THE PIVOT TO ASIA AND THE RISE OF “SYMBOLIC” U.S.-CHINA CONFLICT.
Various commentators on Asian affairs comment on the possibility that both the U.S. and Chinese governments are engaged in actions of belligerence toward one another to divert publics in both their countries from failures of domestic economic policies. Filipino Asian expert Walden Bello agrees with this assessment as far as U.S. foreign policy is concerned, seeing the “pivot” as a cover for the failure of U.S. intervention in the Middle East, to help appease war-hawk cries for assertion of U.S. imperial power and distract people from concerns over economic problems. Where China is concerned, Bello sees some of that same classic “wag the dog” strategy of using “successful” foreign military operations to mask failures of domestic ones. Still, Bello feels, there is more of substance to the regional aggressiveness of China, as greater control over the region’s natural resources is being sought.
(Asia Times)
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”IT’S NOT LIKE WE BURN PEOPLE AT THE STAKE ANY MORE.”
Arthur Silber reflects on the burning death of Christopher Dorner and finds it all-too-similar to other “burnings” by other police and military authorities as extra-judicial killings of people who happen to get in the way of stopping the truly “bad guys,” whether the bad guys happen to be Iraqi insurgents or (as with Dorner) two women who were delivering the LA Times and were “accidentally” fired upon when the police mistakenly thought they were connected with Dorner. No, we don’t burn people at the stake, we just burn cop-killers on national TV and don’t worry that much about the “collateral damage.”
(Power of Narrative Blog)
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THE MURDER WEAPON WAS A GUN STOLEN FROM ME? WELL, DON’T BLAME ME.
New Hampshire legislature passes a bill to provide immunity from liability for the use of stolen guns from their rightful owners. Proponents say: what good is a gun for self-protection if they have to leave their guns locked up securely at home? Opponents say there is no evidence that maintaining security of gun possession has resulted in anyone being denied the opportunity for self-defense.
(WCAR)
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A LOT OF NEW SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS ARE COMING TO DOWNTOWN SEATTLE; BUT DON’T WORRY, THEY WON’T PEEK INTO YOUR HOME OR YOUR OFFICE.
In a program begun with Homeland Security grants to cities for anti-terrorist surveillance, Seattle is moving to use more of the cameras in areas in which non-terrorist kinds of crime are prevalent. Officials discount the privacy concerns of citizens by saying the cameras will “electronically black out” homes and offices, and anyway, only police agents will see them and the pictures will be retained for only a month. Did we mention that these assurances are given despite the fact that the new cameras are not yet operational but will be “tested” for several months? So let crimes (and the office hanky-panky) continue.
(KING TV)
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AS OBAMA AND OTHERS CALL FOR A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS, GUN DEALERS IN SOUTH FLORIDA ARE DOING A BOOMING BUSINESS IN THE SALE OF…ASSAULT WEAPONS.
The typical “beat the ban” mentality is producing this upsurge in sale of guns of a type which may shortly be banned. The state of Florida, with its NRA-happy legislature and governor, has been ground-zero for gun sales and use in, for example, the state’s “stand your ground” permission for lethal aggression.
(Miami New Times)
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Quote of the day…
If we can get Iran’s cooperation by merely lifting some sanctions—sanctions that aren’t exactly helping our aims in Iran anyway—why are some still holding out and considering thedisastrous military option? A military strike is not really a credible option. It would be a foolish and counterproductive action as it would likely lead to Iran kicking off a full-blooded nuclear weaponization effort, just as Saddam’s Hussein did after Israel’s attack on the Osirak plant in 1981.
Yousaf Butt, in advocating that West make a “serious offer” to Iran to settle controversy over its alleged nuclear development.
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So why is it we are afraid of China because of their hacking, but we don’t give a crap about Rupert Murdoch using Scotland Yard officials, as well as his reporters and workers to hack in to computers, phones, emails, voicemails to steal private information from private citizens, celebrities and GOVERNMNENT OFFICIALS to sell for a profit??????
Maybe it’s Rupert’s British Charm that placates us into letting him continue to take over the world for the Corporations? I’m sorry, but that scares me a whole hell of a lot more than China because China isn’t presently running political groups in the USA to destroy the Federal Government. Or are they? Perhaps the Koch Brothers are not just aligned with Iran, maybe they are also aligned with China, whose walmart products help fund the conservative revolution being that Walmart is the number 2 sponsor under the Koch Brothers?
Why is anyone surprised with this news? Why do we play nice with China? Why? They are destroying our economy through playing around with the value of their currency. They steal from our intellectual property through outright piracy, hacking and copying. They have the largest network of spies in the US. They are not our friends. Why do we insist on being nice to them?