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Please note: This Letters page is intended primarily for
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a forum for readers to debate with each other.
The Edge is the place for that. The editors do not mind publishing one
or two responses to a reader's letter, but will, at their discretion, direct
debaters away from the Letters page.
May 2009
[Re Tigers leave
unfinished business, May 19 and
The rise and fall of Prabhakaran, May 19] Sudha Ramachandran and M K
Bhadrakumar have both been fair and humane in their accounts of the tragedy
that has been unfolding in that sorry island misnamed Sri Lanka for political
reasons. Bhadrakumar in particular has been eloquent about the pathos of the
Eelam Tamils' struggle against Sinhalese brutality and Indian perfidy. But
where were these two writers all these years during the struggle of an
oppressed people against the unyielding pogrom by the Sinhalese made with
Indian complicity? The politics of India is nothing more than the manifestation
of the behavior of the Gandhi dynasty, which is on a vengeful course of
ethnicide against the Eelam Tamils and this third round goes to the dynasty.
The first was when former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's army killed more than
7,000 Eelam Tamils. Round two was when the outraged sister of a women raped
blew herself up in the vicinity of Rajiv Gandhi, thus killing him. This deadly
feud will have to go on until either the oblivion of the Eelam Tamils or the
Gandhi dynasty in Indian politics. In the meantime, the Tamils of Eelam have to
regroup and seek new friends who can protect them from the Sinhalese and their
patron, India.
Ethan (May 27,'09)
Asia Times Online does an admirable job of pulling no punches in exposing the
myriad failures of Anglo-Saxon financiers, whose excesses and fantasies have
brought us to the abyss' edge. However, I am curious why so little has been
made of the US federal government's "Plunge Protection Team" and their efforts
to clandestinely manipulate the equities market to show illusory health of the
corpse once known as American capitalism. That this group has silently operated
in the shadows of the American media speaks much of the genuflecting and
kow-towing that that once-august group now does before their corporate pimps.
But their existence is well known to people who do even a cursory study of
American finance, and is demonstrated anew by the latest sucker's rally
intended to make the victim smile before the lights are turned out. The irony
for a leftist like me is that Wall Street, the bulwark of US capitalism, that
shining paragon of private capital waving its invisible wand, has actually
relied and depended on the taxpayer's invisible hand to fund their spectacular
failures for the last 20-odd years. But even that has not been enough, just as
the Soviet Union's state protection of failed industries could no longer hide
their incipient collapse. In 2010, the remake of the 1984 Cold War classic film Red
Dawn will be released, to an America battered and bruised as the
domino-like collapse of jobs, industries, banks, insurance companies and public
services continues. The thesis of the film, that China and Russia jointly
invade the stricken giant, will doubtless resonate with a nation that feels
violated and ravished by evil foreigners. Will Americans see the irony of their
nation under occupation resorting to guerilla and terrorist tactics to repel
its violators? Probably not. The truth is that when the Chinese and Russians do
show up at our door, they will not be holding guns but foreclosure papers.
Hardy Campbell
Houston Texas (May 27,'09)
[Re: World powerless to
stop North Korea, May 26 and
Renewed drive for sanctions, May 26] The world is not powerless to stop
North Korea, which at the moment and for the foreseeable future represents a
very useful card in the geopolitical poker game. I suspect this nuclear issue
will "magically" subside once a more balanced world order is attained.
John Chen
USA (May 27,'09)
MK Bhadrakumar's article (The
Rise and Fall of Prabhakaran, May 20) was hard to miss and harder to
dismiss. He must be one angry man over Sri Lankan issues. But anger doesn't
provide logic, and he can't drag others down his slippery slope. Now, he is
back to normal, see (Sri
Lanka wards off Western bullying). Maybe, he has offered "pujas to
Lord Ganesh" for a cooler head. The defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam will never defeat the Tamil people. Sri Lanka must look for an inclusive
government (unity among diversity) to build a better country. If not, Sri Lanka
will become a basket case.
Ram R (May 27,'09)
[Re Al-Qaeda keeps
its eyes on Afghanistan, May 22] The US is strongly attempting to
switch to a fourth-generation warfare network-centric strategy in Afghanistan
while fully leveraging its military/technological advantage. However, as anyone
who is familiar with Myspace, Facebook or Twitter can attest, it is very
difficult to get people onto your network if you do not have a following or
credibility. In other words, you don't indiscriminantly kill the people in your
network and still hope to attract more people to your network. Even if you want
to discriminate in targeting, you cannot because your network is small and
uninformed and lacks credibility. This makes growing said network patchy and
difficult. The contradictory nature of the US strategy in Afghanistan, that is,
fighting for "hearts-and minds" while killing them with illegal weapons such as
white phosphorus (fully sanctioned or not) will result in increased use of such
illegal weapons and tactics by both sides. Its deja vu all over again, but this
time the "Af-Pakis" or Pashtuns, have their own Operation Cyclone. The question
is, will Central Command chief General David Petraeus succeed before Lieutenant
General Stanley McChrystal [the new US commander in Afghanistan] pulls a
Colonel Kurtz and the Af-Pak "shadows" foment a Vietnam redux.
JAJdari
Los Angeles (May 26,'09)
[Re The dragon's shadow,
May 22] Sreeram Chaulia has reviewed Scott Snyder's China's Rise and the Two
Koreas fairly. It would have helped the readers if he had also made
mention of Snyder's experience in dealing with North Korea. China's shadow
looms large in Pyongyang and less so for Seoul, although Beijing is an
important trading partner. For US policymakers, China is the linchpin in
getting North Korea to the bargaining table as well as a serious competitor for
a place in the global sun. From an American perspective, Snyder breaks little
new ground. It is important to note that his book is slightly outdated since
his data mostly end in 2006. Much has changed in the two Koreas since then, and
the US has hardened positions. Chaulia is not wrong in pointing out that the US
is part of the problem in a divided Korea. Yet the larger fear is that China
will elbow the US out of its privileged position in East Asia.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (May 26,'09)
[Re Banks
bounce back, homeowners slump, May 21] No surprise here. The object all
sublime at the end of the Bush administration was to save the skin of the
banking houses. The current US secretary of the Treasury has simply picked up
the stitches his old friend, former Treasury secretary Hank Paulson dropped.
Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley look in fine fettle. They've enough
black ink on the bottom line to hide "toxic subprime mortgages". Let's look at
JP Morgan. It holds at least a goodly $300-$400 billion in Alt-A mortgages in
California. Now California is in deep economic Disney's version of Pinocchio.
As for the homeowner, he will muddle through as best as he can in the current
economic downturn. Without the power of the purse and friends in high places,
he is left holding the proverbial bag.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (May 22,'09)
Dalai Lama pins hopes on
exiled Chinese[May 21] by Saransh Sehgal, suggests a mere delusion of
commonality. There is no significant reason for any "united front". Apart from
having the same targeted entity, the thrust of the causes are quite distinct.
First, not all the dissidents are from the same region of China and not all the
dissidents are Han Chinese. Would a dissident from Shanxi province support the
cause of one from Guangdong who wants autonomy for Guangdong? Would a dissident
envision autonomy for all regions of China in order to promote freedom for all
of China? The cause for the Tibetans-in-exile is cultural preservation based on
nativism driven exclusion, not freedom, not more than any other groups in
China. Nativism is what drives the struggle for independence or autonomy, not
freedom. Moreover, Tibet was one of the least free regions of China before more
direct administration from Beijing, before a great number of Tibetans were
freed from serfdom. The advocacy for freedom for Tibet is emphatically
redundant to that for all of China. Second, in the USA, with freedom and
through democracy, those who want greater cultural autonomy for the Hawaiians
proposed the Akaka Bill, which was rejected in the US Senate based on the
reasons of the undesirability of ethnic distinction and the merit of the
"American tradition of assimilation". For those who really celebrate the
"American tradition of assimilation", based on reality or mere aspiration,
Tibetan autonomy should be judged as social retrogression; the rejection of the
Akaka Bill and the Chinese tradition of assimilation should be judged as social
progress. Autonomy today is the precursor of segregation in the future.
Jeff Church
USA (May 22,'09)
[Re Kim Jong-il shifts
to plan B, May 20] Looks like Kim Jong-il is saying to the North Korean
people "let them eat yellow cake". I love it: "Upholding national dignity is
much more valuable than a full granary." Jolly good, first things first, I say!
As for Wendy Cai [letter, May 21], her discovery that the Dalai Lama is Tibetan
and thus not Chinese is on a par with the British finding out that the Irish
were something else entirely - and the same conclusion - ungrateful,
treacherous, etc. Wilson John Haire [letter, May 21] "Which developed nation
has the UK fought alone since its defeat at the hands of the Germans at
Dunkirk" Er ... the Germans, 1940-45. Now I agree it was the USSR and US that
won it - but still. Are you sure your letters page is not being used by state
propagandists?
Martin Davis
London, England (May 22,'09)
Nepal's Maoists cry
Indian foul play [May 15] is a well-written article but sadly
talks about only one side of the coin. It's strange that no one from India has
tried to actually understand why Nepal's hatred towards India developed in the
first place. It was not with a "bang", it was gradual. From the time I was a
kid, I have seen the hatred slowly grow, be it because of the trade blockade of
the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi for Nepal not abiding with his rules, or
be it now when it has emerged that the Maoists are what they are today because
of the "nurturing" given by India. Former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has
said time and again in the past said that the Maoists were hiding in India when
in Nepal there was a reward on their head. So, isn't it a foul play by India
against the Maoists, who have acted the way India wanted them to. And now as
going with Indian's strategy of "use and dispose", the Maoists are the victims;
so why wouldn't they raise a hue and cry. When Dahal makes such claims as India
providing shelter to them at their time of need, India cannot deny it; and then
when a minister from India speaks out in public saying they did so and so for
the Maoists to bring them to present state, the Maoist can't deny it. India has
accused Nepal of letting Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency use its
soil and now comes the new allegation - China is also using it.
Anamika Thapa
Perth, Australia (May 22,'09)
US President Barack Obama has sown a whirlwind of his own making. If he thinks
that he can easily entice North Korea back to the bargaining table in Beijing,
he better think again. Kim Myung Chol's
Kim Jong-il shifts to plan B [May 20] tells it as it is. His language
may be wooden but his meaning is clear. Pyongyang has also done some
house-cleaning. It has replaced officials who had pushed for ties with South
Korea. Pyongyang has girded its warrior loins for a battle which the US and its
South Korean and Japanese allies provoked. It is doubtful that Washington,
Seoul and Tokyo have fully absorbed the full importance of this turn of events.
North Korea is not choking on "soft capitalism", sorry to say, as mentioned in
Pyongyang chokes on sweet capitalism [May 20]. It is is moving to close
down Kaesong in spite of the economic advantages it provides; it realizes that
shuttering Kaesong will hurt Seoul more. Although it may give mirth to airy
persiflage [light banter] in Seoul about the capitalist siren song that has
captivated some North Korean workers, that very smug commentary is more an
exercise in self deception than in reality.
Mel Cooper
Singapore (May 21,'09)
[Re Dalai Lama pins
hopes on exiled Chinese, May 20] In this article the Dalai Lama is
quoted as saying, "Tibetans and Chinese must talk." By this own words, it is
clear that he does not consider himself Chinese. Asking for autonomy is but a
front, his real intention is Tibetan independence. If the Dalai Lama is
religious, he should be chanting with his beads in his temple.
Wendy Cai
USA (May 21,'09)
[Re Beijing tickled by
Obama's China envoy, May 19] Ian Williams is way off base with his
suggestion that President Barack Obama's nomination for ambassador to China,
Jon Huntsman, is a future candidate for president. If Obama continues to trash
the US economy, he will face conservative foes from both parties. His
all-important independent voter base is vanishing in the face of overwhelming
inflation and unemployment at nearly 10%. Congressional Democrats are nervous
about their prospects of losing in 2010. Williams needs to get out of the
office.
Tao Lee (May 21,'09)
[Re Kim Jong-il shifts
to plan B, May 20] At last someone makes sense about North Korea. Why
can't Western axis powers leave small countries alone to follow their own
destiny? The West now fight battles in Third World countries and then crows
about the bravery of their murderous soldiers. Let the West fight one another
on equal terms and then see how they fare. Which developed nation has the UK
fought alone since its defeat at the hands of the Germans at Dunkirk. Yet the
UK has gone on to kill hundreds of thousands of Africans, Chinese-Malays and
other people under their colonization. The US has also killed untold hundreds
of thousands in poor countries since World War II. We should also not forget
the French, Belgian and Portuguese colonies. Thankfully, North Korea now has
the ability to stand up to them.
Wilson John Haire
London (May 21,'09)
[Re The rise and
fall of Prabhakaran, May 20] I would like to congratulate the Sri
Lankan armed forces and government for their victory against the Tamil
terrorists who killed many innocent civilians. This only shows that hate and
violence do not justify the means. It's now time for the Sri Lankan government
to consolidate, re-organize and develop the war-torn areas and prove to the
Tamils that they can live with peace and prosperity with the Sri Lankan
government. Terrorism does not pay and the Sri Lankan military has proven its
perseverance and will to defeat the brutal Tamil Tigers.
Tom Lasam
Seattle, Washington
USA (May 21,'09)
[Re Netanyahu
can't bear to say 'two-state', May 19] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's jaw locks when it comes to say "two- states", but it is loosens to
say "Jewish state". Not only has he thrown up another roadblock by calling on
the Arabs to recognize Israel as a "Jewish state", he has also fallen back on
Jerusalem's old petard that Israel's security comes first as a pre-condition to
negotiations. Israel is predominantly Jewish, with a 20% Israeli-Arab minority;
it recognizes Arabic as co-equal of Hebrew, and it is a secular state.
Netanyahu knows full well that by putting forth his proposal of Israel as a
Jewish state he is aligning himself with the platform of revisionist Zionism
and in step with the thinking of his Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and
Jewish religious fundamentalism. The Israeli prime minister is considered a
non-ideologue right of the center. Is he a moderate on the right? Hardly. By
putting forth the demand of recognizing Israel as a "Jewish state", with an
extremist sponge he is attempting to erase Arabs as Israeli citizens. He is
counting on the Israel lobby to champion Israel's cause with the usual dilatory
tactics, thereby sidelining US President Barack Obama's intention to pursue a
two-state solution. Meanwhile, Jerusalem is grabbing Arab land illegally and
pushing for new settlements in a blatant attempt to kill the Annapolis Accords
and hand Obama a fait accompli. Netanyahu is pursuing a pipe dream; he is going
to force Washington to act brutally, by cutting off all military and economic
aid to Israel. And if it does, there is little that Jerusalem can do;
historically, Israel today or in ancient days, has been the cat's paw of a
bigger power.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (May 20,'09)
US President Barack Obama's appearance at that bastion of Roman Catholic
education, Notre Dame University, caused a firestorm of angst and teeth
gnashing among the "pro-life" crowd in this country. They all trotted out their
high horses and mounted them Quixote-like to wail and rail at the
despicableness of his "pro-abortion" stance. Once again, the predominantly
conservative, Republican so-called religious right in America exhibited their
usual two-facedness when it comes to defending life. These same defenders of
fetal rights have no problem waging unjust and unprovoked wars on unChristian
countries.They have no dilemmas with depriving children in these countries of
social benefits or education, because evidently fetuses are more worthy of
attention than children that make the mistake of actually being born in this or
any other country. They have no difficulties endorsing capital punishment,
primarily waged against people of color, of lower economic status and helpless
to defend themselves against a corrupt, incompetent and prejudiced judicial
system. These allegedly Christian protestors think nothing of waving the flag
every time they hear of another Arab being waterboarded without benefit of
counsel or legal defense. They gladly send their own children to die for
corporate greed that passes itself off as patriotism and defending democracy.
They respect life so much that their country has enough nuclear weaponry to
exterminate all life on this planet a thousand times over. Imagine what it
would be like if these pro-life paladins didn't respect life, in fact, hated it
with a purple passion. In this bizarre, Alice in Wonderland country we
call the United States, that would probably mean peace and harmony and goodwill
to all.
Hardy Campbell (May 20,'09)
The article The
rise and fall of Prabhakaran [May 19,'09] has some incorrect
facts. For example, "70,000 Sri Lankan Tamils who have perished in the
unspeakable violence ... " is absolutely incorrect. The number is far higher
than 70,000 and it includes both Tamils and Singhalese. Another error is that
the article fails to note that Sri Lankan Tamils are unique to Sri Lanka and
that cultural differences separate them from Indian Tamils. That is why it is
urgent that the Sri Lankan government welcomes the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora
back. Lastly, Sri Lanka should sue the Europeans for extending this war at the
cost of Sri Lankan civilians.
Chrysantha Wijeyasingha
Clinton, USA (May 20,'09)
[Re GM plays
China card, May 18] Peter Navarro presents a good case. Had GM not
fallen victim to bad business practices, it would have played the Europe card.
Consider that the spike in motor gasoline prices had pushed a reluctant Detroit
to build more energy efficient automobiles. GM already could rely on its plants
in Europe for the smaller energy saving cars to import to the US market.
Furthermore, imported GM products would not cheapen the price range but allow
the company to retrench and pressure the United Workers of America (UAW), to
make concessions in order to keep a shrinking membership employed. Therefore,
owing to a potential bankruptcy, GM is seizing the opportunity to switch
geographical venues, by playing the China card. Fair trade be damned! The
bottom line counts for a management that has proven its contempt for the free
market.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (May 19,'09)
[Re GM plays
China card, May 18] GM and other US-made cars have already lost their
competitiveness, on innovations and cost, to mainly Japanese cars. GM cars
built in China should not even be mentioned in the equation. Costs spiraled out
of control due to GM's inability to reign in United Workers of America demands.
The hourly rate at GM was $70. For innovation, US car manufacturers had in the
past looked down on Japanese cars when they first appeared on the market. With
the same haughtiness and ignorance, US carmakers thought Japanese cars would
not make a dent in the US. In the meantime, Japanese car makers have been
adapting their designs to convenience the riders and steadily caught up and
overtook US car designs. As for safety, GM cars built in China should have the
same safety standards to pass onto the US market. This is a given. As an
economist, Peter Navarro should know that all treasuries in the world,
including the US, influence or adjust (aka manipulate) their currency exchange
rate vis-a-vis other currencies.
Wendy Cai
USA (May 19,'09)
[Re GM plays
China card, May 18] Is Peter Navarro seriously suggesting that the
American auto industry is not subsidized when one bill before the House,
sponsored by Representative Betty Sutton, Democrat of Ohio, if passed "would
provide instant vouchers ranging from $3,000 to $7,500 to consumers who trade
in their older vehicles to purchase newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles". The
bill also states that any car purchased with vouchers must be assembled in
North America. And is he also suggesting that Chinese cars are "riddled with
counterfeit parts" when even in 2005, in-house quality tests by Honda showed
that the Chinese-built Accord was superior to the Accord built in the US. I
suggest that without any reliable sources or empirical evidence to support his
argument, Navarro's article lacks any credibility.
Jacko
Xinjiang (May 19,'09)
The article More
battles ahead for Sri Lanka[May 18] by Thalif Deen, fails to mention
that during this protracted civil war the Tamil diaspora not only funded the
civil war but developed a propaganda machine that won the hearts of the far
left-wing liberals of the world. During this civil war Sri Lanka was denied
foreign help. All the violence committed by the Tamil Tigers was not an issue.
This was a fully fledged war where innocents on both sides usually were the
victims. Sri Lanka prevailed, despite the double talk of extreme left-wing
liberal organizations, by getting loans and technology from nations like China.
I doubt that President Mahinda Rajapaksa believes that all violence will cease
once the war is over. He has proved to the world that nations like Norway and
Sweden were not solving the problem, instead they were prolonging the war with
ceasefires that never worked. Now that the war is over, the Sri Lankan
government should reconcile with the Tamils and make them feel safe to return
home to Sri Lanka and address their grievances in the courts of that nation.
Secondly, the Sri Lankan government should be prepared to deal with the
remaining Tamil Tigers who may prolong this war using guerilla tactics. But Sri
Lankan's military is now well versed in both conventional and guerrilla
tactics. The Sri Lankan government has now got a well-trained military and it
is important that this military sees action or it could lose its newfound
status. Sri Lanka's military needs to step into the world stage, especially in
the sub-continent, to stay a viable force. The government of Sri Lanka needs to
increase its military budget to purchase more advanced weaponry and keep the
military a force to be reckoned with. The far left-wing organizations will
still bow to the Tamil diaspora. As far as the world's liberals' protests,
there is a saying that goes "beware of the road of good intentions for it is
paved with deceit and deception".
Chrysantha Wijeyasingha
Clinton, USA (May 19,'09)
M K Bhadrakumar wrote an excellent article on May 15,
Nepal's Maoists cry Indian foul play, describing how India could avoid
being checkmated by China in its own neighborhood by investing in neighboring
countries' economies the way China does. That is a perfectly valid approach,
however, there is a catch: unlike the US and China, India is subject to the
rules of economics. The so-called "G-2" [China and the US] have partnered to
create a situation that is truly mindboggling in its scale of illogic and
unsustainability. Basically, China has invested massively in setting up huge
government-sponsored production systems that far outstrip any natural demand.
Meanwhile, the US has literally turned into a black hole of limitless
consumption - financed by borrowing from the Chinese, who lend America money
that they don't actually have (because America can't pay them) so that the US
can keep spending, because how else would China sell what it produces! Using
this unsustainable trading activity, which shouldn't even be occurring
logically, the US and China have built up tremendous virtual economic numbers,
which they can exploit to bully their way around other markets and buy
political influence by lending money to other countries. However, buying
influence by lending money can only be done on a very small scale by solvent
entities. When attempted on a bigger scale it leads to bankruptcy of the lender
- for example, the USSR partly imploded because the core (Russia) was
bankrupted in trying to buy the loyalty of the satellite regions in East Europe
and Central Asia. How can unsustainable lending be done on a grand scale? The
answer is: it cannot (at least in a logical world)! This is partly why the US
and China lend like crazy - since enough countries are dependent on them, they
will be declared too big to fail, and the rest of the world will have to
effectively bail them out by valuing their toxic assets as though they were
legitimate.
Amit Sharma
Cincinnati, OH, USA (May 18,'09)
The waning of the American empire brings with it some acute dilemmas for its
erstwhile allies/hangers-on/largesse-recipients. Whether it is the allure of
money, cultural commonality or aversion to alternatives, America's traditional
sycophants around the globe have to see the future with some trepidation. With
China, Russia and India looming on the horizon as the major multi-polar
challengers to America's crippled hegemony, the remora states need to be
weaning themselves off the drying glands of a quivering corpse before all the
good teats are taken. For those countries, like Egypt, that have no cultural or
racial affinity for the US, the option of jumping ship carries many benefits,
but the question is; to whose ship do you jump and when? The Chinese proclivity
for spreading their trade and infrastructure development around like manna dim
sum is certainly inviting, but Russia sits on infinite quantities of wealth,
oil most conspicuously. The Australians, alas, are caught between the Scylla of
Chinese finance and markets and the Charybdis of the US alliance. Taiwan, of
course, seems to be in a better position to jettison an increasingly distracted
and impotent Uncle Sam, with its status as a Chinese province making any
decision making moot. Japan will probably be playing its flimsy American card
at the table with China, but it's a fact there are a lot more Chinese poker
players than Japanese, so that is really a no-brainer too. The Latin Americans
have already started to emphasize Chinese trade as their future, regardless of
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's exhortations from Caracas; in the end, they
too will see the future in the east, not the north. Perhaps it will be in
Central Asia where things will get most interesting, with America's imperialist
adventures vying with Russian exclusivism and Chinese mercantilism for
dominance. Ultimately, though, America's status as a non-Asian state will
remove it from that theater too, but only after America's last soldier dies in
Afghanistan (I'm prognosticating that will be in 2016.) That leaves the
British, faithful lapdogs all, and the European Union, tempestuous lovers at
best, to be the last to let go of the long relationship. It seems that
Jude-Christian Greco-Roman roots will be the last glue to fail, but they too
will see that nearby Russian oil and gas coupled with Chinese money will make
sticking with their cross-Atlantic partner a losing proposition. So the
question becomes, what of Mexico and Canada? Proximity and heritage will be
powerful incentives to make their relationship with the crippled Yankee an
ongoing proposition, but look for even those two to cozy up with the Chinese. I
can foresee the Chinese setting up maquiladoras on the Texas-Mexico border so
that their products can penetrate American markets even cheaper and quicker. By
that time plenty of Americans will be flocking south for new jobs.
Hardy Campbell (May 18,'09)
[Re Tiananmen's legacy
lingers, May 15] The sleeping dogs of history are biting back on
the eve of the 20th anniversary of the events of Tiananmen. With loud growls,
the publication of Zhao Ziyang's Prisoner of the State: the secret journal of
Premier Zhao Ziyang, in English and Mandarin should send shivers down
the back of the Chinese Communist Party. The dead have given voice to a new
narrative. It challenges the official dogma and darkens more deeply the deeds
of Chinese leaders Deng Xiaoping and co, who suppressed the popular
demonstrations at Tiananmen with an iron fist. Zhao Ziyang, held under house
arrest until his death in 2005, left his account of those heady and sad days
away from the eyes of his "handlers" among his grandchildren's toys. The
publication of his journal comes at an inopportune moment in a China at the end
of a boundless economic boom in a sea of recession red ink; in a country which
is "centrally democratic" but has nothing to do with democracy; in a land beset
by corruption and severe economic and social dislocation. The central committee
in Beijing has to scurry to prepare a revised version to counter the voice of
Zhao Ziyang, but who will believe them? The innocent victims of Tiananmen have
now a powerful voice, and what's more the ghosts of Tiananmen will haunt the
Chinese leadership.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (May 18,'09)
The article Now to
put the pieces together May 15] by Santwana Bhattacharya, should
mention the rising southern power of Sri Lanka. Once the civil war is over,
given the continuing development of its military and strategic position, Sri
Lanka needs to be part and parcel of what is going on in New Delhi. New Delhi
has proven to be a weak and maneuverable power. This was well demonstrated by
the leaders of the state of Tamil Nadu. The civil and cultural war in Sri Lanka
is still shooting sparks that another civil war could revive. What role New
Delhi or Beijing will play depends on Sri Lankan intelligence, which has to
realize that other than a well trained military its also needs insight into the
"under handed" activities of the sub-continent.
Chrysantha Wijeyasingha
Clinton, USA (May 18,'09)
[Re Pipelineistan
goes Af-Pak, May 13] As usual, Pepe Escobar provides us with an
initiated view of the Great Game as as presently being played out in Central
Asia. About the only thing missing in his brief but exhaustive review is a
reference to the ill-fated attempt a few years ago on the part of Chinese
interests to purchase Unocal, which was dropped after high-level protests in
the US Congress and elsewhere (the Chinese are permitted, indeed encouraged, to
invest in US Treasury bills, but other investments there do not see to be
equally welcomed). For those who don't remember just why this seemingly
ordinary business deal caused such a brouhaha, Escobar's article will provide a
pertinent background.
M Henri Day
Stockholm (May 18,'09)
I wonder if Shahir Shahidsaless has been to Iran recently (Iran
to US: 'It's a culture thing', May 15). If not, he is victim to the
same delusions as the populist mullahs and the failed militant left. He seems
to be in denial of the copycat 'Americanization’ of Iran in its very worst
sense, as understood by a regime of populists, without much regard for quality
and without due consideration for the long-term socio-cultural and
environmental impact. Americanization without the Americans is hardly better
than the genuine thing. Travelling around Iran, one sees ugly machine-made
carpets galore, and non-degradable plastic flowers and containers littering the
landscape, in the absence of laws or appropriate civic education. The smallest
roadside cafe serves factory-made yoghurt and cheese and machine-made bread
without any taste. All the delicious tastes of Iran are on their way out,
including that of its once reputed fruit. This is due to excessive use of
fertilizer and pesticides as well as to a general impoverishment of the soil as
a result of overuse, when not due to a rush to use Frankenstein seeds. The
point is (as I mentioned presciently in a web article a few years back) that
these people are no less enamored of superficial modernity in its technological
manifestations (that goes for nuclear power too) than the communist militants
of the Third World who thought they could fix things within and get rid of
interference with the mere turn of a screw. That they lack the necessary
qualifications and overall frame of mind is nowhere more evident than in the
disaster that is the Iranian economy today and in the little-mentioned but
sure-to-occur environmental catastrophes in the making. The inadequately
studied building of dams has been criticized for burying archaeological sites -
hardly avoidable in a country where every inch of subsoil is replete with
artifacts ranging from the Paleolithic to early Islamic eras with just about
everything in between - but not so for their potential deleterious effects on
the fragility of the water system. Not even the artistic heritage of Iran has
been immune to the form of Americanization known as 'Disneyfication'. Again,
while voices among the ideologically-motivated expatriate community decry the
willful destruction of pre-Islamic heritage (mostly unsuccessful thanks to
active opposition from young Iranians), the main damage to artistic heritage
can be seen above all in the shrines of the holy cities whence the mollarchy
rules. Beautiful masterpieces of the 15th and 16th centuries have been totally
disfigured with the mushrooming of highways and high rises on their premises,
not to mention the replacement of magnificent faience tiles with industrial
versions in gaudier colors that show no understanding of the basic premises of
art and architecture. This is especially true of Mashad which, judging by his
name, must be the hometown of Shahidsaless. The Disneyfication is further
accentuated with garlands of colored neon lights and plastic flower bouquets
and the now ubiquitous machine-made rugs. The Cultural Heritage Organization,
which has excellent and devoted experts with superb restoration work to their
credit, has been staffed more and more with cronies intent on cashing in on
whatever they can in the worst possible taste. Monuments, religion, the future
of Iran and Iranians - nothing is as sacred to them as their short-term vision
of progress that benefits only themselves. The main motivation of these
all-powerful wheeler-dealers is quick and easy money to the detriment of
everything else. It can hardly get more American than that, but unfortunately
without the regulations and accountability that tend to limit the damage in the
Western context. Finally, one last word with respect to pornography and other
allegedly 'Western' imports that are said to be feared for their potential
impact on traditional values; this is the natural outcome of a repressive
society in which healthy entertainment is banned or limited or has to go
underground. Repression brings out the worst in a population, hence the drug
problem which no number of executions can cure, and large-scale prostitution
which the marginalization of some of the world’s most talented, energetic and
educated women inevitably entails. Paradoxically, all this has caused an
upheaval in the values of society and is preparing the ground for a beneficial
breakout in mores and beliefs at a grassroots level that may be more effective
longer term than any imposition of 'Westernization' by the Pahlavi Shahs. With
one caveat - if the frail environment holds up against the onslaught of a
misguided economy that banks on outdated notion of ensuring 'gains' for an
unqualified elite. To have to respond to criticism is the aspect of Western
culture they fear most. All the rest is talk to mask the realities of
incompetence compounded by profligacy.
Fatema Soudavar Farmanfarmaian
London and Geneva (May 18,'09)
Syed Saleem Shahzad, In your recent Asia Times article
Taliban on the run in Swat [May 12] you conclude, "Islamabad has
sponsored a military campaign that will push an isolated situation to the other
parts of the country. The previous fear of the '"Talibanization' of Pakistan
could possibly become reality." I think you should have repeated the opening
lines of the piece, "Following a barrage of American pressure" in the
conclusion as well. Repeated it many more times throughout the column, in fact.
Of course, this unfolding humanitarian disaster in Pakistan would not be
happening without the express demands of the Barack Obama government and the US
armed forces. I so wanted to be able to relish in the decency and moral
guidance of the new American leadership. But nothing much in US foreign policy
appears to be changing for the better. To my incredible dismay, I fear Obama
will be this generation's version of Lyndon B Johnson: a Great Society builder
at home, a warmonger abroad. I had dearly, fervently hoped that Obama was more
sensitive to, more understanding of the world's pain and suffering. Thank you
for your insights and reportage on this critically important issue.
Lawrence J Maushard
Portland, Oregon (May 15,'09)
[Re North Korea enjoys
the attention, May 14] Georgy Toloraya has corrected the lens through
which most Pyongyang watchers view North Korea's recent positions concerning
the six-power talks, rocketry, and nuclear testing. Kim Jong-il had put his
trust in the US, and as Toloraya rightfully observes, in the election to the US
presidency of Barack Obama. He engaged his reputation and his country's honor
in playing by the rules of the West. And Obama has sorely rebuffed the
verifiable changes in North Korea's standpoint. Therefore, since the US, along
with the highly negative policies of South Korea and Japan quickly threw up
walls of traditional hostility, it comes as no surprise that Pyongyang has
reverted to time-honored behavior to save face, ie tightening up the screws and
redoubling its vigilance to defend its national identity. As Toloraya reports,
North Korea is a nuclear state, which in itself sets its neighbors' teeth on
edge, but Obama's call for sanctions against Pyongyang for the "non-event" of
launching a long-range rocket from a highly tense Korean Peninsula, did warrant
global concern and attention. Toloraya's "new approach" is not cynical but
common sense. It is doubtful, given the extremely hardline approach in the
White House, Obama will listen to it. The US president is mired in the mud of
his bad decision to stand firm with intransigeant Japan and hard-nosed South
Korea in confronting North Korea head-on. As a consequence, the attention that
Pyongyang seems to "enjoy" is the logical result of an ill-conceived, gut
reaction of an American president.
Mel Cooper
Singapore (May 15,'09)
In Dmitry Shlapentokh's article
China, Russia face up to the Taliban threat [May 14], Shlapentokh
continues his left-wing attack on the United States. China and Russia do not
play a positive role in many conflict zones, but merely seek to undermine US
interests - even at the expense of their own interests. If China does not want
the Taliban to take over Afghanistan, why not offer troops to the government of
Afghanistan. Shlapentokh writes that an American spy plane "collided with a
Chinese fighter over China's air space". That is untrue, the Chinese plane
collided with the American plane 104 kilometers from China, territorial air
space only extends 22.2 kilometers. China then looted the plane for its
intelligence secrets in violation of all international law.
Dennis O'Connell
USA (May 15,'09)
D Johnson, USA, [letter May 14] is obviously no fan of Iran. His bellicose
endorsement of American-Israeli imperialism betrays the real focus of his
angst, the temerity that a Third World country of Muslims would defy
Judeo-Christian hegemony. As is typical of most neo-conservative ideologues who
froth at the mouth about "dictatorships" and "totalitarianism,' the ironies
with respect to America's penchant for totalitarianism and dictatorship is
totally lost on him. But of course he is accustomed to American hypocrisy and
criminal behavior. He doubtless nods with approval of our illegal wars,
criminal conspiracies and assassinations, massive theft by government and its
secret security organs, flouting of laws, terrorist interventions, rigged
elections, bribed congressmen, and every other violation of decency, morality
or ethics, so long as "national security" is maintained. Iran's sovereign right
to resist this blatant and criminal empire known as the United States of
America must surely vex him and his ilk no end. Every increasingly more feeble
attempt to isolate Iran makes the decrepit and failed imperium look like a
carcass being picked over by vultures. Iran ascends while America flails away
in the Afghan-Iraq muck and sees its prestige, treasure and life blood seeping
into the pitiless desert sand. Americans like Johnson can rail away at Iranian
terrorism and aggression all they want, but everyone else in the rest of the
world sees no Iranian troops plundering a country thousands of miles from its
shores. There is a criminal, corrupt and ideologically rigid country shedding
blood in the Middle East, but its criminals speaks English as their native
tongue.
Hardy (May 15,'09)
[Re Nepal's Maoists
cry Indian foul play, May 15] It is indeed ironic for Nepal's Maoist
leader [former prime minister Prachanda] to complain of Indian interference
when the key Maoist leaders themselves were recipients of Indian hospitality
during their campaign of violence against the Nepali people. The Maoists
probably did not get the same level of support received by the Tamil Tigers,
but whatever they received seems to have been sufficient to achieve whatever
objectives the Indians had in mind. The writer's claim that the Maoists "want
to play by the democratic rules" is not borne out by the facts on the ground.
The Maoists continue to physically intimidate political opponents and indeed
anyone who does not do their bidding. They have an active "brown shirt"
organization, known as the Young Communist League (YCL), and have refused to
disband them. Indeed, they were formed prior to the elections when a large
number of Maoist fighters were confined to camps. The suspicion is that the
real fighters turned into the YCL while others were put into the camps. The
Maoists may not want to go back to the jungle again but this is only because
they know that they cannot achieve power in this way and have decided to grab
power by staging an "October Revolution" which they freely admit. The Maoists
do not, as the writer claims, " ... represent historical forces that are on the
ascendance and they will be around as the dominant political force in Nepal,
sure as the sun rises in the east." They are an opportunistic group whose only
objective is to acquire power and stay in power, by whatever means. The
activities of the Maoists have clearly shown that they are more accurately
described as a Mafia-type organization with political slogans rather than a
political party with political objectives to be achieved by following the
democratic process.
Jiri (May 15,'09)
[Re Oh,
impotent Washington, May 13] Julian Delasantellis shows us how
Washington's talk of "green shoots" really means "brown blobs". He reveals the
lies and deceit of the US government and the financial sector. For a while the
big lie works, but eventually it all comes flying back in the face of the
liars.
Tom Gerber
USA (May 14,'09)
The future is always a challenge for historians, who are inclined to judge it
on the virtue systems of the present. But I suspect that the textbooks that
discuss the demise of the American empire will not focus on the illusory and
false imagery of democracy, a concept so ludicrous that it was disposed of
quite early in the young nation's development. Perhaps the American plutocrats
have the Jacobins of revolutionary France to thank for that. They saw the
enthusiasm with which the have-not Sans Cullotes (without knee-breeches)
redistributed royal wealth with the assistance of Guillotine's invention, and
decided the mob was not the way for a nation, that is to say the ruling class
in America, to acquire and maintain their wealth as well as their craniums.
Which brings me to the "ocracy" the US will become famous for with historical
hindsight. The supreme irony is that the redistribution of wealth that the
young nation's plutocracy feared and that the neo-conservative loony toons of
today froth at the mouth about has indeed occurred, but in the opposite
direction. Therefore, the kleptocracy that the USA will be identified as has
been earned by the systematic and politically rigged looting of the middle
class's treasury by the ruling elite. Congress in cahoots with big business
robs middle America by providing unneeded subsidies, tax dodges, ignoring
regulations, relaxing the weak ones that exist and in general looking the other
way as the burglars relieve the tax payer of their hard earned cash. The theory
that such tax payer largesse would be rewarded with jobs and prosperity has
once again been shown to be as massive a fraud as any Ponzi scheme. Meanwhile,
money for education, health care, socials benefits and industrial development
goes into the pockets of the Wall Street tycoons who merrily park their dollars
in Swiss bank accounts, Chinese factories or Colombian cocaine; anywhere but
where the money came from. This massive theft has culminated in the callow and
supine way that the Obama Plutocracy has caved in to Wall Street's demands that
yet more loot is required to fill the void that the earlier looting created.
The astounding part is how the home owners gladly keep giving these thieves the
keys to their home, and keep electing them over and over again. Never has a
country more deserved its miserable fate.
Hardy Campbell
Houston TX (May 14,'09)
[Re Sri Lanka's
Tamils watch in silence, May 12] The Tamils may ponder what has
happened to Sri Lanka due to this civil war. This war has given Sri Lanka the
enviable position of now having a seasoned military with victory at its grasp.
There are many nations with "green" militaries that have not fully participated
in a long protracted and vicious war. This goes for most the nations across the
world. The last time a Western European nation saw battle on its ground was
during World War II. Secondly, Sri Lanka's security is now protected by an
advanced air force, developing naval force and a government smart enough to
prepare for the next round with the Tamil terrorists. This war has developed
Sri Lanka's diplomatic skills sufficient enough to be an actor on the world
stage where India's rival, China, is courted by Sri Lanka to enter India's
southern "sphere of influence". The day that a contingent of Chinese naval
ships enter one of Sri Lanka's harbors India will realize her folly of bowing
too much to the wishes of Tamil Nadu at the expense of protecting her most
vulnerable area that being the south Indian part of her peninsula.
Chrysantha Wijeyasingha
Clinton, USA (May 14,'09)
[Re 'Hitler' up
for re-election, May 13] Iran's uniquely totalitarian theocracy is no
less than a dictatorship, regardless of the cults of personality that include
or surround its hand-selected presidents, or even the "Supreme Leader" who
overseas all the bells and whistles. Just as Hitler himself was ultimately the
penultimate power to the overriding doctrine of occult-ridden Aryan supremacy
that National Socialism instilled into its populace (German and occupied
lands), any/all of these Iranian leaders serve under a brutally overriding
Islamic fundamentalism that, for all intents and purposes, is "Hitler" with
regard to the pursuit of enlightenment-modelled human freedom and modernity in
Iran. The fact that Iran hasn't tried to annex any territory adjacent to it
like the Third Reich did does not mitigate against said totalitarian
overlappings between the aforementioned ideologies. And on Ayatollah Khamenei
never having uttered a "wild word" during his "old rabbi-like" (in the height
of ironic word usage) tenure, the writer should refer back to said dictator's
past vitriol against the United States and its ally, Israel, the latter of
which said "old rabbi" does not even attempt to address by name. The writer is
missing the forest for the trees. We just elected an African-American man as
president of the United States, in an era where he ran against a woman and a
Mormon. Tell me: Could a Christian, a Jew, a woman, a Zoroastrian, a Baloch, an
Arab, an Azeri, a Kurd or even a Bahai viably run for "president" of Iran, let
alone "win" said puppet seat?
D Johnson
USA (May 14,'09)
[Re Taliban on the
run in Swat, May 11] Syed, I've found that reading columns such as
yours offer me an insight nearly impossible from US or European writers, even
those with the best intentions to articulate the realities of the US's "Af-Pak"
policies. Of course, on reading your recent article, I'm once again having
flashbacks of the dreaded "W" and his policy of war without end, amen. As a
Negro, I am clear that the newly dreadful "O" is merely the black face of
empire and appears determined to put his stamp on unwinnable military
adventures, so long as the military-industrial beast is properly fed. In
addition to unnecessary misery that will be visited upon innocents, this Af-Pak
campaign seems more ominous than simply an Iraqi war redux, and should hasten
the end of America as supreme warmonger - possibly affording the world an
opportunity to exhale. In any event, I have a very bad feeling about this.
Lance Watkins (May 14,'09)
Colombo sticks to
its guns May 11] by Sudha Ramachandran was a bit surprising. She should
have given full support to the Sri Lankan government, not just repeated the
facts. We can see that the West is biased. The US is bombing Afghanistan to
root out terror suspects and Pakistan is bombing the same way as Sri Lanka is.
There are no comments about Pakistan bombing areas designated by the US, except
praise. Sri Lanka is doing the same to protect the homeland from fanatic
rebels. Sri Lanka should be given all-out support by its Asian neighbors and
the West. Hopefully, Sri Lanka can fully crush the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam which has terrorized the people of Sri Lanka for too long.
Adnan Nafis
Dhaka, Bangladesh (May 14,'09)
[Re Sanctions
renewed, but Syria understands, May 12] The question is not why
Damascus understands, but if Washington does. Unless US President Barack Obama
is willing to lay down the law to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
he can accomplish nothing. The recent decision by the US Justice Department to
drop the case against two members of AIPAC (American Israel Political Action
Committee), accused of passing on "state secrets" to Israel, is a signal to
Jerusalem that Obama is willing to work with a very right-wing Israeli
government (in spite of a strong belief within the Justice Department that the
US government had the "goods" on AIPAC). If the pragmatic president thinks that
he cannot "charm" Netanyahu to tilt towards a two-state solution, he may very
well soon be disabused of his feeling that the US can play "honest broker" in
fostering the birth of an independent Palestine bordering Israel. Netanyahu is
following the radar of revisionist Zionist ideology which believes that the
land of Israel extends from the Mediterranean to the Jordan river. Thus there
is no space for a "57% solution". The only option for Obama is to impose his
solution on the Israelis by threatening to cut off immediately the economic and
military aid which the US supplies Jerusalem annually, and which it forgives
repayment year after year. On the other hand, Netanyahu is holding a weak hand,
but is bluffing, thinking that he can rally the gut reaction support of
American Jewry and the general pro-Israel support in the US. For the Obama
agenda, it is now or never in forcing Israel's hand. Otherwise, the two-state
solution looks as though it is dead in the water.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (May 14,'09)
In response to the letter by Chrysantha Wijeyasingha (May 12): The point Sudha
Ramachandran was trying to make in
Colombo sticks to its guns [May 11] was that the Sri Lankan strategy is
practically guaranteeing the rebirth of a violent Tamil struggle for equal
rights, so the "final victory" that many Lankan's believe to be imminent is not
really final. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam terrorists are willing to
have the Tamil population killed by using them as human shields, and the Sri
Lankan army is happily willing to kill this population! You don't need a
multiple PhD in political science, history and psychology to know that this
strategy will not win over the Tamils, and hence not lead to normalcy after the
LTTE is gone. Just because the people lecturing you have the same skeletons in
their closets does not mean that you should ignore the lessons from their
mistakes - those strategies did not bring them victory either! As for ...
spiting India by partnering with China ... one can see the future by looking at
Pakistan. Remember, the Chinese are not from this region. ... Pakistan allowed
itself to be used by China (and the US) just to hurt India, but every time the
country was in actual grave danger these friends were nowhere to be seen, while
India has stepped forward. Unfortunately, in the Indian subcontinent we have a
long history of preferring to be enslaved by foreign empires rather than live
in the shadow of a stronger cousin. Outside powers don't even have to stretch a
muscle in order to divide and rule us to their full advantage.
Amit Sharma
Cincinnati, USA (May 13,'09)
[Re In Pakistan's Swat Valley,
May 8] Thanks to Syed Saleem Shahzad for this video. It must have been a
dangerous mission. We don't get the right kind of information here in the
Western media. Many times football heads the main news and I am forced to
switch off the television. Press barons complain that the number of newspapers
sold is dropping. If we are not allowed to know properly what is going on in
the world (without bias) then more people are going to go online, as I do to
have a look at Asia Times Online and other investigative sites.
Wilson John Haire (May 12,'09)
[Re Taliban on the
run in Swat, May 11] Nice piece on the Taliban on the run in Swat. Some
people are beginning to realize that the US President Barack Obama rationale
for escalating the Afghanistan-Pakistan war is vastly exaggerated.
Carlo Cristofori (May 12,'09)
International Committee for Solidarity with the Afghan Resistance
[Re Taliban on the
run in Swat, May 11] The key to the current all-out offense against the
Taliban in Swat is having the sustained political will to defeat the insurgents
- the ultimate goal of which is seizure of state power. It is true, as Syed
Saleem Shahzad observes, that an immediate task is how to house, feed and
clothe the millions of refugees who have fled the "war zones". Nonetheless, the
pressing need is to defeat the Taliban. In the boiling cauldron of tribal
rivalries and ethnic tensions, the Taliban are Pashtun, which in the Pakistani
context squarely places them outside mainstream Pakistani culture. Consider,
too, that the Pakistani state has a tradition of putting down challenges to its
central authority. One only has to think of the military campaign against the
Balochi with a force of some 15,000 men. If Pakistan's army displays the same
vigor and fortitude as it did when putting down the Balochi, it can and will
triumph over the Taliban.
Mel Cooper
Singapore (May 12,'09)
[Re Taliban on the
run in Swat, May 11] I don't know why Syed Saleem Shahzad singled out
Shi'ites and Sufis when he said "Elsewhere, the government sponsored
anti-Taliban conferences across the country in which Shi'ite and Sufi clerics
declared the Taliban rebels, heretics and called for their destruction."
Recently, Pakistanis living in the UK issued a statement saying that the
Taliban are not Muslims. I am sure most of these Pakistanis living in the UK
are Sunnis. Seems like Sunnis have started distancing themselves from
Wahhabism, the religion of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Sam
USA (May 12,'09)
Dear Syed Saleem Shahzad, In the second section of
Taliban on the run in Swat[May 11] you wrote "... no matter how much
bad press the Taliban receives, they are still the representatives of Pashtun
tribal culture ... " As a distant observer, I am grateful for the clarity of
this claim, but do not understand it. I've written to you about this before and
I suppose I am precisely the victim of reading copious "bad press" on the
Taliban. Their insistence (as I understand it) that Sufis, Barelvis, Shi'ites
and (quoting Muslim Khan) non-Taliban are "non-Muslims", in brief their
insistence on Takfirism [deeming all non-practicing Muslims infidels] seems to
me from afar to be inconsistent with the pluralism inherent in Pashtun culture.
Pashtuns have lived for centuries with Shi'ites in their midst; a strong Sufi
strain persists in Pashtun poetry and literature. Further, the notions of
lethal sharia (Islamic law) courts and caliphate are so far as I understand
them, completely inconsistent with the evident Pashtun genius for local
government, that is, with government by jirga (council). As for the
Taliban and women, what would a survey of Pashtun women in all tribal areas
show? (I am not assuming I know the answer to this question and I am aware that
some prefer the order of law brought by local Taliban rule to its alternative.
But my guess is that they are not in the majority.) I gather that many maliks(elders)
were political appointees, which is to say, corrupt. Perhaps they deserved
their fate. But so many tribal elders? Were they so corrupt to deserve a well
placed suicide bomb? Your writing is the finest I read on this wasteful and
awful period in Afghanistan. Thank you for it.
David Finn
Undoubtedly pluralism is a quality of Pashtun society. Only a few year back in
Waziristan, Hindu Pashtuns were very much a part and parcel of tribal customs
and all collective profit and gain. However, the Taliban was a reformist
movement from the Pashtun heartland and now a resistance and a reactionary
force against the foreign occupation. They did what all reactionary forces do,
especially when they face foreign occupations. They have killed all those who
decided to side with the foreigners. Remember, Pashtun society is pluralistic
but at the same time always full of violence and known for centuries for tribal
infighting on the question of interests. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(May 12,'09)
The article Colombo
sticks to its guns[May 11] by Sudha Ramachandran points to the fact
that the common practice of terrorists using innocents to continue a war has no
place in Sri Lanka and due to this action by the Sri Lankan government the war
is about to end. For the majority of Sri Lankans this is a landmark event.
Finally, the Sri Lankan forces have an upper hand over one of the most
deadliest terrorist groups in the world. Typically just when the majority of
Sri Lanka are about to be released from the stranglehold of this civil war, the
voice of the mealy mouthed, double-talking hypocrites around the world are
screaming for the Sri Lankan government to go back to the failed process of
ceasefires. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is absolutely right. These hypocrites
turn a blind eye to the wholesale slaughter they wrought on Iraq, and now
Afghanistan, with plans for an escalation of another war. Nations like the US,
whose blood-stained hands speak of its brutality, cannot in any modicum of fair
play dictate to President Rajapaksa how to handle a war when the US has failed
abysmally in regards to Iraq, the "war on terror", the war on drugs in its own
backyard and failure to control its own borders. As I have stated before, Sri
Lanka has the support of China whose own plans are to contain India, and by the
article it is working. India of all nations will stand to lose the most as the
Chinese are giving both economic and military aid to Sri Lanka. For the dubious
role India has played all through this civil war, the axiom that Sri Lanka is
the "teardrop of India" will gain meaning. Once the war is over, the other
axiom of Sri Lanka being "the pearl of the Indian ocean" will also come true -
but to China's advantage and to India's detriment. For all the bloodbaths that
the Tamil leaders have enjoyed, all of India will pay as Sri Lanka manipulates
China into India's "sphere of influence". Chrysantha Wijeyasingha
Clinton, USA (May 12,'09)
[Re Surviving North
Korea's house of the dead, May 11] In David Wilson's article about Kim
Suk-Young's book about Kim Yong and his life in a North Korean Gulag, Kim
informs us about the horrors of life in the Gulags, including cannibalism. Then
she tells us we must try to understand and respect the country of North Korea.
No Kim, I despise the small murderous clique that rules North Korea, I propose
that you have been in the ivory tower too long and your brain has begun to rot.
Kim then tells us that North Korea "is one of the most theatrical places on
earth". If that is true than their are over 20 million North Koreans hoping for
the curtain to come down on this evil regime, as should any moral person.
Dennis O'Connell
USA (May 12,'09)
[Re And then there were
five, May 8] US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen
Bosworth is now in Seoul. He reports that he had a very good meeting with his
counterpart in Beijing on how to draw North Korea back to the six-party talks.
We do not know the details. Reading Rodong Simoun should give Bosworth a
wake-up call. The tone is angry, very angry. Pyongyang played by the US's rules
by announcing a full month in advance its launch of a telecommunications
satellite on a long-range missile. President Barack Obama tried to stay
Pyongyang's plans with little success. Angry, Obama, on bad advice from the
National Security Council and Department of State, took the matter to the
United Nations Security Council. He managed to force through sanctions against
North Korea, after a dubious interpretation of UN resolution 1718. And his
action, like a loaded cigar, blew up in his face. Pyongyang re-activated its
nuclear program; promised more long-range rocket tests; and slammed the door on
the six-party talks. Thus, the US is left holding an empty bag of threats.
Given the ill humor prevailing in Pyongyang, Bosworth has his work cut out for
him. And if North Korea comes back to the talks, US, China, Russia, Japan, and
South Korea will have to swallow hard on North Korea's nuclear program and its
talent for advanced rocketry. Patience is the key in dealing with Pyongyang.
Will Obama exercise more restraint in the future?
Mel Cooper
Singapore (May 11,'09)
The article Balochistan
is the ultimate prize[May 8] by Pepe Escobar has shades of Pakistan's
past administration or lack of it when East Pakistan was still part of
Pakistan. Islamabad's lackadaisical treatment of the Bengalis led to the
partition. Now time is rhyming with (not repeating) itself. Islamabad's treats
Balochistan like some colony where the majority of Balochistan's riches line
the pockets of non-Baluchis. But this time the war has powerful world players
with their own agenda. If the region of Baluchistan does manage to get
independence then the only option for Islamabad is to further split this
immense nation.
Chrysantha Wijeyasingha
Clinton, USA (May 11,'09)
Oleg Beliakovich's annoyance [letters, May 8] at my article
Gazprom shadow falls over Hungary [May 7] about Gazprom's maneuvers to
take over 20% of the Hungarian domestic gas distribution market is rather
remarkable. He claims that my assertions are groundless and that for Gazprom to
directly control the Hungarians would be fine. I agree, but Gazprom is not
coming out of the closet - it is using a shady company, RosGas AG, to take over
Firtash's Emfesz. Why not take it over directly? Why does the Kremlin - not
Kiev - insist on buying out Firtash in such an opaque manner? What does this
say for Gazprom? Beliakovich is upset at me for not calling a spade and spade
and not placing any blame on Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko whom he
alleges took money from Firtash. Can Beliakovich prove this charge? Can anyone?
I am not a great fan of Yushchenko, but I do follow this gas middleman story
closely and have done so for years and if anyone in Ukraine benefited from
these schemes it was the Russophile opposition to Yushchenko - Viktor
Yanukovich and the Party of the Regions which Firtash supports wholeheartedly.
As to me being a Russophobe, I'm not, not yet - but well on my way to becoming
one. Be that as it may, the record of how Gazprom operates in Eastern and
Central Europe is well known to most police agencies. The unfolding RosGas
episode is but a continuation of a long list of shady deals by Gazprom and, at
times, their Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Hungarian and other partners.
Roman Kupchinsky
Arlington, Virginia (May 11,'09)
Dear Syed Saleem Shahzad, I only now read your reports from Peshawar and Swat
which were published in Asia Times Online in January and February this year. I
must say that these (along with the video you have also posted) have been
perhaps the best reports on the situation in Swat and the growth of the Taliban
that I have read. Congratulations for such good and, in the end, simple
reporting. I will look forward to reading your other reports.
Aniket Alam (May 11,'09)
[Re An
inevitable blast, May 6] Thank you Mogambo Guru for your words of
wisdom. I am fastening my seatbelt for the US Federal Reserve-approved
hyper-ride into the stratosphere of hyperinflation. We every-day citizens will
need golden parachutes at the end of that ride. While former president George W
Bush and current President Barack Obama both focused on terrorists in other
countries, you directed our attention to the much more dangerous economic
terrorists at the Fed and in Washington, DC.
Tom Gerber
USA (May 8,'09)
[Re CIA's Lao
ally faces 'outrageous' charge, May 7] It looks as though the US's
chickens have come home to roost. It is true, too, that even today, Hmong
stragglers in the Laos hinterland carry on hit-and-run operations against the
central government. Their fight has less to do with America's hoary grand
design against the domino theory of the triumphant march of communism into
southeast Asia, but a struggle against the seemingly eternal discrimination
against the Hmong and other hill tribes by the majority Lao. Furthermore, the
old warrior Vang Pao and his aging warriors have never reconciled to the fact
that the war that they fought, funded by the US Central Intelligence Agency, is
long over; and they ache with the nostalgia for yet another battle. The US case
against the group of Hmong in California is overblown, as Nelson Rand reports.
American authorities are hardly known for their sophistication in pursuing
cases, and perhaps it is the only way to "rope in" the phantom army that they
created more than 50 years in Indochina. Still, the means do not justify the
ends in this case.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (May 8,'09)
[Re Swine flu tests
confidence in China, Japan, May 7] China does indeed have a public
relations problem with Mexico over the swine flu incident. An easy resolution
is to offer those Mexicans affected free return airfares and a week's free
accommodation in a five-star hotel should they chose to visit China once the
health emergency is over.
Kelvin Mok (May 8,'09)
[Re Obama does his
Bush impression, May 7] Pepe Escobar's analysis is penetrating. His
essay is thematic of the entire President Barack Obama agenda and is also
applicable to the financial/banking designs begun under former president George
W Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson - utilizing a mixture of deceit and
disinformation, assisted as before by media compliance. Escobar's telling line,
"For US domestic consumption purposes, Pentagon tactics are a mix of
obfuscation and paranoia," applies to monetary, Treasury and Federal Reserve
"tactics" too. In short, the core components of the American enterprise
(military and financial) have not changed direction and course since January,
only the imagery has changed. "Branding" is a marketing term, and aptly applied
by the author. What has changed is the chorus of believers singing praises and
defending the president with as little information about matters now as before.
Yesterday, it was the Republicans; today, the Democrats. This so-named "two
party system", of course, represents two sides of the same coin. The Obamania
phenomenon is a sophisticated product of social engineering. The vehicle
(America) we ride in today under Obama is the same vehicle as before, heading
towards the same destination. Only the driver has been replaced to one who - in
apparent full agreement - was "chosen" to neatly transform reactionary hate and
fear of Bush/former vice president Dick Cheney to trust (in Obama)! As the
popular mind in America believed "change" would occur (and still does), the
engineers also convinced the world it would occur. Americans continue to
sleepwalk under the spell of this administration, but I believe the world has
woken up. We shall see what the world does.
Michael T Bucci
Damariscotta, Maine USA (May 8,'09)
[Re Predicting the
death of Islam, May 4] Your fellow Spengler certainly has a lot of
wonderful opinions, but there's one in particular that is so wonderful he likes
to repeat it every chance he gets. This is his take on antiquity, and its
crushing destruction of the individual. As he puts it: "Pagan society dissolves
the individual into a mere instrument of race or state." Most of us learned in
school that it was in fact pagan antiquity that gave birth to the individual,
as exemplified in the stories of fellows named Odysseus, Oedipus, Orestes,
Socrates and Marcus Aurelius, to name a few, and we can all be grateful to
Spengler for setting the record straight. It came as a surprise to learn that
Muslims too are pagans, but now that I know this current events in the Middle
East make much more sense. I confess that now Spengler has told us who he is,
I'm a little disappointed. I had expected some sort of murky Professor
Teufelsdrockh, surrounded by stacks of dusty grimoires up at the top of some
candle-lit Gothic tower, with a raven perched on the balcony. To find he's only
a bond peddler who's taken the "Great Books" course by mail spoils the fantasy,
but it doesn't detract from my appreciation for his genius, not a whit. Asia
Times Online is to be commended; no paper anywhere gives its readers such a
spectacle of mock erudition in the service of lunacy. I look forward to reading
Spengler for many happy years to come; he's more fun than a barrel of Mogambos.
Mike Pauls
France (May 8,'09)
[Re Gazprom
shadow falls over Hungary, May 7] This article has too many flimsy
assumptions to be credible. Almost all of the names in it are those of
Ukrainians, yet somehow Russia stands accused. The man who fought tooth and
nail to preserve RosUkrEnergo's monopoly of the Central Asian gas transit was
not some mythical Kremlin figure, but the current President of Ukraine Victor
Yushchenko, by all accounts a Western stooge and the main beneficiary of
Ukrainian businessman Dmitro Firtash's largesse. Yet Yushchenko's name is
nowhere to be found, since mentioning it would declaw Roman Kupchinsky's
Russophobic premise, and implicate people he'd rather not. As for Hungary, one
can bet his bottom penny, that Hungarians would prefer to be supplied directly
by Gazprom, than by some shifty structure with murky ownership and unclear
financial standing. It's hard to see how such a shift would be anything but
beneficial for Budapest.
Oleg Beliakovich
Seattle, WA (May 8,'09)
I wish to respond to Tetsuo Kotani's
Chinese carriers - let them have them [May 5] and his letter response
to Juchechosunmanse. Tetsuo Kotani showed some wishful Japanese thinking of
"us" and "them". In real life there is zero chance of the "international
community" aligning their interests with Japan. By Japan I mean the Japan whose
leaders routinely worship their war criminals, not the fictional Japan that
Tetsuo Kotani claimed in his article had "learned lessons from the Pacific war
and has behaved as a responsible maritime power ever since". It is true that
there are suspicions from some countries about China's military buildup.
However, when it comes to Japan suspicions, is not the word, rather crystal
clear, distrust. It is not China, nor Japan's conscience that keeps the
Japanese from a military buildup. It has been the US, Japan's big brother doing
that job. He stated in his letter, "I am delivering my message to my Chinese
friends not to repeat the terrible mistakes Japan made by using seas as
barriers in the 1930s and 1940s." How ironic, because China is building up its
military to "not repeat the terrible crimes Japan made by using seas as
barriers in the 1930s and 1940s". It's a shame that he thought what Japan did
in the 1930s and 1940s was a "mistake".
Dao Ri
USA (May 7,'09)
[Re Hamas feels
the heat from Syria, May 6] The Special Correspondent has access to an
"authoritative voice", who craves anonymity. Yet, how do we resolve what this
voice is saying with the visit of Iran's President Mahmud Ahmadinejad to
Damascus? He and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad publicly pledged to back the
Palestinian resistance. Ahmadinejad spent time with Hamas and other Palestinian
groups. Although Assad may put pressure on Hamas to limit criticism of Fatah,
it does not seem likely that he is willing to pull out the welcoming mat from
under Hamas' feet. Yes, Syria is looking to improve ties with the West, but its
freedom of action is limited by the absence of any movement by Israel on a
Palestinian state. And of course, the long-festering sore of Israel's
occupation of Syria's Golan Heights. With a very right-wing government in
Jerusalem, it looks as though Damascus won't be showing the door to Hamas for a
very long time. Furthermore, an intransigeant Israel will firm up the already
strong ties between Tehran and Damascus.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (May 7,'09)
Jian Junbo's article on May 6
China-India equation still uncracked had good promise, but very little
delivery - it sounded far more like state-sponsored propaganda than factual
analysis. China completely trounced India in the 1962 war, then why did it not
take the territory that supposedly belonged to it (the Indian border state of
Arunachal Pradesh)? Because China's territorial claim is a case of trumped up
pre-emptive accusation; sort of like when a kid that has emptied a cookie jar
then immediately goes and tells the mother that his sibling did it. By keeping
India on the backfoot (by claiming Arunachal Pradesh, and blaming India for the
1962 war) China gets to completely distract attention from the fact that it
itself is occupying Tibetan and Uyghur lands, as well as many others, and that
it started the war because after the fiasco of the Great Leap Forward, in which
upwards of 20 million Chinese perished, Chairman Mao Zedong badly needed to
beat up on a weaker opponent to reclaim his credibility. A China-India
friendship is a nice and desirable concept, but it cannot possibly be achieved
as long as China is ruled by a communist dictatorship which is constantly in
need of an enemy that it can use as a bogeyman to silence criticism, and demand
for democracy and accountability, at home. Under Jawaharlal Nehru's leadership,
India previously attempted an idealistic comradery with China, only to be
stabbed in the back through a border war and 50 years of support for Pakistani
terrorism and weaponization.
Amit Sharma
Cincinnati, OH, USA (May 7,'09)
[Re Chinese antics
have India fuming, May 4] Arunachal Pradesh is a very significant
90,000 square kilometer claim on sovereign territory. It is not a petty antic.
India recognizes the weakness in its claim and in its military. Immigration in
Arunachal Pradesh is very restricted and development almost non-existent,
presumably so as not to create conditions on the ground that will raise
tensions and force a conflict with China. Let the diplomats solve this one. Do
consider the current status. Not a single country supports India's position for
good reason. They are silent on China's claims, also or good reason. They do
not want to be drawn into a conflict for which there is only one likely
outcome. Perhaps the best outcome is, at an opportune time, to have a short
sharp war in which India can claim to have fought well and honorably but had to
yield to inevitability. The Indian Ocean is a geographical name not an
acknowledgement of India's ownership of that body of water. India has
legitimate concerns about her navy's ability to protect her national interests.
But that concern cannot be based on the statement that because that Ocean is
called Indian, China shipping needs Indian consent to sail there.
Kelvin Mok (May 7,'09)
[Re The myth of
Talibanistan, Apr 30] I hate to argue against a fellow anti-war
activist. However, Pepe Escobar's understanding of the current situation in
Pakistan is so far off the mark that I have to make a few comments. First, the
state of Pakistan is in a panic not because of anything that the US media have
stated. The US media have long been trying to build up hysteria about al-Qaeda
and the Taliban to no avail. The current concern in Pakistan has to do with the
events since the adoption of [a sharia-based judicial system] Nizam-e-Adal [for
Swat and several other districts]. Public opinion has turned against the
Taliban because of Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shari leader Sufi Muhammad's statement that
democracy is kufr [heresy], the movement of Taliban militants into
Buner, and because videos of Taliban atrocities have come into the open and
been circulated on the mass media in Pakistan for the first time. Second, it is
true that Islamabad will not fall to the Taliban tomorrow. But this is no
reason to not be alarmed at the rise of the Taliban. If Islamabad were truly
falling to the Taliban tomorrow, the time for alarm would be long over. The
time to prepare for a bloodbath would have begun. The alarm expressed in
Pakistan is over the fact that the military, the parliament and the Supreme
Court all submitted to the will of the Taliban after threats from the Taliban,
the Taliban came to control nearly a third of the territory of North-West
Frontier Province (NWFP), and together with other religious extremists declared
war not merely against the Pakistani state but against Pakistani society.
Third, Escobar tells us that the majority of Pakistanis are against the
Taliban. But he forgets that "political power flows from the barrel of the
gun". The Taliban do not want, and do not need, to win the population. They
only need to have more trained guns in order to take power. The vast majority
of the people of Pakistan are also in favor of democracy, but Pakistan has
remained under the jackboots of military dictatorships. It doesn't matter that
the majority of people do not support the Taliban. What matters is whether or
not the majority of people have the means to enforce what they believe in.
Fourth, Escobar writes that the Taliban only have 10,000 fighters that do not
have an air force or artillery and are restricted to some districts of NWFP. He
simply ignores that there is also a massive concentration of religious
organizations spread all over Pakistan that are now working alongside the
Taliban for the enforcement of the Nizam-e-Adal. There is a network of 45,000 madrassas
[seminaries] that have nearly two million students. There are political parties
like the Jamaat-i-Islami that claim that the Taliban have the best system of
governance seen in the Muslim empire. There are armed organizations like the
Lashkar-e-Toiba, Sipah Sahaba and other sectarian religious extremists more
than ready to damage democratic traditions in Pakistan. Does he not know that
up to 100,000 militants were trained all over Pakistan by the military
establishment under the influence of various religious extremist organizations?
Fifth, even if religious extremists are not in a position to take power or to
take over Pakistan's nuclear bombs, they are in a position to severely destroy
the few democratic freedoms that working people have fought so hard to secure.
Escobar should also take a look at the fact that the Taliban have blown up over
200 schools, threatened the media, teachers, doctors, women and minorities. Is
this not cause for concern. Is one only supposed to be concerned when the
Taliban are a day from taking power? Should we only be concerned when they are
taking over nuclear weapons? We should not be concerned that they have razed
200 schools and are destroying the educational system of the country, beheading
members of political parties and destroying the few rights that women,
minorities and workers have in the country? Escobar writes that the Taliban
cannot defeat the "professional 550,000-strong army" that "has already met the
Indian colossus in battle". Firstly, if the army was truly professional it
would not have taken power in Pakistan. Secondly, in each of the wars with
India, the Pakistan army lost ignominiously. Thirdly, Escobar assumes that the
military is committed to secularism. Is he completely unaware that the military
created not only the Taliban but all religious extremist organizations in
Pakistan. The Taliban were supported by the military as strategic assets
against India. Escobar writes that there is only a smattering of officers and
"sections" of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency that "sympathize" with the
Taliban. Escobar seems to be completely unaware that support for the Taliban
was the official policy of the Pakistan military. It requires a lot more than a
"smatter" to make such a policy the dominating policy of the military for the
last two decades. Escobar writes that the Taliban cannot strike outside of
Afghanistan and Pakistan. First, while this may or may not be true for the
Taliban, it is certainly not true for the religious extremist movements in
Pakistan as a whole (please have a look at Mumbai). Second, what we Pakistanis
are concerned about is not whether or not they can attack North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) check posts (we ourselves want to attack NATO and liberate
Pakistan and Afghanistan). What we are concerned about is that the Taliban have
also declared war on Pakistani society. Escobar writes that the US is creating
this hysteria to organize a military coup and bring back former president
General Pervez Musharraf. If this was indeed the case, why would they be
talking to former premier Nawaz Sharif (a die-hard opponent of Musharraf). If
Escobar was following the news in Pakistan, he would realize the Washington's
real aim is not to bring back Musharraf but to force a compromise between the
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People's Party (possibly even to
make Nawaz Sharif prime minister while retaining Asif Ali Zardari as
president). Escobar writes that this is merely a diversion that is part of a
new great game in Eurasia. Does the existence of the great game in Eurasia in
any way imply that the Taliban are not a real threat to democratic traditions
in Pakistan? As recent experiences have shown, the Taliban do not have to be in
Islamabad to attack democratic institutions and traditions in Pakistan. They
are doing so quite effectively with their campaign of violence against the
schools, women, media, doctors, teachers, minorities and peasants. The Taliban
are no threat to the US empire, in fact the two may very soon even come to an
agreement (ie, if the Taliban get to impose sharia as long as US gets to build
pipelines - see Saudi Arabia). We the people of Pakistan, however, are the ones
that are paying the price of US imperialism's expansionism as well as the
counter-revolutionary proxy armies that they created (ie the Taliban). I think
comrade Pepe Escobar is doing a great job in exposing the designs of US
imperialism. But he does the left in Pakistan a great disservice by arguing
that there is no cause for concern in relation to the Taliban.
Taimur Rahman (May 7,'09)
Why has there been relatively little media coverage of the deaths in Sri Lanka
when Gaza got front-page treatment for weeks? Perhaps because it is further
away or because it is difficult for the media to portray it in terms of
"goodies versus baddies".
Neil Craig
Glasgow (May 6,'09)
[Re The correct
recovery paradigm, May 5] Is there a "correct" recovery paradigm?
Probably not. Keynesian economics comes closest to the target. Fundamentally,
it requires a steel political will to go beyond the inertia or "business as
usual" of the financial wizards who through being clever by half, have brought
the global economy into deep recession. Pointing fingers target Wall Street;
they are not wrong. The Barack Obama administration is trying to cut and paste
an exit from the current mess. Although it is a little of this and a lot of
that, Obama is serious in his efforts to tame the wild horses of America's
finance capitalism. Let's look at two recent examples: Washington went
toe-to-toe with Chrysler's creditor, who thought Obama's offer of $0.33 on the
dollar was a fair offer for the car company's outstanding debt of almost $7
billion. The banks refused his extended hand, throwing Chrysler into Chapter 11
bankruptcy. Obama then told them that the government won't pay more than its
original offer of $0.29; what remains uncertain now is whether the bankruptcy
court will offer even less. The finance industry is trying to throw its weight
around, saying that "we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so let's
return to our old unregulated, sloppy habits". A case of total blindness and
unmitigated arrogance which goes a long way towards explaining how we go into
this deep recession in the first place. And now, Obama wants to repatriate huge
corporate and bank earnings stocked in tax havens abroad. Look at today's
financial pages to see how Citibank and JP Morgan, for example, who are feeding
at the public trough, avoid paying their fair share of taxes! We are in for a
rough ride on this issue to raise revenue for the US! America's financiers may
think Obama an easy mark, even with Timothy Geithner - their chum - as US
secretary of the Treasury; if they do, they are misreading the new president's
determination to rescue capitalism from itself. Hutchinson's analysis of
solutions of the past is useful; still, it is best to keep one's eye on the
target, which is and remains, digging the US out from a mess it obligingly
created.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (May 6,'09)
[Re Predicting the
death of Islam, May 5] Spengler and Ali A Allawi should both read more
history. Both would learn that civilizations are far sturdier than most moral
complainers like to think. Spengler might learn the obvious fact that the big
three Abrahamic religions are Siamese triplets. It's too late, but if
[German-Jewish theologian] Franz Rosenzweig had read more deeply in history, he
would not have said such howlers about Islam and paganism.
Lester Ness
Kunming, China (May 6,'09)
Dear Editor, The article written by Tetsuo Kotani,Chinese
carriers, let them have them [May 5] tries to paint a divisive picture
of "us versus them". Who is "them"? Who are "we"? By "them" you mean the
Chinese? By "we" you mean the so-called "free world" which consists of the US
and all of its allies, you know, all those peace-loving, freedom-embracing,
democracy-crazed countries? By the way, I would like to point out a few things:
1. Japan is not going to get the F-22s. Just in case you haven't heard, the
project was dropped. And the chances of the US Congress approving sales of such
advanced aircraft to a foreign country (no matter how obedient Japan is to the
US today, it is still a foreign country, a potential enemy, you never know) are
slim.
2. Even though South Korea is wary of China's moves, it is equally concerned
about Japan, if not more. It is too early to conclude which way South Korea
will go should Japan jump into the fray of an arms race. South Korea is already
very wary of Japan seizing on the opportunity presented by the North Koreans to
further build up its military (call them whatever you want, Self-Defense Forces
or whatever, they are fully fledged military forces, let's be honest here).
3. Given Japan's past track record, both China and the two Koreas must build up
their military. You can't always rely on the US to keep Japan leashed.
Juchechosunmanse
Usually I don't reply to any anonymous comment. But you are right. I meant
Chinese by "them" but by "we" I meant the international community which is
embarrassed by "their" military buildup without transparency. And:
1. I am not calling for F-22 sales but calling for "a swift response" from
Washington on their possibility. Washington has not said no to Japan, which
delays Japan's decision on the F-X fighter. I don't believe Japan needs the
F-22s.
2. I don't believe South Korea will stand side-by-side with China, either. Its
security is deeply interconnected with the US forces in Japan and the same US
forces in Japan are deeply interconnected with the Japanese Self-Defense
Forces.
3. I am sorry you could not read my message. I am delivering my message to my
Chinese friends not to repeat the terrible mistakes Japan made by using seas as
barriers in the 1930s and 1940s.
Tetsuo Kotani (May 6,'09)
Chinese carriers, let
them have them [May 5] by Tetsuo Kotani, is generally well reasoned.
Nonetheless, the author is ambiguous about the "Taiwan contingency". He writes
insightfully, "Furthermore, protection of the sea lanes from the South China
Sea through the Strait of Malacca and up to the Indian Ocean, and in
particular, curbing a sea blockade against China, which could be envisioned at
the time of a Taiwan contingency, would be possible." He implies that some in
the international community, led by the US, may block oil flow into mainland
China if it takes certain action against Taiwan. While this is a keen
observation, more specific understanding is essential. Is the action a direct
attack on Taiwan, or gradual threat of attrition aiming to undermine the
island's economy, or actual assertive attrition after a few decades? The global
political texture in regards to the Taiwan issue depends on the specific action
that mainland China takes and will take in the coming decades. Moreover, one
should recognize that while the US is a net importer of energy, there are
numerous reasons, many not directly military, why it does not fear blockage of
oil import. China will likely, within a couple of decades, enjoy many of the
same reasons. Taiwan really is the one that is abjectly vulnerable to mere
threats of blocking oil imports as that would affect its island economy
fundamentally. The threat of attrition on Taiwan is and will be effective
because gradually the rest of the world has to see peace and autonomy for
Taiwan as the best for Taiwan, mainland China, and the rest of the world. How
will the Taiwan issue end if not peacefully, eventually? For how many more
decades would the world want to live with the Taiwan suspense? Efforts to
impede peaceful coercion on Taiwan, leading to autonomy and gradual
reintegration, will more and more be seen as irresponsible, ineffective, and
unnecessary, even in the USA.
Jeff Church
USA (May 6,'09)
[Re Russia, China
on comradely terms, May 1] I was talking to my dad about the newfound
Russia-China comradery. He has an extensive collection of Russia books and
lived under Soviet rule in Hungary before escaping in 1956. We both had some
pretty good laughs on how much things remain the same, despite all the overall
changes. However, I have questions on the veracity of the China-Russia
two-step. It would be hard to believe that suspicions between the two have
magically disappeared. It seems there is less here than meets the eye. However,
if the commaradery is genuine, then the US should be even more suspicious of
China than President Barack Obama publicly lets on.
Andre Radnoti(May 5,'09)
[Re Exposed jihadis
put Pakistan on the spot, May 4] Isn't it time to stop chanting that
Pakistan is dancing to America's tune? It is encouraging boorish analysis which
makes things worse. The meat of the problem lies with Pakistan's history, and
the disintegration of a society dominated by a military that is in league with
weak civilian feudal interests represented by the Bhutto and the Sharif clans.
It is a story of a country that can produce nuclear weapons but cannot properly
feed or educate its own people. It is a country of warriors which loses wars,
but encourages guerrillas to fight battles, and where diplomacy is not worthy
of thought. It is a society which has left an aggressive Islam space to
indoctrinate and recruit Pakistanis disgusted with corruption and political
weakness. A quick read of Mohammed Hanif's Exploding Pineapples is a
primer of the tilt towards Islamization, the role of the military and the
octopus arms of the military's intelligence services under General Zia ul-Haq.
Yes, Islamabad embraced the US for its military aid, but like Iran's Mohammad
Shah Reza Pavlevi, it has retained a remarkable degree of independence and
flexibility and distance from Washington. Now the Barack Obama administration
is waking up to the true nature of the problem and scrambling for solutions.
Nonetheless, the mess in Pakistan lies squarely in the hands of Pakistan's
ruling military and civilian elite.
Mel Cooper
Singapore (May 5,'09)
Dear Syed Saleem Shahzad, I was very interested in your recent article,
Exposed jihadis put Pakistan on the spot [May 4], I wondered if I
could ask you to clarify something: when you wrote, "Alternatively, if either
the PML-N [Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz] or the PPP [People's Power Party]
refuses to accept the formula, a technocratic interim government under the
auspices of the Pakistani armed forces might take over." Is this something
being threatened by US officials? In other words, is the US threatening to back
a temporary military government in Pakistan if the proposed power-sharing
agreement fails? Thank you for the excellent article, and for your willingness
to answer questions.
Derrick Crowe
This threat was given in person to all important Pakistani leaders. Publicly,
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, Central Command
chief General David Petraeus and President Barack Obama objected to the
Pakistani government and appreciated the Pakistan army. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (May 5,'09)
[Re Exposed jihadis
put Pakistan on the spot, May 4] Dear Syed Saleem Shahzad, All your
articles are extremely detailed and very informative. This one is no exception.
Thank you! Deep in my mind I have always suspected that the Taliban, militancy
and al-Qaeda have always received outside help. I suspected Iran and Pakistan,
and maybe both. Now you have confirmed it. I also suspected that the al-Qaeda
brass, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, are very well protected by some
elements of the Pakistani military. They are living in quarters better than
yours and mine. Always look at how Zawahiri is dressed up. It does not appear
to me that he is living in a cave or out in the mountains. I suspect that one
of them is in Peshawar and the other in Quetta. And if they are well protected,
the US will never apprehend them. Again, thank you for a great article.
Stephanino Beterotti (May 5,'09)
I'm not sure which American papers Kent Ewing is referring to in his story
Requiem for the Daily Rag [May 4] when he laments the passing of
newspapers who "have been the bastion of the kind of investigative reporting
that keeps politicians honest and the public truly informed". That was true in
the early parts of the 20th century, but not anymore. Unless you consider
catching Paris Hilton coming out of a New York nightclub a piece of
"investigative" reporting. I have no doubt there are still some solid papers
out there, but not in the US. Even Ewing couldn't come up with a recent example
for the US other than the 35-year-old Watergate scandal. Times they are a
changin', and in the future we probably won't see newspapers, many of whom have
become nothing more than mouthpieces for the White House, helping to sell the
latest war, which will be against Iran or the latest incarnation of another
bogeyman, the Taliban, who we Americans are now supposed to direct our
state-mandated "two minutes hate" at while really not knowing why. Maybe if
reporters had stuck to actually investigating politicians, instead of getting
in bed with them, the future might not look so dark.
Greg Bacon
Ava, Missouri USA (May 5,'09)
Sudha Ramachandran wrote an excellent article on May 4,
Chinese antics have India fuming. However, there was one thing left
unsaid: China's economic clout, which it uses to stymie any country that it
considers a threat to its dictatorial imperial ambitions, is at least partially
based on bogus economics since China's bank balance exists mainly on paper,
just like everything else in modern, American-style economics. China would
indeed have terrific cash to throw around, and bully others with, if only the
US paid what it owed, but the US is borrowing (from China) to pay China!
Meanwhile the Chinese are lending America money that they don't have (because
America can't pay them) so that the US can keep spending, because how else
would China sell what it produces. In short, the US and China enjoy the same
relationship (on a global scale) that subprime mortgage holders and lenders had
in the US market (on a far smaller national scale). And they are effectively
holding the global economy hostage and demanding that they be bailed out, that
their toxic assets be valued as though they were perfectly non-toxic, and we
should all go back to business as usual. It seems that in US-Chinese economics
one can build castles in the air, and then leverage that imaginary real estate
to block the construction of actual castles on the ground by others!
Amit Sharma
Cincinnati, OH, USA (May 5,'09)
The recent pronouncements of yet another Texas GOP blowhard about the possible
secession of Texas from the United States was greeted with much justified
derision and scorn. However, he did touch on a mythic cornerstone of American
politics that merits drawing comparisons between the unlikeliest of
presidential duos, Abraham Lincoln and George W Bush. Whereas the former is
universally acclaimed as one if not the greatest presidents, the latter will
likely have a special niche in the Oval hall of shame. Ah, but if one looks
past the carefully and centuries old crafted Lincoln legend and examines the
details of his alleged greatness, surprises abound that make Bush seem not so
bad by comparison. (Please note that I despise this ersatz Texan, but in
fairness I make the following case.) The right of states to withdraw from the
union was never prohibited and, many constitutional scholars have put forth,
one implicitly understood in the crafting of the original constitution. The
same people that entered a democratic union voluntarily certainly had an
inherent right to leave it just as voluntarily. That Lincoln used the flimsiest
of excuses (the harmless bombardment of a federal customs post in the heart of
confederate territory) to justify a massive invasion and conquest of the
seceded states must make one compare with the excuses put forth by Bush to
justify attacking Iraq. Though Lincoln might get the nod for that thin reed,
Bush comes away as the comparative champion of constitutional rights when one
considers how Lincoln ran roughshod over congressional authorization for war,
unilaterally suspended habeas corpus, imprisoned legislators and executed
dissidents, suppressed and shut down newspapers and even calling for the arrest
of a Supreme Court Justice who challenged his gross usurpation of authority.
Compared to this record of constitutional contempt, Bush's rampant and wanton
disregard for basic laws and rights appears positively Washingtonian.
Additionally, Lincoln's ruthless and draconian prosecution of the war, which
shocked European observers, must rank him by all standards as a war criminal to
rival any of the great warmongers of history. But imagine with what horror the
above description of the holy and iconic Lincoln would be greeted by most
Americans. Their precious and false image of the slave-freeing lover of liberty
obscures the ugly truth of his unquenchable lust for power at all costs, even
at the expense of destroying his countrymen and the constitution he swore to
protect. In that regards, Bush and Lincoln should probably settle for a
historical draw. As for their relative humanitarianism, Lincoln had nothing but
scorn for the black slaves, and never intended to free them until it became
politically expedient to do so. (Indeed, before the election of 1860 he
promised to make slavery a constitutionally protected institution in the
south). Bush's contempt for non-whites was limited to his making a few token
yes-men/women in his administration equal opportunity shills for his doomed
policies. I make the preceding comparison to show how gullible and amenable to
myth making Americans are in utter disregard for the historical evidence. This
disastrous proclivity of my countrymen makes the future recasting of Bush as an
American hero a very real possibility, with all the dire consequences that
would portend for a country in love with bloody repetitions of a failing theme. Sic
semper tyrannis.
Hardy Campbell
Houston TX USA (May 5,'09)
Dear Editor, Spengler's review of Ali A Allawi's book The Crisis of Islamic
Civilization, titled
Predicting the death of Islam [May 4] has the ring of familiarity
to it. "Predicting" the death, destruction and disintegration of Islam is not
new and has been around for more than a century. Spengler's recent take on it
in the form of a book review adds nothing new to it. Around the time of
disintegration and eventual demise of the Ottoman Empire, Samuel Zwemer wrote a
book called The Disintegration of Islam (1916, Fleming H, Revell Co,
London and Edinburgh) and how he thought that Christianity would end up winning
the battle in the Muslim world. Almost a century later, the world finds that
Islam neither disintegrated nor has its demise arrived. In fact, it is the
Judeo-Christian world which has been on a steady decline, both spiritual as
well as material, that has now been accelerated by the current economic
depression.
Saifullah
Singapore (May 5,'09)
[Re An unlikely apology
for Pyongyang, May 1] Donald Kirk's right. Pyongyang won't get an
"immediate apology" from the United Nations Security Council for its voting for
sanctions against North Korea over its long-range rocket launch last month. The
Security Council's hastily called emergency session, initiated by the US, has
resulted in a "Mexican standoff". Not only that, the call for sanctions has
also conflated North Korea's rhetoric; Pyongyang has gone much further by
threatening to launch more long-range missiles and engage in more serious
nuclear research and testing. It rarely bluffs, and the world now has on its
hands a tinderbox of a highly explosive nature. Judging from the past,
Pyongyang usually delivers on its promises. Remember, it said that it would
explode a nuclear device, and it did. Thus, more oil has been thrown on the
"hot spots" facing US foreign policy. And it is of its own rash making, for the
rush to sanctions has the potential of making China lose face at the potential
collapse of the six-party talks. Look at M K Bhadrakumar's
Russia, China on comradely terms" [Apr 30] for an example. The
partnership of these two bitter rivals endangers US efforts in the Af-Pak
theater, which is not a good sign for President Barack Obama. Pyongyang may not
get an apology, but it will get as a second best some face saving solutions to
calm things on the very tense Korean Peninsula.
Mel Cooper
Singapore (May 4,'09)
[Re Indus Valley
code is cracked - maybe, Apr 29] The recent article concerning the
claimed decipherment of the Indus Valley script failed to mention other ongoing
research first presented to the academic community in Alexandria, Egypt, that
tentatively links the Indus Valley script to the earliest form of ancient
Chinese.
Sheldon Gosline (May 4,'09)
[Re Indus Valley
code is cracked - maybe, Apr 29] Raja Murthy has given us a balanced
set of views about the research on the Indus code. He has shown both sides of
the coin. Until recently, Eurocentricism prevailed in the study of the history
of science. Nothing was considered valid if it did not originate in Greece. Now
the pendulum has swung the other way. In India, some groups of people are using
history as an instrument of glorification. However, some questions remain
unanswered. The Indus culture had a decimal system, a very accurate measuring
system and town planning was advanced. They also knew the secrets of monsoons
and traded with many overseas countries. They must have had some kind of
accounting system and written record. The research is inconclusive, but it
provides both Indian and Pakistani scientists with an opportunity to work
together.
Jay Jolly
Edmonton, Canada (May 4,'09)
[Re Indus Valley
code is cracked - maybe, Apr 29] Dear Raja Murthy, The Indus language
was deciphered by L A Waddell in 1930. See his Egyptian Civilization: Its
Sumerian Origin & Real Chronology.
Saul Pressman (May 4,'09)
[Re The global
politics of swine flu, Apr 29 and
Swine flu over cuckoo markets, Apr 28] Thank you for the excellent
articles on the politics of swine flu. Please keep up your contributions, which
are critical to understanding complex global affairs. Your insightful pieces
are superior to what I have seen on other news websites.
Timothy Bowen
Toronto (May 4,'09)
[Re US hides
behind Iran sanctions threat, May 1] Again Kaveh L Afrasiabi has given
us an insight into the mindset of the US administration and the background
Machiavellian machinations of those behind the throne. The downside to these
stories is that it tends to lead one to total despair for no other reason than
"things never really change and yet we still accept them". Should these
proposed sanctions reach fruition then we will have reached a situation where
no amount of goodwill will ever lead to improvements to peace in the Middle
East. I fail to grasp the utter mindless stupidity behind these proposals. A
proud Iran is never going to accede to these ludicrous and I may add,
hypocritical demands, in the face of sanctions. Further, I am deeply troubled
by the prospect that President Barack Obama has apparently learnt absolutely
nothing from the abject failures of policy by his many predecessors and is also
moving away from the more sensible policies he had espoused during his election
campaign.
Ian C Purdie
Sydney, Australia (May 4,'09)
[Re Farewell, the
American Century, Apr 30] Andrew J Bacevich concludes his all too short
review of the American Century by suggesting that "to solve our problems
requires that we see ourselves as we really are. And that requires shedding,
once and for all, the illusions embodied in the American Century." The
inference being that non-Americans have had or have little if any influence on
the illusions Americans have about their so-called century. Still, one would
hope that the shedding of such illusions by almost all of the inhabitants of
planet Earth would go a long way in solving present and future problems.
Armand De Laurell (May 1,'09)
[Re Najib takes
a brick from the wall, Apr 30] Has Malaysia's new Prime Minister Najib
Razak removed the "keystone" from the "Bumiputra" [indigenous Malay] arching
socio-economics of his country? It would seem so with its New Economic Policy
(NEP) whereby foreign investors can and will have a 70% ownership in the
capital that they invest in Malaysia's key sectors. And, they no longer have to
take Malays as Malaysian partners. Economics, like politics, spawn strange
bedmates. Najib assumes leadership under a cloud of suspicion and has inherited
the reins of the long-ruling United Malays Nasional Organization (UMNO), which
has over time exhibited strains and erosion of support, internal divisions and
Byzantine strife among its top leadership. The global recession has hit
Malaysia hard, and a once dynamic economy is running out of steam. Politically,
it is slowly losing control of state governments, and with the culture of
corruption that has affected Malaysia for the past century, the UMNO is finding
it difficult to retain a strong hand on government, maintain its popularity,
and stem the tide of reformist civil society parties. Hence, to restore vigor
to his party and his country's economy, he has come up with the NEP. By
undermining "Bumiputraism", the new prime minister is laying the grounds for
politics not as usual and allowing newer forces to come to the fore. This said,
it is no sure formula for rescuing UMNO from its decline.
Mel Cooper
Singapore (May 1,'09)
My two cents of advice to Peter J Brown, the author of the article
A capital idea for Afghanistan [Apr 29], is that if the problem is
within the foundations of a society, then these types of changes will be
superficial. Fix what is lying beneath. The entire location of Afghanistan is
very critical to its neighbors, not just the city of Kabul. How about if we
remove Pakistan from the picture and give it back to India, where it belongs?
So we have to forget about our 5,000-year-old history to make it easy for a
country that has a 50-year-old history. A nation can't forget about its history
and start afresh. The only thing that is left for the poor Afghan nation is its
history, and city of Kabul has always played a big role in it. Good try Brown,
but no can do, keep your nice ideas to yourself.
Tooryalia Kabuli (May 1,'09)
[Re Many paths to
Colombo's victory push, Apr 29] The impending collapse of Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) resistance in Sri Lanka will doubtless be welcomed
by many as a triumph over terrorists, insurgents and disrupters of island
paradises. Few outside the Tamil communities on that tragic isle and southern
India will shed a tear for the demise of a movement that has been grossly
underreported in the West. In fact, the extent of this non-coverage was made
implicitly clear to me during the coverage of the Christmas 2004 tsunami.
Despite the fact that foreign journalists scoured the island for sensationalist
news, the ongoing civil conflict was barely mentioned. As I pondered that
oddity, the rationale was soon apparent; the last thing the West, fighting its
own insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, wanted was an in-depth examination of
the suffering and brutalities inflicted on civilians. Better to focus on the
misery inflicted by acts of God than any kind of insight into the
discriminatory practices of the Sinhalese majority over the Tamil minority. So
a government victory will be hailed by the so-called terror warriors of the
West as an example of perseverance and justice over suicidal lunatics. Lost on
all will be the myriad reasons for the insurgency in the first place, just as
no one in the West wants a real expose of the reasons Iraqis and Afghans kill
invading crusaders. The Sinhalese majority has selected infinite carnage over
justice, and the West has condoned this to justify its own wrong-headed
imperialist crimes. Neither shall profit from this Medieval philosophy. It will
be no time at all before a new Tamil insurrection begins anew, beginning as a
low-level guerilla hit-and-run strategy, with petty robberies and
assassinations, followed by bolder raids as the ranks of the oppressed swell.
And of course, the Sinhalese government, already versed in repressive measures,
will turn the screws accordingly, thus perpetuating the cycle. But by this time
the new LTTE will have become a fully fledged criminal enterprise with
connections to all the major liberation movements in Asia. If I were a betting
man, I'd predict they would also launch a cyber-war as a major tool in bringing
down the Sri Lankan polity before venturing into conventional military
operations again. This war could never end militarily without guaranteeing its
renewal, just as the West is discovering in its own wars of oppression.
Hardy Campbell
Houston TX (May 1,'09)
April Letters
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