News of the Day (March 14)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: The Korea Liberator has the latest news on the Communists' Korean colony.

Communists are covering up bird flu in northeastern provinces: According to an unnamed former journalist from Communist China now in the United States, the cadres are covering up large bird flu outbreaks in all three northeastern provinces: Liaoning, Heilongjiang , and Jilin. In each province, the reporter "found and can prove that now there are large numbers of cases of [human] bird flu infection" (Epoch Times). In Liaoning in particular - where over 400 patients are re-labeled "experimental medical subjects" - "provincial authorities are keeping the situation secret, even from the central government in Beijing."

Former hospital worker confirms and gives grisly accounts of prisoner organ donations: At a forum in Sydney, Australia, a former Shenyang hospital worker named Yuan Hong "confirmed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has committed the crime of taking organs from living prisoners" (Epoch Times). The gentleman gave a detailed and chilling account of how the organs are extracted before the prisoner is executed. Shenyang is the same city that has the Sujiatun organ-harvesting camp.

Other human rights abuses news: The hunger strike reaches Orlando (Epoch Times). Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang is till trying to excuse his company's craven behavior (fourteenth, fifth, lead, third, eighth, seventh, third, fifth, eighth, last, third, fourth, fourth, third, eighth, and eighth items) in Communist China (Worldwide Standard). Jay Nordlinger, National Review Online, laments the indictment of Li Jianping, and wonders: "How in the world could the International Olympic Committee have given the 2008 Games to Beijing? (emphasis in original)" Mr. Nordlinger, may we recommend this page?

Rubber-stamp Parliament sees more "debate," but only from Maoists: As Communist Premier Wen Jiabao wrapped up the session of the rubber-stamp Parliament (BBC), much talk swirled around the apparent increase in "internal debate" (BBC). However, said "debate" was largely between the status quo and those looking to move in a more Maoist and dictatorial direction; i.e., between where the Communist regime is and where Hu Jintao would like it to be. In a similar vein during "debate" on the "new socialist countryside," cadres were given free rein to rail against corruption (Asia News), but any attempt to bring political reform into the discussion was quickly shot down.

Communists want growth to slow, again: The Communist regime is "looking to ease back on the economic growth throttle over the next five years" (CNN). This is not the first time the cadres have tried to talk down the economy - in particular the wasteful building of factories that show up on growth statistics but produce nothing of value for anyone (twenty-ninth, thirtieth, last, and seventh items).

Taiwanese president talks to the Washington Post: During said interview, President Chen Shui-bian insisted that only the Taiwanese people have the right to determine their own fate, and that Taiwan's constitution must be changed in large part because the old model (written in 1947) is badly out of date.

Aide to Chen rips global treatment of him: Joseph Wu, Chairman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, echoed the point his elected boss made about the 1947 Constitution, and also let out this explosive - but, sadly, true - comment about how most of the rest of the world treats the island democracy: "Our president is being treated probably worse than a terrorist or a criminal, and that's not fair to Taiwan" (BBC).

India-Communist China border talks end without agreement; more talks to come: Talks between India and Communist China on their disputed border ended "on a positive note" (United Press Int'l via Washington Times), but with no agreement.

Communists have enough electricity - for Vietnam: Communist China has suffered an electricity shortage of nearly 17 million kilowatts last year (next to last item), and projects a 9 million kilowatt shortage (at best) this year (fifth item), but that didn't stop them from agreeing "to supply Vietnam with 1.3 billion kilowatts of electricity" (UPI via Washington Times). The cadres once again remind the world how fellow Communist regimes - and the money they send to Zhongnanhai - are more important than the Chinese people.

Ignorant Comment of the Day: G. Russ McCracken, Jr., (Washington Times), in reviewing Ted Galen Carpenter's America's Coming War with China, is far too willing to accept Carpenter's proposal to abandon the island democracy - in particular the conventional wisdom that "China currently lacks the military might to retake Taiwan by force" (Taiwan's own military has already dispelled that myth). Of course, the Communists' plans to invade the island democracy by 2012 get no mention.

More on Communist China and the United States: Randall Parker, founder of Parapundit (and Member since 2003), weighs in on the trade imbalance between the U.S. and Communist China (fifth and twelfth items).

Iran called to the carpet for helping terrorists in Iraq: President Bush "blamed Iran for helping kill American troops in Iraq, saying they are supplying some of the ever-more-lethal explosives that insurgents are using against coalition forces" (Washington Times). Bush was echoing former counterterrorism "czar" and Bush Administration critic Richard Clarke (fifth item); the Iranian mullahcracy has long been an ally and military beneficiary (nuclear weapons program included - see lead and fourth items) of Communist China.