Russia considering nuclear arms August 17, 2008
Posted by Emir in Current Events, Politics, World Affairs.Tags: america, baltic, nuclear, poland, Politics, russia, war
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Russia is considering arming its Baltic fleet with nuclear arms, reports the UK’s The Sunday Times via Times Online (link). This of course entails nuclear warheads on Russian Federation submarines, cruisers and aircraft much like in the days of the Cold War.
The move has been reported to be in response to American plans for a missile defense shield in Europe, specifically with respect to Poland permitting components of the defense shield to be installed on its soil. Moscow, possibly viewing the missile shield as a threat has warned Poland that it could face a nuclear strike for such actions. According to Moscow, its Baltic fleet has suffered underfunding since the collapse of the communist USSR, but that is about to change.
Now I can of course go on reiterating the various news reports, but I am sure anyone who finds the time to read this blog is capable of reading those reports on their own. The entire affair is undoubtedly part of a much deeper issue with each side having their own reasons for their actions. However; I must say that the involved nations are playing an extremely dangerous game.
For what reason does the United States need to set up a missile shield over Europe? Just how bold can that nation be? Why does Poland need to permit foreign missile arms to be installed on its soil? Is it that much of a pushover? Or do they have some ulterior motive for permitting such an act? And finally, why does Russia regardless of its worries over the missile shield need to respond with the threat of nuclear attack of all the possible options?
This is of course the start of a very worrisome state of affairs. During the Cold War, the USA and USSR were preventing from ever actually escalating to nuclear warfare by what is known as MAD, short for Mutually Assured Destruction. Both countries were acutely aware that should one attack the other, an equal retaliation would be launched before any targets were even struck that would assure both suffer far worse than Japan did in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To this day, both the United States of America and the Russian Federation who now control most of the old USSR land and resources retain significant nuclear stockpiles.
With Russia’s economy experiencing steady growth and their Siberian region containing what is considered by many to be one of the world’s last vast oil reserves, Russia is poised to once again become a powerful adversary of the United States. A second cold war between these two highly armed nuclear powerhouses is not what the world needs.
The Smog of Beijing August 12, 2008
Posted by Emir in Current Events, World Affairs.Tags: beijing, china, human rights, olympics, pollution
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Time for a reality check. Now that we have awed at a historic opening ceremony, we need to examine some of China’s failures in hosting the 2008 Olympic Games.
Seven years ago, Beijing was awarded the opportunity of hosting the 2008 games. At the time, Beijing promised that the media would have complete freedom in their reporting, that they would improve their abysmal human rights track record and they would significantly reduce Beijing’s pollution. I’m afraid these promises have not been fulfilled.
When international media arrived in Beijing for the games, several internet sites were blocked including those that may provide information on protests. Now while China may not be telling the reporters what stories they can and cannot cover, it does not take a genius to deduce that media personnel require access to sources of information in order to accurately report their findings. Let this count as strike number one.
Secondly, can anyone show me exactly how China has improved on its human rights? There are reports of China using surveillance against activists and their families, blocking access to the capital city to others and sentencing people to prison and/or labour as punishment for speaking out. It has gotten so bad that Amnesty International has gone so far as to publish a document on China’s broken Olympic promises! (link) That’s two strikes, China.
Finally, the smog! Now granted, a lot has been done. Factories have been reportedly moved out of Beijing, traffic conjestion has been limited and rerouted…but the air was still awful! Beijing’s smog is so bad that I have read various news sites reporting the sun can be looked at directly and visibility was only as far as one kilometer off. From the photos I have seen; I believe it. If this is how bad it is now after the improvements, then think of how it was before! Sorry China but even if this is an improvement, that’s the third strike. As the Americans would say in baseball – you’re out!
Not to mention that it has now surfaced that the little girl who ’sang’ during the opening ceremony was miming to the voice of another little girl who was deemed to be not cute enough for the ceremony! (link) How horrible!
Now don’t get me wrong. I am facinated by China’s development and their return to the world stage of superpowers. I am also extremely happy that this has happened because ever since the fall of the USSR, the United States has been the world’s sole superpower. Nothing against the USA, but the world needs either no superpower, or more than one. One by itself is a recipe for that power to get away with anything it pleases.
I welcome China back to the world stage and I congratulate them on a historical Olympic Games. I just think they have a very long way to go before they can call themselves first world. They may have a gargantuan economy, they may have an impressive armed force and they may be one of only three nations with independent access to outer space. However, as long as personal freedoms and a high standard of living are repressed, China is little more than a third world nation with a fat bank account.
2008 Beijing Olympics: Opening Ceremony August 10, 2008
Posted by Emir in Current Events, Sports, World Affairs.Tags: beijing, ceremony, china, olympics
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The glittering Olympic Rings are hoisted into the air at Beijing's "Bird's Nest" stadium
I would think that anyone who saw the opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games hosted in Beijing, China would have been completely blown away by the event. It was not only the amazing display of culture, but the sheer scale, effects and the coordination of so many participants!
China has a talent, and let me tell you what that talent is. It is not the amount of money they have to throw behind an event like this, nor is it their extremely impressive cultural heritage. What China’s talent is, is the ability to coordinate large masses of their people in perfect harmony. Every part of the opening ceremony was filled with masses of people drumming, dancing, running and performing other antics in complete synchronization. Even at points where the performers had no means whatsoever of seeing what the others were doing, the timing was flawless. I’m talking about the giant Movable Type printer – if you saw the ceremony you would know what I’m talking about.
Now unfortunately, most internet clips of the opening have been removed due to copyright claims. However, I did find the next best thing: A collage of still images set to the song “Sadness” by Enigma, created by the user “NewAgeEnlightenment” on YouTube. You can view this clip below.
This of course doesn’t show the true splendor of the event. You really need to catch a rerun if you haven’t seen it as yet. What I have to say though is that with this event China has shown the world not only the depth of its culture and its vast human and financial resources, but it has also told its critics to sit down and shut up.
