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Please note: This Letters page is intended primarily for
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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.
July 2010
[Re Higher pay no
deterrent in China, Jul 29] Pay your workers higher wages so they can
afford to buy the products they make - Henry Ford’s epiphany has been a point
belabored by ATol's own Henry C K Liu through the years. American businesses
should perhaps take a page from their Japanese counterparts' book; squeezing
the US workers dry won't likely help sustain profitability in the long run nor
the health of the economy and society at large. While I can't speak for others,
"give a little, take a little" seems an infinitely more enlightened weltanschauung
than the prevailing dead-end practice of ''what is mine is mine; what is yours
is also mine''.
John Chen
United States (Jul 30, '10)
[Re Murder on the
Khyber Pass Express, Jul 26] Anyone who glorifies the leak of
intelligence documents by some loser, wearing thick glasses in some cave in
Sweden is an apologetic for the murderous Taliban. In fact, some parasites
glorify these behaviors from within our country, emulating the same way that a
parasite kills its host slowly. I know that many hundreds of Afghans who have
helped us will be killed by the scumbags in the Taliban. There is also so much
collateral information that can be deduced from these documents. Location of
our allies, routes of supplies, our weaknesses, what our fat politicians are
discussing over tea, etc.
I have pointed out the difference between the Pakistanis and Americans.
Americans send diplomatic notes, call a press conference and apologize for the
enemy. Pakistanis send assassins, kill whoever they have to kill, and are
widely respected among the enemy. That's why Pakistan is respected by the
Taliban. The ISI busts them like rats while we cuddle them. The White House is
doing great efforts to minimize the situation, however this leak can change the
course of the war, the future of a region and the loss of thousands of lives of
both Americans and Afghans. The most shameful part is that the American and
international press think that this is a joke or a victory while ignoring the
grave consequences that this will bring.
Ysais Martinez
United States (Jul 30, '10)
[Re Lee's chance to
steer a new course, Jul 29] You can argue that South Korean president
Lee Myung-bak has been steering a new course since he took office in March
2008. He quickly killed the "Sunshine Policy"; he put into place harsh policies
to furnish food and fertilizers to North Korea. He was and is acting tough with
Kim Jong-il & Co. Ultimately, he aims at humbling the regime in North Korea
through the use of the South's economic and political clout. Bottom line: he
revived a Cold War with the North. The sunken Cheonan offered him,
backed by an aggressive US, the chance to go for broke against Kim. Lee failed
miserably in spite of the obvious weaknesses of the North. He is not one to
give up as long as the US Obama administration props up his efforts. Like
Ozymandius, Lee's policy with reap the sands of failure.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (Jul 30, '10)
WikiLeaks may turn out to be a greater blessing for our planet than we
currently suppose. Their two forays into publishing war information has helped
put the "War Machine" (the US government and its associated military industrial
complex) on a defensive stance for the first time in over a decade. Lets hope
that WikiLeaks prospers and continues to expose the crimes and duplicitous
actions of the US War Machine and its allies. I have been an ardent student of
this war-wrecked century, and Julian Assange is so far, this century's greatest
hero. Ken Moreau
United States (Jul 28, '10)
[Re Goldman's
penny punishment, Jul 27] Quoting scriptures to make a point is
problematic. For there is always another quotes to counter yours. In this case,
rather, Matthew 19:23-24 seems to compliment Askari's and Krichene's argument:
''And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." More pragmatically
speaking the SEC's case against Goldman Sachs sharp business practices might
not have withstood a long, drawn-out court case. Goldman wanted to put the
matter behind it and so went into toe to toe negotiations with the SEC,
agreeing to a $550 million fine. Nonetheless Goldman has not escaped the social
Scarlet Letter of Shame now attached to its name. Sure it made up the amount of
the fine in a day or two's trading of its stock, but a customer of Goldman will
always have in the back of his mind the question of whether it is playing dirty
pool with him.
On the other hand the Obama administration is not letting this Wall Street
banking house off the hook: there are audits of its hedge funds; a deeper look
into its role in AIG; and of course the continuing case against the French
banker who played fast and loose with former US Treasury secretary Hank
Paulson. In spite of weak financial reform, Goldman has now to answer to newer
regulations and to face more revelations to its questionable banking habits.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (Jul 28, '10)
[Re Our Heroes
, Jul 24] I appreciate William Astore's article. I was struck by a couple of
coincidental, rarely trodden patches of common ground. That we're both veterans
is not one of them. We're as common as illegitimate children in
hyper-militarized America. I am a graduate of the Defense Language Institute,
where Astore served as dean of students.
In an old article I wrote for ATOL (Saving
Private Lynch (from the media), Jun 10, 2003), I touched upon the same
overuse of the term ''heroes'' to describe our soldiers. I could also gripe
about the sad, silly fad of calling our soldiers ''warriors'', but Astore and I
are already mildly depressed. Let's not get morose. Long gone are the halcyon
days when we drafted men to fight our wars because our leaders had the strength
of conviction that they could maintain public support for a just casus belli.
Ever since 9/11, Washington has feared a draft might awaken the public from its
stupor, so they've lowered recruitment standards to lure in every species of
youth, some of whom would feel right at home on the ''Group W'' bench in Arlo
Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant. Wearing a uniform doesn’t bestow heroism.
Heroes don't go along to get along or get a job. They run into burning,
crumbling towers. They drive from Egypt to Israel, get their minds pried open,
then risk all by writing about how free Muslims are in Israel as compared to
Egyptians in Egypt. Or they educate our children, with a passion. But hey, I'm
a veteran. I flew recon against China when it was as flaming red as Mao's
little book, not it's current faded shade of pink. I now schlep through Times
Square every workday to a 50th Street cube farm. If you're taking in the sights
and want a photo with a hero, just grab my arm. I'll give you a big, toothy,
caped crusader smile. Three dollars.
Geoffrey Sherwood
United States (Jul 28, '10)
[Re Hillel Neuer's letter, Jul 26] Hillel Neuer laments the fact that the probe
was initiated by Arab and Islamic states, (32-3 vote with 21 non Arab /Islamic
nations supporting) and said nothing of the video evidence regarding knives and
metal rods and axes.
Now a boat was attacked in international waters ... and any boat has a right to
defend themselves in international waters under international law. The bizarre
result had the IDF saying they were lynched, they had no choice but to defend
themselves , and then after an act of piracy, and taking the citizens to
Israel, they expelled the participants for "illegally entering Israel". And he
worries about the credibility of the report! What difference would it make?
Does anyone out there really believe that Israel will cooperate? Abide? The IDF
does what the IDF wishes. Israel won't comply with any international probe, it
wouldn't comply with one of the most respected international jurists in the
world with the Goldstone Report.
The IDF probe that concluded earlier this month had the audacity to say "that
mistakes were made in planning the raid, but no punishable offenses were
committed". Imagine. It reminds me of Rudolf Hoess's testimony at the post war
trials at Nuremberg when he noted, quite frankly when speaking of Auschwitz,
that "Another improvement we made over Treblinka was that we built our gas
chambers to accommodate 2,000 people at one time, whereas at Treblinka their 10
gas chambers only accommodated 200 people each." Improvement? Mistakes? Rest
assured the banality of evil has no historical or geographical boundaries.
Miles Tompkins
Canada (Jul 28, '10)
[Re Murder on the
Khyber Pass Express, Jul 26] Spengler is perplexed as to who released
the classified files, believing it was the US military. It was a US Army
intelligence analyst who was allowed to bring an iPod - basically a hard drive
with a display - into a secure military facility. How anyone would be allowed
to bring one into a secure base is beyond to power of words to explain or, as
the military might say, business as usual.
According to the recent Washington Post story about the explosion of US
intelligence agencies, there are close to 900,000 Americans with top security
clearance. All one needs is a pulse to get one and if you know somebody they
will wave the pulse thing. As for the strategy of trying to prevent a failed
Pakistani state but putting up with their treachery, this is an insane policy
which has resulted in the death of hundreds of US citizens. Without the US$15
billion the US has given Pakistan in the last 10 years, Pakistan would already
have failed. The Pakistan military is hopelessly corrupt and we need to cut
them off at the knees. If they collapse, they collapse. However we should tell
them they will not be allowed to flee to Dubai to rejoin their stolen money
until their nuclear weapons have been secured. We should tell any state that
takes in Pakistani military personal before their nuclear weapons are accounted
for that they should consider themselves at war with the US. I believe once the
Pakistan military realizes we will not allow them to play this double game they
will stop. All the US needs to win is some brains and some testicles -
something we have not had for decades. The US political, economic and military
elites have been guilty of treason, but with 90% of the US population
apolitical there will be no change in America until after the collapse. Niall
Ferguson, the economist, in a recent talk in Aspen said the collapse will come
in the next two years. I say sooner rather than later.
Dennis O'Connell
United States (Jul 27, '10)
[Re China
carries Bhutto's dream, Jul 26] Reference is made to the port of
Gwadar, and access to the Arabian Sea. In pursuing its love-hate relations with
India, Beijing has a grand project of opening up the Indian Ocean. We see this
strategy in its port building strategy, not only in Pakistan but in Sri Lanka
and Myanmar. New Delhi has much to ponder this policy of commercial and
military encirclement.
Mel Cooper
Singapore (Jul 27, '10)
[Re Burqa over
the Bastille, Jul 23] The wearing of the burqa or naqib is
a political act. Its religious significance is nil. Neither the Koran nor the
Hadiths recommend it.
The last word should be left to a Syrian minister who outlawed it, but allowed
the headscarf. He defended his ruling as a protection of the rights of women
and from the dominance of a male over a female.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (Jul 26, '10)
[Re Burqa over
the Bastille, Jul 23] As an American I am radically opposed to
governments and their low life bureaucrats telling people what to eat, how to
dress, and if they should smoke or not. Stay out of people's lives bureaucrats!
Religion is a very personal matter and what most people do not know is that the
burqa ban can backfire to everyone else. As a traditional Catholic, I am very
well aware that if France bans the burqa today, they could ban
crucifixes tomorrow, or even worst, ban nuns from wearing their habits. And
trust me, the non-religion, rotten secularist crowd in these countries would
not hesitate to take on Christianity or Judaism as well. So I don't understand
why so many people in France are rallying behind a decision that could possible
backfire towards the rest of the population.
It is not a mystery to anyone familiar with the American culture that even the
most fanatic American Exceptionalist would be opposed to this ban which is an
obvious violation of a person's civil liberties and freedom. This is what I
call rotten secularism. A secular society must foster freedom of
religion not suppress it. The West must not emulate Saudi Arabia or North Korea
or some other communist gutter.
The argument that the burqa ban is an effect of the "war on terror" is a
carefully scripted plan to blame America for this ban and sanitize the rotten
secularist movement responsible for it. France has committed an outstanding
misunderstanding of secular values. Finally, to those fellow Catholics or folks
from other religions celebrating this decision, ask God for forgiveness, and
open your eyes, because today it was the tiny Muslim minority in France that
was targeted, tomorrow it will be us, the Christian majority.
Ysais A Martinez
United States (Jul 26, '10)
[Re South Korea reels as US
backpedals, July 23] I never cease to be amazed at the unerring
propensity the United States has for diplomatically scoring "own goals". One
can only suspect it has much to do with long standing, blinkered belief systems
and deeply entrenched doctrines when it comes to American foreign relations.
The fact these beliefs and doctrines already have a long history of repeated
failure seems to be perpetually ignored.
We know that repeating the same failures over and over is indicative of
something postulated earlier by Albert Einstein. I agree with the conclusions
of Peter Lee. "To a certain extent, the Obama administration has boxed itself
into a corner with its high-profile alliance with the ROK." To which Lee
further added, "merely served to demonstrate the limits of American power and
resolve in Asia".
These observations do not go unnoticed elsewhere across the planet. The problem
is of course, neither President Obama nor his legions of foreign policy
advisers read Asia Times Online to be aware of this. More the pity, they might
actually learn something new which would be a welcome change and beneficial to
all mankind.
Ian C Purdie
Sydney, Australia (Jul 26, '10)
It's too bad about the Mogambo Guru. He used to be mildly entertaining, but his
incessant gold-bugging is really getting old. I realize that's his business,
but it's still tedious. And the justifications are getting ever more
far-fetched.
A couple of weeks ago, he was encouraging us to buy gold because it's only
worth one-eighth of what it was worth in the 70s! You'd do better buying some
of my paintings, and I'm not exactly burning up the market right now!
Maybe it's time to look for a less obsessed financial commentator?
Bill Lyons United States (Jul 26, '10)
[Re UN chief stalls on
Israeli probe, Jul 23] IPS reporter Thalif Deen quotes several
commentators lamenting the alleged failure of the UN to establish a probe into
the flotilla incident of May 23rd involving Israel and members of the Turkish
IHH group.
It is peculiar that the article omitted to mention that the UN Human Rights
Council already established precisely such a probe on June 2, 2010, under
Resolution 14/1. Initiated by the council’s Islamic and Arab groups of states,
this text condemned Israel “in the strongest terms” as guilty of committing an
“outrageous attack” on the flotilla. The resolution failed to address the video
evidence of Israeli soldiers being beaten by IHH members brandishing knives,
axes and metal rods, or their televised admissions to seeking Jihad and
martyrdom.
According to the Electronic Intifada news website, the Palestinian Authority
actively sought to frustrate the Human Rights Council’s establishment of the
probe, because its officials believed that the inquiry would strengthen Hamas,
emboldening extremists over moderates.
Because the guilty verdict was declared in advance, the council struggled for
nearly two months to find credible international figures to accept the mission.
Last Friday, three commissioners were finally appointed, due to submit their
report in September. However, the inquiry’s tainted origins may well affect its
credibility.
Hillel C Neuer
United Nations Watch
Geneva (Jul 26, '10)
Revisiting this issue after a couple months is eye-opening and humbling. Now we
know how wrong Israel's trigger-happy political leaders were. Even their own
military investigators found "some mistakes at the top". What's more, the UN
Human Rights Committee is just formed in Geneva and will investigate the matter
properly, by an impartial, independent, and expert group of people to report by
September.
It was wrong to attack and kill civilians on a commercial ship carrying
humanitarian aid for the Gaza "concentration camp" then; it is wrong now. What
is there to investigate, really? Israel should apologize, pay reparations to
victims' families, and end the inhuman Gaza blockade, as Turkey rightly
insists.
Will hatemongers and warmongers in Israel hear this peaceful call?
Bob Bradley
United States (Jul 26, '10)
Having just returned from a business vacation to Istanbul, I would like to
share some thoughts and observations with Asia Times Online's opinionated and
diverse readership.
But first let me digest my last helping of humble pie to apologize to and
congratulate Spain for its World Cup triumph, a football squad I had lampooned
in an earlier submission to the Letters. While in Turkey I watched them put
paid to my predictions of an early exit by defeating a cynical rugby team
disguised as the Dutch football squad. Their victory after an opening
tournament defeat hopefully is a portend of a future political volte face from
America's backsliding, underachieving, down-in-the-polls President Obama.
Let me share an anecdote about my trip to the fascinating country that
straddles the ancient with the modern, the Muslim East with the
secular-Christian West and colored Asia with white Europe. While touring the
city's famous Grand Bazaar, I had numerous vendors point to my T-shirt and cap
and enthusiastically acclaim the individuals portrayed on these items. The
shirt showed Hugo Chavez, while the cap has Che Guevara's iconic face on it.
The language gap prevented much detailed discussion, but it seemed clear to me
that, though there was clear sympathy for socialism amongst these Turks, it was
resistance to US imperialism by these Latin Americans that earned such bravos.
I found this attitude intriguingly dichotomous, since these were clearly street
capitalists in a NATO country with long ties to the US. But the recent Turkish
brouhaha with Obama's masters in Israel, coupled with Washington's continuing
meddling in Turkey's backyard, is causing reassessments of regional priorities.
And the average Turk in the street seems less interested in naked geopolitical
calculus than they are with the suffering of fellow Middle Easterners at the
hands of cynical colonizers disguised as democratic liberators. The symbolism
of a defiant Hugo Chavez railing against previously unchallenged Yanqui
warmongering sits well with a people shunned by the racists in the EU as not
being white enough and looked on with suspicion by fellow Muslims. Little
wonder that Turkey and another Latin country, Brazil, find it easy to show
Washington it no longer unilaterally dictates Middle East policy when they both
recently proposed mediating with Iran in the Jewish-inspired hysteria over that
nation's legitimate nuclear program. As the suns sets on the last imperial
Anglo-Saxon power, more and more dismissals of previous ex cathedra pronouncements
from these decaying shores will occur, until all that's left are weak whispered
pleas for a respect that was never earned except through corruption, war and
subversion.
Hardy Campbell
United States (Jul 26, '10)
[Re Amiri to CIA: Iran
had no bomb program, Jul 21] With incessant talk of attacking Iran from
the people who brought us Iraq/Afghanistan and media manipulation to influence
the American public, Gareth Porter should be thanked for revealing the
continuous big lie that Iran has a nuclear weaponization program. He should
also be thanked for showing how mainstream journalists for the past several
months have hyped this lie when actually, what Amiri told the CIA was that Iran does
not have a nuclear weapons program.
The world has seen this horror movie before, when the United States and the
international community were manipulated into attacking Iraq. This shameless
manipulation of what Amiri said is being led by the George W Bush/Dick Cheney
crowd and their fellow travelers. And the media is blindly reporting this big
lie. This is the same group that let the real enemy, al-Qaeda, escape and
metastasize to 65 countries. The question is, whose interests are being served?
Isn't Iraq and Afghanistan enough? Has nothing been learned? Coincidentally, as
this story by Gareth Porter was breaking, the ex-head of British MI5, Eliza
Manningham-Buller, was telling an inquiry in London that "Iraq had posed little
threat before the 2003 US-led invasion" and that the war in Iraq led to a loss
of "focus on the al-Qaeda threat" creating a "long-term, major and strategic
problem." Manningham-Buller went on the say "our involvement in Iraq
radicalized a whole generation of young people who saw our involvement in Iraq,
on top of involvement in Afghanistan, as being an attack on Islam."
Common sense would dictate that it is not in the national security and economic
security interests of the US to be duped into another war. The way forward is
what President Barack Obama said recently, that US-Iran must move past
"suspicion, mistrust and confrontation". The president went on to say the US
seeks a relationship "based upon mutual interest and mutual respect". And only
patient, positive diplomacy can achieve that.
Fariborz S Fatemi
United States (Jul 23, '10)
[Re China's pro-missile navy
sinks carriers, Jul 22] On the eve of Invincible Spirit, the joint
US-South Korea military exercise in the East Sea has an odor of Hollywood to
it. Its ostensible purpose is a show of strength to North Korea for its alleged
role in the sinking of the South Korean corvette the Cheonan, and a
warning to Pyongyang that its bad behavior won't be tolerated.
The saber rattling however is taking place around the Busan perimeter far and
safely away from the area where the Cheonan sank. Yet it is not far away
from Chinese waters and stokes China's fear of the war-like measures that the
US and South Korea are taking against North Korea. On the one hand, the visit
by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US Secretary of Defense Robert
Gates to the DMZ is an example of a photo op and bully posturing. On the other,
it recalls the famous photograph of John Foster Dulles at the same spot 60
years ago days before the outbreak of the Korean War. Little wonder China's ill
ease and protest.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (Jul 23, '10)
[Re The spotlight
falls on Hezbollah, Jul 21] United States policy makers tend to go
silly when it comes to Israel. The Council on Foreign Relations' "Contingency
Planning Memorandum" seems sensible but its focus should have analyzed Israel's
designs on Hezbollah. Hezbollah acts defensively; Israel proactively and
aggressively. Past contributions to Asia Times Online have confirmed this: the
Netanyahu government's itchy finger to avenge the two scathing defeats at the
hands of Hezbollah during the Jewish state's initiated wars in Lebanon. As for
sharing intelligence with the US, this has been going on for decades. The US
shares more with Israel than the other way around, and Israeli sources at times
turn out to be unreliable. Obama's pampering treatment of Netanyahu during his
recent trip to the White House simply makes any effective pressure on Israel a
joke.
Abraham Bin Yiju
Palermo (Jul 22, '10)
[Re Loaded agenda for
Myanmar-India talks, Jul 21] Myanmar leader General Than Shwe's visit
to India next week can be vital to democracy. Than Shwe has ruled the country
with authoritarianism for the past two decades. His four-day official state
visit to discuss military co-operation and a series of energy and business
deals can be used to help him make the decision to free detained democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi and letting her participate in the coming election. By
helping to free her, India can beat China on the world stage as the more
responsible superpower to come. She could be one formidable help to India on
its way to stardom. India and China - a democracy and a dictatorship - are now
competing to be the future of the world. Aung San Suu Kyi is a test for India.
If India succeeds in freeing her, all humanists in the world will recognize the
country as a powerful player to follow.
Michel Gourd Quebec, Canada (Jul 22, '10)
[Re Another convenient
scapegoat, Jul 20] It is a sad and sorry fact that a one-bedroom
apartment in "urban Beijing's" rental is more than a university graduate earns
in a month. If there is a finger to point, is it not fair to point it at the
cowboy capitalism which has gripped China? Were the local or central government
to step in and stabilize or even control rents, it would be stepping on too
many pampered and protected toes. More broadly, according to the Financial
Times foreign investors are complaining that they feel less welcome in a China
that is now the world's economic motorman. Little wonder. China has sucked the
West dry in terms of technology transfer and hard currency to put its economic
engine on the capitalism road at full speed. The profit motive and the bottom
line count more.
Nakamura Junzo Guam (Jul 21, '10)
[Re Sex vs God in
the Philippines, Jul 20] It would have been interesting to get some
information about the curriculum to be taught. Here is the hypocrisy: we hear
about the protesters but we vaguely hear about the reason behind the protests.
Who wrote the curriculum? What does it teach? What age-grade level does it
target? In the United States there are many perverts who would love to teach
kindergartners about the wonders of out-of-marriage sex. Many people are not
opposed to sex education or people having sex; what many people are concerned
about is teaching children about such things, thus frustrating their innocence.
I hate when the media portrays the Church or Muslims or Orthodox Jews as
old-fashioned because they stand for something. It comes to no surprise to me
that the Muslims have joined Catholics in the fight against a perverted agenda
that will target children. Islam is one of the most moral religions on the
planet when it comes to social issues - which is one of the problems Islam has
with the West - but the liberal media will never ever tell you about it.
If some perverts want to do social experimentation, they should have 20 kids,
lock them up in their pit, and do their experimentation. But respect the
decency and concern of those who still have one drop of morality and want their
kids out of the reach of perverts.
Many times elaborating about a subject does not solve the problem but rather
worsens it. It was the case in US schools some years ago when an anti-alcohol
campaign worsened alcohol abuse. As a final observation, sex is not against
God. In fact, God is "pro-sex" because world religions promote having children
rather than murdering them before they are born.
Ysais Martinez
United States (Jul 21, '10)
[Re Amid war talk,
arms build up continues, Jul 19] The arms race fills the deep pockets
of the armament barons and satisfies the strategy of bigger powers looking to
influence events in the Middle East. A strong provider of arms is Israel. Chris
Zanbelis (Israel-Turkey
axis spun on its head, Jul 19) briefly touches of the large inventory
of Israeli arms Turkey buys. Although relations between Ankara and Jerusalem
have gone downhill, it will not be easy for Turkey to switch arm dealers
quickly.
Hezbollah's enlarging its own stockpile of weapons is easy to understand:
Israel has waged open war against it and even when the battlefields grow quite
the Jewish state continues its low level warfare against this Shi'ite led
organization.
Yet the ground has shifted under Israel's feet as it sees its own grand
strategy as the major regional power crumble on the edges and is incapable of
recapturing the political initiative. A recent secret recording of Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before becoming to this high office speaking to
Israeli settlers mapped out a strategy he was held to in regaining power:
manipulating the US to cover Israel's illegal land grab in the Palestinian West
Bank; undoing the Oslo Accords; and making outrageous and intractable demands
on the Palestinian Authority that they would settle for less than an
independent state. To a large extent, alas, he has succeeded with US support.
Abraham Bin Yiju Palermo (Jul 20, '10)
[Re North Korea's
desperate measures, Jul 16] By all weights and baggage North Korea is
in dire straits. Offering to return to the six-party talks and the meeting of
the South's military at Panmunjan has more to do with the failure of the US
Obama administration's and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's failure to
persuade the UN Security Council to blame Pyongyang for the the sinking of the Cheonan.
Relieved from another round of sanctions, Kim Jong-il's government offered an
olive branch to reduce tempers on the Korean Peninsula. By this gesture the
ball is now in the US's court, the more especially since it has been pushing
for a return to the talks in Beijing.
Will the US put into action its own rhetoric to shame North Korea by pushing
for the immediate convening of the talks in Beijing? According to foreign media
reports, the military confab at the 38 parallel seemed "friendly", always a
hopeful sign that Lee might reconsider his ill chosen "cold war" against the
North. Or will he simply drag his feet in the hope that Kim Jong-il will die
and the whole ball of wax in North Korea will melt?
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (Jul 19, '10)
[Re Record
revenues fuel tensions, Jul 14, '10] Willy Lam writes: "Chinese
scholars warn that Beijing needs to speedily address the "rich government
versus poor citizenry" (guo fu min qiong) dichotomy. ... the per capita
income of Chinese citizens ranks behind that of more than 100 countries ...
Chinese Academy of Social Science economist Gao Peiyong warned that Beijing
should immediately boost citizens' share of the pie through means including
lowering taxes for wage-earners and boosting cost-of-living subsidies to the
jobless."
Guo fu (rich government) in the history of China is a rarity. Rather
than squander the wealth in a redistribution to achieve social equality of
ephemeral benefit, better use it as the means to extricate China from perennial
poverty once for all.
As a first step, pursue a nuclear programme to replace coal/hydro in energy
production (now 80% and 17% respectively) to combat air pollution and
environmental degradation. Utilize nuclear desalination to augment water
supplies and allocate energy to tackle water pollution - sewage and industrial
runoffs.
Only when people have clean air and clean water - and if there is any money
left - should we address wealth disparities. After all, the best way to qiong
ming (strengthening people) is to provide the able with facilities and
opportunities to improve their lives. This cannot be accomplished without a
vibrant and nurturing infrastructure.
Kai Liu
United States (Jul 19, '10)
[Re A year after Xinjiang
riots, tensions simmer, Jul 15] A year won't rip out root and branch of
the tensions in Xinjiang. Try as the Chinese government might to put a new
gloss on its imagine, it has not significantly changed policies to the ethnic
Uyghurs. Like Tibetans, they are treated like a conquered people. They eat off
the crumbs of the fare that Beijing reserves for the never ending flow of Han
(Chinese) emigrants who benefit from special treatment and rights. China has
taken the road to turning Xinjiang into a "bantustan" for the once majority
Turkmens.
Mel Cooper
Singapore (Jul 16, '10)
It was quite interesting for me to read here in the Letters section, "The
American Army and its allies have a long tradition of being an army that fights
for justice, peace and prosperity in an extremely ethical manner". Less than
one hour later, I read a vastly different outlook on TomDispatch, "American War
Versus Real War", which then in turn led me to another article in Nation
magazine, "A My Lai a Month", on suppressed information about a series of
horrific, mass killings by US forces in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Yes indeed, an
army that fights for justice, peace and prosperity in an extremely ethical
manner.
Ian C Purdie
Sydney, Australia (Jul 16, '10)
[Re Fariborz S Fatem's letter] "Her [Hillary Clinton's] remarks were aimed at
the countries where she traveled, which seem to be trending towards
'semi-authoritarianism'." - Fariborz S Fatemi
"Semi-authoritarianism" (what I sometimes think of as "the autocratic
presidency") is what the US is trending towards, rather strongly.
Lester Ness
Kunming, China (Jul 16, '10)
[Re Bao Nguyen's letter on American foreign policy] Bao Nguyen's views are
simplistic in the extreme. He writes that he is "grateful Vietnam was not made
to be another Korea". There are two Koreas. The South, allied with the US, is
free and prosperous, the communist North is a living hell for 95% of its
citizens. Just today Amnesty International released a report about North
Korea's horrendous health care system where people undergo major surgery
without anesthetic. The average South Korean makes over $28,000 a year, in
Vietnam it is less than $900.
In South Korea you have basic human freedoms of speech, religion and a free
press. Vietnam has none of these freedoms, still glad the communists won. If Ho
Chi Minh was not the evil fool that he was and he had played his cards right
the people of Vietnam would be richer than the Japanese. After the death of Ho,
the torture of American POW's in North Vietnam ended.
Mr Nguyen you have allowed yourself to fall under the influence of the
Stalinists that control American higher education, you need to learn to think
for yourself and not parrot fools. If Mr Nguyen will tell me his address I will
mail him a hack saw so he can cut the chain that holds him in America; he than
can return to the communist paradise of Vietnam and work 14 hours a day sewing
sneakers in a foreign-owned factory for 25 cents an hour.
Dennis O'Connell
United States (Jul 16, '10)
[Re Hands off banks, Jul 14] You
cannot have it both ways. The US Obama administration chose not to
"nationalize" the "too big to fail banks", restore fiscal discipline, and mark
down toxic acid fancy financial instruments. Instead they chose easy money to
firm up the spine of the banks, thereby avoiding a great depression. Investment
banks enjoy risk, and as such brought about the current situation the US and
Europe are currently in. If you consider the bailout of Greece, you will find
it was a bailout for German banks, not a panacea for the Greeks.
Germany is flexing older muscles as it casts it eyes to traditional markets to
its east. David Goldman neglects crediting China for not cashing in on its
Eurobonds and is now infusing Germany with much-needed capital. The US nor the
UK can do much but to muddle through the current crisis which is weakening them
in near absolute terms.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (Jul 15, '10)
[Re Rules of engagement
bear fruit, Jul 14] During the Soviet War in Afghanistan, the Soviets
murdered over one million civilians and over 500,000 Mujahideen. If you
contrast this number to a little over a thousand Afghan civilians killed by the
American and allied forces then you will get actions - and numbers - that speak
louder than any left-wing propagandist's opinion in some failed American
newspaper.
It does not matter if you are a bitter Vietnamese enjoying American freedoms
while attacking the country, or simply an America hater, you must admit that
our army is the most ethical army in the world. I was born in 1982, after the
Soviets started murdering civilians in Afghanistan (1979), but I wonder if the
press - American and international - were so concerned about civilian
casualties as they are now. Then it was a murderous regime that wanted to take
over the world and slave millions, thus they enjoyed some sympathy; now it is
the force of freedom and prosperity which is fighting in an ethical manner and
they don't enjoy even one hundredth of the sympathy the Soviets enjoyed then.
While reading World War II history, one finds so many stories about governments
of the Allied Forces reprimanding "bad" generals or soldiers for mistreatment
of Nazis or Japanese imperialists, but one never ever finds a story of the
Nazis reprimanding one of its generals or the Japanese reprimanding one of its
generals who ordered the rape of millions of Chinese women.
The American Army and its allies have a long tradition of being an army that
fights for justice, peace and prosperity in an extremely ethical manner. Kudos
to Philip Smucker for pointing out that rules of engagement bear fruit. Our
wars in the Middle East have been a disaster and few people deny that, but
sometimes the soldier at the front is simply a victim of fat politicians who
have an industrialist agenda. Let's look at McChrystal, he was genuinely
concerned about the civilians' safety in Afghanistan, but one word against a
politician who never fired a shot cost him humiliation and his dismissal. This
is in deed, a very complicated "game".
Ysais Martinez
United States (Jul 15, '10)
[Re Rumblings rise
between Hezbollah, Israel Jul 14] How much these days can we rely on
Israeli intelligence? In the light of Major General (retired) Giora Eiland's
inquiry into the attack on the Gaza Peace flotilla, its findings fault poor
preparation and faulty intelligence, yet justifies despite the panel's
conclusions, the killing of nine people on the Mavi Marmara.
Israel has kept the pot of fear boiling to maintain its self appointed role of
policeman in the Middle East, in order to keep its Arab neighbors in line. Of
late, in ill-conceived wars in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, based again of
faulty intelligence it finds its role challenged. Unable to adjust to new
realities, it pursues an old strategy of saber-rattling.
Mel Fryberg's article sends up a test balloon of crisis between Hezbollah and
Israel. That is hardly new news. It has but one aim and that is to sow unease
and fear of another Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon where the "Jewish"
state has twice met defeat. A mean rumor and an old trick of intelligence
agencies.
Abraham Bin Yiju
Palermo (Jul 14, '10)
Ysais Martinez writes a lot of letters to atimes.com, and I have found them to
be particularly hateful, though my intention is not to shut him down. I am just
pointing out my impressions. My question to him is this ... Let's assume all
the people of the world outside of the US and its closest allies (UK,
Australia, South Korea, et al) are evil. Then do evil people have a right to
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness within their own borders? That is,
do the most evil and vile parts of the human race have a right to their own
countries?
Mr Ken Moreau has demonstrated that he can understand the point of view of
people living in other parts of the world. I'm sure he can state a similar
point of view from the peoples of Asia. There was a time when this point of
view was never heard. It was always a debate between one side that wanted to
drop the nuclear bomb, and another side that just wanted to prop up the
dictator. We are now living in a time when most people of the world no longer
have to live under the two sides of American empire. Many nations, such as
Vietnam, have fought just to keep the Americans out. I'm sure this really
bothers Mr Martinez, who somehow feels that Americans have a right to kill
people in their own lands for freedom, while those same people being killed
can't justifiably fight back.
When I read the news about what is going on in the world, I can only be happy
that I am not a member of the few groups who are currently experiencing massive
American freedom war. The price for my freedom has already been paid by my
elders, and I am grateful that Vietnam was not made to be another Korea, or
worse, another place that has to endlessly debate a two state solution, with
one side absolutely backed by American weaponry.
Bao D Nguyen
Westminster, CA (Jul 14, '10)
No one can fault South Korea and the US for trying to bell the North Korean cat
with blame in the sinking of the "Cheonan" at the UN Security Council. To give
South Korea's president Lee Myung bek face from a Chinese or a Russian veto, US
president Barack Obama accepted a resolution deploring the "Cheonan" tragedy
without blaming Pyongyang. Yet the US and South Korea's case had left doubts.
Moscow and Beijing had received the complete 150 page report on the inquiry of
the sinking, which remains underwraps to the world public until now, except for
"selected sections" so as not to compromises unnamed sources. Hence the doubts.
This said, by not blaming North Korea, suddenly the tensions on the Korean
peninsula are relaxing. Pyongyang expressed a desire to meet with a military
delegation at Panmunjon to discuss the "Cheonan", as well as a willingness to
rejoin after more than a year the six party talks in Beijing.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (Jul 13, '10)
Re Clinton
sweet-talks Russia's neighbors, Jul 7]. What is missing is the strong
message of the US secretary of state delivered in Poland in support of civil
society and the human spirit. Her remarks were aimed at the countries where she
traveled, which seem to be trending towards "semi-authoritarianism". Examples
include Azerbaijan, with its Soviet-style bureaucracy stifling innovation,
dissent and the human spirit, and Georgia and Ukraine, where the Soviet ghosts
still roam.
As Clinton was making her whirlwind tour of the countries on the periphery of
Iran, imagine if she had actually landed in Tehran in a bold move to engage in
the direct negotiations that President Obama had so eloquently promised some 18
months ago. Iran has very close relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
An engaged Iran could be of immense help to bring the Armenians and Azeris
together to resolve the tragic dispute of Nagorno-Karabakh. Further, an engaged
Iran could assist the United States in so many ways in Afghanistan (as it did
in 2001) and Iraq and extricate America from two wars costing over $12 billion
a month. The question, with so much at stake, is why such a bold move is not on
the US Administration's agenda when it is clearly in America's national
security interest?
Fariborz S. Fatemi
United States (Jul 12, '10)
[Re Operation
enduring war, Jul 9] Let's put it on the line: the US has been on a
permanent war footing since the beginning of the Cold War. Vats of printer's
ink have been spilt on books, analyses, articles and the like to make the
point.
Consider the US budget; its biggest spender is the military. America has enough
money to "subsidize" mercenaries but not enough to fully equip its own
soldiers, say, during the deplorable war in Iraq. The military budget fuels and
skews the economy. And consequently there is little or no room to create jobs,
stop the sinking into poverty of Americans, nor relieve the daily hardship of
even the declining middle class, who have to shoulder the tax burden the rich
refuse to pay to keep the Pentagon war machine going. And to sustain the
hundreds of US bases around the world, which no one is willing to talk about.
Lt. Col. [ret.] Astore may have his heart in the right place but his
suggestions though admirable, lack bite.
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (Jul 12, '10)
[Re Ken Moreau Letter, Jul 9] By way of clarification, I'd like to point out
that in the United States the liberal media is made of CNN, CBS, NBC, MSNBC,
The New York Times, The Washington Post, and fellow travelers. The conservative
media is made of Fox News, The New York Post, Conservative Talk Radio (Rush
Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Mark Levin, et al). The conservatives
promote traditional American values and resist change, while the
liberal/progressives promote change and the rejection of traditional American
values. The liberals also promote a strong agenda of civil liberties and a
perhaps distorted vision of freedom.
I am not implying that you are wrong sir, because in the Middle East the
Liberal Media is the one that promotes - for example - the secularization of
Islamic governments and more civil liberties; while the Middle Eastern
conservative media wants things to remain the same and stick to traditional
Islamic values. The difference between liberal and conservative in the United
States and in the Middle East was pointed out to me by an Israeli exchange
student some time ago. Regarding the rest of your letter, you are entitled to
your own opinions and I'd fight to death for your right to tell it like it is.
That's why I love this country because we can speak openly. Finally to Ian
Purdie, it would be nice to continue the debate in The Edge, but I may be
sleeping when you are replying to my posts and you may be sleeping when I am
replying to yours.
Ysais Martinez
United States (Jul 12, '10)
Editor's note: Despite differences in time-zones, the participants are invited
to continue the debate in The Edge. [Re Ysais Martinez Letter July, 8] Very
courteous, can I invite Ysais Martinez and other readers to participate in
debate on this topic and other issues on The Edge? Further, can I implore our
dear readers to not only participate with on The Edge but also to please
contribute to "From our Mailbox". Everyone has an opinion, I'd dearly love to
hear the views of the so-called silent majority or even the down-trodden
minority. ATol is a wonderful and informative resource for enquiring minds, use
it or lose it.
Ian C Purdie
Sydney, Australia (Jul 9, '10)
After reading the letter from Ysais Martinez in reference to Mr Purdie's
previous letter, I have decided to respond to Martinez letter from the
viewpoint of citizen of the Middle East. "The American liberal media" is
composed of Fox News, Ann Coulter, Kristol, Limbaugh,and a hundred other
pundits who are about as liberal as black hole. The US media is consistent in
broadcasting trivia and minimizing the colossal damage done to countries which
are in the radar of US foreign policy. The few liberal and progressive pundits
on the national scene, hardly make a dent. They dream of turning the US into a
social democratic country such as France ... which may be a third world gutter
in your eyes, but to no one else.
Hamas is the democratically elected government of the Palestinians, but because
the US doesn't like them, they are classified as a terrorist organization. They
are a humanitarian organization to the people in Gaza who receive help and aid
from them. I can assure you, that were it not for the militant stance of Hamas
and Hezbollah, the Israelis (with the help of the US) would have wiped them off
the map by now.
Yes, when people try to kill your family, it causes anger and prejudice in the
extreme. The US has killed more people in the Middle East than anyone since the
Mongol Khans. So if you are a US person in the middle east, you are walking on
thin ice. Remember, the US came to the Middle East, not the other way round.
The US invaded our countries, and killed our women and children long before we
decided to retaliate. This term of yours "radical Islam" is nothing more than
Muslim citizens angry that a world superpower uses high tech weapons to kill
their women and children and steal their resources and land. I can assure you
Martinez, you would be classified as a radical Christian were you to resist
another power killing your family and or taking over your country.
Anyone in China can have a passport and may travel anywhere on the planet. The
Chinese are projected to surpass Japan this year as the most seen tourists
around the world. They may even go to Cuba and Iran and North Korea, where you
cannot go.
Yes, you certainly don't have the exact number of foreign aid given by the US.
Only when the world is watching a calamity does the US give anything without
many strings and economic arm twists. The US gets back many more dollars than
it gives in its foreign aid contracts. (Israel excepted)
Read your own letter Martinez, and you will get a sense of hatefulness. Yes, US
Christians are the main supporters of US wars in the Middle East. They
genuinely feel that their "God" is superior to the Muslim "God" and that we
should be exterminating these people so that the world can have "peace" and the
US can have oil. I think the that pretty much explains "Hatefulness".
Ken Moreau
New Orleans, USA (Jul 9, '10)
With all due respect to Mr Purdie who I deeply respect despite our different
views, but his letter is flawed and does not necessarily represent the views of
the majority of the population in the United States. I do not blame him --or
anyone-- of such views, the American liberal media (99% of US stations) dream
of turning our country in a third world gutter with weak institutions and a
supreme leader, such as Lybia, Saudi Arabia or some other unpleasant place.
Thus they export such distortions overseas. The reality is that no one wants a
dialogue with Hamas not because of prejudice against Muslims, but because Hamas
is a terrorist organization. In the United States there are over 5 millions
Muslims and let me tell you, they are very well off and live a life that they
never dreamed of living in their home countries. In some of my doctoral
engineering classes most students are Middle Easterners and from Turkey and
nobody hold any prejudice against them. However if someone wants to kill your
family and children then people will be angry or prejudices or whatever else.
We also have an amendment in the constitution that protects freedom of
religion, so even atheists have the right to coexist with the rest of the
population in peace and far from prejudice. One thing is clear though, radical
Islam --not Islam as whole-- is incompatible with our societies and our way of
life. So I don't understand how a radical Islamist wants to live in our country
surrounded by so many Westerners who do not give a damn about his fanaticism
and religious views. If you are not happy in our soil, simply go away and move.
This is not China, we have freedom to travel whenever, wherever. America is
also very generous to Islamic countries by donating billions of dollars in aid.
I don't have the exact number, but I am almost sure that no Islamic country
contribute more money to Gaza than the United States. Maybe I am wrong, but
like I said, I don't have the exact piece of information. Finally, Mr Purdie
accuses Evangelical Christians of being hateful and that is really far from the
truth. I am myself a traditional catholic and one has to be blind to ignore the
moral contributions of evangelicals to our society. They are also peaceful
people who live in peace in their neighborhoods. The ones who are hateful are
the ones committing suicide with a bomb or blowing some people up. Those are
the hateful ones. It is interesting to see how twisted logic works. So it is
not about prejudice against a group or the other, it is about terrorism and the
fact the some of us just don't give a damn about Hamas or Hezbullah or whatever
other hateful group.
Ysais Martinez
United States of America (Jul 8, '10)
Smoke on the water. Very recently Asia Times Online published two articles that
hint to an imminent strike on Iran by Israel with US help. Namely, these are
the articles “The anatomy of an attack on Iran” by David Moon (July 1, 2010)
and “Weather clears for a US strike on Iran” by Victor Kotsev (July 3, 2010).
The first article provides a very detailed description of the forthcoming
strike, a complete picture of its “anatomy”. Other articles with a similar
content have appeared, mainly in the British media. However, a strike on Iran
this summer does not go along with the political logic of the moment. In
January, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Pentagon Joint Chiefs of Staff
warned Israel against such a strike saying that it would be very destabilizing
of the region. Vice President Joe Bidden has voiced such warnings too. After
the recent UN sanctions against Iran the probability of a strike becomes less
likely. The US and some of its allies have introduced further restrictive
sanctions. It is natural to expect that Israel will be more relaxed after these
sanctions. In its ‘diplomatic memo’, The New York Times (July 3) writes:
“Meanwhile, the raft of new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program,
after the passage of the United Nations resolution, has reassured Israelis, who
viewed Mr. Obama’s attempts to engage Iran with unease. Mr. Obama signed the
American sanctions into law on Thursday.” On July 5 at the meeting between
Obama and Netanyahu the situation with Iran was also discussed in the framework
of the “Piece in the Middle East” problem. The Voice of America (Obama,
Netanyahu Discuss Iran's Nuclear Program, July 5) provides the following
information: “The Israeli leader responded this way when asked by a reporter
whether the new U.N. sanctions will stop Iran's nuclear ambitions: "The latest
sanctions adopted by the U.N. create illegitimacy, or create de-legitimization,
for Iran's nuclear program, and that is important," said Prime Minister
Netanyahu. "I think the sanctions the president signed the other day actually
have teeth, they bite. The question is how much do you need to bite is
something I cannot answer now. But if other nations adopted similar sanctions
that would increase the effect." This information is also revealed in the July
8 article in Asia Times Online “Obama and Netanyahu all smiles” by Jim Lobe.
All this shows that Israel is now in a “wait and see” mode. In this situation
the two articles mentioned above appear in a very different light. The nature
of this detailed information about a strike on Iran does not seem to be a
“leak”. The information about the strike seems to be a piece of intended
disinformation, because no state will reveal the secrets of a pending military
action. Israel has performed two such strikes in the past (against Iraq and
Syria) and they both came as complete surprises. There is no reason to believe
that Israel will hit Iran this time differently – with a wide media
preannouncement of the strike. There is no logic in that. Actually, what is
logical to conclude is that all this noise about a forthcoming strike is
supposed to hide the fact that the expected date has been moved to the distant
future. In other words, the strike has been postponed.
Mladen Bonev
Political observer (Jul 8, '10)
Speak of the fog of the dismal science economic. Morgan Stanley's refusal to
promote South Korea and Taiwan to the ranks of its MSCI is "preposterous", says
Ian Williams. It is so preposterous that he uses it twice in "MSCI snubs Korea,
Taiwan". Morgan Stanley figures that it can capitalize returns better in
keeping these two "first world economies" in the less and more humiliating
status of "emerging markets".
Nakamura Junzo
Guam (Jul 8, '10)
[Re A gentleman's
dialogue with Hamas July, 7] Interesting article by Sami Moubayed.
While much of the article reflects the thinking person's plain common sense, I
can see two enormous, yet unsurmountable difficulties in the real world. The
one in which us lesser mortals inhabit. "That would require a change in US
mentality - both at the media level, on the street and in American
officialdom..." I believe a far easier task would be to reduce Mount Everest
down to a mole hill than to ever see this needed change in mentality come
about. Americans are simply not mentally equipped to adapt to such a tectonic
shift in public thinking. Imagine the response by The American Israel Public
Affairs Committee unless instructed otherwise by Israel, or does that actually
work the other way around? The response of the Tea Baggers Party? Again,
imagine the smoke and flames emanating from Fox News studios? It would go so
far into melt down that it would make the "China Syndrome" seem like a minor
earth tremor. Next part of the same paragraph then goes on to say, "it would
also require changing a 2006 US Congress law banning any kind of assistance to
the Islamic group". Yes and the cow jumped over the moon for that to come
about. It would be nice if these events could come to fruition but I very much
doubt I'll see such deeply ingrained prejudice overcome in my lifetime. The sad
fact is, Americans love to hate Islamist nations, to be seen engaging in "A
gentleman's dialogue with Hamas" is a deep betrayal of every principle American
evangelical Christians believe in. What next? God forbid, openly embrace
liberal socialism?
Ian C Purdie
Sydney, Australia (Jul 7, '10)
[Re A gentleman's
dialogue with Hamas July, 7]. There is very little indication that
either the US or Israel is willing to "talk" to Hamas. Hamas for them remains a
pariah. It does have a strong suit: the Franco Israeli soldier captured four
years ago. A grassroots campaign is afoot in Israel to exchange him for
hundreds of prisoners lingering in Israeli jails, including those "with blood
on their hands". But his release is not for tomorrow. We have an example of
wishful thinking: Zubin Mehta conducting an orchestra near the border with Gaza
for the landlocked Palestinians, in the hope that music is a universal language
which will spring the Israeli prisoner from his captivity. Nothing will happen
until Israel and the US recognize Hamas as a full bargaining partner with all
the rights that that implies.
Abraham Bin Yiju
Palermo (Jul 7, '10)
Wonderland's 234th celebration of its alleged "independence" highlights how
patriotism, nationalism, militarism and imperialism have all merged into one
all-consuming blob. Things have degenerated to such an extent that one can
longer equate one's devotion to country in terms other than support for mass
slaughter, promiscuous corruption and blindness to facts. The same flag that is
draped over the corpses of America's stooge soldiers (flags normal
Wonderlanders never get to see) is now waved for rallying cheers and hurrahs
for distant wars that serve the interests of no one save the plutocrats, the
politicians and the bankers. The idea that America could persuade the world of
its divine goodness by its peace-loving, free marketing, law-abiding example
has surrendered to the expediency of imposing its bankrupt, illegal and immoral
ideology on unwilling Third Worlders with the barrel of a gun. Another vanished
Empire tried that approach, I seem to recall, and in the same neck of the
woods. White Trash TeaBagger America will, however, continue to send their
children into those red, white and blue coffins to prop up a decrepit,
decaying, dissolving Empire, because they can no longer envision honoring
America's ideals except through violence, coercion and criminality. Little
wonder that these same deluded Fox Network fans are stockpiling weapons for a
day of reckoning with those who still preserve America's ideals. That day fast
approacheth.
H Campbell (Jul 6, '10)
I suspect David Moon is "Mooning" his readers with a touch of Israeli "Shlock
and Awe" - While there is no doubt of Israel's technical superiority - they
should beware overconfidence. While they may be ready to demonstrate the
capability of the latest in US & Israeli countermeasures, I am sure that
Iran and Russia will both be equally desirous of testing out their defensive
countermeasures in such a real world situation. With both Russia and Iran
supplying Syria with suitable equipment, I would severely doubt the ability for
an Israeli Airforce flight over Syrian territory, unmolested. Should the
G-550's be taken out over Syria, then Iran would certainly be in a better
position to deal with the strike force and ensure that it does not make the
return journey, at the very least. For Israel that would be the ultimate
humiliation. I would also assume that Russia would want to take "appropriate
measures" to protect its citizens at the Busheir site, should that be attacked.
In the meantime, I would have no doubt that Iran will have removed most of
their technical capacity to deep underground facilities that even the best of
the "bunker busters" will not penetrate. When will Israel learn that it should
negotiate from a position of strength - rather than bury itself under a pile of
hubris and arrogance, that win it no friends and multiplies its enemies - where
is the smart diplomacy rather than the smarts A** diplomacy that is currently
bring practices.
Allen Jay
Queensland, Australia (Jul 6, '10)
Communal violence among Islamic sects goes all the way back to the very
inception of the religion and has always been a strong force that has moved
Muslims to kill and maim their fellow Muslims in the name of Islam. The recent
attacks on Shias, Ahmadiyas, and Sufis represent a continuation of events that
predate 911 and George W Bush and the politics of terror they engendered.
Sectarian warfare in Islam cannot be understood or explained in terms of the
war on terror. It is a different reality.
Cha-am Jamal
Thailand (Jul 6, '10)
[Re BP in the Gulf -
the Persian Gulf , Jun 30] Another brilliant article. I am deeply
indebted to Stephen Kinzer for putting together so much factual research and
disturbing truth. I absolutely loved the last paragraph, "Many Americans are
outraged by the relentless images of oil gushing into Gulf waters from the
Deepwater Horizon well, and by the corporate recklessness that allowed this
spill to happen. Those who know Iranian history have been less surprised". Then
we are treated to wholly a different aspect article by David Moon in
The anatomy of an attack on Iran, Jun 30. When will the world actually
grow up, become mature and resolve differences peacefully? "War with Iran"?
Most astute observers well know that Israel, the USA, Britain, Europe and
"Sunni" nations would love nothing more. Tragically, for the rest of us, the
consequences are appalling and, I'm becoming mightily sick of a world run by
big business, the military and minor, self described, political potentates
called "world leaders". Ian C Purdie Sydney, Australia
(Jul 2, '10)
[Re US misses history
lessons on Korea, Jul 1] I am somewhat baffled by Dr Lee's thesis in
this article. I wonder what missed lesson is he referring to. That the Truman
administration did not ''hold quiet consultations with Beijing to envision and
prepare jointly for a unified Korea under Seoul's initiative,'' back in 1950,
was the lesson missed?
I wonder if Dr Lee understands the Chinese point of view. China does not see
North Korea as an ideological comrade, and therefore has no preference to its
dominance on the Korea Peninsula over South Korea. A regime whose leadership
keeps concubines, hands over power to sons and grandsons as if it is a throne,
considers all under the Korean sun as its own, is not communist. It is a
monarchy, pure and simple, and contemporary China has no love for monarchs. It
maintains a friendly relationship with North Korea because it sees South Korea
as being hostile. Here is a military force that arguably has enough superiority
in weaponry to easily overwhelm the North, and yet chose continued occupation
by the imperial superpower of today whose plain objective is the containment of
China, and which openly deploys offensive nukes on Korean soil, for the one and
only obvious purpose.
How should China think under these circumstances? South Korea and Japan are
both naive enough to think that, by simply accepting China as member of the
world, China should be so grateful as to turn on its traditional ally. What
exactly has South Korea done in China's favor in the last 60 years to prompt
China to want a unified Korea under the South Korean initiative?
Actually, the Chinese leadership has less confidence in South Korean presidents
of recent past than Japanese prime ministers because they have all been fervent
Christians, and Christians have been the most ardent antagonists against China
in the last 60 years of history.
Chenliyen
Wisconsin, United States (Jul 2, '10)
[Re US misses history
lessons on Korea, Jul 1] The US has not learnt its history lessons on
Korea well. Consider US President Barack Obama calling China's Hu Jintao
"willfully blind" because he refused to join Obama's crusade against North
Korea. A more striking example of America's blindness and deafness to Korea is
found in the recently released CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) report on US
policy toward the Korean peninsula. It is the received wisdom of 24 American
experts in and out of government suggesting to the president that it is time to
"roll back" North Korea.
These "experts" find comfort in Cold War ideology and rhetoric. Such thinking
simply stokes an appetite for confrontation with Pyongyang even on a military
footing. Unlearnt lessons on Korea have put the US on a slippery slope to war.
Nakamura Junzo Guam (Jul 2, '10)
It is a common theme in many of the articles published in Asia Times Online
that governments are engaging in massive deficit spending to boost their
economies, and that the resultant deficits will lead to ruin because Keynes was
wrong. With respect, these views are totally missing the major points. Nothing
that what most governments are doing today has anything even remotely connected
to Keynes, and the buildup of sovereign debt is really not relevant.
Suppose you and I were business partners. I give myself a million-dollar bonus,
and pay for it by having the business take out a loan. I then say "my goodness:
the company is loaded down with debt!" and propose paying for it by slashing
your salary, eliminating your health benefits and pension, renting out your
corner office and moving you to a closet in the basement. What is your
response?
a. "Gosh Keynesian deficit spending is the path to ruin I'll move into the
basement closet right away”.
b. "You bastard, you're stealing from me. See you in court."
If you picked ''b'', congratulations, you are not a moron. In this case the
debt is not the issue, it's just a transfer point for money going from you to
me. Same with current government policies. The buildup of sovereign debt is NOT
due to social spending or misguided Keynesian deficit spending. It's due to
massive gifts of countless trillions of dollars to the big banks. The debt is
just a transfer point for wealth going from me and you to uber-wealthy
rentiers, it should not be considered the main event.
Consider the United States. The social security system is fully funded by a
dedicated tax on labor, it currently has a trillion dollar surplus and is on
steady ground for decades at least. Social security has NOT contributed to the
national debt. Obama's so-called stimulus program, when all the crap is
factored out, probably only spent about US$200 billion to $300 billion on real
Keynesian stimulus of the real economy. It's hard not to see this as just a red
herring.
At the same time, the Wall Street bailout has already resulted in about $5
trillion in direct costs, and commitments and promises that could easily top
$20 trillion. Oh, and a trillion dollars a year in defense spending that
appears to be more a gift to defense contractors than anything else ($400 a
gallon for gasoline! And LOTS more than just one gallon ... ). That's where the
debt has come from, not social spending, and not Keynesian stimulus.
The issue of whether Keynes was right, that under conditions of lack of demand
deficit spending on real jobs and real production can in fact produce a
multiplier effect, or if deficit spending only transfers economic activity from
the private to the public sector without creating any net new wealth, is indeed
an interesting question. It just has nothing to do with what's going on in the
world today.
Timothy Gawne
United States (Jul 2, '10)
June Letters
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