Front page of Al-Jazeera English webpage:
-Fighting in Mogadishu
-Swat Taliban extends ceasefire
-Wall Street slump sparks Asia fall
-Several smaller stories, such as Us to give $900 million in aid to Gaza, N. Korea to launch satellite, etc.
Front page of CNN webpage:
-Obama speech will be sober, hopeful
-Advertisements, advertisements, advertisements
-9 year old bride walks down aisle in Texas
-Possible octuplet dad wants DNA test
If that stark comparison doesn't do it for you, compare it to other mainstream mass market news agency webpages. Here's what you are likely to find on MMMNAs: proof that people are crazy, some white girl died, Obamaobamaobama, gloom and doom about how poor off Americans are. Here's what you find on Al-Jazeera: people with real problems, information on countries that are actually struggling, a brief glimpse at the next Taliban (Mogadishu?)
For those of you that actually care about world news, the real news, not the crap CNN and other MMMNAs spoon-feed people, take a chance on Al-Jazeera. It's not Al-Qaeda for crying out loud! Not everything that sounds remotely Arabic or Middle Eastern is a terrorist. The majority of terror attacks on American soil come from crazy Americans, not crazy foreigners.
The news is not something you watch to keep yourself entertained until the next episode of "Who Wants to be a Millionare" comes on. It's a vital public service that American news agencies fail miserably at. I seriously get more enjoyment out of my local news. At least they can tell me the weather.
So, again, give Al-Jazeera English a chance.
Peace.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
World Bank still Screwing!
BalkanInsight Article
Brief summary of the article.
The World Bank finally admitted that a project meant to safeguard Albania's coastal zones was used to selectively demolish houses in Jale, Albania. It's going to be launching an investigation into the handling of the project. An earlier investigation by the International Development Organization showed that it seemed likely that the project was being abused to develop the land into resorts. This all took place back in April 2007, and since then several families have had to struggle with displacement and homelessness.
Brief summary of my reaction to World Bank's reaction.
Um... how did this not a bigger splash? Can we get any decent coverage of events like this in the states? Not that it really matters because homelessness is becoming pretty trendy here as well. But this seems like something that should have been noticed as it was happening (back in April 2007) and at least a minor uproar heard by someone.
If VP Biden plans to make an impact in the Balkans, the first step might be to prevent the World Bank from completely screwing these people to set up resorts for rich snobs to come and enjoy the beautiful beaches.
But hey, we have Hillary Clinton as Sec of State, and we all know how much the Balkans looooove her! That whole campaign lie about bullets flying past her head, that didn't ruffle any feathers...no...
Oh right, the World Bank's statement issued on the whole thing- TA-FREAKING-DA
My reaction to that? Mostly swearing.
In it, the President of the Bank, Robert Zoellick, himself states that the handling of the situation was "appalling." You'd think the president of an organization that powerful would be able to stop this kind of crap from happening right? Then I get more ranty, because I want to know who these Presidents and CEOs and COOs are! How do such incompetent people get into places of such power. It's like giving the keys to a Bugatti to a five year old and turning them loose on the freakin' Autobahn!!!
I digress.
Peace.
Brief summary of the article.
The World Bank finally admitted that a project meant to safeguard Albania's coastal zones was used to selectively demolish houses in Jale, Albania. It's going to be launching an investigation into the handling of the project. An earlier investigation by the International Development Organization showed that it seemed likely that the project was being abused to develop the land into resorts. This all took place back in April 2007, and since then several families have had to struggle with displacement and homelessness.
Brief summary of my reaction to World Bank's reaction.
Um... how did this not a bigger splash? Can we get any decent coverage of events like this in the states? Not that it really matters because homelessness is becoming pretty trendy here as well. But this seems like something that should have been noticed as it was happening (back in April 2007) and at least a minor uproar heard by someone.
If VP Biden plans to make an impact in the Balkans, the first step might be to prevent the World Bank from completely screwing these people to set up resorts for rich snobs to come and enjoy the beautiful beaches.
But hey, we have Hillary Clinton as Sec of State, and we all know how much the Balkans looooove her! That whole campaign lie about bullets flying past her head, that didn't ruffle any feathers...no...
Oh right, the World Bank's statement issued on the whole thing- TA-FREAKING-DA
My reaction to that? Mostly swearing.
In it, the President of the Bank, Robert Zoellick, himself states that the handling of the situation was "appalling." You'd think the president of an organization that powerful would be able to stop this kind of crap from happening right? Then I get more ranty, because I want to know who these Presidents and CEOs and COOs are! How do such incompetent people get into places of such power. It's like giving the keys to a Bugatti to a five year old and turning them loose on the freakin' Autobahn!!!
I digress.
Peace.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Israeli Elections and the Future of the Peace Process
The elections are almost finished and the final votes are soon to be tallied from Israeli service personnel. There is little doubt though that Likud has won the most seats and Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to lure Kadima into a coalition. Kadima leader Tzipi Livni has thus far refused to join any coalition that would be of a far-right religious bent. Netanyahu is most likely to form just such a coalition. What would this type of government lead to in regards to peace with Palestinians and the prevention of war with Iran, along with US-Israeli relations?
That can wait. First, if Netanyahu doesn't get Kadima to join up, where does that leave Livni? She has said that she is still trying to form a coalition under her lead. At the same time she has stated that she will not give in to exorbitant demands in order to form a coalition. She has one very strong argument in regards to her leading the country.
"I can also put together a coalition that is united around the peace process. Netanyahu doesn't want that, and couldn't do it even if he did, with his right wing partners." -Livni
What she says seems true enough. It is doubtful that Netanyahu would do much for the peace process. He might also worsen relations with Iran. This at a time when US President Obama has made moves to improve relations with Iran. However, Netanyahu will be able to form a ruling coalition, and it seems unlikely that Kadima can stand against him for long. He is offering some top spots to leaders of some of the smaller parties. He is also expected to offer Livni the top position in foreign affairs and perhaps the defense position to fellow opposition member Mofaz.
So, if Livni accepts the post, she would be in a strong position with regards to foreign policy. How strong, and how far she would be allowed to carry her agenda remains to be seen. She could push a more accepting peace process, but I imagine that will be greatly hampered by Netanyahu and his probable coalition. The only thing we can do now is to wait and see, and hope for the best for the country of Israel.
Peace
Haaretz articles- Breakdown of Coalition Possibilities, Final Tally
That can wait. First, if Netanyahu doesn't get Kadima to join up, where does that leave Livni? She has said that she is still trying to form a coalition under her lead. At the same time she has stated that she will not give in to exorbitant demands in order to form a coalition. She has one very strong argument in regards to her leading the country.
"I can also put together a coalition that is united around the peace process. Netanyahu doesn't want that, and couldn't do it even if he did, with his right wing partners." -Livni
What she says seems true enough. It is doubtful that Netanyahu would do much for the peace process. He might also worsen relations with Iran. This at a time when US President Obama has made moves to improve relations with Iran. However, Netanyahu will be able to form a ruling coalition, and it seems unlikely that Kadima can stand against him for long. He is offering some top spots to leaders of some of the smaller parties. He is also expected to offer Livni the top position in foreign affairs and perhaps the defense position to fellow opposition member Mofaz.
So, if Livni accepts the post, she would be in a strong position with regards to foreign policy. How strong, and how far she would be allowed to carry her agenda remains to be seen. She could push a more accepting peace process, but I imagine that will be greatly hampered by Netanyahu and his probable coalition. The only thing we can do now is to wait and see, and hope for the best for the country of Israel.
Peace
Haaretz articles- Breakdown of Coalition Possibilities, Final Tally
Monday, February 2, 2009
America's Special Relationship with Israel
It has long been established that the United States have a special relationship with the state of Israel. How this state of affairs came into being, how it has developed after the fall of the Soviet Union, and how it continues into today's world are subject to debate. What role should the US play in Israeli affairs? How should we react to their invasion of Gaza? How do we balance their intense fear of Iran with diplomacy? But, my main question, how does this special relationship persist?
A little background on how this relationship came to exist. After World War II, the sense of guilt at allowing the Holocaust to happen sent Europe and America into a bit of a tizzy. Zionist groups took advantage of this guilt to further their ends. The history of Zionism has been pretty well covered, from the Balfour Declaration to the found of Eretz Yisrael. The war of Israeli independence, which uprooted Palestinians and caused the scorn of Arab nations to befall the small Jewish country was manipulated from the start by Britain and the US to a lesser extent.
Israel was able to fight for its very existence against it's Arab enemies. This it did admirably, creating the image of the scrappy underdog. Since then however, it has been aided greatly by the United States. Why? Israel was seen as the toehold the US had in the Middle East against Soviet encroachment. The Soviet Union was making inroads in the Northern Crescent and with Egypt, and the States needed a counterbalance. Given the long history of American's interest in Zionism and the Biblical land of the Israelites, it is no wonder that they backed the new state.
Many presidents since the founding of Israel have tried to take a firm stance against the Israeli treatment of Palestinians. Something always came up though. Be it anything from the Cold War to the Iranian hostage crisis. No one ever got around to dealing strongly with Israel. Administrations constantly had to lend aid to the country in order to maintain a strong ally in the region. This is especially true after the Iranian Revolution. Now, with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the spawning of terrorist groups in the area, US administrations are stuck yet again.
Will Obama be able to take a stronger line against Israel? They have a strong grip on American politics through the Jewish Lobby in the States. And we really can't be too hard on a strong ally. The situation is precarious, but something different needs to be done. Too much time has been lost already. The right of return for Palestinians is now nearly laughable. They've been gone too long for many even to acknowledge a right of return.
Baby steps. The US needs to work with Israel towards granting Gazans and West Bankers some pretty basic rights. We need to utilize our special relationship with them to get them to adhere to international law. The first step there is to adhere to it ourselves. Obama promises change in that regard, and we can hope (sorry) for the best. Still, what will make him different?
Recently, Defense Minister Ehud Barak has proposed a tunnel between the two Palestinian territories. It would be a 48 km tunnel going under the state of Israel. This can only be described as madness. How would anyone feel safe using it? Not to mention how much it degrades the humanity of Palestinians. They can come through the land that was once theirs... underground, hidden from the light of day. The Israelis would maintain sovereignty over the tunnel, but allow the Palestinians to control traffic. Thank God for that trade-off, right? This is hardly a freedom of movement proposal.
The Palestinian leadership is hardly helping things. By allowing, or ordering, rockets to be fired into Southern Israel, they are making legitimate peace talks nearly impossible. Also, they are further alienating any Western sympathizers by appearing to most as nothing less than another terrorist cell. While many can tell the difference between idiot hate-mongers (Bin Laden) and legitimate freedom fighters (no example,) Hamas blurs the line for the majority of people. Sometimes even I can't tell what side to root for.
Oh well. The most I can hope for is the literate society in America to stand up and demand that something different be done. And for the same to happen around the world. Not like these silly little protests where angsty, wanna-be revolutionaries in Che t-shirts go around throwing rocks at police officers, but a legitimate protest. Write your Congressperson. Write Obama, I understand he has a web-page for that.
Also, do not take what I say as a hatred of Israel. The country is amazing and has brought us many amazing things. It is much like a miniature United States. It is full of promise, but it runs the risk of letting its leadership squander these promises. That cannot happen. Most important, get out there and read something other than the Twilight series. Don't forgo the entertainment lit, but don't neglect the important stuff either.
Peace.
For more info:
Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present by Michael B. Oren
Sources in the History of the Modern Middle East compiled by Akram Fouad Khater
A History of Modern Palestine by Ilan Pappe
A History of the Modern Middle East by William Cleveland
The Super Powers and the Middle East by Alan Palmer
A little background on how this relationship came to exist. After World War II, the sense of guilt at allowing the Holocaust to happen sent Europe and America into a bit of a tizzy. Zionist groups took advantage of this guilt to further their ends. The history of Zionism has been pretty well covered, from the Balfour Declaration to the found of Eretz Yisrael. The war of Israeli independence, which uprooted Palestinians and caused the scorn of Arab nations to befall the small Jewish country was manipulated from the start by Britain and the US to a lesser extent.
Israel was able to fight for its very existence against it's Arab enemies. This it did admirably, creating the image of the scrappy underdog. Since then however, it has been aided greatly by the United States. Why? Israel was seen as the toehold the US had in the Middle East against Soviet encroachment. The Soviet Union was making inroads in the Northern Crescent and with Egypt, and the States needed a counterbalance. Given the long history of American's interest in Zionism and the Biblical land of the Israelites, it is no wonder that they backed the new state.
Many presidents since the founding of Israel have tried to take a firm stance against the Israeli treatment of Palestinians. Something always came up though. Be it anything from the Cold War to the Iranian hostage crisis. No one ever got around to dealing strongly with Israel. Administrations constantly had to lend aid to the country in order to maintain a strong ally in the region. This is especially true after the Iranian Revolution. Now, with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the spawning of terrorist groups in the area, US administrations are stuck yet again.
Will Obama be able to take a stronger line against Israel? They have a strong grip on American politics through the Jewish Lobby in the States. And we really can't be too hard on a strong ally. The situation is precarious, but something different needs to be done. Too much time has been lost already. The right of return for Palestinians is now nearly laughable. They've been gone too long for many even to acknowledge a right of return.
Baby steps. The US needs to work with Israel towards granting Gazans and West Bankers some pretty basic rights. We need to utilize our special relationship with them to get them to adhere to international law. The first step there is to adhere to it ourselves. Obama promises change in that regard, and we can hope (sorry) for the best. Still, what will make him different?
Recently, Defense Minister Ehud Barak has proposed a tunnel between the two Palestinian territories. It would be a 48 km tunnel going under the state of Israel. This can only be described as madness. How would anyone feel safe using it? Not to mention how much it degrades the humanity of Palestinians. They can come through the land that was once theirs... underground, hidden from the light of day. The Israelis would maintain sovereignty over the tunnel, but allow the Palestinians to control traffic. Thank God for that trade-off, right? This is hardly a freedom of movement proposal.
The Palestinian leadership is hardly helping things. By allowing, or ordering, rockets to be fired into Southern Israel, they are making legitimate peace talks nearly impossible. Also, they are further alienating any Western sympathizers by appearing to most as nothing less than another terrorist cell. While many can tell the difference between idiot hate-mongers (Bin Laden) and legitimate freedom fighters (no example,) Hamas blurs the line for the majority of people. Sometimes even I can't tell what side to root for.
Oh well. The most I can hope for is the literate society in America to stand up and demand that something different be done. And for the same to happen around the world. Not like these silly little protests where angsty, wanna-be revolutionaries in Che t-shirts go around throwing rocks at police officers, but a legitimate protest. Write your Congressperson. Write Obama, I understand he has a web-page for that.
Also, do not take what I say as a hatred of Israel. The country is amazing and has brought us many amazing things. It is much like a miniature United States. It is full of promise, but it runs the risk of letting its leadership squander these promises. That cannot happen. Most important, get out there and read something other than the Twilight series. Don't forgo the entertainment lit, but don't neglect the important stuff either.
Peace.
For more info:
Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present by Michael B. Oren
Sources in the History of the Modern Middle East compiled by Akram Fouad Khater
A History of Modern Palestine by Ilan Pappe
A History of the Modern Middle East by William Cleveland
The Super Powers and the Middle East by Alan Palmer
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