be Realistic About Life After Bush There is one factor that has not changed in US foreign policy: democracy promotion. Combined with post-9/11 priorities, such neo-Wilsonian militancy will tend to divide rather than unite the Atlantic partners. ----- At this early stage, such a crisis is not inevitable. A mature and stable transatlantic partnership is possible – but not on the basis of unreasonable hopes of a second honeymoon.
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POPS$1,000,000,000,000 - That's $1 TRILLION For Iraq War "The military will need more money because of the "surge" and the purchase of hundreds of armored vehicles capable of withstanding the roadside bombs responsible for most of the US combat deaths. England said the Pentagon will provide a revised 2008 cost estimate in September. But McGovern said he is worried about the long-term financial impact of the war, adding that his primary concern is that the United States is borrowing money to pay for it. Some leading economists have predicted that, depending on how long troops remain in Iraq, the endeavor could reach several trillion dollars as a result of more "hidden" costs -- including recruiting expenses to replenish the ranks and the lifelong benefits the government pays to veterans." Once again, that Sept. timeline rears its head. I can't help but wonder what cost diplomacy would bring. You know... diplomacy, that function experienced leaders say we are lacking in this warped effort.
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POPSAmerica's tattered foreign policy Two more years of a president that lives in a bubble who has shown that he believes that being a hubris filled arrogant bully is diplomacy. What to do other than hope that this will change?
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POPSI support Obama on Issues, not because of the Cult of Personality I don't worship Barak Obama. I don't think he's a savior, or even an angel. Although the novelty of him being a "black" president is entertaining, I don't really care about that either. (Honestly, it seems a little strange that we are so self-congratulatory over 'voting for a black man,' as if that should be really impressive somehow.) Why do I support Barak Obama? Because of all the people running for President, I believe he has the best ideas on what direction our country needs to take. I would like to see much of his platform made into reality, and because of that, I will vote for him. I don't want to waste all our time arguing of personal slights and vauge rumors. Let's get to the issues. Here is why I support Barak Obama:
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POPSConflict in Iran: Symbiosis between Bush and Ahmadinejad
I've stitched together three very interesting articles over the last week, which become much more interesting when you read them in sequence. Look carefully at what is happening. If there is anything that lays bare the role of the Bush Administration's jingoistic belligerence in the Middle East, it is the recent conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. With the international pressure off Ahmadinejad, he starts taking heat in Iran for the shortcomings of his leadership. Without fear, his belligerent and isolationist politics lose their appeal. In order to defend his world view, and preserve the source of his power, he needs America as an enemy... So some Iranian boats play around with one of our convoys, Bush comes out with some insane saber-rattling press conference, and, Ahmadinejad is back in business, courtesy of the Bush administration. If you desire war, you need an enemy. If you need an enemy, you desire war. Bush needs Ahmadinejad. Just like Ahmadinejad needs Bush.
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POPSBad Translation Sparks International Incident This account as warning with everyone due to be used for which could try to consume fish of Babel in a professional context. Machine translation useful for, the general fortuitous ends, but for important anything is not due being used.
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POPSRussia is buying off our closest neighbors The U.S. move to place missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic is being viewed as antagonistic by Russia. Their answer is to sell military weaponry to U.S. neighbors. Latin America and South American countries are being used as pawns in a new form of arms-race. Venezuela and Bolivia, have expelled their U.S. ambassadors. The geo-political map is changing and the U.S. is losing ground. This is yet another foreign relations failure that can only be blamed on the Bush administration. The next administration needs to do some old-fashioned diplomatic manuvering to prevent another Cuban missile crisis. I hope they are up for it.
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POPSInsiders view on IRAN War !!!
"This would result in a dramatic increase in attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, attacks by proxy forces like Hezbollah, and an unknown reaction from the wobbly states of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where millions admire Iran's resistance to the Great Satan. "As disastrous as Iraq has been," says Mann, "an attack on Iran could engulf AmHe repeated his firm belief that the White House had to draw up a road map with real solutions to the division of Jerusalem and the problem of refugees, something with final borders. That was the only remedy to the crisis in the Middle East.erica in a war with the entire Muslim world." "When Mann and Leverett went public with the inside story behind the impending disaster with Iran, the White House dismissed them. Then it imposed prior restraint on them, an extraordinary episode of government censorship. Finally, it threatened them. "Now they are afraid of the White House, and watching what they say. But still, they feel they have to speak out."
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POPSMcCain: A Critical Weakness on Foreign Policy McCain's critical weakness on foreign policy is that he knows next to nothing about it. Although I have a lot of respect of McCain, I think he falls into the typical trap of myopic patriotism. Many people love their own country so much that they are blind to the reality of the world outside their borders. The outside world is a place where America is a pretty good nation, but has certainly seen better days. The outside world is a place where our enemies occasionally have legitimate points, and certainly have lives and families much like our own. In the reality beyond our borders, the US isn't guaranteed to win every fight, especially when we go in on shaky ground. In the reality beyond our borders everyone has to talk, whether they like it or not, because in the end, nations, like people, are created equal. McCain knows everything about the US Military, but knows nothing about our enemies. With a perspective like that, how can we expect to win?
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POPSEnglish Kings not Gay?! Lionheart Straight? In centuries past, a wider range of body parts might come into diplomatic play. Medieval rulers, for example, routinely greeted one another with a kiss (the biblically sanctioned "kiss of peace"). Richard's decision to share a mattress with Philip was the ultimate public demonstration of trust in an age when PR had to rely on word-of-mouth rather than the lenses of the international media. And it worked, in the context of a monarchy where privacy was relative and political life didn't stop at the bedroom door. The king held court in his bedchamber, and his favourite servants slept at the foot of his bed. World leaders don't, any more, feel the need to ratify a treaty by getting into bed with each other - though, interestingly, that's still the language we use when we talk of sealing a deal. Perhaps we should just be grateful that, these days, the "special relationship" between the UK and the US doesn't involve seeing Bush and Brown in their underpants. ...Guardian
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POPSLosing Hearts and Minds; Empowering Extremism Before anyone asks why we aren't winning the War on Terror yet, consider these sad headlines. All around the world, reasonable people are being dragged into the slipstream of extremism. The cause is blatant moral bankruptcy. Greed, corruption and exploitation, fortified behind the twin bastions of ignorance and righteousness, are discrediting the institutions that are instrumental in overcoming extremism, intolerance, and global violence. Particularly America remains the store house of the world's hopes and dreams. We are not merely a nation but an ideal, and we must live up to our promise. Obama and McCain are both men of admirable morals and transparent character. Meanwhile, as Hillary obfuscates over her finances, we must realize she lacks the moral authority needed to restore America's international credibility. Being Righteous is not nearly as important as being Right.
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POPSThe Gray Scale between East and West Understanding that there is no clear distinction between east and west is one of the most important changes we need to make in 21st century diplomacy. Failing to see east and west as a cultural continuum with significant commonalities across the board is one of the main reasons for the rise of terrorism and our failed Russia policy. Clinging to old nationalist divisions blinds us to what the world has become and what the world has always been: cultures in flux across borders and mutating as different people interact.
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POPSExcellent Advice on Middle East Diplomacy Although I disagree philosophically with Bush's conception of the international community and America's role in it, I do not believe that is the reason for Bush's diplomatic failure over the last 6 years. Instead, rather than ideology being the problem, I believe that methodology has been the most serrious impediment. If they can learn to swallow their pride when necessary and follow these three guidelines, we may see genuine progress in the middle east for the first time in nearly a decade.
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POPS20 Heads of State in Venezuela for Pact on Cheap Oil The pact has helped Chavez promote his vision of regional independence from the United States. He used the summit to blame Washington for international economic problems, and called US military spending in Iraq "madness." He also denied criticism from Venezuelan opponents who say he is giving away Venezuela's oil wealth. Reading from an opposition statement accusing him of "bribery diplomacy," Chavez mused: "It's very probable this was written in the U.S. Embassy." Some Petrocaribe member countries have the option of paying partially for oil with services or goods such as rice, bananas and sugar. To help boost agriculture, Chavez said Venezuela will donate US$460 million from its oil proceeds annually to create an aid fund providing farming supplies and machinery in the region. He also offered to supply subsidized fertilizer to other countries. ... iht Great man. Any of this in the 'free and fair' USA media? Doubt it!
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POPSOh, the Glory of it All: Nuclear War and North Korea Coming on the heels of Bush's retro-active opposition to the ascension of Raoul Castro, we see another naive and anachronistic policy push from the extreem right wing: trying to intimidate North Korea. For all those who don't get cable news in their fall-out shelters, North Korea is already a nuclear power. Why are we so eager to provoke what would inevitably become a nuclear war? Because it won't hurt us. There's no way that N.K. could reliably hit the US, their first targets would probably be Seoul and Tokyo. So for Republicans like Bolton and his ilk, the nuclear destruction of Seoul (Population 30,000,000) would be "sad" but convenient, because it would provide us with the pretext to use our nukes and annihilate North Korea, which deep down they secretly think would be kind of fun. So, tell me again: Who is it that is Evil?
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