Middle East

Jul 31, 2007

ASK SPENGLER
The perils of believing what you read

Dear Spengler:
Do you think the United States is ready for a woman president?
Chilling in Chappaqua

Dear Chilling:
The Americans are not ready for a woman president. That is why they will elect Hillary Clinton.
Spengler

Dear Spengler:
Stock markets seem to be crashing everywhere. Why is this happening?
Frightened at the Fed

Dear Frightened:
Karl Kraus wrote, "How is the world ruled, and how do wars start? Diplomats tell lies to journalists, and then believe what they read." Spengler's Corollary states that investment bankers put lies into prospectuses, and then believe what they read.
Spengler

Dear Spengler:
The United States is selling US$20 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia, while Russia is selling long-range bombers and anti-aircraft missiles to Iran. It looks as if the leading Sunni and Shi'ite powers are preparing for war. In the event of total war to the death between the Sunnis and Shi'ites, which side do you think will win?
Bothered in Baghdad

Dear Bothered:
They both will win.
Spengler

Dear Spengler:
I am the leader of a Middle Eastern country that sponsors a Shi'ite revolution against the Sunni establishment. Recently I was astonished to read of a telephone poll of my citizens concluding that that most of them want peaceful relations with the United States and Israel. It appears that only 29% of respondents care about developing nuclear weapons, which is my government's top priority. Even worse, 68% of respondents want normal relations and trade with the United States, which has placed my country under sanctions. Worst of all, most of the respondents want to recognize both Israel and Palestine as independent states. Where have I gone wrong?
Troubled in Tehran

Dear Troubled:
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Why should you take a telephone poll seriously? Most Iranians don't have telephones to begin with. Only the more affluent and educated have them, and they never voted for you to begin with.

You have 65 million people in your country, but only 18 million land lines and 8 million mobile phones. One can assume that most of the people who have cellular phones also have land lines. I would guess that only one of your citizens in three has a telephone line. By contrast, the Netherlands has 16 million people, and a total of 23 million phone lines (15 million cell phones and 8 million land lines).

You always have drawn support from the poor and ignorant majority in the countryside and the urban slums. Nothing has changed. Don't worry. No one will interrupt your journey toward martyrdom.
Spengler

(Copyright 2007 Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us about sales, syndication and republishing.)

Washington's befuddling line on Iran (Jul 27, '07)

In cold blood: Sunnis feel the heat (Jul 26, '07)

1. A new crisis in Russia-Iran relations

2. Bring 'em on: Jihadis in Pakistan await US

3. Malaysia's mid-life crisis

4. Turkey's Islamists pay a price for victory

5. China shies away from US mortgage market

6. India on the mind

7. India embraces US, Israeli arms

8. Iraq withdrawal follies

9. Chinese economists fear yuan's rise

( July 27 - 29, 2007)

New delhi Hotels

Maldives Hotels

Sri lanka Hotels

Manila Hotels

Bali Hotels

Korea Hotels

Head Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East, Central, Hong Kong
Thailand Bureau: 11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110