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POPSObama Skips Anniversary of Fall of Berlin Wall, Sends a Video.....About Himself Did He Not Show Up Because It Wasn’t All About Him? Left-wing German paper Der Spiegel seems to have gotten that impression: Der Spiegel summed up as “People of the World, Look at Me”. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,567932,00.html Even worse- Obama spoke about himself to the crowd: “Few would have seen on that day that… that their American ally would be led by a man of African descent.” And, of course, he did not mention Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher in his speech.
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POPSEconomists Search for New Definition of Well-Being
"GDP has increasingly become used as a measure of societal well-being and changes in the structure of the economy and our society have made it an increasingly poor one," Stiglitz told the news agency Bloomberg in a recent interview. "So many things that are important to individuals are not included in GDP." In the model they unveiled last week in Paris, the academics recommend including other factors, such as sustainability and education. Significant Shortcomings Even the inventor of the gross domestic product measure, the late Russian-American economist Simon Kuznets, was aware that the classic method of computing GDP had significant shortcomings. "The welfare of a nation can scarcely be inferred from a measure of national income," he said in 1934. This is because the growth rate says nothing about the distribution of wealth in a country, the state of health of its citizens or their life expectancy. The number provides no information about the cleanliness of rivers or the amo
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POPSMitterrand refuses to resign over book The current furor was fanned by Mitterrand's vocal support for filmmaker Roman Polanski, wanted in Los Angeles by authorities who want him to serve a sentence for his 1977 conviction for having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Mitterand told TF1 he was "too emotional" when he denounced Polanski's arrest in Switzerland as "horrifying." Mitterand said that he may move to a more congenial environment, such as Ireland, in the near future.
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POPSBaring All for Climate Change Action! And I thought the French were really supposed to be prudish. Guess, you have to say they have nothing to hide in their support for positive actions for a healthy planet and climate!
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POPSObama’s French Lesson
newest provocation did not warrant the imposition of tougher sanctions. Do the tally. In return for selling out Poland and the Czech Republic by unilaterally abrogating a missile-defense security arrangement that Russia had demanded be abrogated, we get from Russia . . . what? An oblique hint, of possible support, for unspecified sanctions, grudgingly offered and of dubious authority " and, in any case, leading nowhere because the Chinese have remained resolute against any Security Council sanctions. Confusing ends and means, the Obama administration strives mightily for shows of allied unity, good feeling, and pious concern about Iran’s nuclear program " whereas the real objective is stopping that program. This feel-good posturing is worse than useless, because all the time spent achieving gestures is precious time granted Iran to finish its race to acquire the bomb. Don’t take it from me. Take it from Sarkozy, who could not conceal his astonishment at Obama’s naïveté.
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POPSObama's Move: Iran and Afghanistan United States between April and September. In his speech to the Islamic world from Cairo, he planned to show a desire not only to find common ground, but also to acknowledge shortcomings in U.S. policy in the region. With the appointment of special envoys George Mitchell (for Israel and the Palestinian territories) and Richard Holbrooke (for Pakistan and Afghanistan), Obama sought to build on his opening to the Islamic world with intense diplomatic activity designed to reshape regional relationships. It can be argued that the Islamic masses responded positively to Obama’s opening " it has been asserted to be so and we will accept this " but the diplomatic mission did not solve the core problem. Mitchell could not get the Israelis to move on the settlement issue, and while Holbrooke appears to have made some headway on increasing Pakistan’s aggressiveness toward the Taliban, no fundamental shift has occurred in the Afghan war.
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POPSInternational Leaders' Reaction to Iran Concealing Nuclear Facility The details of a story in the National Post in Canada (the only place I have found such details) about how irritated with Obama the French president, Sarkozy, was in the way he's dealing with the Iranian situation and their nuclear ramp-up. And it was clear that -- we read the quotes from Sarkozy and things that he had said (that, again, were not reported here in the State-Controlled Media in the United States)he clear thinks Obama is an idiot. He thinks he's naive and he was laughing at him, but he's also very concerned. Now, there is an editorial today in the Paris daily Le Monde. Now, listen to this: "President Obama wants a unified front against Iran, and to that end he stood together with Nicolas Sarkozy and Gordon Brown in Pittsburgh on Friday morning to reveal the news about Tehran's secret facility to build bomb-grade fuel. "But now we hear that the French and British leaders were quietly seething on stage,
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POPSThe United States’ Place in The World … and he needs to grow a set via Weekly Standard, Lieberman, Kyl and Bayh, “Whatever it takes … crippling sanctions.” I dunno, I can think of other measures that might be more effectively crippling. Whatever … Also at WS, Steven Hayes, hurtfully, “Speak timidly and don’t carry a stick.” Ralph Peters, NYPost, cruelly: “Appease-y does it for weak Prez on the road to a Mideast apocalypse.” Greenwald, Should any Iraq lessons be applied to Iran? I can think of a few quick applicable Iraq lessons off the top of my head. Whack one tyrant, the rest notice. Also, whacking tyrants effectively neutralizes their ability to cause trouble. Also, follow-on is important, don’t let the Euros weasel out of it, and ignore the Dems and the anti-war American left. They are loud, but harmless.
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POPSAnger in France and Poland after Polanski arrest At least Reuters puts the blame on the "political elite". A U.S. arrest warrant has existed since 1978 for Mr. Polanski. It's no secret that he's wanted. He travels to Switzerland, which has an extradition treaty with the U.S. and gets arrested. The elites have a major panty wad. I guess that whole "rule of law" thing doesn't apply when an artist is involved. He played the system for 31 years and got a bit too arrogant for even the Europeans.
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POPSHere We Go Again--Iran Is a Threat (but Not Nuclear Israel), blah, blah The propaganda machine about the "threat" of Iran has kicked into high gear, again, driven (as was the Iraq war) by not just the White House and both coerced parties in Congress (via AIPAC), but US Media, singing in complete unison. Who is really playing the aggressor? Who is threatening to attack whom , ....and based upon what ? The drum beat is identical to that about Iraq and Saddam Hussein, which we know was a lie, and part of the neocon agenda for a "new middle east". The morale of that story is do not trust the government when it comes to starting (or provoking) wars and conflicts, which always begins with sanctions , and gaining the UN Gang's support, rather easily swayed. They seek to overcome any resistance by incessant REPETITION of the same propaganda message as with Iraq.
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POPSTOO MANY SECRETS Obama first learned of the plant as president-elect, before his inauguration Jan. 20, the officials said. Eight months...........and silence. And what else are they NOT telling us about?
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POPSIran's "Secret" Nukes "But the U.S. has known of the facility's existence "for several years" through intelligence developed by U.S., French and British agencies, a senior White House official said. Obama decided to gather allies to talk publicly on Friday about their view of the project so as not to let Iran have the only word, officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to let the statements from Obama and the leaders remain the focus. The plant would be about the right size to enrich enough uranium to produce one or two bombs a year, but inspectors must get inside to know what is actually going on, the official said. The three leaders hoped the disclosure would increase pressure on the global community to impose new sanctions on Iran if it refuses to stop its nuclear program."
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POPSWestern Powers to Accuse Iran of Covert Nuclear Site The Islamic Republic has continually been criticised for its nuclear programme, with western nations declaring Tehran's motives involve the building of a nuclear arsenal, not the development of nuclear power stations. The news comes the day after the UN security council passed a resolution calling for an end to all nuclear weapons. Iran continues to be placed under UN sanctions following its failure to suspend its enrichment programme.
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POPSTaking a Stand Article was interesting. However, it switched gears a bit in the last half where the author hits on the other issues like UN Protocol and complaints from leader(s) about the UN Charter vs what is really taking place within.
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POPSSummits of Folly But the problem with this euphemistic approach to disarmament, as Lippmann noticed, is that it shifts the onus from the countries that can't be trusted with nuclear weapons to those that can. Is Nicolas Sarkozy, with his force de frappe, about to start World War III? Probably not, though he has the means to do so. Should Mr. Obama join hands with Iran and the Arab world in pushing for Israel's nuclear disarmament, on the view that if only the Jewish state would set the right example its enemies would no longer want to wipe it off the map? If that's what the president believes, he should say so publicly, especially since he's offering the same general prescription for America's nuclear deterrent. Of course what the administration wants is to set the right mood music for its upcoming talks with Iran. Mr. Obama would be better served having a chat with Moammar Gadhafi, who will be seated just a few chairs away at the Security Council: . . .
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POPSReturn Of The Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys The head of the French military said Thursday that military intervention is no longer a viable option to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear capability. French chief-of-staff Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin said following a speech that that he believes a military operation would be too risky. "It is very difficult to plan a military operation in Iran, because we are not sure in one shot to be able to solve a problem and if you fail in one shot, it is a catastrophe," he said in English. "I don't think at this stage a military option is still available." Georgelin was answering a question after a speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington on France's new relationship with NATO and stressed that the comment was his opinion. Georgelin was in the United States to attend a ceremony Wednesday as French Gen. Stephane Abrial became the first non-American officer to permanently fill a NATO command post.
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POPSCarla Bruni Performs at Nelson Mandela Birthday Concert " named after his prisoner number on Robben Island. Mr Mandela’s brother died of Aids. Although it was perhaps unprecedented for a First Lady of a great power to sing at a pop concert, France appears to have developed etiquette for the event. Bruni did not hug " much less kiss " Stewart, either before or after their set, and barely swayed as she performed her songs. Her husband, sitting half way back in the glorious golden clam-shell that is Radio City Music Hall, clapped but did not budge from his seat when others rose. As soon as she finished her performance, the couple left to catch a plane for France " drawing several previously unidentified secret service agents out of surrounding seats. Her early departure meant that she missed the grand finale, when all the artists danced rapturously together as Stevie Wonder sang Happy Birthday to Mr Mandela. Stewart, who has been writing unpublished songs to Bruni’s French lyrics in recent years . . .
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POPSFrance refuses the "burka" Good for them! I am having a war with muslims now on what they teach their kids about 'dogs' they teach them that a dogs lick can poison your system so bad it can affect you in your adult years!! What a load of crap!
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POPSMother of teen is mad-as-hell about the Sarkozy, Obama photo Her mom added, "She is really skinny and only ever wears pants. Mayara is timid and ashamed of her body. This was the first time in her life that she wore a dress, and it was borrowed from a friend in the shantytown because she doesn't own one." The high school sophomore, who hails from one of Rio de Janeiro's slums known as favelas, had been picked by UNICEF to join the counterpart Junior 8 forum of teenagers because she stood out as a community volunteer. She shares a single room with her parents and two younger brothers and can't afford the bus fare to attend a good high school. "Why are they looking at her like that? This is a girl who is articulate and intelligent and just wants to do the right thing," the father said. "Instead, they are forcing her into a negative light."
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