Hezbollah-Israel Prisoner Swap
Posted on July 17, 2008 - Filed Under International Politics | Leave a Comment
Long-time readers will know that I tend to be rather critical of Israel’s interactions with its neighbours, especially the Palestinians (who, I know, are not technically neighbours, since they don’t have a proper state of their own at present), but I really feel sorry for Israel on this matter. Five live prisoners for two dead [...]
Bush, Democracy, and the Olympics
Posted on April 8, 2008 - Filed Under American Politics, Freedom, International Politics, International Relations, Political Philosophy | 2 Comments
W says he fully intends to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing, even if the Chinese flatly refuse to negotiate or even speak with the Dalai Lama. This doesn’t really come as much of a surprise, but it does underlying the extent to which his pro-democracy posturing in the last 7 long [...]
Dick Cheney is a Stupid Asshole
Posted on March 23, 2008 - Filed Under American Politics, International Politics | 3 Comments
He’s being writing more blank cheques to Israel on his latest visit:
Mr Cheney said the US would never put any pressure on Israel over issues he said would threaten its security.
Speaking in a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, he described America’s commitment to Israel’s security as “unshakeable”.
Mr Cheney will visit the West [...]
More on Tibet
Posted on March 15, 2008 - Filed Under China, Freedom, International Politics | 1 Comment
From The Economist. It seems to be uglier that I at first thought:
Within a couple of hours, fires were blazing in the streets across much of the city. Some buildings caught fire too. A pall of smoke blanketed Lhasa, obscuring the ancient Potala—the city’s most famous monument, which covers a hillside overlooking the city. It [...]
Anti-Chinese Protests in Tibet
Posted on March 14, 2008 - Filed Under China, Freedom, International Politics | 2 Comments
Good for the Tibetans! They’ve kicked up the biggest civil disturbance in ‘China’ (Tibet isn’t really part of China; the Chinese annexed it in 1951) since 1989, in the year that the world’s most powerful totalitarian state seeks to ‘normalise’ its image abroad through hosting the Olympics. Let’s hope that some of the Western leaders [...]
Palestine & Israel / John McCain Endorsement
Posted on March 6, 2008 - Filed Under American Politics, International Politics | 1 Comment
I’m currently writing an essay in which I’ve been asked to “discuss the Palestinian refugee problem” in 1,500 words, which somehow doesn’t seem like quite enough. However, it’s surprisingly easy to summarize the whole business in 4 words: the Palestinians got screwed.
I kind of knew much of the background to this sorry chapter in world [...]
Musharraf Cartoon
Posted on February 20, 2008 - Filed Under Funny, International Politics | Leave a Comment
Link.
Bush, Israel and Palestine
Posted on January 10, 2008 - Filed Under American Politics, International Politics | 5 Comments
US President George W Bush has said Israel must end occupation of Arab land taken in 1967 so that a viable Palestinian state can be created.
He also urged a solution to the Palestinian refugee issue which would involve paying compensation.
Source: BBC News.
Sounds like a marked departure from previous US statements on the matter. As [...]
Venezuelans Reject Dictatorship
Posted on December 3, 2007 - Filed Under International Politics | 1 Comment
The Venezuelan electorate has voted against a raft of autocratic proposals in a referendum that president Hugo Chavez had hoped would clear the way for his assumption of indefinite control of the petro-state. In fairness to Mr Chavez, he accepted the defeat graciously enough, saying:
“To those who voted against my proposal, I thank them and [...]
Tuesday’s Annapolis Summit
Posted on November 24, 2007 - Filed Under American Politics, International Politics | Leave a Comment
The Economist leads this weeks with an article written more in hope than expectation about the forthcoming peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland between Ehud Olmert of Israel, Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinians, and a host of other regional leaders. Looking to any US president to forge a silent consensus on the delicate and complex Israeli-Palestinian [...]
Venezuela
Posted on November 8, 2007 - Filed Under International Politics | Leave a Comment
The tyranny of Hugo Chavez takes on new forms. As he’s railroading a new Stalinist constitution through parliament his goons are out attacking university students. If I was W I’d be sorely tempted to take a mighty swing at his regime before leaving office. Compared to a full-blown confrontation with Iran, the negative consequences would [...]
