American general details Communist Chinese space weapons program: Marine Corps General James Cartwright spoke to the Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee about Communist China's "very disciplined and comprehensive continuum of capability against . . . our space capabilities" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). The general noted Communist advances in jamming and anti-satellite missiles, but made clear the cadres were unlikely to stop there (emphasis added): "Eventually, they'll probably be looking at co-orbital" weapons -- missiles that orbit near a satellite and then explode. Then, the one that you really worry about is introducing weapons of mass destruction into space on a missile."
Exxon throws $2.5 billion into Communist China: The investment will give Exxon a minority stake in "a joint venture to run 750 petrol stations and a petrochemical refinery" (BBC). However, the controlling stake will be in the hands of Communist-run Sinopec.
Olympic news: As the Communists try desperate to clean up badly polluted Beijing (Washington Post via MSNBC), Mia Farrow joins those linking the Games to Communist China's support for the Sudanese regime (h/t Between Heaven and Earth). Meanwhile, subway construction for the Olympics turns tragic when a tunnel collapses - and the regime-run firm covers it up to avoid blame (BBC).
Beijing surrender news: The American "demand" that Stalinist North Korea shut down its Yongbyon plant may actually be a favor to the Stalinists (Washington Times). Meanwhile, the Bush Administration is sending New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to SNK in an attempt to coax the Stalinists back to the table (United Press International via Washington Times).
More on the the Communists' Korean colony: Japan installs a missile defense system "to protect the capital in the event of a missile attack" (BBC). The dovishness of South Kore's government is criticized (Daily NK) and exposed as being dishonest to the people who narrowly elected it (UPI via Washington Times). Daily NK reports from the family "reunion" video-conferences.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
News of the Day (March 29)
Communist Chinese military buildup "shakes" Asia: Communist China's military spending "has tripled since 1999 " (Bill Gertz, Washington Times), and the massive, secret buildup "is raising fears among China's neighbors" - particularly Taiwan, which is facing nearly 1,000 Communist missile pointed at it.
A nice primer on Communist espionage comes courtesy of Charles R. Smith (Newsmax).
Putin expels Falun Gong practitioners and wins Communist cooperation on Mars mission: No, I'm not saying the two are directly linked, but I'm guessing Hu Jintao is much happier working with Putinist Russia in space (BBC) if Moscow continues kicking out practitioners here on earth (Epoch Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth).
On the the Communists' Korean colony: Rationing returns to the Stalinist North (Daily NK) and students in South Korea spread the word about the suffering in northern Korea (Daily NK).
A nice primer on Communist espionage comes courtesy of Charles R. Smith (Newsmax).
Putin expels Falun Gong practitioners and wins Communist cooperation on Mars mission: No, I'm not saying the two are directly linked, but I'm guessing Hu Jintao is much happier working with Putinist Russia in space (BBC) if Moscow continues kicking out practitioners here on earth (Epoch Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth).
On the the Communists' Korean colony: Rationing returns to the Stalinist North (Daily NK) and students in South Korea spread the word about the suffering in northern Korea (Daily NK).
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
News of the Day (March 28)
On the Communist military threat: Michael Goldfarb (Worldwide Standard) takes note of Communist China's plans to build an aircraft carrier.
Putin and Hu cement ties as reporter is barred from events: Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao aligned their regimes closer together geopolitically (Cybercast News). Meanwhile, Moscow continued to run interference for its guests (Epoch Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth).
More governments buckle under Communist pressure: Something tells me Putin didn't need a push from Hu, whereas South Korea (Epoch Times) and Australia (Between Heaven and Earth) probably did. Still, they caved all the same.
Beijing surrender goes from tragedy to farce: The $25 million that was supposed to be completely unrelated to denuclearizing Stalinist North Korea, and then was already on its way to Pyongyang, is now found to be stuck in limbo because a foreign "investor" is naive enough to believe some of the money is his - not the regime's (One Free Korea, United Press Int'l via Washington Times, and Washington Times). Meanwhile, SNK has created a new definition of denuclearization - one that let's them keep their nukes (OFK).
More on the the Communists' Korean colony: The Stalinist say they need more food aid (BBC), but Daily NK notes that the regime has stolen quite a bit of food aid for itself.
One country, one-and-a-half systems: Zheng Lichu and Pan Zaishu (Epoch Times) comment on Hong Kong's recent "election."
Putin and Hu cement ties as reporter is barred from events: Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao aligned their regimes closer together geopolitically (Cybercast News). Meanwhile, Moscow continued to run interference for its guests (Epoch Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth).
More governments buckle under Communist pressure: Something tells me Putin didn't need a push from Hu, whereas South Korea (Epoch Times) and Australia (Between Heaven and Earth) probably did. Still, they caved all the same.
Beijing surrender goes from tragedy to farce: The $25 million that was supposed to be completely unrelated to denuclearizing Stalinist North Korea, and then was already on its way to Pyongyang, is now found to be stuck in limbo because a foreign "investor" is naive enough to believe some of the money is his - not the regime's (One Free Korea, United Press Int'l via Washington Times, and Washington Times). Meanwhile, SNK has created a new definition of denuclearization - one that let's them keep their nukes (OFK).
More on the the Communists' Korean colony: The Stalinist say they need more food aid (BBC), but Daily NK notes that the regime has stolen quite a bit of food aid for itself.
One country, one-and-a-half systems: Zheng Lichu and Pan Zaishu (Epoch Times) comment on Hong Kong's recent "election."
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
News of the Day (March 27)
Hu Jintao and Putin talk Iran; anti-Communist protesters can't talk at all: As Russian police arrested more Falun Gong practitioners protesting Hu's visit to Moscow (Epoch Times), guest and host "jointly said they wanted to find a 'mutually acceptable solution' to Iran's 'nuclear problem'" (BBC). Don't believe the deceptive headline; Iran was asked to do nothing - at least not by Communist China (Wall Street Journal).
More on the Communist-backed mullahcracy of Iran: The seizure of fifteen British servicemen lights up the British blogosphere (Britain and America, Daniel Hannan, Harry's Place, and Iain Dale's Diary, h/t Iain Murray in National Review Online - The Corner) and is a major topic of conversation on the rest of the web (BBC, MSNBC, Michael Ledeen - NRO, NRO Editorial, NRO Symposium, NRO - The Corner, NRO - The Tank, Washington Times). Within Iran, the big story appears to the the arrest of a corrupt mullah (Washington Times). Meanwhile, the politics of oil may not be as good for Tehran as first appears (NRO - The Corner). Michael Rubin has the rest of the Iran news (NRO - The Corner).
Pakistan signs another deal with the Taliban: Bill Roggio (Worldwide Standard) has the bad news, and also comments on the older deals the Communist Chinese ally has inked with al Qaeda's pre-2001 host.
Beijing surrender news: Christopher Hill suddenly talks semi-tough, although One Free Korea remains unconvinced (and rightfully so).
More on the the Communists' Korean colony: Daily NK examines how Stalinist North Korea became the disaster it is now. Family reunions are back, somewhat (BBC). Daily NK calls on the South Korean government to support Radio Sea-Breeze.
U.S. Senator will oppose any greenhouse policy that excludes Communist China: As the cadres' regime is about to become the worst carbon emitter on earth, Senator Pete Domenici (Republican - New Mexico) insisted he would oppose any attempt to regulate greenhouse gases unless the cadres agreed to join (NRO - Planet Gore). Senator, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.
Chi Mak trial begins today, not yesterday (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Mea culpa.
New Zealand police detain journalist at Communists' behest: That's how Capital Chinese News reporter and photographer Nick Wang sees his expulsion from NZ's Parliament (Between Heaven and Earth).
On the Communist Olympiad: Former Australian swimmer Jan Becker talks to the Epoch Times on her efforts to bring attention to the upcoming hosts' terrible human rights record.
More on the Communist-backed mullahcracy of Iran: The seizure of fifteen British servicemen lights up the British blogosphere (Britain and America, Daniel Hannan, Harry's Place, and Iain Dale's Diary, h/t Iain Murray in National Review Online - The Corner) and is a major topic of conversation on the rest of the web (BBC, MSNBC, Michael Ledeen - NRO, NRO Editorial, NRO Symposium, NRO - The Corner, NRO - The Tank, Washington Times). Within Iran, the big story appears to the the arrest of a corrupt mullah (Washington Times). Meanwhile, the politics of oil may not be as good for Tehran as first appears (NRO - The Corner). Michael Rubin has the rest of the Iran news (NRO - The Corner).
Pakistan signs another deal with the Taliban: Bill Roggio (Worldwide Standard) has the bad news, and also comments on the older deals the Communist Chinese ally has inked with al Qaeda's pre-2001 host.
Beijing surrender news: Christopher Hill suddenly talks semi-tough, although One Free Korea remains unconvinced (and rightfully so).
More on the the Communists' Korean colony: Daily NK examines how Stalinist North Korea became the disaster it is now. Family reunions are back, somewhat (BBC). Daily NK calls on the South Korean government to support Radio Sea-Breeze.
U.S. Senator will oppose any greenhouse policy that excludes Communist China: As the cadres' regime is about to become the worst carbon emitter on earth, Senator Pete Domenici (Republican - New Mexico) insisted he would oppose any attempt to regulate greenhouse gases unless the cadres agreed to join (NRO - Planet Gore). Senator, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.
Chi Mak trial begins today, not yesterday (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Mea culpa.
New Zealand police detain journalist at Communists' behest: That's how Capital Chinese News reporter and photographer Nick Wang sees his expulsion from NZ's Parliament (Between Heaven and Earth).
On the Communist Olympiad: Former Australian swimmer Jan Becker talks to the Epoch Times on her efforts to bring attention to the upcoming hosts' terrible human rights record.
Monday, March 26, 2007
News of the Weekend (March 24-26)
United Nations tries another round of weak sanctions against Iran: The vote was 15-0 (National Review Online - The Corner, Shotgun, and Washington Times), which means Communist China voted in favor of the penalties against its allies in Tehran. One would assume said penalties must be pretty weak, and one would be right. Meanwhile, the mullahcracy "will partially suspend cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency" (Fox News).
More on the Communist-backed mullahcracy: Iranian troops attacked American soldiers in Iraq last year, according to U.S. News (cited by Worldwide Standard). Meanwhile, as one would expect, the mullahs seizure of 15 British servicemen received wall-to-wall coverage - or the web equivalent (BBC, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, NRO, NRO - David Pryce-Jones, NRO - The Corner, NRO - The Tank, Shotgun, Time, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times). Michael Rubin has the rest of the Iran news (NRO - The Corner).
Chi Mak trial begins: The case of the engineer whose family spy ring was busted in 2005 caught the eye of House China Caucus Chairman Randy Forbes, who continues to surprise and impress (New York Sun).
More on Communist China and the United States: A major pet food poisoning fiasco is found to be caused by rat poison "on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food" (Small Dead Animals, Canada Free Press also reporting). San Franciscan celebrate the 20 million ex-cadres who have quit the Communist Party in disgust (Epoch Times). Intel announces plans for microchip plant in Communist China (BBC).
Beijing surrender news - U.S. to help Communists deliver money to Stalinist North Korea: Words fail me (One free Korea and Washington Times).
More on the the Communists' Korean colony: Daily NK expects more refugees in the coming months; the paper also comments on SNK's involvement in South Korea's elections and Kim Jong-il's demands for military parades in respective articles. Meanwhile, One Free Korea remembers the life of abduction victim Doina Bumbea and rails against the fallacy of "food aid" to SNK (twice) in respective posts.
Hu Jintao visits Russia; Putin arrests Falun Gong practitioners in anticipation: Vladimir Putin tends not to like any kinds of protests anymore, so this news does not surprise; it only disappoints (Between Heaven and Earth, BBC, Epoch Times).
Sudan's slow-motion massacre in Darfur reflecting badly on Communist Chinese benefactors: The brutality of the Sudanese regime - and the fact that Communist China is a major supporter of same, may turn the free world away from the Beijing Olympics (Boycott 2008 and Washington Times).
Communist Chinese ally Pakistan continues to be a Taliban-al Qaeda haven: Bill Roggio (Weekly Standard) is the latest to note how Pervez Musharraf has handed a piece of his nation over to the enemy.
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: India's latest attempt to counter Communist China's influence - a plan to outbribe Beijing in Burma - may become its most counterproductive (Washington Times). The Venezuelan dictatorship "is working on a number of new oil deals with China" (BBC). The United Kingdom hears from David Kilgour on the organ harvesting issue (Between Heaven and Earth).
One country, one-and-a-half-systems rolls on: As expected, Beijing's choice for Hong Kong leader - Donald Tsang - easily won the votes of the largely Beijing-appointed panel that "elects" the post (BBC and Washington Times).
More on matters inside Communist China: Chuan Ren (Epoch Times) reveals how the Communist regime has ensured that the benefits of its economic growth go only to Party members and their lackeys. Wang Jingwen (also in the Epoch Times) praises the heroism of Dr. Gao Yaojie, the woman who blew the whistle on the cadres' unhygienic blood donation scheme that became an AIDS superhighway.
More on the Communist-backed mullahcracy: Iranian troops attacked American soldiers in Iraq last year, according to U.S. News (cited by Worldwide Standard). Meanwhile, as one would expect, the mullahs seizure of 15 British servicemen received wall-to-wall coverage - or the web equivalent (BBC, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, NRO, NRO - David Pryce-Jones, NRO - The Corner, NRO - The Tank, Shotgun, Time, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times). Michael Rubin has the rest of the Iran news (NRO - The Corner).
Chi Mak trial begins: The case of the engineer whose family spy ring was busted in 2005 caught the eye of House China Caucus Chairman Randy Forbes, who continues to surprise and impress (New York Sun).
More on Communist China and the United States: A major pet food poisoning fiasco is found to be caused by rat poison "on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food" (Small Dead Animals, Canada Free Press also reporting). San Franciscan celebrate the 20 million ex-cadres who have quit the Communist Party in disgust (Epoch Times). Intel announces plans for microchip plant in Communist China (BBC).
Beijing surrender news - U.S. to help Communists deliver money to Stalinist North Korea: Words fail me (One free Korea and Washington Times).
More on the the Communists' Korean colony: Daily NK expects more refugees in the coming months; the paper also comments on SNK's involvement in South Korea's elections and Kim Jong-il's demands for military parades in respective articles. Meanwhile, One Free Korea remembers the life of abduction victim Doina Bumbea and rails against the fallacy of "food aid" to SNK (twice) in respective posts.
Hu Jintao visits Russia; Putin arrests Falun Gong practitioners in anticipation: Vladimir Putin tends not to like any kinds of protests anymore, so this news does not surprise; it only disappoints (Between Heaven and Earth, BBC, Epoch Times).
Sudan's slow-motion massacre in Darfur reflecting badly on Communist Chinese benefactors: The brutality of the Sudanese regime - and the fact that Communist China is a major supporter of same, may turn the free world away from the Beijing Olympics (Boycott 2008 and Washington Times).
Communist Chinese ally Pakistan continues to be a Taliban-al Qaeda haven: Bill Roggio (Weekly Standard) is the latest to note how Pervez Musharraf has handed a piece of his nation over to the enemy.
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: India's latest attempt to counter Communist China's influence - a plan to outbribe Beijing in Burma - may become its most counterproductive (Washington Times). The Venezuelan dictatorship "is working on a number of new oil deals with China" (BBC). The United Kingdom hears from David Kilgour on the organ harvesting issue (Between Heaven and Earth).
One country, one-and-a-half-systems rolls on: As expected, Beijing's choice for Hong Kong leader - Donald Tsang - easily won the votes of the largely Beijing-appointed panel that "elects" the post (BBC and Washington Times).
More on matters inside Communist China: Chuan Ren (Epoch Times) reveals how the Communist regime has ensured that the benefits of its economic growth go only to Party members and their lackeys. Wang Jingwen (also in the Epoch Times) praises the heroism of Dr. Gao Yaojie, the woman who blew the whistle on the cadres' unhygienic blood donation scheme that became an AIDS superhighway.
Friday, March 23, 2007
News of the Day (March 23)
Communist China's control of information includes foreign press and jailing dissidents: In the face of what the Washington Post called "radical economic and social changes over the past two decades," the Communists have kept their iron grip on power in place in no small part through their control of information. The Post has the details on the regime-run television "news." Zhou Huiying (Central News Agency via Epoch Times) notes that it such control extends to media as well, "Only certain media agencies were invited, and all questions had to be submitted and given permission." Of course, anyone who tries to write about the truth, such as Zhang Jianhong, is sent to prison (Epoch Times).
More on human rights abuses in Communist China: Falun Gong practitioners are sent to labor camps (Between Heaven and Earth). Zhang Fengchun was forced to escape Communist China after offending his local Communist boss; he tells his story to the second convention of the China Social Democratic Party (Epoch Times).
Top U.S. military commander visits Beijing: General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called for a "more transparent" (BBC) Communist military, hears a Communist proposal for closer military ties (National Review Online - The Tank), and disappoints Michael Goldfarb (Worldwide Standard).
India gets more attention: Both the United States (Washington Times) and Canada (Epoch Times) are finding the largest democracy on earth to be quite appealing when compared to Communist China.
Beijing surrender news: U.S. envoy Christopher Hill opines that Stalinist North Korea will return to talks once it "received the funds it is demanding" (BBC); South Korea is back in full dovish mode (BBC); and Daily NK ponders the effect of all this on the upcoming South Korean elections (hint: it's not good).
More on human rights abuses in Communist China: Falun Gong practitioners are sent to labor camps (Between Heaven and Earth). Zhang Fengchun was forced to escape Communist China after offending his local Communist boss; he tells his story to the second convention of the China Social Democratic Party (Epoch Times).
Top U.S. military commander visits Beijing: General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called for a "more transparent" (BBC) Communist military, hears a Communist proposal for closer military ties (National Review Online - The Tank), and disappoints Michael Goldfarb (Worldwide Standard).
India gets more attention: Both the United States (Washington Times) and Canada (Epoch Times) are finding the largest democracy on earth to be quite appealing when compared to Communist China.
Beijing surrender news: U.S. envoy Christopher Hill opines that Stalinist North Korea will return to talks once it "received the funds it is demanding" (BBC); South Korea is back in full dovish mode (BBC); and Daily NK ponders the effect of all this on the upcoming South Korean elections (hint: it's not good).
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Francois Bayrou for President of France
Of all the places I would expect the anti-Communist community to find a political hero, France was just about the last on my list. Nothing against the French people, who themselves are not happy with Communist China for a host of reasons. However, once I discovered that Jack Lang would not be running for President, it appeared 2007 would see no anti-Communists in Paris' presidential field. I had no idea who Francois Bayrou was back then, and I certainly didn't expect the gentlemen would be so bold as to call for a conditional boycott of the 2008 Olympic Games.
Yet that's exactly what he did, so he now has my support, for what it's worth. I doubt I have many readers in the French Republic, but I apparently have at least a few, and I am now asking them to vote for M. Bayrou.
I am aware that Bayrou is currently in third place, which means he would miss the run-off, but some polls put him very close to current second-place candidate Segolene Royal. If he can pass Royal (or Nicolas Sarkozy)between now and April 22 (voting day), he can make the run-off. From there, anything can happen.
Moreover, Bayrou is the only candidate who has made such a bold move, and as such, support for him would reveal that the French people will no longer tolerate the craven policies of Jacques Chirac toward Communist China. It would make France the second major industrial democracy in less than two years to elect an anti-Communist to power (Canada was the first with Stephen Harper), and could very well encourage other democratic nations to take a second look at the Beijing Games.
I admire both M. Sarkozy (for views on domestic affairs, which is obviously not relevant to this blog) and Mlle. Royal (for her tough statements on Iran and its nuclear program), but with this call, M. Bayrou has trumped them both. To all French citizens who read this: Votez Bayrou, s'il vous plait.
Yet that's exactly what he did, so he now has my support, for what it's worth. I doubt I have many readers in the French Republic, but I apparently have at least a few, and I am now asking them to vote for M. Bayrou.
I am aware that Bayrou is currently in third place, which means he would miss the run-off, but some polls put him very close to current second-place candidate Segolene Royal. If he can pass Royal (or Nicolas Sarkozy)between now and April 22 (voting day), he can make the run-off. From there, anything can happen.
Moreover, Bayrou is the only candidate who has made such a bold move, and as such, support for him would reveal that the French people will no longer tolerate the craven policies of Jacques Chirac toward Communist China. It would make France the second major industrial democracy in less than two years to elect an anti-Communist to power (Canada was the first with Stephen Harper), and could very well encourage other democratic nations to take a second look at the Beijing Games.
I admire both M. Sarkozy (for views on domestic affairs, which is obviously not relevant to this blog) and Mlle. Royal (for her tough statements on Iran and its nuclear program), but with this call, M. Bayrou has trumped them both. To all French citizens who read this: Votez Bayrou, s'il vous plait.
News of the Day (March 22)
French Presidential candidate calls for boycott of Beijing Olympics over Darfur: Francois Bayrou, candidate of the Union of French Democracy (UDF), made the call durign a rally for Darfur (Boycott 2008) . Bayrou, who polls have in third place, had this to say (Worldwide Standard): "If this drama does not stop, France would do itself credit by not coming to the Olympic Games . . . China decided to bring its protection to the Khartoum regime." If Bayrou were to win (and he is a few points shy of second place, which he would need to make the second round), it would be a sea change from the current, pro-Beijing government of Jacques Chirac. The first round vote is on April 22.
Beijing surrender talks spiked as the cadres insistence that the U.S. ignore money laundering: At first, Stalinist North Korea's decision to end six-party talks on its nuclear weapons program - again (BBC) - seems silly. After all, the money the Stalinists want (and which the Americans are willing to give them) needs time to shift accounts. However, One Free Korea has picked up a deeper problem, courtesy of Russian diplomat Alexander Losyukov: "He said the United States failed to assure the Chinese side that the Bank of China could receive the funds, which were linked to a counterfeiting and money laundering investigation, without fear of facing U.S. sanctions or a 'negative attitude' from the banking community and the U.S. government." Or as OFK put it, the cadres are demanding that we "grant North Korea and the Bank of China advance immunity from our banking, counterfeiting, or money laundering laws." Meanwhile, this entire sorry episode continues to earn scorn (Daily NK, Daily NK again, and the Washington Times).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Ernest W. Lefever of the Ethics and Public Policy Center calls for a nuclear-armed Japan to help counter Communist China (Daily Standard). Australia's plans for a free trade agreement with Communist China meets criticism (AAP via Epoch Times). Yu Ling talks to the Washington Times about her plans to battle Yahoo, which helped the cadres arrest her husband Wang Xiaoning. Al Gore advises against trying to force Communist China to cut greenhouse gases (National Review Online - The Corner), despite the fact that the Communist regime is about to pass the United States as the largest carbon emitter on Earth.
Hong Kong march for universal suffrage: Hong Kong is about to "elect" its leader for the next five years. Only 800 members of a special committee are allowed to vote; the overwhelming majority of them were chosen by the Communists. Thousands took to the streets in Hong Kong to protest this (Epoch Times).
Communists on the hunt for "hostile forces": The cadres are using the upcoming Olympics as an excuse to crack down just about anyone who opposes them (Boycott 2008).
On the "white hot" Communist Chinese economy: "Nearly half of those seeking jobs in China will not be able to find work, Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun reported" (United Press Int'l via Washington Times).
Beijing surrender talks spiked as the cadres insistence that the U.S. ignore money laundering: At first, Stalinist North Korea's decision to end six-party talks on its nuclear weapons program - again (BBC) - seems silly. After all, the money the Stalinists want (and which the Americans are willing to give them) needs time to shift accounts. However, One Free Korea has picked up a deeper problem, courtesy of Russian diplomat Alexander Losyukov: "He said the United States failed to assure the Chinese side that the Bank of China could receive the funds, which were linked to a counterfeiting and money laundering investigation, without fear of facing U.S. sanctions or a 'negative attitude' from the banking community and the U.S. government." Or as OFK put it, the cadres are demanding that we "grant North Korea and the Bank of China advance immunity from our banking, counterfeiting, or money laundering laws." Meanwhile, this entire sorry episode continues to earn scorn (Daily NK, Daily NK again, and the Washington Times).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Ernest W. Lefever of the Ethics and Public Policy Center calls for a nuclear-armed Japan to help counter Communist China (Daily Standard). Australia's plans for a free trade agreement with Communist China meets criticism (AAP via Epoch Times). Yu Ling talks to the Washington Times about her plans to battle Yahoo, which helped the cadres arrest her husband Wang Xiaoning. Al Gore advises against trying to force Communist China to cut greenhouse gases (National Review Online - The Corner), despite the fact that the Communist regime is about to pass the United States as the largest carbon emitter on Earth.
Hong Kong march for universal suffrage: Hong Kong is about to "elect" its leader for the next five years. Only 800 members of a special committee are allowed to vote; the overwhelming majority of them were chosen by the Communists. Thousands took to the streets in Hong Kong to protest this (Epoch Times).
Communists on the hunt for "hostile forces": The cadres are using the upcoming Olympics as an excuse to crack down just about anyone who opposes them (Boycott 2008).
On the "white hot" Communist Chinese economy: "Nearly half of those seeking jobs in China will not be able to find work, Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun reported" (United Press Int'l via Washington Times).
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
News of the Day (March 21)
Communists fire college dean for criticisms he posted on a blog: Zhang Ming was "dean of political sciences at Renmin University in Beijing" (Washington Post) until he was found "criticizing the school's administration on his blog" - something to remember the next time a Communist professor is cited by anyone, anywhere, as an analyst.
On the plight of petitioners: Huang Qi (64Tianwang.com via Epoch Times) describes the conditions in the "Beijing Petitioners’ Village."
On corruption: Maria Zheng (Epoch Times) examines the extent of how local and national cadres lie to each other in order for the graft to continue and to be ignored.
Enlightened Comment of the Day: Jay Nordlinger of National Review Online easily takes the prize for the condensed review of James Mann's The China Fantasy in his (Nordlinger's) "Impromptus" column.
Even South Korea is getting worried about the Beijing surrender: One Free Korea has the happy yet surprising news. Meanwhile, the U.S. ponders a plan to get the plutonium out of Stalinist North Korea.
More on the the Communists' Korean colony: Daily NK chronicles how Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il has consolidated power and projected his cult of personality in norther Korea.
On the plight of petitioners: Huang Qi (64Tianwang.com via Epoch Times) describes the conditions in the "Beijing Petitioners’ Village."
On corruption: Maria Zheng (Epoch Times) examines the extent of how local and national cadres lie to each other in order for the graft to continue and to be ignored.
Enlightened Comment of the Day: Jay Nordlinger of National Review Online easily takes the prize for the condensed review of James Mann's The China Fantasy in his (Nordlinger's) "Impromptus" column.
Even South Korea is getting worried about the Beijing surrender: One Free Korea has the happy yet surprising news. Meanwhile, the U.S. ponders a plan to get the plutonium out of Stalinist North Korea.
More on the the Communists' Korean colony: Daily NK chronicles how Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il has consolidated power and projected his cult of personality in norther Korea.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
On foreign reserves: are the Communists about to do us an (accidental) favor?
Communist China recently announced it was creating a new investment firm charged specifically with managing its $1 trillion and change in foreign reserves. The cadres insist the new firm "will not hurt the dollar or the American economy." Of course, the cadres are not sincere about this, but their words may be right despite their actions.
The Communists have spent more than a dozen years building up their foreign reserves with their deliberately depreciated currency. The more obvious result of their predatory economic policies has been a U.S. trade deficit to Communist China of more than $200 billion, the largest bilateral trade imbalance in the history of the world. Now, unlike garden-variety protectionists, I don't consider a trade deficit to be a problem per se. A trade deficit with a geopolitical ally (like the large deficits we had vis a vis Japan in the 1980s) can bring benefits on the world stage that don't show up on the current account balance sheet. More to the point, while every economist agrees about the link between goods trade and capital (investment) trade - i.e., one must counterbalance the other - the issue of causality (which leads to which) makes for heated debate. I tend to believe that America's trade imbalance with the rest of the word is the effect, rather than the cause, of America's appeal as an investment vehicle for foreigners.
In fact, Communist China's depreciation would be impossible without regime's willingness to back it up with massive purchase of American investments (usually U.S. Treasury bonds). Only by swallowing up the bonds (and the dollars in which they are priced) can the Communists hold down the overall dollar supply, and thus make the dollar worth more than it would normally be relative to the Communist currency.
That said, the Communist currency devaluation still has dangers to America. While there has certainly been some damage to American manufacturing, I would submit that the impact on other exporters to the U.S. has been far, far worse. Communist China has now muscled out every other nation except Canada to become the second largest exporter to the United States. Its currency move (begun in 1994) may very well have started the "Asian flu" that hit the economies of Indonesia, South Korea, and to a lesser extent Taiwan. Even Japan's export sector has taken a hit. The damage to so many American allies by Communist China's devaluation makes it had for me to believe this was an accident.
Secondly, the buildup in foreign reserves can create (and in fact, it has created) a mountain of cash that can become a geopolitical slush fund for the Communists. If an American Administration - any American Administration - announced it would take a $1 trillion account and invest it in the stock market, the possibility of "social investments" distorting market decisions would drive most economists to apoplexy. While $1 trillion means a lot less in comparison to the entire globe than it does for Wall Street, the cadres still have a tremendous chance to use their reserves to aid their geopolitical power objectives. At the right time and place, a quick transfusion of funds can help a tyrannical ruler delay hyperinflation (hello, Venezuela), rescue a dictator already neck-deep in it (Zimbabwe, anyone?), or come to the aid of an economically isolated nation (say, the Communist-backed mullahcracy of Iran). The geopolitical gains to the Communists - and damage to the Americans - can be substantial.
Thirdly, there is the effect on the American economy. If Communist China chooses to put its reserves elsewhere around the world, it is no longer swallowing up American bonds (and dollars). The resultant dumping of American currency will send the dollar sinking, and fast. If the Communist play their cards right, they could deal the dollar a body blow from which it could never recover.
Clearly, the move by the Communists to start shifting away from American investments can do tremendous and unspeakable damage to the American economy. So why am I saying the cadres are doing us an "accidental favor"? The answer is simple; the cadres are moving way too soon.
At present (March 2007), Communist China holds just over $350 billion in American debt. Yes, that's quite a lot, but compared to the $8.8 trillion in total American debt, it comes to merely 4%. Even among foreign-owned debt, Communist China's piece is less than one-sixth. This means that Communist China's ability to do long-term damage to the American economy is not particularly high right now. Moreover, the odds of the $350 billion in Treasury bonds finding no takers is practically nil. British investors have been increasing their holdings in U.S. debt at a rate twice as large as the Communists; they would certainly be willing to take a large chunk of what the cadres leave behind.
Moreover, if the Communists decided to scale back on their American investments, their ability to keep their currency devalued against the dollar will vanish. Of course, a drop in the dollar's value is part of the cadres' plan, but it will mean some American manufacturers - and far more exporters among America's allies - will find their products competitive in the American marketplace again.
So, for the Communists to gain geopolitically from dropping the dollar, they would need the knock the dollar so far down it loses its value as the "vehicle" currency in the world economy. If one's intent is to inflict that kind of damage, four percent ownership of total American debt just doesn't cut the mustard.
There will be some short-term damage to America's economy, possibly in inflation and some general capital withdrawal as the dropping currency makes international investors nervous for a time. However, the timing for the Communists couldn't possibly be worse. Communist China is preparing to do visible, painful, and temporary damage to America's economy as it prepares for the Olympic Games and its victim prepares for a presidential election. The political effect in the 2008 race could be a tremendous shot in the arm for anti-Communism. Meanwhile, the Communists' use of their reserves to aid their tyrannical, terrorist-sponsoring allies would bring even more focus to the cadres' nefarious geopolitical plans in the heat of an American election campaign.
Normally, the American political landscape would counteract these problems, what with "engagement" running rampant through the establishments of both parties. However, on the Republican side, anti-Communists of some form are dominating the three main facets of the 21st century campaign - the blogosphere (Duncan Hunter), the polls (Rudy Giuliani), and the current "buzz" (Fred Thompson, best-known for the Thompson-Toricelli Bill, which would have sanctioned Communist China for selling weapons to terrorists - it later showed up as a failed amendment to PNTR). If any of these three were to be the Republican nominee (and my heart is still with Hunter), the events described above could be the added boost they need to win the November election. That would be a political disaster for the Communists.
So why are they doing it? I suspect two possible reasons. First of all, they may not see the political ramifications of their actions. This shouldn't surprise anyone; tyrants have always had serious problems reading democracies. The second reason may be more simple (and is certainly more ominous): the Communists may feel they have no choice but to act now to prepare themselves for the future invasion of Taiwan. I would doubt America would still be feeling the ill effects of the cadres' move by 2012, so this may mean the invasion timetable is being moved up - all the more reason to ensure an anti-Communist is in the White House on January 20, 2009.
Either way, I genuinely believe the Communists are about to make a major geopolitical mistake with their foreign reserves. With a little luck, it will be their last before the Chinese people rise up to take their country back.
The Communists have spent more than a dozen years building up their foreign reserves with their deliberately depreciated currency. The more obvious result of their predatory economic policies has been a U.S. trade deficit to Communist China of more than $200 billion, the largest bilateral trade imbalance in the history of the world. Now, unlike garden-variety protectionists, I don't consider a trade deficit to be a problem per se. A trade deficit with a geopolitical ally (like the large deficits we had vis a vis Japan in the 1980s) can bring benefits on the world stage that don't show up on the current account balance sheet. More to the point, while every economist agrees about the link between goods trade and capital (investment) trade - i.e., one must counterbalance the other - the issue of causality (which leads to which) makes for heated debate. I tend to believe that America's trade imbalance with the rest of the word is the effect, rather than the cause, of America's appeal as an investment vehicle for foreigners.
In fact, Communist China's depreciation would be impossible without regime's willingness to back it up with massive purchase of American investments (usually U.S. Treasury bonds). Only by swallowing up the bonds (and the dollars in which they are priced) can the Communists hold down the overall dollar supply, and thus make the dollar worth more than it would normally be relative to the Communist currency.
That said, the Communist currency devaluation still has dangers to America. While there has certainly been some damage to American manufacturing, I would submit that the impact on other exporters to the U.S. has been far, far worse. Communist China has now muscled out every other nation except Canada to become the second largest exporter to the United States. Its currency move (begun in 1994) may very well have started the "Asian flu" that hit the economies of Indonesia, South Korea, and to a lesser extent Taiwan. Even Japan's export sector has taken a hit. The damage to so many American allies by Communist China's devaluation makes it had for me to believe this was an accident.
Secondly, the buildup in foreign reserves can create (and in fact, it has created) a mountain of cash that can become a geopolitical slush fund for the Communists. If an American Administration - any American Administration - announced it would take a $1 trillion account and invest it in the stock market, the possibility of "social investments" distorting market decisions would drive most economists to apoplexy. While $1 trillion means a lot less in comparison to the entire globe than it does for Wall Street, the cadres still have a tremendous chance to use their reserves to aid their geopolitical power objectives. At the right time and place, a quick transfusion of funds can help a tyrannical ruler delay hyperinflation (hello, Venezuela), rescue a dictator already neck-deep in it (Zimbabwe, anyone?), or come to the aid of an economically isolated nation (say, the Communist-backed mullahcracy of Iran). The geopolitical gains to the Communists - and damage to the Americans - can be substantial.
Thirdly, there is the effect on the American economy. If Communist China chooses to put its reserves elsewhere around the world, it is no longer swallowing up American bonds (and dollars). The resultant dumping of American currency will send the dollar sinking, and fast. If the Communist play their cards right, they could deal the dollar a body blow from which it could never recover.
Clearly, the move by the Communists to start shifting away from American investments can do tremendous and unspeakable damage to the American economy. So why am I saying the cadres are doing us an "accidental favor"? The answer is simple; the cadres are moving way too soon.
At present (March 2007), Communist China holds just over $350 billion in American debt. Yes, that's quite a lot, but compared to the $8.8 trillion in total American debt, it comes to merely 4%. Even among foreign-owned debt, Communist China's piece is less than one-sixth. This means that Communist China's ability to do long-term damage to the American economy is not particularly high right now. Moreover, the odds of the $350 billion in Treasury bonds finding no takers is practically nil. British investors have been increasing their holdings in U.S. debt at a rate twice as large as the Communists; they would certainly be willing to take a large chunk of what the cadres leave behind.
Moreover, if the Communists decided to scale back on their American investments, their ability to keep their currency devalued against the dollar will vanish. Of course, a drop in the dollar's value is part of the cadres' plan, but it will mean some American manufacturers - and far more exporters among America's allies - will find their products competitive in the American marketplace again.
So, for the Communists to gain geopolitically from dropping the dollar, they would need the knock the dollar so far down it loses its value as the "vehicle" currency in the world economy. If one's intent is to inflict that kind of damage, four percent ownership of total American debt just doesn't cut the mustard.
There will be some short-term damage to America's economy, possibly in inflation and some general capital withdrawal as the dropping currency makes international investors nervous for a time. However, the timing for the Communists couldn't possibly be worse. Communist China is preparing to do visible, painful, and temporary damage to America's economy as it prepares for the Olympic Games and its victim prepares for a presidential election. The political effect in the 2008 race could be a tremendous shot in the arm for anti-Communism. Meanwhile, the Communists' use of their reserves to aid their tyrannical, terrorist-sponsoring allies would bring even more focus to the cadres' nefarious geopolitical plans in the heat of an American election campaign.
Normally, the American political landscape would counteract these problems, what with "engagement" running rampant through the establishments of both parties. However, on the Republican side, anti-Communists of some form are dominating the three main facets of the 21st century campaign - the blogosphere (Duncan Hunter), the polls (Rudy Giuliani), and the current "buzz" (Fred Thompson, best-known for the Thompson-Toricelli Bill, which would have sanctioned Communist China for selling weapons to terrorists - it later showed up as a failed amendment to PNTR). If any of these three were to be the Republican nominee (and my heart is still with Hunter), the events described above could be the added boost they need to win the November election. That would be a political disaster for the Communists.
So why are they doing it? I suspect two possible reasons. First of all, they may not see the political ramifications of their actions. This shouldn't surprise anyone; tyrants have always had serious problems reading democracies. The second reason may be more simple (and is certainly more ominous): the Communists may feel they have no choice but to act now to prepare themselves for the future invasion of Taiwan. I would doubt America would still be feeling the ill effects of the cadres' move by 2012, so this may mean the invasion timetable is being moved up - all the more reason to ensure an anti-Communist is in the White House on January 20, 2009.
Either way, I genuinely believe the Communists are about to make a major geopolitical mistake with their foreign reserves. With a little luck, it will be their last before the Chinese people rise up to take their country back.
News of the Day (March 20)
Communist China's military buildup challenges the U.S. on all fronts: Peter Brookes (New York Post) examines the cadres' efforts to end American naval supremacy; Michael Goldfarb (Worldwide Standard) discusses the air power rivalry; and Joseph Wu, Taiwan's incoming de facto Ambassador to the United States, reminds all that the island democracy is on the front line (Washington Times).
More on Communist China and the United States: Kathy Higgins details Communist China's increasingly exploitative presence in Latin America (Petroleum World), while Chrysler begins a joint venture with the Communist-run Chery Auto (Canada Free Press).
Victim of Communist persecution for helping Korean refugees speaks out: Choi Young-Hun was a South Korean who helped refugees from North Korea hide from police in Communist China and escape the cadres' clutches. Four years ago, the Communist regime arrested him, ordered other prisoners to beat him, and injected him with foreign substances to make him ill. He told his story to the Epoch Times. Meanwhile, as Daily NK reports, the refugees themselves aren't treated much better if they're caught.
Beijing surrender hits snags on money and abductions: The Stalinist regime pulled out of six-party talks because the thawed out $25 million hasn't reached Beijing yet (One Free Korea). Meanwhile, Japan refuses to cave on the abduction issue (BBC).
Remember those relaxation of media restrictions? The Communists don't: James Reynolds (BBC) decided to test the Communist Party rules by visiting a village that had seen a major recent protest. He was quickly arrested. It gets better from there: "We told him of the new decree that allowed foreign journalists to travel anywhere in China without permission. 'That's only for Olympics-related stories,' he said. Then he paused again. 'And I don't think you are here for the Olympics.'"
Regime deletes reference to Zhao Ziyang: A question at Wen Jiabao's news conference referenced the late Communist leader who was purged from the Party for refusing to support the Tiananmen massacre; the live broadcast was uninterrupted, but in subsequent transcripts and recordings, the entire question disappeared (Worldwide Standard).
Is the pen mightier than the sleaze? Communist China will "publish a textbook on combating corruption" (BBC) in order to convince its cadres to stop stealing from the public. Good luck with that.
More on Communist China and the United States: Kathy Higgins details Communist China's increasingly exploitative presence in Latin America (Petroleum World), while Chrysler begins a joint venture with the Communist-run Chery Auto (Canada Free Press).
Victim of Communist persecution for helping Korean refugees speaks out: Choi Young-Hun was a South Korean who helped refugees from North Korea hide from police in Communist China and escape the cadres' clutches. Four years ago, the Communist regime arrested him, ordered other prisoners to beat him, and injected him with foreign substances to make him ill. He told his story to the Epoch Times. Meanwhile, as Daily NK reports, the refugees themselves aren't treated much better if they're caught.
Beijing surrender hits snags on money and abductions: The Stalinist regime pulled out of six-party talks because the thawed out $25 million hasn't reached Beijing yet (One Free Korea). Meanwhile, Japan refuses to cave on the abduction issue (BBC).
Remember those relaxation of media restrictions? The Communists don't: James Reynolds (BBC) decided to test the Communist Party rules by visiting a village that had seen a major recent protest. He was quickly arrested. It gets better from there: "We told him of the new decree that allowed foreign journalists to travel anywhere in China without permission. 'That's only for Olympics-related stories,' he said. Then he paused again. 'And I don't think you are here for the Olympics.'"
Regime deletes reference to Zhao Ziyang: A question at Wen Jiabao's news conference referenced the late Communist leader who was purged from the Party for refusing to support the Tiananmen massacre; the live broadcast was uninterrupted, but in subsequent transcripts and recordings, the entire question disappeared (Worldwide Standard).
Is the pen mightier than the sleaze? Communist China will "publish a textbook on combating corruption" (BBC) in order to convince its cadres to stop stealing from the public. Good luck with that.
Monday, March 19, 2007
News of the Weekend (March 17-19)
Bill Gertz lays out Communist China's espionage operations and plans against the U.S. In a wide-ranging talk at the Defense Forum Foundation, Washington Times national security correspondent Bill Gertz revealed how "Chinese espionage directed against the United States has met with 'total success for China' and 'total failure' for America's own intelligence operations" (Cybercast News). Gertz also discussed the Katrina Leung case, Communist China's military buildup, and the regime's support for terrorist states: "The missile programs now at work in Iran, Syria and North Korea 'could not be sustained without help from China,' he argued."
Taiwan to send new de facto ambassadors to the United States and Canada: Joseph Wu, the fellow who so succinctly explained Communist China's global intentions, will be the new representative for the island democracy in Washington (Taipei Times). The current representative in DC - David Lee- is headed for Ottawa.
Enlightened Comment of the Day: John Tkacik takes the prize for his detailed account of Communist China's military buildup in the Washington Times.
Communist China insists its foreign reserve fund won't hurt the United States: Communist premier Wen Jiabao himself insisted the new reserve investment plan "will not hurt the dollar or the American economy" (Washington Post). If the schedule permits, I'll have a full post on this later. Here's the short version: Wen may be right; the cadres may not hurt the American economy, but it won't be for lack of trying.
Beijing surrender news: The Bush Administration has thawed out Stalinist North Korea's $25 million that had been "frozen in a Macau bank amid money laundering allegations" (BBC); the money is headed for "an account in Beijing," naturally. As expected, South Korea is more than willing to follow the United States down Dovish Road (BBC), but Japan continues to balk (One Free Korea), and few American Congressmen are also upset (OFK). Meanwhile, Daily NK calls for vigilance over vacillation.
Meanwhile, Communist China still sends back every Korean refugee it finds, and Kay Seok of Human Rights Watch reminds us what happens to Koreans send back to Kim Jong-il (Washington Post).
More on the Communists' Korean colony: Daily NK has a two-part piece on the rise and sophistication of SNK's black market, a story on how to bribe one's way into better treatment from the Stalinist military, and a quick history of Stalinist "politics." Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Fund's star-crossed history in SNK is coming under scrutiny (National Review Online and OFK).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Indonesia releases Jia Jia, rather than deporting him (China Support Network); Mark N. Katz (United Press Int'l via Washington Times) examines Putinist Russia's split personality on Communist China; and Eric Margolis, who usually gets little praise here, actually earns some with an excellent piece on India (Toronto Sun).
One country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on: The Hong Kong regime clears Yahoo of any wrongdoing in aiding Communists to find and arrest dissidents (PC World via Washington Post).
On the Communist Chinese economy - the bloom is off the rose: Thomas J. Duesterberg of Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Inc. finds "bubbles" (Washington Times), while Xiao Jing (Voice of America via Epoch Times) examines the effect of counterfeit goods.
On the Falun Gong War: The spiritual movement gets a radio signal into Communist China (Epoch Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth), but a practitioner gets arrested in Beijing (BHaE).
More derision for the Communists' rubber-stamp parliament: Xin Yan (Epoch Times) weighs in.
Taiwan to send new de facto ambassadors to the United States and Canada: Joseph Wu, the fellow who so succinctly explained Communist China's global intentions, will be the new representative for the island democracy in Washington (Taipei Times). The current representative in DC - David Lee- is headed for Ottawa.
Enlightened Comment of the Day: John Tkacik takes the prize for his detailed account of Communist China's military buildup in the Washington Times.
Communist China insists its foreign reserve fund won't hurt the United States: Communist premier Wen Jiabao himself insisted the new reserve investment plan "will not hurt the dollar or the American economy" (Washington Post). If the schedule permits, I'll have a full post on this later. Here's the short version: Wen may be right; the cadres may not hurt the American economy, but it won't be for lack of trying.
Beijing surrender news: The Bush Administration has thawed out Stalinist North Korea's $25 million that had been "frozen in a Macau bank amid money laundering allegations" (BBC); the money is headed for "an account in Beijing," naturally. As expected, South Korea is more than willing to follow the United States down Dovish Road (BBC), but Japan continues to balk (One Free Korea), and few American Congressmen are also upset (OFK). Meanwhile, Daily NK calls for vigilance over vacillation.
Meanwhile, Communist China still sends back every Korean refugee it finds, and Kay Seok of Human Rights Watch reminds us what happens to Koreans send back to Kim Jong-il (Washington Post).
More on the Communists' Korean colony: Daily NK has a two-part piece on the rise and sophistication of SNK's black market, a story on how to bribe one's way into better treatment from the Stalinist military, and a quick history of Stalinist "politics." Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Fund's star-crossed history in SNK is coming under scrutiny (National Review Online and OFK).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Indonesia releases Jia Jia, rather than deporting him (China Support Network); Mark N. Katz (United Press Int'l via Washington Times) examines Putinist Russia's split personality on Communist China; and Eric Margolis, who usually gets little praise here, actually earns some with an excellent piece on India (Toronto Sun).
One country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on: The Hong Kong regime clears Yahoo of any wrongdoing in aiding Communists to find and arrest dissidents (PC World via Washington Post).
On the Communist Chinese economy - the bloom is off the rose: Thomas J. Duesterberg of Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Inc. finds "bubbles" (Washington Times), while Xiao Jing (Voice of America via Epoch Times) examines the effect of counterfeit goods.
On the Falun Gong War: The spiritual movement gets a radio signal into Communist China (Epoch Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth), but a practitioner gets arrested in Beijing (BHaE).
More derision for the Communists' rubber-stamp parliament: Xin Yan (Epoch Times) weighs in.
Friday, March 16, 2007
News of the Day (March 16)
Communist military spending hike spooks Taiwan: The head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council gave the island democracy's Central News Agency (via the Epoch Times) his view on Communist China's military spending surge - "China's intent is to become the dominant global superpower." As Michael Goldfarb notes in the Worldwide Standard, there a lot closer to that than most think.
More on Communist China, the U.S., and Taiwan: Lev Navrozov sounds the nano-weapons alarm once more (Newsmax). Charles R. Smith (also in Newsmax) notes the willingness of the outgoing French government to arm the cadres. Boycott 2008 ponders Taiwan's possible role in the 2008 Games, while Dr. Paul Mass relays a 1971 memo on American policy towards Taiwan (China Support Network). Finally, the head of NASA says Communist China will likely be the next power to reach the moon (Washington Post).
UN "sanctions" against Iran leave gaping holes for Communist arms sales: Communist China has agreed to support a resolution that even the Americans are admitting is merely "incremental" (Time). More to the point, "The U.S. was unable to convince the Security Council powers to support an embargo on conventional weapons sales to Iran . . . Russia and China have continued to supply the Iranian military despite U.S. objections."
More on the Communist-backed mullahcracy: Russia gets back into the Iranian nuclear business (United Press Int'l via Washington Times). An Iranian exile says his people can take his homeland back if the Americans would just help them do so (World Net Daily). Rick Brennan (Washington Times) details the mullahs' infiltration into Iraq. Mad Mouthpiece Mahmoud hears it from others vying for the PR job (Washington Times).
Supporter of democracy in China turns his eye to Stalinist North Korea: Jared Pearman (whom I know and admire greatly) takes to the keyboard and highlights the suffering of those trapped in the Communists' Korean colony (Epoch Times).
More on Stalinist North Korea: The next step in the Beijing surrender is the resolution of the dispute over SNK's uranium weapons program; Daily NK analyzes the situation. Daily NK also notes how the forests in northern Korea have vanished, due to starving Koreans cutting the trees to eat the bark. Meanwhile, One Free Korea profiles one of Kim Jong-il's financial enablers.
And they call it a property-rights law: The propaganda may circle the globe (BBC), but this corner isn't buying, especially given what Time discovered (emphasis added): "All land in China is, in any case, owned by the state, and individuals can only claim right to a 70-year lease on buildings—something the new law won't change." Nice try, fellas.
This is why the Communists want the blogosphere firewalled: The BBC managed to get more than a few choice comments from bloggers unimpressed with the rubber-stamp Communist parliament.
On the plight of petitioners: Maureen Fan does the Washington Post immense credit with her piece on the average day of a citizen fighting the system in Beijing on behalf of wronged relatives back home.
More on Communist China, the U.S., and Taiwan: Lev Navrozov sounds the nano-weapons alarm once more (Newsmax). Charles R. Smith (also in Newsmax) notes the willingness of the outgoing French government to arm the cadres. Boycott 2008 ponders Taiwan's possible role in the 2008 Games, while Dr. Paul Mass relays a 1971 memo on American policy towards Taiwan (China Support Network). Finally, the head of NASA says Communist China will likely be the next power to reach the moon (Washington Post).
UN "sanctions" against Iran leave gaping holes for Communist arms sales: Communist China has agreed to support a resolution that even the Americans are admitting is merely "incremental" (Time). More to the point, "The U.S. was unable to convince the Security Council powers to support an embargo on conventional weapons sales to Iran . . . Russia and China have continued to supply the Iranian military despite U.S. objections."
More on the Communist-backed mullahcracy: Russia gets back into the Iranian nuclear business (United Press Int'l via Washington Times). An Iranian exile says his people can take his homeland back if the Americans would just help them do so (World Net Daily). Rick Brennan (Washington Times) details the mullahs' infiltration into Iraq. Mad Mouthpiece Mahmoud hears it from others vying for the PR job (Washington Times).
Supporter of democracy in China turns his eye to Stalinist North Korea: Jared Pearman (whom I know and admire greatly) takes to the keyboard and highlights the suffering of those trapped in the Communists' Korean colony (Epoch Times).
More on Stalinist North Korea: The next step in the Beijing surrender is the resolution of the dispute over SNK's uranium weapons program; Daily NK analyzes the situation. Daily NK also notes how the forests in northern Korea have vanished, due to starving Koreans cutting the trees to eat the bark. Meanwhile, One Free Korea profiles one of Kim Jong-il's financial enablers.
And they call it a property-rights law: The propaganda may circle the globe (BBC), but this corner isn't buying, especially given what Time discovered (emphasis added): "All land in China is, in any case, owned by the state, and individuals can only claim right to a 70-year lease on buildings—something the new law won't change." Nice try, fellas.
This is why the Communists want the blogosphere firewalled: The BBC managed to get more than a few choice comments from bloggers unimpressed with the rubber-stamp Communist parliament.
On the plight of petitioners: Maureen Fan does the Washington Post immense credit with her piece on the average day of a citizen fighting the system in Beijing on behalf of wronged relatives back home.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
News of the Day (March 15)
Enlightened Comment of the Day: Michael Goldfarb (Worldwide Standard) wins the prize for his "A Tale of Two Oaths" posts, which echoes an earlier post of mine on the difference between serving one's country and serving a Communist dictatorship.
Ignorant Comment of the Day: By contrast, Mario Loyola's stunning refusal to recognize that Communist China's diplomatic maneuverings on Iran is simply an attempt by the cadres' to protect their longtime ally takes the breath away (National Review Online - The Corner).
Communist China upset at United States for catching their corrupt bank: Communist China's chose to "deeply regret the ruling by the United States" (BBC) against the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia for its hand in "North Korean money-laundering and counterfeiting." Of course, the cadres' expressed no regret for allowing the bank to engage in these practices in the first place.
More on the Communists' Korean colony and the Beijing surrender: Ironically (and sadly), the ruling against Banco Delta Asia "could allow North Korea to recover millions of dollars in frozen accounts and remove a key obstacle in nuclear negotiations with the communist state" (Washington Times). The Stalinists are already insisting they won't do anything to stop their nuclear weapons program unless the money is released (One Free Korea), leading some to wonder if they will ever do it (Daily NK and United Press Int'l via Washington Times). Meanwhile, the State Department makes clear Stalinist North Korea's march off the list of terrorist states will not be quick (OFK), and the SNK slave labor fiasco ensnares Disney (OFK).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Boycott 2008 rips the United Nations "Human Rights Council" and approvingly notes the actions of Smith College Professor Eric Reeves in linking the Darfur slow-motion massacre to Communist China's continuing support for the Sudanese regime in respective posts.
Ignorant Comment of the Day: By contrast, Mario Loyola's stunning refusal to recognize that Communist China's diplomatic maneuverings on Iran is simply an attempt by the cadres' to protect their longtime ally takes the breath away (National Review Online - The Corner).
Communist China upset at United States for catching their corrupt bank: Communist China's chose to "deeply regret the ruling by the United States" (BBC) against the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia for its hand in "North Korean money-laundering and counterfeiting." Of course, the cadres' expressed no regret for allowing the bank to engage in these practices in the first place.
More on the Communists' Korean colony and the Beijing surrender: Ironically (and sadly), the ruling against Banco Delta Asia "could allow North Korea to recover millions of dollars in frozen accounts and remove a key obstacle in nuclear negotiations with the communist state" (Washington Times). The Stalinists are already insisting they won't do anything to stop their nuclear weapons program unless the money is released (One Free Korea), leading some to wonder if they will ever do it (Daily NK and United Press Int'l via Washington Times). Meanwhile, the State Department makes clear Stalinist North Korea's march off the list of terrorist states will not be quick (OFK), and the SNK slave labor fiasco ensnares Disney (OFK).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Boycott 2008 rips the United Nations "Human Rights Council" and approvingly notes the actions of Smith College Professor Eric Reeves in linking the Darfur slow-motion massacre to Communist China's continuing support for the Sudanese regime in respective posts.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
News of the Day (March 14)
Mass crackdown continues (so no one will interrupt the cadres' nap time): As Communist China's Parliament continues its intense deliberations (Worldwide Standard), the regime has kicked the repression up a notch (Boycott 2008):
The Epoch Times has the specifics on the Guangdong protest and a petitioner arrest, while James Reynolds (BBC) comment on the rubber-stamp legislature.
Kilgour and Matas write Int'l Olympic Committee head: The authors of the report examining accounts of Communist China's organ harvesting call on Jacques Rogge to "raise the issue of human dignity and human rights in China with your colleagues in Beijing to stop the persecution of those whose fundamental rights are being denied" (Epoch Times).
China Support Network founder calls on Chinese dissidents to come together: John Kusumi also hopes MSM will start noticing them again (Epoch Times).
News from the Communist China's Korean colony: As part of the Beijing surrender (which Hwang Jang Yop nicely filets in Daily NK), Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency visited Pyongyang and declared everything was hunky-dory (BBC), never mind that there's no sign the Stalinists are actually shutting down its nuclear weapons program (United Press International via Washington Times).
Protests in Hunan and Guangdong provinces were violently suppressed on March 11 and March 12 respectively. In both cases, specially dispatched riot police attacked the crowds, according to eyewitnesses cited in international news reports. In Beijing, hundreds of petitioners have been rounded up over the past two weeks, in the largest “clean-up” operation by the police in recent years.
The Epoch Times has the specifics on the Guangdong protest and a petitioner arrest, while James Reynolds (BBC) comment on the rubber-stamp legislature.
Kilgour and Matas write Int'l Olympic Committee head: The authors of the report examining accounts of Communist China's organ harvesting call on Jacques Rogge to "raise the issue of human dignity and human rights in China with your colleagues in Beijing to stop the persecution of those whose fundamental rights are being denied" (Epoch Times).
China Support Network founder calls on Chinese dissidents to come together: John Kusumi also hopes MSM will start noticing them again (Epoch Times).
News from the Communist China's Korean colony: As part of the Beijing surrender (which Hwang Jang Yop nicely filets in Daily NK), Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency visited Pyongyang and declared everything was hunky-dory (BBC), never mind that there's no sign the Stalinists are actually shutting down its nuclear weapons program (United Press International via Washington Times).
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
News of the Day (March 13)
Japan and Australia sign defense pact; Aussie opposition leader unhappy: Prime Ministers John Howard and Shinzo Abe made it official today (Epoch Times and BBC), while Australian opposition leader Kevin Rudd accused Howard of signing " defence pact which would unnecessarily draw Australia into the uncertainties of the future of strategic developments in north-east Asia between China, Japan and Korea" (AAP via Epoch Times).
Canada wants trade deal with India: Ted Menzies, parliamentary secretary to Trade Minister David Emerson, made the announcement in a speech in India yesterday. Menzies said Canada would look for a bilateral deal if overall global trade talks hit a wall (Montreal Gazette). Such a deal would provide a boost for the world's largest democracy and South Asia's longtime rival of Communist China.
"What this agreement has really done is cemented China’s regional supremacy." One Free Korea perfectly summarizes the Beijing surrender.
More on the surrender aftermath: Japan is understandably upset at being left out in the cold on the abduction issue (Daily NK); Macau may free up Kim Jong-il's frozen accounts by liquidating the bank that held them (United Press Int'l via Washington Times); KJI milks the deal for propaganda (Daily NK).
Enlightened Comment of the Day: Fang Jue's column (New Century Net via Epoch Times) calling for America to "strengthen its military forces in Eastern Asia and the western Pacific Ocean" and "counteract China's military buildup" win the prize by a nose over Doug Bandow's excellent piece on Communist persecution of religion (National Review Online).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Communist China's Olympic venues may be built with stolen Japanese children's slides (Guardian). A forum in Philadelphia examines Communist organ harvesting (Epoch Times).
Rally for Taiwan to be held tomorrow in NYC: For anyone in the tri-state area, the demonstration begins at noon on the corner of 42nd Street and 12th Avenue (China Support Network).
More on human rights abuses in Communist China: Between Heaven and Earth examines the Communist crackdown against Falun Gong. Boycott 2008 notes, with reasonable skepticism, a Communist recommendation to cut back on executions. Jennifer Chou (Worldwide Standard) finds that the cadres' attempt to pass themselves off as quasi-capitalists has turned Maoists into surprised victims of persecution.
Pollution in Communist China affecting rainfall: The ecological costs of rampant overdevelopment that no free market would allow has reduced rainfall by 20% on average. In some rural areas, rainfall has been cut in half (BBC).
Canada wants trade deal with India: Ted Menzies, parliamentary secretary to Trade Minister David Emerson, made the announcement in a speech in India yesterday. Menzies said Canada would look for a bilateral deal if overall global trade talks hit a wall (Montreal Gazette). Such a deal would provide a boost for the world's largest democracy and South Asia's longtime rival of Communist China.
"What this agreement has really done is cemented China’s regional supremacy." One Free Korea perfectly summarizes the Beijing surrender.
More on the surrender aftermath: Japan is understandably upset at being left out in the cold on the abduction issue (Daily NK); Macau may free up Kim Jong-il's frozen accounts by liquidating the bank that held them (United Press Int'l via Washington Times); KJI milks the deal for propaganda (Daily NK).
Enlightened Comment of the Day: Fang Jue's column (New Century Net via Epoch Times) calling for America to "strengthen its military forces in Eastern Asia and the western Pacific Ocean" and "counteract China's military buildup" win the prize by a nose over Doug Bandow's excellent piece on Communist persecution of religion (National Review Online).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Communist China's Olympic venues may be built with stolen Japanese children's slides (Guardian). A forum in Philadelphia examines Communist organ harvesting (Epoch Times).
Rally for Taiwan to be held tomorrow in NYC: For anyone in the tri-state area, the demonstration begins at noon on the corner of 42nd Street and 12th Avenue (China Support Network).
More on human rights abuses in Communist China: Between Heaven and Earth examines the Communist crackdown against Falun Gong. Boycott 2008 notes, with reasonable skepticism, a Communist recommendation to cut back on executions. Jennifer Chou (Worldwide Standard) finds that the cadres' attempt to pass themselves off as quasi-capitalists has turned Maoists into surprised victims of persecution.
Pollution in Communist China affecting rainfall: The ecological costs of rampant overdevelopment that no free market would allow has reduced rainfall by 20% on average. In some rural areas, rainfall has been cut in half (BBC).
Monday, March 12, 2007
News of the Day (March 12)
Communist China looking to hide its persecution under "anti-cult law": Naturally, Falun Gong, already a victim of brutal repression, is a target (Between Heaven and Earth), but the Communists have slapped the "cult" label on several other faiths, Christian included.
More on Communist persecution of religion: The Hong Kong regime covers its tracks by destroying evidence (BHaE), while the Communist-run "Catholic" church tries to make Communist China look good with an Olympic Bible campaign (Boycott 2008).
Enlightened Comment of the Day: Fang Jue (New Century News via Epoch Times) takes the prize with this priceless opening (emphasis added): "Recently, some overseas Chinese media claimed that the reformist group within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was holding the upper hand before the 17th National Congress convenes, and both of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao would promote the reform of China's political system at the upcoming 'Two Conferences' and the 17th National Congress slated for this fall. This claim has no basis in fact."
On the state of the workers in the workers' state: Amnesty International issues a report on the plight of migrant workers in Communist China (Boycott 2008).
Students in NYC protest Communist China's involvement in Sudan: The human-chain demonstration was a pointed and necessary reminder of the Communist regime's support for the authors of the Darfur slow-motion massacre (Epoch Times).
Communist China's trade surplus nears another record: The February numbers - the second highest on record - highlighted the growing effect of the Communists' deliberately devalued currency (BBC).
Int'l Atomic Energy Agency head in Beijing on his way to Stalinist North Korea: Mohamed ElBaradei "said he planned to hold meetings in China - North Korea's closest ally and a key broker of the 13 February deal - before he leaves for North Korea on Tuesday" (BBC).
"Once you are in a military, you should learn to steal as soldiers." That's what the Stalinist military teaches its trainees (Daily NK).
On the Communists' Korean colony: The United Nations Development Program explains its reason for leaving SNK - "we were being used completely as an ATM machine for the regime" (One Free Korea). OFK predicts the future in North Korea. Dovish South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun repeats his call for a Korean peace treaty (United Press Int'l via Washington Times), while the South's Kaesung Industrial complex is being used by the Stalinists to house more workers (Daily NK). A new book on the SNK famine is out (OFK).
More on Communist persecution of religion: The Hong Kong regime covers its tracks by destroying evidence (BHaE), while the Communist-run "Catholic" church tries to make Communist China look good with an Olympic Bible campaign (Boycott 2008).
Enlightened Comment of the Day: Fang Jue (New Century News via Epoch Times) takes the prize with this priceless opening (emphasis added): "Recently, some overseas Chinese media claimed that the reformist group within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was holding the upper hand before the 17th National Congress convenes, and both of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao would promote the reform of China's political system at the upcoming 'Two Conferences' and the 17th National Congress slated for this fall. This claim has no basis in fact."
On the state of the workers in the workers' state: Amnesty International issues a report on the plight of migrant workers in Communist China (Boycott 2008).
Students in NYC protest Communist China's involvement in Sudan: The human-chain demonstration was a pointed and necessary reminder of the Communist regime's support for the authors of the Darfur slow-motion massacre (Epoch Times).
Communist China's trade surplus nears another record: The February numbers - the second highest on record - highlighted the growing effect of the Communists' deliberately devalued currency (BBC).
Int'l Atomic Energy Agency head in Beijing on his way to Stalinist North Korea: Mohamed ElBaradei "said he planned to hold meetings in China - North Korea's closest ally and a key broker of the 13 February deal - before he leaves for North Korea on Tuesday" (BBC).
"Once you are in a military, you should learn to steal as soldiers." That's what the Stalinist military teaches its trainees (Daily NK).
On the Communists' Korean colony: The United Nations Development Program explains its reason for leaving SNK - "we were being used completely as an ATM machine for the regime" (One Free Korea). OFK predicts the future in North Korea. Dovish South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun repeats his call for a Korean peace treaty (United Press Int'l via Washington Times), while the South's Kaesung Industrial complex is being used by the Stalinists to house more workers (Daily NK). A new book on the SNK famine is out (OFK).
Sunday, March 11, 2007
News of the Weekend (March 9-11)
Communist military buildup gets more attention: Among those sounding the alarm include John Tkacik of the Heritage Foundation (via Worldwide Standard), the editors of the Boston Globe (via Boycott 2008), and Fang Jue (Trend via Epoch Times).
Communist China ready to use foreign reserves for its own purposes: The cadres are "creating an investment company to get better returns on its foreign currency reserves worth $1 trillion" (BBC); the move is already creating worries "that the fund could wield huge influence in global markets." The news came as American Treasury Secretary Henry Paulsen, obviously not understanding the cadres' geopolitical objectives, called on them to open up its capital markets (Washington Post).
Communist China shoots down sanctions on Iran: Despite concession granted to the mullahcracy by Britain, France, and the United States (Washington Post), the Communist regime would not agree to penalize its longtime ally (BBC).
Communist China's Korean colony gets into the acting business: Stalinist North Korea is now claiming to be tired of playing puppet to Beijing's master (One Free Korea isn't buying it).
Questions for America's consul in Shenyang: OFK continues to push (and rightly so) for answers about the consulate's behavior regarding Korean refugees (it should be noted that this was the same consul whose office claimed to find no evidence of organ harvesting at Sujiatun).
Speaking of organ harvesting, concern about the sources of organs provided by Communist China continues to reverberate in Singapore (Epoch Times), Canada (Between Heaven and Earth), the United States (BHaE), and Great Britain (BHaE).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Indonesia arrests defector Jia Jia (Epoch Times). Foreign media gets more room to maneuver (but domestic media does not - BBC). Human Rights Watch calls on Communist China to ends its abuses of the Chinese people (Boycott 2008). Cardinal Zen discusses the Vatican and Communist China (Catholic News Service). Wang Xiaoning's wife is considering a lawsuit against Yahoo for its role in helping the Communists arrest him (San Francisco Chronicle).
Australia and Japan to sign security pact: It would only be the second of these pacts for Japan in 60 years (the other is with the United States). Australia's Prime Minister insisted it was not directed at Communist China (BBC).
Taiwan news: The opposition Kuomintang Party kicks out the nation's Defense Minister for following the will of the elected President (BBC). Joseph Quesnel (Winnipeg Sun) calls on Canada to stand by the island democracy; sadly, Richard Halloran (Washington Times) passes up a similar opportunity vis a vis the U.S.
Hong Kong - one country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on: The Communist regime imposes its own political litmus test on HK deputies to the rubber-stamp parliament (i.e., any political independence or support for democracy is strictly prohibited - BHaE).
Communist China ready to use foreign reserves for its own purposes: The cadres are "creating an investment company to get better returns on its foreign currency reserves worth $1 trillion" (BBC); the move is already creating worries "that the fund could wield huge influence in global markets." The news came as American Treasury Secretary Henry Paulsen, obviously not understanding the cadres' geopolitical objectives, called on them to open up its capital markets (Washington Post).
Communist China shoots down sanctions on Iran: Despite concession granted to the mullahcracy by Britain, France, and the United States (Washington Post), the Communist regime would not agree to penalize its longtime ally (BBC).
Communist China's Korean colony gets into the acting business: Stalinist North Korea is now claiming to be tired of playing puppet to Beijing's master (One Free Korea isn't buying it).
Questions for America's consul in Shenyang: OFK continues to push (and rightly so) for answers about the consulate's behavior regarding Korean refugees (it should be noted that this was the same consul whose office claimed to find no evidence of organ harvesting at Sujiatun).
Speaking of organ harvesting, concern about the sources of organs provided by Communist China continues to reverberate in Singapore (Epoch Times), Canada (Between Heaven and Earth), the United States (BHaE), and Great Britain (BHaE).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Indonesia arrests defector Jia Jia (Epoch Times). Foreign media gets more room to maneuver (but domestic media does not - BBC). Human Rights Watch calls on Communist China to ends its abuses of the Chinese people (Boycott 2008). Cardinal Zen discusses the Vatican and Communist China (Catholic News Service). Wang Xiaoning's wife is considering a lawsuit against Yahoo for its role in helping the Communists arrest him (San Francisco Chronicle).
Australia and Japan to sign security pact: It would only be the second of these pacts for Japan in 60 years (the other is with the United States). Australia's Prime Minister insisted it was not directed at Communist China (BBC).
Taiwan news: The opposition Kuomintang Party kicks out the nation's Defense Minister for following the will of the elected President (BBC). Joseph Quesnel (Winnipeg Sun) calls on Canada to stand by the island democracy; sadly, Richard Halloran (Washington Times) passes up a similar opportunity vis a vis the U.S.
Hong Kong - one country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on: The Communist regime imposes its own political litmus test on HK deputies to the rubber-stamp parliament (i.e., any political independence or support for democracy is strictly prohibited - BHaE).
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Remembering the Tibet uprising
If I can stay awake long enough (and the wireless connection doesn't go out), I'll slap up a News post. In the meantime, today is the 48th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against Communist occupation. Tibet was free until Mao Zedong sent in the laughably named "People's Liberation Army" in 1951. Eight years later, the Tibetan people rose up against Mao's broken promises of "autonomy" and brutal treatment.
Sadly, the rebellion was crushed; over a million Tibetans have since died; and Communist China still occupied the Tibetan nation. The Tibetans are remembered and mourned here.
See also Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comments at a rally commemorating Tibetan National Uprising Day.
Sadly, the rebellion was crushed; over a million Tibetans have since died; and Communist China still occupied the Tibetan nation. The Tibetans are remembered and mourned here.
See also Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comments at a rally commemorating Tibetan National Uprising Day.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Next Post on Monday
The home network is back in on-and-off mode, and I'll be out of town later today. So it looks like the next post won't be until Monday; apologies all around.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
News of the Day (March 8)
Communist China won't talk about its military build-up: On some level, the idea of an enemy openly revealing its military plans is foolish, but since so many are not willing to see Communist China as it really is, American officials react like this (Bill Gertz, Washington Times).
Communists end tax breaks for foreign investors: The cadres will force outsiders to pay over $5 billion in new taxes (BBC).
Communist China responds to U.S. human rights report: The cadres have made an annual event out of this attempt to distract from their own abuses against the Chinese people (London Times).
Canada's foreign aid to Communist China comes under scrutiny: A Senate committee recommends the Canadian International Development Agency (Canada's foreign aid agency) be disbanded. One of the issues mentioned by CIDA critics is the agency's history of aid to Communist China (Epoch Times).
Chinese-Canadian asks for Canada's help for his imprisoned brother: Shenli Lin made his plea on behalf of his brother Mingli, who is languishing in a Communist prison cell (Between Heaven and Earth).
Hollywood parade for Communist Olympics draws protest: The Epoch Times has the story; Makina from Between Heaven and Earth has a personal account.
More strategic myopia: How James G. Zumwalt, in his Washington Times piece on the threat from nuclear terrorism by Iran and Stalinist North Korea, manages to completely ignore Communist China's role as ally and benefactor of both is simply mindboggling.
Beijing surrender talks go in different directions: The Japan-SNK talks went nowhere due to the Stalinists' refusal to address the fate of kidnapped Japanese citizens (BBC), but the U.S. and North Korea held "what many agree was a satisfactory meeting" (Daily NK) - I am not among the "many."
More on the Communists' Korean colony: One Free Korea has respective posts on the food situation in SNK and the prospect for bringing freedom to northern Korea.
The Communist-backed mullahcracy of Iran loses a heavyweight: Former Deputy Defense Minister Alireza Asghari has reportedly defected to the U.S. Asghari "once commanded the Revolutionary Guard" (Washington Post via MSNBC), has "extensive information on Iran's clandestine nuclear weapons program" (Newsmax), and also has the goods on the mullahs' ties to Hezbollah (National Review Online).
Communists end tax breaks for foreign investors: The cadres will force outsiders to pay over $5 billion in new taxes (BBC).
Communist China responds to U.S. human rights report: The cadres have made an annual event out of this attempt to distract from their own abuses against the Chinese people (London Times).
Canada's foreign aid to Communist China comes under scrutiny: A Senate committee recommends the Canadian International Development Agency (Canada's foreign aid agency) be disbanded. One of the issues mentioned by CIDA critics is the agency's history of aid to Communist China (Epoch Times).
Chinese-Canadian asks for Canada's help for his imprisoned brother: Shenli Lin made his plea on behalf of his brother Mingli, who is languishing in a Communist prison cell (Between Heaven and Earth).
Hollywood parade for Communist Olympics draws protest: The Epoch Times has the story; Makina from Between Heaven and Earth has a personal account.
More strategic myopia: How James G. Zumwalt, in his Washington Times piece on the threat from nuclear terrorism by Iran and Stalinist North Korea, manages to completely ignore Communist China's role as ally and benefactor of both is simply mindboggling.
Beijing surrender talks go in different directions: The Japan-SNK talks went nowhere due to the Stalinists' refusal to address the fate of kidnapped Japanese citizens (BBC), but the U.S. and North Korea held "what many agree was a satisfactory meeting" (Daily NK) - I am not among the "many."
More on the Communists' Korean colony: One Free Korea has respective posts on the food situation in SNK and the prospect for bringing freedom to northern Korea.
The Communist-backed mullahcracy of Iran loses a heavyweight: Former Deputy Defense Minister Alireza Asghari has reportedly defected to the U.S. Asghari "once commanded the Revolutionary Guard" (Washington Post via MSNBC), has "extensive information on Iran's clandestine nuclear weapons program" (Newsmax), and also has the goods on the mullahs' ties to Hezbollah (National Review Online).
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
More (and more germane) comment on Afghanistan
When I originally posted on Afghanistan two days ago, it was for two purposes: to highlight how the inability of many to see the threat from Communist China was coloring opinions of the war, and to explain why I thought a Democratic president will end that war prematurely. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after I posted it that I realized how long the post was, and more importantly, the post's imbalance between the two purposes. I stand by what I wrote, but I'm not sure it is as germane to this blog as to the others I am posting. Additionally, I thought I should also go into further detail as to the effect of the Afghanistan battle on Cold War II (similar to my earlier posts on Iraq, Iran, Syria, and North Korea). So here goes.
I have written extensively on Communist China's ties to terrorist states (see the links in the paragraph above), and I have commented on Communist China's ties to al Qaeda and the Taliban (the most extensive link is here). However, few seem to notice, let alone hold Communist China to account, even today. This has led to major errors in examining the situation in Afghanistan - and those errors are certainly bipartisan.
The biggest mistake that has evolved from the "engagement" mentality on Communist China is the prevailing view of Pakistan. Nearly every analysis I have seen of Pakistan's recent coziness with the Taliban (and the subsequent boost to al Qaeda) has ignored Pakistan's nearly six-decade alliance with Communist China. For anyone who thinks the Communists were not interested in using Pakistan to thwart our objectives, take a look at this link again); the Communists all but ordered Pakistan not to allow American troops on its soil. Had Pakistan listened, it would have been almost impossible to bring American troops into Afghanistan.
Communist China also made abundantly clear, numerous times, that it had no desire to see either American troops or a pro-American government in Afghanistan (Willy Lam, CNN). That its longtime ally (and Afghanistan's neighbor) would see the Taliban in a very different light then we do should surprise no one.
The second, and equally dangerous, mistake the powers that be have made is to separate the Afghanistan war from the geopolitics of the region. I have seen innumerable media reports on Afghanistan, which have included several references to Pakistan, but I can count the references to India in these pieces on one hand. This geopolitical myopia comes despite the fact that India did more to aid anti-Taliban forces than anyone else in the world prior to September 11. Thus, those who do (or would) support a withdrawal from Afghanistan would do incalculable damage to U.S.-India ties. Alienating the largest and most economically dynamic democracy on earth is never a good idea, yet hardly anyone seems to take this into account.
The last, but hardly least, mistake from all this is to assume that Communist China is either neutral or friendly in the War on Terror (or as I prefer, the Wahhabist-Ba'athist-Khomeinist War). It is not. In fact, whether it's Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Lebanon, or Afghanistan, the "theatres" in the WBK War have become a part of Cold War II. Thus, if we were to abandon the Afghan people, it would be as much a victory for Communist China as it would be for the terrorists.
If more Americans understood this, support for the liberation of Afghanistan would be far higher than the 56% it has now. As for my earlier assumptions about the Democrats, there is simply no decent anti-Communist Democrat running for President right now. If the Democratic field included Sherrod Brown, Robert Andrews, or Robert Wexler (for example), my previous post would have looked very different (title included).
My analysis of American politics aside, the fact is this: the defeat of the Taliban and al Qaeda is as central to victory in the Second Cold War as it is in the WBK War. If more Americans understood this, it would lead to some more clear-eyed views on Pakistan's real allegiance and India's importance. As it is, the tunnel vision of our leaders (from both parties) is making this battle much harder to win.
I have written extensively on Communist China's ties to terrorist states (see the links in the paragraph above), and I have commented on Communist China's ties to al Qaeda and the Taliban (the most extensive link is here). However, few seem to notice, let alone hold Communist China to account, even today. This has led to major errors in examining the situation in Afghanistan - and those errors are certainly bipartisan.
The biggest mistake that has evolved from the "engagement" mentality on Communist China is the prevailing view of Pakistan. Nearly every analysis I have seen of Pakistan's recent coziness with the Taliban (and the subsequent boost to al Qaeda) has ignored Pakistan's nearly six-decade alliance with Communist China. For anyone who thinks the Communists were not interested in using Pakistan to thwart our objectives, take a look at this link again); the Communists all but ordered Pakistan not to allow American troops on its soil. Had Pakistan listened, it would have been almost impossible to bring American troops into Afghanistan.
Communist China also made abundantly clear, numerous times, that it had no desire to see either American troops or a pro-American government in Afghanistan (Willy Lam, CNN). That its longtime ally (and Afghanistan's neighbor) would see the Taliban in a very different light then we do should surprise no one.
The second, and equally dangerous, mistake the powers that be have made is to separate the Afghanistan war from the geopolitics of the region. I have seen innumerable media reports on Afghanistan, which have included several references to Pakistan, but I can count the references to India in these pieces on one hand. This geopolitical myopia comes despite the fact that India did more to aid anti-Taliban forces than anyone else in the world prior to September 11. Thus, those who do (or would) support a withdrawal from Afghanistan would do incalculable damage to U.S.-India ties. Alienating the largest and most economically dynamic democracy on earth is never a good idea, yet hardly anyone seems to take this into account.
The last, but hardly least, mistake from all this is to assume that Communist China is either neutral or friendly in the War on Terror (or as I prefer, the Wahhabist-Ba'athist-Khomeinist War). It is not. In fact, whether it's Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Lebanon, or Afghanistan, the "theatres" in the WBK War have become a part of Cold War II. Thus, if we were to abandon the Afghan people, it would be as much a victory for Communist China as it would be for the terrorists.
If more Americans understood this, support for the liberation of Afghanistan would be far higher than the 56% it has now. As for my earlier assumptions about the Democrats, there is simply no decent anti-Communist Democrat running for President right now. If the Democratic field included Sherrod Brown, Robert Andrews, or Robert Wexler (for example), my previous post would have looked very different (title included).
My analysis of American politics aside, the fact is this: the defeat of the Taliban and al Qaeda is as central to victory in the Second Cold War as it is in the WBK War. If more Americans understood this, it would lead to some more clear-eyed views on Pakistan's real allegiance and India's importance. As it is, the tunnel vision of our leaders (from both parties) is making this battle much harder to win.
News of the Day (March 7)
Human rights have "deteriorated on a number of areas" in Communist China: So said the American State Department in its annual human rights report. The Department paid particularly close attention to the internet: "China is at the top of a list of countries blocking Internet access" (Washington Post). This comes as no surprise to Brad Adams the Asia Director of Human Rights Watch cited a decision by Hu Jintao soon after he took over the Central Military Commission " to crack down on activism" (BBC).
Communist China will launch a lunar probe this year as part of its plan to send a man to the moon "in 15 years," according to cadre Huang Chunping (quoted by BBC).
Will the Vatican's talks with Vietnam be a precedent for Communist China? Cardinal Joseph Zen certainly hopes so (BBC); yours truly dreads the prospect.
Communist propaganda busts in the United States: the Epoch Times has the story.
Northern Koreans are not happy with their colonial masters: The riches of "merchants" from Communist China are catching the attention of Korean natives suffering under Kim Jong-il (Daily NK).
U.S.-North Korea talks begin: American representative Christopher Hill insisted the Stalinists "come clean" (Washington Times) on its uranium weapons program (One Free Korea), but he was still all smiles over the prospects for further deals emanating from the Beijing surrender, which led to these talks (CNN, Daily NK, and Newsmax).
Stalinists walk out of talks with Japan: The Japanese side began its talks with Stalinist North Korea by insisting all Japanese citizens seized by the Stalinists be returned "and suspected kidnappers handed over" (BBC). The Stalinist side, which probably didn't expect such tough talk from anyone, walked out.
More on the Communists' Korean colony: The Stalinist regime came up with a new method of preventing its diplomats from defecting - hold the children hostage (Washington Times). Meanwhile, the Stalinists were entertaining visitors from South Korea's dovish government (United Press International via Washington Times), which may be hoping "for a second inter-Korean summit to influence South Korea's presidential election slated for December." Nothing would make SNK happier than keeping South Korea's hawkish, pro-American opposition out of power.
Communist China will launch a lunar probe this year as part of its plan to send a man to the moon "in 15 years," according to cadre Huang Chunping (quoted by BBC).
Will the Vatican's talks with Vietnam be a precedent for Communist China? Cardinal Joseph Zen certainly hopes so (BBC); yours truly dreads the prospect.
Communist propaganda busts in the United States: the Epoch Times has the story.
Northern Koreans are not happy with their colonial masters: The riches of "merchants" from Communist China are catching the attention of Korean natives suffering under Kim Jong-il (Daily NK).
U.S.-North Korea talks begin: American representative Christopher Hill insisted the Stalinists "come clean" (Washington Times) on its uranium weapons program (One Free Korea), but he was still all smiles over the prospects for further deals emanating from the Beijing surrender, which led to these talks (CNN, Daily NK, and Newsmax).
Stalinists walk out of talks with Japan: The Japanese side began its talks with Stalinist North Korea by insisting all Japanese citizens seized by the Stalinists be returned "and suspected kidnappers handed over" (BBC). The Stalinist side, which probably didn't expect such tough talk from anyone, walked out.
More on the Communists' Korean colony: The Stalinist regime came up with a new method of preventing its diplomats from defecting - hold the children hostage (Washington Times). Meanwhile, the Stalinists were entertaining visitors from South Korea's dovish government (United Press International via Washington Times), which may be hoping "for a second inter-Korean summit to influence South Korea's presidential election slated for December." Nothing would make SNK happier than keeping South Korea's hawkish, pro-American opposition out of power.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Communist China, exempt from Kyoto, will be the biggest carbon emitter by the end of the year
Whatever one may think of the Kyoto agreement, the fact that is exempts Communist China has long been a chief argument of its critics against the deal. Proponents have argued that while Communist China's emission levels wouldn't challenge America's for years to come.
Well, that line of argument has passed its best-by date, literally. New figures from the Communists themselves (of all people) have revealed that the United States will fall behind Communist China in carbon-dioxide emissions as early as this year. In fact, emissions from Communist China have nearly doubled since 2001 (San Francisco Chronicle, see graph here). Or, to put it another way, "China's greenhouse gas emissions have recently been growing by a total amount much greater than that of all industrialized nations put together" (emphasis added).
Even those who fervently believe in man-made global warming must now agree that Kyoto is useless without including what will soon be the largest carbon emitter on the planet. All it will do is allow the Communists to continue to rapidly overdevelop, destroy its ecology, build up its military, and arm or otherwise aid terrorists without any qualms while the free world geopolitically handicaps itself.
Again, this post is not meant to raise an argument about "climate change" (that's for my other blogs), but it should make clear that Kyoto implementation must be opposed by anti-Communists or all political stripes.
Well, that line of argument has passed its best-by date, literally. New figures from the Communists themselves (of all people) have revealed that the United States will fall behind Communist China in carbon-dioxide emissions as early as this year. In fact, emissions from Communist China have nearly doubled since 2001 (San Francisco Chronicle, see graph here). Or, to put it another way, "China's greenhouse gas emissions have recently been growing by a total amount much greater than that of all industrialized nations put together" (emphasis added).
Even those who fervently believe in man-made global warming must now agree that Kyoto is useless without including what will soon be the largest carbon emitter on the planet. All it will do is allow the Communists to continue to rapidly overdevelop, destroy its ecology, build up its military, and arm or otherwise aid terrorists without any qualms while the free world geopolitically handicaps itself.
Again, this post is not meant to raise an argument about "climate change" (that's for my other blogs), but it should make clear that Kyoto implementation must be opposed by anti-Communists or all political stripes.
News of the Day (March 6)
Communist Chinese spies are "among the most aggressive at spying on the United States": That assessment came from the new chief of the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive. In Joel F. Brenner's own words, Communist spies "are eating our lunch" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times).
Communist military to show off J-10 to Russians: The fighter plane will be showcased at joint military exercises laughably titled "Peace Mission 2007" (Worldwide Standard). Meanwhile, Bill Powell (Time) revisits the larger Communist threat with the usual ignorance known as "conventional wisdom."
Communist China calls for its Iranian ally to open up to IAEA, but adds no "or else": As is typical when dealing with its allies on the world stage, the Communist regime "urged Iran to fully open its nuclear program to U.N. inspections" (Newsmax), but made no mention of penalizing the mullahs if they didn't do so.
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: The long arm of lawlessness reaches Mexico (Mexidata) and New Zealand (Epoch Times).
Taiwan news: As the island democracy tested a new cruise missile, this corner's favorite Taiwanese politician - Vice President Annette Lu - announced her intention to run for President (BBC).
Communist China slams the lid on internet cafes: The Communists' crackdown on the web includes a new order that "will not allow any more internet cafes to open this year" (BBC and Newsmax).
More on censorship in Communist China: Wen Jian (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times) reveals the nature of film censorship in Communist China - "The 36 members of the Film Examination Committee under China's state-run Administration of Radio, Film, and Television decide what movies can be shown in China."
Communist premier promises to crack down on corruption and help the poor - again: Wen Jiabao repeated an annual ritual when he "promised yesterday to curb the lavish lifestyles of Communist Party leaders " (London Daily Telegraph) and help the impoverished rural interior. However, as James Reynolds (BBC) finds, the Communists would rather the poor and the victims of corruption just go away. Meanwhile, the cadres sit on over a trillion in foreign reserves (International Herald Tribune).
Gender imbalance caused by "one child" fiasco leads to brideless men: Gao Feng (VOA via Epoch Times) is the latest to examine the situation.
Communist military to show off J-10 to Russians: The fighter plane will be showcased at joint military exercises laughably titled "Peace Mission 2007" (Worldwide Standard). Meanwhile, Bill Powell (Time) revisits the larger Communist threat with the usual ignorance known as "conventional wisdom."
Communist China calls for its Iranian ally to open up to IAEA, but adds no "or else": As is typical when dealing with its allies on the world stage, the Communist regime "urged Iran to fully open its nuclear program to U.N. inspections" (Newsmax), but made no mention of penalizing the mullahs if they didn't do so.
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: The long arm of lawlessness reaches Mexico (Mexidata) and New Zealand (Epoch Times).
Taiwan news: As the island democracy tested a new cruise missile, this corner's favorite Taiwanese politician - Vice President Annette Lu - announced her intention to run for President (BBC).
Communist China slams the lid on internet cafes: The Communists' crackdown on the web includes a new order that "will not allow any more internet cafes to open this year" (BBC and Newsmax).
More on censorship in Communist China: Wen Jian (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times) reveals the nature of film censorship in Communist China - "The 36 members of the Film Examination Committee under China's state-run Administration of Radio, Film, and Television decide what movies can be shown in China."
Communist premier promises to crack down on corruption and help the poor - again: Wen Jiabao repeated an annual ritual when he "promised yesterday to curb the lavish lifestyles of Communist Party leaders " (London Daily Telegraph) and help the impoverished rural interior. However, as James Reynolds (BBC) finds, the Communists would rather the poor and the victims of corruption just go away. Meanwhile, the cadres sit on over a trillion in foreign reserves (International Herald Tribune).
Gender imbalance caused by "one child" fiasco leads to brideless men: Gao Feng (VOA via Epoch Times) is the latest to examine the situation.
Monday, March 05, 2007
If the Democrats win in 2008, they will pull out - of Afghanistan
The following post is cross-posted from my right-wing liberal site, something I rarely do, but the emphasized paragraph below will hopefully shed light as to why.
This will likely be the most controversial post I have written to date; to the extent that the left (and other Democrats) see it at all, they'll likely respond with vituperative outrage. However, I genuinely believe (and in my view, I have good reason to believe) that if a Democrat is elected president next year, (s)he will cut short the war in Afghanistan by pulling American forces out before the Taliban and al Qaeda are defeated.
If I am right about this, it should permanently put to rest the notion slowly seeping into the discussion on the right that perhaps, just perhaps, the country would be better off if the Democrats won in 2008. The argument (best presented but not endorsed by Jonah Goldberg in National Review Online) goes something like this: the only way the Democrats will understand the depth of the "war on terror" (as followers of this space know, I prefer calling it the Wahhabist-Ba'athist-Khomeinist War) is if they are handed the reigns and forced to "take ownership" of it. The problem with that analysis is that it assumes the Democrats and the left want ownership of the war, something that I simply do not see. In fact, what I see of the Democrats and the political landscape tells me they'll respond by cutting the war short as soon as possible. Here are my reasons.
Support for the liberation of Afghanistan is far weaker in America than we realize: The conventional wisdom holds that all Americans support the war in Afghanistan. As usual, conventional wisdom is wrong. In fact, a Washington Post pollster asked the following question as past of its survey: "Thinking now about Afghanistan, all in all, considering the costs to the United States versus the benefits to the United States, do you think the war in Afghanistan was worth fighting, or not?" The Yes/No split was 56-41. Forty-one percent of Americans now oppose America's military presence in Afghanistan.
I know, I know, we who support the Iraq war would love a 56-41 split. The last time we had that was January of 2004. Ominously, buy the end of that year, the numbers had flipped (42-56), and the Yes side never came near 50% again. The Taliban are already plotting a spring offensive to demoralize our allies and our voters, hoping to copy the political success of the Iraqi terrorists.
More to the point, odds are the overwhelming majority of this 41% will support the Democratic candidate in 2008 (whoever that may be), and should said Democrat win, the political pressure will be quite strong on the Democrat to pull out of Afghanistan and wash our hands of the entire W-B-K War - and that won't be the only place from where the Democratic President will feel that pressure.
Support for the liberation of Afghanistan is far weaker among our allies than we realize: There is a lot of talk about NATO being united on the Afghan mission. It's not true. Of all the NATO allies, only four: the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and the Netherlands, have authorized their troops to do any fighting in Afghanistan. Every other military force is restricted to behind-the-line work by their governments. Meanwhile, the Netherlands is already shifting left, Britain will soon follow with the exit of Tony Blair, and Australia (the only non-NATO nation with a fighting force in Afghanistan) may replace John Howard with a left-wing opposition (Howard's coalition trail in the polls by double-digits - AAP via Epoch Times). Canada is, for now, the only nation that appears political set for the long haul in Afghanistan, and that's only if current trends continue up there.
Meanwhile, European left-wing parties (including the governments of Spain and Italy) are less than happy about being in Afghanistan at all (Italy's government nearly collapsed after left-wingers protested its country's continued presence there, even without fighting). The Spanish and Italian government's were elected solely on the basis of Iraq; there was little if any reference to Afghanistan in their campaigns. That hasn't stopped them from trying to cut and run now.
Pakistan no longer has any interest in supporting the war against the Taliban: The fact is, Pakistan is more interested in keeping Afghanistan from becoming an ally of India than defeating the Taliban. As it was arresting one Taliban leader (Shotgun), it was making deals with another (Asia Times). Therefore, the new Democratic president will face a newly emboldened base, several foreign leaders, and an ally in Central Asia telling him/her the same thing: wrap up Afghanistan, and do it soon. Will (s)he listen to them? I think (s)he will, and here's why.
Pakistan's influence in Washington: Beginning in the late 1960's, when Richard Nixon started using Pakistan as a conduit to Mao Zedong, Pakistani leaders have always been able to count on more friends in Washington than India could. Paksitan's role in helping the resistance to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan sealed the deal in the 1980's. To this day, Pervez Musharraf is given slack almost no other American ally has, and he sees as his enemies not the Islamists, but the secular democrats he bounced in 1999.
Part of the problem here is the refusal to come to terms about Pakistan's ally and enabler: Communist China. So long as the Communist regime is considered a "friend," it's that much harder to come to terms about Pakistan. For Republicans, the presence of al Qaeda is enough to keep the focus on defeating them. I'm not sure the Democrats will feel the same impulse from their political base; it will be far easier to listen to Pakistan's friends in the State Department and the weak Europeans who have fought so little anyway.
The arguments against the Iraq war can be easily grafted onto Afghanistan: After all, the Taliban were fighting on several fronts, including one front against an Iran-backed Shia group. Moreover, the Taliban has an untouchable safe zone in Pakistan, much like the terrorists have in Syria, only worse. Meanwhile, the Pashtuns in Afghanistan are playing the same cards as the Sunnis in Iraq, and although few Pashtuns actually like the Taliban, it hasn't stopped the group from claiming the Pashtun cause, and if the Democrats can be fooled into believing the Sunnis hate us because of al Qaeda in Iraq, they can be fooled by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The nature of the Democratic front-runners: At this point, I can only see four potential Democratic nominees - Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Al Gore, and Barack Obama. Gore and Obama have no involvement in the reaction to 9/11/01, given them the perfect opportunity to drop Afghanistan quickly. Edwards and Clinton supported the Afghan war, but both have managed to worm their way out of their Iraq vote (Edwards with far more success), and could probably repeat the performance in re Afghanistan.
George W. Bush is the perfect scapegoat: There is already talk about how the rest of the world will react to a new president, and while most of the speculation is wrong (Bush remains popular in India and Russia, why these large nations don't count is a mystery to me), the entire European elite will certainly welcome a Democrat. However, they will also move very quickly to lean heavily on said Democrat to call Afghanistan and Iraq "Bush's Wars," and end them on that basis. Again, given the domestic pressure the Democrat will be facing, and the perfect opportunity to make a "clean break" with Bush; I don't see a Democrat resisting this temptation.
Of course, it won't be called a pullout. The new Democratic Administration will call for a UN peacekeeping force to replace the Americans and allies, and odds are it will be approved quickly by the Security Council (Russia and Communist China will have their own reasons for supporting it - namely the hope they can fill up the vacuum we will leave behind). There will be talk over President Bush "overreacting" to 9/11, how the Democrats would never have leaned so hard if they were in control; how Bush should have prevented 9/11 in the first place, etc., etc., etc. There may even be a Church Committee redux, with investigations and lurid charges about the mistakes of the Bush Administration, and of course, the 9/11 conspiracy theorists will have a new lease on life.
I know, I know, no single Democrat is even talking about an Afghan pullout, but no single Democratic leader was talking about an Iraqi pullout last year either. It was only after the new Congress was sworn in (and Joe Lieberman cast his vote for Harry Reid as Majority Leader) that talk of troop caps, "slow bleeds," and withdrawal filled the airwaves.
The pieces are in place for an Afghanistan pullout, a return to glory for the Taliban, and a huge daily double (Iraq and Afghanistan) for al Qaeda. All they need is a Democrat in the White House. Will the American people give it to them?
This will likely be the most controversial post I have written to date; to the extent that the left (and other Democrats) see it at all, they'll likely respond with vituperative outrage. However, I genuinely believe (and in my view, I have good reason to believe) that if a Democrat is elected president next year, (s)he will cut short the war in Afghanistan by pulling American forces out before the Taliban and al Qaeda are defeated.
If I am right about this, it should permanently put to rest the notion slowly seeping into the discussion on the right that perhaps, just perhaps, the country would be better off if the Democrats won in 2008. The argument (best presented but not endorsed by Jonah Goldberg in National Review Online) goes something like this: the only way the Democrats will understand the depth of the "war on terror" (as followers of this space know, I prefer calling it the Wahhabist-Ba'athist-Khomeinist War) is if they are handed the reigns and forced to "take ownership" of it. The problem with that analysis is that it assumes the Democrats and the left want ownership of the war, something that I simply do not see. In fact, what I see of the Democrats and the political landscape tells me they'll respond by cutting the war short as soon as possible. Here are my reasons.
Support for the liberation of Afghanistan is far weaker in America than we realize: The conventional wisdom holds that all Americans support the war in Afghanistan. As usual, conventional wisdom is wrong. In fact, a Washington Post pollster asked the following question as past of its survey: "Thinking now about Afghanistan, all in all, considering the costs to the United States versus the benefits to the United States, do you think the war in Afghanistan was worth fighting, or not?" The Yes/No split was 56-41. Forty-one percent of Americans now oppose America's military presence in Afghanistan.
I know, I know, we who support the Iraq war would love a 56-41 split. The last time we had that was January of 2004. Ominously, buy the end of that year, the numbers had flipped (42-56), and the Yes side never came near 50% again. The Taliban are already plotting a spring offensive to demoralize our allies and our voters, hoping to copy the political success of the Iraqi terrorists.
More to the point, odds are the overwhelming majority of this 41% will support the Democratic candidate in 2008 (whoever that may be), and should said Democrat win, the political pressure will be quite strong on the Democrat to pull out of Afghanistan and wash our hands of the entire W-B-K War - and that won't be the only place from where the Democratic President will feel that pressure.
Support for the liberation of Afghanistan is far weaker among our allies than we realize: There is a lot of talk about NATO being united on the Afghan mission. It's not true. Of all the NATO allies, only four: the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and the Netherlands, have authorized their troops to do any fighting in Afghanistan. Every other military force is restricted to behind-the-line work by their governments. Meanwhile, the Netherlands is already shifting left, Britain will soon follow with the exit of Tony Blair, and Australia (the only non-NATO nation with a fighting force in Afghanistan) may replace John Howard with a left-wing opposition (Howard's coalition trail in the polls by double-digits - AAP via Epoch Times). Canada is, for now, the only nation that appears political set for the long haul in Afghanistan, and that's only if current trends continue up there.
Meanwhile, European left-wing parties (including the governments of Spain and Italy) are less than happy about being in Afghanistan at all (Italy's government nearly collapsed after left-wingers protested its country's continued presence there, even without fighting). The Spanish and Italian government's were elected solely on the basis of Iraq; there was little if any reference to Afghanistan in their campaigns. That hasn't stopped them from trying to cut and run now.
Pakistan no longer has any interest in supporting the war against the Taliban: The fact is, Pakistan is more interested in keeping Afghanistan from becoming an ally of India than defeating the Taliban. As it was arresting one Taliban leader (Shotgun), it was making deals with another (Asia Times). Therefore, the new Democratic president will face a newly emboldened base, several foreign leaders, and an ally in Central Asia telling him/her the same thing: wrap up Afghanistan, and do it soon. Will (s)he listen to them? I think (s)he will, and here's why.
Pakistan's influence in Washington: Beginning in the late 1960's, when Richard Nixon started using Pakistan as a conduit to Mao Zedong, Pakistani leaders have always been able to count on more friends in Washington than India could. Paksitan's role in helping the resistance to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan sealed the deal in the 1980's. To this day, Pervez Musharraf is given slack almost no other American ally has, and he sees as his enemies not the Islamists, but the secular democrats he bounced in 1999.
Part of the problem here is the refusal to come to terms about Pakistan's ally and enabler: Communist China. So long as the Communist regime is considered a "friend," it's that much harder to come to terms about Pakistan. For Republicans, the presence of al Qaeda is enough to keep the focus on defeating them. I'm not sure the Democrats will feel the same impulse from their political base; it will be far easier to listen to Pakistan's friends in the State Department and the weak Europeans who have fought so little anyway.
The arguments against the Iraq war can be easily grafted onto Afghanistan: After all, the Taliban were fighting on several fronts, including one front against an Iran-backed Shia group. Moreover, the Taliban has an untouchable safe zone in Pakistan, much like the terrorists have in Syria, only worse. Meanwhile, the Pashtuns in Afghanistan are playing the same cards as the Sunnis in Iraq, and although few Pashtuns actually like the Taliban, it hasn't stopped the group from claiming the Pashtun cause, and if the Democrats can be fooled into believing the Sunnis hate us because of al Qaeda in Iraq, they can be fooled by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The nature of the Democratic front-runners: At this point, I can only see four potential Democratic nominees - Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Al Gore, and Barack Obama. Gore and Obama have no involvement in the reaction to 9/11/01, given them the perfect opportunity to drop Afghanistan quickly. Edwards and Clinton supported the Afghan war, but both have managed to worm their way out of their Iraq vote (Edwards with far more success), and could probably repeat the performance in re Afghanistan.
George W. Bush is the perfect scapegoat: There is already talk about how the rest of the world will react to a new president, and while most of the speculation is wrong (Bush remains popular in India and Russia, why these large nations don't count is a mystery to me), the entire European elite will certainly welcome a Democrat. However, they will also move very quickly to lean heavily on said Democrat to call Afghanistan and Iraq "Bush's Wars," and end them on that basis. Again, given the domestic pressure the Democrat will be facing, and the perfect opportunity to make a "clean break" with Bush; I don't see a Democrat resisting this temptation.
Of course, it won't be called a pullout. The new Democratic Administration will call for a UN peacekeeping force to replace the Americans and allies, and odds are it will be approved quickly by the Security Council (Russia and Communist China will have their own reasons for supporting it - namely the hope they can fill up the vacuum we will leave behind). There will be talk over President Bush "overreacting" to 9/11, how the Democrats would never have leaned so hard if they were in control; how Bush should have prevented 9/11 in the first place, etc., etc., etc. There may even be a Church Committee redux, with investigations and lurid charges about the mistakes of the Bush Administration, and of course, the 9/11 conspiracy theorists will have a new lease on life.
I know, I know, no single Democrat is even talking about an Afghan pullout, but no single Democratic leader was talking about an Iraqi pullout last year either. It was only after the new Congress was sworn in (and Joe Lieberman cast his vote for Harry Reid as Majority Leader) that talk of troop caps, "slow bleeds," and withdrawal filled the airwaves.
The pieces are in place for an Afghanistan pullout, a return to glory for the Taliban, and a huge daily double (Iraq and Afghanistan) for al Qaeda. All they need is a Democrat in the White House. Will the American people give it to them?
News of the Day (March 5)
Communist China ups its military spending by more than 17 percent: The cadres announced "a 17.8 percent increase in the defense budget" (Washington Times). This comes off an increase of almost 15% last year (BBC). Also reporting: Shotgun and Worldwide Standard
More on the threat from Communist China to the free world: Mark Helprin (Washington Post) and Geoff Metcalf (Newsmax) share Enlightened Comment of the Day honors for their columns on the cadres' belligerence and how America must respond. James Mann is furious at the "engagement" crowd, and takes his case to print in The China Fantasy: How Our Leaders Explain Away Chinese Repression (reviewed by the Washington Post). Cao Changqing (Observe China via Epoch Times) uses Hu Jintao's recent trip to Sudan as a metaphor for his (Hu's) views on the free world.
Communists rip Chen Shui-bian for insisting Taiwan should never fall under their thumb: The cadres flipped out Taiwan's elected President insisted the island democracy "should be independent" (BBC) - never mind that it already is, something the cadres would like everyone to forget.
North Korean refugees sought U.S. help in Communist China - and were turned down: One Free Korea has the sickening story of how American consulate officials in Shenyang violated U.S. law and the norms of human decency in the case of the "Shenyang Six" (tenth item).
More on the Communist China and the United States: The long arm of the cadres extends to the arts (Epoch Times) and will soon reach the auto market (Washington Post).
Ireland's Parliament may move against Communist organ harvesting: Members of the Dial (what the Irish call their legislature) are pondering measures to use what power they have (Epoch Times).
More human rights abuses in Communist China: Anti-"one child" activist Chen Guangcheng is being abused in prison (Epoch Times and National Review Online). A lawyer willing to speak up for Falun Gong is now in prison for "counter-revolutionary" activities (Epoch Times).
More news from inside Communist China: As the cadres' open their rubber-stamp parliament (BBC), a new report shows that the Potemkin cities in Communist China are leaving the impoverished rural interior behind (Voice of America via Epoch Times). After days of speculation, Asia Times (via Epoch Times) found the reasons for the Shanghai stock market drop that sunk markets around the world - Communist regulations imposed on bank and stock transactions.
The Beijing surrender takes more flak, this time from Jay Lefkowitz, John McCain (Worldwide Standard), and John Bolton (Wall Street Journal), but the Administration is still going forward with this fiasco (BBC), even to the point of unfreezing Stalinist assets (Washington Times), while doves from all around are taking aim at the issue of Stalinist North Korea's uranium weapons program - they claim the regime never had one (One Free Korea's take on the matter).
Back to the Communists' Korean colony: The United Nations Development Program is pulling out of SNK (Wall Street Journal). South Korea, acting against type, is holding off on aid to SNK (Daily NK). A leading SNK-Communist China trading zone is practically shut down by the Stalinists (Daily NK). The regime is still manipulating international food aid distribution (Daily NK). Ha Tae-Kyoung, President of Open Radio for North Korea, talks to Daily NK about his efforts to bring the truth to the people of northern Korea.
More on the threat from Communist China to the free world: Mark Helprin (Washington Post) and Geoff Metcalf (Newsmax) share Enlightened Comment of the Day honors for their columns on the cadres' belligerence and how America must respond. James Mann is furious at the "engagement" crowd, and takes his case to print in The China Fantasy: How Our Leaders Explain Away Chinese Repression (reviewed by the Washington Post). Cao Changqing (Observe China via Epoch Times) uses Hu Jintao's recent trip to Sudan as a metaphor for his (Hu's) views on the free world.
Communists rip Chen Shui-bian for insisting Taiwan should never fall under their thumb: The cadres flipped out Taiwan's elected President insisted the island democracy "should be independent" (BBC) - never mind that it already is, something the cadres would like everyone to forget.
North Korean refugees sought U.S. help in Communist China - and were turned down: One Free Korea has the sickening story of how American consulate officials in Shenyang violated U.S. law and the norms of human decency in the case of the "Shenyang Six" (tenth item).
More on the Communist China and the United States: The long arm of the cadres extends to the arts (Epoch Times) and will soon reach the auto market (Washington Post).
Ireland's Parliament may move against Communist organ harvesting: Members of the Dial (what the Irish call their legislature) are pondering measures to use what power they have (Epoch Times).
More human rights abuses in Communist China: Anti-"one child" activist Chen Guangcheng is being abused in prison (Epoch Times and National Review Online). A lawyer willing to speak up for Falun Gong is now in prison for "counter-revolutionary" activities (Epoch Times).
More news from inside Communist China: As the cadres' open their rubber-stamp parliament (BBC), a new report shows that the Potemkin cities in Communist China are leaving the impoverished rural interior behind (Voice of America via Epoch Times). After days of speculation, Asia Times (via Epoch Times) found the reasons for the Shanghai stock market drop that sunk markets around the world - Communist regulations imposed on bank and stock transactions.
The Beijing surrender takes more flak, this time from Jay Lefkowitz, John McCain (Worldwide Standard), and John Bolton (Wall Street Journal), but the Administration is still going forward with this fiasco (BBC), even to the point of unfreezing Stalinist assets (Washington Times), while doves from all around are taking aim at the issue of Stalinist North Korea's uranium weapons program - they claim the regime never had one (One Free Korea's take on the matter).
Back to the Communists' Korean colony: The United Nations Development Program is pulling out of SNK (Wall Street Journal). South Korea, acting against type, is holding off on aid to SNK (Daily NK). A leading SNK-Communist China trading zone is practically shut down by the Stalinists (Daily NK). The regime is still manipulating international food aid distribution (Daily NK). Ha Tae-Kyoung, President of Open Radio for North Korea, talks to Daily NK about his efforts to bring the truth to the people of northern Korea.
Friday, March 02, 2007
News of the Day (March 2)
MSNBC looks for anti-Communist candidates, finds Duncan Hunter and - Hillary Clinton? The first half of Tom Curry's MSNBC takes a look at Senator Hillary Clinton's attempt to reinvent herself as an anti-Communist (the obstacles to her attempt - namely her past - are on page 2). Curry also takes note of the real anti-Communist in the race: namely, He Who Must Be President.
Communist China builds up its military while ripping the U.S. for arms sales to Taiwan: Cadre mouthpiece Qin Gang ripped Vice President Richard Cheney's criticism of Communist China's partially-secret military buildup (BBC and Washington Times). Of course, the Communists probably didn't want anyone to know about its "major buildup of submarines that includes five new strategic nuclear-missile boats and several advanced nuclear-powered attack submarines," but Bill Gertz (Washington Times) found out anyway. Meanwhile, the Communists also " called on the United States to cancel a planned sale of hundreds of missiles to Taiwan" (BBC); the missiles are about half of the 900 the Communists are pointing at the island democracy.
Septuagenarian appellant sent to jail: Shuang Shuying, aged 77, went to Beijing to petition national cadres to hear her case against local Communists who arrested her son. In response, she herself was beaten, arrested, and sentenced to two years in prison (Epoch Times).
Communists cracking down on families with multiple children: Here's the chilling verbage from "family planning" cadre Yu Xuejun - "We found out that most celebrities and rich people have two children, and 10% of them have three. The phenomenon must be stopped."
Draft law to protect "private property" still not passed by Communist legislature: It has been seven years since the cadres proposed draft legislation in their rubber-stamp parliament to establish "property rights" - with much fanfare from "engagement" fans in the West. Said fans have moved on, but the supposed achievement they trumpeted as evidence of reform in China remains unenacted (Voice of America via Epoch Times).
More Shanghai cadres fired: Left unmentioned by the BBC is the fact that the latest "anti-corruption" campaign can't seem to move beyond Shanghai - the stronghold of current Communist leader Hu Jintao's predecessor and rival Jiang Zemin.
On the Communists' Korean colony: The editors of the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post agree that Stalinist North Korea's uranium enrichment program is a serious concern (although only the Journal was willing to use the point to question the Beijing surrender). SNK and South Korea's dovish government resume talks on reunions (BBC), and aid (Agence France-Presse via News.com.au). One Free Korea recounted the Congressional testimony of Jay Leftkowitz, America's envoy for human rights in SNK.
Communist China builds up its military while ripping the U.S. for arms sales to Taiwan: Cadre mouthpiece Qin Gang ripped Vice President Richard Cheney's criticism of Communist China's partially-secret military buildup (BBC and Washington Times). Of course, the Communists probably didn't want anyone to know about its "major buildup of submarines that includes five new strategic nuclear-missile boats and several advanced nuclear-powered attack submarines," but Bill Gertz (Washington Times) found out anyway. Meanwhile, the Communists also " called on the United States to cancel a planned sale of hundreds of missiles to Taiwan" (BBC); the missiles are about half of the 900 the Communists are pointing at the island democracy.
Septuagenarian appellant sent to jail: Shuang Shuying, aged 77, went to Beijing to petition national cadres to hear her case against local Communists who arrested her son. In response, she herself was beaten, arrested, and sentenced to two years in prison (Epoch Times).
Communists cracking down on families with multiple children: Here's the chilling verbage from "family planning" cadre Yu Xuejun - "We found out that most celebrities and rich people have two children, and 10% of them have three. The phenomenon must be stopped."
Draft law to protect "private property" still not passed by Communist legislature: It has been seven years since the cadres proposed draft legislation in their rubber-stamp parliament to establish "property rights" - with much fanfare from "engagement" fans in the West. Said fans have moved on, but the supposed achievement they trumpeted as evidence of reform in China remains unenacted (Voice of America via Epoch Times).
More Shanghai cadres fired: Left unmentioned by the BBC is the fact that the latest "anti-corruption" campaign can't seem to move beyond Shanghai - the stronghold of current Communist leader Hu Jintao's predecessor and rival Jiang Zemin.
On the Communists' Korean colony: The editors of the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post agree that Stalinist North Korea's uranium enrichment program is a serious concern (although only the Journal was willing to use the point to question the Beijing surrender). SNK and South Korea's dovish government resume talks on reunions (BBC), and aid (Agence France-Presse via News.com.au). One Free Korea recounted the Congressional testimony of Jay Leftkowitz, America's envoy for human rights in SNK.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
News of the Day (March 1)
A must-read column by William R. Hawkins: The senior fellow for National Security Studies at the U.S. Business and Industry Council reveals Communist China's plans for becoming the world's new leading power, and how its Korean colony and its mullahcratic allies in Iran fit into the picture (Washington Times). The piece means yet another Enlightened Comment of the Day award for one of its most prolific winners.
The satellite regimes help each other on nuclear weapons and missiles: The latest details come courtesy of Alon Levkowitz, lecturer at the Department of East Asian Studies at Tel-Aviv University (Worldwide Standard and One Free Korea).
North Korean refugees in Communist China sold into sex slavery: On the run from Communist police more than eager to send them back to the Stalinists, Korean women hiding and starving often become, in the words of One Free Korea (whose post is a painful must-read), as "the comfort women of the present."
More on the Communists' Korean colony: As some are now trying to pretend the Stalinists aren't really a threat (Washington Post), the Beijing surrender continues (Washington Times), and One Free Korea reports on the reaction from the Capitol. Meanwhile, Daily NK keeps track of inter-Korean talks and Stalinist propaganda, and the SNK drug dealing story continues to reverberate (Daily NK and OFK).
Communist China to send a representative to the Iraq conference: The cadres will thus have a chance to keep an eye out for its Iranian allies at the large "sub-ministerial" meeting (CNN).
More on the Communist-backed mullahcracy: Alireza Jafarzadeh (Fox News) calls for liberation; Mad Mouthpiece Mahmoud visits fellow Communist ally Sudan (Washington Times); and Michael Rubin has everything else (National Review Online - The Corner).
Pakistan makes a deal with Taliban commander: Communist China's near-sixty-year ally "has made a deal with the Taliban through a leading Taliban commander that will extend Islamabad's influence into southwestern Afghanistan and significantly strengthen the resistance in its push to capture Kabul" (Asia Times). The commander is Mullah Dadullah, who is threatening to unleash "hundreds" of suicide bombers against Americans in Afghanistan (Bloomberg).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Communist China boasts of oil offers from nine nations (BBC); comments by an American general ignite the Communist-controlled Chinese web (Worldwide Standard); China Insight Research Society Brian McAdam (Member since 2004) comments on Communist China's entry into Canadian television (Prime Time Crime).
BBC reveals Communist scam on "labor camp changes": The cadres were counting on high praise in the West for its plans "to consider reforming a controversial law allowing police to send crime suspects to labour camps without trial," but the BBC exposed the scam. The changes will only affect "the 're-education through labour' system"; the more hideous '"reform through labour' or 'laogai'" system of permanent imprisonment and torture without trial will remain untouched.
On the state of the workers in the workers' state - migrants: The BBC has two stories on their harrowing plight.
Resignations from the Chinese Communist Party pass 19 million: China Support Network founder John P. Kusumi celebrates the news.
The satellite regimes help each other on nuclear weapons and missiles: The latest details come courtesy of Alon Levkowitz, lecturer at the Department of East Asian Studies at Tel-Aviv University (Worldwide Standard and One Free Korea).
North Korean refugees in Communist China sold into sex slavery: On the run from Communist police more than eager to send them back to the Stalinists, Korean women hiding and starving often become, in the words of One Free Korea (whose post is a painful must-read), as "the comfort women of the present."
More on the Communists' Korean colony: As some are now trying to pretend the Stalinists aren't really a threat (Washington Post), the Beijing surrender continues (Washington Times), and One Free Korea reports on the reaction from the Capitol. Meanwhile, Daily NK keeps track of inter-Korean talks and Stalinist propaganda, and the SNK drug dealing story continues to reverberate (Daily NK and OFK).
Communist China to send a representative to the Iraq conference: The cadres will thus have a chance to keep an eye out for its Iranian allies at the large "sub-ministerial" meeting (CNN).
More on the Communist-backed mullahcracy: Alireza Jafarzadeh (Fox News) calls for liberation; Mad Mouthpiece Mahmoud visits fellow Communist ally Sudan (Washington Times); and Michael Rubin has everything else (National Review Online - The Corner).
Pakistan makes a deal with Taliban commander: Communist China's near-sixty-year ally "has made a deal with the Taliban through a leading Taliban commander that will extend Islamabad's influence into southwestern Afghanistan and significantly strengthen the resistance in its push to capture Kabul" (Asia Times). The commander is Mullah Dadullah, who is threatening to unleash "hundreds" of suicide bombers against Americans in Afghanistan (Bloomberg).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Communist China boasts of oil offers from nine nations (BBC); comments by an American general ignite the Communist-controlled Chinese web (Worldwide Standard); China Insight Research Society Brian McAdam (Member since 2004) comments on Communist China's entry into Canadian television (Prime Time Crime).
BBC reveals Communist scam on "labor camp changes": The cadres were counting on high praise in the West for its plans "to consider reforming a controversial law allowing police to send crime suspects to labour camps without trial," but the BBC exposed the scam. The changes will only affect "the 're-education through labour' system"; the more hideous '"reform through labour' or 'laogai'" system of permanent imprisonment and torture without trial will remain untouched.
On the state of the workers in the workers' state - migrants: The BBC has two stories on their harrowing plight.
Resignations from the Chinese Communist Party pass 19 million: China Support Network founder John P. Kusumi celebrates the news.
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