Lamis Andoni is a Middle East consultant for Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news station. She has been covering the Middle East for 20 years. She has reported for the Christian Science Monitor, the Financial Times and the main newspapers in Jordan. She was a professor at the Graduate School in UC Berkeley.
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Lamis Andoni
Doha, Qatar
Lamis Andoni is a Middle East consultant for Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news station.
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China is like bacterial growth in a petri dish. They are using all their resources unsustainably and are now growing to the limits of their first colony. Now they are enticing resource-rich third world countries into low or no interest loans for trading rights and resource rights. After this industrial monster rapes all of the natural resources from these naive countries it will leave them in worse poverty than when they started. Wham, bam, thank you maam. It doesn't know or care really what goes on around it as long as it is growing, making money and not directly affected by its surroundings.
This scares the bejesus out of me and should most people. The Chinese culture is infamous for ignoring problems, especially environmental ones hoping they will go away someday. They never admit they are wrong and never apologize.
So basically, China's role is to consume everything it can with as little conflict and effort as possible. It just doesn't give a damn. Don't look for it to stick its neck out for anything that doesn't directly benefit itself.
If the Muslims want a world united under the Muslim banner, they will only get there via war. I have no intention of submitting the rest of my life to the Quran. Neither do the rest of the 85% of Americans who are Christians in this country. If that's what you want, if war is want you want, then Bush is right, let's go to war and fight it on your lands. We'll need to implement a new draft and have millions of troops over there. But, honestly, I'd rather be free and serve in the military than live under your rule.
Just come to think of it. The mighty US military cannot hold on to the Sunni triangle which has less than 6 million people.
Sure it can Bomb the whole place but it cannot rule the people. Imagine the 6 million who are fighting not only the US military but also the Shias and the Kurds.
I cannot understand how 200 million Indians went under and became a colony of the British Empire for nearly 200 years just 60 years ago. Maybe it is something in the water of the Eupherates and Tigris that is not found in the water of the Ganges and Brahamaputra.
China thinks they have a handle on their own Muslim population, lets see how long that lasts. But however it falls, wherever it is, and whoever is involved, there can be only one ending, an Islamic Caliphate. It will begin its rise from Africa and all nations will succomb (except one). Keep your eyes on Ethiopia, a very important next phase for the islamic movement. That will be the first direct takeover of a Christian nation and when Ethiopia goes, all of Africa will follow.
Slipknot, you're cuckoo. This Iraq project is Bush and the Republican's idea, period. If it had worked they would have gotten great credit, now that it's gotten this bad and could easily get worse, a little humility and self-criticism from the war party would be appreciated. Congress gave Bush everything he asked for, if he asked for more he would have gotten it. No one is dissing the troops. They have mixed views of the project themselves.
Bush and his team made mistake after mistake, the project was risky enough even if competently carried out. Unfortunately we have a president who doesn't do humility and has a severe learning disability.
China cares about China. Nothing personal. Its just business. They are a power, but don't act like it. Their failure to act in Darfur/Sudan is telling. Their development and purchase of Sudanese oil underwrites much of the tragedy of Darfur. They cut a deal with Iran for oil in exchange for running interference on the Iranian nuke issue. Which is difficult for the US. A perfect double whammy. China's amoral approach to geopolitics is especially enticing to mideast thugochracies. In the short term, China benefits. But it is short term thinking
It is simply History on the move, the inevitable process of the Rise and Fall of the Great Powers. Kennedy's 1995 book of that title foretold it all.
Britain's industrial revolution enabled it to rule the waves and extract riches through colonisation, fuelling further adventures. Eventually, stretched too thin and beyond control other than by the most barbaric means, the Empire imploded (relatively gracefully compared to most), handing influence and power to our American cousins who extracted wealth by stealth rather than gunboat, using convenient economic arrangements and pliable international institutions, backed up by military might. The Soviet Union simply couldn't compete; in the end the choice for them wasn't guns or butter, but stale bread or die.
America is falling for the same reason all Empires fall - she has reached too far and is stretched too thin. She cannot hold what she has won. Bush's adventure in Iraq has accelerated that process by decades; who would have thought America so weak she cannot impose her will on a few thousand insurgents? Well, now we know.
As for the mad, total war one poster mentions - would America fight such an awful war of choice to maintain her influence? Against whom? For how long? At what cost? It is not too fanciful to imagine the neocons right now, wondering if they could use Taiwan to provoke China into a war America might win today but would lose in 30 years' time. Ah, but then what? Who next? India? Brazil? Russia? No, America has her faults, but she is not intentionally evil, and even the accomplished liars who live in her dark recesses can't fool all of the people all of the time.
Welcome to the Chinese century. It might not be so bad.
Someone talked about how "peaceful" the Chinese empire was/is. Tell that to the Tibetans. Tell that to the Uyghurs. Tell that to the Mongols living in "Inner" Mongolia.
China is just as expansionist, chauvanistic and colonialist in its outlook as any other empire. And unlike many other countries who were once empires, China still holds on to occupied lands and peoples, such as Tibet (which Chinese troops occupied in 1951, so we're not talking ancient history here).
Paul Krugman a great, patriotic writer!!!? HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA - that's enough right there to disqualify whoever wrote that from having ANY credence on ANY topic!!
Why is everyone worried about any kind of global cooperation. So the Chinese and Arabs are doing business. What, have our politicians turned our beloved nation into, a pimp that has to get a cut of everyone's business? If the American people ween themselves off of addiction to fossil fuels, we won't have to worry about these bums in the first place, and as for the right-wing extremists blaming the Democrats for "cutting & running", it seems that Rumsfeld was the first to "cut & run". It's about time, that our colleagues on the right get it straight, and admit that our Cheerleader of a President is as capable in attaining his global objective, as Custer was able to win at Little Big Horn.
My Gosh! Who ever would have guessed this would be the result of Bushs christozionofascist crusade against Islam? Let's thank the Republicans for opening up lots of new markets for Chinese slave-made products.
Resource-hungry China has been investing heavily where its interests lie: Africa, and now the Middle East. Makes total sense. (Chaos/opporunity, anyone?) CHina's influence will have--is having--global resonance.
So far its stance on human rights (in China and in the home countries of its business partners) is not promising. (Granted, US interests have not always been saints.)
The USA has to take its blinders off. Our role as a superpower has waned; we're into the "Emperor has no clothes" stage.
When we were an unchallenged, respected superpower, the USA snubbed global bodies like the World Court and used the United Nations only if it suited our purpose.
Soon, I predict, the USA will come to the world stage, seeking solidarity to counteract the force that is China and its amoral capitalism on steroids.
you can't be serious, blaming the democrats for the Iraq debacle? Really? Lets see, GOP control over house, congress, GOP president; GOP supreme court...How is it the dems fault??????
Get a grip - America (while controlled by the republicans), made a giant mistake going into Iraq - for the wrong reasons.
Will the human race EVER grow up as a single culture? Or will we fight until the very bitter end, claiming religion or ideals as our reasons? We worry about natural disasters (read bird flu, etc) wiping out the human race, but we will ourselves commit our own suicide unless we wake up and teach all our children of human kind to tolerate and accept each other. Chinese, West, East, Islam, Christians? How about just humans?
While we are preoccupied with the war in Iraq and terrorism, China is busy making money. While we are spending money like there is no tomorrow, the Chinese are reinvesting their savings. While we are faced with twin deficits, China is accumulating a huge surplus. While our youngs are drinking and dancing to the hip-hops, China is producing massive amount of engineers and scientists. If we don't change our way of life, in a generation, we will not be the only superpower anymore. In fact we may not even be a superpower.
Unlike the previous discussion on "if Israel goes, so goes the West", the posts on this one are more realistic and sober. In my opinion, USA has about 10 years to turn around the Israel-centric, anti-Islam foreign policy which colors all interactions with other key players such as Russia, China, EU and India. The signs are not good. Both Democrats and Republicans are influenced by the powerful pro-Israeli lobby (read money to win elections), and the recent election has not changed anything. The deafening silence of Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi during the campaign on Bush's dead-on-arrival, Israel-first mideast policy , and after the Democratic victory last month claerly shows what to expect. Ditto for the enthusiaism expressed by the same crowd on embracing the two key recommendations of the Iraq Study Group: 1) resolve the Arab-Iaraeli conflict firmly and quickly; 2) Negotiate with Iran and Syria for a more stable mideast. It will be only up to the people in the USA to thoroughly reject this bizzare and tragic subversion of US strategic and national interests in the 2008 election. If we fail to change course, forget US influence in mideast, we are risking our economic well-being in the global market competing with India, China, Russia, EU..These countries are not spending $100 billion a year (on top of a $500 billion defense budget)chasing a bunch of thugs in Mesopotamia and propping-up a pro-Iranian govt in Baghdad. Unlike in the 60's when USA fought another long and wasteful war, we have a 8 trillion dollar federal debt, ~900 billion dollars/year trade deficit, and millions of new retirees each year between now and 2020 who would like to receive the SS and Medicare benefits that they have paid for over the last forty years! By 2012, future of Israel/mideast is the last thing most Americans will be worried about!
Someone mentioned Malcom X.
I hold my breath in reverance to that flower of American manhood.
The other day someone told me about the film Bobby (Robert Kennedy),and driving back alone something snapped and I wept.
Now we have Colin Powell and that housemaid Condi. God why??
Maybe Obama!
In the late 19th century the American Indians referred to Negroes as "Black White men", and if China move into the middle east, it would take just a very short time before the Arabs would begin to refer to the Chinese as "Yellow White men". The Chinese have nothing more, nor less, to offer anybody than the US does.
The US is not losing ground in the middle east, and all that would need to happen for that to be proven beyond doubt is for the US Army to vacate Iraq next week.
US has suffered several setbacks but the reasons are insurgency, backlash from local warlords, inability of the government to establish itself and growing angst against the situation the iraqies find their country in. Though US might be a reason for their present situtaion, it remains the same for the chinese or europeans wanting achieve diplomatic successes. Given the experience of Americans in dealing with the situation,they certainly still have a upperhand in Iraq, and will continue to hold so.
As U.S. influence diminishes in the Middle East, Israel will need to find a way under to huddle under a Chinese umbrella of protection for its long-term survival--the primary reason Israel has closely aligned itself with the the U.S. for the past half century. Will we see a Chinese AIPAC in China soon (CIPAC)?
Slipknot, you've completely lost it. A Republican House, Republican Senate, and Republican President, yet it's all the Democrats' fault. Unbelievable. No WMD, Abu Ghraib, Halliburton, not enough body armor, 100,000+ dead Iraqis, 3,000 dead Americans, 20,000+ injured Americans, and $500 million spent that wasn't ours to begin with fighting a country that didn't attack us. But why am I wasting my time? Facts obviously don't matter to you at all.
The American era in the Middle East (ME) is not ending, but American influence declines as the American share of the global wealth declines. Notably, Chinese influence will increase in the ME as the Chinese economy increases its share of the global wealth. Moreover, the Chinese magnify their influence by ignoring the state of human rights in the ME.
Brutal governments in Sudan, Iran, and the like enthusiastically look forward to business deals with Beijing because the Chinese deliberately ignore the cries of victims tortured to death by these governments. The Chinese view these victims as disposable trash.
You can see the icy Chinese indifference to human rights by just examining how the Chinese actually assist Pyongyang to brutally torture and kill North-Korean refugees.
theclearsky.blogspot.com/#116274437809631696
This attitude of indifference toward human rights is widespread in Chinese society. For example, people who identify with Chinese culture are over-represented in the colleges of engineering and business at American universities. Yet, at those same universities, people who identify with Chinese culture are under-represented in the meetings of the local college chapter of Amnesty International.
The best way to deal with Chinese influence (fueled by the incredible wealth generated by the huge Chinese population) is to spread Western values and to grow Western civilization. We Westerners should encourage Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to build the Asia Pacific Union (APU), modeled after the European Union and NATO.
theclearsky.blogspot.com/#116046305894729134
Like the EU, the APU shall spread Western values throughout Southeast Asia. The aim is to ensure that the combined populations of all the nations identifying with Western civilization will be sufficiently large to generate adequate wealth to counter Chinese influence.
In addition to growing Western civilization, we Westerners should also deliberately avoid assisting China when the victims of human-rights abuses (committed by brutal governments supported by China) take charge of their lives and retaliate. In this case, retaliation is justice. The victims will likely initiate large-scale violence in China itself. Who can blame these victims? In Darfur, they watched helplessly while militias (backed by the Sudanese government, which is funded by Chinese money) beat the victims' children to death.
By the way, the above comments about China also appy to India. India is a democracy, but its people are not Westerners. The Indians oppose Western values. They have vehemently rejected the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and have aggressively developed nuclear weapons. New Delhi gave Washington an ultimatum: the Indians will support the strategic American objectives of promoting democracy and human rights if and only if Washington (1) gives nuclear technology to India and (2) agrees to greatly increase the number of Indian laborers (in the form of H-1B workers) that are allowed to enter the United States. Washington agreed to the terms of the ultimatum. The Americans will now violate the NPT (which Washington signed) by giving nuclear technology to India: catering to Indian ruthlessness drastically undermines American attempts to prevent the Iranians from developing a nuclear bomb.
theclearsky.blogspot.com/#115967192466858300
Like the Turks, the Indians reject Western values and shove themselves and their issues into Western society.
certainly china seeks to secure it's access to oil resources for it's fast growing economy by trucking with any and all oil-rich regimes - ironically, something of which America is constantly accused. oil is, however, a fungible commodity whose price over the medium-term is determined by supply and demand. yet the importance placed by the rest of the world on the middle east (in comparison to africa, as a whole) relates to the concentration of oil there. so much oil flows through a few waterways that America is determined to prevent regional instability or terrorism from shutting down these waterways. so the real crossroads isn't about what nation is influential in the middle east, but about the relative importance placed on oil as a source of energy. the debate is only in the beginning stages in the u.s. all to say, middle eastern nations are on borrowed time to resolve sectarianism, demonstrate respect for minorities and allow for pluralistic political and economic expression. the region needs to educate it's people - men and women; sunni and shia - to develop modern economies capable of sustaining a middle class in a diversified economy. that this imperative is true doesn't relate to the actions of America or China, but to the reality that oil is becoming too politically expensive to afford.
This is a skimpy analysis indeed.China? What about Russia already supplying Syria and Iran with deadly weapons and technology? What about Iran itself which is certainly aiming at creating Shiite dominance of Lebanon and Iraq, and which also aims to completely control Gulf Oil?
Another small note. One sometimes reads an article and understands the whole stew was concocted for one little phrase slipped in seemingly inadvertently. How clever to speak of the 'occupation' as if everyone in the world agreed with this pro-Arab definition of what has happened in Judea and Samaria( The West Bank) since 67'?
Thanks but not thanks to the 'Washington Post' for letting 'El Jazeera' provide the vocabulary for understanding the conflict.
How about those British forced the Chinese people to buy their opiums??? When those poor Chinese resisted, they started the two Opium Wars, which true intents were to steal the country's wealth.
Also, what the West has done in Africa??? All the killings and stealings from Africa??? Is that human rights and democracies???
Let's talk about human rights - in the West instead!!!
The Chinese are the Americans of Michael Moore's worst nightmare.
The Chinese are building a society of super-rich ultra capitalists. The difference between Chinese capitalism gone wild and American capitalism gone wild (Enron, WalMart, Microsoft) is that in the USA they have a constitution and there is COMPETITION in the government (2 party system, peaceful regime change). This is if you will, the achilles heel in China's progress - they have competition in their economy but not in their politicians. Corruption follows (and has already - see the 3 gorges project for example...)
I don't see how this helps the Palestinians or Lebanese, because they don't have any oil to sell the Chinese.
This writer just saw one tree and neglect the forest! Yes, not only China arises, but the Russia and some left South American countries. Who 's fault and policy let these unfriendy or evil countries to get up and take off the US interest in these area! Neocons! They only knows to use the Militarism not know to use Economism!!
Neocon hurts the brand name of Amercian democracy in these area too! Where is the balance and check of the media, When this Neocons' views prevail in major newspaper and media. Only NYT, Paul Krugman and a few politician and a few real patriotic writers,like Paul Krugmant rise up without bias to fight with this knid UNPATRIOTIC NEOCONS. Where is this writer, when America need check and balance midea writer!
It is a false proposition to expect China and chinese culture to suddenly rise to dominate the world affairs merely because you have just learned and realized who anticent and lasting this huge state and culture is and has always been.
China has not been down - it has merely been ignored. And China is not going to rise up much higher than it was before we took notice of it.
China is a huge nation and even it's smallest movements affect the whole world. However it can only move slowly and with the support from the world sine merely sustaining the population at peace is a task limiting choices: only through selfdestruction can China extract resources to act like an empire, act like USA. And China wants to build not to destroy.
"Secular forces cannot support Israel and American hegemony; they also cannot accept the ideological premises of the Islamic movements and so are caught in the middle."
'The ideological premises of the [global, postmodern] Islamic movements' have a non-negligible degree of malleability and are still in a gestation phase. Hopefully, the dispensation that emerges after 2008 will build on the wisdoms of the Iraq Study Group Report and the French/Spanish/
Italian-backed initiatives (and eschew their pitfalls), to build an enlightened Western/Islamic World coalition (that also includes India) which could counterbalance a Shanghai Cooperation Council (Russia/China/Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan/Central Asia) geostrategic power pole.
Already, the seeds of earth-shaking unrest have been sowed in the problematic Central Asian heartland, even if the region has immense oil resources. Stepping back from that nightmare to let Russia and China pick up the pieces would leave the West and its new West-and-East-Asia partners time to consolidate a new, enlarged 'free world' power pole to counterbalance an emerging post-Communist Far.East-and-North Asia power pole.
Well,
It will be interesting to have a "superpower" not driven by religious fundamentalism. Perhaps they will be better equipped to deal with real world crisis such as global warming. They don't subscribe to the myth of Armageddon. They have the track record of being THE world's superpower the longest throughout history. It will be a very interesting century indeed.
The U.S. must seriously look at alternative energy solutions to ween ourselves from the middle east. We can and we must. China is already moving to be the leader in solar PV production. We need bold visionary leadership. Our current paucity of that is exemplified by the Bush Administration's policies. Bush et al are clinging to a bygone world view even as current events demand progressive ideology tied to the present.
Think about it the US has 1000 sub launched Mirvs and at least 800 land based missiles thats 9000 warheads on 9000 chinese and arab targets 30 minutes delivery time tops. Dont forget who you are dealing with. Lickspittle wont be president for long. With a choice between hilary "mad dog" clinton and John "hanoi hilton" Mccain i think the worm will turn. my prediction the chinese and arabs overplay their hand and wind up with a bunch of hiroshimas and dresden fire storms. we can smoke this vermin anytime we want. think about it. I know hillary and mccain have
I'm always amazed by the blame the democrat crowd for the flawed and fatal decisons of the president and his enablers in congress, pentagon, state department and the media who failed to uphold their responsibilities in this mess. Mr. Slipknot do not blame democrats for the incompetence of the president and the republican party who marginalized the democrats in every way in the manner this war was conducted. This is not a failure of the democrats. This is a complete republican failure. After all they controlled every branch of government and failed this nation completely by failing to question the policies of this president.
I see some people who always talk about history etc but most of the time they are very ignorant. For example most people dont know that China was the original superpower, and no other nation on earth can compare to its history and might. If you look at the rise of the mongols it lasted for about 2 centuries and then disapeared, this is very similar to the "west", the mongols are known for their killing sprees but what will be the legacy of the west? Genocide of native americans in order to take their land? Global warming? Racism? Slavery? the "west" have killed was more people then the mongols ever did, and I believe history will be its judge. History is merely going back to its norm, that is the rise and return of the middle kingdom.
Well looks like all the players of history are going back to their historical rules and places. In case anyone didn't know this, China as always been the most powerful nation on earth. Even at the height of roman empire it barely matched the might of the Han dynasty, and thats just one dynasty. Imagine an empire more powerful then the romans with longer history lasted to modern day, thats China.
Interesting fact, did u know Mongolia was part of China for centuries? so image the modern day China plus mongolia and taiwan, with a 3000 year history? any other nation on earth have this kind of treck record? We should all accept this simple fact and stop with this ignorant fear of the Chinese, Chinese empires have always been relatively peaceful compare to others, especially the U.S.
America cannot beat China nor anyone else so long as it is selling its dollars for trimkets from China. And so long as it can sned its sons to Iraq in support of Bush's "war on terror" while gassing up its SUVs in support of the Jihadi, thus supporting both sides, it cannot be taken seriously. Only when it liberates itself by gathering its scientific and engineering expertese to make itself fossil fuel free can it again hold up its head, as it did when it met the JFK one decade deadline to get a man on the moon. Until then, it is a little country full of very little people who live deaf and dumb. I learned after Vietnam that though Americans have the biggest buildings and the biggest airplanes, it does not mean that they are bog people. I still wait-- now as an American-- for Americans to prove that they have big patriotic hearts by ending their "ain't my kid going to Iraq" disonnect syndrome and deciding that all US soldiers are OUR children to be safe from having to do what we would never allow our biologic kids to be forced to do. Little Israel shoed that to Olmert last August. When will we show it to Bush?
You talk about secular forces between the two extremes. We in America are not hostage to two extremes; one extreme is doing quite nicely in dominating the American political debate on the Middle East by dismissing the expert advice of people like James Baker and former president Carter. Unfortunately that extreme seems to be in control of both major political parties. The big sticking point here seems to be the status of Jerusalem. No American political leader can dare to suggest even a middle ground, such as an international city as envisioned by Arafat, much less a return to 1967 borders for Jerusalem. This undermines those in the US who would want Israel to make reasonable compromises by exchanging land and water rights for peace. Skilled propogandists in the American news media and academia paint anyone who wants such compromises to be made as "giving in to terror" or "blaming Israel". We the average American citizen are also trapped in this dilemna.
I believe this situation further emphasizes the United States' need to dissolve oil subsidizes and to make a better effort at creating incentives for alternative fuel. As China continues to gain a better footing in the Middle East, they perhaps will have a more secure fossil fuel future. We however, have failed to maintain this type of relationship while we have failed to efficiently spend on military means for energy security. It is clear that we must rely on innovation rather than bullying to meet our furture energy needs. I believe the opportunity cost for this route is much lower than our present energy policy course.
The democrats are responsible for this deemed failure. Their quit and run attitude along with all the sniveling they have done have made their wish come true. They would truly cut off their nose to spite their face, and I believe that have don the the US in this case. We may not have been having the unqualified success we have had on other "wars", but this isn't other wars, this is a whole new warfighting environment. We have to play by rules that the insurgents don't. And the fact that the Iraqis are killing their own doesn't help matters any. Why do the democrats decry genocide in Darfur but thinks it's ok to back out of Iraq and let the clans kill each other?
"China's embassies are filled with Arab-speaking experts. They are making slow but sure inroads across the region."
This reminds me how Malcolm X predicted back in 1964 that in the future Arabic and Chinese would become the most important languages in the world. I look to the Chinese-Arab nexus you describe as the likely birthplace of the linguistic future predicted by Malcolm X. Ahsanti ya habibati.
PostGlobal is an interactive conversation on global issues moderated by Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria and David Ignatius of The Washington Post. It is produced jointly by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com, as is On Faith, a conversation on religion. Please send your comments, questions and suggestions for PostGlobal to Lauren Keane, its editor and producer.
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China is like bacterial growth in a petri dish. They are using all their resources unsustainably and are now growing to the limits of their first colony. Now they are enticing resource-rich third world countries into low or no interest loans for trading rights and resource rights. After this industrial monster rapes all of the natural resources from these naive countries it will leave them in worse poverty than when they started. Wham, bam, thank you maam. It doesn't know or care really what goes on around it as long as it is growing, making money and not directly affected by its surroundings.
This scares the bejesus out of me and should most people. The Chinese culture is infamous for ignoring problems, especially environmental ones hoping they will go away someday. They never admit they are wrong and never apologize.
So basically, China's role is to consume everything it can with as little conflict and effort as possible. It just doesn't give a damn. Don't look for it to stick its neck out for anything that doesn't directly benefit itself.
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Opium Wars? What a lies. No proof, no evidents. We just sold the Chinese tea. We did that for their own good. Backward country.
December 15, 2006 3:19 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 15, 2006 15:19
In response to NF:
If the Muslims want a world united under the Muslim banner, they will only get there via war. I have no intention of submitting the rest of my life to the Quran. Neither do the rest of the 85% of Americans who are Christians in this country. If that's what you want, if war is want you want, then Bush is right, let's go to war and fight it on your lands. We'll need to implement a new draft and have millions of troops over there. But, honestly, I'd rather be free and serve in the military than live under your rule.
December 14, 2006 7:50 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 19:50
Just come to think of it. The mighty US military cannot hold on to the Sunni triangle which has less than 6 million people.
Sure it can Bomb the whole place but it cannot rule the people. Imagine the 6 million who are fighting not only the US military but also the Shias and the Kurds.
I cannot understand how 200 million Indians went under and became a colony of the British Empire for nearly 200 years just 60 years ago. Maybe it is something in the water of the Eupherates and Tigris that is not found in the water of the Ganges and Brahamaputra.
December 14, 2006 7:28 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 19:28
China thinks they have a handle on their own Muslim population, lets see how long that lasts. But however it falls, wherever it is, and whoever is involved, there can be only one ending, an Islamic Caliphate. It will begin its rise from Africa and all nations will succomb (except one). Keep your eyes on Ethiopia, a very important next phase for the islamic movement. That will be the first direct takeover of a Christian nation and when Ethiopia goes, all of Africa will follow.
December 14, 2006 6:37 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 18:37
Opium Wars? What Opium Wars are we talking about? It never did happened.
December 14, 2006 6:36 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 18:36
Slipknot, you're cuckoo. This Iraq project is Bush and the Republican's idea, period. If it had worked they would have gotten great credit, now that it's gotten this bad and could easily get worse, a little humility and self-criticism from the war party would be appreciated. Congress gave Bush everything he asked for, if he asked for more he would have gotten it. No one is dissing the troops. They have mixed views of the project themselves.
Bush and his team made mistake after mistake, the project was risky enough even if competently carried out. Unfortunately we have a president who doesn't do humility and has a severe learning disability.
December 14, 2006 6:34 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 18:34
The echoes of Sam Huntington's 1993 "Sino-Islamic Connection" are deafening.
December 14, 2006 6:29 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 18:29
China cares about China. Nothing personal. Its just business. They are a power, but don't act like it. Their failure to act in Darfur/Sudan is telling. Their development and purchase of Sudanese oil underwrites much of the tragedy of Darfur. They cut a deal with Iran for oil in exchange for running interference on the Iranian nuke issue. Which is difficult for the US. A perfect double whammy. China's amoral approach to geopolitics is especially enticing to mideast thugochracies. In the short term, China benefits. But it is short term thinking
December 14, 2006 6:18 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 18:18
It is simply History on the move, the inevitable process of the Rise and Fall of the Great Powers. Kennedy's 1995 book of that title foretold it all.
Britain's industrial revolution enabled it to rule the waves and extract riches through colonisation, fuelling further adventures. Eventually, stretched too thin and beyond control other than by the most barbaric means, the Empire imploded (relatively gracefully compared to most), handing influence and power to our American cousins who extracted wealth by stealth rather than gunboat, using convenient economic arrangements and pliable international institutions, backed up by military might. The Soviet Union simply couldn't compete; in the end the choice for them wasn't guns or butter, but stale bread or die.
America is falling for the same reason all Empires fall - she has reached too far and is stretched too thin. She cannot hold what she has won. Bush's adventure in Iraq has accelerated that process by decades; who would have thought America so weak she cannot impose her will on a few thousand insurgents? Well, now we know.
As for the mad, total war one poster mentions - would America fight such an awful war of choice to maintain her influence? Against whom? For how long? At what cost? It is not too fanciful to imagine the neocons right now, wondering if they could use Taiwan to provoke China into a war America might win today but would lose in 30 years' time. Ah, but then what? Who next? India? Brazil? Russia? No, America has her faults, but she is not intentionally evil, and even the accomplished liars who live in her dark recesses can't fool all of the people all of the time.
Welcome to the Chinese century. It might not be so bad.
December 14, 2006 6:14 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 18:14
Someone talked about how "peaceful" the Chinese empire was/is. Tell that to the Tibetans. Tell that to the Uyghurs. Tell that to the Mongols living in "Inner" Mongolia.
China is just as expansionist, chauvanistic and colonialist in its outlook as any other empire. And unlike many other countries who were once empires, China still holds on to occupied lands and peoples, such as Tibet (which Chinese troops occupied in 1951, so we're not talking ancient history here).
December 14, 2006 6:07 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 18:07
Paul Krugman a great, patriotic writer!!!? HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA - that's enough right there to disqualify whoever wrote that from having ANY credence on ANY topic!!
December 14, 2006 6:06 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 18:06
Why is everyone worried about any kind of global cooperation. So the Chinese and Arabs are doing business. What, have our politicians turned our beloved nation into, a pimp that has to get a cut of everyone's business? If the American people ween themselves off of addiction to fossil fuels, we won't have to worry about these bums in the first place, and as for the right-wing extremists blaming the Democrats for "cutting & running", it seems that Rumsfeld was the first to "cut & run". It's about time, that our colleagues on the right get it straight, and admit that our Cheerleader of a President is as capable in attaining his global objective, as Custer was able to win at Little Big Horn.
December 14, 2006 5:57 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 17:57
My Gosh! Who ever would have guessed this would be the result of Bushs christozionofascist crusade against Islam? Let's thank the Republicans for opening up lots of new markets for Chinese slave-made products.
December 14, 2006 5:36 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 17:36
Resource-hungry China has been investing heavily where its interests lie: Africa, and now the Middle East. Makes total sense. (Chaos/opporunity, anyone?) CHina's influence will have--is having--global resonance.
So far its stance on human rights (in China and in the home countries of its business partners) is not promising. (Granted, US interests have not always been saints.)
The USA has to take its blinders off. Our role as a superpower has waned; we're into the "Emperor has no clothes" stage.
When we were an unchallenged, respected superpower, the USA snubbed global bodies like the World Court and used the United Nations only if it suited our purpose.
Soon, I predict, the USA will come to the world stage, seeking solidarity to counteract the force that is China and its amoral capitalism on steroids.
December 14, 2006 5:30 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 17:30
Slipknot -
you can't be serious, blaming the democrats for the Iraq debacle? Really? Lets see, GOP control over house, congress, GOP president; GOP supreme court...How is it the dems fault??????
Get a grip - America (while controlled by the republicans), made a giant mistake going into Iraq - for the wrong reasons.
December 14, 2006 5:06 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 17:06
Slipknot,
Why is it okay to let the clans in Darfur kill each other?
December 14, 2006 5:06 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 17:06
Will the human race EVER grow up as a single culture? Or will we fight until the very bitter end, claiming religion or ideals as our reasons? We worry about natural disasters (read bird flu, etc) wiping out the human race, but we will ourselves commit our own suicide unless we wake up and teach all our children of human kind to tolerate and accept each other. Chinese, West, East, Islam, Christians? How about just humans?
December 14, 2006 4:55 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 16:55
While we are preoccupied with the war in Iraq and terrorism, China is busy making money. While we are spending money like there is no tomorrow, the Chinese are reinvesting their savings. While we are faced with twin deficits, China is accumulating a huge surplus. While our youngs are drinking and dancing to the hip-hops, China is producing massive amount of engineers and scientists. If we don't change our way of life, in a generation, we will not be the only superpower anymore. In fact we may not even be a superpower.
December 14, 2006 4:50 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 16:50
What happen to the other blog...
December 14, 2006 4:38 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 16:38
Unlike the previous discussion on "if Israel goes, so goes the West", the posts on this one are more realistic and sober. In my opinion, USA has about 10 years to turn around the Israel-centric, anti-Islam foreign policy which colors all interactions with other key players such as Russia, China, EU and India. The signs are not good. Both Democrats and Republicans are influenced by the powerful pro-Israeli lobby (read money to win elections), and the recent election has not changed anything. The deafening silence of Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi during the campaign on Bush's dead-on-arrival, Israel-first mideast policy , and after the Democratic victory last month claerly shows what to expect. Ditto for the enthusiaism expressed by the same crowd on embracing the two key recommendations of the Iraq Study Group: 1) resolve the Arab-Iaraeli conflict firmly and quickly; 2) Negotiate with Iran and Syria for a more stable mideast. It will be only up to the people in the USA to thoroughly reject this bizzare and tragic subversion of US strategic and national interests in the 2008 election. If we fail to change course, forget US influence in mideast, we are risking our economic well-being in the global market competing with India, China, Russia, EU..These countries are not spending $100 billion a year (on top of a $500 billion defense budget)chasing a bunch of thugs in Mesopotamia and propping-up a pro-Iranian govt in Baghdad. Unlike in the 60's when USA fought another long and wasteful war, we have a 8 trillion dollar federal debt, ~900 billion dollars/year trade deficit, and millions of new retirees each year between now and 2020 who would like to receive the SS and Medicare benefits that they have paid for over the last forty years! By 2012, future of Israel/mideast is the last thing most Americans will be worried about!
December 14, 2006 3:18 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 14, 2006 15:18
Someone mentioned Malcom X.
I hold my breath in reverance to that flower of American manhood.
The other day someone told me about the film Bobby (Robert Kennedy),and driving back alone something snapped and I wept.
Now we have Colin Powell and that housemaid Condi. God why??
Maybe Obama!
December 12, 2006 9:08 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 12, 2006 21:08
In the late 19th century the American Indians referred to Negroes as "Black White men", and if China move into the middle east, it would take just a very short time before the Arabs would begin to refer to the Chinese as "Yellow White men". The Chinese have nothing more, nor less, to offer anybody than the US does.
The US is not losing ground in the middle east, and all that would need to happen for that to be proven beyond doubt is for the US Army to vacate Iraq next week.
December 12, 2006 2:35 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 12, 2006 14:35
US has suffered several setbacks but the reasons are insurgency, backlash from local warlords, inability of the government to establish itself and growing angst against the situation the iraqies find their country in. Though US might be a reason for their present situtaion, it remains the same for the chinese or europeans wanting achieve diplomatic successes. Given the experience of Americans in dealing with the situation,they certainly still have a upperhand in Iraq, and will continue to hold so.
December 12, 2006 10:35 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 12, 2006 10:35
China doesn't want anything to do with the mess in the Middle East. All we want is the oil, the Israelis and the Americans can keep their wars.
December 12, 2006 9:57 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 12, 2006 09:57
As U.S. influence diminishes in the Middle East, Israel will need to find a way under to huddle under a Chinese umbrella of protection for its long-term survival--the primary reason Israel has closely aligned itself with the the U.S. for the past half century. Will we see a Chinese AIPAC in China soon (CIPAC)?
December 10, 2006 11:54 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 10, 2006 11:54
Slipknot, you've completely lost it. A Republican House, Republican Senate, and Republican President, yet it's all the Democrats' fault. Unbelievable. No WMD, Abu Ghraib, Halliburton, not enough body armor, 100,000+ dead Iraqis, 3,000 dead Americans, 20,000+ injured Americans, and $500 million spent that wasn't ours to begin with fighting a country that didn't attack us. But why am I wasting my time? Facts obviously don't matter to you at all.
December 10, 2006 12:06 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 10, 2006 00:06
The American era in the Middle East (ME) is not ending, but American influence declines as the American share of the global wealth declines. Notably, Chinese influence will increase in the ME as the Chinese economy increases its share of the global wealth. Moreover, the Chinese magnify their influence by ignoring the state of human rights in the ME.
Brutal governments in Sudan, Iran, and the like enthusiastically look forward to business deals with Beijing because the Chinese deliberately ignore the cries of victims tortured to death by these governments. The Chinese view these victims as disposable trash.
www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_VQNVSPD
You can see the icy Chinese indifference to human rights by just examining how the Chinese actually assist Pyongyang to brutally torture and kill North-Korean refugees.
theclearsky.blogspot.com/#116274437809631696
This attitude of indifference toward human rights is widespread in Chinese society. For example, people who identify with Chinese culture are over-represented in the colleges of engineering and business at American universities. Yet, at those same universities, people who identify with Chinese culture are under-represented in the meetings of the local college chapter of Amnesty International.
The best way to deal with Chinese influence (fueled by the incredible wealth generated by the huge Chinese population) is to spread Western values and to grow Western civilization. We Westerners should encourage Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to build the Asia Pacific Union (APU), modeled after the European Union and NATO.
theclearsky.blogspot.com/#116046305894729134
Like the EU, the APU shall spread Western values throughout Southeast Asia. The aim is to ensure that the combined populations of all the nations identifying with Western civilization will be sufficiently large to generate adequate wealth to counter Chinese influence.
In addition to growing Western civilization, we Westerners should also deliberately avoid assisting China when the victims of human-rights abuses (committed by brutal governments supported by China) take charge of their lives and retaliate. In this case, retaliation is justice. The victims will likely initiate large-scale violence in China itself. Who can blame these victims? In Darfur, they watched helplessly while militias (backed by the Sudanese government, which is funded by Chinese money) beat the victims' children to death.
By the way, the above comments about China also appy to India. India is a democracy, but its people are not Westerners. The Indians oppose Western values. They have vehemently rejected the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and have aggressively developed nuclear weapons. New Delhi gave Washington an ultimatum: the Indians will support the strategic American objectives of promoting democracy and human rights if and only if Washington (1) gives nuclear technology to India and (2) agrees to greatly increase the number of Indian laborers (in the form of H-1B workers) that are allowed to enter the United States. Washington agreed to the terms of the ultimatum. The Americans will now violate the NPT (which Washington signed) by giving nuclear technology to India: catering to Indian ruthlessness drastically undermines American attempts to prevent the Iranians from developing a nuclear bomb.
theclearsky.blogspot.com/#115967192466858300
Like the Turks, the Indians reject Western values and shove themselves and their issues into Western society.
December 9, 2006 7:44 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 19:44
certainly china seeks to secure it's access to oil resources for it's fast growing economy by trucking with any and all oil-rich regimes - ironically, something of which America is constantly accused. oil is, however, a fungible commodity whose price over the medium-term is determined by supply and demand. yet the importance placed by the rest of the world on the middle east (in comparison to africa, as a whole) relates to the concentration of oil there. so much oil flows through a few waterways that America is determined to prevent regional instability or terrorism from shutting down these waterways. so the real crossroads isn't about what nation is influential in the middle east, but about the relative importance placed on oil as a source of energy. the debate is only in the beginning stages in the u.s. all to say, middle eastern nations are on borrowed time to resolve sectarianism, demonstrate respect for minorities and allow for pluralistic political and economic expression. the region needs to educate it's people - men and women; sunni and shia - to develop modern economies capable of sustaining a middle class in a diversified economy. that this imperative is true doesn't relate to the actions of America or China, but to the reality that oil is becoming too politically expensive to afford.
December 9, 2006 4:28 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 16:28
This is a skimpy analysis indeed.China? What about Russia already supplying Syria and Iran with deadly weapons and technology? What about Iran itself which is certainly aiming at creating Shiite dominance of Lebanon and Iraq, and which also aims to completely control Gulf Oil?
Another small note. One sometimes reads an article and understands the whole stew was concocted for one little phrase slipped in seemingly inadvertently. How clever to speak of the 'occupation' as if everyone in the world agreed with this pro-Arab definition of what has happened in Judea and Samaria( The West Bank) since 67'?
Thanks but not thanks to the 'Washington Post' for letting 'El Jazeera' provide the vocabulary for understanding the conflict.
December 9, 2006 4:14 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 16:14
Yeah, talk about human rights and freedoms?!
How about those British forced the Chinese people to buy their opiums??? When those poor Chinese resisted, they started the two Opium Wars, which true intents were to steal the country's wealth.
Also, what the West has done in Africa??? All the killings and stealings from Africa??? Is that human rights and democracies???
Let's talk about human rights - in the West instead!!!
December 9, 2006 2:40 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 14:40
I've been to China (Shanghai, Fuzhou, Beijing).
The Chinese are the Americans of Michael Moore's worst nightmare.
The Chinese are building a society of super-rich ultra capitalists. The difference between Chinese capitalism gone wild and American capitalism gone wild (Enron, WalMart, Microsoft) is that in the USA they have a constitution and there is COMPETITION in the government (2 party system, peaceful regime change). This is if you will, the achilles heel in China's progress - they have competition in their economy but not in their politicians. Corruption follows (and has already - see the 3 gorges project for example...)
I don't see how this helps the Palestinians or Lebanese, because they don't have any oil to sell the Chinese.
December 9, 2006 1:34 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 13:34
This writer just saw one tree and neglect the forest! Yes, not only China arises, but the Russia and some left South American countries. Who 's fault and policy let these unfriendy or evil countries to get up and take off the US interest in these area! Neocons! They only knows to use the Militarism not know to use Economism!!
Neocon hurts the brand name of Amercian democracy in these area too! Where is the balance and check of the media, When this Neocons' views prevail in major newspaper and media. Only NYT, Paul Krugman and a few politician and a few real patriotic writers,like Paul Krugmant rise up without bias to fight with this knid UNPATRIOTIC NEOCONS. Where is this writer, when America need check and balance midea writer!
December 9, 2006 1:21 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 13:21
China will never be as successful as they think theyll be, merely because they are not a democracy. India will surpass them.
December 9, 2006 12:51 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 12:51
It is a false proposition to expect China and chinese culture to suddenly rise to dominate the world affairs merely because you have just learned and realized who anticent and lasting this huge state and culture is and has always been.
China has not been down - it has merely been ignored. And China is not going to rise up much higher than it was before we took notice of it.
China is a huge nation and even it's smallest movements affect the whole world. However it can only move slowly and with the support from the world sine merely sustaining the population at peace is a task limiting choices: only through selfdestruction can China extract resources to act like an empire, act like USA. And China wants to build not to destroy.
December 9, 2006 12:37 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 12:37
"Secular forces cannot support Israel and American hegemony; they also cannot accept the ideological premises of the Islamic movements and so are caught in the middle."
'The ideological premises of the [global, postmodern] Islamic movements' have a non-negligible degree of malleability and are still in a gestation phase. Hopefully, the dispensation that emerges after 2008 will build on the wisdoms of the Iraq Study Group Report and the French/Spanish/
Italian-backed initiatives (and eschew their pitfalls), to build an enlightened Western/Islamic World coalition (that also includes India) which could counterbalance a Shanghai Cooperation Council (Russia/China/Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan/Central Asia) geostrategic power pole.
Already, the seeds of earth-shaking unrest have been sowed in the problematic Central Asian heartland, even if the region has immense oil resources. Stepping back from that nightmare to let Russia and China pick up the pieces would leave the West and its new West-and-East-Asia partners time to consolidate a new, enlarged 'free world' power pole to counterbalance an emerging post-Communist Far.East-and-North Asia power pole.
December 9, 2006 10:59 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 10:59
Well,
It will be interesting to have a "superpower" not driven by religious fundamentalism. Perhaps they will be better equipped to deal with real world crisis such as global warming. They don't subscribe to the myth of Armageddon. They have the track record of being THE world's superpower the longest throughout history. It will be a very interesting century indeed.
The U.S. must seriously look at alternative energy solutions to ween ourselves from the middle east. We can and we must. China is already moving to be the leader in solar PV production. We need bold visionary leadership. Our current paucity of that is exemplified by the Bush Administration's policies. Bush et al are clinging to a bygone world view even as current events demand progressive ideology tied to the present.
December 9, 2006 5:14 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 05:14
Think about it the US has 1000 sub launched Mirvs and at least 800 land based missiles thats 9000 warheads on 9000 chinese and arab targets 30 minutes delivery time tops. Dont forget who you are dealing with. Lickspittle wont be president for long. With a choice between hilary "mad dog" clinton and John "hanoi hilton" Mccain i think the worm will turn. my prediction the chinese and arabs overplay their hand and wind up with a bunch of hiroshimas and dresden fire storms. we can smoke this vermin anytime we want. think about it. I know hillary and mccain have
December 9, 2006 1:34 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 9, 2006 01:34
I'm always amazed by the blame the democrat crowd for the flawed and fatal decisons of the president and his enablers in congress, pentagon, state department and the media who failed to uphold their responsibilities in this mess. Mr. Slipknot do not blame democrats for the incompetence of the president and the republican party who marginalized the democrats in every way in the manner this war was conducted. This is not a failure of the democrats. This is a complete republican failure. After all they controlled every branch of government and failed this nation completely by failing to question the policies of this president.
December 8, 2006 9:26 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 8, 2006 21:26
I see some people who always talk about history etc but most of the time they are very ignorant. For example most people dont know that China was the original superpower, and no other nation on earth can compare to its history and might. If you look at the rise of the mongols it lasted for about 2 centuries and then disapeared, this is very similar to the "west", the mongols are known for their killing sprees but what will be the legacy of the west? Genocide of native americans in order to take their land? Global warming? Racism? Slavery? the "west" have killed was more people then the mongols ever did, and I believe history will be its judge. History is merely going back to its norm, that is the rise and return of the middle kingdom.
December 8, 2006 9:26 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 8, 2006 21:26
Well looks like all the players of history are going back to their historical rules and places. In case anyone didn't know this, China as always been the most powerful nation on earth. Even at the height of roman empire it barely matched the might of the Han dynasty, and thats just one dynasty. Imagine an empire more powerful then the romans with longer history lasted to modern day, thats China.
Interesting fact, did u know Mongolia was part of China for centuries? so image the modern day China plus mongolia and taiwan, with a 3000 year history? any other nation on earth have this kind of treck record? We should all accept this simple fact and stop with this ignorant fear of the Chinese, Chinese empires have always been relatively peaceful compare to others, especially the U.S.
December 8, 2006 9:17 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 8, 2006 21:17
America cannot beat China nor anyone else so long as it is selling its dollars for trimkets from China. And so long as it can sned its sons to Iraq in support of Bush's "war on terror" while gassing up its SUVs in support of the Jihadi, thus supporting both sides, it cannot be taken seriously. Only when it liberates itself by gathering its scientific and engineering expertese to make itself fossil fuel free can it again hold up its head, as it did when it met the JFK one decade deadline to get a man on the moon. Until then, it is a little country full of very little people who live deaf and dumb. I learned after Vietnam that though Americans have the biggest buildings and the biggest airplanes, it does not mean that they are bog people. I still wait-- now as an American-- for Americans to prove that they have big patriotic hearts by ending their "ain't my kid going to Iraq" disonnect syndrome and deciding that all US soldiers are OUR children to be safe from having to do what we would never allow our biologic kids to be forced to do. Little Israel shoed that to Olmert last August. When will we show it to Bush?
December 8, 2006 8:30 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 8, 2006 20:30
You talk about secular forces between the two extremes. We in America are not hostage to two extremes; one extreme is doing quite nicely in dominating the American political debate on the Middle East by dismissing the expert advice of people like James Baker and former president Carter. Unfortunately that extreme seems to be in control of both major political parties. The big sticking point here seems to be the status of Jerusalem. No American political leader can dare to suggest even a middle ground, such as an international city as envisioned by Arafat, much less a return to 1967 borders for Jerusalem. This undermines those in the US who would want Israel to make reasonable compromises by exchanging land and water rights for peace. Skilled propogandists in the American news media and academia paint anyone who wants such compromises to be made as "giving in to terror" or "blaming Israel". We the average American citizen are also trapped in this dilemna.
December 8, 2006 8:20 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 8, 2006 20:20
I believe this situation further emphasizes the United States' need to dissolve oil subsidizes and to make a better effort at creating incentives for alternative fuel. As China continues to gain a better footing in the Middle East, they perhaps will have a more secure fossil fuel future. We however, have failed to maintain this type of relationship while we have failed to efficiently spend on military means for energy security. It is clear that we must rely on innovation rather than bullying to meet our furture energy needs. I believe the opportunity cost for this route is much lower than our present energy policy course.
December 8, 2006 3:53 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 8, 2006 15:53
The democrats are responsible for this deemed failure. Their quit and run attitude along with all the sniveling they have done have made their wish come true. They would truly cut off their nose to spite their face, and I believe that have don the the US in this case. We may not have been having the unqualified success we have had on other "wars", but this isn't other wars, this is a whole new warfighting environment. We have to play by rules that the insurgents don't. And the fact that the Iraqis are killing their own doesn't help matters any. Why do the democrats decry genocide in Darfur but thinks it's ok to back out of Iraq and let the clans kill each other?
December 8, 2006 3:46 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 8, 2006 15:46
"China's embassies are filled with Arab-speaking experts. They are making slow but sure inroads across the region."
This reminds me how Malcolm X predicted back in 1964 that in the future Arabic and Chinese would become the most important languages in the world. I look to the Chinese-Arab nexus you describe as the likely birthplace of the linguistic future predicted by Malcolm X. Ahsanti ya habibati.
December 8, 2006 3:10 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 8, 2006 15:10