Friday, February 17, 2006

News of the Day (February 17)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Between Heaven and Earth marks the eight-millionth resignation from the Chinese Communist Party. The Korea Liberator has the latest news, and also comments on Banco Delta's exit from SNK, the prices of goods in the Stalinist North, and reports that the Stalinist cheerleaders sent south to make Kim Jong-il look good are now imprisoned.

More on the satellite states: Regarding the would-be colony, Japan raids two firms suspected of "illegally selling equipment to North Korea that could be used to make biological weapons" (BBC); former deserter Charles R. Jenkins (seventh, fourth, last, second, and third items) confirms the evidence of Stalinist counterfeiting in dramatic fashion (United Press Int'l via Washington Times, second item) as the U.S. responds with plans for a new $100 bill (UPI via Washington Times); Daily NK sees another chance for the Stalinists to hoodwink South Koreans out of their money: a car accident. Regarding the Iranian mullahcracy, Communist China seems - surprise! - "unlikely to support U.S. efforts to get the United Nations Security Council to pressure Iran on its nuclear program" (UPI via Washington Times), while Michael Ledeen (National Review Online) praises the Administration (partially) for finally moving in the right direction, i.e. towards liberation.

Communist China pressures India on Taiwan as two Congressmen stand up for it: Sun Yuxi Communist China's ambassador to India, told the media that the regime hopes "India will . . . refrain from sending the wrong signals to Taiwanese independence forces" (UPI via Washington Times). Meanwhile, Congressmen Dana Rohrabacher and Steve Chabot defended the island democracy and its elected President Chen Shui-bian in the Enlightened Comment of the Day (Washington Times).

U.S. expands tough trade talk to piracy: One day after some new bluster on Communist China's trade practices (sixth item), the U.S. moved into the area of piracy, at least according to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez: "If China ever aspires to be a legitimate, respected worldwide player and a key component of the world community, they have to play by the rules. We are (going to be) aggressive. That's our attitude and we are focused on achieving our results" (BBC). Such talk comes with it a new taskforce dedicated examining the bilateral trade relationship (BBC), which lead to a massive $200 billion imbalance (fifth item).

Ignorant Comment of the Day: To be fair to Google Vice President Elliot Sarge, he did call for the U.S. to "treat censorship as a barrier to trade, and raise that issue in appropriate fora." That said, he still tried to defend his company knuckling under to the Communists, and in the absence of anything more egregious, he takes the dubious honor (hat-tip, Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review Online, and member since 2002).

More on Communist China and the United States: Lev Navrozov, Newsmax, turns his attention to the Communists' NATO knock-off, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (second item).

Hunger strike news: The human rights hunger strike expands to New Zealand, Great Britain, and Boston (all links from the Epoch Times).

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