World Current Affairs.

[gregf]

Monday 3rd December 2007.

I see Chavez has lost his vote to extend the power of the President,
particularly to lift the limit on the number of terms, one person can be president.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7124313.stm

Also, Putin has won the vote in Russia , where he wanted to run for a 3rd term
as president, could not, and stood for parliament instead.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7124585.stm

I see part of the problem in both countries is that the President (head of state) has
a lot of power. I strongly feel that a Prime Minister/majority leader in parliament
should run a country. Also ministers should be appointed from members of parliament.
This has the good effect that head of government and his ministers can have their decisions
challenged openly in parliament, which can not happen in a president's private office.

There is hope for Russia : Putin may make himself PM and do what I describe, and without
understanding, make a true parliamentary democracy.
Presidents should be referees, with limited power to dismiss a government.

Meanwhile Australia has announced we will ratify the Kyoto protocol treaty.

This leaves USA standing alone with glorious peoples republic of Kazakhstan (really)
as the only nations refusing to pull their weight in solving this problem.

[Deschanel]

I think it's only a matter of time before Putin crowns himself Emperor of All The Russias.
Seriously, like Napoleon crowning himself.

As if having absolute control over the media weren't enough, his "youth brigades" chanting his name and harassing foreign reporters is fairly creepy. Listening to the BBC (chanting in the audio background) it's mentioned how people are being encouraged to report anyone dealing with Western media because the US is on a campaign to discredit him.

As if the body count of Russian journalists, and absolute supression of the media weren't enough. No, he has to have fascist youth brigades, who freelance in brutality at demonstrations for gay rights too.

Chavez lost his vote, but despite the oil wealth, Venezuala is hardly as much a world player as Russia.

But I can't help think of the rotten example Bush has set for others, tinpot and autocratic as he. A US president behaving in brazenly anti-democratic ways and flouting the Constitution- what used to be called "crimes", and Nixon resigned for FAR less- well of course it's going to inspire others in alleged democracies to do the same.

np: "Delusions of Grandeur".

[dVTB]

Edited.

[Fugitive1979]

The Russian "elections" were a complete joke, full of fraud, manipulation and one party media domination. But we're not allowed to say that, since some users will pop up to accuse us of being "russia-phobic" or whatever....

Exactly.......

[gregf]

Tuesday 4 Dec 2007.

"Iran stopped developing nukes in 2003".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7126177.stm

Oh dear have we fallen for it again ? A CIA report says Iran stopped developing WMD
in 2003. So on what basis has George been telling us they are close to having the bomb.
There is still a risk they will restart development in the future.

My question is How stupid is it for the US to be pushing nuclear power to the rest of
the world, as a solution for GW ? Something our former neo-con government was doing too.

And now what happens when they cry wolf a third time ?

[glennjridge]

thing is, from saddam, to the president of Iran,or whoever, they hang themselves with their own words. life really isnt that different globally from your adverage police agencys actions within a city.

if you have nuts telling you they have weapons,or are trying to get them, the police could have sources who say, nah, we have info they dont really have them, but you know what the police do. they send in the swat teams loaded up anyways.

these guys thru history have hung THEMSELVES with their own words.you seem to have a tendency to look on the brightside of these types. you wouldnt in your own area, yet globally because your safe,jews in Israel are just chess pieces to you.you'll let them take the risk cause your comfortable.

and I wouldnt knock nuclear energy.it might not be THE answer but its an actual viable part to play.nuclear power plants dont produce carbon dioxide .whats your magic bullet? green cars,different lightbulbs?

[dVTB]

Edited.

[gregf]

you seem to have a tendency to look on the brightside of these types.

I assure you I see nothing positive in "these types".
If at any time I appear to, then I am being unclear.

I am questioning mistakes in Western thinking that put them there.
And it worries the hell out of us that people wont acknowledge mistakes.
Operation Ajax was short term profit but left accumulating problems for the generations (of Americans) to come.
And this was the model for US foreign policy for 40 years.


Our former government at the urging of Bush began selling uranium to India
and Russia. See Nuclear proliferation. If we spread nuclear power everywhere,
then it is inevitable you are going to have problems like Iran.

yet globally because your safe,jews in Israel are just chess pieces to you.

Been thinking about this all day. Ok, criticism accepted. Perhaps I am a bit free on advice, in safety here.
But that must mean, I can see some things more clearly. Both or neither.

And I am not saying Israel surrenders to Hamas. I encourage Israel to do a deal with
moderate Palestinians. And I question, when Israel spent two decades beating the
moderate Palestinians to a bloody pulp, we are not allowed to be critical of the stupidity
of Likud. Even 70% of Israelis have moved past that point.

Those who can not admit mistakes, are destined to repeat them.

[pet shop boy]

And it worries the hell out of us that people wont acknowledge mistakes.

How many gregf's are there

[Danny C]

jews in Israel are just chess pieces to you. you'll let them take the risk cause your comfortable.

As a person of Jewish descent who has occasionally contemplated emigrating to Israel and taking up Israeli citizenship (as is my right under the Law of Return), I hope you will accept that, to me at least, the Israelis are more than just chess pieces. And broadly speaking, I agree with Greg. Iran are not a major threat to Israel, and this US intelligence agency report pretty much confirms it.

[glennjridge]

shalom!

it seems like it wasnt all that long ago our intelligence around the world was being derided as being a joke and faulty. now apparently its credible.

Iran isnt the country to give any sort of leeway.if history is a guide,the sought after destruction of Israel cant be treated like high school rumors.its been attempted... conventionally.

I see no reason not to take madmen at their own words when they talk about something as serious and sobering as nuclear weapons in relation to middle eastern extremists and Israel.

[gregf]

For the record I don't trust Ahmadinejad at all and Bush is right to say they must be watched.
The CIA says as much. But realise he is just another religious conservative,
from the same part of the political spectrum, as Americans like to elect to power.

And as i have said before I wish for peace and justice for both Israelis and Palestinians.
The trick is to not fall into hatred.

[Deschanel]

Considering the trillions of dollars the US has poured, and continues to pour into Israel, there's no question that that country, armed to the teeth , with a nuclear weapons system they won't even tell us stupid Yanks about, can defend itself. Especially against wispy rumors of vaporous threats from alleged Iran nukes.

This NIE report is a seismic bombshell: The sabre-rattling of the Bush administration's rationale has been blown to bits, and W is newly exposed to even the most craven idiot as A: a liar or B: even stupider than we thought.

The NIE report has been known since August, but the Bush spin is that he only knew WHAT IT WAS ABOUT last week. AS. If. In October, this alleged president of ours was fear-mongering, warning of WW III if Iran even had the "knowledge" about the "nucular" weapons.

And here he is exposed as a bald-faced liar. Either that or CRIMINALLy incompetent.

I absolutely support Israel's right to exist and defend itself. But it's well known that most of the neo-conservatives surrounding Bush are extremely hawkish American Jews whose main loyalties seem to be Israel. The architects of the Iraq war like Perle and Wolfowitz, right-wing think-tanks helmed by Kristol and Podhoretz: they were the incessant drumbeat for the catastrophe in Iraq and wanted more war, calling for the US to attack Iran on what we now see are lies.

Of course, you aren't allowed to point this out, that the most hawkish and warlike proponents of the Iraq war, and striking Iran, have demonstrable ties and affiliations with the most right-wing of Israeli politics. They get endless airtime on FOX news, op-ed pieces about how Iran must be attacked. No questions allowed about where their true loyalties lie.

SO this new NIE report is a fantastic boon to reason and proportion, and the aforementioned warmongers are seething and apoplectic that they won't get ANOTHER war at the expense of the US.

I recetly saw a picture from Tehran, after 9/11- a candlelight vigil by Iranians to express their sympathy to the US. Like many over the world. Just especially poignant to me, after the dirty mobsters currently in the White House have been trying to make their malicious case for yet more aggression and war.

I am cautiously optimistic that some sanity and balance is coming in the next year- we could hardly do worse .

[glennjridge]

the Israeli can be trusted with nuclear weapons. a muslim extremist mentality that is hostile to Israel and the US/UK cant.

and its a tad rich to see a flaming liberal speak about poignant Iranian 9/11 sympathys when they persecute your fellow brethren and even kill them there.

you seem to think that extremist mentality is an abberation of one guy who is the president of Iran as long as you see a couple Iranians holding candles and drinking pepsi.

you can go to your seedy bars because the US and Israel thru history has been violent to extremist concepts be it nazi/japanese/Islamic or whatever. you benefit from it.

violence has cleaned out more intolerant systems in this world than any goofball "lets understand them" touchy feely mentality has.

[gregf]

The NIE report has been known since August, but the Bush spin is that he only knew WHAT IT WAS ABOUT last week. AS. If.
In October, this alleged president of ours was fear-mongering, warning of WW III if Iran even had the "knowledge" about the "nucular" weapons.

If this is true, it has serious implications. He really has been caught lying again.

the Israeli can be trusted with nuclear weapons. a muslim extremist mentality that is hostile to Israel and the US/UK cant.

The problem is Glen, every time the West uses double standards like this, it gets another 1000 people mad with us.
You are probably right, but we must have the same rules for everyone, or there is no hope of peace.
How can we criticise Iran for thinking about nukes, when Israel definitely has secret undeclared ones.
Yes I know, Israel is saner, but the world can not be run on double standards.

Look at your town sheriff analogy. Is it okay for the sheriff, his friends and family to drive
around town dangerously and illegally, just because the sheriff trusts them ?

violence has cleaned out more intolerant systems in this world than any goofball "lets understand them" touchy feely mentality has.

That is the same attitude as Al-Qadea has.

No one is suggesting appeasement. "Know your enemy". - Sun Tsu.