This 9th of November will be the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. But after all these years, the support for democracy has in most of the countries of the region, this is according to a wide-ranging new study.
The majority of the people still support democracy over communism. The support for capitalism as an economic system has fallen in every country.
But why?
The answer is simple, they are frustrated. As "Richard Wike said 'They are frustrated with the way democracy is working in their countries,' ... 'We don't see people saying they don't want free speech, free press or competitive elections; we see people saying they want those things(By Richard Allen Greene, CNN)
In former West Germany, the satisfied people fell slightly, but went from over half to just under it. Young people and more educated people are the ones that are happier with the change from communism to capitalism in every ex-communist country.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/11/02/20.years.after.wall/index.html
Monday, November 2, 2009
After 20 Years There's Less Support for Democracy
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Afghan Elections
Hamid Karzai (left) Abdullah Abdullah (right)
But why did Abdullah quit?
He said that there was going to be a fraud like last time, so it was pointless. He said that the commissioners, which are hired by Karzai, will not be impartial.
In August, Karzai claimed victory after the first ballot, but the U.N, which monitored the elections, threw out a third of his votes for fraud, leaving Karzai without the majority. After this, he agreed to make a second runoff, that was set for next Saturday.
This decision will surely affect NATO and the U.S. in the war against the Taliban because Abdullah supported the intervation of the U.S. and NATO military forces to stabilize the country.
Abdullah demanded the removal of three election officials, the suspension of three Cabinet memebers, some constitutional changes, and other measures that would prevent another fraud. After Karzai refused, Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah made his decision to withdraw from the elections.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/11/01/afghanistan.election/index.html
http://news.aol.com/article/abdullah-abdullah-may-boycott-afghan/740255
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Passport of a 9/11 Suspect Found in Pakistan
A passport with the name of Said Bahaji has been found in a town of Pakistan that was captured by the Pakistani military.
But whats so great about this passport? Supposedly, its the passport of a suspect that has been linked to the incident on September 11.
This passport was found in a town called Waziristan, where the military of Pakistan has been battling the Talibans for the territory. The passport contained a visa issued in August 2001, it also showed that it had entered Pakistan on September 2, 2001.
Bahaji supposedly provided money to the hijackers that accomplished the 9/11 attacks. This person is wanted in Spain and in Germany for charges of Terrorism and is also of much interest for the United States.
But who is this guy? He is a senior propagandist for al Qaeda that is linked to the 9/11 incident.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/29/terror.suspect.passport/index.html
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Poland on new U.S. missile defence plan
Poland agreed to host the new U.S. Missile Defence Plan
During the Bush administration, a plan was made to set a missile defense on the Czech Republic and Poland, this missile defense was made to defend Europe from Iran.
In This year the Obama administration scrapped the missile defense made by the Bush administration.
After this, Poland opposed because they suspected the new system was being designed to appease the Russians.
The Obama administration has made a new missile defense plan which Poland has accepted to host. The plan is supposed to defend against Short- and Medium-ranged missiles.
" "Our new phased adaptive approach to missile defense is designed to meet a growing threat not only to the United States, but first and foremost to Europe," Biden said. "It's going to meet it with proven technology that will cover more of Europe including Poland and will do it more efficiently than the previous system could have or did." " (CNN)
But why does Poland accept to host the missile defense plan?
it might be because with it they will have more military power and will have the support of the U.S.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/21/poland.missiles/index.html
Monday, October 5, 2009
North Korea Open to Nuke Talks
I just saw today on the CNN new that the leader Kim Jong II of North Korea has said that they will take part on bilateral talks with the United States to talk about its nuclear program.
There is a Six-Party negotiations in which six countries with nuclear power participate, this are:
- The United States
- South Korea
- Japan
- China
- Russia
- North Korea
The United States said that they are willing to convince North Korea to take a path to complete denuclearization.
"North Korea has repeatedly used negotiations over ending its nuclear weapons program as a way of extracting aid and diplomatic concessions from the outside world." (The New York Times
Read More......
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Missile Defence
- Mixed response was seen by Europe because of Presidents Barack Obama's decision to end the plans for the missile defense system made in the Czech Republic and in Poland.
Unfortunately the reaction wasn't the same with Poland and the Czechs, because they saw this as military force and as a bond with the U.S and NATO.
One of the reasons the U.S. made this was to lessen confrontations with Russia.
This is not the end of the missile defence on that areas, because its thought that they will focus more on bringing the missile defences to their full capabilities to be able to compete with new technological missiles.
image from: http://risingpowers.foreignpolicyblogs.com/category/iran/page/3/http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/first-take-obamas-missile-defense-rethink Read More......
More News About Iran
The West just gave Iran Three months to prove that it does not want nuclear weapons.
If Iran doesn't prove this, the western powers will definitely make tougher sanctions in the United Nations. The meeting in which Iran and the Western Powers will meet in Geneva will be the last chance to come to a settlement over the programme or start negotiations.
But where are Russia and China?
"Russia reacted critically to the disclosure of Iran's latest secret programme, but China has shown no willingness to shift from its previous opposition to more sanctions." (Nick Meo and Richard Spencer in Dubai Published: 5:38PM BST 30 Sep 2009, telegraph)
The IAEA said that Iran broke the law by not telling that they were making a nuclear facility
What did Iran say about this?
Well they said that is was not their obligation to tell the IAEA about this facility until 6 months before they started to produce something.
But what can be the sanctions?
Well of course it wont be war. What they were thinking was restrictions on financial services, for oil.
Yes or NO Lisbon treaty
But why? Has something changed?
Well it is the same text as last time, the only thing that has changed is Ireland
People on the campaign to vote for Yes have three arguments. One says that the economic crisis has affected Ireland a lot and that it has become more dependent on its neighbors.
The other one says “If we vote ‘No’, the Eurocrats will find a way to get back at us” Michael O’Leary. And the last is because of the government.
"Last year’s poll was lost because of voter confusion, a lacklustre official campaign and an effective opposition campaign that focused on abortion, neutrality and taxation"
Well it seems like Ireland will eventually say Yes, but that is not sure.
If Ireland votes No on the Lisbon treaty, it wont stop Europe from advancing says France.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6821678.ece
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article6850866.ece
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100011635/why-irish-voters-are-backtracking-on-the-lisbon-treaty/
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Iran Tests Long-Ranged Missile
First North Korea, Now IRAN... Who's Next?
Iran tested his long ranged missiles on Monday. They say those missiles can reach any place that threatens Iran, this includes parts of Europe, Israel and U.S. military bases in the Mideast.
The western countries feel that this tests are a provocation.
With these tests and the nuclear facility that was secretly built, has made an urgency to have a meeting between the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council w/Germany and Iran.
The tests were made after the Western Powers warned Iran about facing sanctions if they didn't open the uranium enrichment facility to an international inspection...
So was this a provocation? or was it only military exercises routine like Iran says?
At the beginning of this year, Korea was performing underground nuclear tests, now Iran is performing missile tests and is making a uranium enrichment facility.
So whats happening?, are we getting closer to a 3rd World War?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33041226/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
Palestinians Want Israel to be Punished for Gaza offensive
Human rights groups allege that Israel may have committed war crimes, while Israeli officials deny the charges, saying every effort was made to reduce civilian casualties. (Los Angeles times By Jeffrey Fleishman)
But What Happened in Gaza?
The Gaza War, codenamed Operation Cast Lead was a war between Israel and he Gaza Strip, which took place from December 2008 to January 2009.
It was also called the Gaza Massacre, Between 1,166 and 1,417 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.
Also tens of thousands of Gazians were left homeless. 80 governmental buildings were destroyed.
Palestinians called the U.N. so that it punishes Israel for everything they did in Gaza, accusing them of war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.
The United Nations reported that Israel had fired chemical agents to places with civilians, that they fired to hospitals with high artillery, didn't warn civilians, and also attacked food supplies for civilians. They also said that Israel used Palestinian civilians as human shields.It also claims that Israel used Palestinian civilians as human shields and deliberately attacked Palestinian food supplies in Gaza.
But the question is Will the U.N. punish Israel?
Well its most likely that they will, because the investigations says that they indeed commit those charges. But the decision is still not made. Israel denies all this charges and they are not willing to cooperate.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/09/29/un.gaza.report/index.html
Read More......
They Want Negotiations With Iran
On Thursday, the top diplomats from the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany will meet Iran's nuclear negotiator at Geneva.
Iran said it would soon offer a timetable for inspectors to visit a hitherto secret facility, but was not prepared to debate its “rights” to operate the plant.
In exchange for a suspension of the nuclear activities and more cooperation with the inspectors of the U.N., the six mayor powers of the world want Iran to respond to the offer of trade and political incentives. 
The western powers are suspecting that Iran since it has an atomic programs, is developing the capability to make nuclear weapons. Eventhough they deny making nuclear weapons, Iran doesn't want to cancel the uranium enrichment campaign.
27 September 2009)
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-09-27-voa1.cfm
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE58S14520090929
Read More......
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Doomsday Clock, We are at 5 Min to Midnitght.
What is the doomsday clock? It is a symbolic clock face that was made in 1947 by the directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in the University of Chicago. In it appears as 15 minutes to midnight. Midnight represents the world destruction. The closer to midnight, the closer we are to obliteration. At the beginning the analogy only represented a threat of global nuclear war, since it was made during the cold war. Here in this picture you will be able to see how close we have been to destruction depending on the events occurring throughout the world.
http://www.thebulletin.org/content/doomsday-clock/overview Read More......
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Korea and its fortune cookies
I just found an intersting drawing, an even though it is not a relevant post I know taht you will laugh, hope you enjoy it.
Will Mexico be a World Power in the Future?
In class we were having a discussion whether Mexico was going to become a world power or not. In my opinion Mexico has the ability to become a world power and it will eventually become one.
Here i will list some of the factors that can help Mexico become a world power.
- It has a large population
- The possible relative decline in the power of other nations, such as the US.
- Mexico is democratic.
- Mexico is a peaceful country and has good relationships with many countries.
- Mexico is the only Latin American country in the OECD.
- It has oil (though we have few refineries)
- Strong economical link to NAFTA partners.
- Uneven income distribution
- Lots of Corruption
- Drug wars
By 2080 I expect there to be a serious confrontation between the United States and an increasingly powerful and assertive Mexico. That confrontation may well have unforeseen consequences for the United States, and will likely not end by 2100" George Friedman
http://seekingalpha.com/article/115133-japan-turkey-poland-mexico-the-rising-world-powers
Read More......
Monday, August 31, 2009
World War III?
Sunday, August 30, 2009
The Power of Nations
The other day in class, we talked about what nations were powerful, what powerful meant, what nations could become powerful and things like that...
So, that got me thinking. What makes a nation truly great? Economic power? The natural resources? Military prowess?
Yes, mayhaps that does help the nations achieve greatness. But I think we all forgot to mention the prime resource of any nation. The backbone of it all, the base upon which the nation was founded!
Its people.
Truly, the treasure of a nation if its people. If not for those workers who toil most of their lives, in whatever they do, be it farming or working in an office, teaching or taking care of a family... In the end, any nation could not be what it is without the work of the people!
So, all those people that think that some nations will never be outstanding in anyway... well, one thing I have learned, is that, when there is people... anything is possible!
So let's make sure we, as the true treasure of not only our countries, but of the world, make the best out of the time we have been given on this earth.