The Impudent Observer - Global Liberal Issues Analyzes issues of liberal concern and gives readers a digest of what is reported in over forty newspapers throughout the world to engage them in critical thinking issues. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 57 8575

Articles from The Impudent Observer - Global Liberal Issues

Mubarak Warns Israel About Crisis In Gaza 2008-01-21 08:59:11 President Mubarak of Egypt called Israel’s Prime Minister Olmert to warn him a potential humanitarian crisis was looming in Gaza due to closure of entry points. Olmert told visiting Dutch Foreign Minister, Maxine Verhagen, that Hamas has deliberately provoked the crisis and Israel is “trying to hit only those involved in terrorism, but also signaling to the population in Gaza that it cannot be free from responsiblity for this situation.” Israel’s Defense Ministry told Gazans they could turn to Egypt if there is need for food and other supplies, and insists the area is obtaining at least 70% of its normal electrical needs. Telling civilians they can halt military action is hardly sound advice. People are terrified that assisting Israel forces will result in punishment from those involved in terrorism. Part of the problem in Gaza is the failure of freezing oout Hamas leaders from any involvement in peace negotiations by both President Abbas of the Palestinian Auth ...

British Teachers Want Metal Detectors In Schools 2008-01-21 08:33:59 Britain’s Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, is considering the possibility of placing metal detectors in schools in an effort to halt the presence of knives. More than three fourths of knife crimes are found to occur in the age bracket of 12-20. She is responding to pressure from Head Teachers who believe violence is rising in their schools. According to Chris Huhne, a Liberal Democrat spokesperson, “it is sad schol lscanneers are necessary to stop a small minority of young people from carrying knives. But the number of high-profile stabbings at or outside schools in hot-spot areas for gangs means this is a senisble precaution.” No student or teacher should fear walking into a school expecting something might occur that threatens their safety. Unfortunately, the American experience is somewhat confusing. A study of killings reveals the vast majority happen in rural or suburban schools which are considered safe places and it is unusual for shootings to occur in urban schoo ...

Bush Legacy-New Generation Of Homeless Veterans 2008-01-21 08:20:11 Peter Mohan fought bravely in Iraq and then returned home to his wife. He had the happy homecoming, people slapped him on his back and praised his efforts fighting for his country. Then, began the tale of self destruction. He waited until his wife left for work and then spent the day drinking or driving his motorcycle in an aimless manner. Finally, his wife told him to leave. Peter Mohan never found a steady job, he lost his wife, his home, his friends left him and now he has nothing at the age of 28. He is homeless. How can American society allow such tales to unfold without taking preventive action? The history of past wars has taught us a certain percent of returning veterans will suffer from post traumatic stress, so why are there not programs available to avoid such things happening to veterans? The Defense Department has identified about 1,500 veter ans who now fit into the category of being homeless as a result of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. People who study this phenonme ...

Sexual Harassment Legislation Passed In China 2008-01-21 08:01:50 In 2005, the government of China identified sexual harassment as a crime, but never clearly defined what that expression meant. The legislature of Jiangsu became the first to spell out exactly what is the meaning of sexual harassment. Its new law states that “sexual harassment of women in the form of spoken and written language, images, electronic information, and bodily gestures is prohibited. Women can now sue if subjected to such behaviors. China slowly, but surely, is moving forward as a democratic society. It will probably take another decade before it assumes a place in the world as a society in which the rule of law guarantees the rights of people. In a minor incident, last week the first migrant worker ever was elected to a seat in the national legislature. ...

Germany Struggles With Defining Meaning Of Itself 2008-01-21 01:12:14 Throughout its history, Germany has struggled with issues dealing with immigration. Roland Koch, who has been dencouncing Muslim immigrants, claims “Germany is not a country of immigration” and has attacked “criminal young foreigners” as the source of crime and violence in his nation. Actually, about 15 million people or just under a fifth of the German population has an immigrant background. In 1945, the German Jewish population had virtually disappeared but today Germany is home to among the largest Jewish populations in the world. A “foreigner” essentially is anyone not of German heritage even though the person was born and raised in Germany. Germany lags far behind Britain or France of the United States in the number of immigrants who hold police or civil service positions. “Multikulti” has become a dirty word which is used to describe “the other,” the person who does not trace his or her origin hundreds of years back in ...

Dutch Brace For Riots Over Film 2008-01-21 01:06:22 The Duch government is awaiting possible violent protests this week after a provocative anti-Muslim film by a radic al right-wing politician is shown. Geert Wilders intends to show a Koran being torn up and desecrated. He has ensured followers the film will be shown on TV and the Internet regardless of what the government does to attempt suppressing his material. A group, “Stop Islamisation of Europe” is planning to travel to Amsterdam in order to show support for the politician who is now under guard due to fears opponents will make attempts on his life. Wilders announced last fall his desire to make a film depicting fascist elements of the Muslim faith. Many of those who disagree with Wilders believe he has been able to thrive in the absence of intelligent dialogue regarding issues raised concerning Muslim immigration. Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun, the Grant Mufti of Syria, said if Wilders was seen to tear up or burn a Koran, “this will simply mean he is inciting war ... Film

The Marijuana Wars Rage In Great Britain 2008-01-20 13:56:19 About four years ago, the British government downgraded cannabis from a class B drug to a class C drug causing ongoing controversy regarding wisdom of the move. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs(ACMD) is furious over leaks concerning its proposed recommendations about the drug. There is evidence, Prime Minister Gordon Brown is determined to upgrade the drug back to the B category. One former member of ACMD said the group was completely opposed to any such move. “There is no way that the ACMD would support any reclassification of cannabis, unless there were some political shenanigans gooing on,” said the Reverend Martin Blakesborough. However, the decision regarding the eventual classification of cannabis will not be based on medical factors, but on political ones. The entire matter regarding legislation about drugs is among the most confusing in the modern world. Tobacco or alcohol are legal even though their use far surpasses any problems connectedwith cannabis ...

Three Crises Of Musharraf’s Pakistan 2008-01-20 13:38:51 In a rec ent talk with Pakistan reporters, President Musharraf discused the three crises confronting Pakistan. The crisis of establishing a vibrant democratic society, the war against terrorism and extremism, and the crisis of the economy if the first two can not be resolved. He admtted to the press there could be another crisis if al-Qaeda and the Talibanized militants were able to defeat the Pakistan army and can control of nuclear weapons. The president said he was prepared to work with a national unity government, but only after completion of the February election. If Musharraf’s party, the PML-Q gains an undisputed majority in parllament it will trigger charges of vote rigging and throw Pakistan into another crisis of faith in the honesty of a Musharraf government. Pakistan’s public has literarlly given Musharraf a free hand over the past six years to combat extremism and, apparently, his approach is not proving very successful. It is unclear why another six years wil ...

War Of Words, People Die In Israel And Gaza 2008-01-20 11:47:58 The war of words has escalated in Israel and Gaza even as the war between opposing forces continues to result in death and destruction. Gaza has been cut off from the outside world as Kassam rockets from it continue to hit Israeli cities. Sharp exchanges in the Israel cabinet led Internal Affirs Minister Meier Sheetrit to blast Hizbullah’s leader by exclaiming: “We shouldn’t be afraid of Nasrallah, we should eliminate him.” Public Security Minister Avi Dichter complained the Israel armed forces were not doing enough to halt Kassam rockets and urged taking action “whatever the cost to the Palestinians.” Defense Minister Ehud Barak responded by insisting the IDF was hitting terrorists and was also planning new ventures. Gaza’s only electrical plant closed on Sunday insisting they had run out of fuel while Barak claims they have plenty of fuel but are only trying to gain world sympathy. Hamas spokesperon, Sami Abdul Zhuhri defiantly told Israel, ...

The Failed Giuliani Gambit-Wrong Strategy? 2008-01-20 09:34:22 Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s name has barely rated a mention over the past month as primary results come in from New Hampshire or Michigan or Nevada or South Carolina. He has banked everything on scoring a huge victory in Florida, but new reports indicate he may have already fallen behind Senator John McCain and Mike Huckabee. For some strange reason, Giuliani developed a strategy of putting all his eggs in the Florida basket and allowing his rivals to bask in the glow of ongoing publicity while he addressed a few hunded senior citizens in the large cities of Florida. Giuliani forgot that Florida is a complex state with hundreds of small towns, most of which are conservative areas, and that as the former mayor gave his standard speech about 9/11, the war in Iraq had been supplanted by economic problems ranging from the housing market to a dramatic stock market collapse. Two months ago, Rudy was leading in national polls. Today, he, at best, is third and rapidly slipping. As he ...

Need More Veterans Attending College 2008-01-19 16:21:04 Former Marine Brendan Hart is on a mission to get more veterans in college, especially those who have been injured. He recently pointed out WWII veterans flooded into college but, “now these guys transferring out have to fight tooth and nail to get into schools they may not want to go to.” Recent figures indicate only about 10% of veterans from the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan have gone on to higher education after completing their service tour. Dartmouth President James Wright, a former Marine, points out that current veteran benefits are not as generous as those given WWII and Korean War veterans. Senator Jim Webb and Senator Chuck Hagel, two veterans of the Vietnam War, are attempting to alter veteran benefits to make them closer to the WWII model. As a Korean War veteran, I am shocked by the inadequate funding of veterans seeking to attend higher education or secure other forms of training for skilled jobs. We were provided payment of full tuition, a monthly stipen ...

Nobody Asked Me But, 2008-01-19 15:47:38 Each week, we will offer a few rambling comments about events in life from the serious to the unimportant. Every time I hear Rudy Giuliani speak about 9/11, I wonder if he could actually complete a sentence without those numbers being mentioned. I thought Mike Huckabee was humorous on his guest appearances with Jon Stewart. After his pampering platitudes about waving the Confederate flag in the name of freedom, I wonder what this man would not say in order to get elected to the presidency. When in heavy traffic and stuck at a red light, I invariably allow waiting cars to get in front of me. I become upset if the driver doesn’t return my incredible kindness with a wave. Allowing cars in front of you deserves a wave. If you are at a check out counter, always go to the line containing old geezeers like me. If we lived in the Depression, more often than not we pay cash. I feel sorry for John Edwards. It seems he never runs for the presidency at the right time. He is a good man with g ...

Coming Out But Staying In For Gay Soldier 2008-01-19 09:52:25 Sgt. Daniel Manzella told an officer he was a homosexual and the officer turned him in. During the investigation, Manzella ladmitted he was gay and even offered visual confirmation, a home video showing him kissing a civilian boyfriend. Needless to say, Manzella was rather surprised at the final verdict of his commanding officer. “They found no evidence of homosxuality,” says Manzella. This verdict, and dozens of others, merely confirms the growing reality on the part of the United States armed forces that current conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan require retention of every qualified soldier in the ranks, gay or straight or whatever. The Manzella story was recounted on “60 Minutes” but nothing happened. There has been a dramatic drop in the number of gay and lesbian discharges over the past five years to nearly half the 1,273 who were discharged in 2001. The ironic aspect of Bush’s fiasco in Iraq is the apparent benefit it has provided gay and lesbian so ...

Stand By Your Man, I Mean Flag, Shouts Huckabee! 2008-01-19 09:38:37 There are political slanderers and there are political panderers in American poliitics, Mike Huckabee certainly should be awarded an Oscar for his recent mud slinging episode in South Carolina. The Arkansas traveler has decided the critical issue confronting the people of South Carolinia is not the collapse of the stock market or the housing crisis, but flying the Confederate flag. Mr. Huckabee, who describes himself as a “Christian candidate,” displayed good Christian ethics by telling South Carolinians, “You don’t want anyone from out of state coming down and telling you what to do with your flag,” do you? He was resurrecting a topic that had been put to rest eight years ago when the Confederate flag was removed from atop the state legislature. The flag issue was a not so subtle attack on Senator John McCain who supports removal of the Confederate flag. Senator McCain, who actually fought under the American flag, something never done by patriotic Huck ...

Cambodian Government Halts Darfur Ceremony 2008-01-19 09:20:20 American actress Mia Farrow expressed shock and bewilderment at actions by the government of Cambodia to block a ceremony at a former Khmer Rouge prison which was designed to highlight the crisis in Darfur where people are being brutalized by Sudan troops. “It is pretty harsh to be against a ceremony that honors the victims of Darfur and genocide survivors everywhere,” she said. “Frankly, I’m a little bewildered.” Farrow and other activists will procedd with the ceremony and hold it at the prison gates of the infamous Tuoi Sieng torture facility. She is working with a U.S. based advocacy group, ‘Dream For Darfur,’ which is staging a mock Olympic torch-lighting ceremony at the former prison to send a message to China, a major provider of arms to the Sudan government. The Cambodian government claims it opposes the ceremony because it is a “political message” against China. China is a strong supporter of the Cambodian government and ...