Saturday, September 15, 2007

Madonna turned Esther


Madonna is a pop icon and some of her songs, such as “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl” will remain popular forever. One can appreciate songs whatever the religious belief of the performers. But Madonna is going too far. Brought up a catholic, she converted to Kabbalah, a Jewish sect condemned as heretic by the orthodox rabbis. As most of Kabbalah's holy sites are located in Israel, Madonna frequently visits the Zionist state. This week, at the end of the Jewish New Year, she even met Israel's president, war criminal Shimon Peres, who gave her a copy of the Old Testament. As she converted to Kabbalah, she even took a new name “Esther”.

Madonna, the famous pop singer is dead, reincarnated as a Jewish fanatic who is cozying up to war criminals. She is hereby deleted from the list of my favorite singers. (CNN: “Madonna meets Shimon Peres”)

Friday, September 14, 2007

Monstrous crimes remembered


Twenty-five years ago this week, more than 1,700 Palestinians were slaughtered in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatilla in 48 hours of carnage while Ariel Sharon watched from a safe distance. Most victims were women and children. An Israeli commission of inquiry concluded that then defense minister Sharon was "indirectly" and "personally" responsible, but far from being punished for this despicable crime, he would still rise to the top and become prime minister of Israel. Franklin Lamb notes that it is considered "the bloodiest single incident of the Arab-Israeli conflict and a crime for which Israel will be condemned for eternity". (Counterpunch: "A Letter to Janet About Sabra-Shatilla"), (Aljazeera: "Sabra Shatila recalled")

All of those who perpetrated the massacre, the hundreds of Phalange and Haddad militia, escaped justice, because they acted on the orders of the Israeli government. Survivors are still haunted by the memories 25 years later and most still live in refugee camps. 45,000 people still live in Sabra and Shatilla today. But many Lebanese, let alone people around the world, have never heard of Sabra and Shatilla. Therefore it is imperative to keep the memories alive and remember the victims.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Belgium is fading


Almost three months after the Belgian general elections of June 10 there is still no new government and no solution in sight to the problems preventing a coalition government to be formed. Finally, the foreign press also starts noticing. (The Economist: “Time to call it a day”); (The Independent: “The Big Question: Is Belgium on the brink of breaking apart, and would it matter if it did?”, “Pressure grows on Belgium's fragile state”)

The disappearance of Belgium may be the result not of a conscious act but of a general acknowledgment of its irrelevance. It is true – at least for now – that there is no majority for a break up of the country. Even in Flanders, there is no majority for a declaration of independence. Rather Belgium may “fade from the page of history” to borrow an expression used by Ayatollah Rohollah Khomeini when he was talking about Israel. The Jewish state will disappear because it is built on a gross injustice – the genocide of the Palestinian people and the establishment of a racist apartheid state. Belgium will fade simply because it is no longer needed. There are altogether seven parliaments and governments where three will suffice to guarantee governance: one each for Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia. There will still be chocolates and beers, although they may no longer be called Belgian. The only thing for which Belgium is indispensable is the monarchy. The royals will have to look for another job.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Stop "Stop Islamisation"


On September 11, some European right-wing forces planned a demonstration in Brussels about what they view as the islamisation of Europe. But the mayor of Brussels banned the demonstration fearing counter manifestations by migrants.

While being firmly opposed to the viewpoints of the organizers, banning demonstrations is never a good option. When there is a demonstration, there is always the possibility of a counter-demonstration. The best the authorities can do is to separate both demonstrations to avoid clashes. In the end even the main organizer withdrew his support for the demonstration and only around a hundred people turned up where about 20,000 were expected.

The leaders of law-and-order Vlaams Belang – who usually always defend an increase in police powers – were briefly arrested when they showed up to demonstrate. Now they claim to defend the freedom of expression, but if a left-wing demonstration would have been organized, they would be the first to support a police crackdown. Their hatred of migrants and Islam led them to break the law. (Al-Jazeera: “Clashes at Belgian anti-Islam rally”)

Believers in Islam should be allowed to practice their religions and customs.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The Surge deflated


The most anticipated congressional testimony by a U.S. general since the Vietnam War brought nothing new. Even before the start of the Surge, one could have predicted what general David Petraeus would say yesterday and today, which is: the surge is working, the situation is improving and we have to stay the course. And in the meantime reduce the number of surge troops to deceive the public that troops are coming home.

The surge was a dismal failure and could not have been otherwise. Occupying a country doesn't work and intensifying the occupation will only intensify the resistance. Now the general says we have to wait for his next report in March 2008. In the meantime tens of thousands more Iraqis will have been killed. What makes Petraeus think that the situation – from an American point of view – will be better in six months? It's stupid wishful thinking on his part, because it won't. Only an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of American forces from Iraq will create conditions for an improvement in the situation. The experience of Vietnam shows us that generals are consistently wrong in their assessments and recommendations. They only say what they think their bosses in the White House and the Pentagon want to hear.

The aim of the surge was to give Iraqi leaders the security needed to make stabilizing political arrangements. None were made and Iraq is further disintegrating. Effecting a troop surge without any results and then scaling it back won't solve anything. A BBC poll in several countries showed that 67% of the respondents want an immediate or gradual withdrawal of American troops. As even former secretary of state Madeleine Albright had to admit: “Our troops are being asked to risk their lives to solve problems our civilian leaders created.” Still the U.S. is clinging to hopes of an impossible victory, inflicting ever more damage. (The Independent: “The view from Washington: Petraeus offers hope of success to a war-weary America”, “The view from Baghdad: Mounting death toll which makes a mockery of US optimism”, “Patrick Cockburn: The 'surge' has failed to improve the bloody stalemate”, “Under siege: what the surge really means in Baghdad”); (The Guardian: “A wrong ID, a wrong turn can mean death”, “We need to get out of Iraq”, “Delaying the inevitable withdrawal”)

Monday, September 10, 2007

The mistress army strikes back


Many Chinese officials and businessmen have mistresses these days. There's nothing much wrong with that, although some become corrupt to satisfy the money hunger of their mistress. But like with anything else you can overdo it. Take the “Zipper mayor” for example. Pang Jiayu (63) is a former mayor of Baoji in Shaanxi province and has also been deputy chairman of the provincial Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). He had no less than 11 mistresses, most of them the young wives of his subordinates. That seems to be a few too many for a man his age. In return for sexual, he promised them to help their husbands get rich. But when some of the schemes fell through and some of the husbands got the death penalty, the mistresses banded together and informed in a letter the Commission for Discipline Inspection of Pang's misdeeds. As Wang Xiaowei writes in the South China Morning Post, “Pang's case takes the cake”.

Eleven mistresses, joining hands to denounce their former patron, if anybody can do better, please raise your hand. The fact that Pang's case has fueled the imagination and has had a wide-ranging impact guarantees that his punishment will be severe. (The Guardian: “Concubine culture brings trouble for China's bosses”) But the fact remains that Pang could break the law for 13 years and - to borrow the official jargon - "lead a desolute life" without being exposed. Many similar "local emperors" still ride roughshod over the people and only a new cultural revolution can stop them.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Lost remembrance


Chairman Mao passed away 31 year ago today. “31” is not a sexy number, but still one would expect that some commemorative articles would have appeared in the Chinese press. There was no such thing. Chairman Mao's death went by unobserved in China. The party leadership doesn't really know what to do with Mao's legacy. It has clearly betrayed his ideology and policy recommendations. But the leadership also doesn't want to ditch Mao completely. The resulting debate could be devastating for the Communist Party, which remains a communist party only in name. An public debate would open the floodgates. On the other hand the current leaders of the Communist Party are following a policy so opposed to everything the Chairman stood for, that they decided to just ignore him.

But amid the dislocations, exploitation and misery caused by the current capitalist development, many people have not forgotten Mao. He created a massive social experiment, and indeed many things went wrong. Social engineering on the vast scale of China is not an easy matter. And most experiments don't succeed on the first try. But if the imperialist U.S. and the rising capitalist power China are common stakeholders in a “harmonious world”, something must be wrong.

Socialism, let alone communism, cannot be realized in poverty. Only when the forces of production are highly developed can socialism be realized. Deng Xiaoping argued that some people could get rich first and common prosperity would be realized. The migrants flooding China's cities in search of factory work are better off toiling in the sweatshops compared to life on the land. But that doesn't mean they are not exploited. Moreover, income disparities between urban and rural residents are still widening. Historical experience proves that capitalist development cannot be skipped. But going out for all round capitalist development also means a revolution is in the making.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

An idiot on the world stage


As we all know, Bush's brain has left the White House and now he is acting even more like an idiot on the world stage. While attending a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) he thought he was attending an OPEC summit, that's short for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. And when thanking his Australian hosts for their contribution to the war in Iraq he was talking about “Austrian” troops. (The Times: “How Australia became Austria – and in Opec”)

This guy really doesn't know what he's talking about, he is merely able to misread the papers and briefing notes written by his staff. This guy is commander-in-chief of the Big Paper Tiger, the army with the most firing power in the world. Not only is he an idiot, he's also a war criminal and still the leaders of other states are treating him like one of their own. Can't the American people see the damage he is doing to its reputation?

Friday, September 7, 2007

A dangerous test strike


Yesterday an Israeli fighter jet intruded into Syrian airspace and apparently has bombed a target inside the country. This may very well be a test run for a more devastating strike on Iran. News reports claim that there is a cooperation in the nuclear field between Syria and North Korea. Israel might have tried to take out a nuclear installation in Syria to prepare for a strike against the Busher reactor in Iran.

Israel has clearly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. And, of course, the U.N. Security Council is doing nothing. Now imagine that the Iranian Air Force would have attacked a U.S. target in Iraq or a Syrian plane would have dropped a bomb on Israeli territory. This would surely have given the Bush-Cheney war criminal gang an excuse to start another war “to bring democracy to the Middle East”. But the Zionist apartheid state of Israel can violate the airspace of its neighbors with impunity, drop bombs at will, deny any wrongdoing and nobody is doing anything about it.

There can only be peace in the Middle East when the Zionist state vanishes from the page of history.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

War in cyberspace


Is the Chinese military hacking into other governments' computer systems to spy on and disrupt them? If you read a slew of revelations in the Western press in the past few days you may think so. It started with an allegation in Der Spiegel that the networks of Germany's foreign and economic ministries were hacked into. When exactly it happened is not very clear, but the revelation was made just before chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to China and was clearly made to embarrass the Chinese and push the spying topic high up the agenda. In the following days news surfaced that also networks at the Pentagon, in Great Britain and in France had been attacked. (The Guardian: “China flexes muscles of its 'informationised' army”)

Chinese premier Wen Jiabao said China was opposed to hacking computer networks and would punish the perpetrators. There is not much proof that the attacks originated in China, but it is of course possible that the PLA is conducting cyber warfare experiments.

The hypocritical thing is that the U.S. and other Western countries are also developing cyber warfare capabilities, but the recent accusations make you believe that China is a rogue state, while the U.S. is strictly adhering to international norms. The U.S. that is, which illegally invaded a sovereign country which posed no threat whatsoever. If they invade with an army of flesh and blood, can you believe they would not invade other countries' networks in cyberspace.

It seems, apart from the reported cyber attacks, it is the attacks in the press that were designed to embarrass China. Without any proof, as hackers in other countries could very well be using insecure computers in China to disguise their location.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Flying nukes


Last week a B-52 bomber flew from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana carrying six cruise missiles for decommssioning. So far so good. But even the bomber's crew was unaware that nuclear warheads were attached to the cruise missiles. The U.S. thereby violated a treaty committing itself not to fly around with nukes. (CNN: "Air Force investigates mistaken transport of nuclear warheads")

The incident is considered to be a major breach of security. So here we have the U.S. accusing Iran of endangering world security - although the Iranians don't have nuclear weapons - while the U.S. air force is flying nuclear warheads around the country. Nuclear weapons should be dismantled so nobody can fly around with them, even by mistake. No, they could not have detonated, but if the B-52 would have crashed, radiation would have contaminated a large area, possibly including population centers.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Seeing is believing...


George W. Bush has now made his third lightening visit to Iraq. Six hours on a U.S. airbase in Anbar province. He doesn't even dare to go to Baghdad anymore. Do you call that visiting Iraq? If the Iraqi people are welcoming the Americans with roses and fireworks, why does the American president not dare to walk among them. Among those whom he has brought “democracy”? Bush said he wanted to “see with his own eyes the remarkable changes that are taking place in Anbar province.” Holed up in a fortified American base. What exactly is it you can see from there? The nearby McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken?

In order to prolong the occupation, Bush wants to prove that progress is being made. Of course there is no such thing. Once again he is on a quest to deceive Congress and get away with war crimes. (The New York Times: “Bush, in Iraq, Sees Possible Reduction in Troop Levels”)

Bush is urging Congress to listen to what the U.S. commanders in Iraq have to say. But they are only saying what Bush would like to hear, totally divorced from reality. Most disgusting of all, the puppet leaders of Iraq, Talabani and al-Maliki are welcoming and schmoozing with the war criminal who is responsible for the utter destruction of their country and the mass murder of its people. They truly belong in the dustbin of history.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Don't support the troops


Usually, The Independent has insightful stories about many issues, including Iraq and Afghanistan, and also publishes columns by Robert Fisk. But yesterday they blew it with a distasteful campaign to “support the troops”. (The Independent: “IoS campaign: Honour our troops”, "A debt of honour: They fight and die for Queen and country. We must support them”)

We should support the troops, the newspaper crows, they lack protective armor and are poorly cared for when they return. The bottom line is: they don't need protection if they stay home and are not sent to wage war abroad. And when they are not fighting, they will need much less care. “Dying for Queen and country” is absurd. It is totally idiotic to die for the Queen, as for dying for the country, they are not fighting to defend their country against aggression, the soldiers themselves are committing aggression against other peoples. The Military Covenant may very well be honored in defense of the country, but not if the military is committing the crime of aggression. In doing so they become war criminals, and the Independent on Sunday is asking us the support them. The U.K. has now lost 168 troops in Iraq and 74 in Afghanistan, plus 1,741 casualties lifted out of both countries. These men and women wouldn't be dead or wounded if they hadn't crossed their country's border to go to a place where they had nothing to defend.

Shame on The Independent!

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Deception


The U.S. is preparing a savage air attack on Iran – not excluding the use of tactical nuclear weapons – to prevent it from acquiring an atom bomb. Never mind that Iran and the UN atomic energy agency on August 21 agreed on a timetable for Tehran to clarify outstanding concerns about its nuclear program. If the ghost of the atom bomb is insufficient to justify war, the U.S. will engineer an incident “proving” that Iran is responsible for the deaths of American soldiers in Iraq. “The Pentagon has drawn up plans for massive airstrikes against 1,200 targets in Iran, designed to annihilate the Iranians’ military capability in three days,” The Times writes. (“Pentagon ‘three-day blitz’ plan for Iran”) Not “pinprick strikes”, but “taking out the entire Iranian military”.

But in the same edition The Times (“How the West summoned up a nuclear nightmare in Pakistan”) published an extract from a forthcoming book, written by Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark, showing how the U.S. covered up Pakistan's quest for the bomb. So here we have the U.S. of A. turning a blind eye to Islamic Pakistan getting the bomb and preparing to strike at Islamic Iran to prevent it from getting the bomb. So what's the bottom line? It's not about nuclear non-proliferation. If you are a U.S. ally, you may have all the forbidden toys you want, but if you are not, you're gonna be bombed back to the Stone Age if the U.S. president only presumes that perhaps you would be tempted to acquire forbidden toys.

Bush accused Iran of “putting the Middle East under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust”. Iran doesn't even have a bomb. But Pakistan does have several. Moreover, president's Musharraf's grip on the country is slipping and it could fall into the hands of Islamic militants, the very same who have trained and supported the Taliban. The authors of “Deception” describe Pakistan as a “desperately unstable country” [...] “on the failed states index at position 12, just below Haiti, in worse shape than North Korea and Burma”. Finally, Iran's Ahmadinejad was democratically elected (he was not even the candidate of the conservative clergy), while Musharraf took power in a coup.

To Bush that doesn't matter, you're with us or against us.

The book “Deception: Pakistan, the United States, and the Secret Trade in Nuclear Weapons” will be published in Britain in September (Amazon.co.uk) and in the U.S. in October (Amazon.com).

Saturday, September 1, 2007

The Belgian split


Belgium still doesn't have a new government following the June 10 elections. And it doesn't look like there will be in the near future. The gap between Flemish and French-speaking parties is too wide to reconcile. Ever more people are now contemplating the split of Belgium. If a Belgian government cannot be formed, Flanders will go its own way. Discussions of outright independence were usually confined to right-wing parties. But now for the first time the daily De Standaard publishes an extensive series of articles exploring how an independent Flanders could come about and what its place in Europe and the world would be.

Some argue that Belgium is already a small country and to split it up further would diminish its place in the world. But having six million inhabitants, Flanders has more people and is certainly more prosperous than many other countries. Even an independent Flanders would still be on a par with Denmark and be much larger than Luxembourg.

Many people who were not in favor of independence in the past are now changing their views because they become aware that Belgium is simply ungovernable. The two communities don't read each others newspapers or watch each others TV programs. Both vote for other parties and if people from the two communities do meet, they speak English, like they do with foreigners.

In 1830, Belgium split off from Holland. Perhaps in the coming years Flanders will split from Belgium and a proud new republic will be born.

Friday, August 31, 2007

The final cheers!


A man called Michael Jackson has died yesterday. No, not his more famous namesake the pop singer. This Michael Jackson was a famous beer writer, who published many books about the world's beers. He also wrote a book about Belgian beers, which helped make them famous all over the world. He was also called "the beer hunter", the title of a popular television series he produced. (CNN: “Famed 'beer hunter' dies”)

Michael jackson was always on the look-out to taste new beers and to try to accurately describe their taste. He wanted something more than pils. When he tasted a beer brewed by Belgian monks he was hooked to discover more: Westmalle, Trappist, Geuze, Orval, Westvleteren, Duvel,... Sales of his books exceeded three million in 18 languages.

At 65 - much too early - he drank his last beer. But his descriptions of beers will continue to guide beer lovers for many years to come. Cheers!

Thursday, August 30, 2007

China's happy mask


According to secretary general Giles Merritt of the think tank Friends of Europe , “China is mistakingly downplaying its own serious structural weaknesses”. He says the Chinese leaders fail to mention the country's problems because they don't want to lose face. (The Taipei Times: “Underneath China's happy mask”)

The Chinese indeed don't like losing face, but that's besides the point. Many Westerners see China as a rising power, exporting ever more goods, collecting giant foreign exchange reserves and even getting stronger militarily. Most foreign businessmen only go to the big coastal cities. They are mesmerized by the skyscrapers in Pudong and the Olympic village in Beijing. They hardly know anything about the countryside and the poor regions of the country. But you cannot say that the Chinese leaders themselves do not know this, as Wang Yong correctly points out in the Shanghai Daily. (“Western observer fails to see vigorous debate in China over problems”)

China is still a developing country and is certainly not hiding its problems. Some villages still don't have good roads or even electricity. China is developing fast, but it still needs several decades to become a developed country. To have a comprehensive understanding of China, you need to look at both the developed and the underdeveloped parts.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Poppyland


No, the Taliban are not a nice bunch of guys. Who would want to envelop the bodies of women in a burqa where not even the eyes are visible? Men who impose this requirement must be totally out of their minds. The Taliban wanted to establish a dark medieval society. But what can you expect after 200 years of meddling by the foreign powers: the British, the Russians, the Iranians, the Pakistanis, the U.S. and an assorted collection of NATO troops? But the Talibs scored two achievements: they defeated the warlords and brought some sort of justice. Cruel justice, chopping of hands, feet and penises. And they almost eradicated the opium production.

Today, Afghanistan is ruled by nobody. There is the puppet Karzai regime in the presidential palace in Kabul, the warlords, the resurgent Taliban and the NATO troops. And guess what: the opium production is soaring to record highs. (The Independent: “Record opium crop helps the Taliban fund its resistance”), (The Guardian: “UN horrified by surge in opium trade in Helmand”), (The New York Times: “Afghan Opium Crop at Record High”).

Opium production increased more than a third compared to last year. Helmand province is the biggest single opium producer in the world, right under the noses of the NATO armies. The head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa had to admit: “The results are very bad, terrifyingly bad”. And who is to be held responsible for this? The foreign armies occupying Afghanistan today.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

The mercenary army


It should surprise nobody that the U.S. military is facing ever more difficulties to sign up new recruits. Everybody with a few grams of brain matter knows that after signing up, Iraq is waiting. Either they will have to endure innumerable tours of duty, utterly exhausting even the most battle-hardened soldiers. Now the U.S. Army has found a way: bribery. (The Washington Post: “Many Take Army's 'Quick Ship' Bonus”)

Since late July, more than 90% of new recruits have accepted a 20,000 dollar “quick ship” bonus. For most of them, that's the equivalent of more than a year's pay. Sure, that comes in very handy. But the flipside is that the new recruits leave their homes within days of signing up for a short crash course leaving them unprepared and badly trained. Then it's onwards to the battlefields of Iraq. Many of them will never get the chance to spend their 20,000 dollar, but will instead quickly return to the homeland... in a body bag.

In the first three weeks of the program, which started on July 25, the army enlisted 3,814 new recruits using the bonus. The American people is tired of the war in Iraq and the only way the military can fill its ranks is bribery, wasting more of the taxpayers' money to send the sons and daughters of the country to commit crimes abroad. Some of them would indeed have joined up, perhaps in 2008, without the bonus. So the army may now have a supply of fresh recruits, but will face more difficulties next year. The flow of cannon fodder will dry up.

Meanwhile, Bush wants to launch another criminal war against Iran. That will break the back of the U.S. military and even lots of money will not be able to solve the personnel problem. You can have the best military hardware in the world, you can sow death and destruction on an unimaginable scale, but in the end it's the people who are the driving force. Equipped with the best hardware, bombers, fighter jets, helicopters, tanks, spy satellites... the U.S. is defeated every day by Kalashnikovs and roadside bombs.

So what about the Iraqi resistance? Do they have a problem finding new recruits? No, because the war crimes committed by the U.S. are turning each and every Iraqi into a dedicated resistance fighter,... free of charge.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Puppet-on-a-string


Nouri al-Maliki is an American puppet, frequently traveling to Washington to receive instructions from his boss, George W. Bush. But as it goes with puppets, if they won't or can't fulfill their master's wishes, they are prone to be kicked aside and replaced. al-Maliki is coming under fire because he can't deliver on the “benchmarks” which emerged from neo-con fantasy land. Hillary Clinton said that al-Maliki should be replaced by a "less divisive and more unifying figure". The problem for the U.S. is: another puppet won't be able to deliver either. The Iraqi government is totally irrelevant outside the Green Zone. How can it accomplish anything?
(ZNet: “King George, al-Maliki, & the Press”) (CounterPunch: “Don't Carpool with Nouri al-Maliki”)

In 1963 the U.S. ambassador in Saigon and the C.I.A. supported (behind the scenes of course) the murder by South Vietnamese officers of president Ngo Dinh Diem, because he could not fulfill America's wishes. al-Maliki should watch his back or buy a one-way ticket to Tehran, where as a fellow Shia he is still welcome.

al-Maliki told his American critics to stop meddling in the affairs of his country and behave like colonial overlords. But that's exactly what Iraq is: a colony of the U.S. and al-Maliki is a puppet-on-a-string. Until the master cuts the string...

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Freedom of immigration


Many people on the right as well as on the left of the political spectrum oppose free immigration. Foreigners – defined as people from less fortunate countries of course, not rich Americans and Saudis – are not allowed to stay if they don't have the proper papers. They are hunted by the police, locked up in closed centers akin to jails and sometimes forcefully expelled to their countries of origin. The right says they are a danger to “our values”, which of course are defined as being of higher quality than theirs. On the left, immigrants are feared because they supposedly drag down wage levels.

But Nick Clegg has an interesting observation to make. (The Guardian: “Ignoring immigration issue is not an option”) “Millions of Britons take up the freedom to live and work abroad; there are more Britons living abroad today than there are non-UK citizens living here. We should never lightly deny the freedom of movement to others that we so fully enjoy ourselves.” Well said! “We” claim the right to migrate to other countries, and most of “us” will certainly keep our “values” and perhaps not even learning the language of the country we are living in. But if “they” come to live among “us”, they have to “integrate”, that is learning “our” language, conforming to “our values” (no wearing of headscarves) and still “they” will be treated as a nuisance at best and sometimes much worse.

Clegg still calls for borders to be controlled more effectively. By the same logic, other countries should not allow so many Britons to immigrate. "We" keep "them" out, but "we" should still be able to go and live "there". There is only one correct policy: abolish the borders and let everybody travel and live where he or she pleases. Not only the rich Westerners, but everybody.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

The Book of Faces


The Facebook networking application is getting really hot. I joined some time ago at the invitation of an ex-colleague. It's certainly nice to keep in touch with old friends all over the world. You get notified when they add new photos or favorite music. You can send them a message or poke them from within the Facebook page. You can show off a lot of private information: contact details, places you have visited, photos, books you have read, your favorite music. You name it and there is probably a way to put it in your profile.

It's a pity you can only join one country network. All the expats out there would love to join two or even more networks, because it allows you to send friends requests to people you don't know in other countries. The World Friends application is not up to scratch, because you get too many random requests from people you don't even want to be friends with, like a fat (nothing against fat people, my beer belly is also further developing) lady from California, Presbyterian, conservative, with the Bible listed as her favorite book. Ouch, not my piece of cake. I'd prefer to be friends with a Mongolian girl with a Genghis Khan necklace. But Facebook doesn't make it easy to find them.

Anyway, so many people are joining up these days, Facebook will develop further and it could still be a good help to find long-lost friends or find new ones.

One must however be careful not to spend too much time on Facebook. One more application to check several times a day, while we already have to keep an eye on e-mail, websites, blog,... And there are still only 24 hours in a day!

Facebook is also increasingly used to launch local or even worldwide protests. Maybe someday it will become not only a friendly tool, but a revolutionary tool.

Friday, August 24, 2007

On the balcony


The attempt by Yves Leterme to form a new Belgium government has crashed. The king had to be whisked back to Brussels in an airforce jet from his vacationing spot in the South of France to enable Leterme to give back his assignment. What was the king doing in the South of France when everybody with the slightest political feeling could predict the pending crisis? But that's a minor detail. When he returned to his Belvedere palace, he passed a banner proclaiming “Independence for Flanders!” That may very well be the long-term outcome of this vaudeville.

The bottom line is: the situation is completely blocked. Leterme has failed miserably, and he's partly to be blamed for the mess. So is Madame “Non” Joelle Milquet and everybody else around the negotiating table. Since the elections on June 10, 75 days have been wasted in useless chit-chat carefully avoiding the main topic: the future of the Belgian federal state. Leterme is now heading for the balcony and wait for others to find a way out of the mess.

The best was out would be to:
declare Brussels “District of Europe”, Brussels D.E., where all the major European institutions are located. Issue European passports to the inhabitants of Brussels.
Split Belgium along the “language frontier” into two autonomous regions: Flanders and Wallonia. Of course we get rid of the monarchy in the process.
Establish a Europe of the regions, abolishing the nation states set up in the 18th and 19th century. In each and every European state there are profound contradictions between regions: Amsterdam against Rotterdam, Munich against Hannover, Paris against Marseille, Madrid against Bilbao, London against Glasgow. Get rid of the decaying carcass of the nation states and establish a true Europe of the regions.

One option is an independent Democratic People's Republic of Flanders. But creating new states in Europe is not the best solution. Another alternative is for Flanders to join the Netherlands. More than 60% of the Dutch people would welcome a union with Flanders, but more than 60% of the Flemish people doesn't like the idea. Moreover, getting rid of the Belgian dynasty of the Saksen-Coburgs, to be ruled by the Dutch dynasty of the Oranjes is not an appealing thought. A unified Dutch-Flemish country would be economically very strong, but it would have to be a republic. The monarchies should be buried together with Belgium.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

The V-word


Not V from Victory, but V from Vietnam. In the past, George W. Bush stubbornly refused any comparison between Iraq and Vietnam. Now that his brain (Karl Rove) is on the way out, Bush's I.Q. is reaching new depths. In a speech to the Veterans of Foreign War in Kansas City, Bush did make a comparison, but of course a totally erroneous one. Look what happened in Vietnam after we left, goes his distorted logic, so we'd better stay in Iraq. The basic reason why Iraq is in such a bloody mess is precisely the American occupation. End the occupation, and it will still be a bloody mess for some time, but at the same time the first step will have been taken for Iraq to recover from the American invasion. (The Guardian: “This is a war for credibility”; “The Saigon syndrome”)

According to Bush, the mistake America made in Vietnam was not to have stayed there longer, a mistake he does not want to repeat in Iraq. The mistake (or more precisely war crime) America made in Vietnam as well as in Iraq was to commit aggression against those countries. The U.S. has learnt nothing; as Mao said “imperialism can only lift a rock to drop it on its own foot”. It will never learn. Bush also points out that a retreat would embolden the “terrorists”. But it is precisely the U.S. aggression that pushes them to act. Osama bin Laden was once a partner of the U.S. in the struggle against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. So why did he become America's deadly enemy? Because he believes in “Islamo-fascism”? Not at all! Because he objected to the stationing of American troops in Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries. Leave those Muslim countries alone, and al-Qaeda will no longer have the incentive to attack America. Bush is doing exactly the opposite. al-Qaeda did not have any activities in the Iraq of Saddam, it does now, right under the noses of the American troops.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Blackhawk down


Today, 14 U.S. soldiers died when their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed in Iraq. Apparently, the cause of the crash was mechanical failure, not hostile action. It is the worst single incident since January 2005. (The New York Times: "Black Hawk Fails and Crashes, Killing 14 U.S. Soldiers")

Boys everywhere like to play soldier. They want to show that there strong and brave. To learn to become a leader of men, or perhaps to impress the girls. Sometimes playing soldier causes cuts and bruises. But that about it. Boys should grow up and stop playing soldier. In the real world war kills. Another 14 coffins loaded on a C-130. 28 parents, 14 wives and how many children in mourning. Since the start of the war, 3,721 U.S. troops died in Iraq. Tens of thousands got severely wounded and will remember their “tour of duty” in Iraq forever. They didn't die or get maimed to defend “freedom and democracy” nor to help the Iraqi people. They went to a distant land most knew nothing about to topple its government and occupy it. There action caused more than 700,000 Iraqis to die and another 4 million to become refugees. They died to achieve this “glorious” goal. The people of Iraq despise them, the peoples of the world detest them. When the American people is no longer deluded by neocon claptrap, it will also stop to “support the troops”.

Grow up and stop playing soldier. Grown-up men make love...

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Taiwan powder keg


Former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton has called on his country to resume diplomatic relations with Taiwan. He believes that relations with the U.S. are so important to China that it will have to accept diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Taiwan. Many neocons are completely out of touch with reality, but Bolton is one of the most brain-damaged.

Still, some people believe that in the not too distant future, a war between China and Taiwan is likely to break out. (see: Richard C. Bush and Michael E. O'Hanlon's “A War Like No Other: The Truth About China's Challenge to America”) Now, O'Hanlon is also the guy who said things were improving in Iraq, the U.S. can still win and Bush is a hero. (see my post of August 9 below)

Moreover, you would assume these guys have a crystal ball, knowing perfectly well what is going to happen. Well, nobody has, so they are just hallucinating from inhaling too much neocon nonsense. You could certainly piece together some possible scenarios for the future. But “A War Like No Other” goes too far. The authors say they don't want to see a war between China and Taiwan, but they secretly hope that China would be seriously damaged and the U.S. could remain the overlord of the world.

They write that “a process can begin that, if mismanaged, can escalate out of control. It should not. But it could.” Yes, it could. But it is also very well possible that the Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Straight are clever enough to avoid it from happening. If war mongers like John Bolton would just shut up.

Monday, August 20, 2007

The King meddles


The creation of a new Belgian government is going nowhere. The country is irrevocably split between Dutch and French speakers. The Dutch speakers want to transfer more authority in almost all areas of governance from the federal level to the regional level. The federal government would only remain as a service-providing institution, whereas the regional governments would have the real power. The French-speakers want to move in exactly the opposite direction: more authority transferred back to the federal level.

The making of a new government always includes compromises: party A gives in one item, but gains on another and so on. Each party can blow up its gains and minimize its losses, thereby hoping to survive the next election. But if two groups are moving in exactly opposite directions, compromises are useless. Giving more authority to the regions in one area and taking it away in another doesn't solve anything and only achieves to make the whole construction of the state more complicated.

On Friday evening, prime minister-to-be Yves Leterme saw no way out anymore and called on king Albert II for help. What he could have done was to return his task of forming a government back to the king, who could have named somebody else – which wouldn't have solved much, because nobody can solve the problem – but that's what the constitution allows for. But no: the king called the party leaders to his palace to have private discussions. As Sp.A leader Vande Lanotte (a constitutional rights professor) pointed out: this is unconstitutional. The king may only consult the politicians at the start of the whole process to determine whom to name as an “informer” to gather more information or a “former” to write the next government's program and form the cabinet. Intervening in between is “not done”. The king is not neutral: he is a French-speaking aristocrat now giving his support to a coalition of Catholics and Liberals.

The King of the Belgians has overstepped his authority to save Leterme's skin and give a coalition government of his liking another try. It's not exactly a royal coup d'etat, but it's nevertheless impermissible. If he continues to meddle, he should be forced to abdicate the throne and the monarchy should be abolished. It'll save a cent or two for the already disastrous budget.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Local bullies


Last week a stone bridge under construction in Fenghuang county, Hunan province, collapsed killing dozens of people. The exact number is still unknown. The South China Morning Post reported on August 18 that officials attacked journalists who were investigating the disaster. Among the journalists were some from the communist party's mouthpiece People's Daily.

This is just incredible. Who do these local bullies think they are? Those corrupt criminals no doubt got bribes from the construction company, which used shoddy materials leading to the deaths of workers and bystanders. And they have the temerity to attack reporters form the People's Daily in Beijing because they want to hide the truth. They accused the Chinese reporters of "illegally conducting interviews". But this "crime" has already been abolished for foreign correspondents, who don't need any authorization and only need to obtain permission from the people they interview. How is it possible that reporters from the People's Daily - the newspaper of the Central Committee - are accused by local nobodies of "illegally conducting interviews"? One of the attackers was the director of Fenghuang's agricultural bureau.

These local bullies believe they are the boss in their local kingdom and can do whatever they like. Laws and courts are not going to solve the problem, because the local judges are the buddies of the local bullies.

Those local kingdoms all over China make live very difficult for the people. The profiteering local bosses and capitalists should be brought to justice. But what are the central authorities in Beijing going to do about it? They are too afraid to rely on the people and launch a mass movement.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Cars and blue skies


A year before the start of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the Chinese organizers are worried that air pollution might seriously hinder the athletes' performances. By then, most polluting factories will have been relocated far away from the Olympic Green, all construction sites shut down and migrant laborers sent back home. But what about Beijing's ever increasing car population, growing at the rate of 1,000 a day?

The city government decided to try to find out. On August 17 and 19 only cars with odd-numbered license plates would be allowed on the roads; on August 18 and 20 their even-numbered brothers and sisters would take over.

A random check yesterday on a trip from home to my favorite restaurant Morel's showed that Beijing's drivers are overwhelmingly adhering to the ban, some no doubt disgruntingly, but they nevertheless kept there cars off the roads. Traffic went much more smoothly. But the smoggy sky didn't disappear. (The Times: “Traffic ban fails to beat city smog”)

Of course, four days is too short to have a big impact. Perhaps if the experiment would be extended for three months, the sky might turn blue again, but that would disrupt the normal life of the city too much.

Perhaps it would have been better to build the Olympic Green on the steppes of Inner Mongolia?

Friday, August 17, 2007

Another phantom - HEU


At last there is some progress on the North Korean nuclear issue. IAEA inspectors have verified that the North has shut down its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon. But that's only one part – although an important one – of North Korea's expected full declaration of its nuclear activities. Diplomats are now hammering out the next steps at a meeting in Shenyang, China. (The Financial Times: “Next step for N Korea nuclear disclosure”)

The American neocons can still sabotage the whole ongoing process by chasing the Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) chimera. U.S. officials claim that in 2002, the DPRK's vice foreign minister Kang Sok-ju admitted that the country was making HEU. The DPRK government later retracted this statement, either because the U.S. were lying and it was never made, because Kang bluffed and shouldn't have, or because what he said was true but should have been kept secret.

It is difficult to know the truth. But let's assume for a minute that one of the first two possibilities is true, that the DPRK really does not has a HEU program, just like Saddam Hussein didn't have weapons of mass destruction (WMD). You can prove that you have something by showing it, but you can never convincingly prove that you don't have something. Maybe you do, but you have hidden it very well. The North Koreans could prove that they were busy with plutonium enrichment – because they were and that's why they could dismantle it. But HEU? If it was bluff, they cannot prove the program doesn't exist.

It's not excluded that the neocons will grab this ghost to claim that North Korea did not fully disclose its nuclear program – playing the same trick they played on Saddam as a pretext to invade Iraq.

The North Koreans may not be the world's most open jolly good fellows, but put before the hard choice of believing the North Koreans or the American neocons – in the absence of hard proof – I'd believe the former.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

"Terrorist" Guardians


The U.S. government is contemplating to put Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Pasdaran, on its list of terrorist organizations, which already includes – among others – Hamas, Hizbollah, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (DFLP-GC) and the Communist Party of the Philippines. The biggest terror organizations in the world – the C.I.A. and the Mossad – are of course not included. While the IRGC is separate from Iran's regular armed forces, it is nevertheless part of Iran's defense establishment. It is the first time part of a country's armed forces are put on the list.

The U.S. authorities are claiming – as usual without the slightest proof – that the IRGC is delivering all kinds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to Shiite groups in Iraq, which they use to kill American soldiers. (Mind you: according to international law, killing American soldiers in Iraq is perfectly legal, as an occupied people has the right to kill its occupiers) Indeed, a rising number of American soldiers is being killed by the Madhi Army, but that is because the U.S. itself is more and more targeting the Mahdi Army, which is only fighting back with the weapons they have, not because they get more deadly weapons from Iran. The U.S. government has never been bothered by the truth, whatever it can concoct together to justify a war of aggression will do.

By labeling the IRGC a terrorist organization, the U.S. is paving the way for air strikes on Pasdaran bases and installations. The war mongers in the White House – Dick Cheney first and foremost – are desperately trying to concoct a pretext to launch an aggression against Iran. The U.S. can start with bombing the Pasdaran, hoping that Iran will retaliate, so it could thereafter escalate the war. I am not the only one saying this. Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich “accused the Bush Administration's labeling of Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization a prelude for war there.” (The Raw Story: “Kucinich: 'Belligerent' Bush Admin. trying to 'deceive' US into 'yet another war'”)

The IRGC also runs a vast business empire. Doing business with any companies associated with the Guard, would be declared illegal. The U.S. would thereby try to inflict an economic blow on Iran. Foreign banks will think twice about dealing with enterprises linked to the Guard. But the move is fraught with peril. Iran is perfectly capable of hitting American warships and commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and even of completely disrupting tanker traffic and thereby the world's oil supply.

As usual, Washington is playing with fire while lighting a cigarette over an open oil barrel...

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Japan's surrender


62 years ago, the Japanese imperial army unconditionally surrendered, finally bringing to an end the Second World War. Today, a delegation of the Japanese Mei Shin Kai group commemorated the end of the war together with the Chinese people in Nanjing – site of the Nanjing Massacre. The Chinese and Japanese peoples now live in peace, but the Japanese government still refuses to fully acknowledge and atone for the horrors its predecessors inflicted. In Germany, the Third Reich is dead and buried, but the Japanese leaders still maintain that the Imperial Japanese Army fought to liberate the Asian peoples and defend Japan. 62 years after the end of the war, the Japanese government should finally and irrevocably refute the Japanese Empire.

But the mood is changing. Today, only one member of Shinzo Abe's 16-member cabinet visited the Yasukuni Shrine. The number of members of parliament visiting the shrine declined from 62 last year to 46 this year.

Japanese schoolbooks should tell the truth about the war, instead of glorifying the Japanese Empire and instilling in young minds the repulsive idea that it may return in the future. Finally, to become a modern country, Japan should send the emperor into retirement and establish a republic. 62 years after the end of the war, 62 years after the emperor should have been deposed, he is still clinging to the Chrysanthemum Throne, driving his empress and his daughter-in-law-princess crazy.

Japan was only half liberated in 1945. The task remains unfinished.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

The Mark of Rove


Bush's brain is gone. Since he doesn't have one of his own, he needed someone else's to hatch his criminal schemes. White House deputy chief of staff Karl Christian Rove will resign on August 31, leaving Bush brainless, 18 months before his term ends. His legacy: incompetence and duplicity. (The Guardian: “Not the legacy he had in mind”), (The Independent: “Bush's brain goes missing as Karl Rove retires”), (The Times: “End of ‘Bush’s brain’ will bring down the curtain on lame-duck President”).

In fact, without Rove, Bush wouldn't be president. Rove schemed and cheated to first make Bush governor of Texas in 1994 and in 2000 steal the elections from Al Gore, repeating the dirty trick in 2004 to overcome John Kerry. Bush was never elected by the American people. Twice he stole an election, and couldn't have done it without Rove. Bush is not up for re-election and Rove is not to become another Republican's brain. Primarily because none of the candidates wants him. Roping in Rove would be poison, his magic has expired and would only guarantee defeat. His devious role was coming to an end, becoming ever more exposed. Better cut and run before it becomes too hot.

In fact, everything Bush does has the Mark of Rove stamped all over it. Of course, criminals abound in the salons of the neo-cons: Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Bolton, Podoretz, Libby, the list is long. Rove isn't the only one, but he certainly is one of the major masterminds, although not as well known as many others. Read up on it in James Moore and Wayne Slater's eye-opening book “Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential”.

Now he will retire to Texas to write his memoirs and shoot pigeons. He says he wants to spend more time with his family. He shouldn't be allowed to. Bad guys like Rove commit crime after crime, get away with it and retire in peace, never mind the wars they have inflicted on the planet. Can the 650,000 murdered Iraqis (or is it 700,000 by now?) “spend more time with the family”? Unless perhaps in the company of Allah?

Rove should not be allowed to get away with it. Bush is getting weaker day by day and is not capable anymore of protecting his cronies. If the Democrats are worth more than a dime, they should pound Rove to pieces. There is enough evidence of his crimes to fill a whole library. Surely there must be a way to have him arrested? Let's wait and see what will happen to Bush's brain outside its White House skull.

He has been implicated in the theft of two elections, the leaking of the identity of CIA-agent Valerie Plame and the politically motivated sacking of 8 federal prosecutors. All domestic crimes. Isn't this enough to lock him up for the rest of his earthly days? In an interview with the Washington Post, Rove said he expected Bush's poll ratings and conditions in Iraq to improve. Now, that's not a very clever prediction for such a famous brain. For the Americans, the situation in Iraq will never, ever, improve. Bush's rating may go up – briefly – if he decides to attack Iran, because the brain-dead part of Americans will rally around their C-in-C. But the resulting catastrophe will seal Bush's fate.

The BBC concluded one of its dispatches: “To his critics he will always be an evil genius; to his intimates, an irreplaceable friend.” That may be not too far off the mark. But The Guardian adds that in the end Rove has failed to engineer “a paradigm shift towards hegemonic conservative government”, and that's why he's leaving. He wanted to leave behind a permanent Republican ruling majority, but today the Republican party's popularity is at its lowest point in two decades. And now, Bush's brain goes missing. It has failed. It is dead. The Rasputin of the White House, with a sinister Svengali-like power, is absconding to Texas. But he has not been brought to justice. There's still some unfinished business...

Monday, August 13, 2007

Tainted toys


Mattel continues to recall toys covered in paint with excessive lead levels and toys including small magnets that could pose a health hazard if ingested by children. By now, the large majority of toys are manufactured in China. The scandal gives the “Made in China” label a bad reputation. China correctly counters that more than 98% of export products meet international quality standards. But that doesn't make it right for 2% to be possibly lethally dangerous.

Toy manufacturers are blamed, but most of them have not knowingly used substandard materials. Zhang Shuhong, CEO of toy maker Lee Der Industrial in Foshan, committed suicide. His best friend had supplied him with the lead paint. Apparently unknowingly, because another factory had supplied lead ingredients which were mixed in the paint.

The bottom line is, Chinese factories' incoming inspection is weak to non-existent. Deals are made among friends, business partners gathered around the banquet table, toasting gan beis to merrily clinched deals. Nobody checks the quality of whatever is entering the factory gates. Used and mixed, when it leaves the gates, the managers are ignorant about what's in it. Exported it enters the labs of Mattel, where from now on everything coming out of China will be scrutinized endlessly.

To avoid tragedies – and loss of business – Chinese companies should set up incoming inspection departments, where they themselves can scrutinize what suppliers drop at the gates. Yes, it will add to the costs, but setting up a well-staffed lab will no doubt be much cheaper than the lost business as a result of exports bans that are now making up the headlines.

Oh, and before once again picking on the Chinese, it would be appropriate to remember that most of the companies vilified for exporting dangerous products do have capital if not managers from Hong Kong, Taiwan or abroad. They want to cut corners to make profits. Of course, Hong Kong and Taiwan are also part of China, but if bosses from those two territories are to blame, it should be duly pointed out, instead of blaming "the Chinese".

Anyway, the lead-and-magnets problem is a wake-up call for the Chinese government. Wild and unbridled capitalism leads to wild and unbridled problems. Abolishing capitalism is the best solution, but if that is a bridge too far for now, at least the government could reign-in its most abhorrent excesses.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

IMAR celebrations


The Chinese Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) is celebarting its 60th birthday. The region was set up in August 1947, more than two years before the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

China's vice president Zheng Qinghong flew to Hohhot to attend the celebrations. So what is there to celebrate? According to the Chinese government, the economic development and prosperity of the region. Its per capita GDP reached 20,047 yuan last year, ranking 10th nationwide, up from 16th in 2000. The region is also the home of a few strong brands, such as Mengniu and Yili dairy products and Erdos cashmere.

The Chinese leaders also claim that the Mongolian culture and language are protected, supported and flourishing. Some Mongolian nationalists dispute this. They say the use of the Mongol language is dying out because students are forced to use Mandarin Chinese.

However, there is a better explanation. Inner Mongolia is part of China. Unless students want to stay there whole lives on the grasslands, being able to speak the Chinese language is certainly a big advantage. It's the same like people in Western Europe learning English. People in Flanders speak Dutch, but apart from Holland, Suriname and the upper class of Indonesia, how far outside the border can you manage if you don't speak English? Even if Dutch and French-speaking Belgians get together, they use English to communicate. So, Inner Mongolians will want to learn Chinese and if they interact more and more with Chinese-speaking people, that is the language they will use most.

Mongolian is a beautiful language, people should cherish it and continue to use it. But people also need jobs. If speaking Chinese helps you get a better job, are you going to stick with Mongolia?. Are Chinese-speakers sticking exclusively toh Chinese? No, they are learning English. Because it gets them a better job. And the opportunity to communicate with more people. Does this mean that Washington is forcing the Chinese to learn English? The U.S. is doing many bad things, but this is not one of them. Likewise, people should not accuse the Chinese government of deliberately suppressing the use of Mongolian. Chinese, like English is a powerful magnet. But there will always be a proud place for Mongolian.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

The dollar bomb


According to The Telegraph of August 8, China could liquidate its vast holdings of U.S. treasuries if Washington imposes trade sanctions to force a yuan revaluation. (The Telegraph: “China threatens 'nuclear option' of dollar sales”)

Perhaps without too much exaggeration this is called the dollar “nuclear option”. Indeed, Beijing has gained a lot of leverage over the U.S. economy. It is holding huge amounts of U.S. treasuries. If it sells them, the dollar will certainly crash and the U.S. economy will descend into a severe recession.

But is such a scenario realistic? The Chinese government immediately denied that such plans exist. It reiterated that it is a responsible investor in the international capital markets and that it wouldn't take such reckless actions as suddenly selling dollar assets. So first of all, the Chinese government does not have the intention – at least for now. But if for example the U.S. would interfere in a conflict over Taiwan, China might also use economic weapons to coerce the U.S. to back off.

But there is a more fundamental problem. China cannot threaten to sell, because if it does, the value of its dollar assets will immediately start to plummet. The same will happen if it starts to sell them suddenly in significant quantities. Yes, China can bring the dollar down, but it would pay a high financial price. The question is, would it be worth it? Almost certainly not – in a non-war scenario.

If you drop a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will try to jump out. If you put it in cold water and slowly raise the temperature, it will boil before thinking of jumping out. China may opt to slowly sell dollar assets and diversify its foreign exchange holdings. That way, it will not lose too much by selling and the dollar will continue its downward slide. Before the U.S. knows it, the yuan will have become an important international reserve currency.

China isn't stupid. A dollar bomb doesn't work.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Peace Mission 2007


The armed forces of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are holding a major military exercise in Urumqi in Xinjiang and subsequently in Chelyabinsk in Russia. For the first time, a large Chinese contingent of 1,600 troops is traveling to Russia for a joint drill. A total of 32 Chinese Mi-17 and Z-9 helicopters will also participate in “Peace Mission 2007”. China is quick to point out that the exercise is not targeting any third country. The enemies are terrorism, extremism and separatism, cleverly chosen so the U.S. can hardly object. But there is no doubt that the armies of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are strengthening their ability to cooperate. Nothing will stop them to counter U.S. aggression if it would materialize. The U.S. has its bases in Jordan, Qatar, Afghanistan and Iraq to the South, but the members of the SCO are forming a strong bloc, which the U.S. will find very hard to penetrate.

The presidents of the SCO members themselves will observe the military maneuvers in Chelyabinsk on August 17. Iran has observer status and its president is also joining the summit meeting. The U.S. should think twice before attacking Iran.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

For better or worse


Some people are just incredible, claiming that something is white when almost everyone can clearly see it is black. And they still expect to convince some people to become color-blind. Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack have the temerity to write in the New York Times: “Here is the most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms.” (The New York Times: “A War We Just Might Win”)

Sure, didn't Bush himself say more than four years ago that the mission in Iraq was accomplished? “Today, morale is high,” write the two propagandists. Sure, that's why the suicide rate in the U.S. army is the highest in 26 years. Still, some naive souls will no doubt believe their claims. After all, they are just back from a visit to Iraq, they saw the glorious situation with their very own eyes. They strolled down Ramadi without body armor. Well, sometimes the wrong people are lucky. Anyway, they don't hide the purpose of all this happy hullabaloo at the end of their story: “There is enough good happening on the battlefields of Iraq today that Congress should plan on sustaining the effort at least into 2008.” The purpose of their lies: convince Congress to continue funding the occupation of Iraq, safeguarding the profits of the arms industry.

“The war in Iraq is about to get worse – much worse. [...] Iraq is in a state of anarchy. [...] The war was not doomed because Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz did not do sufficient planning for the occupation. The war was doomed, period. It never had a chance. [...] This anarchy could end with foreign forces, including Iran and Turkey, carving up the battered carcass of Iraq. No matter what happens, many, many Iraqis are going to die. And it is our fault.”

Now who is this Chris Hedges? The former Middle East bureau chief of ... The New York Times. O'Hanlon and Pollack visited Iraq on a tourist trip organized by the U.S. army. Hedges has lived in the Middle East for seven years. Chose yourself whom to believe at the New York Times.

Is it getting better or worse? Chris Hedges doesn't think it's getting better. (Truthout: “Beyond Disaster”)

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

The final countdown


The final one year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics starts today with an evening gala in Tianmen Square. (Reuters: "WITNESS: Breathless in Beijing"), (CNN: “Coe: Games already shaping Beijing”)

Host cities of previous Olympics launched the one year countdown in a simple ceremony at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne. But Beijing had to do better, forcing hundreds of carefully selected dignitaries to sit outside in the heat, listen to meaningless speeches and watching a gala performance which had nothing to do with the Olympics. As a matter of fact, Olympic fatigue is already setting in, certainly among the foreign population of Beijing. The locals are still very proud that their city will host the Olympics, but will soon enough find out the drawbacks, with factories closing, cars ordered off the road and ever more strict security to guarantee that nothing untoward will happen in the run-up – or heaven forbids – during the Olympics.

Meanwhile, many foreigners are already planning an extended holiday next year in August in Bali or Phuket at a safe distance from the Olympic commotion.

Even some Chinese are also getting tired of the Olympic hype. Artist Ai Weiwei, who designed the bird's nest stadium together with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron wants nothing to do with the propaganda and openly declares that he will not attend the opening ceremony.

Some opponents of China are clamoring for a boycott of the Olympics because of the human rights situation or Darfur or whatever they don't like about China. Their voices would have been much weaker if the Chinese government hadn't hyped the Olympics to extend they did. It may very well be the most important sporting event in four years, but it is still only that, a sporting event. There are many much more important things in the world, which deserve much more attention than the Olympics.

Argh, one more year and 17 days before this Olympic madness will die down.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

To tell the world


The Times has published the story of Joe Darby, the American soldier who informed the world about the torture at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. (The Times: “Why I had to tell the world what they’d done”)

“The photos bothered me,” he told The Times, “because morally they went against everything I knew to be right.” “I knew something had to be done. But I was afraid of retribution,” Darby continues. And retribution would follow. Ex-secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld deviously congratulated him by name, and now Joe Darby is on the run, his life in danger because the torturers in the U.S. army accuse him of betrayal. They don't want the truth to be known, so they can continue to torture and murder innocent Iraqi civilians and resistance fighters.

When Joe Darby arrived back in the U.S. a lieutenant-colonel told him: “No, you don't understand son, you can't go home. You'll never be able to go home.”

On the other hand, those who wantonly murder Iraqi civilians do go home. The majority will never even be reprimanded, some will be discharged from the army and get on with their lives and yes, a very few will even see the inside of a prison cell. Pfc. Jesse Spielman was sentenced to 110 years in prison for the rape of a 14-year old girl and the murder of her and her family, but ... could be paroled after ten years.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has lost track of about 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005. (The Guardian: “The US arsenal lost in Iraq”) That's during a period in time when General David Petraeus was responsible for security training, the same guy who is now leading the surge and is expected to report on its progress in September to war-criminal-in-chief George W. Bush. At a time when Washington is accusing Iran of arming the “bad guys” and seems ever more ready to strike Iran – perhaps even with nuclear weapons – the resistance's best arms supplier is the Pentagon itself.

And finally, a study shows that 8 million Iraqis – nearly a third of the population – need immediate emergency aid because of the humanitarian crisis caused by the war. (CounterPunch: “Still Getting It Wrong: The New York Times and Iraq”)

And some say the situation in Iraq is getting better...