Geopolitical thread

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 02 Jun 2010 09:25

Assessing a benchmark in Obama’s 'yes, but' strategy

http://shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2 ... t_strategy

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 02 Jun 2010 09:45

U.S. military, meet spending limits

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/20 ... ing_limits

Only in the Q and A did the 800 lb elephant lope into the room: With the U.S. facing a staggering national debt, record-setting deficits, a slow economic recovery and a future with ever-larger entitlement program costs, what can the U.S. afford to be doing in overseas military efforts? Is that picture today now different than in the past? And where does Afghanistan in particular fit into that calculus today?

On the 800-lb gorilla in the room: We're moving into a different world than the one of even five years ago. As one very senior former military commander noted recently: "We are no longer going to be operating from a position of strategic superiority." And as the U.S. military shifts into an era that will surely be marked by downward pressure on defense budgets, civilian and military leaders will have to make choices and set priorities. Buying everything is no longer gonna be an option.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 02 Jun 2010 10:33

Seoul alone has a nominal GDP of ~$200 billion, just under a quarter of South Korea's economic output. North Korea in its entirety has an economic output of ~$30 billion. Imagine a situation where almost a quarter of India's industrial facilities are located right at the border within howitzer range of an unstable, belligerent and unpredictable neighbour.

The people in SoKo maintain a great WKK sense that the folks across the border are one of them, but ruled over by a despotic regime. The Norks can inflicit more explicit and implicit economic damage than their entire annual economic output with just a salvo of artillery. SoKo is probably the most extraordinary tale of economic development in the 20th century. They were literally beggars just at the start of the 1960s, left in ruins after the Korean War. Unlike Germany or Japan, they had nothing to rebuild, and no prior base of industrial and intellectual capital. The story of their development is one of the most inspiring I've read. I can understand their hesitation at starting another war now.

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 02 Jun 2010 10:51

The story of their development is one of the most inspiring I've read.

Not to take away from their success but they had financial help from America.

I think US set them up as an economic competitor to Japan.

Carl_T · Post by **Carl_T** » 02 Jun 2010 10:52

So did Israel and Japan...

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 02 Jun 2010 10:59

Carl_T wrote:So did Israel and Japan...

Japan less so.

Japan was an industrial power well before WWII.

The Korean war gave them a kick start after WWII but most of their industries were self-made. What helped all these economies was America's willingness to take in an endless amount of their exports.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 02 Jun 2010 11:03

Reality isn't so simple. The Japanese benefited significantly from the Korean War, when the US procured significantly from the fledgling keiretsus, as part of their wartime spending. On the other hand, the Koreans gained significant monetary compensation directly from the Japanese, in the form of reparations for Japanese occupation and WW2-time atrocities. The seed capital for founding Pohang Steel Company (POSCO), Korea's first big industrial heavyweight, came from the reparation money from Japan, together with technical assistance from Nippon Steel. Israel benefited significantly from both US/UK support and an influx of intellectual capital, while Japan/Germany had a prior industrial base and domestic expertise to rebuild using, once they had access to capital and a market to export to. For me personally, South Korea is the most astonishing tale of economic development in the latter half of the 20th century.

ashish raval · Post by **ashish raval** » 02 Jun 2010 13:16

South Korea is a unique example of how a extremely poor nation with GDP equal to Ghana in 1950 can be propelled into top 15 economies of the world in just 50 years time. It is sheer strength of South Korean people, discipline, dynamism, sharp learning curve and their massive input in research and development in last 30 years that are paying the dividend. China with be the same by 2025 with nearly same turn around time. Unfortunately, it will not be true for us, it will be more than 75 years. We need to put massive amount of money in infrastructure and education to achieve that pace. We also need to double out exports very quickly.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 02 Jun 2010 18:53

ashish raval wrote:South Korea is a unique example of how a extremely poor nation with GDP equal to Ghana in 1950 can be propelled into top 15 economies of the world in just 50 years time. It is sheer strength of South Korean people, discipline, dynamism, sharp learning curve and their massive input in research and development in last 30 years that are paying the dividend. China with be the same by 2025 with nearly same turn around time. Unfortunately, it will not be true for us, it will be more than 75 years. We need to put massive amount of money in infrastructure and education to achieve that pace. We also need to double out exports very quickly.

One needs to understand that brand names such as Samsung and Hyndai do not become global brand just like that. SK had to enter into an arrangement with the MNCs and their economy was controlled by the Goldman Sachs and they got bailed out first during the 1997 crisis. The ruling elite is sub servient to the US and western elite and they compromised much in culture. Still they pride in themselves.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 03 Jun 2010 09:30

Did Obama bring down Hatoyama?

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts ... n_hatoyama

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 03 Jun 2010 09:38

Ties to U.S. Played Role in Downfall of Japanese Leader

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/world ... japan.html

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 03 Jun 2010 09:48

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/201 ... ly_knew_ye

U.S. officials likely won't be shedding any tears. Al Kamen, the consummate Washington insider, channeled the view of many in a biting April column when he described Hatoyama as "loopy" -- prompting a rather sad protest from the Japanese cabinet secretary (and a failed attempt at self-deprecating humor by the PM himself).

Still, one has to wonder at the treatment of a major U.S. ally. Not only was there continual anonymous sniping at Hatoyama in the press, but President Obama himself notably snubbed Japan during the April nuclear security summit -- denying the prime minister a bilateral meeting in favor of the likes of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and South Africa.

Then there was Defense Secretary Bob Gates's October trip to Tokyo, when he exhibited zero flexibility on the Futenma issue, or even any willingness to offer Hatoyama any political cover. "They're really, as far as we're concerned, are no alternatives to the arrangement that was negotiated," he told reporters on the plane ride from Haiwaii. The Japanese media savaged Gates, who showed little patience with Hatoyama's loose talk of reconsidering the strategic paradigm in Asia.

I understand why U.S. diplomats weren't enthused about Hatoyama. He was clearly not ready for prime time. But long after he's been forgotten, I imagine many in Japan will still resent their country being treated like a colony of the United States.

shyam · Post by **shyam** » 03 Jun 2010 10:10

What I read was, Japan benefitted from Korean war and South Korea benefitted from Vietnam war.

In paki-ishtyle, Pakistan benefitted from Afghan war!!

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 04 Jun 2010 02:54

Turkey Moves Decisively Out Of US/EU Control

Turkey, spurned by the EU, has decided not to be a part of the Bilderberg/NATO group and is drifting away towards this new pole of power politics which centers on China, not the US. It is easy as pie to predict economic futures if we are aware of political realities such as how imperial politics always plays out: the US empire is dying. And is thrashing around, attacking the poorest, weakest people on earth and failing to control or crush their spirits of defiance.

The blog is centered around the politics between Turkey, Israel, USA and EU and is based on the following CNN article Turkey emerges as Middle East leader

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 04 Jun 2010 03:03

SoKo is just around 100,000 square kilometers with a population of about 50 million almost ethnically homogeneous. And India? With a size more than 3.3 million square kilometer and a population of over 1000 million. I am little less awed by the growth of some these S.E Asian countries, but kudos to their hard work.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 04 Jun 2010 08:23

abhishek_sharma wrote:Ties to U.S. Played Role in Downfall of Japanese Leader

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/world ... japan.html

The Empire strikes back, for now.

The article keeps saying that Hatoyama's popularity has plunged, but cites no reliable source. Would not be surprised if the poll was conducted by some suspect organization.

As of now, Japan does not allow electronic voting in national elections. As long as the Japs keep their elections secure, Japan is liable to slip out of the grasp of western elites, as did Turkey, and as Germany is threatening to do.

Meanwhile, the financial crisis in the west, and the economic strength of the Chinese, is eroding the influence of western elites.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 04 Jun 2010 08:36

The US prefers a nice pliant Kaangress-style govt in power, aka LDP

Matthew_H · Post by **Matthew_H** » 04 Jun 2010 08:51

DELETED

bart · Post by **bart** » 04 Jun 2010 09:47

Matthew_H wrote:I recently completed an article titled “Space Weapons Should Be Part of Upcoming US-India Strategic Dialogue.” It is my hope that you will take a moment to look it over and perhaps share it with others. It is my objective to call attention to India's space weaponization pursuits before they reach the battlefield.

The paper can be downloaded at the following link: http://bit.ly/Spacewar

I also want to make you aware of a public education project I am developing that focuses on India’s space warfare pursuits. It is called the India Space Weaponization Project: http://bit.ly/IndiaProject

The mission of the India Space Weaponization Project is to analyze the myriad projects and policies fueling India’s efforts to weaponize space. Areas of coverage include the status of efforts to both impede and facilitate India’s push to weaponize space. Analysis will be complemented by an overview of government and military positions, the impact of foreign support, and the technological drivers that may serve as the building blocks of space warfare systems. References to major opinion pieces and official documents will also be highlighted.

I hope that you find my articles interesting, and that they raise awareness of India’s rapidly evolving dual-use technologies and military space systems. I would like to emphasize that the deployment of these military space systems will only serve to undermine India's security. I also believe the United States is supplying India with dual-use technology to fuel the US defense industry, but more importantly the US is setting India up to be a proxy rival to China.

With best wishes to all.

Matthew Hoey

You seem to be a retarded NPA type, and your article is blatantly and unjustifiably anti-India. Why don't you peddle your drivel somewhere else instead of on this forum, which deals with keeping India secure. And stop posting the same thing in multiple threads.

You seem to be hung up on India, and your 'website' just contains an article about India. How about you focus on your own effing country and shameless and belligerent displays of violence, aggression and disregard of International opinion, whether in space dispensation or using nuclear weapons against Japan, or callously killing close to a million Iraqis with no justification whatsoever.

lsunil · Post by **lsunil** » 04 Jun 2010 11:47

@Matthew_H
India has fought multiple wars and none of them were instigated by it. Security is of utmost concern to us. India is still paying a price for the US meddling in afghanistan-soviet war. US has kept nurturing pakistan for decades. Even today, it supplies military and monetary aid to pakistan. We KNOW these aid will be used against india in the near future. What would the US reaction be if we gifted nukes to the mexicans to take back the land the "massa" occupied?

Your articles, we do not appreciate. There are many think tanks that claim to speak for the world but we know that they are no more than one of the several organizations floated by the US, directly or indirectly to present the case through america's eye's. You have a right to be afraid of india. If does not choose to be a part of the commonwealth.

We are also aware of what "massa" expects from india wrt china. We are willing to forget the chinese invasion but what about the proliferation if did in the neighbourhood to contain india? The series of actions by china are unforgivable.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 04 Jun 2010 12:54

bart wrote:
Matthew_H wrote:I recently completed an article titled “Space Weapons Should Be Part of Upcoming US-India Strategic Dialogue.”
With best wishes to all.

Matthew Hoey
You seem to be a retarded NPA type ...

Tch, tch .... hush

Matthew, thanks for your views. India's historical stand has been that any non-proliferation agreements should be uniformly applicable, and not be designed to lock-in advantages for early birds.

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 04 Jun 2010 16:23

Matthew_H Point taken and you can be happy that you managed to post this crap on BR. Now to make thing short .........please GET LOST. Now I do not blame you, in such case I blame parents do not take prpoer care of kids and then those kids who grow up in unhealthy environment become social problem. AOA.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 04 Jun 2010 16:29

Mathew_H, looks like the NPA, MTCR and NSG are dead anyway. China gave the middle finger to NPT, NSG and MTCR when it gave Nuke power plants, weapons designs and missiles. and yet the west sells Uranium to China.

It would be better if the west could focus on Punishing China for the violation of these 3 treaties before turning towards India

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 04 Jun 2010 17:50

http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2010/06/04/ch ... gh-choices
China's tough choices

Analysts have been parsing and debating Chinese aspirations for years. But there’s some consensus, certainly, about three goals. China has sought, particularly over the last decade, to:

(1) Improve its security environment in East Asia—for example, by embracing closer political and trade relations with America’s allies, not least South Korea.

(2) Enhance China’s image, presenting a less threatening face to the region.

(3) If opportunities arrive, seek benefit from whatever doubts might arise about U.S. credibility and staying power in Asia.

And (4) China has also sought to integrate with Asia and the world—enhancing interdependence, but also increasing others’ dependence on the Chinese economy in ways that might shape their choices.

But how has China been performing with regard to the first three goals?

Beijing’s strategic gains of the last decade are, in some areas, coming undone: In just the past few weeks, Washington and Seoul have begun expanding defense coordination, and will soon begin running drills and holding additional exercises. And Washington and Tokyo moved forward on relocating a U.S. airbase in Okinawa after eight months of stasis. Then there are the various developments that preceded North Korea’s attack. Indonesia and Vietnam have drawn closer to the United States. U.S.-Malaysian relations have improved significantly. And despite tensions with the Obama administration, the United States now holds more military exercises with India than any other country in the world. And New Delhi is forging deeper ties in East Asia. Put simply, the United States has strategic opportunities, especially with Seoul, that haven’t existed for more than a decade.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 04 Jun 2010 18:54

The Bilderberg are in Barcelona........for their ultra-secret annual meeting.

The ultra-secretive Bilderberg Group,whose founder was the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, have been targets for decades allegedly as the master puppeteers of global economic and strategic events.Their exclusive membership consists of the western world's highest and mightiest of the various lands from which they come,with a tiny sprinkling of members from Asia and Africa.Royalty,heads of govt.,military leaders,bankers,economists,scientists,media moghuls-the movers and shakers of global events meet once a year in a secret location that strangely always overlooks water.Their aim according to their critics is to manipulate and control global events to further the interests of their interlocking MNCs and financial institutions.Few journalists are invited vowed to secrecy.It is remarkable that there have been no leaks ever about the group's confabulations.Each time the group meets,their detractors track them down and try to penetrate the walls of security and find out the attendence list.

See you in Barcelona!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 91021.html

What are the Bilderberg Group really doing in Spain?

Security is so tight at the annual cabal of the world's elite that conspiracy theories about what is discussed – and who's invited – are rife
By Anita Brooks in Sitges

EXcerpt:

What are the Bilderberg Group really doing in Spain?

Security is so tight at the annual cabal of the world's elite that conspiracy theories about what is discussed – and who's invited – are rife

By Anita Brooks in Sitges
Friday, 4 June 2010

Sitges, near Barcelona, is the venue for this year's Bilderberg Group conference

If the conspiracy theorists are on to something, they could be plotting the invasion of Iran, planning the funeral of the Euro or scheming to wipe out French poodles in pink sweaters at this very minute.

Or perhaps the world's financial and political leaders are simply schmoozing about their golf game as they enjoy a "chocolate massage" followed by the "honey body scrub" and the "spectacular oxygen Echo2 facial" at the Dolce Hotel's spa in Sitges.

It is also possible that the world's executives, media moguls, and financial gurus came to the elegant seaside town near Barcelona to study the booming gay tourist market there (although they missed the wild Carnival celebration by a few months) and to sneak a preview of next year's international horror film festival.

But ordinary citizens can only guess at the goings-on at the annual meeting of the secretive Bilderberg Group, a media-barred pow-wow of the global elite that in the past has reportedly attracted former US President Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and David Cameron, and US treasury secretary Timothy Geithner. Even the late Enoch Powell once attended.

The heavyweight weekend retreat kicked off yesterday with hordes of police security and a gag order for employees at the luxury Dolce, whose aptly-named presidential suites overlook the Mediterranean. None of the illustrious guests posed for photos or spouted prepared statements for the media. Instead, activists, journalists and bloggers attempted to stake out positions in the surrounding hills to catch glimpses of this year's participants, guerrilla-warrior style.

"We just dropped two people by the hills and they are trying to run for cover so they aren't spotted by the snipers," said Hannah Borno, co-founder of an activist agency, Trilever, which is calling for transparency on the Bilderberg deliberations and offers information (also known as leaks) to the press. "I hope they're OK."

Ms Borno paid €135 for the hotel's cheapest room for the chance to see the preparations – as well as swarming secret service agents – before being forced to leave for a nearby campsite, surrounded by police. Overhead: a no-fly zone.

"The public is paying for this security," she added. "I can see 20 to 30 police vans right now. We are offering a pro-bono lawyer in case any of the activists or bloggers are arrested."

Some people consider the Bilderberg Group, founded in 1954, an innocent brainstorming session, but the cloak-and-dagger theorists scored a point this week when the self-appointed Bilderberg expert Daniel Estulin addressed the European Parliament on the invitation of an Italian member, Mario Borghezio.

Mr Estulin, an investigative journalist who has written two best-selling books on the subject, contends that "the Bilderberg Club" is not a classic conspiracy but a potentially dangerous meeting of minds with a common goal: to centralise global economic power to benefit corporations. He defined it as "a virtual spider web of interlocking financial, political and industrial interests".

"It isn't a secret society," he said. "No matter how powerful they are, no group sits around a table holding hands and deciding the world's future. It is an ideology."

Secret society or not, the speculation surrounding Bilderberg rivals the eternal question of who shot JFK – to the extent that one Spanish activist vowed he has sighted freemasonry symbols on the Sitges hotel. Being the meeting is secret, it is impossible to confirm which executives and lawmakers have checked into the spiffy Dolce, in the heart of golf-and-sunbathing territory. Politicians often deny participation. But according to press leaks, this year's A-list participants include Queen Beatrix of Holland, Spain's Queen Reina Sofia (supposedly a regular), World Trade Organisation Director Pascal Lamy, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet, former NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and former Spanish vice president Pedro Solbes, known during his stint as an EU commissioner as "Mr Euro".

Meanwhile, Extremadura Progresista, a left-wing newspaper from Extremadura, one of Spain's poorest regions, published a list of participants on its website, including former Secretary of State for Business Peter Mandelson and the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (although he's currently in Asia), plus executives from Siemens AG, Microsoft, Royal Dutch Shell, Chase Manhattan Bank and Morgan Stanley International.

And what might this all-star cast be discussing between forkfuls of paella and sips of cava on a warm summer's eve? Topics reportedly include everything from the possible failure of the euro and the creation of a global currency, to a military strike against Iran.

Another issue supposedly on the agenda is the financial meltdown in Greece, where last year's brainstorming session was held. The irony is not lost on Spanish activists, who hope the Bilderberg "witches' Sabbath" does not brew bad tidings for the troubled Spanish economy. "We joke that the horror film festival is starting early," Didac Sanchez, an activist with the organisation EcoXarxa Montseny, told The Independent over the phone amid background chanting. "The monsters are here."
...
"It's so secretive that not even people in the leftist movements know about it," Mr Sanchez said. "And it's so frightening that people can't even believe that it's real. Some people theorise that they want to kill off half the world; others believe they're directing the world's finances. But we're here to say it is real, it is happening."

He expects momentum to build throughout the weekend, however. The carnival-inspired theme of the protest is "unmasking Bilderberg". "We will set up a healing camp," he said. "It will be a festival of cleansing."

Some of the guests are to supposedly be Peter Mandelson,Jean Claude Trichet, European Bank President ,Reina Sofia, Queen of Spain... and the alumni include Bill Clinton, ex-US President and Tony Blair, ex-Brit. Prime Minister!

akashganga · Post by **akashganga** » 05 Jun 2010 04:55

The God Project: Hinduism as Open-Source Faith
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-schr ... 86099.html

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 05 Jun 2010 07:32

A fine way indeed to put it. A whole different paradigm. Only I would call it the Man project.

Know yourself, Kunta. Upanishad.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 06 Jun 2010 00:56

President Medvedev, Chancellor Merkel propose Russia-EU security council

Jun 5, 2010 21:40 Moscow Time
http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/06/05/9170037.html
Angela Merkel,Dmitry Medvedev. Photo: RIA Novosti
A joint paper from the summit in Germany Saturday between Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Dmitry Medvedev contains a proposal to establish a ministerial council of Russia and the European Union for addressing European security problems and managing urgent crisis situations.

The body would be co-chaired by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the European Union’s High Foreign Policy Representative Catherine Ashton.

President Medvedev: Russia needs stable euro

Jun 5, 2010 17:23 Moscow Time
http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/06/05/9157576.html

Dmitry Medvedev. Photo: EPA
Russia hopes European measures to stabilize the euro will work and avert a second wave of the global economic crisis. Together with other partners of the Eurozone countries, it is interested in a stable and reliable European currency.

President Medvedev told this to the media after discussing the matter with Chancellor Angela Merkel at a meeting with her near Berlin.

The trouble with the euro will be on the agenda of the next summit of the G20 in Canada late this month.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 07 Jun 2010 06:15

Africa: 50 bittersweet years of independence

Adam Nossiter

The notion of independence itself — in a context of bad governance, economic inequality, poverty and dependence on foreign aid — has been called into question.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/07/stories ... 550100.htm

Chinese loans and investments in Africa are creating hurdles for those who are hoping for neo-colonization.

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 08 Jun 2010 00:40

India in the lead for Ayni

Who will get to use the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan? India, Russia, China, Iran or the U.S.? The Tajikistan newspaper Ozodagon (via BBC Monitoring), in a good, thorough analysis, says it looks like India is in the lead.

Russia, according to the article, doesn't see any need to use the base (it already has a base in Tajikistan) but just wants to keep anyone else from using it. China has never expressed much interest, and the U.S. hold on Manas in Kyrgyzstan seems secure for now, obviating the need for a base in Tajikistan.

Iran is an interesting possibility:

At the same time, there is a probability that Iran may use the Ayni airfield as a military base. This issue might have been discussed during the recent visit of the Iranian defence minister to Dushanbe, although there has been no official report on this issue. However, it is not for nothing that the Iranian military delegation paid a visit to Dushanbe with the aim of stepping up military cooperation. Iran may also consider itself to be "a great power"... [ellipses as published]

But India, more than anyone else, is giving signals that it is serious about the base:

Media outlets in Delhi and Islamabad even estimated benefits that their states would have from the establishment of an Indian military base in Tajikistan. In Delhi, some newspapers even reported that this air base would be significant for India as a lever to frighten Islamabad and terror groups operating in the region. Those reports were dismissed by Tajikistan's military bodies as ungrounded.

But funds were allocated by India to upgrade the airfield, and this country's president arrived in Tajikistan on a visit last autumn. In view of these, those Indian reports may have some grounds. This is because if we say that the Indian president, after visiting Moscow, arrived in Tajikistan only to step up economic relations, then the small volume of trade between Dushanbe and Delhi will make this statement somewhat improbable. That is why, it seems India has a better chance than others to use the Ayni airfield.

The article ends on a prescriptive note, suggesting that, as much American handwringing there is about the U.S. screwing up its relationship with Kyrgyzstan over Manas, Russia might have screwed up their relationship even more:

However, we should give preference to a state which usually keeps its promise. Kyrgyzstan's experience of this sort of cooperation shows that Russia has not yet made the promised investment worth 2bn dollars in exchange for deploying its military base in Kyrgyzstan. The Tajik authorities must think which state they should rent the Ayni airfield to in order to get more benefits in the long-term future.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 08 Jun 2010 19:30

Acharya wrote:Before WWI there was a economic crisis, before the WWII there was a economic crisis, and now we have world economic crisis - next is WWIII.

The objective of the globalisation programme is to do away with independent nations and turn them into interdependent member states of a single world Corporatist/Socialist order with a single integrated global economy. This requires governments to implement policies which progressively hand over ownership and control of their national economy, banks, big business and industry, public utilities, and farming sector, to global interests; and to surrender their political, legal, and cultural sovereignty to so-called 'institutions of global governance' and ultimately the United Nations world government.

If the program were to be written out as it has to be implemented by national governments.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 09 Jun 2010 17:15

More hot news from the Bilderberg secret conclave.

The real meaning of Bilderberg:

... at Bilderberg each participant is given a report and they are "considered to use this report in setting their policies in the environments in which they affect". This remark is revealing of the Bilderberg dynamic: the flowing of policy out from Bilderberg and into the world, from power towards political implementation. From the steering committee to the guest members.

EXcerpt:

Bilderberg 2010: Don't call it a pow-wow!So far at Bilderberg 2010, Charlie Skelton has clocked Queen Beatrix and Henry Kissinger. Not bad considering the Spanish police's €10m anti-media operation

General view of Hotel Dolce where Bilderberg guests are meeting in Sitges.
CLICK...

Robert Zoellick, head of the World Bank, a former managing director of Goldman Sachs.

CLICK...

Paul Volcker, former chairman of the US federal reserve, current chairman of Obama's economic recovery advisory board.

CLICK...

Josef Ackermann, chairman of Deutsche Bank.

CLICK...

Peter Voser, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell.

CLICK...

Dr Henry Kissinger at Bilderberg 2010. Photograph: Quierosaber Dr Henry Alfred Kissinger.

The photos we've seen from this year's conference, which we're showcasing in our big hitters Bilderberg Power Gallery , have been very revealing. You can see from the body language who runs Bilderberg. There's been a lot of power sloshing round the Dolce Sitges Hotel this past week, a lot of wealth, a lot of influence, but you can sense the Überpower when it shows up.

We didn't see David Rockefeller this week (maybe his head is already sitting in a cryogenic hatbox somewhere, awaiting nanosuscitation). But we caught the other two big fish. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Henry Kissinger. When they turn up the mood on the forecourt changes, heads turn, smiles beam, commands are whispered into shirt cuffs and ripples of subservience pass through the group.

My favourite photo from this year's conference is the top of Kissinger's head, glimpsed through a train of aides, organisers, delegates and security as he wafts (hobbles grimly) to his car. Pity the poor driver, who'd just had the gloved hand of a security goon check his bowel for explosives.

Bilderberg 2010 press office. Photograph: We Are Change Germany
Two days ago I had breakfast with one of the Bilderberg chauffeurs, who was just about to clock on for an airport zoom. (He had no idea I was a journalist. Was I meant to tell him? Is that a rule? I bought him a coffee – that seems fair.) He was grumpy. He wasn't looking forward to being frisked up against his limo, which happens, apparently, if it's one of the bigger delegates. Worst was when he delivered "two important, very old American men, who travelled together" from the airport. (Does this mean Rockefeller made it after all?)

He tells me that a colleague got it so bad before chauffeuring Beatrix that he shouted at the security: "Don't kill me, I'm just a driver!"

He glanced up to the TV screen in our breakfast bar. "She was there, too. Esperanza Aguirre. Very important lady." He's referring to Doña Esperanza Aguirre y Gil de Biedma, Countess of Murillo, and President of Madrid. Not on the list of Bilderberg participants for this year. Wanted to stay under the radar. Failed.

My breakfast buddy leaned over his coffee and told me that he had a friend in the police force who'd said how much the security for this year's conference was costing. He drew disgustedly on his breakfast Marlboro. "Ten million euros." I realise this is third-hand breakfast natter, but wow. That's a lot of helicopter fuel. (Or is it?)

I should stress, the intense security here at Bilderberg has very little to do with any kind of physical "threat". It's to do with distance, power and an extraordinary (one might almost say "unhealthy") wariness of the press. In fact so poor is the relationship between press and Bilderberg that we decided this year to plug the gap and provide the conference with a rudimentary press liaison service. We turned bungalow 19 at the Garrofer Park campsite into the Press Office for Bilderberg 2010.

We handed out leaflets, delegate biogs, background information, we had a whiteboard for latest news, we even had a box of lanyards. We couldn't afford colour-coded ribbons, like they have up at the hotel, but then again we're not bankrolled by the Rockefellers. We're bankrolled by whatever I can reasonably invoice for these articles – which should just about cover the cost of some dry-wipe pens.

The press are represented inside Bilderberg (in our photos you'll see, for example, the CEO of the Washington Post and the editor-in-chief of the Economist) but they're not talking. What happens in Bilderberg stays in Bilderberg. Except for policy. That gets everywhere.

Just this weekend the former Nato secretary general, Willy Claes (Bilderberg 1994), said on Belgian radio that at Bilderberg each participant is given a report and they are "considered to use this report in setting their policies in the environments in which they affect". This remark is revealing of the Bilderberg dynamic: the flowing of policy out from Bilderberg and into the world, from power towards political implementation. From the steering committee to the guest members.

Queen Beatrix portrait. Photograph: Andrew Maughan
But never mind what the agenda of Bilderberg might be (and when one says "Bilderberg", one is really talking about its steering committee of 33 people). Never mind where you stand on the project for a united Europe. Or the usefulness of a global currency. Never mind what they're talking about. Never mind when the attack on Iran is scheduled. Simply understand that a very important, seriously managed conference has just taken place.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 09 Jun 2010 21:36

X-post...

Sorry no Link.

NRC Handelsblad, The Netherlands

Painful Realism

By Editorial

The burdens of this century cannot fall on American shoulders alone.

Translated By Anne Hukkelhoven

28 May 2010

Edited by Jessica Boesl

The Netherlands - NRC Handelsblad - Original Article (Dutch)

President Barack Obama of America wants to fearlessly face the new geopolitical reality. According to him, the United States is unable to manage itself in the world on its own. It is true that American military power is still superior, but without a corresponding political and economic basis, America becomes a giant on feet of clay. And that is exactly what some competitors want, Obama said in his first National Security Strategy, presented yesterday. "Our adversaries would like to see America sap its strength by overextending our power," the president writes.

With this document, Obama distances himself ideologically from his predecessor, George W. Bush, who was inspired by the neoconservative thinkers of the Project for the New American Century. The primary supposition of the think tank was that the world, after the Western victory of the Soviet bloc in the Cold War, had become "unipolar." The U.S. had waged war on many fronts at the same time. Because America would never be able to afford to do that again, according to Bush, other rival powers would emerge.

The strategic and tactical choices that were made in Iraq in 2003 were a result of the influence of the ideas by the Project for the New American Century.

Obama formulates it differently: "The burdens of this century cannot fall on American shoulders alone." That is one reason why the U.S. is gradually saying goodbye to the outdated, late-20th-century concept that the world is informally controlled by the G-8, the conclave of the eight traditional industrial powers. A broader club, in which China, India and Brazil take part, can put more in motion because it can support more weight. Where nuclear disarmament or containment of states such as North Korea and Iran are concerned, the G-20 offers a better platform to implement effective sanctions than the already divided G-8.

Obama seems to acknowledge that America has no choice. Aside from the question of whether the U.S. has enough political resilience, there is an economic motive. Because of the credit crisis, America is unable to endlessly carry on wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. That is a painful, yet undeniable truth.

But this choice of words does not mean that the U.S. government will in fact do the opposite. After more than a year as president, Obama was of course also forced to face the reality that the continuity of U.S. power must be carefully defended. If national interests are at stake, the government will not hesitate to move toward unilateral action.

The National Security Strategy is one of the texts from which the realization that a new world order is announcing itself. Unlike the previous “new order,” which President Bush, Sr., announced about 20 years ago, this new order demands much more adaptability. And whoever wants to continue denying that will commit to a dangerous policy of ostracization.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 10 Jun 2010 00:42

Persian Puncky Punkh to be sunnatized.
http://www.speroforum.com/a/34468/US-Fr ... -Swap-Deal

U.S., France, Russia Respond To Iran Fuel Swap Deal
The United States, France, and Russia have formally responded to a proposal for Iran to send some of its nuclear material to Turkey in return for atomic fuel.
The United States, France, and Russia have formally responded to a proposal for Iran to send some of its nuclear material to Turkey in return for atomic fuel.The response came hours before the UN Security Council was scheduled to vote on a new round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.Diplomats said the response was conveyed to Iran through the International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano in Vienna. The plan, under which Iran would send part of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for nuclear fuel for a research reactor, was brokered by Turkey and Brazil last month.
estern powers have said the plan does not address their concerns about Iran's nuclear program, which they fear is aimed at producing weapons. Iran denies this.

praksam · Post by **praksam** » 10 Jun 2010 01:40

USNORTHCOM Gears Up For Potential Attack On U.S. Soil

http://theintelhub.com/2010/06/09/usnor ... -u-s-soil/

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 10 Jun 2010 09:00

Two (unrelated) thoughts from Paris

http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/201 ... from_paris

Good realist that I am, I have a healthy respect for the exercise of power. But the idea that the primary U.S. goal should be to "keep the Turks in their lane" is way too paternalistic for my taste, especially when we are dealing with a government that prides itself on its independence. Since when did we become the traffic cop, and why is it OUR job to define what is Turkey's "proper lane?" I think that's up to Turkey's government and people. The job of the U.S. government is to figure out its own interests and preferences, try to convince Ankara to support (most of) them, and to stand ready to deal with the consequences in those cases where our interests and preferences disagree. And we ought to open to the possibility that on some issues the Turks might be right (which may also be true in the case of some other governments who see things differently than the U.S. does).

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 10 Jun 2010 09:58

Russia Captures Top Militant Leader
MOSCOW—A top militant leader accused of staging several terrorist attacks in the North Caucasus has been captured by the government forces, Russia's security chief said Wednesday.The Federal Security Service chief, Alexander Bortnikov, reported to President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday that Ali Taziyev—also known by his nom de guerre, Magas—had been ...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 88744.html

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 11 Jun 2010 08:32

U.S. Fury at BP Stirs Backlash Among British

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/business/11bp.html

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 11 Jun 2010 08:33

Has the BP Bashing Gone Too Far?

Brits of all political stripes are getting fed up with Barack Obama's harsh rhetoric on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2 ... ne_too_far

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 12 Jun 2010 05:10

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articl ... 05913.html

The New Wannabe Ottomans
By Victor Davis Hanson

And so, like the theocratic Ottomans of old, Erdogan's Islamic Turkey fancies itself a window on the West, absorbing technology and expertise from Europe and the United States in order to empower and unite the more spiritually pure Muslims across national boundaries.
Of course, Turkey tolerates no criticism about its own violations of human rights in suppressing its Kurdish population. It lectures Israel about occupied land but is silent about its sponsorship of the Turkish absorption of much of Greek Cyprus. It laments a divided Jerusalem but says nothing about the segregation of Nicosia.Erdogan often accuses Israel of human rights violations, but to this day no Turkish government has ever acknowledged culpability for the genocide of the Armenians. Far from it: Not long ago, Erdogan threatened to deport Armenians from Turkish soil.Where and how does all this end?Turkey's new ambitions and ethnic and religious chauvinism are antithetical to its NATO membership. The United States should not be treaty-bound to defend a de facto ally of Iran or Syria, which are both eager to obtain nuclear weapons. European countries foresaw the problem when they denied Turkey membership in the now fragile European Union, fearful that Anatolian Islamists would have unfettered transit across European borders